THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,449 MLB PLAYERS | 15,806 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,449 MLB PLAYERS | 15,806 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Sign in Create Account
Sign in Create Account
High School  | General | 4/18/2018

High School Notebook: April 18

Jheremy Brown
Britt Smith
Greg Gerard
Photo: Mike Vasil (Perfect Game)

The high school notebook is designed to share notes and video on players that stand out during the high school season and new features will be released regularly. This will include in-game looks, reports, analysis and video from Perfect Game's scouting staff. If you have news on a player in your area that is performing at a high level that we should have eyes on please reach out to Vinnie Cervino at vincent@perfectgame.org. Also feel free to share your video highlights on Twitter @vcervinopg.

High School Notebook: April 12


Mike Vasil, RHP, Boston College HS (Mass.)



In a 2018 class which is rich with talented arms from the prep side, Massachusetts righthander Mike Vasil is one prospect to keep an eye on as the spring unfolds in the still wintery Northeast and if last Thursday’s turnout was any indication then he’s already highly thought of on team’s boards. Despite this being Vasil’s first start of the season in raw temperatures that hovered in the 40s and felt colder due to the wind, the stands were loaded with 40+ scouts and plenty of decision makers on hand. And it’s safe to say the Virginia Cavalier signee didn’t disappoint as he pumped the strike zone and carried a perfect game with him into the seventh where he secured the first two outs before allowing a double, his lone base hit of the day.

Strong and physical at 6-foot-4, 210-pounds but still projectable and plenty athletic, Vasil offers one of the simplest and cleanest delivery in the draft class, something evaluators are certain to take note of as it’s a leading factor in his ability to pound the zone. His delivery has few moving parts and plenty of balance through his leg lift and into his drive all the while staying online with a compact and fast arm action, regularly working on top of the ball with excellent timing. Vasil, who is currently No. 22 in the 2018 high school rankings, faced off against one of the better prep schools in the state and his stat line and overall performance speaks for itself: complete game, seven inning shutout with no walks, no three-ball counts and 13 strikeouts, all on 80 pitches.

The delivery and performance are noteworthy, but so is his overall arsenal and it’s one we got a glimpse of this past summer on the circuit both at the 17u WWBA Championships and at the Perfect Game All-American Classic last August in San Diego. With the weather appearing to be a non-factor for Vasil, the righthander opened the game sitting 92-94 mph with every fastball and ramped it up with two strikes to end the first, touching his lone 96 this outing. All the way through the seventh inning Vasil continued to pump fastballs in the 90-93 mph but it was the effort, or lack of, that makes it easy to see mid-90s being the norm for seven innings come the warmer weather.

Glove side or arm side, it didn’t matter as Vasil was able to hit his spot and more often than not he was ahead in the count with at least 15 first pitch strikes, a true testament to his ability in pounding the zone. Take the velocity and command then add in the life of his heater and it becomes easy to predict Vasil will continue to put up video game numbers the rest of this spring. When he was working to his glove side Vasil was able to generate some pretty big angle while maintaining some of the hard sinking life he showed when working to his arm side and it proved to be an overpowering pitch as evidenced by the double-digit swings and misses he accumulated on just his fastball.

Vasil’s aptitude for pitching and overall feel on the mound came through with his curveball as he opened the game by overthrowing and spiking the pitch in the upper-70s before throttling back on the velocity to land it for strikes. Though it wasn’t an overpowering pitch in the 71-73 mph range, Vasil’s feel for the pitch was evident as he landed the 12-6 shaped breaker for strikes and wasn’t afraid to double up on the offering. Taking back some of the velocity in the name of strikes speaks to Vasil’s overall feel as a pitch and as he begins to land the harder version with conviction, Northeast batters better watch out.

He seldom threw his changeup as it simply wasn’t needed, flashing it all of three times in the 80-82 mph range, but he did pick up one of his 11 strikes with the 82 mph pitch which he located down in the zone with a mimicked release. It's an offering that flashed plus last summer at the 17u WWBA and having a feel for it gives Vasil a well-rounded arsenal that pair nicely with his frame, making it easy to project him as a starter at the next level.

Vasil checks nearly every box scouts look for in a prep pitching prospect and though he didn’t show his best secondaries, it’s important to remember it was his first time stepping on the mound this spring in live action. The velocity will undoubtedly continue to show an uptick, his breaking ball will tighten with more reps, and overall there’s a very good chance a big red “up” arrow stays near Vasil’s name (who is already considered a first round talent) on draft boards all the way up until day one of the MLB Draft in June.


Jake Sanderson, RHP, St. John's Prep (Mass.)

Toeing the rubber opposite of Vasil was 2018 righthander Jake Sanderson of St. John’s Prep, a UConn signee, who proves once again the Huskies ability to identify highly intriguing talent within the confines of the Northeast. Listed at a lean and projectable 6-foot-1, 185-pound frame per his Perfect Game profile, Sanderson came out in attack mode and quickly caught the attention of the scouts in the stands.

Armed with an up-tempo delivery “come at you” approach Sanderson opened the game sitting in the 89-91 mph range and bumped a 92 in the opening frame, a number that should continue to climb at the next level with added strength and some refinement to his mechanics. Complete with a hip turn at top, Sanderson works to an uncomfortable lower three-quarters slot with plenty of arm quickness from which he was able to generate plane and short sinking life. Sanderson showed the ability to miss bats with his heater and filled the zone in the first couple innings before settling into the upper-80s and with some inconsistencies to his release point.

Sanderson maintained his arm speed and slot on both his changeup and slider and it was the changeup that he went to early, throwing the pitch in the 84-86 mph range in the first with the type of fading life you’d envision given his lower release. His breaking ball teetered between a slider and curveball, showing occasional tilt in the mid-70s while offering more depth depending his release and hand position. Overall the UConn signee showed three pitches and  struck out four over four innings of work and could see another tick or two on his fastball as the temperature continues warm up in the Northeast.

– Jheremy Brown

Grayson Rodriguez, RHP, Central Heights (Texas)

Grayson Rodriguez appears to be physically developed when standing on the mound at 6-foot-5 and 230-pounds. However, the closer you examine him, the more you realize that there is still room for some further physical development. His overall package of stuff still shows some further projectability as well. Even with present average to above-average command of three pitches, including a fast ball that sat 92-95 mph, with arm-side run and slight sinking action, Rodriguez is still somewhat developing.

Displaying a level composure far beyond his years, it appears that there isn’t anything that can shake, what seems to be an unyielding inner-control of himself. It certainly helps that he shows two above average breaking balls to compliment his power fastball. His slider, possessing 10-to-4 shape, drives deep to the plate before darting away from its apparent intended location, grades above-average and will sit between 81-83 mph. Rodriguez’s curveball, that has the downward action of a rollercoaster at an amusement park in 11-to-5 shape, shows tight spin and depth, while sitting 72-75 mph. His feel for landing both of these pitches in any count gives him the confidence to pitch without a predictable pattern. As he moves on to the next level, he will have more opportunity to throw, what flashes as an average changeup presently, and potentially develop a fourth above-average pitch.

Rodriguez uses his lower half well with a slight crossfire-step to the plate, which occurs because of a slight break in the momentum of his delivery at the top of his leg lift. With a full arm circle in the back and a high-3/4 arm slot, there is a minimum amount of effort in the overall delivery to the plate.

As a prospect with two potentially plus offerings and another two, that are above-average, Rodriguez is intriguing. He will be in the conversation for some organizations in the first round of this June’s MLB Draft and with more physical development potentially, it would be surprising to see him actually arrive on campus at Texas A&M next fall.

– Britt Smith

Connor Pavolony, C, River Ridge HS (Ga.)



Connor Pavolony has shown his outstanding defensive abilities at Perfect Game events for several years now and Thursday night was no different. Popping in the 1.91-2.00 second range repeatedly during warmups, Pavolony never had the opportunity to throw out a would-be base stealer although he showed the ability to do so. His arm strength is the most impressive tool in his skill-set. While adding that arm strength to the quickness of his movements it is easy to see why Pavolony is such an impressive catching prospect. On a few instances in this game, however, he did have trouble handling some tough pitches but also showed the blocking skills of a high-level catcher on other opportunities. At the plate, the Tennessee signee did not collect a hit but did put several good swings on balls while just missing. His swing is very powerful with plenty of bat speed and strength, but just missed the barrel during this viewing. His frame is filled with strength both in the upper and lower body. The state of Georgia is loaded with catching prospects for this year’s draft and Pavolony is included in that crop of talent.


Christopher Williams, OF, River Ridge HS (Ga.)


Christopher Williams had the opportunity to show off multiple tools in Thursday night’s contest. First of which was his arm strength from the outfield. On a groundball single to right field with runners on first and second, Williams gathered and wound up firing a strike to third base. He did not throw the runner out, but the carry and zip the ball had to the third base bag was impressive in itself. Starting off the game slowly at the plate, Williams came up when it mattered as he ripped a single to right field in his final at-bat of the day for an RBI. Williams is a very athletic player and that athleticism is present in his swing. He did show signs of unbalance at times, but the swing is very pure and fluid with raw bat speed making the FIU signee a power threat each time up to the plate.

– Greg Gerard
Give us your feedback
High School | General | 5/22/2026

Northeast High School Notebook: May 22
Anthony Gambardella
Article Image
‘26 RHP Hunter Brown (@NHLionsBaseball - NJ) struck out 1️⃣5️⃣ thru 6 IP w/ 0 BB & 2 H allowed. FB lived 90-92, T93 w/ ASR & late life. Froze bats with his 11/5 CB both early/late in counts (2600rpm). Mixed in fading CH & short/tight SL. #WeAre commit. @PG_Draft#PGHS @PG_Scouting pic.twitter.com/NbSSOmCyD0 — Perfect Game Mid-Atlantic (@PGMidAtlantic) April 23, 2026 Hunter Brown - 2026 RHP, North Hunterdon Reg (N.J.) was utterly dominant in his start against Franklin last month, tossing six shutout innings with 15 strikeouts, zero walks and just two hits allowed. The 6-foot-5 215-pound right-hander has pitched to a 0.97 ERA this spring with 78 punchouts over 36 innings of work. Brown has been one of the many northeast arms receiving increasingly more buzz ahead of the MLB Draft this July. Brown’s heater lived in the low-90s throughout the duration of his...
Read More
College | Story | 5/25/2026

Field of 64 Projections

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
Last Four In First Four Out Next Four Out 61. Mercer 65. Kentucky 69. Kent State 62. TCU 66. Texas State 70. Gonzaga 63. Troy 67. Pittsburgh 71. Miami (OH) 64. UTSA 68. NC State 72. Campbell Auto-Bids ACC Georgia Tech A10 VCU America East Binghamton American East Carolina ASUN Lipscomb Big 10 UCLA Big 12 Kansas Big East St. John's Big South USC Upstate Big West Cal Poly CAA Northeastern CUSA Jacksonville State Horizon Milwaukee Ivy Yale MAAC Rider MAC Northern Illinois MVC UIC MWC Washington State NEC LIU OVC Little Rock Patriot Holy Cross SEC Georgia SoCon The Citadel Southland Lamar Summit South Dakota State Sun Belt Southern Miss SWAC Alabama State WAC Tarleton State WCC Saint Mary's  Teams by Conference SEC 11 ACC 8 Big 12 7 Big 10 4 Sun Belt 4 CUSA 3 American 2 Big West 2 SoCon 2 Los Angeles Regional Conference 1 (1) UCLA* Big 10 2 (32) Arizona State Big 12 3 Cal Poly* Big West...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 5/24/2026

East Memorial Day Scout Notes: Days 1-2

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
‘27 IF Braylon Sheffield (FL) with an absolute 🚀 here, launching high off the RCF wall for a 3B. Super polished LH stick; hit over .400 last year on the circuit. #GoHoos commit. #EastMemorial pic.twitter.com/mdehqpR5v5 — Perfect Game Florida (@Florida_PG) May 23, 2026 Braylon Sheffield (2027, Fort Myers, Fla.) got the event started with the loudest swing of the night on Friday at Terry Park, rocketing a triple off the wall in the stadium. Sheffield, ranked 121 and committed to Virginia, is a super polished left-handed hitter with left side of the infield projection long term. The swing is tension-free with loose wrists and he generates easy bat speed with already present power to the pull side. This blast came inches away from being a home run and hitting a ball that far at Terry Park stadium is a significant shot. Sheffield also tripled in his second game of the weekend at...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 5/24/2026

West Memorial Day Scout Notes: Days 1-2

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
Colton Floyd (‘27,AZ) just misses a HR here. Can really impact the baseball & shows over the fence power potential. Took 3 QAB’s today. He’s the #1 ranked 3B in the state and #4 in the country. #MDWest https://t.co/ReMh7D0v4y pic.twitter.com/w1dzssSy8N — Perfect Game Four Corners (@PG_FourCorners) May 23, 2026 Colton Floyd, 3B, Chandler, AZ. Canes West National (2027) Floyd is a high-upside prospect with physical tools and burgeoning power. His combination of size, bat speed, and raw strength makes him one of the top power-hitting third basemen in the country. Currently ranked the #1 third baseman in Arizona and #4 nationally in his class. With continued refinement of his approach and defensive consistency, he has all the ingredients to be a middle-of-the-order bat at Texas A&M and a legitimate MLB Draft prospect JJ Utash (‘27,AZ) with a triple here....
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 5/21/2026

Memorial Day Classics Set to Kick Off

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
Southeast Memorial Day East Cobb Baseball will welcome more than 100 teams spanning the 13-17u age groups this weekend as summer baseball gets underway with the highly anticipated PG Southeast Memorial Day Classic, commencing on Thursday, May 21st. This weekend’s annual premier event will feature 11 nationally ranked teams across the five age groups with the No. 9 16u East Cobb Astros headlining the 17u division alongside top prospects such as No. 11 ranked Bryan Johnson Jr. And No. 22 ranked Georgia Tech commit, Malachi Butler. The No. 34 17u ranked 643 DP Cougars will also be a squad to watch as they will look to challenge the Astros for the championship amongst the other 14 17u division teams. While the oldest division will draw lots of attention with highly touted prospects, the 16u field is stacked with 29 total teams including three nationally ranked clubs. Over 30 top 1000...
Read More
Press Release | Press Release | 5/22/2026

Wolforth Throwing Mentorship: Article 65

Ron Wolforth
Article Image
The Insidious Lie That Hurts Pitchers Thep Most How many of you have ever had a terrible outing and afterward couldn’t really explain what went wrong? And how many of you have ever had a great outing and couldn’t explain what you did differently either? That gap between what is happening and your awareness of what is happening may be one of the most important gaps in player development. Closing that gap has a name. It is called metacognition. In simple terms, metacognition means thinking about your thinking. It is the ability to understand how you learn, how you perform, how you respond under pressure, and how you make adjustments when things are not going your way. For a pitcher, that matters because no matter how good your coach is, he cannot stand on the mound with you. Your coach cannot take the ball with the bases loaded, two outs, and the best hitter in the league...
Read More
College | Rankings | 5/20/2026

DII/DIII/NAIA Rankings Update: May 20

Nick Herfordt
Article Image
There is a reason the preseason pick to win it all rarely does. College baseball's postseason is a gauntlet — double elimination, best-of-three’s, then a full World Series format — and the team that looks unbeatable in February has to prove it again in May against opponents who have had just as long to get ready. Plenty of programs have entered the tournament as the obvious favorite and gone home early. It happens every year. Nobody should be shocked when it does. Top-ranked teams flaming out in regional weekends happens so many times it has become its own genre of schadenfreude Which makes this particular moment worth noting. The Perfect Game preseason picks to win the NAIA, NCAA Division II, and NCAA Division III national titles — Tennessee Wesleyan, UT Tyler, and the University of Lynchburg — are all still alive heading into the final rounds. All three...
Read More
College | Story | 5/21/2026

Coppy's Corner: May 21 POY Deep Dive

John Coppolella
Article Image
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.   Co-Player of the Week: Carson Tinney – University of Texas  As a Notre Dame alumnus, it pained me to see Tinney transfer from the Golden Dome to the University of Texas after an All-American sophomore season for the Irish. He’s picked up in Austin right where he left off in South Bend and is currently hitting .321 AVG, 20 HR, .475 OBP / .695 SLG / 1.170 OPS on the 2026 season. It’s plus right-handed power and a plus arm; with the numbers I have found indicating that Tinney has erased more than half of attempted base stealers over the past two seasons of college baseball. Tinney threw...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 5/19/2026

Best of the Best Event Preview

Jheremy Brown
Article Image
In simplistic terms, the Best of The Best tournament is an absolute gauntlet as seemingly every game brings a playoff game atmosphere. Coaches must strategically map out their pitching to ensure they can get through Pool Play while also making sure they have arms to make a deep playoff run. Each and every age group is loaded with the best teams, composed of some of the best players that travel baseball has to offer. The 9u & 10u age groups will respectively have 9 out of the Top 10 Teams within the latest PG National Team Rankings participating in the event. At 9U, LTP-Reign will look to hold on to their #1 ranking but will have plenty of competition with the likes of ZT National Prospects and HTX-Wildcatters 9U looking to take over that #1 spot. In the 10u age group, Elevate National will look to fend off plenty of talent with #2 ranked Kaos National, East Cobb Astros and ZT...
Read More
College | Story | 5/19/2026

College Players of the Week: May 19

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
May 19th Perfect Game/Co-Players of the Week:  Carson Tinney, C, Texas  The Texas Longhorns just finished off another stellar regular season and are heading to Hoover for the SEC Conference Tournament as the No. 2 Seed this week.  To secure their 2nd place finish, they had to sweep Missouri at home last weekend and did so in large part to the power bat of Carson Tinney.  The 6-4/240 catcher from Castle Pines, CO transferred to Austin after two sensational seasons at Notre Dame and has thrived in his draft year.  In the 3-game set, Tinney collected 7 hits in 13 at-bats, scoring 5 runs, with a double, 3 home runs and he drove in 10 runs all told.  With some of the most prodigious power in the college game this year, Tinney is now slashing .321/.695/.473 with 10 doubles an incredible 20 home runs and 54 RBIs while playing in the most spacious ballpark in the...
Read More
Loading more articles...
About Perfect Game :: Contact us :: Terms of Use :: Privacy Policy :: Testimonials :: Job Opportunities
Copyright 1994-2026 by Perfect Game. All rights reserved. No portion of this information may be reprinted or reproduced without the written consent of Perfect Game.