THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,384 MLB PLAYERS | 15,805 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,384 MLB PLAYERS | 15,805 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Tournaments  | Story | 5/27/2018

East Memorial Scout Notes

Photo: Timothy Manning (Perfect Game)

There is no question that Raymond Torres (2019, Charlotte, N.C.) has established himself as one of the top defensive catchers in his class and the North Carolina native, who attends IMG Academy in Florida, is currently ranked 58th in the country in the PG 2019 class rankings. He has loads of quick twitch athleticism behind the plate and an outstanding throwing arm. Where Torres impressed on Saturday playing for Elite Squad National was with his righthanded bat speed. He showed that rare ability to patiently watch pitches, even with two strikes, that were outside the zone but still explode aggressively when he swung and create peak bat speed. Torres has some late barrel wrap just before he starts his swing that creates some length to the ball but it also makes for some serious barrel whip through the zone as well. He rocketed a double into the left field corner in his first at-bat and later just missed driving another ball deep to the same spot when he just got under the ball.

Elite Squad lefthander Timothy Manning (2020, Pompano Beach, Fla.) is the 69th ranked player in the 2020 class and was sharp in his outing Saturday. The 6-foot-2 southpaw worked in the 86-88 mph range early and established right away that he could hit the corners on both sides of the plate with regularity and intent. He pitched primarily off his fastball but showed a tight, big-breaking 1-to-7 curveball at 74 mph that will buckle hitters knees, especially lefthanders. Manning looks like he's poised for a big summer and we will see him next at the PG Junior National Showcase in Georgia in mid-June.

Nicholas Hardy (2019, Pembroke Pines, Fla.) is a primary catcher who the Elite Squad coaches say has pitched only 20-25 times in his life but he looks like he has a future on the mound. Hardy has a very good delivery with nice lower half use and very good sync between his lower body and arm and throws easily. He sat 87-89 on his fastball and there is plenty more there in his 6-foot-2, 170-pound body. Hardy also threw a slider between 77 and 80 mph that wasn't consistent either in release slot or in spin but which flashed good spin when his hand was over the ball. He is committed to Florida International.

Ryan Vanderhei (2019, Goodyear, Ariz.) is an outstanding projection on the mound. He's still 16-years old and is already 6-foot-6, 175-pounds with size 15 feet and very loose, athletic actions. Working on a 45-pitch limit for North East Baseball National, Vanderhei pitched in the 85-88 mph range from a mid three-quarters arm slot that worked very well for his arm action. His 77 mph slider was his best pitch and garnered him plenty of swing and misses with late two-plane biting action. Vanderhei commanded both pitches well, especially the slider, and cruised through three and a third innings before hitting his pitch limit. It will be very interesting to watch him develop over the next few years.

Vanderhei was relieved by outfielder/righthanded pitcher Max Rippl (2018, Fort Myers, Fla.), who showed nice arm strength from a medium effort delivery that profiles him as a future reliever. Rippl commanded the zone well with a fastball in the 88-91 mph range. He is a Kent State signee.

Catcher Connor Pavolony (2018, Woodstock, Ga.) didn't do much at the plate for North East Baseball this game but he is one of the most enjoyable players in the country to watch throw a baseball. The 91st-ranked player in the class and a Tennessee signee, Pavolony has thrown up to 85 mph in drills at PG events and consistently brings that arm strength and outstanding accuracy to games. He fittingly ended North East's win on Saturday by back picking a runner off third base with a laser throw.

Orioles Scout Team righthander Rudy Gomez (2018, Miami, Fla.) looks like an outstanding signee for St. Leo's University. He is listed at 6-foot-2, 185-pounds but looks a bit bigger than that with a mature build that has good present strength. Gomez has a very smooth and low effort delivery that enables him to pound the strike zone consistently and has the body control to throw well-used hesitations into his delivery as well. His fastball worked in the 87-90 mph range and he maintained his velocity very well throughout the outing. Gomez also had a upper-70s slider that showed good spin and occasional sharp downer biting action that he probably could have used more often, as his fastball tended to be pretty straight and hitters learned to sit on that pitch.



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. ...
High School | Rankings | 3/31/2026

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....
College | Story | 3/31/2026

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...
College | Story | 3/31/2026

College Players of the Week: March 31

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...
College | Rankings | 3/30/2026

College Top 25: March 30

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...
High School | General | 3/27/2026

High School Notebook: March 27

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...
Draft | Mock Draft | 3/27/2026

2026 MLB Mock Draft: V 2.0

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...
Juco | Rankings | 3/25/2026

JUCO Top 25: March 25

Blaine Peterson
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Another strong week of Juco baseball for teams in our Top 25, and as you may see, our field is the same from a week prior with each and every team handling business in their weekend sets to hold fast to their spots on the board. Some notable movement though inside the Top 5 with Gaston jumping up to number 2 after a 33-2 start to the 2026 season as well Cloud County cracking the Top 15 for the first time all year. Looking forward to watching conference play around the country as we approach the final stretch of the regular season. Rk. School Record 1 Johnson County (KS) 30-2 2 Gaston (NC) 33-2 3 Florida Southwestern (FL) 26-7 4 Walters State (TN) 26-6 5 Chipola (FL) 29-5 6 Florence-Darlington (SC) 29-6 7 Blinn (TX) 22-8 8 McLennan (TX) 20-7 9 Cochise (AZ) 28-6 10 Pearl River (MS) 25-7 11 Georgia Highlands (GA) 30-8 12 Southern Nevada (NV) 24-6 13 Northwest Florida (FL) 21-12 14 Cloud...
College | Rankings | 3/25/2026

DII/DIII/NAIA Rankings Update: March 25

Nick Herfordt
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Every preseason, analysts and voters pour enormous effort into ranking the small college baseball landscape — poring over returning rosters, transfer additions, coaching changes, and historical trends to assemble the most accurate picture they can of who will be contending when the postseason arrives. And most years, they get it largely right. But the nature of college baseball, with its massive rosters, unpredictable development arcs, and ever-churning transfer portal, guarantees that a handful of genuinely elite programs will slip through the cracks every spring. A team loses too many seniors. A key transfer hasn’t yet suited up. A new coaching staff hasn’t had the chance to prove itself. The voters see the question marks and leave the blank space, and then the season begins and the blank space starts filling itself in — loudly. As the 2026 season heads into its...
College | Story | 3/24/2026

College Players of the Week: March 24

Vincent Cervino
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March 24th Perfect Game/Player of the Week: Quinton Coats, IF, Cincinnati The Cincinnati Bearcats (19-7) are on the cusp of the Top 25 and are playing their best ball of the season. The offense has been the driving force behind their success, and it has been incredibly consistent having averaged 8.5-runs per game. In the middle of it all, Quinton Coats, is on pace for a historic season both within the program and on a national level. The 6-3/225 infielder from Olathe, KS has been launching home runs at a record pace and opponents seem to be powerless to stop his onslaught. With incredible strength in his hands, Coats creates easy loft and in 5 road games last week he collected 9 hits in 20 at-bats, with 4 home runs, 9 runs scored, and he drove in a total of 9 runs as well. As for his pursuit of history, the modern day BBCOR bat standard single season home run record is 34, set back in...
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