THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,497 MLB PLAYERS | 15,834 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,497 MLB PLAYERS | 15,834 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Tournaments  | Story | 7/13/2019

Dodgers boast tough 1-2 punch

Photo: William Ross (Perfect Game)

ATLANTA, Ga. – In a poker game, holding a pair of aces gives you the best chance to win. The same principle applies to baseball. On Saturday, the Florida Dodgers Scout Team rode the right arms of William Ross and Jordan Taylor to cruise to an 8-0 victory over the Ironmen 15u Osting.

The win improves the Dodgers to 2-0 at the WWBA 15u National Championship. More impressively, they have defeated their opponents by a combined score of 19-0.

“We’re blessed with really good pitching,” Dodgers coach Tom Lucas said. “Will could probably pitch in college right now. He sits mid 80s and has three pitches that he throws for strikes. And Jordan is just a phenomenal athlete. He fills that closer role for us, but he could also be a starter. But he’s such an asset in centerfield.”

Ross was Saturday’s starter, and the 6-foot-6, 235-pound righthander attacked from the first pitch. He poured in 70 percent strikes, pounding his heavy mid 80s fastball down in the zone to generate a lot of weak contact. He worked four shutout innings, striking out five and allowing just two hits. He worked quickly, too. Ross’s tempo was a major reason Saturday’s game only lasted a little over an hour.

“My mentality is to just get ahead,” Ross said. “If I throw a ball, then I know I need to throw a strike on the next one. I pride myself on having a good pace out there.”

Ranked 107th overall in Perfect Game’s high school class of 2022, Ross has already committed to coach Kevin O’Sullivan and the University of Florida. The Gators won the national championship in 2017, and have recently produced numerous pitchers selected in the first round of the MLB Draft including Brady Singer, Alex Faedo, Jackson Kowar, A.J Puk, and Dane Dunning. Ross hopes to be next in the line of great players to come through Gainesville.

“I’ve always liked the Gators,” Ross said. “I knew that if I ever had a chance to go there, that was going to be my choice. My parents are actually UCF fans, but they were happy I chose Florida.”

Jordan Taylor came on to pitch the fifth and final inning. Needing only nine pitches, the Florida State commit simply overpowered the Ironmen with his upper 80s fastball to get a strikeout and two ground outs to close out the win.

“I knew we were up by eight,” Taylor said. “I wanted to let my defense work. I was really just trying to throw the ball in the strike zone.”

Taylor is ranked 104th overall in the class of 2022. A standout on the mound and in the outfield, the Jacksonville, Fl. native plans on being a two-way player when he gets to Tallahassee. Taylor has quite a role model in J.C. Flowers, who served as the Seminoles centerfielder and closer in 2019, earning ACC reliever of the year honors.

“They saw me back in October,” Taylor said of the Noles. “We started talking, and I went to one of their camps. I really like their coaching staff, and it all felt like a family. Plus, they gave me a great offer. It was a no brainer.”

The Dodgers try to take the business side of travel baseball out of the equation. They are selective in building their rosters, and keep the program small on purpose. It’s not a factory with a handful of teams per age group. If you make a Dodger team it’s because they see a spark and want to help you realize that potential.

“Our motto is all about development,” Lucas said. “We are an organization that only has one team per age group, so we’re not trying to build a huge brand with multiple teams. We just want the best of the best, and you know that when you make our team that you are a national caliber player.”

“The manager of the (Dodgers minor league affiliate) Tulsa Drillers, Scott Hennessey, founded the program,” he continued. “He came up with the idea, and stresses development above everything else. So we probably do more practices than your typical national team that just shows up at these big tournaments.”

The main objective this week is to win the pool. But being the developmentally focused organization that they are, the Dodgers see an opportunity for growth in every tournament and every game. The fierce competition at the WWBA 15u National Championship provides the ultimate stage for players to diagnose their strengths and weaknesses.

“We want them to see where they stack up,” Lucas said. “We think we have some of the best of the best in this class. So we come to big events like this to let them compare themselves to the rest of the country. That helps them make a checklist of things they need to work on in the fall to further their skills.”

The hoards of scouts that are patrolling the backstops is enticing, too. Ross and Taylor are the only two currently committed on the roster, but that will soon change. Guys like outfielder Mason Steel and shortstop Finn Howell are making a splash as they continue to bash the ball around the fields of Georgia.

“And the other side of the coin is exposure,” Lucas said. “Up in Atlanta, you are going to get more coaches from different areas. We get a lot of Florida and Florida State at our games, but yesterday we had South Carolina. It’s things like that. We have some guys that we think are ready to be seen, and this allows them to be in front of coaches from all across the country.”




Tournaments | Story | 7/13/2026

17u Elite Scout Notes: Days 1-2

Perfect Game Staff
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High speed look at the FF-SL-CH from '27 RHP Liam McGeady (OH)... #NatElite @PG_OhioValley @Cincy_Legends https://t.co/hhoDL7DBbi pic.twitter.com/Ts79GLPGoU — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) July 12, 2026 Liam McGeady (2027, Liberty Township, Ohio) had the stuff working on Saturday morning, getting the start for Legends Scout 2027. The uncommitted right-hander ran it up to 91 and sat 88-90 with a full starter’s mix. All three of the secondaries played well and project moving forward. The curveball worked in the mid-70s with good depth and healthy shape. The slider operated in the 79-82 range with gyro spin and short break. McGeady rounded out the repertoire with a changeup that showed big fade and depth, proving effective versus lefties. He ended the outing going five ⅔ innings, allowing no earned runs on four hits, striking out six total. The tall and long 6-foot-5,...
College | Story | 7/14/2026

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John Coppolella
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The amateur players in the Cape Cod Baseball League are the future stars of the 2027 MLB Draft. The league runs from June 13th through August 2nd. Games are played at historic stadiums in Old New England towns. It’s beautiful and charming. Hollywood even made a movie about the Cape Cod League ~25 years ago called Summer Catch. It scored an 8% (!) on Rotten Tomatoes, but, on the plus side, it featured 2001 Jessica Biel in a starring role.  It was so much fun writing Coppy’s Column this spring. My hope is to highlight a pitcher and position player each week from the Cape. And, who knows, maybe somewhere out there Jessica Biel is reading it.    Player of the Week: Carter White – Falmouth Commodores  Talk about making a great first impression! White introduced himself in a very loud and boisterous way this past week by going 9-17 (.529 AVG) with 6 RBI...
Tournaments | Championship | 7/13/2026

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Emily Hicks
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After a week of competitive baseball, the ZT Select Prospects have been crowned the 14U WWBA National Champions, completing an impressive tournament run with a championship victory over Swarm Red Elite National 2030 with a final score of 3-1. The 14U division brought together 19 talented teams for a week of high-level competition, with players from California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Hawaii, and Pennsylvania battling for the opportunity to compete on one of the biggest stages in youth baseball. Throughout the tournament, ZT Select Prospects showed consistency, resilience, and the ability to compete in close games. From the opening rounds of pool play to the championship matchup, the team continued to find ways to win behind strong pitching, timely hitting, and a complete team effort. In the championship game, ZT Select Prospects was led by standout performances from Jeremy Jimenez, who...
Draft | Mock Draft | 7/13/2026

2027 Mock Draft: Way Too Early Ediition

Vincent Cervino
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With the 2026 MLB Draft officially complete, let's quickly turn our eyes to the 2027 group and do a way too early mock draft. Leading the way is shortstop Brendan Lawson out of the University of Florida, setting the trend as three of the top four names all call shortstop home with Dylan Seward and Carter Hadnot. If shortstops aren't your thing for any which reason, maybe hard throwing left-handers tickle your fancy whether it be prep Connor Salerno, Tomas Valincius from Mississippi State or Dylan Volantis, a dominant arm from the University of Texas.  Pick Team Name Pos. School 1 Los Angeles Angels Brendan Lawson SS Florida 2 Kansas City Royals Dylan Seward SS Norco (Calif.) 3 Colorado Rockies Landon Hairston OF Arizona State 4 New York Mets Carter Hadnot SS Aquinas (Calif.) 5 Athletics Connor Salerno LHP Sun Valley (N.C.) 6 Cincinnati Reds Tomas Valincius LHP Mississippi State 7...
Draft | Story | 7/12/2026

2027 MLB Draft: Initial Follow List

Vincent Cervino
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With the 2026 MLB Draft in the books, our focus now shifts to a new group of players ready to take center stage as the 2027 draft cycle begins. Our initial 2027 Follow List serves as an early snapshot of the players who should draw plenty of attention over the next year. This new crop of talent features collegiate players coming off loud spring seasons, alongside prep prospects who have already flashed big upside as underclassman.  As always, this list will evolve throughout the year. Some players will continue to elevate their stock, while others will jump onto the radar and force their way into the conversation. So, without further ado, let the fun begin.  The road to the 2027 MLB Draft starts now. Name Level Pos. B-T School Hometown State Commitment Adrian Rodriguez C 3B/OF S-R Texas Flower Mound TX Aidan King C RHP L-R Florida Bryceville FL Bino Watters C OF L-L LSU...
Tournaments | Story | 7/12/2026

14u BCS Scout Notes

Perfect Game Staff
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Austin Way (2030, Yulee, FL) was 2-3 in game four, driving in a run and scoring once himself. Picked it well defensively at shortstop but really showed out in the box today. Works the barrel path to the middle of the field and whips the barrel through the zone. The RHH creates lift in the turn, and the ball jumps off the bat hot.  Sutton Walling (2029, Ponte Vedra, FL) is an athletic 5’11/160lb infielder who gets it done on both sides of the ball. Dominated at the plate right behind his teammate Way in the batting order going 3-3 with two doubles. He does a really good job with the barrel accuracy and works through contact with heavy hands. Lots of project-ability in the profile and is having a sneaky great week at the plate. Banks Kennedy (2030, Arcadia, FL) received it well behind the dish and was the leading force in this one driving in three rbis. He ended up going 2-3...
Draft | Story | 7/12/2026

2026 MLB Draft: Best Available

Tyler Henninger
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2026 MLB Draft: Best Available for Day Two  A total of 135 players heard their name called on Saturday. As always, signability, bonus pool strategy, and organizational preferences play a major role in how the board unfolds. With that being said, we saw a majority of the top half off the board get selected, but there are a number of players ranked inside our Top 150 that remain available. From high-upside prep talent to polished college performers, these are the top names still available according to our Final Top 500 Draft Board.  Top Prep Bats Available (with Top-500 Board Rankings) 38. Archer Horn, SS/RHP, St. Ignatius College Prep (CA) 58. Blake Bowen, OF, JSerra Catholic (CA) 64. James Tronstein, SS/OF, Harvard-Westlake (CA) 66. Noah Wilson, OF, McCallie School (TN) 71. Cole Koeninger, SS/RHP, Keller (TX) 77. Sean Dunlap, C, Crown Point (IN) 82. Alex Weingartner, OF//RHP,...
Tournaments | Story | 7/11/2026

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Kinley Kitchens
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Another week, another big tournament makes its way to Hoover.  This week, 104 of the nation’s top 17U teams will make their way to Hoover for the 2026 Perfect Game 17U National Elite Championship.  Featuring nationally ranked teams, Division I commits, and many of the country’s top 2027 players, the tournament promises another week of elite competition as teams battle for one of the biggest championships of the summer.  With many players already committed to some of the nation’s top college programs, every game in Hoover this week offers a glimpse into the future of college baseball.  Now entering its eighth year, the National Elite Championship continues to bring in the nation’s best. Past champions include Team Elite Scout Team, Canes National, USA Prime National, Scorpions/Giants Scout Team, 5 Star Performance National, Knights Knation Scout...
Draft | Story | 7/12/2026

2026 MLB Draft: Day One Recap

Tyler Henninger
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Storylines Heavy College Run Early We came into the day knowing that there were a lot of talented college players at the top of the board, more specifically college bats. That came to light very early in the day, as we saw just two prep players selected within the first ten picks. The college preference lasted throughout most of the entire first round. Nearly 75% of the first 40 selections were college players. It is clear teams want players at the top of the draft that can quickly get through the system and help the big league club as soon as possible. Underslot Strategy Throughout this cycle, we knew that once you get past the first handful of picks the difference in value you were getting for let say pick ten was not that difference compared to pick 30. Because there was a large collection of players that are relatively close in value, teams were looking to get creative. We saw this...
Draft | Mock Draft | 7/11/2026

Final 2026 MLB Mock Draft

Vincent Cervino
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It's draft day and that means it's time for our final Mock Draft with the 2026 group. 1. Chicago White Sox | Roch Cholowsky, SS, UCLA It’s between Roch and Grady Emerson at this pick, though there have been heavy rumors of a very late deal potentially with another top 5 pick. This boils down to negotiations and we think that they will get there.  2. Tampa Bay Rays | Grady Emerson, SS, Fort Worth Christian (Tex.) If Grady isn’t the first pick then he is almost certain to be the second pick. The Rays like to get creative but Emerson is a well worth prospect in his own right.  3.  Minnesota Twins | Vahn Lackey, C, Georgia Tech This is likely the floor for Roch Cholowsky, though the Twins might prefer Lackey to Roch outright. They are thought to be in on the top college players with Emerson a distant third.  4. San Francisco Giants | Jackson Flora, RHP, UC...
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