THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,406 MLB PLAYERS | 15,806 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,406 MLB PLAYERS | 15,806 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Sign in Create Account
Sign in Create Account
Tournaments  | Story | 9/16/2018

Fall Championship Notes: Day 2

David Rawnsley
Photo: Tyler Whitaker (Perfect Game)

2018 PG Fall Championships Protected by G-Form Daily Leaders: Freshman | Upperclass | Day 1 Notes




Tyler Whitaker (2021, Las Vegas, Nev.) got the start for LVR in their second game of the day on Saturday, and while the PG Select Festival alum was saddled with the loss, he still showed, as he usually does, some of the more enticing upside in the 2021 class. Whitaker is a highly-projectable righthander with a very quick arm, and he worked in the 84-87 mph range for the most part in this outing, hiding the ball well through the back and creating angle to the plate, especially when working glove side. There are some inconsistencies in his lower half, specifically with his landing spot and how it pertains to getting over his front side, which in turn led to some command issues in this outing, but Whitaker is easily an athletic enough prospect to make that adjustment over time. The breaking ball blended between a curveball and slider at times, mostly operating in the 73-75 mph range, thrown with intent and conviction. His best ones had 11-to-5 shape with two-plane break and sharpness, and it's a non-issue to project the pitch as being a bat-misser at the college level. He also brought out a changeup that, especially against righthanded hitters, was pretty solid. He replicates his fastball arm speed on the pitch and generates solid fading life, thrown in the 78-81 mph range for the most part. 

Whitaker is also a pretty legitimate two-way prospect as an accomplished hitter, and he showed that on Saturday afternoon specifically, driving a liner double over the left fielder's head to put LVR ahead at that time in the game. There's plenty of bat speed there and Whitaker has done an excellent job over the course of his admittedly short to date prep career of adding lean muscle to his build while also retaining flexibility and athleticism. He's been one to watch for well over a year now, and that moniker certainly hasn't changed at this juncture. He'll be especially exciting to watch develop over the next several years. 

I came away impressed with Benjamin Holzem (2020, Las Vegas, Nev.), who caught Whitaker's start and has been doing so for several years. He's a lithely-built junior who definitely fits more into the athletic catcher mold rather than the traditional hulking type of backstop, but the athleticism and overall twitch stand out. He moves well to both sides and blocks well, and had no trouble leading Whitaker from a receiving standpoint, doing a good job of presenting the ball with a soft glove hand and firm wrist. There's pretty solid arm strength there at present as well, and in conjunction with how well his body projects, it's well within reason to believe that Holzem could potentially have a plus arm in time. His athleticism also stands out offensively, as he moves around the bases and down the line better than the vast majority of catching prospects, even clocking a 4.35 dig time to first base, which is just shy of major league average, something nearly unheard of for catching prospects. He's certainly one to look out for from a Division I recruiting perspective, especially as he continues to gain strength on his frame. 

Zach Hare (2019, Las Vegas, Nev.), a UNLV commit, stood out with the bat in the game I saw on Saturday. He drove a missile of a double off the base of the wall in left field in his first AB and finished the day 2-for-3 with that double and an RBI. His hands are very quick through the zone and he postures well through his swing as well, with plenty of bat speed and a good combination of strength and projection, giving him pretty quality hitting tools at present to go along with very projectable raw power. 

The West Coast Clippers ended up winning that game and got a lot of help from righthander James Benham (2019, Poway, Calif.), who shut the door in his two-inning save. Benham worked in the 83-87 mph range with his fastball and came right after the LVR hitters for the most part, unafraid to attack the zone and mixing in a solid 11-to-5 shaped curveball as well.

The So Cal Birds moved to 3-0 in pool play on Saturday afternoon behind the strong start of Shawn Hepler (2019, Corona, Calif.), who went four shutout innings to pick up the win to go along with five strikeouts. Hepler is a projectable, lean righthander committed to Xavier who worked in the 82-85 mph range for the most part in this one, throwing a lot of strikes with his fastball and attacking hitters with it to both sides of the plate. The pitch is a bit flatter than one would expect given Hepler's height, but he does generate a pretty significant amount of life on the pitch, making it tough to square up even when up in the zone. He worked in a slider with 10-to-4 shape and two-plane break, running it away from righthanded hitters and showing the ability to land it for strikes as well. 

The CBA Marucci National team continued their run of dominance by moving to 3-0 in pool play on Saturday, picking up a pair of wins in the afternoon down in Goodyear. Javi Espinoza (2019, Lynwood, Calif.) continued his assault on opposing pitching, picking up several more hits on this day, including a loud triple in their second game that was a missile off the barrel. He's been as impressive of a hitter as we've seen in the vacuum of this weekend's event, continuously finding the barrel in an authoritative manner and doing so seemingly in every at bat. 

GBG NW Marucci picked up a win on Saturday evening to run their pool play record to 2-1, and got a lot of help from Evan Overmars (2019, Tacoma, Wash.) in the process. Playing third base, Overmars made a very athletic, sprawling play diving to his left at the foul line, snaring a two-hopper, then getting to his feet quickly and delivering an accurate throw to first base for the out. He also added a lofted, loud double at the plate and picked up a walk as well, giving him a very nice all-around performance in this game. He's still working himself back from an ankle injury but there are tools and ability to his profile, and he's a senior to watch heading into the spring as he gets to 100 percent health and adds some strength to his frame. 

– Brian Sakowski



Lefthander Iain Isdale (2019, Parker, Colo.) worked five innings for Slammers Ackerfields Saturday morning, striking out nine hitters and helping the Slammers to a come from behind in a 6-5 win. Isdale catches the eye with a 6-foot-5, 175-pound build that is very young and projectable. He has a deceptive delivery with a very short arm action that isn't as projectable as his body but which works well for him. Perhaps the most impressive part of Isdale's performance was that he saved his best stuff for key situations and executed in those situations. His last pitch of the game, No. 102, was an 85 mph fastball, his top velocity of the game, for an inning-ending strikeout. Isdale, who committed to Northern Colorado last month, showed good feel for adding and subtracting from his breaking ball but picked up a few key strikeouts on his hardest breaking balls that showed hard biting action.

CBA Nevada righthander Brandon Smith (2019, Las Vegas, Nev.) doesn't pass the eye test like Isdale does, with a strong 5-foot-9, 190-pound build, but was even more effective, throwing a complete game with exactly 100 pitches in CBA's 4-1 win. Smith scattered nine hits while striking out 10 and walking only one hitter, working up to 87 mph with his fastball with a low-70s curveball and consistently challenging hitters in the strike zone. Like Isdale, he was able to tap into his best stuff at the end of his outing, retiring the side on seven pitches in the seventh inning and sitting at 85 mph. Smith also went 2-for-3 at the plate to help his team's offense.

Updates on two players who were highlighted in the Day 1 notes: CBA Nevada outfielder Chase Rodriguez (2020, Las Vegas, Nev.) continued to produce at a high rate Saturday and finished pool play hitting .455 with eight RBI in three games. Twin Cities Baseball Academy outfield Thomas Bean (2019, Minneapolis, Minn.) was mentioned in part due to his plus speed on the bases. In consecutive at-bats on Saturday, Bean ran 3.91 and 4.02 from home to first base from the left side after full swings, which is better defined as exceptional plus-plus speed.

Another player who might fall into the plus-plus speed category is outfielder Tommy Castillo (2020, West Covina, Calif.), the leadoff hitter for Jack 9 Baseball. Castillo needs to add some muscle to his 5-foot-11, 145-pound frame but he can absolutely fly on the bases and in center field, although this scout did not get a run time on him in three at-bats (two walks and a fly ball). Castillo has scored a team-high six runs in three games from his leadoff spot, as Jack 9 has scored an eye-opening 38 runs in those games. Castillo also showed his arm strength, throwing out a runner trying to score from second on a single with a perfect online strike to the catcher after charging the ball aggressively.

Castillo's Jack 9 teammate Noah Mattera (2019, Moorpark, Calif.) threw a five-inning complete game in a run rule victory Saturday and showed impressive arm strength in doing so. Mattera has a physically mature 6-foot, 200-pound build and worked in the 84-87 mph range the entire outing. He works over a very stiff and straight front leg out front that gives him occasional command inconsistency but when he gets out front on time he creates big downhill angle to his pitches. His best secondary pitch was a 74 mph slider and he also threw a softer curveball. Mattera does not have a college commitment at present.

CBA Nevada shortstop Isaiah Salas (2019, Las Vegas, Nev.) was one of the more polished players offensively and defensively this scout saw during pool play. The 6-foot, 190-pound righthanded hitter has good present strength and physical maturity and an economy of movement on both sides of the ball. He's smooth defensively and makes routine plays cleanly and is a very adaptable hitter. He scored seven runs in three games in pool play, in part due to always being in scoring position due to three doubles, three walks and a stolen base. Salas doesn't have a college commitment but would be a solid addition to any number of college programs.

Righthander Ethan O'Neal (2020, Henderson, Nev.) threw 5 2/3 innings for Trombly Tribe late Saturday, showing a lively and projectable arm. The 6-foot-3, 180-pound athlete worked in the 83-86 mph range the entire time while mixing in a low-70s curveball. O'Neal has a very short stride out front that gives him lots of angle from a high three-quarters arm slot and a longer stride would help improve his extension to the plate with his long right arm and help him get over his front side more consistently to keep the ball down in the zone.

As far as performance goes, it would be hard to top what Trombly Tribe catcher/first baseman Logan Gallina (2019, Laguna Niguel, Calif.) did during his first two pool play games. The stocky and strong lefthanded hitter went 7-for-7 at the plate, including a 4-for-4 game that included three very hard hit doubles. Gallina settled down later, going 1-for-3 in his third game.

OC Premier righthander William St. Marseille (2019, Orange, Calif.) threw four one-run innings Saturday, filling up the strike zone with 69 percent strikes and topping out at 89 mph on his fastball while working consistently in the 84-86 mph range. The 6-foot, 190-pound St. Marseille also threw an occasional big breaking 69-71 mph curveball that showed promise but was mostly content to pound the zone with hard fastballs and pitch to content. He is committed to California Baptist.

Iowa Select infielder Michael Weiss (2019, Marion, Iowa) has a projectable 6-foot-2, 175-pound build that has some present strength. The righthanded hitter showed nice present bat speed while hitting .500 in pool play, consistently driving the ball hard to the middle and opposite fields while showing the ability to fight off tough pitches. Weiss has some barrel lag in his swing but is strong enough to create whip in the barrel and his ability to drive the ball hard to right centerfield promises more future power. He profiles as an offensive second baseman at the next level.

– David Rawnsley



Give us your feedback
Tournaments | Story | 4/9/2026

Don't Boot the Loot Scout Notes
Cam McElwaney
Article Image
‘30 UTL Chase Jelks (GA) lifts this one deep into the gap & rolls around the bags for a triple. Loose LH swing w/ feel to lift. #DontBootTheLoot @PG_Georgia pic.twitter.com/leF4GMTawJ — Perfect Game Youth (@PGYouthBB) April 4, 2026 Chase Jelks (2030, Atlanta, Ga.) put together a great weekend for The Dream 14u Black in their run to a championship game appearance, hitting .444 with two triples and a double along with three RBI. He controlled the zone throughout the event in the box and finished with a 6:1 BB:K ratio because of it while also swiping five bags as well. It was a strong showing for Jelks, something that’s becoming common this spring in PG events.    ‘30 MIF Cohen Carter (TN) hits this one on the screws into the gap for a triple. Functional & compact swing. #DontBootTheLoot @PG_Tennessee pic.twitter.com/YVUfxbHBxx — Perfect Game...
Read More
College | Story | 4/14/2026

College Players of the Week: April 14

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
April 14th Perfect Game/Player of the Week:  Jaquae Stewart, INF/OF, Texas State  The Texas State Bobcats (24-12) are sitting in second place in the ultra-competitive Sun Belt Conference, and they have one of the most explosive offenses in the country.  They average right at 8-runs per game and can slug with the best of them, averaging almost 2-home runs per game as well.  Sitting in the middle of the order, Jaquae Stewart, is putting together a career year and is becoming the focus of opposing teams.  The 5-10/234 junior from Sinton, Tx is your classic lefthanded power hitter and is thriving in his move from Austin to San Marcos.  While it wasn’t the best week for his club, Stewart was sensational, collecting 8 hits in his 19 at-bats, scoring 5 runs, launching 5 home runs and driving in an insane 17 runs.  For the season, he is now slashing...
Read More
Showcase | Story | 4/14/2026

PG Announces Prospect Gateway Schedule

Hannah Jo Groves
Article Image
PG has announced the dates for Prospect Gateway events across the country - unique opportunities for young players to receive professional feedback and prepare for the next level. The Prospect Gateways are for players ages 13U-14U and serve as a qualifier for the National Showcase. Kevin Schuver, the senior director of showcases at Perfect Game, said these events are chances for players to step out of their comfort zone and show what they’re really made of. “Perfect Game Prospect Gateways aren’t just events. They’re doorways into something bigger. For young athletes, they serve as the first real step beyond their local fields, where raw ability begins to meet visibility and purpose.” At the event, each player is assigned a PG advisor who will watch and advise them individually. There will also be other scouts giving tips on how to enhance and develop a...
Read More
Press Release | Press Release | 4/13/2026

PG & MLB Clubs Offer Discount Tickets

Article Image
    667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923  www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA      FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE    PERFECT GAME PARTNERS WITH THREE MLB CLUBS TO OFFER EXCLUSIVE TICKET DISCOUNTS FOR YOUTH TEAMS    Sanford, Florida (Friday, April 10, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced a new fan engagement initiative in partnership with three Major League Baseball clubs — the Kansas City Royals, Houston Astros and St. Louis Cardinals — to provide exclusive discounted ticket opportunities for teams participating in Perfect Game events.    Through the collaboration, youth baseball and softball teams competing in...
Read More
College | Rankings | 4/13/2026

College Top 25: April 13

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
In a season where remaining in the Top 25 has become a war of attrition, the No. 1 UCLA Bruins (33-2) are making the game look much easier than it is in all reality.  Winners of 27-games in a row, this club continues to win games by any means necessary as they continue their historic run.  Beyond the incredible win streak, the Bruins have started off Big Ten play (18-0) by sweeping their first six conference weekend.  Adding to their resume, in Game 1 of their series at Rutgers, they won a 14-inning thriller by a score of 4-1where their pitching staff registered an eye-popping 30-strikeouts while only surrendering 1 walk and 4 hits throughout.  In most any other season, the No. 2 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (30-5) would be sitting atop the poll as they are putting together a historic season of their own.  They swept Florida State (24-11) who was previously ranked...
Read More
Draft | Story | 4/10/2026

PG Draft: Favorite Position Group

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
Every draft class has its strengths. Some years its a loaded group of prep infielders, some years its a deep collection of college arms. In this year’s class, certain position groups stand out above the rest to us. This week, the draft team dives into their favorite position groups. Groups that we believe are loaded with depth, upside, and big league potential. College Infielders It’s hard not to get excited about the crop of college infielders in this year’s class because of who is at the top. Roch Cholowsky alone makes the group exciting. He’s got gold glove potential at the next level and an offensive profile that should make him one of the Top 15 to 20 prospects in all of baseball the second he gets drafted. Justin Lebron is another player with as much upside in the class. He is a premium athlete that can really pick it at short and has big upside with the...
Read More
Press Release | Press Release | 4/10/2026

Perfect Game and vivenu Partner Up

Article Image
    667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923  www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA      FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE    PERFECT GAME PARTNERS WITH VIVENU TO POWER DIGITAL COMMERCE ACROSS YOUTH BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL    Sanford, Florida / New York, New York (Friday, April 10, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, has selected vivenu as its ticketing and commerce partner to unify revenue operations across its tournament ecosystem.    With 1.6 million tickets sold annually, 9,800 events in 40+ states and an immense social footprint, Perfect Game has built the most influential pipeline in amateur baseball. The organization has produced over 2,200 MLB alumni, and...
Read More
General | Blog | 4/10/2026

Wolforth Throwing Mentorship: Article 64

Ron Wolforth
Article Image
What Do Barry Zito, Justin Verlander, Trevor Bauer, and Dallas Keuchel All Have in Common? By Ron Wolforth | Texas Baseball Ranch® | PG Arm Care Take a second and think about the question posed in the title before you read on. Four Cy Young Award winners. Four of the most decorated pitchers of their generation. What's the common thread? The first answer is obvious… they all won the most prestigious individual award in pitching. Most of you probably got there immediately. The second answer is less obvious… they all trained at the Texas Baseball Ranch® at some point in their development. Interesting, maybe, but not the point of this article. The third answer is the one I really want you to sit with, because it has direct relevance to your career right now: they all move completely differently. And they all attack hitters completely differently. Don't rush past that....
Read More
College | Story | 4/9/2026

Coppy's Corner: April 6 POY Deep Dive

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
I’m beyond thrilled to be a contributor to Perfect Game, widely recognized as the premier organization for amateur baseball. Working in baseball operations for the New York Yankees and Atlanta Braves for nearly 20 years, the importance of amateur baseball cannot be understated. Nobody does it better and I am honored to be working with great baseball people like Jered Goodwin, Vinnie Cervino, Craig Cozart, and many others.  Each week I huddle with Vinnie and Craig to discuss Top 25 rankings and Players of the Week. In "Coppy’s Corner", I will dive deeper into these Players of the Week, providing analysis from 20+ years working in baseball front offices at the highest level. My hope is that you will enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it.  Player of the Week: Andrew Williamson – University of Central Florida (UCF)  Williamson can flat-out hit. While...
Read More
High School | General | 4/10/2026

High School Notebook: April 10

Jheremy Brown
Article Image
You like 6-foot-9 lefties up to 100 mph? 2026 Brody Bumila (MA) was electric in season opener, super easy upper-90s, multiple 100s. Easy operation w/ simple delivery despite size. Punched out 9 over 3, double digit whiffs. @PG_Draft pic.twitter.com/BChMhKIIhO — Perfect Game New England (@PG_NewEngland) April 2, 2026 Brody Bumila, LHP, Bishop Feehan (MA), Class of 2026 He's 6-foot-9, 18 years old, left-handed and was up to 100 mph (upwards of 3 times on some guns) in his first start of the year in low-30 degree temperatures. That's really all you need to know. Oh, and the opposing team arrived 40 minutes late. Coming off a state-championship run in basketball, Texas signee Brody Bumila made his first start of the spring on April 2nd and didn't disappoint in front of at least 40 scouts packed tightly together behind the backstop.  Knowing it was going to be a quicker look given...
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.