General | Blog | 6/16/2026
Wolforth Throwing Mentorship: Article 66
Ron Wolforth
The Number That Just Killed MLB Expansion: 1,217 USA Today's Bob Nightengale dropped a bomb shell recently that the baseball world is still digesting. Major League Baseball wants to expand to 32 teams. Team executives are quietly opposing it and the reason has nothing to do with cities or money. They cannot find enough healthy pitchers. Between 2020 and 2024, professional baseball performed 1,026 Tommy John surgeries at the minor-league level alone. Another 191 at the Major League level. More than twelve hundred elbow reconstructions in five years on the best young pitchers in the world. That is not bad luck. That is a system reporting a verdict on itself. For fifteen years, the youth-baseball industry has chased one number: velocity significantly more than projectability and arm care. Recruiters scout by it. Social...
Tournaments |
Story |
7/6/2026
16u WWBA Rolls Into Marietta
Will Dembo
More than 300 of the nation’s top 16u teams will meet in East Cobb, Georgia this week as the 16u WWBA Championship gets underway. Over 50 ranked teams from across the country will compete for one of the most prestigious titles in travel baseball, drawing scouts and fans from all over. Pool play will commence on Monday, July 6th with the championship game set for July 13th at the storied East Cobb Baseball Complex. Canes National 16u will hold honors of being the top ranked team entering the event as they have earned a No. 2 national ranking following a dominant 17-2-1 start to their season. The highly touted program is home to many of the top ranked prospects from the 2028 class including talented two-way athlete, Grant Arnold (No. 12 overall) who lives in the 90’s from the mound as well as middle infielder, Bryan Mesa (No. 14 overall) who will draw lots of attention this...
College |
Story |
7/6/2026
USA Collegiate National Team: Stars
Craig Cozart
Quick Hits Each year at the end of June and beginning of July, top collegiate baseball talent from around the nation arrives in Cary, NC at the USA Baseball National Training Complex. Typically, the rosters are filled with top underclass, non-draft-eligible talent but this year, we will see a sprinkling of upper-classmen as the coaches evaluate just under 60 players to get to their final 28 roster spots. For a total of two weeks, the Stars Squad and the Stripes Squad will compete against outside competition in North Carolina as well as Virginia before finishing their slate with 5-games against each other at the NTC Complex. Once the final roster has been announced the team will depart for Taiwan to compete in the 2026 World Baseball Championships, July 11-15. CNT Stars Position Players Anthony Pack Jr. FR / OF / University of Texas ...
Draft |
Mock Draft |
7/6/2026
MLB Mock Draft: 4.0
Tyler Henninger
MLB Draft: Top 500 Update Pick Team Name Pos. School 1 Chicago White Sox Roch Cholowsky SS UCLA 2 Tampa Bay Rays Grady Emerson SS Fort Worth Christian 3 Minnesota Twins Vahn Lackey C Georgia Tech 4 San Francisco Giants Jacob Lombard SS Gulliver Schools 5 Pittsburgh Pirates Jackson Flora RHP UC Santa Barbara 6 Kansas City Royals Drew Burress OF Georgia Tech 7 Baltimore Orioles Eric Booth Jr. OF Oak Grove 8 Athletics Chris Hacopian SS Texas A&M 9 Atlanta Braves Ryder Helfrick C Arkansas 10 Colorado Rockies Tyler Bell* SS Kentucky 11 Washington Nationals Jared Grindlinger LHP/OF Huntington Beach 12 Los Angeles Angels Cameron Flukey RHP Coastal Carolina 13 St. Louis Cardinals AJ Gracia OF Virginia 14 Miami Marlins Derek Curiel OF LSU 15 Arizona Diamondbacks Gio Rojas LHP Marjory Stoneman Douglas 16 Texas Rangers Liam Peterson RHP Florida 17 Houston Astros Justin Lebron SS Alabama 18...
Tournaments |
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7/5/2026
13u World Series Notes: Days 1-2
Perfect Game Staff
Michael Wedgeworth (2030, Flomaton, AL) had put the two way ability on full display so far this week, dominating from both sides. On the mound Wedgeworth ran the fastball up to 84 (81-83) with ease to the delivery. Broke off a couple nasty curveballs that induced swing and miss, as well as freezing hitters for punch outs. Collected six in his four inning complete game. He also would not be denied at the plate going 3-5 in the first two days with two doubles. Very intriguing young player as the body continues to grow. Tyler Bellush (2031, Summerville, SC) is a sure handed shortstop for the Canes Nation squad. Swings it from the left side of the plate and the barrel accuracy has really stuck out thus far. 3-4 through the first couple days with a double and two triples, Bellush has also walked twice and collected 3 RBI along the way. Yesterday against USA Prime with the bases loaded,...
Tournaments |
Story |
7/4/2026
16u WWBA North Scout Notes
Perfect Game Staff
Oliver Lindstrom (2028, Green Bay, WI) created some of the loudest offensive moments of the weekend while producing across the board, finishing with six hits, eight RBI, and a home run. The right-handed hitter showed the ability to stay through the baseball and drive it with authority. Creates quality leverage through the lower half while arriving in strong hitting positions early, allowing the barrel to work with intent through the zone. The blend of power, athleticism, and all-fields impact stood out throughout the event. Dominic Haigh (2028, South Bend, IN) was one of the most productive hitters at the event, collecting 10 hits while consistently creating pressure on opposing defenses. Made life difficult on pitchers with a relentless approach, routinely extending at-bats and forcing them to work deep into counts. The operation remains simple and efficient, featuring an early...
Tournaments |
Story |
7/4/2026
West Region Rankings Risers: Class of 2028
Joey Cohen
After a heavy stretch of early summer looks, our scouting staff felt confident rolling out an updated ‘28 national ranking a couple weeks ago. The evaluation window was packed whether it was with our Memorial Day and Summer Kickoff tournaments, UBC action, Sunshine Showcases, and of course the Junior National Showcase which all provided a deep and diverse look at the class against strong competition. Between fresh game evaluations and updated showcase data, we were able to get a clearer picture of where players stand and more importantly how they’ve progressed. Improvements in strength, athleticism, and overall skill were evident across the board giving our staff real conviction when it came time to shuffle the board. With that in mind, I wanted to highlight a handful of west region prospects who made a strong impression on me this summer and earned a well-deserved jump in...
All American Game |
Story |
7/3/2026
Initial 2026 All Star Game Roster Reveal
We are excited to announce the first selections for the 2026 PG All Star Game from both the Perfect Game Junior and Sophomore National Showcases. The PG All Star Game will be held on Friday, August 14th at Citizens Bank Ballpark, the home of the Philadelphia Phillies, and will feature roughly 40 of the top players, predominately from the 2028 class with a few of the very best 2029s also selected. A watchlist has been created from the Junior National Showcase and another group of players will be selected from that showcase towards the end of July as we continue to evaluate players at the major Perfect Game tournaments this summer. The final wave of selections we be made at the PG Underclass All American Games August 5-7 at the UCSD in San Diego, CA. PG Underclass All American Games Junior National Selections Dexter McCleon Jr. OF Suwanee, GA USA Prime Cullen Scott RHP/3B Melissa,...
Tournaments |
Story |
7/3/2026
13u WWBA Scout Note Recap
Jheremy Brown
Walter Izquierdo Jr. (2031, Miami, Fla.) showed off the upside on the mound for Beast Baseball 13u. The right-handed pitcher went four innings and collected three strikeouts while spreading two hits and two walks for one run. The fastball topped out at 80 and was consistently in the upper- 70s. Showed feel for a curveball with 12-6 shape and some looser vertical depth that was able to get weak contact. Competes in the zone well and showed some feel to work on the arm-side half of the plate. Intriguing upside on the young arm. Brett Hamlin (2031, Jupiter, Fla.) showed off the barrel feel for FTB American 13u. The left-handed hitter collected nine hits, including two doubles and a triple, to drive in seven RBI. Strong hands and flips the hips well to create good bat speed. Simple operation that gets on time consistently and impacts the ball well. Worked the pull-side well and...
Tournaments |
Story |
7/2/2026
Freedom Classic Opens Holiday Weekend
Alyssa Golden
More than 30 teams from the 14U-18U age divisions will head to Fort Myers, Florida this Fourth of July weekend for the seventh annual Perfect Game Freedom Classic. The tournament, running July 3-6, features several nationally ranked prospects from across the country as teams look to compete for a championship. Headlining the field are twin brothers Derek and Ryan Yormark of Merrick, New York. Right-handed pitcher Derek Yormack is the No. 51-ranked player in the class of 2027, the No. 1 player in New York and the No. 5-ranked right-handed pitcher in the country. First baseman Ryan Yormark comes in just behind his twin brother as the No. 3 overall player in New York, the No. 5 first baseman in the nation and the No. 90-ranked player nationally. Both brothers are committed to Vanderbilt. Derek Yormark has established himself as one of the top two-way prospects in the 2027 class. He has run...
Tournaments |
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7/2/2026
14u West World Series Scout Notes
Quinton Hall
Asher Contreras (2030 | Las Vegas, NV) The 5-foot-10, 170-pound right-handed hitter and outfielder was one of the most dangerous hitters in the tournament for Wow Factor Nv 2030, stuffing the stat sheet while displaying an impressive combination of power and speed. He finished the weekend with 9 hits, including two doubles and a home run, while driving in seven runs and scoring five more. He also swiped three bases and worked three walks, consistently putting pressure on opposing defenses while showing feel for the zone with just one strikeout all weekend. His ability to hit for extra bases while also creating offense on the bases made him one of the most impactful offensive performers at the event. Braylen Silva (‘30 | NV) RBI 2B for GBG Vegas 14u Red. Direct path, quick trigger, & barrel feel. Solid 2-hole stick creating offense all day #14UWestWS...