PG All-Americans on campus

Photo: Perfect Game

The landscape of the MLB Draft and how it effects the number of players that are drafted out of high school and eventually end up signing was changed significantly the last time the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) was updated in 2012. Due to the institution of pre-determined monetary pools each team is assigned, all organizations have to work within those financial parameters without being penalized either by fine or loss of draft picks or both.

Due to that we have witnessed an increase of some of the top high school players opting to honor their college commitments and playing at the college level instead of beginning their professional career straight out of high school.

The 2012 PG All-American Classic was the first year in which the players were effected, and that group represents an impressive wave of prospects that are set to begin their junior years in college. Eighteen of the players that participated in the 2012 Classic are still in college, a group with several projected early picks including, but not limited to, A.J. Puk (Florida), Nick Banks (Texas A&M), Chris Okey (Clemson), Jordan Sheffield (Vanderbilt), Zack Collins (Miami), Robert Tyler (Georgia), Cavan Biggio (Notre Dame), Ryan Boldt (Nebraska), Jeremy Martinez (USC) and Sheldon Neuse (Oklahoma).

Twenty players from the 2013 Classic took their game to the college level including several that made an immediate impact. Kel Johnson (Georgia Tech), Cobi Johnson (Florida State), Keaton McKinney (Arkansas) and David Peterson (Oregon) all enjoyed successful freshmen campaigns for their respective programs.

While half (27) of the players that participated in the 2014 PG All-American Classic (54) have already begun their professional careers, the other half are already on college campuses across the nation.

The National Champion Virginia Cavaliers will welcome outfielder Doak Dozier for the 2016 season. The runner-up Vanderbilt Commodores welcome yet another high-octane arm to campus in Donny Everett, along with speedster Alonzo Jones. The third-ranked Florida Gators receive reinforcements to their already strong team with Daniel Reyes and infielder Jonathan India.

Some other notable new faces around the nation for schools that finished ranked in Perfect Game's final top 25 rankings for the 2015 college season include two-way talent Luken Baker and hard-hitting slugger Ryan Johnson (TCU); Cole McKay is in Baton Rouge to bolster an already deep LSU pitching staff. A promising pair of arms – Justin Hooper and Kyle Molnar – look to continue UCLA's impressive pitching factory that churned out Pittsburgh Pirates ace and 2007 PG All-American Gerrit Cole.

After hitting a walkoff home run in the state championship game for Bishop Gorman (Nev.) High School to cap an incredibly successful prep career, Cadyn Grenier enjoyed an impressive tuneup in the West Coast League last summer before reaching Oregon State's campus. Grenier hit .329 with 19 extra-base hits and 11 stolen bases for the league champion Bend Elks on his way to being named the league's No. 1 prospect.

In addition to the incoming crop of freshmen there are also a handful of upperclassmen that figure to play a prominent role in the success of their respective teams. Mitchell Traver, who went 9-2 with a 1.89 ERA as a redshirt sophomore for the CWS particpant TCU Horned Frogs, returned to school for his junior year of eligibility and is poised to take the ball on Friday nights. Cancer survivor Clate Schmidt could also be handed the ball on Fridays for Clemson as a senior. Catcher and fellow senior Jason Goldstein looks to carry the reigns from last year's upstart Illinois club while leading a new wave of young talent.

This group of young players looks to continue the impact the PG All-American Classic has not only at the professional level, but also in college. From early round picks from last year's draft, including the Nos. 2 and 8 overall picks Alex Bregman and Carson Fulmer, to established big league stars such as Cole, Buster Posey, Matt Harvey and Kris Bryant, the 2015 National League Rookie of the Year, the wealth of talent that flows through the Classic continues to be as rich as ever.

Here is a full list of former PG All-Americans that are currently in college filtered alphabetically by the school they attend.

Year indicates year they played in the Classic