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Tournaments  | Story | 11/1/2016

Jupiter Impact Players

David Rawnsley
Patrick Ebert
Matt Czechanski
Vincent Cervino
Photo: Perfect Game


WWBA World Championship Daily Recaps: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5

While the 2016 WWBA World Championship concluded over a week ago Perfect Game's scouting staff takes a look at some of the prospects that stood out the most during the five-day event in Jupiter, Fla. From players that are already ranked among the top players in their respective classes to those that made the most of their opportunities to elevate their current rankings, once again there was plenty of talent on display at the premier scouting event in baseball.

The players as listed below are broken down into five categories – Stars on Display, Hidden Gems, Bats Stepping Up, Arms on the Rise and the Next Wave of Talent – and are listed alphabetically within each of those categories. Following these categories is a starting lineup of the top prospects in relationship to the 2017 MLB Draft.

To read more about the players that stood out during the 2016 WWBA World Championship be sure to read the individual daily recaps as linked above.


Stars on Display

The players below are well-known commodities on the scouting scene and did nothing but cement their status as the top prospects eliglble for the 2017 MLB Draft.

Jordan Adell, OF, EvoShield Canes
The formula for Adell is pretty simple when there are scouts around: hit the ball hard.  Everyone knows about his absurd physical tools; watching a 6-foot-4, 200-pound athlete going full speed on the bases is fun, but it's all about the bat. Adell crushed four doubles in four days, driving the ball especially hard to the right-center field gap and it was easily his best performance on a national scale.

Cole Brannen, OF, Chain National
One of the highest upside athletes in the class, Brannen put together all of his tools for a solid performance. We already know about his crazy athleticism and plus speed, but he showed his hitting ability and raw power in game. The Georgia Southern commit pulled a towering double that was inches shy of being a home run and was consistently hitting balls at an exit velocity of 95-plus mph.

Daniel Cabrera, OF GBG Marucci
Cabrera went 6-for-17 in Jupiter with a pair of doubles and a triple but also made some loud outs while showing the ability to drive the ball to all fields. The ball really comes off his bat hard and he has a presence in the batter's box that marks him as an Alpha hitter. Scouts already love Cabrera's bat and his Jupiter performance will do nothing but help his draft stock.

Samuel Carlson, RHP, EvoShield Canes
Carlson certainly established himself as a first-round talent with the performance he turned in for the Canes. His fastball showed short life working in the low-90s and topping out at 94 mph, holding that velocity for four innings. His changeup showed tremendous swing-and-miss qualities with late, diving break. In his five one-run innings he struck out six batters with 10 swings and misses.

Hagen Danner, RHP/OF, EvoShield Canes
For years now, Danner has been well-known on the amateur baseball scene as a high-level two-way talent, both as a righthanded pitcher and as a power-hitting catcher, due in no small part to playing for a perennial powerhouse in Huntington Beach (Calif.) High School. In Jupiter, Danner performed his two-way duties extremely well, working 90-93 mph on the mound in a playoff start with his usual hammer, plus-projection curveball, all while hitting third on a loaded Evoshield Canes team, hitting over .300 with a game-deciding home run.

Jake Eder, LHP, Astros Scout Team/FTB Tucci
After quality performances at the Perfect Game National, 17u WWBA and the Area Code Games over the summer, Eder took arguably his biggest step forward in Jupiter. He worked up to 94 mph with his fastball, maintaining the same deception in his delivery along with the ease he’d been known for, while showing much-improved command and a much-improved curveball.

Samuel Carlson, EvoShield Canes
Tyler Freeman, SS, CBA Marucci
Freeman hit his usual .526 (10-for-19) with six runs scored and four stolen bases, or at least that seems to be how he usually, if not always, performs at tournaments. Scouts seem to sell the PG All-American short at times when they just look at his raw tools but he's an unparalleled performer against upper level pitching and that certainly counts for something.

Ivan Johnson, SS, Team Elite Prime
Johnson had a strong outing in Jupiter both at the plate and defensively. The Georgia commit finished second on his team with seven hits including two triples, as speed is a weapon for Johnson as his athleticism helps him in all facets of the game. He remains a high upside middle-of-the-infield prospect.

Carlos Lomeli, RHP, Marlins Scout Team
The righthander out of California had a very strong outing against Team Elite Prime during pool play over the weekend. He tossed 3 1/3 innings of one-run ball and struck out nine of the 10 outs he recorded. The St. Mary’s commit looked very impressive with a three-pitch mix that included a fastball, slider and changeup. He topped out at 92 mph on the day and sat comfortably at 89-91 mph for the majority of his outing.

Christopher McMahon, RHP, EvoShield Canes
Perhaps one of the better development storylines of the 2016 season, McMahon went from a relative unknown to a dominant, highly draftable starting pitcher prospect. Beginning with a dominating performance at 17u WWBA, McMahon’s combination of size, physicality, velocity, secondary stuff and command all seemingly took steps forward every time he was on the mound. In Jupiter, he worked a comfortable 91-94 mph with his fastball with both a quality breaking ball and advanced changeup.

M.J. Melendez, C, Astros Scout Team/FTB Tucci
Melendez entered into Jupiter as the highest ranked prep catcher and did nothing to change that mark as he showed his high levels of athleticism behind the plate with his cannon of an arm. Melendez also flashed his raw power with an opposite field home run in FTB’s second game.

Calvin Mitchell, OF, Braves Scout Team/Ohio Warhawks
The PG All-American has been widely regarded as one of the better pure hitting prospects in the class for much of 2016, and further cemented that lofty praise with a very consistent, very professional Jupiter. He hit an even .500 over the course of the event while not striking out, and consistently making hard-barreled contact, with many of his recorded exit velocities (per TrackMan) being over 90 MPH. He has advanced bat-to-ball skills from the left side that rival near anyone else in the class, along with big raw power.

Jonathan Stroman, RHP, CBA Marucci
Stroman did not have his best command in either of his Jupiter outings, but continued to show high quality stuff. His fastball worked in the low-90s and bumped to 94 mph with good, late life. He showed feel for his curveball with good depth in the mid-70s and also flashed a changeup with late fade. With a strong spring, the 148th-ranked player in the class will have a decision to make between Arizona and professional baseball.

Drew Waters, OF, Braves Scout Team/Ohio Warhawks
The PG All-American continued to find barrels over the weekend going 5-for-11 with a pair of extra-base hits. The switch hitter looked the part facing higher end velocity and continued to drive the ball while playing solid defense in center field.

Steven Williams, C/OF, Team Elite Prime
Another PG All-American, William’s calling card as a prospect is his advanced hit tool and power from the left side. He demonstrated that ability with a deep home run to right field on the opening night of the WWBA World Championship. When he is not behind the plate he is spending time in right field where his arm strength plays well and allows his bat to get in the lineup every game.


Hidden Gems

This group consists of players that weren't necessarily on the national scouting map prior to their appearance at the WWBA World Championship but most assuredly are now.

Carlos Diaz, OF, Team Mizuno Puerto Rico
The Puerto Rican outfielder put on a defensive clinic for Team Mizuno Puerto Rico in center field as he is very athletic and showed good speed and range in the outfield. Diaz made a number of outstanding catches including some diving or while on the run. He reads balls well and his outfield defense was a gamechanger all tournament long.

Tyler Hardman, 1B/3B, CBA Marucci
It would be hard-pressed to find a hitter who hit the ball harder, and with more consistency, than Hardman did in Jupiter. Combining a consistently clean bat path with advanced strength and bat speed in the righthanded stroke, Hardman drove the ball all over the field with authority and intent, squaring up pitches all over the zone with relative ease.

Chandler Jozwiak, LHP, Houston Banditos
Jozwiak was not only one of the more impressive pop-up arms of the tournament but he turned in one of the best performances as well. The lefthander came on in relief and ended up firing five hitless innings in pool play. His fastball velocity sat from 84-87 mph but his curveball was his best pitch with sharp break and he was able to throw it for strikes and get swings and misses with the pitch.
Aaron Perry, Kentucky Baseball Club Prime
Bo Majkowski, OF, Team Elite Prime
Majkowski doesn't have especially loud physical tools but he has consistently shown high-level skills, especially with his ability to square up the ball and for his very accurate throwing arm from the outfield. His athletic instincts, with his father's NFL background (quarterback Don Majkowski), seem to be ahead of most of his peers in the 2017 class.

Austin Martin, SS, Padres Scout Team/Chandler World
There may not have been a prospect that helped boost his draft stock more than Martin. He showed very soft, sure hands up the middle with an average arm from the left side. He routinely made difficult plays on the move look incredibly easy and he has high-level athleticism with room to continue to make strides at the plate.

Aaron Perry, RHP, Kentucky Baseball Club Prime
One of the bigger surprises of the event was when Aaron Perry took the mound for Kentucky Baseball Club Prime, having never thrown a pitch above 91 mph in a PG event previously, and promptly sat at 93-95 mph in his first inning of work. He complemented that heat with a slider that has the makings of a plus pitch, with sharp biting tilt and lots of velocity, topping out at 87 mph.

Roman Phansalker, RHP, CBA Marucci
Phansalker has been a dominant performer at times for CBA this summer and fall, largely on the basis of an outstanding slider that has 2900-plus spin rate and is sharp and big and well commanded. He upped his velocity in Jupiter to 89-91 mph and he still has projection left in his body and arm.

Daniel Ritcheson, RHP, CBA Marucci
Ritcheson has an impressive three-pitch mix for a player than can already throw his fastball in the mid-90s. He worked seven innings for CBA over the weekend and held opposing hitters to just three hits and struck out eight. He has an impressive curveball/slider combination when he gets two strikes on hitters and can throw both in any count. 

Spencer Strider, RHP, Royals Scout Team
When a scout’s phone blows up with a text from his scouting director that says “hey, this pitcher is throwing 96 mph on Field X,” the immediate response is to get your sprint work in by hustling over to Field X. Strider came out of the gate and popped a 96 in an early morning game, and he held 90-93 mph pretty well over his outing with both a quality curveball and a changeup, along with a repeatable delivery and clean arm.

Drew Wilden, LHP, Royals Scout Team
Wilden has one of the cleanest outings, showing three very solid pitches in a 87-89 mph fastball and an advanced slider/changeup combination. What set him apart was his pinpoint control of all three offerings and his easy delivery. Wilden is going to have lots of immediate success at Maryland with his present stuff but may be the type who takes a big step forward next spring leading up to the draft.


Bats Stepping Up

While this group of position players certainly were far from unknowns, each one used the big-stage opportunity in Jupiter to improve their already lofty standings in the eyes of scouts.

Myles Christian, OF, TPL National
The Middle Tennessee State commit continued to raise his stock after a strong fall showing. The talented and athletic outfielder moves well from the left side with enough range to handle center field. He also has a very loose, fluid swing from the left side of the plate with easy drive off the barrel to all fields.

Adisyn Coffey, SS, Team Indiana
Coffey makes this list not so much due to his offensive prowess but for his glovework at the premium position of shortstop. As it is in every class at every level, prospects who project to play premium positions at a high level are pretty rare, but Coffey is one of them in the class of 2017, and looks to be a future top-of-the-order hitter and consistent defensive performer at Arizona State.

Jeter Downs, SS, Astros Scout Team/Elite Squad Prime
One of the more athletic prospects in the class, Downs showed off his ability throughout pool play. The Miami commit was clean in the field and made a number of plays to both sides. At the plate he led the team with four hits and was a constant threat on the bases out of the leadoff spot. Downs also led the team with three stolen bases and scored six runs over the course of the tournament.
Cordell Dunn, TPL National
Cordell Dunn, C, TPL National
Dunn had one of the loudest bats all tournament long. Behind the plate he displayed a strong arm and threw out a runner trying to steal second. His bat is his strength and made hard contact in multiple at-bats, including a 97 mph single. The Texas Tech commit tied for the team lead in hits with three and showed a patient approach at the plate working two base on balls.

Sam Faith, SS/3B, Chicago Scouts Association
Faith, an uncommitted infielder, showed one of the more fluid swings from the left side of the plate during Jupiter. He showed good bat speed and a strong arm with lots of physical projection listed at 6-foot-3, 185-pounds. He’ll likely find himself off the board soon after a strong spring performance.

Tristen Lutz, OF, Texas Scout Team Yankees
The big-bodied, physically gifted Lutz had a tremendously productive Jupiter, reaching base in nine of his 12 plate appearances, including five hits and four walks. He has plus righthanded raw power, very good feel for the barrel and an advanced approach, which allows for him to walk when necessary and swing at pitches he can drive.

Kaden Polcovich, SS, Sandlot Scout Team
The uncommitted Oklahoman has done a tremendous job of getting his hitting skills on national display for several months now, and continued to do so in Jupiter. He makes consistent hard, barreled contact from both sides of the plate, while continuing to physically develop the strength necessary to drive the ball all over the ballpark with consistency. He’s going to be a hitting machine at the next level.

Andres Santana, OF/3B, Padres Scout Team/Chandler World
Santana is presently the 180th-ranked prospect in the 2017 class, with very strong run and throw tools. Based on his Jupiter performance, the bat might be at that level, too. Santana went 9-for-12 for the event, with a home run and nine RBI, and pretty much squared the ball up every time he came to the plate.

Davis Schneider, 3B, Dirtbags
The MVP of the entire event is hard to miss as a hitter who stood out in Jupiter. Schneider led all hitters with two home runs, tied for first in doubles and third in total base hits. The Rutgers commit impressively found the barrel and worked up to the ball with big-time strength.

Spencer Smith, C, Mets Scout Team
The East Carolina commit showed solid defensive actions behind the plate and intriguing power from the right side. Smith has a strong arm behind the plate and threw out a runner with an in-game pop time of 2.14 seconds. Smith made loud contact all tournament long including a scorching double that came off the bat at 99 mph.


Arms On The Rise

Similar to the Bats Stepping Up as listed above, this group of pitchers really stood out on the fields at the Roger Dean Complex in Jupiter.

Bryce Bonnin, RHP/SS, Texas Scout Team Yankees
Bonnin has been on the radar for awhile and for good reason, but took yet another step forward in Jupiter, showing an up-tempo delivery and easy arm action that produced fastballs in the 90-93 mph range, complemented by an extremely sharp, future-plus slider that could miss collegiate bats right now.

Logan Chapman, RHP, Braves Scout Team/Ohio Warhawks
Chapman is ranked 395th in the 2017 class with a commitment to South Carolina but he looks like a prospect who could generate some serious scouting interest next spring with just a small tick upward in his stuff. He has a very good delivery and steep angle on a 90-92 mph fastball.
Sam Weatherly, Dirtbags
Brad Dobzanski, RHP, Tri-State Arsenal Prime
Dobzanski, a physically imposing righthander, took the mound for Tri-State and pitched a solid outing, tossing 5 2/3 strong innings while only allowing two runs and striking out seven batters. Dobzanski attacked hitters with a 88-90 mph fastball and topped out at 91 mph. His impressive physical stature and repertoire make him a rising righthanded pitching prospect in the class of 2017.

Bryar Johnson, RHP, Mets Scout Team
Johnson, another physically imposing righthander, took the mound for the Mets Scout Team in their opening game on Thursday night. The Coastal Carolina commit had a sparkling line of three shutout innings while striking out five batters and surrendering only one hit. Johnson sat at 88-90 mph on the evening and fired off a lot of fastballs at 90 mph in the beginning of the game.

Wilberto Rivera, RHP, Toronto Blue Jays Scout Team
Rivera stood out with a highly projectable frame and big-time arm speed from the right side. His fastball worked up to 97 mph and sat in the mid-90s with good life. As he continues to refine his breaking ball he’ll continue to work his way up draft boards.

Angelo Smith, LHP, Chicago Scouts Association
Smith showed some seriously impressive stuff in his outing in Jupiter, working up to 89 mph with his fastball, highlighted by an extremely quick arm and a delivery/arm stroke combo that hides the ball until the last possible second. He also showed a consistently above average slider, a pitch that’s going to be a weapon from the moment he steps on campus at Michigan.

Matt Tabor, RHP, Northeast Baseball
One of the most anticipating matchups of the last day of pool play was between Northeast Baseball and the three-time defending champion EvoShield Canes. Tabor started on the mound and stifled the potent Canes to the tune of only one run over five innings pitched. Tabor mixed his pitches effectively and threw a straight fastball at 90-91 mph paired with a fastball with run that sat from 87-88 mph. The Elon commit mixed in a curveball and a changeup that might have been his most impressive pitch on the day.

Sam Weatherly, LHP, Dirtbags
Weatherly is heralded as a two-way prospect with extremely intriguing upside as a lefthanded pitcher, and he took another step towards that ceiling in Jupiter thanks to cleaning up his delivery, which allowed for enhanced command and a better breaking ball. He’s still extremely projectable and athletic with lots more velocity in the tank, but now he’s that much closer to achieving his potential.

Marlin Willis, LHP, Dodgers Scout Team/East Cobb
Willis has continued to refine and smooth out his delivery with a long, loose arm action. He worked an efficient relief outing for the Dodgers Scout Team when his fastball worked easily up to 89 mph and could move up further next spring with another jump.


Next Wave of Talent

This category is dedicated to the underclassmen that performed at a high level at the 2016 WWBA World Championship and represents the future wave of talent we expect to play at a high level through this time next year.

Luke Bartnicki, LHP, East Cobb Astros
Bartnicki has been a staple of PG events and showed a much more refined and balanced delivery. He has a tremendous physical build with athleticism and will continue to add strength. He showed overpowering arm strength in two outings during Jupiter bumping his fastball up to 95 mph with a hard slider.

Starlyn Castillo, RHP, Astros Scout Team/FTB Tucci
The extremely young Dominican shined at the PG Select Baseball Festival over Labor Day weekend, and he took yet another step forward in Jupiter, working up to 92 mph with his fastball. He also showed the makings of an above average slider, all with the arm speed necessary to project continued velocity gains.

Nolan Gorman, SS, Central Florida Gators
For months and months now, Gorman has been praised as one of the top pure bats in the class of 2018, and for extremely good reason, as he’s done nothing but hit week after week, and has continued to add power. He’s also a highly underrated defender capable of playing shortstop at a high level now, and he keeps getting better there, too.

Joe Gray Jr., OF, Braves Scout Team/Ohio Warhawks
Think of Gray as the Jordan Adell of the 2018 class. The body, athleticism and tools are all elite level and it eventually comes down to how far the bat comes on that will determine each player's ceiling. Gray might be the best defensive player in the 2018 class with outstanding range in center field and top-of-the-chart arm strength, and his bat appears to be further advanced than Adell's at the same stage.

Ethan Hankins, RHP, Team Elite Prime
The co-Most Valuable Pitcher for the tournament, Hankins put together one of the more dominating stat sheets that this tournament has seen, and he is only a 2018 graduate. The Vanderbilt commit tossed a total of ten shutout innings and struck out 12 batters. He sat from 90-93 mph for the tournament and was clocked at 95 mph two weekends prior in Fort Myers. Hankins continues to improve and is one of the top arms in the class.

Noah Naylor, C, Ontario Blue Jays
Brother of Padres prospect and former PG All-American Josh Naylor, Noah had a very strong tournament from both sides of the plate. Naylor had good reactions with a strong arm behind the plate, coinciding with a 2.14 in-game pop time, and limited baserunners to only two stolen bases in 14 innings. At the plate, Naylor had four hits and showed a good future power. Naylor is one of the top prospects for 2018 and might be the best catcher in the class as well.
Noah Naylor, Ontario Blue Jays
Jack Perkins, RHP, Team Indiana
Another promising arm that will likely throw in the upper-90s when it’s all said and done, Perkins looked very impressive for Team Indiana in his two appearances as he fired 6 2/3 innings allowing two runs. His fastball worked at 88-92 mph with good life and tremendous plane to down in the zone.

Carter Raffield, RHP, Chain National
Raffield is an intimidating presence on the mound at 6-foot-5, 215-pounds of what looks to be solid muscle. His 89-92 mph fastball absolutely exploded on hitters and looked to be in the mid-90s without checking the radar gun, and his slider was one of the best breaking balls of the entire event, buckling some good hitters’ knees.

Kristian Robinson, OF, Midland Redskins
Robinson is only 15-years-old and as a citizen of The Bahamas is an international player who will be eligible to sign July 2, 2017. His stock with the international scouting community must be exploding, as Robinson showed clear plus running speed and a powerful righthanded bat on a very projectable athletic frame. The four triples he hit for the tournament semifinalist Midland Redskins were loud and hard to miss.

Kumar Rocker, RHP, Team Elite Prime
Rocker is the No. 1 player in the class of 2018 and the extremely physical, extremely impressive righthander checks an awful lot of boxes when looking at potential future first rounders. He was up to 94 mph with a very easy arm action, showing feel to spin an above average breaking ball and a developing a changeup while throwing consistent strikes – and that’s an awful lot of what you’d want to see.

Carter Stewart, rhp, Central Florida Gators
It’s hard to watch the 6-foot-5 Stewart and come away not thinking he’ll be a very high pick in the 2018 draft. He has easy arm speed with a fastball that works 88-90 mph and has been up to 93 in the past. His curveball is what will get him drafted with hard, sharp 11-to-5 shape and a spin rate that will continuously top 3100-plus.

Cole Winn, RHP, Astros Scout Team/Elite Squad Prime
The slender 6-foot-1, 170-pound Winn is from Colorado and not well circulated in the scouting community, although he does have a commitment to Notre Dame. He took a big step forward with his stuff, topping out at 92 mph and showing a very projectable arm and body.

Bobby Witt Jr., SS, Indians Scout Team
There aren’t many players who possess the type of ceiling and overall upside that Bobby Witt Jr. does, and he was still one of the youngest players in the event as a sophomore in high school. With all five tools at his disposal and outstanding feel for the game, as one would expect given his Major League bloodlines, Witt’s ceiling is limitless, and his development will be one that we at PG are all extremely excited to witness in the coming years.

Justin Wrobleski, LHP, Team Elite Nation
Wrobleski started for Team Elite Nation in their opening game and looked extremely efficient and sharp on the mound. The Clemson commit filled the strike zone and his 90-92 mph fastball was able to miss bats and induce weak contact. Wrobleski finished his outing with 4 2/3 shutout innings and struck out six batters.


Since the underclassmen in particular are the ones we will be watching at future events, here is a handful more that made an impression:

Will Banfield, C, Team Elite Prime: Although he hit only .150, Banfield, currently ranked sixth in the class of 2018, hit a booming home run and two doubles with a pair of RBI and runs scored for the runnerup Team Elite Prime.

Austin Becker, RHP, EvoShield Canes: Becker got “promoted” to EvoShield’s primary team from their Team EvoShield underclass squad, taking the ball in their first pool play game and delivering three shutout frames while touching 91 mph.

Tony Bullard, RHP/3B, Indians Scout Team: Bullard played a key role for the playoff bound Indians Scout Team, delivering two scolress appearances while peaking at 89 mph in six total innings.
Tony Bullard, Indians Scout Team
Elijah Cabell, OF, Central Florida Gators: Cabell was Perfect Game’s 15u Player of the Year in 2015, and although his .143 average in Jupiter doesn’t reflect that honor, he continued to show his five-tool talents while playing flawless defense in center for the Gators, who advanced to the quarterfinals.

Mason Denaburg, RHP/C, Central Florida Gators: You could essentially list the entire Central Florida Gators squad here as easily the most talented collection of underclass talent on the PG tourney circuit. Denaburg had four driven in and four runs scored at the plate while providing 4 2/3 scorless innings of work on the mound, peaking at 92 mph.

Jordan Groshans, SS, Houston Banditos: The Banditos, like the Gators, boasted a young, talented squad led by the versatile Groshans, who played steady infield defense and hit .308 with a double and two RBI.

Brandon Howlett, OF, Chain National: Howlett’s .429/.556/571 triple slash line is an easy way to portray his talents in the batter’s box, finishing the event with a double, a run score, one driven in and a stolen base.

Jarred Kelenic, OF/LHP, Chicago Scouts Association: Kelenic made the most of his three base hits, hitting a double and driving in three while also scoring three runs. He also took to the mound in a consolation game, peaking at 89 mph in his scoreless inning of work.

Kameron Ojeda, C, GBG Marucci: Similar to Cabell, Ojeda, one of the top prospects in the high school class of 2018, didn’t hit particularly well statistically (.182 average) but continued to show his high-level tools and provided flawless defense for GBG Marucci, who advanced to the quarterfinals.

Kendall Simmons, SS, East Cobb Yankees: On a veteran travel team Simmons made the most of his opportunities by collecting a pair of base hits, but more importantly reaching base with a .545 on-base percentage, a tribute to his plate discipline and overall hitting acumen.

Owen White, RHP, South Charlotte Panthers 2017: After impressing at the WWBA Underclass World Championship two weekends before Jupiter, White continued to light up the radar gun, peaking at 91 mph while striking out six in 4 2/3 combined innings spanning two appearances.


Jupiter/MLB Draft Starting Nine

A topic that came up more than once in discussions with other scouts attending the 2016 WWBA World Championship, our staff put together a starting lineup of the top MLB Draft eligible prospects that attended Jupiter this year.

1. Nick Allen, SS, CBA Marucci
2. Drew Waters, CF, Braves Scout Team/Ohio Warhawks
3. Jordon Adell, RF, EvoShield Canes
4. Alejandro Toral, 1B, Astros Scout Team/Elite Squad Prime
5. Calvin Mitchell, LF, Braves Scout Team/Ohio Warhawks
6. Hagen Danner, DH, EvoShield Canes
7. Tyler Hardman, 3B, CBA Marucci
8. M.J. Melendez, C, Astros Scout Team/FTB Tucci
9. Tyler Freeman, 2B, CBA Marucci

Starting Pitchers: Samuel Carlson, RHP, EvoShield Canes; Jake Eder, LHP, Astros Scout Team/FTB Tucci
Relief Pitcher: Aaron Perry, RHP, Kentucky Baseball Club Prime
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Perfect Game Staff
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    667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923  www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA      FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE    PERFECT GAME AND FIRST COMMUNITY CREDIT UNION ANNOUNCE CHESTERFIELD ATHLETIC COMPLEX    Landmark Partnership to Center on Community, Inclusion and Youth Sports    Chesterfield, Missouri (Wednesday, January 7, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, along with the City of Chesterfield, today announced  an exclusive naming rights partnership with First Community Credit Union (FCCU) for the Chesterfield Valley Athletic Complex. Effective immediately, the venue will be known as the “Chesterfield First Community Athletic...
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College | Rankings | 1/8/2026

2026 Preseason Top 25

Vincent Cervino
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With an interesting and action-packed fall behind us, a new college season is just around the corner. The college game continues to prove it is alive and well as the Division 1 team count has now ballooned to 308 teams for the 2026 season. With new legislation allowing teams 5-weeks to prepare for opening day, many student athletes have returned to campus and will begin skill related workouts soon. Opening Day, as usual, will fall on Valentine’s Day weekend and it is just six weeks away. After a fall of evaluation and months of research and discussion, we are ready to release our annual Perfect Game pre-season Top 25 poll. After winning 53-games, hosting the NCAA Regional and Super Region, and sweeping their way through the College World, the LSU Tigers will debut the 2026 season as our No.1 ranked team. Head coach, Jay Johnson, has now led the Tigers to two national titles in the...
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College | Story | 1/7/2026

Preseason Collegiate All-Americans

Vincent Cervino
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The transfer portal, JUCO gems, 6th year waivers and impact freshman; following the college game and figuring out rosters is basically a fulltime job nowadays. This is the new norm, and while the baseball purist may not like it, the college game has never been more exciting. It looks like 2026 is shaping up to be an incredible season with the balance of power seemingly spread out evenly from coast to coast. Like we seem to say every year, the depth and quality of talent has never been better, and the 2026 Perfect Game Pre-Season All-American teams will attest to that fact.With the 2026 College Baseball season is just around the corner, the Perfect Game college staff will have you loaded with coverage heading into the new year. On the heels of our Pre-Season Top 25 poll, the All-American list will be headlined by a banner sophomore class on the 1st team. The sweet lefthanded swings of...
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College | Recruiting | 1/6/2026

Recruiting Notebook: January 6

Michael Albee
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Griffin Boesen (‘27, IA) shoots this one backside down the line. Adds his second hit of the day. Picked up a base knock. Physical LH bat w/ an ability to drive the baseball here. @IowaPG @PG_Uncommitted @CanesMidwest #WWBAWorlds https://t.co/pmpIzaAbLz pic.twitter.com/Qz0CHiS3P1 — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) October 13, 2025 Griffin Boesen, Class of 2027 Commitment: Duke Another top 100 prospect is off the board as the Corey Muscara led Duke Blue Devils picked up a physical two-way prospect in Boesen out of Florida recently. At 6-foot-5, 205 pounds, Boesen looks the part of a middle of the order type slugger and he's just that, showing lots of looseness and bat speed in his left-handed stroke and is coming off a Jupiter where he hit .700 (!!) as an underclassman while driving in 10 runs. The bat-to-ball skills are obvious as he simply hit at all the big stops in 2025,...
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Tournaments | Story | 1/7/2026

PG Leaderboard: Class of 2028

Jheremy Brown
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Complete PG Leaderboard Database PG Leaderboard: Class of 2026 | Class of 2027 Well, the fastball department is dominated by two arms in particular with Striker Pence and Dexter McCleon Jr. combining for almost 200 mph of velo between them on their peak heaters in 2025. That's just absolutely insane. The freakiness of the class continues down the boards with a 6.26 60-yard from Colton Fitzgibbon to the 88 mph hand cannon of Grant Arnold behind the plate to Christian Lux's 106 (!!!) mph exit velocity, this class has out of this world chart toppers. Even scarier? They don't graduate for another three years... Top Fastball Velocity Rk Player FB Event Commitment School Hometown 1 Striker Pence 101 2025 PG WWBA World Championship Uncommitted Santiago Corona, CA 2 Striker Pence 99 2025 PG 17U World Series - National Uncommitted Santiago Corona, CA 2 Striker Pence 99 2025 PG 16U WWBA...
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Showcase | Story | 1/6/2026

PG Leaderboard: Class of 2027

Jheremy Brown
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Complete PG Leaderboard Database PG Leaderboard: Class of 2026 To think this group still has another two years of high school is a scary thought given what some of the category leaders already are. Samir Mohammed up to 97 mph on the mound, Bryce Fontenot with a max exit velocity of 103 mph and a 6.22 60-yard out of Dylan Seward are all otherworldly numbers that you'd expect to find on a college campus, much less a junior in high school.  Below we check in on several categories for the Class of 2027 and will continue to do so through the week, taking in the top 10 for each, from both Perfect Game showcases and tournaments.  Top Fastball Velocity Rk Player FB Event Commitment School Hometown 1 Samir Mohammed 97 2025 PG WWBA World Championship Louisiana State Tampa Jesuit Trinity, FL 2 Connor Salerno 96 2025 PG WWBA World Championship Mississippi State Sun Valley Indian Trail, NC...
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Draft | Mock Draft | 1/9/2026

MLB Mock Draft: January 9

Tyler Henninger
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As we turn the calendar to 2026, we move one step closer to draft day. With the lottery behind us and the order now set, we wanted to take one final stab at a preseason mock draft before players take the field. The talent at the top of this class stands out and feels as deep as it has been in quite some time. There is solid depth in the first round, with real value extending later into the round. While things are certain to shift once the season gets underway, this is how we see things going for now.  1.  Chicago White Sox: Roch Cholowsky, SS, UCLA The White Sox come away with one of the most polished profiles in the class and one of the better draft prospects we’ve seen in a while. Cholowsky gives Chicago a high-level college shortstop with a refined offensive approach, quality in-game power, and advanced defensive actions. There’s a strong blend of floor and...
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