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| 2,603 MLB PLAYERS | 16,395 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,603 MLB PLAYERS | 16,395 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Tournaments  | Story | 6/11/2019

South Invite: Day 4 Scout Notes


2019 PG South Invitational: Day 1 Notes | Day 2 Notes | Day 3 Notes

What would have been championship Monday at the PG South Invitational was simply the final day of games for the 16u division due to inclement weather at the beginning of the week. Even though teams weren’t playing for a trophy, there was still plenty of competitive baseball to be had at Premier Baseball of Texas.




Righthanded Baylor commit Mason Marriott (2021, Tomball, Texas) was money with his plus slider on the day for Banditos-Black going four full innings, fanning five and only allowing two hits. Marriot has a short arm with a true three-quarters slot. His fastball sat around 85-to-88 and he touched 89 mph. For the most part, his fastball is pretty straight and flat, however he does get some arm side run on the pitch when missing arm side. Plain and simply Marriot’s ace in the hole is his slider and he loves to use it in just about any count. During his outing he arguably threw more breaking balls than he did fastballs. It also looked like he used two different breaking balls, one being a slider and the other a curveball, and the slider is much better than the curveball is. His slider sat round 77 mph and is a tight, late-breaking high 10-to-4 shaped kill pitch. He can throw it in any count and miss bats with it. Moreover, he hides it well with his quick arm action that mimics his fastball. The curveball is still serviceable but has more of a 12-to-6 action and does not nearly have the bite to it that the slider has. The one thing that Marriot lacks is a complementing off-speed pitch that he can at least mix in to left handed hitters, but the slider is next level ready right now.




Jackson Illingworth (2021, Elysian Fields, Texas) showcased plus defense at shortstop and opened up some scout’s eyes with his athletic actions and quick first step reads to the baseball. He also made an excellent play deep into the six-hole, ranging quickly to his right, sliding fluidly, and then making a strong accurate throw across the diamond. At the plate, Illingworth has an upright stance with a conventional hand position and looks strong in the box. He uses a high leg kick and gets some weight transfer from it, however, he doesn’t full load his hands, and his swing feels closed off because of it. He’s still able to generate some pop from his hands extending through the zone, but he’ll need to find more rhythm leading up to his launch if he wants to spray the gaps with more consistency.




Uncommitted southpaw and No. 2-ranked 2022 lefthanded pitcher in the state of Texas James Douglas (JD) Thompson (2022, Rusk, Texas) gave scouts a little bit of everything in his outing going four full innings with seven strikeouts and one hit. Thompson has a medium athletic build and feels like a conventional lefthander. However, he has great rhythm on the rubber, stays balanced throughout his motion, and drives hard down the mound. He has a short quick arm action and an over the top slot as he opens and falls off slightly glove side. His arm is live with a fastball that touches 89 mph and sits high-80s consistently, and he has a plus-plus curveball and solid off-speed that all get thrown with conviction. His curveball has a 12-to-6 shape and gets strong late bite down. He has the ability to shape it with intent sometimes curving it away from lefthanded bats. The changeup is a straight change that at times he cuts it slightly and it sits around 78 mph. Thompson shows pitchability and understanding of how to use his stuff, which is an absolute rarity at his age. The one thing scouts would like to see from him moving forward is for the fastball to gain some action to it, as it’s pretty straight in his present form. His uncommitted status won’t last much longer with his highly projectable stuff.




Los Tigres 2021 went on an offensive explosion on the final day of the tournament defeating EPA 16u 2021 11-0. Infielder Jack Ben-Shoshan (2021, Houston, Texas) looked solid at the plate and in the field with a couple big hits on his day including three RBIs. He uses a small leg kick load and his hands stay extremely quiet and simple as they barely move anywhere for launch. His front foot lands slightly open creating a tight coil for his lower half and he keeps his barrel behind his hands and gets it on plane almost immediately. His flat path projects well and he shows soft hands and an ability to throw accurately from all slots in the infield.

– Connor Spencer




Casen Neumann (2021, Tomball, Texas) for Banditos – Black is a 6-foot-1, 185-pound prospect that has plenty of room to fill out his projectable, athletic frame. Listed as a primary first baseman, he moved well, bounced off the bag with proper footwork, had flexibility in his lower half to make stretch plays and showed the ability to scoop it. Hitting in the three-hole, Neumann had two doubles with a walk at the plate, both doubles were hit deep to the right-center field gap. He is a linear type hitter that got the barrel out front, with a quick, compact swing that created slight lift.

Hitting leadoff for Banditos – Black, Nick Mosley (2020, Lufkin, Texas) is an outfielder who put his speed on display.  The righthanded hitting athlete went two-for-two, beating out a bunt for a single in his first at-bat and then hit a hard liner to left field for a single in his second plate appearance.  He followed up that single by stealing second and third base with ease.




Yale commit Morgan Lunceford (2021, Edmond, Okla.) started on the mound Dulins Dodgers – Godwin. The 5-foot-10 righthanded pitcher threw from a high three-quarters arm slot, had a good hand break, quick arm action and a max effort delivery. He controlled his front side well, worked his lower half and drove downhill with his backside. Lunceford’s fastball was 84-86 mph, had feel for his slider at 74-76 mph that had tight and sharp break.

Peyton Stovall (2021, Haughton, La.) is a lean-framed shortstop for Performance Baseball Texas 16u. The primary shortstop has lateral range, soft hands, good arm strength and was able to make all the throws. He has the tools and ability to play shortstop at the next level. Hitting in the leadoff spot, Stovall went 1-for-2 at the plate with one double. He had a quick bat, made hard contact and showed good speed on the bases.

– Andrew Jenkins




Tournaments | Championship | 8/12/2026

Pokers Rally to Capture 16U BCS Title

Alyssa Golden
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Pokers Rally to Capture 16U BCS Title A hot afternoon at JetBlue Stadium in Fort Myers, Florida ended in a 9-1 victory for the Original Florida Pokers 2028 National, defeating SBA Bolts Florida 2028 National on Monday to capture the 16U BCS National Championship. A pitchers’ duel kept the game scoreless through four innings before the Pokers broke it open with a five-run fifth inning. The title marked the Pokers’ second 16U BCS Championship, adding to the championship they won in 2022. Despite a slow start to the summer, the Pokers found their stride at the right time. “We struggled a lot early in the summer, but the past few tournaments we really started turning it on,” Pokers head coach Will McCrimon said. “I’m just so proud of these kids.” Max Maynes started the game on the mound for the Pokers. The left-hander allowed three hits and two walks...
Press Release | Press Release | 8/18/2026

Perfect Game & Delano Partner Up

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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 NAMES DELANO BAT COMPANY OFFICIAL WOOD COMPOSITE BAT PARTNER, LAUNCHES LIMITED-EDITION BAT SERIES   Delano Bats will serve as the Official Game Bat of the 13U Select Festival, taking place this coming weekend in East Cobb, Georgia   Sanford, Florida (Tuesday, August 18, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced a new partnership with Delano Bat Company, LLC, naming the company an Official Wood Composite Bat Partner of Perfect Game. The partnership will feature three exclusive limited-edition bat releases, which began with the Original Glory American Flag Bat in celebration of the United States' 250th birthday, that...
Draft | Story | 8/17/2026

2026 MLB Draft Report Cards: NL Central

Tyler Henninger
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2026 MLB Draft Report Cards: AL West | NL West | AL Central With the 2026 MLB Draft officially in the books, it’s time to evaluate how each team performed. Every draft class was graded using the standard 20-80 scouting scale with risk factor assigned. While these grades won’t be proven right or wrong for years, they reflect the overall talent, value, and upside each organization added to its system. NL Central Chicago Cubs  Grade: 40 Risk: Medium Notable Selections: RHP Cade Townsend (1st rd) | OF Caden Sorrell (2nd rd) | 1B Myles Bailey (2C)   RHP Cade Townsend (@OleMissBSB) sat 95-96 T97 w/ riding FB from fast arm. Nasty cutter at 88-91 is the go-to, showed biting 2 pln SL. Low-80s top to bottom CB & CH ~ 1300 RPM to round out mix. Has had a great spring & risen up boards. Soph./'26 elig. @PG_Draft pic.twitter.com/TAFbM37f5j — PG College...
Draft | Story | 8/17/2026

2026 MLB Draft Report Cards: AL Central

Joey Cohen
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2026 MLB Draft Report Cards: AL West | NL West With the 2026 MLB Draft officially in the books, it’s time to evaluate how each team performed. Every draft class was graded using the standard 20-80 scouting scale with risk factor assigned. While these grades won’t be proven right or wrong for years, they reflect the overall talent, value, and upside each organization added to its system. AL Central Cleveland Guardians  Grade: 45 Risk: Moderate  Notable Selections: RHP Liam Peterson (1st rd) | Tre Broussard OF (3rd rd) | RHP Savion Sims (7th rd)  Liam Peterson (@GatorsBB) has been pure power stuff through the first 3.0 IP in his start vs Bama…imposing his will on hitters with a fastball that has grabbed 100 mph a few times, backed up by his power slider and curveball @PG_Draft pic.twitter.com/RVThNrdMTn — PG College Baseball (@PGCollegeBall) May 21,...
High School | General | 8/17/2026

Scott Wins MVP Two Ways

Jim Salisbury
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PHILADELPHIA – When the folks at Perfect Game reached out to invite him to pitch in the 2026 PG All-Star Game for rising sophomores and juniors, Cullen Scott had one request. “You mind if I get a couple of at-bats, too?” Along with his dad, Scott traveled from the family’s home in Texas to Citizens Bank Park. The trip proved to be a huge success as he starred on the mound and at the plate and was named the game’s Most Valuable Player. Scott, 16, pitched a scoreless first inning and struck out two. In the fourth inning, he belted a grand slam six rows up into the left-field seats to lead the National team’s 6-1 win over the American team. “He showed us why he’s here as a pitcher and a hitter,” said Greg Sabers, PG’s vice president of scouting and showcases. "He’s one of the top pitchers here, but he’s too good a...
All American Game | Story | 8/16/2026

Romero Slams His Way to Classic MVP

Jim Salisbury
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PHILADELPHIA – Sunday’s DICK’s Perfect Game All-American Classic was a pitching-dominated affair until the bottom of the eighth inning when the rain started to fall at Citizens Bank Park and Koa Romero stepped to the plate and did his best impression of Kyle Schwarber. Romero wears No. 12, just like Schwarber. He bats left-handed, just like Schwarber. He’s got big power, just like Schwarber. And at 5-10 and a rock-solid 225 pounds, he’s even built like Schwarber. Needless to say, Schwarber is Romero’s favorite player. So, it was all kind of storybook when Romero belted a grand slam to dead center to cap off the scoring in the West team’s 8-3 win over the East club in the 24th annual Classic. “This is a dream come true,” said Romero, who was named MVP of the game. “It’s amazing to be able to put a ball like that out of a...
All American Game | Story | 8/15/2026

A Philly Dream for Steingall

Jim Salisbury
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PHILADELPHIA – Carson Steingall had been to Citizens Bank Park many times over the years. After all, he hails from Nazareth, Pa., about 90 minutes up the road from the home of the Philadelphia Phillies and he counts himself as a big fan of the team. Zack Wheeler is his favorite. Steingall realized a dream when he pitched from the same mound that Wheeler does in Perfect Game’s fourth annual All-Star Game for rising sophomores and juniors on Friday. The dream got even better when Steingall, a 16-year-old right-hander, was named Most Valuable Pitcher after striking out the side in the third inning of the National team’s 6-1 victory over the American team. “It’s just an honor to be here,” Steingall said after receiving his trophy. “This event is the best of the best. It’s really cool to win something like this.” Steingall, who’ll...
Showcase | Story | 8/13/2026

PG Honors Pat Gillick With Philly Showcase

Perfect Game Staff
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Perfect Game to honor Pat Gillick in new Philadelphia Showcase  By Maya Heyman Perfect Game is bringing its elite showcase experience to Philadelphia’s FDR Park for the inaugural Philly Stars/Pat Gillick Showcase this weekend, honoring one of the greatest executives in MLB history in the city where he constructed his final of three World Series winners. The event will take place on Sunday, the same day as the DICK’S All-American Classic, taking place just across the street at Citizens Bank Park.  The showcase will allow Philadelphia-area players to gain exposure and will also honor Gillick, who has been a tremendous influence in both professional and amateur baseball.   Jered Goodwin, Vice President of Scouting Operations for Perfect Game, said the idea came naturally.  “Going to Philly made a lot of sense to honor Pat Gillick, who's been a...
General | General | 8/13/2026

PG All-Star Game Heads to Philly

Jheremy Brown
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For the fourth time since its inception in 2023, two rosters comprised of the best rising juniors (and a handful of rising sophomores) will step out onto the field Friday afternoon, kicking off the All-American weekend. While the Perfect Game All-American Classic is slated for a 1:35 first pitch at Citizens Bank Park on Sunday, 36 future hopefuls of the Classic will go up against one another in an American vs National clash at 11 AM Eastern, Friday morning.  With 36 players from across the country descending on Philadelphia, there will be plenty of familiar names in attendance as 24 of the 36 played in at least one PG Select Festival and all 36 attended either the he Sophomore National, Junior National, or the PG Underclass All-American Games this summer. Leading the charge are a pair of No. 1s in 2028 dynamic talent Dexter McCleon Jr and 2029 Macgraw VanWormer, a do-it-all...
Draft | Story | 8/11/2026

Realistic Expectations of a 1:1 Pick

Tyler Henninger
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Over the 2026 draft cycle, UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky was the projected No. 1 pick throughout the entire cycle. White Sox fans began #RochWatch and were already talking about when he will make it to Chicago. Now that he has been selected, Cholowsky has immediately become a Top-10 prospect in all of baseball. There is no denying the hype, and the pressure, for Chowlosky to get to the big leagues and produce at a high level.  But how realistic is that? Let’s take a look back at past 1:1 selections and see what you can expect from a No. 1 overall selection.  For this exercise, we’ll look at No. 1 overall picks from the bonus pool era, excluding Eli Willits from 2025 since this is his first full year of pro ball. That gives us 13 players selected from 2012 through 2024.  Almost All Become Big Leaguers The first thing that stands out is how successful No. 1 picks...
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