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General  | Blog | 11/23/2025

Down on the Farm: AL East

Photo: George Lombard (Perfect Game)
It’s the time of the year again (i.e. the off-season) for the annual PG Down on the Farm feature.  We identify a top prospect in each of the 30 Major League organizations with as much Perfect Game background as possible and delve into that PG history for some insight into his development as a prospect.  Some of them might be high profile, high draft pick, ex-PG All-American talents who fans have been long familiar with.  Others might be more obscure prospects who have significantly improved either in college or as professionals.  Note that players who have used up their rookie eligibility are not considered.

The idea isn’t to necessarily pick the best PG background prospect in each organization but the one who might be closest to the big leagues.  Sometimes that is the same player, other times not.



And there is plenty of variation among organizations in their quantity and quality of prospects, whether it be those with PG backgrounds or not.
 
The profiles will be organized by League/Division and run on the following schedule.

American League East (November 24)
American League Central  (November 26)
American League West  (November 28)
National League East (December 1)
National League Central  (December 3)
National League West  (December 5
 

American League East


Baltimore Orioles  --  OF Enrique Bradfield Jr.
High School:  American Heritage HS (Hialeah, Fla.)
Travel Team:  Elite Squad
College:  Vanderbilt
Final PG Class Ranking:  51st (2020)
Drafted:  1st Round, 2023, Baltimore (17th overall)
Highest 2025 Level:  AAA
2026 Age:  24

Bradfield was a fixture at Perfect Game events during his four years in high school, both for American Heritage High School and for Elite Squad.  And he was one of the most enjoyable players to watch for everyone on the PG staff during those two years as well.  He was consistent, played with flair and enjoyment and lived with a smile on his face. 

The first time I saw Bradfield play was for American Heritage as a freshman in the spring of 2017.  He was a 140-pound freshman center fielder/lead-off hitter on one of the top high school teams in the country, which told you most of what you needed to know.

Bradfield went on to hit .392 as a freshman in PG/WWBA play, .491 as a sophomore and .485 as a junior with 54 stolen bases in 59 attempts.  He ran a 6.26 sixty at the 2019 PG National Showcase, with the following report being written:

Slender athletic build, not the type of frame that is going to fill out much but has plenty of room for some wiry strength. Outstanding runner, 6.26 in the sixty, has game impacting speed on the bases and in centerfield on defense. Left-handed hitter, hits from a straight tall stance with a hanging left lift load, has quick hands and a compact short swing, hands driven swing with contact to all fields, has consistently shown the ability to take pitches and square up the ball, prototype leadoff hitter. Has easy and fluid footwork and actions in the outfield, runs very good routes and charges the ball hard, playable arm strength with a quick release. Polished player who understands his strengths and plays to them. Excellent student, verbal commitment to Vanderbilt.

Bradfield’s tool set is not unprecedented but is one of the most difficult for a scout to really evaluate.  As a relatively young scout I saw Juan Pierre play 35-40 games in Junior College over two years with virtually the same tool set and never wrote a report on him.  On a pro scale, you’re looking at a player with 80 speed, 70 defense (Bradfield could Really run down the ball in centerfield), a 30 arm at best, 20 power and a 50 Hit tool that you could fudge higher if you really liked him.  That’s just a tough combination and not many successful Major Leaguers share it.

Bradfield went to Vanderbilt, started from Day 1 of his freshman year and was predictably impactful in many ways.  He scored 198 runs in 191 games, understandable for the fastest player in the college game when posting a .425 on-base percentage.  He gained special note as a sophomore in 2022 when he was a perfect 46-46 in stolen bases and he stole 130/143 bases for his three-year career.

Teams were probably all over the map for Bradfield in the 2023 draft but the Orioles loved the speed/defense package the best, picking Bradfield with the 17th overall pick and signing him to a $4,169,700 bonus.

2025 Summary

Bradfield was limited to 76 games, mostly in AA, by an early season hamstring injury.  He still managed to steal 36/40 bases, down from his 74/87 in 2024 but still impressive.  On the flip side, he managed a .242 batting average and .348 OB%, numbers that he’s going to look to improve on to become more than a fringe big league centerfielder.

2026 Perspective

A full and healthy year in AAA would be the best projection for Bradfield, accompanied by more solid contact and an increased ability to get on base.  The Orioles have been auditioning fresh highly acclaimed outfield prospects for a couple of years but everything is wide open both short and long term.

2024 Featured PG Player:  RHP Patrick Reilly

2025 Update:  Reilly made three short appearances in AA in April (0-1, 1.86 in 9.2 innings) before being shut down with elbow soreness and undergoing Tommy John surgery in May, just one of many arm problems Orioles pitchers have suffered in the past few years.

2023 Featured PG Player:  3B Coby Mayo
2022 Featured PG Player:  RHP Grayson Rodriguez
2021 Featured PG Player:  IF Gunnar Henderson
 

Boston Red Sox  --  LHP Connelly Early
High School:  James River HS (Midlothian, Va.)
Travel Team:  Virginia Cardinals
College:  Army, Virginia
Final PG Class Ranking:  500 (2020)
Drafted:  5th Round, 2023, Boston
Highest 2025 Level:  MLB
2026 Age:  24

If Trey Yesavage (below) is an example of a late maturing arm talent with an obscure back ground as a prospect, Early has taken that to an extreme.

One thing Early could definitely do in high school was throw strikes and get outs.  He threw 10 innings at the 2019 WWBA 17U National Championships, striking out 13 hitters and walking no one.  At the 2019 World Junior Championships, it was 9 strikeouts in 5.2 innings, at the 2018 WWBA 16U National Championships it was more of the same. 

At those three respective events, Early’s fastball ranges were recorded at 80-84, 84-88 and 77-81.  He was listed at 6-2/170 at his last PG event.  Just as it is today, Early threw and depended heavily on his slider, change up and curveball and on throwing lots of strikes.

With a 4.61 high school GPA and both parents holding Masters Degrees, education was an obvious priority in the Early household and he decided to go to Army to continue his own education.  He also grew to his present 6-3/195 and added significant velocity to his fastball over his two years pitching at Army, including going 7-4, 3.26 in 85 innings as a sophomore.  This got the attention of Virginia and undoubtedly a number of other high-level baseball schools and Early choose the “Paul Skenes” route out of a US Military Academy into mainstream college baseball to further his baseball career.

Early continued to deal at Virginia with his new 89-91 mph fastball, going 12-3, 3.09 in 87 innings with 100 strikeouts and 23 walks and being named the MVP of Virginia’s Regional NCAA victory.  The Red Sox took him in the 5th round of the 2023 draft and signed him for a $408,500 bonus.

2025 Summary

Early started 2025 in AA and the 23-year old made quick work of both that level and AAA, posting a 10-3, 2.60 record and striking out 132 hitters in 100 innings while allowing only five home runs.  It was more of the same in four big league starts, as he struck out 29 in 19 innings while posting a 2.33 ERA and only walking four hitters.

2026 Perspective

There are no sure things aside from Garrett Crochet and Brayan Bello in the projected 2026 Red Sox rotation, although they are sure to be active on the free agent pitching market.  Early’s strong September performance should guarantee him a long spring training look.

2024 Featured PG Player:  IF Kristian Campbell

2025 Update:  Campbell got off to a hot MLB start to the season and signed an 8-year, $60M contract as a result.  He subsequently slumped a bit offensively and defensively and was sent down to AAA, where he hit .273-8-36/.806 OPS in 69 games while playing 5 positions.

2023 Featured PG Player:  IF Nick Yorke
2022 Featured PG Player:  IF Matthew Lugo
2021 Featured PG Player: 1B Triston Casas


New York Yankees  --  SS George Lombard Jr.
High School:  Gulliver Schools (Pinecrest, Fla.)
Travel Team:  Elite Squad
Final PG Class Ranking:  16th (2023)
Drafted:  1st Round, 2023, New York Yankees (26th overall)
Highest 2025 Level:  AA
2026 Age:  21

Lombard Jr. is the son of former MLB outfielder and current Detroit Tigers coach George Lombard and the brother of Jacob Lombard, the second ranked player in the 2026 class.  He was always considered a top prospect from the time he started playing in PG events with the Elite Squad in 2020 as a 15-year old but took a big step forward with his strength and bat speed as a junior.

After hitting nine home runs for Gulliver Schools during the spring, it became pretty much impossible to get Lombard out at WWBA tournaments during the 2022 summer.  He warmed up by hitting .636-0-7 with 4 extra base hits at the WWBA 17U East Memorial Day Classic, followed that up with a .467-0-5 performance at 17U UBC East, then capped it off with a dominant week at the WWBA 17U National Championships, hitting .517-2-15 in 11 games.

Lombard then went to the PG National Showcase, which generated this evaluation:

Recorded a 6.53 second 60-yard dash time. Long and lean build with a high waist, plenty of athleticism, and lots of room to project. Primary shortstop with a hyper quick release and very smooth hands. Good lateral agility to both sides with arm strength up to 85 mph across. Good balance and body control and arm plays up due to release. Right-handed hitter with a straight stance and loose, extended swing. Plus bat speed and finishes uphill through contact. Really strong hands with barrel accuracy. Has present juice and frame suggests bigger power coming. Low tension swing that has performed all summer including a 101EV double in game. Terrific student. Verbal commitment to Vanderbilt. Named to the 2022 PG All-American Classic.

Lombard continued to hit his senior spring, putting up a .478-6-19 line in 29 games with 14 doubles.  He had a scholarship to Vanderbilt in hand but plenty of first round interest as well.  He was the third high school shortstop drafted behind Arjun Nimmala (Toronto) and Colt Emerson (Seattle) at 26th overall to the New York Yankees and received a signing bonus of $3,300,000.

2025 Summary

Lombard quickly aced High A to start the season (.329 BA/.983 OPS) and moved up to AA after 24 games to spend the rest of the season in AA.  He perhaps not surprisingly struggled with the bat (.215-8-36/.695 OPS) but continued to draw walks, steal bases and play outstanding defense.

2026 Perspective

There has been almost as much clamor about the Yankees shortstop situation in 2025 as about the mayoral race but Lombard, while acknowledged as the team’s best prospect and long-term shortstop, isn’t the 2026 answer.  He’ll likely start the season repeating AA.

2024 Featured PG Player:  LHP Brock Selvidge

2025 Update:  The 22-year old spent his second year in AA and going 2-6, 4.92 in 15 starts with a career high walk rate of 4.6/9 innings.

2023 Featured PG Player:  OF Spencer Jones
2022 Featured PG Player:  C Austin Wells
2021 Featured PG Player: 
SS Anthony Volpe

 
Tampa Bay Rays  --  1B Tre' Morgan
High School:  Brother Martin HS (New Orleans, La.)
Travel Team:  MLB Breakthrough Series
College:  Louisiana State
Final PG Class Ranking:  220th (2020)
Drafted:  3rd Round, 2023, Tampa Bay
Highest 2025 Level:  AAA
2026 Age:  23

Morgan was a standout at Brother Martin HS in New Orleans, hitting .483 as a senior while also playing free safety on the football team.  He was a well-known prospect nationally and played for the MLB Breakthrough Series team at Jupiter in 2019 and at the WWBA World Underclass Championships in 2018 in addition to the 2019 East Coast Pro Showcase.

After signing with nearby Louisiana State, Morgan won the starting first base job as a freshman and posted three almost identical seasons at the plate while expanding his defensive skills to include the outfield as a junior.  Overall, he played in 194 college games at LSU, hitting .332-19-119/.921 OPS with a 110:129 walk to strike out ratio.  Morgan had also already earned the reputation as a future Gold Glove candidate at first base defensively should he ever hit enough to earn the playing time.

Tampa Bay, one of the champions of run prevention as part of their organizational strategy, liked Morgan the most, picking him in the third round of the 2023 draft and signing him to a $781,300 bonus. 

Morgan’s college experience and polished barrel to ball skills enabled him to cruise through three minor league levels in his first professional season in 2024, hitting a combined .324-10-68/.891 OPS to earn a promotion in AAA in 2025 as a 22-year old.

2025 Summary

Morgan spent all year in AAA as a 22-year old continuing to do what he has always done, post respectable offensive numbers (.274-8-45/.810 OPS in 92 games) while maximizing contact and playing elite level defense at first base.  He also mixed in some games in left field, repeating the 2024 defensive pattern.

2026 Perspective

The Rays already have an All-Star with not dissimilar skills at first base in Jonathan Aranda and another former All-Star, Yandy Diaz, as the first base back up and full-time DH.  So another year of AAA might be in the offering for Morgan, with the Rays watching for perhaps more power to finally develop.

2024 Featured PG Player:  OF Chandler Simpson

2025 Update:  Chandler was almost exactly as advertised after his early season call up, hitting .295 with extremely high contact rates and finishing second in MLB in steals with 44.  He also had only 18 extra base hits and 20 walks in over 400 plate appearances.    

2023 Featured PG Player:  SS Carson Williams
2022 Featured PG Player:  RHP Taj Bradley
2021 Featured PG Player:  2B Xavier Edwards


Toronto Blue Jays  --   RHP Trey Yesavage
High School:  Boyertown HS (Boyertown, Penn.)
Travel Team:  Keystone State Bombers
College:  East Carolina
Final PG Class Ranking:  382nd (2021)
Drafted:  1st Round, 2024, Toronto (20th overall)
Highest 2025 Level:  MLB
2026 Age:  22

Yesavage threw in 10 different PG tournaments while in high school, most of them for the Keystone State Bombers.  His best tournament was the 2019 PG 15U Super25 National Championship where he was named Most Valuable player after striking out 20 hitters in 9 innings across two outings and hitting a home run in the championship game.  He was 85-90 mph at that tournament with a 77 mph slider and 82 mph change, velocities that would remain pretty consistent throughout his high school days, although he was bumping 92-93 mph at two events, including Jupiter, at the beginning of his senior year.

After making 34 appearances as a short reliever at East Carolina, Yesavage transitioned to a starting role his next two years and quickly became one of the top starts in college baseball, going a combined 18-2, 2.26 in 29 starts with 250 strikeouts and only 102 hits allowed in 169 innings.

Yesavage was the fourth college pitcher selected in the 2020 draft behind Chase Burns (2nd/Reds), Hagen Smith (5th/White Sox) and Jurrangelo Cijntje (15th/Mariners).  He signed for a $4,175,000 bonus.

Yesavage’s rise from being the 382nd ranked prospect in his graduating class to a minimal role as a college freshman to a dominant college starter and Major League pitcher is comparable to the path taken by the Tigers Casey Mize, who was also ranked in the 300’s coming out of high school before blossoming at Auburn and becoming the first pick in the 2018 draft.

2025 Summary

Yesavage’s 2025 season hardly needs rehashed, as he went from being a first-year minor leaguer at the beginning of September to almost leading the Blue Jays to a World Series title.  His playoff numbers, 3-1, 3.58 in 27 innings with 18 hits allowed and 39 strikeouts, speak loudly and for themselves.  His 160 strikeouts in 98 innings prior to September are pretty impressive, too.

2026 Perspective

Yesavage is assured of a spot in Toronto’s rotation but the Blue Jays are sure to have an eye on his innings.  He threw 139 innings as a 21-year old in 2025, many obviously under extreme pressure, and will probably be on a short leash at some point in the season.

2024 Featured PG Player:  RHP Jake Bloss

2025 Update:  Bloss had a slow start in AAA, posting a 6.46 ERA in his first six starts before going down with elbow issues and undergoing TJ surgery in mid-May.

2023 Featured PG Player: 
LHP Ricky Tiedemann
2022 Featured PG Player: 
IF Addison Barger
2021 Featured PG Player:  IF Jordan Groshans

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Jim Salisbury
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Troy Sutherland
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Tyler Henninger
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The Class of 2026 is one of the deeper prep classes that we have seen in a couple of years. With that being said, there is plenty of talent on the defensive side. Let’s take a look at some of the best defenders in the class.  C: Will Brick, Christian Brothers HS (Memphis, TN) Brick is a newcomer to the class after reclassifying, but immediately became the top backstop. Extremely advanced actions are shown behind the dish with impressive athleticism to go with it. Brick showcases big time arm strength and is consistently accurate on throw downs. He can make playing the position look extremely easy at times. Brick possesses all the defensive tools needed to be a premier catcher.  1B: AJ Curry, University City HS (San Diego, CA) Curry has a bigger and stronger frame with good strength throughout. He has a well-proportioned build that serves him well on the dirt. He’s...
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