THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,384 MLB PLAYERS | 15,804 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,384 MLB PLAYERS | 15,804 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Sign in Create Account
Sign in Create Account
Tournaments  | Story | 5/29/2018

West Memorial Notes: Days 3-4

Jheremy Brown
Photo: Josiah Chavez (Perfect Game)

Righthander Joseph Acosta (Murrieta, Calif.) may be listed as a primary third baseman per his Perfect Game profile but he showed big upside on the mound Sunday morning, despite not having his sharpest command. Having just completed his freshman season at Murrieta Valley, Acosta worked 3 1/3 innings for Dykstra Baseball and showed components to his game that make him an intriguing arm to follow moving forward.

Overall his delivery with a balanced one with a simple leg raise working to a full, on line arm action and while there aren’t many moving parts to his delivery he’d get mistimed with his release, leading to four walks on the day. That said, he lived down in the zone for the most part with a fastball that lived in the 82-85 mph range, bumping 86 a time or two while showing the ability to work in on the hands which resulted in two broke bats. The velocity came easy for Acosta and he maintained well both out of the stretch and through his outing and he was able to generate solid plane when working on top of the ball.

He worked exclusively off of his fastball in live action but flashed both a curveball, with 11-to-5 shape, and a changeup in between innings and down in the bullpen pregame. There’s definite upside to Acosta on the mound given his frame and ease of operation on the mound and the fact his fastball has jumped seven mph since this past September.

Another former PG Select Fest All-American, shortstop Parker Welch (Riverside, Calif.) continues to add strength to his frame and appears stronger than his listed 5-foot-11, 155-pounds. A lefthanded hitter who’s already committed to UC Santa Barbara, Welch showed smooth, balanced stroke during game action on day three, handling the barrel while showing the ability to work on all fields. He also showed instincts and a feel for the overall game on a popup he skied straight up to the middle of the infield. With all four infielders converging the and the ball ultimately dropping between them, Welch was off to the race and took both second and third in what ultimately became a footrace in beating the defender back to the ball. That same foot quickness was put on display at shortstop as he moved well laterally and made a nice play ranging back on a soft flair to make a tough play look rather routine.

Another uncommitted rising sophomore from the Dykstra Baseball program, lefthanded hitting catcher Josiah Chavez (Santa Paula, Calif.) impressed with the stick as he went 3-for-3, collecting three singles throughout the contest. His swing is a simple one, beginning with an upright stance while shifting his weight well into contact and using loose hands to get the barrel through the zone. Chavez is already strongly built at 6-foot-2, 180-pounds and rather than just trying to overpower the baseball he showed a handle for the barrel as well as the ability to work the opposite field. Both of those characteristics were put on display when he got caught out front on a curveball which he simply flicked into left field for his second of three knocks.

Already ranked No. 225 in the class of 2020 rankings, Colt Keith (Goodyear, Ariz.) is the type of player who makes it easy to project big physicality moving forward as he already stands 6-foot-2, 185-pounds, though the broadness of his shoulders help envision plenty of strength en route. Keith has already made his commitment to the nearby Sun Devils of Arizona State and it’s easy to see what the coaching staff saw in the young lefthanded hitter as he stays short to the ball with quickness to his hands and also showed sound defensive actions up the middle. Playing up at the 18u level, we’ll be able to see Keith play against peers his own age in a couple weeks at the PG Junior National Showcase at Lake Point.

Helping lead his Lights Out team to an opening round victory in the playoffs was 2021 shortstop Hunter Katschke (Basic, Nev.) who continued to have an impressive performance and is now hitting .556 on the tournament. He’s listed at a strong and still projectable 6-foot-2, 175-pounds and incorporates his strength well into his righthanded stroke, staying short and direct to the ball. He reached base in all three at-bats, bookending a walk with a pair of doubles, both of which came to his pull side. With looseness to his hands Katschke barreled a ball to his pull side gap in his first at-bat before showcasing the ability to wait back on a curveball and though somewhat elevated still found the barrel and drove the ball down the left field line for his second two-bagger of the day. He moves well defensively with footwork up the middle and shows sound arm strength across the diamond, something he showcased on the mound earlier with a top fastball of 83 mph earlier this tournament.

A young prospect out of Spanish Fort, Utah, Zac Dart started the Utah Horns’ playoff game at third base where he certainly looks the part with a wide shouldered, 6-foot, 155-pound (appears stronger) build. While picking up a deep double to his pull side from the left side of the plate, Dart impressed again on the mound after running his fastball up to 83 mph at the start of the tournament. While he didn’t show quite that with the heater in his second outing, Dart still worked in the 79-81 mph range with a short and quick arm stroke through the back. Working exclusively out of the stretch, Dart shows an on line delivery down the mound and pitched off his fastball, an offering that offered short sink down in the zone and helped collect three strikeouts in 1 1/3 innings.

Jacob Galloway (Camarillo, Calif.), a 2022 catcher, has shown some of the more polished defensive actions throughout the tournament and they are skills that’ll continue to improve and stand out as he develops physically. He’s light with his actions and does a nice job of sticking pitches out front while also showing a quick transfer and a clean release with true throws down to second base. Offensively, he’s a lefthanded stick and bats in the two-hole for PBA and has shown a consistent feel for the barrel, picking up another two hits in the playoffs. While there isn’t much strength to his profile, yet, he shows looseness to his swing and comfort working all parts of the field with extension out front.

Mentioned in an earlier recap for both his bat and abilities on the mound, 2022 third baseman and righthanded pitcher Jordan Kang (Porter Ranch, Calif.) once again put his righthanded bat speed on display and it’s proving to be some of the best in the 14u division of the tournament. Kang is now hitting .500 after a two-hit performance in PBA’s win in the opening round of the playoffs, one of which was an opposite field triple. Getting his hands and barrel extended on an outer half pitch, Kang drove the ball into the right-center field gap with authority (not something you’ll often see at the 14u level) and while he was ultimately thrown out trying to stretch it into an inside-the-park home run it was an impressive piece of hitting, nonetheless. He continued to swing a hot stick during PBA’s run to the championship, barreling another deep double while running his fastball back up to 83 mph during the semifinals.

Connor Culp (2019; Sparks, Nev.), a primary shortstop who has a middle infielder’s build at 6-foot-1, 160-pounds, took the mound for the final inning of Stars N’ Spikes’ victory over AZ Pro to advance to the playoffs in the 18u portion of the tournament. Working with an up-tempo delivery and high leg lift which helps creates some deception, Culp ran his fastball up to 85 mph and lived within the 82-85 mph range throughout the inning while showing some cut action through the zone. The slider proved to be a go-to offering for the uncommitted Culp, even in this one inning look, and it’s an offering he tunneled well with his release with tight rotation and late tilting life in the 73-75 mph range.

Earlier in the tournament, uncommitted 2020 third baseman Joel Rubin (Scottsdale, Ariz.) connected for one of the louder home runs of the tournament though it was his abilities in the playoffs that stood out on day four. Rubin, who’s physically built at 6-foot-3, 170-pounds, worked with an up-tempo delivery on the mound and showed impressive arm strength as he ran his fastball up to 88 mph early in the contest, settling into the mid-80s, while showing late sinking life down in the zone. Working four scoreless innings, Rubin attacked hitters with his fastball and punched out five though he also mixed in a 12-to-6 breaking ball up to 76 mph that he can continue to incorporate into his sequencing more often.

It wasn’t the longest of looks at 2019 righthander Jack Folkins (Seattle, Wash.) as he worked just 2 2/3 innings before coming out, but it proved to be enough to make an impression about his present arsenal and long-term projection. At 6-foot-3, 185-pounds Folkins stands out on the mound with a loose frame and a short, repeatable arm stroke, two elements that helped produce a fastball that sat comfortably in the 84-87 mph range though there’s plenty more left in the tank. Already committed to Portland, the velocity comes easy for Folkins and as he continues to implement additional lower half into his drive watch for the gun to produce even higher readings. Along with the velocity the Washington native showed three pitches, mixing in a mid-70s slider – which he’ll continue to refine the release on – and a changeup which offered fading life in the 76-78 mph range.

Ultimately taking home the MVP honors for the 18u Memorial Day Classic, Sean Rimmer (Mesa, Ariz.) impressed again in the championship, this time on the mound though he did find the barrel in three of his at-bats with loud contact. Working into the seventh inning before hitting his pitch count limit, the physically impressive 6-foot-4, 215-pound Rimmer ran his fastball up to 87 mph early in the championship, inducing some weak contact while also striking out seven along the way.

Working to a three-quarters slot with a tight release, Rimmer did a nice job of working within the zone and varied his tempos and looks throughout, giving a pause at the top of his delivery from time to time. A middle of the order bat and everyday player for AZ T-Rex, Rimmer worked more in the 82-85 mph range later in the content and understandably so given his work load, but he also was able to land his 12-to-6 shaped curveball in the 69-72 mph range for strikes.

Opposing Rimmer in the championship game was righthander Tyler Whitaker (Las Vegas, Nev.), who was detailed earlier in the tournament for his talents on the mound. It was more of the same for the future Arizona Wildcat as he showed three pitches, though his velocity was up from what we saw earlier in the tournament, sitting in the 84-87 mph range while bumping as high as 88 mph. What stood out even more than his pitching was his righthanded bat, a tool that produced two solid base hits to his pull side in a double and a single, both coming off curveballs. While Whitaker has tremendous upside on the mound with a projectable build and quick arm, there’s certainly two-way potential for the Las Vegas native.

Speaking of young talent, outfielder Derrick Mitchell (Tempe, Ariz.) just completed his seventh grade season, though looking at him in a uniform you wouldn’t guess he’s just 13. Standing at a long and high waisted 6-foot-2, Mitchell employed an aggressive approach from both sides of the plate in each of his first two at-bats, jumping on fastballs early in the count while displaying a loose swing from either side. And while he isn’t listed as a primary outfielder, Mitchell got the start in center field where he showed a short arm action that produced solid carry on his throws. It’s obviously early in the process for Mitchell but there are components to both sides of his game that need to be monitored moving forward.
Give us your feedback
Tournaments | Story | 1/27/2026

MLK East Scout Notes Recap
Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
‘28 OF Jakob Groeschel (OH) continues to impress with the bat on the circuit, picked up 2 2Bs in the first game today. Really athletic, went 4.4 on turn; easy to dream on all the traits. #MLKEast @PG_OhioValley pic.twitter.com/wOIwnGKnkg — Perfect Game Florida (@Florida_PG) January 17, 2026 2028 OF Jakob Groeschel (Springfield, Ohio) broke out at this event last year hitting a casual .909, and although he didn’t turn in quite the same performance, he hit a strong .462 with 4 extra-base hits, 5 walks, 5 bags and only struck out once. He’s a pretty dynamic athlete who can do a lot of things well, but the bat is the calling card as he just lives on the barrel and has no problem handling all kinds of pitching. It’s a simple swing, but he’s got fast hands and he can really impact the ball without being overly physical yet.  2030 RHP Michael Vazquez...
Read More
College | Story | 2/24/2026

College Players of the Week: Feb. 24

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
February 24 Perfect Game/Player of the Week: Will Gasparino, OF, UCLA After playing 117 games, launching 27 doubles and 25 home runs in Austin, TX for the University of Texas, Will Gasparino decided it was time to head back to his hometown of Los Angeles, CA. Based on his performance in the first two weeks of the season for the Bruins, he looks very comfortable and ready to push his name up the Draft Board. UCLA (6-1) enters 2026 with incredibly high expectations, jumped to No. 3 in our Top 25 poll with their 3-game sweep of previously ranked TCU and Gasparino provided much of the offensive firepower. For the week, the 6-6/220 outfielder went 7 for 13 good for a .538 BA, with a double, 5 home runs and 13 RBI. That brings his slash line through 7-games to .391/1.304/.548 with a double, a triple, 6 home runs and he has driven in a total of 15 runs. The scary thing is that Gasparino is just...
Read More
High School | General | 2/23/2026

Northwest Region Top Teams

Tyler Russo
Article Image
Northwest All Region & Top Tools Rk Pacific NW (+ Hawaii) 2025 Record 1 Puyallup (WA) 28-1 2 Kamehameha Kapalama (HI) 19-5 3 South Salem (OR) 30-2 4 Lake Washington (WA) 21-11 5 Bainbridge (WA) 24-4 6 St. Louis (HI) 15-6 7 Iolani (HI) 11-11-1. 8 Eastlake (WA) 23-9 9 Summit (OR) 24-6 10 Sumner (WA) 18-8 11 Sunset (OR) 23-9 12 Punahou (HI) 7-10-1. 13 Mount Vernon (WA) 28-4 14 Jesuit (OR) 26-8 15 Tahoma Senior (WA) 13-9-1 16 Blanchet Catholic (OR) 31-2 17 West Linn (OR) 22-8 18 Woodinville (WA) 13-12 19 Eagle (ID) 15-13 20 Central Catholic (OR) 23-6-1 21 Service (AK) 20-6 22 Meadowdale (WA) 14-Oct 23 Waiakea (HI) 10-4-1. 24 Liberty Christian (WA) 24-3 25 Madison Senior (ID) 19-11
Read More
Press Release | Press Release | 2/23/2026

PG Salutes Chet Brewer, a Youth Baseball Pillar

Jim Salisbury
Article Image
PG Salutes Chet Brewer, a Youth Baseball Pillar A few weeks ago, Perfect Game and its Believe in Baseball foundation held a fundraising event in Los Angeles. The “In the Spirit of the Game” dinner and auction brought in thousands of dollars, all of which will go toward providing deserving youngsters an opportunity to play and grow in the game. Chet Brewer was not at the event – the former Negro Leagues star died at age 83 in 1990 – but his spirit was. Big time. “That night was all about Chet,” PG commissioner Dennis Gilbert said. “He was all about giving kids chances to play the game, especially kids from underprivileged backgrounds. “When you’re 15, 16, 17 years old – those years are the basis of your life. Chet helped put a lot of kids on the right path through the game of baseball.” Brewer’s impactful life has...
Read More
College | Rankings | 2/23/2026

College Top 25: February 23

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
College Player Report Database In Week 1, the Top 15 teams in the poll remained unchanged but the college baseball landscape had a different narrative in mind for Week 2. With plenty of upsets and teams at the top establishing their dominance, there was quite a bit of upheaval across the country. While there were some special performances on the mound, runs continue to be scored in bunches and high drama extra-inning games seem to be the norm. There is no time to relax or take the foot off the gas in the college game today; we are in for another wild season it appears. The LSU Tigers (8-0) made the trip across the panhandle to Jacksonville, FL, swept through the Live Like Lou Jax Classic by outscoring their opponents 33-11 and remain No. 1 this week. The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (8-0) secure their spot at No. 2 and are off to a program record breaking run scoring spree, averaging...
Read More
General | Blog | 2/20/2026

Wolforth Throwing Mentorship: Article 63

Ron Wolforth
Article Image
Wolforth Throwing Mentorship: Article 62, Part 1 | Part 2 Demystifying the Curveball, Pitch Counts, and Weighted Balls - Part 3  We've made it to Part 3…the final installment of our series on baseball's most misunderstood and debated topics.   In Part 1, we tackled the curveball. The takeaway: the pitch itself isn't what’s dangerous. Decades of awful and ineffective coaching cues, ”snap your wrist," "turn the doorknob”…exacerbated and even in many causes caused some of the problems. Teach it correctly, when the athlete is ready, and it's no riskier than a fastball.  In Part 2, we examined pitch counts. The takeaway: they're a useful tool, but a limited one. Treating a single number as a universal measure of safety ignores everything...
Read More
Softball | Softball Tournament | 2/20/2026

18U PG Winter Elite Showcase Indoor

Dave Durbala
Article Image
SPRINGFIELD, IL - 2026 Perfect Game Softball Winter Elite Showcase, February 6 - 8, 2026.  Twenty teams rolled into Springfield to showcase their talents in this 18u, four-game guarantee, pool-into-bracket play,  at the newly opened 170,000-square-foot domed facility at Scheels Sports Park at Legacy Pointe. In the Silver Bracket, it was the 09 Midwest Sluggers taking home the championship over the CR Blue Devils 18u National. In the Gold Bracket, a championship game that featured the tournament's top two pitchers, it was the Iowa Dynamite 18u with the win over GTS 15u Elite-Herrick, by a score of  2-1. The tournament, with a mix of committed players, and those young ladies striving for the next level,  was loaded with talent.  Below are some of the players that excelled on the field and made their way onto the tournament’s Top Performers list. Earning...
Read More
Softball | Softball Tournament | 2/19/2026

14U PG Winter Elite Showcase Indoor

Erica Beach
Article Image
PG Winter Elite Showcase Indoor 14U January 17-18, 2026 Springfield, IL   SPRINGFIELD, IL- It may be cold outside, but there was some hot competition going on at the PG Winter Elite Showcase Indoor tournament. Six team converged on the Scheels Sports Park at Legacy Pointe and the Texas Glory IL 29 walked away with the hardware after a close 7-6 ballgame. Below we highlight some of the impressive athletes who competed on the weekend.     Lila Rafferty (2029, Leroy, IL) of the Texas Glory IL 29 was an unstoppable force at the plate over the weekend. She showed great tenacity in the box, proving to be one of the most consistent hitters in the tournament. She finished her weekend batting an incredible .750, tallying nine hits and scoring five times. She flashed her speed on multiple occasions, stealing two bases and legging out two doubles and two triples. She came in clutch,...
Read More
High School | General | 2/19/2026

Pacific Northwest All Region & Top Tools

David Rawnsley
Article Image
NORTHWEST REGION (WA, OR, ID, WY, AK, MT, HI)    The biggest change in the Northwest Region for 2026 is the addition of Hawaii, which has always been overlooked due to being lumped with California in the former Pacific Region.  This also coincides with an increased Perfect Game presence in the islands in the form of additional events and scouting.  And Hawaii certainly contributed in it’s first year, placing four players on the All-Region team, including slugging 2026 outfielder Judah Ota. The powerhouse Puyallup HS team is the only Northwest Region team to be represented in the PG Pre-Season Top 50 National HS Rankings, beginning the year ranked 26th.  C – Teagan Scott (Sr., South Salem HS, Ore.) Scott has been on the prospect map since he played in the 2023 PG 14U Select Festival and is signed with Oregon State.  A right-handed hitter with lots...
Read More
Showcase | Story | 2/20/2026

PG ID Camps Help Build Baseball Resume

Jim Salisbury
Article Image
PG ID Camps Help Youngsters Build a Baseball Resume There was still snow on the ground in a lot of places last weekend, but that didn’t stop more than 200 young players from going indoors to participate in the first round of Perfect Game Select Fest ID Camps for the 2026 season. John McAdams, PG’s national crosschecker and Northeast scouting director, ran the event in Farmingdale, New Jersey, and was impressed with his group’s energy and desire to improve at the game. “We’re giving young players the opportunity to build their baseball resumes and chart their growth and progress over a span of years,” he said. In addition to New Jersey, Select Fest ID Camps were held in Lake St. Louis, Missouri; Rossford, Ohio; Marietta, Georgia; and Kent, Washington. The ID camps debuted in 2025. Twenty-two of them were held around the country with nearly 700 young...
Read More
Draft | Story | 2/19/2026

Then vs. Now: '26 Class Look Back

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
One constant across our scouting staff is the volume of in-person looks we get at prospects during their high school years. With assignments at national tournaments and showcases throughout the calendar, we’ve built a deep library of reports and video on many of today’s top college prospects dating back to their prep days. This week, we took a step back to revisit what those players looked like as high school prospects. Which tools stood out? What was missing from the profile at the time? And what, if anything, did we overlook that ultimately helped shape the player they’ve become? Below, we break down 10 players in a “Then and Now” reflection. Justin Lebron (23 FL) finishes off the tournament getting in on the hit parade with a single to the pullside. #PGShowdown #Bama commit pic.twitter.com/C4Irym2ZTR — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) March 4, 2023...
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.