THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,384 MLB PLAYERS | 15,801 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,384 MLB PLAYERS | 15,801 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Create Account
Sign in Create Account
Tournaments  | Story | 7/2/2019

Victor's voyage on display

Photo: Najer Victor (Perfect Game)

EMERSON, Ga. – Najer Victor stepped on the mound ready to fire an array of pitches at a velocity that would surely spark some interest from those in attendance at the 2019 WWBA 17u National Championship. However, just one pitch into his warm up routine, the two words that no one wants to see appeared on the scoreboard at LakePoint Sports Complex: lightning delay.

Victor wasn’t affected, though, keeping loose during the time with some resistance band exercises. Viewers had to wait another two hours before he took the bump again. Once he did, everyone was treated to the pure pulsating stuff that Victor presents with a fastball that reached as high as 95 mph and a curveball that caught hitters off-balance with extreme movement.

“He’s just really calm and collected to where nothing seems to faze him,” Power Baseball 2020 head coach Jesse Marlo said. “I think that rubs off on the rest of the team. I always think that’s a good quality to have in your best players.”

Despite losing 3-1 to Richmond Braves 17u National, Victor was superb for Power Baseball, fanning 10 batters over five innings. He surrendered just three hits, one walk, and no earned runs. While Victor might turn the most heads when he’s pitching, he also had the only RBI of the game and qualifies as what Marlo calls a “freak athlete” with a 60 time of 6.54 seconds. 

“He brings our team a lot of confidence because we have a guy who’s going to run it up there 90-94,” Marlo said. “It’s so electric that he’s that guy when he steps on the field you just want to watch him because he can do things that normal human beings can’t do.”

What makes Victor’s dominance on the mound all that more impressive is the journey he’s been on to arrive to where he is today. 

In 2017, Hurricane Maria rampaged through the U.S. Virgin Islands. The island was devastated and Victor made the move over to Clermont, Florida, knowing the better opportunities that existed. However, it was a move that chiseled away at Victor’s core, knowing his parents wouldn’t be able to follow.

“The transition was really hard, but it was a good move because the competition is really better here,” Victor said. “I got a lot more exposure around here, especially with the Perfect Game tournaments. 

“It’s really tough. Not being able to wake up and see your mom or your dad every day is hard.”

Victor now uses it all for motivation. When he works out, Victor listens to a playlist of all the songs that his family used to enjoy together. It helps him feel that connection even when they’re worlds apart.

“Everything I do, I do it for them,” Victor said.

Victor’s sister, Janiya, also made the journey over, but she’s settled in Philadelphia. Victor beamed with pride when talking about his sister who starts at shortstop for the boy’s team at John Bartram High School. Those early days back in the Virgin Islands shaped both Najer and Janiya.

“Every time I went to workout, she’s there with me,” Victor said. “She’s like my right hand. She’s always there. No matter what I do. If I’m pitching she’s catching with me. She’s squatting back there catching for me and the other way around, vice versa.”

A UCF commit, Victor plays with pride for his native country. It’s why he’s followed the careers of Jharel Cotton and Jabari Blash who have put the Virgin Islands on the map in the MLB. He’s even seen players like Alex McFarlane, another St. Thomas native and someone he used to pitch with when he was younger, get drafted in the 2019 MLB draft, knowing that could be him in 2020.

What’s incredible is that Victor almost abandoned that dream when he first arrived in the United States.

“When I first moved here, I wasn’t playing baseball anymore like I was back home,” Victor said. “After everything that happened, we were just working and everything.”

It took one phone call from a current teammate, Dwanye Maduro’s dad to convince him otherwise. 

“He said, ‘Our team needs some players. You can come down and play with us if you want to. It would be a life changing event. Just come move here with us. I promise you you’re going to make something out of yourself.’”

And so ever since, Victor and his cousin Jahlani Rogers, a Florida Gulf Coast commit, have been living with Maduro and playing on Power Baseball 2020.

It certainly has been a life changing event for Victor. The attention he’s able to garner from college coaches and scouts is an added bonus, plus he’s built an unforgettable bond with those players on Power Baseball.

“It’s a lot more fun here,” Victor said. “There’s a lot more people watching you. It really makes you push because when you look back you want to do good and help your team do good.

“I enjoy playing with these guys. This is the best summer I’m having right now just friends wise and everything. They all have my back.”

The past week may not have panned out as planned for Victor and Co., as Power Baseball sits with a 3-3 record with one pool play game remaining, but Victor is milking the experience in Georgia for all that it’s worth. Really, that’s what his trying journey over the past three years has taught him the most.

”He’s happy to be out here and given this opportunity to play with these guys and be on this stage to showcase his abilities,” Marlo said. “He’s just a grateful kid.”



Tournaments | Story | 12/29/2025

PG Expands Presence in Pacific Rim

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
    667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923  www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA      FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE    PERFECT GAME EXPANDS PRESENCE IN PACIFIC RIM, STRENGTHENING YOUTH BASEBALL DEVELOPMENT    Sanford, Florida (Monday, December 29, 2025) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced a significant expansion of its presence across the Asia-Pacific Zone, with a strategic focus on the 10-15 year-old age group. The initiative will be led in partnership with longtime Japanese youth baseball executive and coach Takaharu Nasu, as Perfect Game continues to grow its global footprint and strengthen pathways for elite youth...
Draft | Story | 1/1/2026

2026 MLB Draft Preview & Superlatives

Tyler Kotila
Article Image
As we look ahead to the 2026 calendar year, we take a step closer to the 2026 MLB Draft. While we recently dropped our Top 300 College Prospects for the 2026 group, there is still a lot to sort out throughout this year. High school ball is right around the corner and the college season is on the horizon. Many players are going to see their stock improve as games start to get played and players pitch/hit their way up or down the board. We’ll see some breakout candidates, collegiate performers, and high school arms that pop throughout the 2026 spring and summer. In this article, we are going to talk through some of the narratives/storylines shaping up for this 2026 draft class. We’ll also talk through a couple of players who fit the build of some pre-season superlatives. Battle for 1:1 It’s still really early in the race for things, but with the Draft Lottery done with,...
Showcase | Story | 12/27/2025

Main Event Invades Fort Myers

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
    667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923  www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA      FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE    PERFECT GAME CLOSES OUT 2025 WITH MAIN EVENT SHOWCASE  AT JETBLUE PARK IN FT. MYERS, FLORIDA    Nearly 1,000 players expected at largest showcase of the year  that has produced over 1,000 MLB Draft picks    Ft. Myers, Florida (Saturday, December 27, 2025) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, will host its 2025 Main Event Showcase from December 28–31 at JetBlue Park, the spring training home of the Boston Red Sox, in the Fort Myers area.    The Main Event is the largest showcase Perfect Game holds annually,...
Draft | Rankings | 12/26/2025

2026 MLB Draft Board Update

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
The calendar is just days away from being flipped over to 2026, and while the players may be on break, it’s clear that they are just itching to get back on the field and compete once again, with another season of college baseball right around the corner. For prep players (especially in warm-weather states), the season’s right around the corner, and players will be back on the ball fields sooner than later. With that said, the PG Draft Team came together and got to work on a 2026 MLB Draft Board update. A little pre-season shake-up and expansion as we took our board from the Top 150 names to the Top 300 names, in preparation for the 2026 college and prep seasons to begin. The 2025 MLB Draft Lottery occurred earlier in December and shed some light on what the draft order will look like in 2026, with the Chicago White Sox taking home the first overall pick, followed by the Tampa...
PG Select Baseball Festival | General | 12/26/2025

2025 Year in Review: PGAAC, ASG, Festivals

Jheremy Brown
Article Image
All-Star Game Continues To Thrive We’re only a couple of years into having the PG All-Star Game around, an underclass event attached to the All-American weekend, this year played in Petco two days before the Classic. The talent that is a part of it continues to grow to significant levels, and this year was a mix of young guys and some newer names that left lasting impressions. The two hardest throwing guys in the game were the only 2028s in attendance, Striker Pence and Dexter McCleon Jr who both were upper-90s as guys who just started their sophomore year, while the loudest moment of the day came when Kinon Bastian obliterated a pitch into the top deck of the famous Western Supply building in left field, something that we’ll remember for a long time. Extra Swings In The All-American Derby One of the best events every All-American weekend is getting to see these guys with...
College | Story | 12/25/2025

2025 Year in Review: College

Craig Cozart
Article Image
The LSU Tigers Win It All Again For the second time in the last three years, the LSU Tigers, led by head coach Jay Johnson secured the national title. The national championship was the eight in LUS program history as they swept Coastal Carolina in the MCWS championship series. As a result, Johnson was virtually a unanimous choice for National Coach of the Year on media outlets and is the fastest coach to win multiple CWS championships at a single school. The tournament’s Most Outstanding Player was Tigers’ lefthanded ace and Perfect Game First-Team All-American, Kade Anderson highlighted by his complete-game shutout in Game 1 of the CWS Finals. The roster was a tremendous blend of offensive firepower, frontline pitching and elite defense, leaving opponents with very few avenues to victory. PG Second-Team All-American, Jared Jones was the heart of the lineup with his 20...
High School | General | 12/24/2025

2025 Year In Review: High School

Cam McElwaney
Article Image
IMG Academy Takes Home the National Title Every year IMG Academy comes into the spring with top-to-bottom one of the top rosters in the country and every year have the expectation of winning the national championship. Well in 2025 they did just that after finishing the spring 24-1, winning the High School Showdown, and winning 15 straight games to end their season. Their high end offensive ability was on full display throughout the year and they will once again be one of the most talented teams in the country in ’26 as they look to go back-to-back. Two Top-10 Picks in the MLB Draft Headline National Players of the Year It was another loaded crop that took home the National Players of the Year as both Ethan Holliday, the National Player of the Year, and Seth Hernandez, National Pitcher of the Year, heard their names called within the first-10 picks in the MLB Draft. Another first...
Draft | Rankings | 12/24/2025

Top 2027 Collegiate Draft Prospects

Isaiah Burrows
Article Image
With the 2025 cycle officially behind us and the calendar nearly flipping over to 2026, it is time to start looking ahead to the future. More importantly, start looking ahead to the next season of college baseball and what that may mean for draft-eligible players with big dreams of continuing their journey. While the 2026 MLB Draft is now on the horizon, we are looking ahead to the future even further – to see which players have already made impacts upon their arrival to college campuses. We have already dropped our 2028 Top 75 collegiate prospects board, but this one is our Top 100 college prospects who will be eligible for the 2027 class. These are the Top 100 players in our eyes for this group, and many of them have already shown up on campus and been impactful in many ways. Whether its our top-ranked player in Oregon State’s Dax Whitney or ninth-ranked William Schmidt...
Draft | Rankings | 12/23/2025

Top 2028 Collegiate Draft Prospects

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
The college players in the 2028 draft class have yet to step on campus, but they're positioned to make an immediate impact. Several high end talents either turned down significant money last year or honored strong college commitments, resulting in their arrival on campus this fall. The class is currently led by a trio of high-upside arms in Jack Bauer, Angel Cervantes, and Cameron Appenzeller. They are followed by a deep group of bats that rounds out a strong, high end Top-10. Rk. Name Level Pos. B-T School Hometown State 1 Jack Bauer C LHP L-L Mississippi State Frankfort IL 2 Angel Cervantes C RHP R-R UCLA Lynwood CA 3 Cameron Appenzeller C LHP L-L Tennessee Springfield IL 4 Brayden Jaksa C C R-R Oregon Fremont  CA 5 JD Stein C SS R-R Wake Forest Carmel IN 6 Mason Ligenza C OF L-L Pittsburgh Brockton PA 7 Ty Peeples C OF L-R Georgia Lavonia GA 8 Lucas Franco C SS L-R TCU Katy TX 9...
Juco | Story | 12/23/2025

2025 Year in Review: JUCO

Blaine Peterson
Article Image
Looking Back at the 2025 Top 10  Matt Barr (‘25 Niagara, ‘26 Minnesota Twins) Bursting onto the scene last winter, footage of an indoor bullpen rocketed Barr onto the radar of many. Explosive fastball reaches near triple digits with incredible spin numbers across the secondaries. Huge numbers at Niagara earned him the title of the first Juco player drafted in 2025. JC Vanek (‘25 Chipola, ‘26 Kansas City Royals) Just a professional hitter. Vanek for two years at Chipola was an impossible out. While there are questions if the power will ever reach what it takes to play first base at the big league level, the bat and quality defensive skillset at first base may carry. Donovan Becerra (‘25 New Mexico, ‘26 Texas Tech) One of the more high octane arms anywhere in the country last year. Can reach back for upper 90’s and has shown serious swing and...
Loading more articles...