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Minors  | General | 12/15/2015

PG in the Pros: AL East

David Rawnsley
Photo: Perfect Game

As part of Perfect Game's recurring 'Before They Were Pros' series David Rawnsley will take a look at some of the top prospects in minor league baseball and their impact on the sport prior to their professional careers. This will be done in a six-part series, one feature for each division in Major League Baseball while identifying one of the top prospects for each team. Links are provided below to past installments of the 'Before They Were Pros' series for other reports on prospects, both past and present.


Baltimore Orioles

Before They Were Pros, 2013-14 – Kevin Gausman, Dylan Bundy
Before They Were Pros, 2014-15 – Hunter Harvey, Chance Cicsco, Christian Walker, Josh Hart

Mychal Givens, RHP

The Orioles drafted Givens out of Plant High School in Tampa in the second round of the 2009 draft and signed him out of an Oklahoma State scholarship for $800,000. Givens was drafted as a shortstop and he labored in the lower minor leagues at the position until 2013, when the Orioles finally acknowledged the inevitable; that Givens would need to switch to the mound.

Mychal Givens
It was by no means the first time that Givens had stepped on a mound competitively.

Givens first appeared at a Perfect Game event as an eighth grader at the 2004 WWBA Underclass World Championship, topping out at 84 mph. He was considered the top prospect in the country in the early years of the 2009 class due to his overall athleticism. Givens threw at PG events every year from then on up until his graduation and set a record for fastball velocity record at the PG All-American Classic at 98 mph in 2008, a record that has since by broken by Tyler Kolek. Givens even went 8-4, 1.71 with 113 strikeouts in 78 innings as a high school senior.

Two pitching moments stood out for Givens before he turned professional as a shortstop. He threw at the 2008 PG National Showcase, and while his hitting notes were solid, his pitching notes clearly indicated that the PG scouts were more impressed by his work on the mound at that event.

Easy fluid arm action, 93 w/ run and sink, top 96, 10/4 slurve good, CH has nasty movement, special arm, has good feel on mound. Outstanding delivery, + balance, easy velo, can make ball break both ways, speed it up and slow it down. Can't ask for much more than that.

The second moment was a month later at the 2008 17u WWBA National Championship. Givens' team, the All-American Prospects, didn't make the playoffs and Givens hadn't pitched in pool play. There was such a clamoring among scouts to see Givens on the mound that the PG staff scheduled All-American Prospects in a consolation game on East Cobb Field 4, a small field at the bottom of the East Cobb complex that was never used for regular games. This was done so that the scouts could watch the playoff games up on the main fields and then run down to see Givens pitch when necessary. Givens didn't disappoint, pitching in the 94-96 mph range with an 80 mph slider and 84 mph changeup.


Boston Red Sox

Before They Were Pros, 2013-14 – Jackie Bradley, Henry Owens, Garin Cecchini, Blake Swihart, Mookie Betts
Before They Were Pros, 2014-15 – Rafael Devers, Matt Barnes, Brian Johnson

Michael Kopech, RHP

Kopech first appeared at a Perfect Game event as a just turned 16-year old at the 2012 Junior National Showcase. He had a super loose arm and almost ideally proportioned and projectable 6-foot-4, 180-pound build and an effortless arm action that produced a fastball up to 92 mph to go with a mid-70s curveball and a nice changeup. Here is the report from that event.

Loose projectable athletic build, some present strength. Busy delivery with big side step and leg hitch, gets back turned, repeats well but has a better more simple delivery from the stretch. Extremely loose and fast arm, ball comes out of hand effortlessly, low-90s fastball jumps out of his hand, easy to project mid-90s in the future. Tends to get under off-speed pitches, big sweeping curveball with good spin, drops slot on changeup but with good arm speed. Around the plate with all pitches and has athletic actions. Very high ceiling talent.

Kopech did throw harder later in high school, he topped out at 94 mph at the 2013 PG National Showcase and a notch or two higher as a high school senior. But that first impression was the best this scout saw him in five outings before he graduated. Kopech's delivery, with lots of movement before he actually started forward and a pronounced back arch coming through to release, had a few too many variables to be consistent. But the looseness and ease in his arm and the projection in his body also made it obvious that there was plenty more in there once his mechanics were refined.

Kopech slid a bit further in the draft than originally thought, dropping to the Red Sox at 33rd overall, perhaps because of the same hesitations that this scout had. But the Red Sox have a high tolerance for risk as long as it comes with a high ceiling and signed Kopech out of an Arizona scholarship for $1.5 million. He's now throwing in the upper-90s and has been up to at least 102 mph.


New York Yankees

Before They Were Pros, 2013-14 – J.R. Murphy, Tyler Austin, Greg Bird
Before They Were Pros, 2014-15 – Ian Clarkin, Rob Refsnyder

Aaron Judge, OF

Judge probably didn't have time in high school to make himself known to baseball scouts, aside from local area scouts. The 6-foot-7, then 230-pound three-sport athlete averaged 18.2 points and 12.8 rebounds per game on the basketball court as a senior, caught 54 passes for 969 yards and 17 touchdowns on the football field and went 6-0, 0.88 on the mound during the spring while hitting .500-7-32 for good measure. Although the Oakland A's drafted him in the 31st round and he was a small blip on the national scouting radar screen, Judge wasn't really considered "a guy" out of high school. Perfect Game had him ranked 147th in the country at the end of his senior season.

Judge's career at Fresno State was solid as he hit .345 with some extra base power, posted solid walk-to-strikeout ratios for a hitter of his size and was athletic enough to play center field. His first two seasons he did frustrate scouts with his lack of over-the-fence power, especially for an athlete whose future projection largely centered around power, as Judge hit only six home runs over 103 games in those first two college seasons.

The summer that followed his sophomore year Judge improved his stock with scouts in the Cape Cod League hitting .270-5-16 in 100 at-bats and putting on huge batting practice displays with a wood bat. He came back as a junior at Fresno State and hit .369-12-36, again showing scouts glimpses of the type of power they wanted to see.

While there was some talk of Judge as a mid-first round pick, he slid to the 32nd overall selection in the 2013 draft where he received an overslot $1.8 million bonus.


Tampa Bay Rays

Before They Were Pros, 2013-14 – Jake Odorizzi, Andrew Toles
Before They Were Pros, 2014-15 – Justin O'Conner, Nathan Karns, Taylor Guerrieri, Justin Williams

Blake Snell, LHP

Tampa Bay had 10 picks between Nos. 24 and 60 in the 2011 draft and the returns five and a half years later are not especially encouraging, yet. Outfielder Mikie Mahtook (No. 31) is the only one of the 10 who has appeared in the big leagues. Righthanded pitcher Taylor Guerrieri (No. 24) has regained his prospect status after Tommy John surgery and off-field issues. Outfielder Tyler Goeddel was the first pick in the recent 2015 Rule 5 draft. Shortstop Brandon Martin was released after less than three years and is facing multiple murder charges. Blake Snell, the 52nd overall pick, remains as the biggest hope for the Rays to find a diamond among that bounty of picks.

Snell's father, Dave, played for six years in the minors as a righthanded pitcher in the 1980's, eventually reaching AA, so there were definitely some family genetics helping Snell. He never circulated on the national circuit and his only significant appearance outside of his home state of Washington was at the 2010 Area Code Games. He worked his fastball in the 84-90 mph range, with a 73 mph curveball and 81 mph changeup. Here are this scout's notes from that appearance.

Slender 6-4 build, very loose shoulder, projects physically, Hi 3/4's to OH release, release is a bit forced but ball comes out easy, FB straight, inconsistent FB velo, good arm speed on Chg, very downhill, rare CB had soft spin, said to have touched 94 in Washington state playoff finals.

Snell had a very successful senior season at Shoreline High School, striking out 128 hitters in 63 innings to go with a 1.00 ERA. He flashed plus velocity on his fastball but mostly pitched in the 88-92 mph range, although he did start showing a much improved curveball from the one he had shown in Long Beach. He was definitely still a projection type of pick but was generally talked about where he ended up being drafted.

Snell was signed with Washington but quickly agreed to a $684,000 signing bonus that was exactly the recommended slot number.


Toronto Blue Jays

Before They Were Pros, 2013-14 – Marcus Stroman, Aaron Sanchez, Daniel Norris, Chase DeJong

Rowdy Tellez, 1B
Rowdy Tellez
Tellez started as a freshman at the powerhouse Elk Grove High School program in the Sacramento area and was a very well known prospect almost immediately. He hit .354 as a freshman, then followed that up with a .505-9-50 sophomore season and a .568-7-47 junior year. If you wanted to see performance as a scout, Tellez was a good bet to provide satisfaction.

This scout first saw the 6-foot-5, 250-pound Tellez as an underclassman at the 2011 Area Code Games and filed the following notes: Big kid, very strong, can flat hit, easy swing, sees the ball very well, squares it up and drives the ball, consistent hard game contact. Speed could impact ceiling.

There is one aspect of those notes that proved especially correct. Tellez was a contact hitter in a power hitter's body in some ways. He only struck out eight times in 232 plate appearances his last two years in high school and has posted abnormally low strikeout totals even as professional. In fact, the contact approach has sometimes haunted him with scouts. But, of course, there was always the power. Tellez won the Rawlings Home Run Challenge at the 2012 PG National Showcase before being named a PG All-American and his every at-bat was carefully watched by scouts and fans alike, as that is what always happens with big power hitters.

Tellez was ranked 51st in the country going into the 2013 draft and was a good student with a scholarship to USC. Those last two factors contributed to his being passed over in the upper rounds but the Blue Jays took a flier on him in the 30th round. With money saved from higher in the draft they were able to sign Tellez to an $850,000 signing bonus shortly before the deadline.
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Minors | General | 12/13/2024

PG Down on the Farm: NL West
David Rawnsley
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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...
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DII/DIII/NAIA Rankings Update: April 1

Nick Herfordt
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Juco | Story | 4/1/2026

JUCO Top 25: April 1

Troy Sutherland
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Another week of JUCO baseball and another week full of wins for No. 1 ranked Johnson County . The Cavaliers have won 18 games in a row and have swept through the Jayhawk Conference to this point, setting a new school home run record along the way. Walters State returns to the top 5 this week on the strength of a 12-game winning streak. Both McLennan and Pearl River are coming off of undefeated weeks and look like strong top 10 caliber teams, while Midland (now 30-3) continues to climb in the rankings for the third consecutive week. For the first time all year this ranking will feature 4 California schools as Palomar joins Ohlone, Fresno City and Santa Ana in the JUCO rankings. Check back in next week for an update as most of JUCO baseball is now past its halfway point in the 2026 season. RK School Week Overall 1 Johnson County (KS) 4-0 34-2 2 Gaston (NC) 2-1 35-3 3 Walters State (TN) 3-0...
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Collegiate Midseason All-Americans

Vincent Cervino
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High School Top 50: March 31

Tyler Russo
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Another pair of weeks has gone by this high school season and with that we have another High School Top-50 Update. Southern states are within a few weeks of the end of the season while some northern states are just getting started this week. Through the end of the spring, we will be bringing you updates to the Top-50 along with state rankings updates coming soon. For the first time in 2026, we have a new #1 in the country as Orange Lutheran (CA) takes over the top spot after winning the NHSI. Venice (FL) came in second place at the NHSI after a thrilling game against Orange Lutheran and comes in at #2. Previous #1 team in the country St. John Bosco (CA) rounds out the top-3 and will have a big showdown against Orange Lutheran starting tonight. Barbe (LA) boasts a 26-1 record and comes in at #4 while Corona (CA) continues to string together wins and holds down the #5 spot in this update....
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PG Collegiate Midseason Awards

Vincent Cervino
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Midseason Awards  Perfect Game Midseason Player of the Year:  Landon Hairston, OF, Arizona State  The season sophomore outfielder Landon Hairston is putting together is generational, even amongst the Hall of Fame talent Arizona State has fielded over the years.  Hairston, the 5-11/195 sophomore outfielder from Queen City, AZ has his club on track for another postseason appearance and they will make plenty of noise in the Big 12 regular season.  To put things in perspective on Hairston’s season, he is currently 5th in the nation in batting average, 3rd in hits, 8th in hits per game, tied for 2nd in home runs, tied for 5th in runs scored and is 4th in runs batted in so far.  He holds a batting average of .469 while slugging 1.027 and reaching base over half the time with an OBP of .551.  Hairston walks more than he strikes out and has 12 doubles, 17...
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Tournaments | Story | 3/31/2026

14u East Spring Opener Scout Notes

Perfect Game Staff
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Roman Keister (2030, Dade City, FL) Could not miss the barrel this weekend tallying 6 hits including 2 triples and 4 RBI. Starts the load early and controls his body well, the up the middle approach really plays in game. Also worked from off the mound for an inning and picked up a punch out.  Colton Russo (2030, Coral Springs, FL) Showed off the power burning outfielders all weekend. 5 hits including two triples that carried over the CF and RF heads. Has a good understanding about using the lower half in the swing and the bat to ball skills really impressed.  Karson Blakney (2030, St. Augustine, FL) Made his impact in a big way this week, collecting the win in the quarterfinals. In his outing he went 5 shutout innings and struck out 5 while only allowing 2 hits. Worked in the mid 70s with the FB and topped out at 78. Also produced on offense driving in 5 RBI on 4 hits. ...
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Vincent Cervino
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March 31st Perfect Game/Co-Players of the Week:  Landon Hairston, OF, Arizona State  The Arizona State Sun Devils (20-8) went (3-2) last week and now sit at No. 18 in our latest Top 25 poll.  They are proving that they are legitimate Big 12 contenders and Landon Hairston is making a strong case for National Player of the Year at the halfway point in the season.  The 5-11/195 sophomore outfielder from Queen City, AZ is putting up such loud numbers that they are almost hard to fathom.  In five games last week, the lefthanded hitter collected 12-hits in 19 Abs, scoring 13 runs on 6 walks, a double, 5 home runs and he drove in 11 runs on his own.  For the season, he has put together a slash line of .468/.991/.553 with 12 doubles, 15 round trippers, 45 RBIs, a 12:18 strikeout-to-walk ratio and he has swiped 8 bags so far.  It has been a special year for the...
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College | Rankings | 3/30/2026

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Vincent Cervino
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Well college baseball fans, we are officially at the half-way point of the 2026 season and what an incredible ride it has already been.  While there is some separation at the top as we start to look at programs that could be potential NCAA tournament hosts, things continue to change as clubs revitalize their seasons by winning massive series in league play.  The Top 25 seems to be getting more volatile as we reach the midway point, and the second half is setting up to be something special.  The one thing that will remain the same as it has for a month now, is that the UCLA (25-2) will still be the No. 1 team in the nation.  The Bruins are winners of 19-consecutive games and have started off Big Ten league play by sweeping 4-straight series.  The Texas Longhorns (23-4) hold tight at No. 2 this week after sweeping previous No. 11 Oklahoma (19-8) and sit atop the...
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High School | General | 3/27/2026

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Vincent Cervino
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Hudson December (2027, Woodland Hills, Calif.) showed flashes of his upside despite a somewhat uneven three-inning outing. The 6-foot-2, 170-pound right-hander struck out three while working through a couple of tough jams, though his command was inconsistent at times. He ran his fastball up to 87 mph on a pair of occasions and generally sat in the 83–85 range. He mixed in an upper-70s slider with varying shape and execution where it was most effective when thrown with proper intent, showing shorter, tighter depth. He also flashed a changeup against a few left-handed hitters. Mechanically, there’s a blend of positives and areas for development. He incorporates his lower half fairly well and moves down the mound with some pace and intent. The arm is quick, though it can be late getting up at times, and his taller finish limits full torso extension through release. With...
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Draft | Mock Draft | 3/27/2026

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Tyler Henninger
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The spring season is well underway and the board is starting to take shape. Last week, the draft team put together the Top-300 and this week we take a stab at our first mid-season mock draft. While there still is plenty of time for things to shake out differently, here is how we see things shaping up at this point in the draft cycle.  Pick Team Selection Position School 1 Chicago White Sox Roch Cholowsky SS UCLA 2 Tampa Bay Rays Justin Lebron SS Alabama 3 Minnesota Twins Grady Emerson SS Fort Worth Christian 4 San Francisco Giants Jackson Flora RHP UC Santa Barbara 5 Pittsburgh Pirates Vahn Lackey C Georgia Tech 6 Kansas City Royals Drew Burress OF Georgia Tech 7 Baltimore Orioles Ace Reese 3B Mississippi State 8 Athletics Jacob Lombard SS Gulliver Schools 9 Atlanta Braves Eric Booth Jr. OF Oak Grove 10 Colorado Rockies AJ Gracia OF Virginia 11 Washington Nationals Gio Rojas LHP...
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