THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,441 MLB PLAYERS | 15,806 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,441 MLB PLAYERS | 15,806 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Tournaments  | Story | 7/23/2016

16u BCS Finals Day 5 Scout Notes



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Another intriguing prospect from Chet Lemons Juice is Yeakarlos Lleras (2018, Carolina, Puerto Rico). When I look at Lleras his body type and style remind me of Melvin Upton Jr. He’s still rail thin but the athleticism shows through the lack of physical maturity, which is a great sign. At the plate he stands narrow and open, the torso is upright, with the hands above the shoulder. Lleras begins his swing with a gather to the rear leg, uses a leg lift with slight internal rotation that coils the hip, his hands drop while wiggling the barrel to a tipped launch position. As he strides forward, Lleras maintains his coil and lands in a torqued position. His lower half is explosive which generates bat speed and leads to probably one of the better bat paths I’ve seen in the past two weeks. Lleras is currently hitting .444 for the tournament with three RBI and a run scored.

The Boca Raton Thunder have impressed through pool play with the help of Jack Hay (2019, Parkland, Fla.) At the plate he stands with his feet slightly wider than shoulder width, and upright torso and his back elbow up with the barrel resting on the shoulder. He begins his swing by gathering in to the rear leg with a toe tap, lifting the barrel off the shoulder before striding forward, creating good hip and front-side coil. Jack lands in a strong torqued position and has a good path to the ball. His bat speed is still developing but Hay has great mechanics that put him on time with every pitch he sees. Jack has had success at the plate so far in the tournament, ending pool play hitting .500 and scoring five runs.

Also impressive for the Boca Thunder was uncommitted shortstop Christian Larson (2019, Boca Raton, Fla.). Larson has the prototypical shortstop frame standing at a lithe 6-foot and 150-pounds with plenty of room to fill. He shows great actions in the field with great hands and a good arm. At the plate he has a loose rhythmic stance with the feet set shoulder width, and upright torso and hands held at shoulder height. Larson has beautiful mechanics to start the swing by keeping the rear leg braced, with a leg lift with internal rotation that coils the hip and front side. His hands and the barrel move back as he strides forward, creating a great launch position. He really gets in his legs while maintaining explosiveness in the hips and working up to the ball. Like his teammate, Jack Hay, I think the bat speed is developing and the strength will come with maturity.

Chain National-Dobbs continues to throw impressive arms on the mound the most recent was uncommitted Mason Hand (Columbia, AL 2017). On the mound has a high leg lift with internal rotation that creates torque in the rear leg, kicks out with lead leg in to a long stride, long arm swing gaining speed to an over-the-top release. Touching 87 miles per hour with his four seam fastball, Mason showed command of the strike zone by attacking hitters early in the count and working both sides of the plate. He would occasionally miss high with the fastball but he would set up his 11/5 slurve at 70 miles per hour by changing elevations as well. Mason also impressed with his ability to maintain command of his pitches by controlling the running game while varying his looks and holds with runners on base. The uncommitted right handed pitcher finished with three innings of work while allowing only two hits and five strikeouts.

A pair of catchers for Chain National-Buress continue to impress at the plate. First up is Darius Diaz (2018, Perth Amboy, N.J.), who who has a wide stance, upright torso, and rests the bat on his shoulder. Diaz starts his swing with a quick gather to the rear leg, barely lifting his foot off the ground as he takes a small stride forward and uses his lower half violently. His mechanics allow him to work up to the ball with his body and his bat path follows. Darius matches plane with his bat path with great bat speed and strength. His primary position is catcher and he definitely has the ability to stay behind the plate in the future. The only thing I’d like to see him continue to develop is his arm. He also runs well for a catcher and because of his success at the plate I only have trotted singles timed down the first base line. Diaz is currently 7-for-15 with a double and a triple.

And then there is uncommitted Orlando Adams, Jr. (2018, Atlanta, Ga.), who, with his imposing size in the box, stands with his feet wider than shoulder width, an upright torso and a high back elbow and bat held at 45-degrees. Orlando keeps his hands and barrel in a strong launch position throughout his movements, so the hands barely move as he strides forward. His weight shift to rear leg coils his front side, then lands in a torqued position, engaging his hips violently as he works up to the ball. He has sudden bat speed and strength at contact. Between the two catchers, Adams is more physically mature and advanced at the plate where Diaz is the more skilled catcher. Both run above average for catchers and do not clog the bases.

Uncommitted outfield prospect for Top Tier, Clay Thompson (2018, Richmond, Ill.), shows raw athleticism hitting from the left side. He stands tall at the plate with feet shoulder width apart and holds the barrel high above his head. With rhythm he shifts into the rear leg, then using a short stride Thompson separates, dropping his hands and tipping the barrel to a low launch position, landing in a torqued position. He has a really fluid swing, showing bat speed and a good path working up to the ball. His lower half finishes in a good position with the hips showing quick rotation. I do think that he stays too tall with his upper body throughout the swing. By doing this he can create more leverage on the barrel and generate power in to the ball. Thompson is currently 5-for-11 with three RBI and four runs scored.

From Thursday, making a relief appearance for the FTB Rockets was a tall and projectable righthanded pitcher, Jacob Mercado (2017, Royal Palm Beach, Fla.). His fastball reached up to 86 mph, although he struggled to find the zone at his peak velocity, sitting mostly at 82-84. The fastball showed an impressive amount of arm-side run generating a lot of swing and misses from both lefthanded hitters and righthanded hitters. In my opinion his best pitch was the changeup, which he showed incredible command of as well. Mercado threw it arm side at 75-76 mph with good fastball arm speed, good depth and run. Despite its movement, the changeup did get hit hard due to the fact that it moves almost identical to his fastball. In two innings of work, Mercado recorded three strikeouts.



Tournaments | Story | 4/21/2026

Southeast Super NIT #2 Scout Notes

Jason Phillips
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Chase Jelks (‘30 GA)- with a long double to deep CF. Huge day from the primary SS, 5-for-6 w/ 4 doubles & 6 RBI. #SESuperNIT @TheDreamBall @PG_Georgia https://t.co/biFSzXCrUt pic.twitter.com/HCQMduedb5 — Perfect Game Youth (@PGYouthBB) April 20, 2026 Chase Jelks (’30, Atlanta, Ga.)- the left-handed hitting Jelks was all over the barrel on Sunday in a pair of games for The Dream 14U Black. He finished the day with five hits in six at-bats which included four doubles and six runs batted in. His two doubles and four runs batted in played a big part in the Gold Playoffs Round 1 victory over the talented BPA squad out of California. He backed up that performance with three more hits in a quarterfinal’s loss to the East Cobb Astros 14U Orange to finish the tournament with a .600 batting average and 1.636 on-base plus slugging percentage. A primary utility infielder,...
High School | General | 5/14/2026

CPBL Showcase Scout Notes

Troy Sutherland
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Logan Cummins (‘26 ON) Silky op with big arm speed and projection. Shaky FB command early, 91-93 T94. CH is present plus, weapon vs both LH & RH hitters at 83-84. Good arm side depth to it. SL has some length to the mostly lateral action @ 77. #KState commit.#CPBLShowcaseWknd pic.twitter.com/7TdJ2neOv6 — Perfect Game International (@pg_int1) May 8, 2026 Logan Cummins (‘26 ON) Very intriguing athletic upside here, came out early a bit juiced up leading to inconsistent fastball command but settled in and started dotting. Ran the fastball up to 94 with running life. Changeup is ahead of the rest of the arsenal  in terms of quality, and has a parachuting arm side dive that gets frequent swings over the top. Slider is tight with varying length at its best it does have an extra gear to garner a late count whiff. Should fit nicely at Kansas State if he decides to...
College | Story | 5/14/2026

Coppy's Corner: May 14 POY Deep Dive

John Coppolella
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Each week I huddle with Vinnie Cervino and Craig Cozart  to discuss Top-25 rankings and Players of the Week. In Coppy’s Corner, I dive deeper into these Players of the Week, providing analysis from 20+ years working in baseball front offices at the highest level.   Player of the Week: Drew Burress – Georgia Tech  I love everything that Craig Cozart writes, and his piece on Burress is as good as it gets (link). Craig does a masterful job of showing us how Burress has (not arguably) the best career college performance of any current player. The body of work is consistent and impressive, and Burress has one of the highest floors in the 2026 MLB Draft with above average or better tools across the board.  I’m not going to do a deep dive on Burress’ numbers because there is no point: they are really good, everywhere. I would rather talk about...
College | Rankings | 5/13/2026

DII/DIII/NAIA Rankings Update: May 13

Nick Herfordt
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The college baseball postseason has arrived for NCAA Division II, Division III, and the NAIA, bringing with it the most intense stretch of the season. Conference tournaments have wrapped up, national brackets are taking shape, and teams across the country are shifting from regular season positioning to survival mode, where one bad inning can abruptly end a year’s worth of work. The NAIA Opening Round is already underway, and some programs could begin packing for the national finals as early as tomorrow. Across all three divisions, the postseason field is loaded with experienced clubs, dominant pitching staffs, and lineups capable of changing a game with one swing. Now, the focus turns from building résumés to advancing through regional play and chasing national championships. These antepenultimate rankings provide a final snapshot of where the divisions stand entering...
High School | Rankings | 5/13/2026

High School Top 50 Update: May 13

Tyler Russo
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Another week has passed by in the high school baseball season and with that, we have another edition of the National High School Top 50 to bring to you. Playoffs are rolling in southern states and we have reached the final 4 in some of them already. Each week we have new teams break in and this week is no different with three new faces inside the top-50.   The top remains almost identical to a week ago with the top-10 remaining the exact same with Venice (FL) leading the way as the No. 1 team in the nation. North Paulding (GA) swept Buford in an Elite 8 matchup in Georgia and move up a pair of spots to No. 12 in the country. Another big mover is St. Laurence (IL) who jumps nine spots to No. 13 and boast a 30-1 record on the year. Waxahachie (TX) continues to move up and are up nine spots this week to No. 32.   The three new teams inside the National Top 50 are Etowah...
College | Story | 5/12/2026

College Players of the Week: May 12

Vincent Cervino
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May 12th Perfect Game/Player of the Week:  Drew Burress, OF, Georgia Tech  It would be hard to come up with an award that Drew Burress, the 5-9/185 junior from Houston County, GA, hasn’t achieved throughout his All-American career for the Yellow Jackets.  From being named the Perfect Game Freshman of the Year in 2024, to being a semifinalist for the Dick Howser and Golden Spikes Award in 2025, it would be a challenge for a mere mortal to live up to the expectations.  Burress has done that and more as he etched his name in the record books last weekend when he tied Georgia Tech legend Jason Varitek’s record for career home runs.  Launching round-trippers in each of their 3-victories against ACC foe Duke, Burress brought his total to an incredible 57 over his three seasons in Atlanta.  For the weekend, he collected 6 hits in 12 at bats, scoring 6...
College | Rankings | 5/11/2026

College Top 25: May 11

Vincent Cervino
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Well, in what seems like the blink of an eye, here we are in the last week of the NCAA College Baseball regular season.  It has been an incredible ride and there is still much riding on these last series of the year as teams grapple to improve their postseason resume.  It will be a short week with most every 3-game set starting on Thursday this week as conference tournaments get under way early next week.  While they were given their biggest scare of the season and did see their 25-game Big Ten winning streak come to an end, UCLA (46-5) will remain the No. 1 team in the nation.  They were pushed to the brink last weekend by now No. 11 Oregon (36-14), entering Sunday for their first rubber match of the year.  They did find themselves down 6-1 heading into the bottom of the 6th inning before they came storming back with 8-unanswered runs over the next three frames...
Draft | Story | 5/8/2026

PG Draft Top 400: Biggest Risers

Tyler Henninger
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The draft cycle is officially in full swing. With the college season nearing postseason play and high school baseball underway across the country, the board is beginning to shift in a major way. Over the past month, a number of players have significantly altered their stock, whether by continuing dominant spring performances or showing improved tools that warrant a jump. That movement was evident throughout our latest Top-400 update, which featured several notable jumps across the board. Here’s a look at the biggest risers from the newest rankings update. Biggest Risers Overall  Huge day at the yard for James Tronstein (‘26, CA). 3-for-4 which included 2 HRs, one to dead center and the other to straight away right. Now up to 8 on the year. Has been a consistent @PG_Draft riser this spring and is getting hot at the right time. #PGHS @PG_Scouting pic.twitter.com/6grT1zZ9lg...
High School | General | 5/7/2026

High School Notebook: May 7

Cam McElwaney
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Ryder Bell, LHP, Hamilton (AZ) Bell got the ball for Hamilton in the first round of playoff action and did not blink. The young left-hander tosses 6 2/3 strong innings with four strikeouts and just one walk. Bell faced some adversity at times with runners on, but consistently competed and found a way out of most jams. An athletic operation with intent is shown on the mound. Bell throws from a lower 3/4 slot that can create a tough angle. The fastball worked 82-85 mph with armside run. It paired well with a sweeper at 70-72 mph. Bell attacked the zone with both pitches often and landed the sweeper arm side consistently. The stuff has already shown it can play against quality lineups. Bell should be a fun name to monitor over the next couple years.    Cory Wuttke (‘27, AZ) hammers this out to LF for solo 💣. Multi-hit performance. Stays compact with strength at contact....
College | Story | 5/7/2026

Coppy's Corner: May 7 POY Deep Dive

John Coppolella
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Each week I huddle with Vinnie Cervino and Craig Cozart to discuss Top 25 rankings and Players of the Week. In Coppy’s Corner, I dive deeper into these Players of the Week, providing analysis from 20+ years working in baseball front offices at the highest level.   Player of the Week: Tyce Armstrong – Baylor University  Armstrong is a big man with a big bat that produces big power. Just the second player in the history of Baylor to reach 20 HR in a single season – if you knew the other one was Charley Carter in 1998, you get the gold star – Armstrong brings an impact bat that can turn the game around with one swing. Listed at 6’4 / 228 he is Texas-strong and has been tearing up the Big 12 this season. Armstrong spent his first three season at the University of Texas – Arlington before transferring to Baylor for the 2026 season. He had a...
High School | Rankings | 5/6/2026

High School Top 50 Update: May 6

Tyler Russo
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Another week of high school baseball has come and gone across the country, and we have another update as we continue to roll to the finish of the high school seasons in the southern states in just a few weeks. Regular seasons are wrapping up across the country and playoffs are deep in progress down south, with every update there’s some movement inside the High School Top 50 along with a few new names breaking in. The top-10 remains very similar at the top with Venice (FL) holding onto the No. 1 position for the third straight update. Tomball (TX) jumps up to No. 2 as they continue to rattle of wins with Orange Lutheran (CA), Aledo (TX), and IMG Academy (FL) rounding out the top 5. Trinity (KY) and Harvard-Westlake (CA) sit at No. 6 and No. 7 respectively with a trio of new teams inside the top-10 in Magnolia Heights (MS) at No. 8, Norco (CA) at No. 9, and South Walton (FL) and No....
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