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High School  | General | 12/8/2023

Finest in the Field: Class of 2028

This time of the year, every year, out staff looks back at some of the defensive standouts, from their showings both in a showcase setting and live action, and assemble the Finest in the Field beginning today with the Class of 2028.

P – Yariel "Lito" Diaz (Saint Cloud, Fla.)
Diaz, who’s currently listed as a primary outfielder, was one of the more dominant arms on the circuit last summer from the 13u group, despite playing mostly at the 14u level. Part of the reason for his dominance, aside from an advanced arsenal, is the athleticism that allows him to replicate his delivery and release, maintaining his slot while pounding the strike zone. Nearly eligible to be on the 12u circuit throughout 2023 due to age, Diaz shows some of the more fluid mechanics and the entire package is an enticing one for the southpaw out of Florida. 



C – Aaron Garcia (Pico Rivera, Calif.)
Given that he won the Rawlings Defensive Player of the Year at the 13u Select Festival, it wasn’t a matter of IF Garcia would make this team, but rather WHERE. A natural middle infielder who brings that type of twitch and athleticism behind the plate, Garcia is as refined a defender behind the plate as you’ll find at the 13u level. I put where in all caps above because of the actions he’s shown up the middle, as well as the arm strength (86 mph across at the 13u National), all of which makes him a standout defender in the dirt as well. 

1B – Luke Esquivel (Grapevine, Texas)
Time will tell where Esquivel ultimate calls home long term, as it will for many of the players in 2028, but the reigning PG Two-Way Player of the Year already stands out in all facets on the fields. An accomplished left-hander who has already been upwards of 86 mph on the mound, the future LSU Tiger moves around the first base bag with nimble footwork and solid body control, something we also see on the mound. The arm strength is an asset for the position and already being 6-foot-1, 180 pounds provides his fielders a big target, though he has the softness in his hands to scoop the low throw in the dirt should he need to. 

MIF – Lio Garcia (Suwanee, Ga.)
Garcia’s bat did a lot of the talking for him this summer but not so much that it was able to overshadow what he brings to the defensive side of things as well. A primary shortstop who can play on either side of the bag with poise and confidence, Garcia already shows refined footwork in the dirt as he maintains balance while ranging to either side or making the charge, never breaking stride while manipulating his slot to finish the play. The arm and actions both play in the outfield as well, but it’s up the middle where he calls home and should continue to moving forward. 

MIF – Bryan Mesa (Hialeah, Fla.)
In terms of pure actions and confidence, not many in the 2028 class can top what Mesa brings to the shortstop position. While there’s a sense of flair to his game, the actions are also extremely polished with very sound fundamentals, whether it’s picking the backhand cleanly or on the move where he needs to change his slot while still showing ample strength across. The overall ease in which he plays the premium position can’t be understated either, which again is something that stems from the advanced foundation of tools and confidence in the dirt. 

3B – Jacob Gray (Benicia, Calif.)
Gray making this team as a third baseman isn’t to say he’s not a shortstop, as he’s still one of the tops in the country, but given his broad shouldered frame and the room in which he’ll continue to fill on his frame, he could make the slide over to the hot corner. That said, the arm strength will continue to play on the left side of the diamond as he makes it look easy while moving well in the dirt with his feet, something that would only aid at third base. Ranked No. 12 in the country and the No. 2 overall shortstop, wherever Gray plays this summer and down the road defensively, he’s going to be an asset with game changing ability. 

OF – Dexter McCleon Jr. (Buford, Ga.)
McCleon Jr. has continued to prove there isn’t much he can’t do on the baseball diamond, regardless of where he’s play, whether on the mound or in the outfield. Manning left field this summer some, the arm strength possessed by the Georgia native is second to none and could easily move over to left field, but his 6.8 speed could also suggest center field long-term. Regardless of where he ends up, McCleon Jr is going to be a standout defender given the combination of speed, athleticism, and arm strength. 

OF – Dru Wilson (Porter Ranch, Calif.)
Wilson has been one of the more popular names in this group over the last couple years and rightfully so given the tools the 3-time Select Festival alum possesses. Despite the physicality of his frame Wilson is an extremely fluid mover in the outfield, making his fair share of fully extended catches over the past circuit season. He runs well at 7.2 and it plays nicely in his defensive actions, charging balls with authority while working through and showing quality arm strength as well. Given the arm, there’s no reason to think he won’t continue to be a weapon in right field as he’s only going to continue adding serious strength. 

OF – Rylan Jenkins (Tennile, Ga.)
If you think about center field, you one thing immediately comes to mind: speed. Well, look no further than Rylan Jenkins of Tennile, Georgia as the speedy outfield was one of the true breakout stars of this past summer. He earned his invite to the 13u National Showcase based off of his play in Hoover, Alabama and immediately stole everybody’s attention when he ran an event best 6.61 in the 60-yard. That single tool is a game changer for Jenkins as he can quickly shrink the gaps with outstanding closing speed and efficient routes.

UTL – Julian Martinez (New York, N.Y.)
Adding some Northeast into the mix, Martinez could’ve capture the catching spot or a middle infield spot like Aaron Garcia above, so utility is a fitting home given his versatility. Another long-time standout, Martinez shows lots of softness in his hands, picking the ball cleanly and with an air of confidence while showing a strong arm across the diamond. That same refinement plays behind the dish where the exchange is clean, actions are repeatable and arm is accurate down to second base. 
 

High School | General | 12/19/2025

Huntington Beach HS World Series Recap

Steve Fiorindo
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MVPitcher: Duncan McLeod The uncommitted junior toed the slab in three of the four games for Team Mick, tossing 3 2/3 innings.  Zero walks, zero hits and 6 punchouts for the lefty who was used both as a starter in the series clinching game 4 and he closed out game 3 on Friday in quick fashion.  McLeod was very efficient as well, needing just 42 pitches over all his outings.  In the game 4 start, over two innings he punched out 3, with one strikeout with all of his offerings.  The mid 80’s fastball regularly played up, set up with efficient use of the secondaries, with the breaking ball 73/74 and fading change-up 72-74.   Owen Bone (2026) at it again... Solo shot in the 5th to tie things up. Back to back days with a home run for Bone. #PGHS pic.twitter.com/2JC9qETI5h — Perfect Game California (@California_PG) December 13, 2025 MV Hitter: ...
Tournaments | Story | 12/19/2025

13u Tourney All-American Team

Jheremy Brown
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What a year it was in 2025 on the national landscape at the 13u level as Perfect Game continues to expand its reach around the country, providing an even bigger schedule of events coast-to-coast which has allowed players all over show out and gain their deserved recognition. Whether in Texas for the Houston 1000 or the 13u WWBA in West Palm Beach, we saw huge, eye opening performances from the players placed below, knowing that we could EASILY build a third team and likely a fourth without much effort.  As we do every year with this exercise, it's worth pointing out the trickiness of this age group and putting the teams together with the 13u group. While the players are all members of the Class of 2030, some are younger for the grade, which allowed them to play at the 12u level where's it's a smaller field, shorter mound distance and different bats, so we'll separate them out and...
Tournaments | Story | 12/18/2025

14u Tourney All-American Team

Tyler Russo
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Player of the Year: Asher Williams It was an incredible year for Williams that was rewarded with a trip to the 14U Select Fest, before some more impressive play in the fall. He came to the plate almost 250 times in PG tournaments throughout 2025 and reached base in well over half of them, hitting to a .500 AVG while slugging a 14U circuit best 12 bombs and driving in 113 runs. The numbers on the surface are ridiculous, but when you look at the high-level events he put them up in, it makes it even more impressive. Pitcher of the Year: Tristan Blalock Blalock earns this honor after a dominant 2025 where he struck out 85 batters in just 48.2 innings of work with a minuscule 1.58 ERA. This included several strong performances at many national level tournaments and showcases where he was able to bully some of the best hitters in the country. It’s hard not to fall in love with...
Draft | Story | 12/18/2025

PG Draft: Gut Feel Guys

Tyler Henninger
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While we are nearing the turn of the calendar to the 2026 year, that means we are just inching closer to the beginning of the season for many high school players and college baseball is on the horizon. We are prepping for a reshuffle of the 2026 MLB Draft Board as well here amongst the PG Draft staff. But before we get to that, we sat down and have each picked a couple of players who are in the mix to get selected in a couple of different buckets.  We have prospects who could go into the Top 30 picks or so, prospects who could be selected in the Top 5 rounds, and prospects who could go inside of the Top 10 rounds. With the draft quite far down the road and a lot of re-shuffling to be done as these players play themselves into certain spots on the draft board, our scouts picked some players who fit into these “buckets” who are gut-feel guys. These are the guys that our PG...
Tournaments | Story | 12/17/2025

15u Tourney All-American Team

Jason Phillips
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Hitter of the Year: Landon Bonner The 2028 class saw many players from across the country take the next step in their development as they entered the High School ranks. There were huge performances from highly ranked players on the PG circuit as well as some under-the-radar guys who burst onto the scene. Landon Bonner came into Sophomore National as a Top 500 ranked player and after an impressive showing, left with all eyes on him as a rankings riser in the class. The left-handed hitting shortstop from The Colony, Texas, had a summer to remember with All-Tournament Team selections in three of his next four events culminating with a historic performance at the 2025 PG 15U WWBA National Championship. The Hebron High School prep went 20-for-24 in nine games for 5 Star Mafia 15U Black with four homeruns and 12 runs batted in. He also scored 17 runs and finished with a mind-boggling 2.500...
Tournaments | Story | 12/16/2025

16u Tourney All-American Team

AJ Denny
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Hitter of the Year: Koa Romero is the Hitter of the Year for the 16u group, as he would come to every premier event of the summer and earn All-Tournament honors (Beast of the East, 16/17u WWBA, Jupiter) in every single one. Over 82 plate appearances, Romero would pump ten homeruns with forty two RBI and sixteen walks, good for a .378 average and 1.339 OPS. The performance on volume at the best events of the year pushed Romero over the edge here, as he’d hit a pair of homeruns in Jupiter (one of them at 112 EV) as an underclassmen and collect double digit hits in BOTH WWBA events with a combined six jacks over the two tournaments. It was a summer that combined performance and winning on the biggest stages for Romero. It’s a quiet left-handed swing that packs a punch. He would reap the benefits of his performances, earning a commitment to LSU and jumping to the #74 prospect in...
College | Recruiting | 12/15/2025

Recruiting Notebook: December 15

John McAdams
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Tucker Rice (27 MS) bumping up to 91; living hi-80s from real fast arm. Good SL @ 77-79 w/ depth & sold w/ intent. Loads of traits & strikes. #WWBA @PG_Uncommitted @PG_DeepSouth pic.twitter.com/DEjFqRcsIY — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) July 6, 2025 Tucker Rice, RHP, Class of 2027 Commitment: Alabama Alabama has continued to stay red hot in the recruiting trail ever since August 1st rolled around on the calendar and have continued to stack major pieces in their ’27 class. They dip into Mississippi to land one of the premier arms and one that’s stood out on the circuit for quite some time. It’s a fast arm and the athleticism certainly shines working down the slope. The velocity has continued to tick up over the last calendar year and reached into the low-90s towards the end of the summer. He’s confident in his changeup and the breaking ball is...
Tournaments | Story | 12/15/2025

17u Tourney All-American Team

Vincent Cervino
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There’s a lot of talent throughout this 2026 class, filled with the big-name stars, to talent that spreads across the nation. It’s been a lot of fun seeing these prospects grow and develop over the years, from the days of watching some of these guys at the 13/14u days at events on the circuit, to now where they are all graduating seniors in 2026. There’s been new faces who have popped along the way over the years, even in 2026, where some players who were relatively undiscovered, have come out and made a name for themselves with a statement performance. Between the familiar and the new, there’s a lot of names on this list that are going to be quite regularly talked about on the circuit, and for good reason.  Whether it’s PG All-Americans or not, there’s a lot of names with superstar potential at the next level. We’ve got 14 PG All-Americans...
Tournaments | Story | 12/13/2025

Finest in the Field: Class of 2029

Tyler Russo
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Finest in the Field: Class of 2026 | Class of 2027 | Class of 2028 These guys might just be entering high school, but they've certainly already made a name for themselves on the national circuit, especially with their abilities on the defensive side of things.  C: Xavier Rodriguez (Logansville, GA) Rodriguez is a polished defender with real arm strength behind the dish, while showcasing the ability to impact the baseball with authority to all fields evident by thirty of his sixty-five hits going for extra-bases including seven bombs. He handles high-level pitching extremely well, commands his staff and his offensive prowess makes him a true two-way asset. 1B: Cooper Knight (Buda, TX) Knight is a smooth operator at first base with plenty of range, fluidity and agility in his footwork around the bag. Add-in a rocket for an arm, the ability to change slots and to...
Tournaments | Story | 12/12/2025

Scout Stories: Part 5

AJ Denny
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Best Game I Saw: The Dream NTL 18U vs. MBA Scout Team Murphy Jupiter always brings out the best, and we got fireworks from the jump. Turner Marshall gave The Dream an outstanding 4+ innings of work on the mound, holding a lethal MBA team at bay with Chance Dixon, Derrick Carter, and Ellis Appling providing an offensive spark out of the gate for the Georgia based boys. However, it was only a matter of time before the talent on the other side got going, as MBA erased a 3-run deficit in the 5th to take a 4-3 lead led by a Parker Loew HR. The Dream then took command again in the Top of the 6th, before MBA punched right back with a huge 5-run inning in the bottom half capped off by a clutch RBI single from Matthew Kerrigan, ending a wild sequence with tons of notable performances from two very competitive rosters. Best Tournament Performance I Saw: Surely someone has already brought this...
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