THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,590 MLB PLAYERS | 16,394 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,590 MLB PLAYERS | 16,394 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Sign in Create Account
Sign in Create Account
Tournaments  | Story | 7/21/2019

Paden propels PFA to win

Jack Nelson
Photo: Jaylen Paden (Perfect Game)

MARIETTA, Ga.- The PFA Cavs made the cross-country trip from Los Angeles to compete in this week’s Perfect Game 17 Summer Showdown. On Sunday, they sent the event’s top prospect, Jaylen Paden, to the bump and the young righty electrified the crowd with a dominant outing to improve PFA’s record to 2-0-1 with a 9-1 triumph over the Ninth Inning Royals 16u Borden.

“He was lights out,” PFA coach AJ Perry said. “It’s hard to find good two way players these days, but he’s special. He’s a little undersized, but he’s electric. He can swing it, too. He was 5-for-6 yesterday with four stolen bases. He brings great energy to the table, and he just performs.”

In the five inning, mercy rule win, Paden went the distance. The 5-foot-10, 165- pound righty allowed just three hits, no walks, and struck out nine. He peppered the zone with a fastball that reached 90 mph, and finished hitters with his sharp curveball or a cutter. He has a real feel for pitching that is uncommon for most kids his age, considering he just picked up the cutter earlier this week.

“I just started throwing it,” Paden said of his newfound cutter. “I was practicing it with my dad the other day. It helps that I can have three reliable pitches. I’ve been fastball-changeup and fastball-curveball. That was a good pitch to add.”

Paden’s prowess on the mound has not gone unnoticed by colleges and pro scouts. Perfect Game has the Lilburn, Ga. Native ranked 373rd overall in the high school class of 2020 and the 33rd-ranked prospect in the state of Georgia. He was selected to participate in the PG National Showcase last month held at Chase Field in Phoenix, Ariz.

“It was very cool to play in a major league ballpark and compete against the best guys in the country,” Paden said. “That’s definitely something I’ll never forget.”

A two-way prospect, Paden plays the middle infield when he’s not on the hill. This dynamic talent earned him a scholarship to attend Georgia Southern.

“The recruiting process was a little slower for me,” Paden said. “Being a smaller guy, I was little overlooked. It was a bit harder for me, but once I got my name out there, interest started picking up and I thought Georgia Southern was going to put me in the best position to play at the next level.”

PFA coach AJ Perry thinks the sky is the limit for his young righthander.

“He’s a Georgia Southern commit, but you’ll probably be seeing him playing in the big leagues real soon,” he said.

With his immense talent also comes a relentless work ethic. Becoming a top amateur prospect is not an easy task, and as you ascend to the higher levels of the game the competition becomes stiffer and the margin for error become smaller. Paden has a strong foundation in his family, who motivate him to put in the work necessary to achieve his dream of playing in the major leagues.

“My dad played at a high level and had the potential to get drafted,” Paden said. “But he ended up getting hurt, so he’s been pushing me to make sure I’m taking care of my body. He’s really gotten me to where I am today.”

“I try to lift every day that I can, and do shoulder exercises to keep everything strong. Strength and conditioning is very important,” he said of his workout regimen.

Attending elite events like the Summer Showdown allow players to square off against the very best in their age group. It’s how you get better. And that is what the PFA program is all about.

PFA was founded by former big leaguer, Dave Coggin. After he retired from playing, he started training aspiring athletes, and has helped develop the likes of David Robertson, Joe Kelly, Adam Plutko, and Tyler Beede. MLB organizations trust his methods and hire him as a consultant to assist their coaches. PFA stands for “Preparation, Fitness, and Attitude.” True growth is accomplished in a holistic manner.

Self-improvement is a process, and that pursuit has brought this California based team to Georgia for the week. Playing against elite competition provides the ultimate barometer for an athlete to judge his ability.

“I always tell the kids that it’s a team game, but it’s also individual,” Perry said. “So the question is how do you get your game to the level where you can play in the big leagues? I tell them to prepare mentally and physically to go out there and get better every day. Our goal is to make average ballplayers into good ballplayers, and good ballplayers into great ballplayers.”

“Coming out here is great because it instills a sense of realism,” he said. “Where are you, realistically, compared to your peers? Are you above par? Below par? And from there, how can you get better? That’s the main thing with these guys.”

Despite going 2-0-1, PFA fell short of making the playoffs. They lost the tie breaker with the East Cobb Yankees 17u. But the Cavs still have one more game to play on Monday. It’s another opportunity to get better. It’s another chance to work toward the dream of major league baseball.

“We have a few arms left in the tank,” Perry said. “We’ll be read to rock and roll tomorrow.”
Give us your feedback
Tournaments | Story | 8/7/2026

Tournament of Champion Notes: Part 2
Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
Tournament of Champions Scout Notes: Part 1 ‘27 LHP Jaylan Hortenbury (KY) @JHortenbury X @PG_Uncommitted FB 85-89/ touched 90. Arm-side life w/ some ride. SL in mid 70s (depth). CH showed as a weapon in the upper 7s. Some sweep to BB in low 7s. Athletic w/ two-way capabilities as well. #TOC šŸ‘€ @USAPrimeScout27 pic.twitter.com/vyj1Tb9nBN — Jordan Gates (@JGatesPG) July 30, 2026 Jaylan Hortenbury (2027, New Castle, Ky.) Hortenbury was probably one of my personal favorites, as this was my first time seeing it in action. It’s an athletic two-way profile that has a chance to do both at the next level. But what stood out to me, was his potential on the mound. The left-handed pitcher moves very well and is comfortable there. Has the mound presence Supplemented with a free-flowing and loose arm from a higher ¾ slot, he pounded the zone in his lone appearance. He went...
Read More
General | General | 8/8/2026

12U Game Time: 8/9/2026 1PM Eastern

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
Sunday August 9th, 2026 1:00PM Eastern DICK'S Sporting Goods Park at East Cobb West vs. East Follow and watch the game
Read More
General | General | 8/8/2026

11U Game Time: 8/8/2026 Noon Eastern

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
Saturday August 8th, 2026 12:00PM Eastern DICK'S Sporting Goods Park at East Cobb West vs. East Follow and watch the game
Read More
Draft | Story | 8/7/2026

2026 MLB Draft Team Reports: NL West

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
2026 MLB Draft Team Report Cards: AL 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. NL West Arizona Diamondbacks  Grade: 50 Risk: High Notable Selections: C Ryder Helfrick (1st rd) | RHP Blake Bryant (CB-A rd) | SS Carson Kerce (2nd rd) | OF Brayden Dowd (3rd rd)  Ryder Helfrick (@RazorbackBSB ) different AB; same result. He goes dead central for a solo šŸ’£ this time. Threw a runner out earlier; 1.98 pop. #PGCollege @PG_Draft https://t.co/kW7wraqExJ pic.twitter.com/SARYKxd0oE — PG College Baseball (@PGCollegeBall) February 14, 2026 The Diamondbacks started their...
Read More
College | Story | 8/7/2026

Cape Cod League Notebook: August 7

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
RHP Jason Flores (@BaseballUGA) Showed some electric stuff, up to 98 several times CT, SL, CH to round out the arsenal in his 5IP 9K performance. @HarwichMariners So./‘27 elig pic.twitter.com/p2nTvkFnWh — PG College Baseball (@PGCollegeBall) August 5, 2026 Jason Flores | RHP | University of Georgia | Harwich Mariners  Flores heads to Georgia this fall looking to reestablish himself as one of the premier arms in the 2027 draft class after showing significant promise during his freshman season at Texas. Flores posted a 2.78 ERA over 32.1 innings as a freshman before a limited sophomore campaign in which he logged just 12 innings. The stuff was on full display this summer, highlighted by a dominant five-inning, nine-strikeout playoff performance in which he touched 98 mph five different times. His fastball averaged nearly 96 mph throughout his time on the Cape, pairing the...
Read More
Tournaments | Championship | 8/6/2026

643 DP Last Team Standing at East WS

Will Dembo
Article Image
Following a dominant week at the 17u PG East World Series, No. 34 ranked 643 DP Cougars 17u capped off an impressive tournament run by defeating No. 2 ranked East Cobb Astros 17u, 3-2, in the championship game to claim the title. The Cougars earned the tournament's No. 1 overall seed after outscoring opponents by an absurd 59-6 throughout the week before completing their championship run with a hard-fought victory in the finale. “Always feels great to finish the year playing your best ball, especially when going up against strong competition,” 643 Head Coach Danny Pralgo said. “We did so many of the little things right: on the mound with location, clean on defense, bunting, 2 strike approach leading to long at bats, getting hit-by-pitches, and we had so many good outs offensively that led to moving a runner or scoring a runner. And when those things all come together in...
Read More
Press Release | Press Release | 8/6/2026

PG Extends Partnership With Yeti

Article Image
  667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923 www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA     FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   PERFECT GAME EXTENDS PARTNERSHIP WITH YETI   Sanford, Florida (Thursday, August 6, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced an extension of its existing partnership with YETI, the premium outdoor gear brand and the Official Cooler and Drinkware Provider of Perfect Game Baseball and Softball. The partnership between Perfect Game and YETI began in 2021.   The expanded partnership will bring YETI’s products and brand to Perfect Game athletes, families and fans through a variety of activations across Perfect Game’s events and digital platforms. YETI will have a prominent presence both on-site and online, including exposure...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 8/6/2026

Tournament of Champions Notes: Part 1

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
‘27 RHP/SS Carson Hailey (KY) Dominant 5.1 IP + 14 K’sā€¼ļø 2 ER on 3 H + 1BB. 69% strikes. FB lived 88-89 T92 w/ ASR + maintained velo. SL 77-80 w/ late sharp break. Throws downhill w/ good extension. Pitches tunnel well out of 3/4 slot. #TOC @carsonhailey_8 @2027TTKY @JGatesPG pic.twitter.com/UoL7newgi6 — Perfect Game Ohio Valley (@PG_OhioValley) July 29, 2026 Carson Hailey (2027, Louisville, Ky..) turned in a dominant outing, striking out 14 across 5.1 innings while allowing two earned runs on three hits and one walk. The 5-foot-11, 175-pound right-hander owns an athletic frame and worked with a controlled tempo on the mound. Hailey used a big leg kick and long stride with an easy lower half, creating downhill action and good extension toward the plate. He finished through his pitches well and maintained his velocity deep into the outing. The fastball lived at 88-89 mph...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 8/6/2026

East Coast Pro All Prospect Teams

Troy Sutherland
Article Image
1st Team C: Quincy Pratt (‘27 MS)-Max EV: 92- Put together a strong showing with multiple knocks; exits of 92/88/88. In-game pops right around 2 flat, 2.01 on a caught stealing and a 1.97. Swing plays and still a bunch of room to add muscle mass. Trending really nicely. 1B: Teagan Leach (‘27 VA)-60-yard: 7.02 Max EV: 105-On the barrel throughout ECP. Everything comes off hard and doesn't whiff much for a power led profile. 101 F8, 99 double left on left with a 4.72 turn, 105 double through the gap, and a 96 exit knock to his credit. Certified hitter that has plus strength now. IF: Isaiah Snavely (‘27 IN)-60-yard:6.71 Max EV: 96-Early attendance for the draft cycle rocket ship is always appreciated and Snavely is on it. 96/366 shot on a breaking ball to go with an 89 exit double and his other couple of hits on the week. 4.26 down the line and a 4.47 turn. Should stick in...
Read More
Tournaments | Championship | 8/6/2026

Canes Walk Off In Florida Elite Champ.

Alyssa Golden
Article Image
A tightly contested battle between Canes Florida 2029 and Florida Flames 16u capped the 16U Florida Elite Championship, with the Canes earning a 6-5 walk-off win on Monday at JetBlue Park Stadium. “It means a lot to this team specifically because this is their first win as a group,” Canes head coach Alec Bettinger said. “We’ve come up short a couple times, so seeing one go through the hoop here is really nice for the boys.” The Canes defense came out hot, led by Cannon Tyler who started on the mound for the Canes. Tyler set the tone from the start, opening the game with a strikeout. He allowed no hits while striking out three over five innings. His fastball sat 77-82 mph. Another strikeout and a pickoff at second base ended the inning. Race McDaniel started on the mound for the Flames. The left-hander pitched six innings, striking out seven batters. The...
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.