THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,614 MLB PLAYERS | 16,397 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,614 MLB PLAYERS | 16,397 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Sign in Create Account
Sign in Create Account
Tournaments  | Story | 7/22/2019

Rays leave 17u WWBA winners

Annika Wall
Photo: GRB Rays (Perfect Game)

MARION, Iowa – The GRB Rays and Cangelosi Sparks 2020 Black are no strangers to one another. They’ve already faced off three times this season and once at the WWBA 17u Prospect Meadows National Championship. There, Cangelosi won a 9-6 slugfest in pool play. The championship game, though, proved to be much different as the GRB Rays emerged with a 8-1 win in the inaugural event.

Clemson commit and third baseman/shortstop Max Wagner took the mound and pitched admirably as PG All-American George Klassen receives some hard-earned rest. With or without Klassen, the Rays pitching staff proved to be loaded all week long.

"George is working himself back. He had a muscle spasm in his back,” GRB head coach Trevor Burmeister said. “If this game would have been closer, George would have been in there, but the way the games shaped themselves out, he didn’t have to.”

While he might not have the same fastball-curveball combination Klassen does, Wagner commanded the strike zone, moving his 86 mph top fastball everywhere in the zone. When combined with his off-speed, it was a killer combination. In six innings of work, the tournament MVP only allowed three hits and one unearned one, fanning two along the way.

Wagner also batted .440 with a tournament-high in hits (11) and RBIs (12). He also scored nine runs himself in addition to completing the cycle during the second round of the playoffs. There, GRB knocked off No. 5-seeded Renegades Baseball in a commanding 12-1 victory.

"It’s been something I’ve been working for, but it doesn’t happen without my teammates encouraging me and getting people on base in front of me so I can move the runners and get them in,” Wagner commented, regarding his MVP honor.

In the championship game, GRB scored two runs in the top of the second as first baseman Thomas Otto drilled a double to right field. Third baseman Eddie Saucedo took four consecutive balls for a walk, holding off on pitches all across the zone. With runners at first and second, Cangelosi shortstop and Louisville commit Christian Knapczyk backpedaled to snag what would have been a base hit into shallow center field.

That didn’t matter to GRB shortstop Taitan Manriquez, who singled to shallow right center. Jake Berg’s following hit was nearly a carbon copy, with the pair driving in a pair of runs to take a 2-0 lead.

Cangelosi countered, putting runners on first and second with no outs. Jacob Kampf then executed a sacrifice bunt that hugged the first base line, moving both runners to second and third. It wouldn’t be the last time small ball would be vital in this game.  

Anthony Fornero’s ground ball to shortstop drove in a runner, making the game 2-1 going into the third. GRB added a pair of runs in the fourth before Cangelosi started making pitching changes.

GRB responded as leadoff batter Spencer Bartel singled to center field and Wagner forced a walk. Extra hitter Cam Dupont grounded to the pitcher and, attempting to get lead runner Bartel, hurled it to third. Instead, Bartel scored on the error.

Turning to small-ball offense, Call Verlanic laid down a bunt, reaching first base on an error. With the bases loaded and no outs, Thomas Otto hoped to replicate his earlier double. Instead, he battled back from a 1-2 count to force a walk.

"We talk to the guys all the time about playing what the game presents to you,” Burmeister said. “Part of it is not only who is on the mound, part of it is the strike zone, part of it is the weather conditions. With the field, the wind blowing in hard, we knew we had to execute some small ball to have a chance to win today.”

With runners on, DuPrey continued the scoring barrage, sending a sacrifice fly to center field. Manriquez also drove in an RBI off a come-backer to the pitcher to make the final score of 8-1.

Leading the way for the Rays on offense were Bartel, Saucedo and Manriquez with two hits each. Manriquez and Brady Jurgella also had two RBIs each. Wagner earned the win on the mound with Carter Endisch coming in to close.

For Cangelosi, Jack Crowder was named the tournament’s MV-Pitcher. Crowder pitched eight innings, striking out five batters and only allowing two hits. Even so, GRB’s depth of high-quality pitching was vital to their run in the tournament.

Pitchers Nick Smith and Ryan Stefiuk both recorded double-digit strikeouts throughout the tournament. Smith is currently uncommitted, while Stefiuk joins five other D-I committed players on the GRB pitching staff.

“Depth of pitching is huge. Even with the depth we have, we have some really talented arms that are shelved right now or working to get themselves back on the mound,” Burmeister said. “But, when you have guys out there who can pound the strike zone and three pitches they can throw, it makes a huge difference and your confidence level is better when you’re in the dugout trying to make those decisions.”


2019 WWBA 17u Prospect Meadows National Championship runner-up: Cangelosi Sparks 2020 Black



2019 WWBA 17u Prospect Meadows National Championship MVP: Max Wagner



2019 WWBA 17u Prospect Meadows National Championship MV-Pitcher: Jack Crowder
Give us your feedback
Tournaments | Story | 8/26/2026

Underclass Area Codes: Standout Arms
Joey Cohen
Article Image
Year in and year out when the best young talent from across the country is packed into one national-level event the arms tend to win the week. That feels especially true in today’s amateur game where velocity, pitch design and high-level training in general are being introduced earlier than ever, allowing young pitchers to develop impactful stuff at a faster rate than younger hitters can consistently catch up to it. The Underclass Area Code Games are no exception and this year there was no shortage of arms that made you stop and take notice. Narrowing it down to 10 was difficult, but I focused on the pitchers who either displayed starter-type traits, brought something genuinely different from a delivery standpoint whether it was slot, height, crossfire or deception or simply possessed an outlier element of stuff that separated them from the pack. These are the 10 arms that stood...
Read More
Draft | Rankings | 8/28/2026

2027 MLB Draft Board

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
The 2026 MLB Draft is official in the books as those players have been signed and have begun their pro career. That means it is time to turn the page and dive into the 2027 class. This class features an intriguing mix of arms both from the prep and college ranks, along with an enticing position player pool. Today, we unveil our first 2027 MLB Draft Board, ranking the Top-100 prospects in the class. There is still plenty of time for new names to emerge and established ones to rise or fall, but here is where things stand as we begin this cycle.  Rk. Name Level Pos. B-T School Hometown State Commitment 1 Dylan Seward H SS S-R Norco Eastvale CA Tennessee 2 Brendan Lawson C SS L-R Florida Toronto ON 3 Dax Whitney C RHP R-R Oregon State Blackfoot ID 4 Gavin Kelly C C/UTL R-R West Virginia Presto PA 5 Tomas Valincius C LHP L-L Mississippi State Lockport IL 6 Malachi Butler H SS L-R...
Read More
Draft | Story | 8/23/2026

2026 MLB Draft Report Cards: NL East

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
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 East Atlanta Braves  Grade: 55 Risk: High Notable Selections: OF AJ Gracia (1st rd) | OF Carter Beck (PPI) | RHP Kaiden McCarthy (2nd rd) | RHP Jensen Hirschkorn (3rd rd)   OF AJ Gracia (@UVABaseball) is seeing the ball really well & picked up a couple of hits, including a 2B into RCF. Smooth LH stroke & easy impact. Showed + pwr in BP, 46 BB: 36 K. Jr./'26 elig. @PG_Draft pic.twitter.com/C4rSc0ZNIc — PG College Baseball (@PGCollegeBall) May 30, 2026 Atlanta had $15,870,800 to spend in this year’s draft,...
Read More
Draft | Story | 8/22/2026

2026 MLB Draft Report Cards: AL East

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
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 East Baltimore Orioles Grade: 50 Risk: High Notable Selections: OF Eric Booth Jr. (1st rd) | OF Ty Head (2nd rd) | OF Kevin Roberts Jr (4th rd)  Eric Booth Jr. (26 MS) goes big fly 💣 that carried out oppo. Explosive athlete w/ huge LH juice & tools. Big time in several facets. #NatElite #Vandy commit. @PG_DeepSouth pic.twitter.com/kXl7ZVyD9G — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) July 12, 2025 Baltimore was about middle of the pack in terms of money available this year, having $13.1m to spend on their class. Booth Jr. is a...
Read More
Draft | Story | 8/24/2026

Area Code Gams: Prospect Recap

Steve Fiorindo
Article Image
Pitchers George Ferguson, RHP, Abilene HS  Ferguson toed the slab for the Rangers squad in game one of the Codes, setting the tone early with some loud stuff.  Ferguson attacked hitters with a verty fastball up to 96 that played well up in the zone with up to 24 inches of induced vertical break.  He showed more than just a power arsenal, going to the changeup often, using the pitch to put away hitters.  Kills the spin to the 1600’s, regularly getting 13-15 inches of horizontal break.  The slider rounded out the arsenal, working 82/83.  Struck out four over his three innings of work, two on the fastball, two on the change.  2026 PG All American committed to Texas.  Quinn Fitzpatrick, RHP, Stratford HS  Another 2026 PG All American out of Texas, the LSU commit punched out three over his two innings of work, allowing just one hit. ...
Read More
Draft | Story | 8/21/2026

2027 Draft Preview: Collegiate RHP

Ryan Miller
Article Image
2027 MLB Draft Profile Preview: College Right-Handed Pitchers  Throughout the 2027 draft cycle, I’ll be breaking down different demographics in the class. Today we begin with collegiate right-handed pitching, a strong group that is headlined by a legitimate 1-1 candidate in Dax Whitney. Most of the group is made up of high-quality power four arms, with a handful of mid-major arms mixed in. Below are the top college right-handers in the 2027 class:  Dax Whitney (@BeaverBaseball) showed LOUD stuff. FB up to 100, cruised at 95-98. Pair of plus secondaries. CB at 77-79 (2923) with sharp, 12-6 action. Firm SL at 89-91 (2714) with bite. Flashed fading CH at 87-88 (1425). Ranked No. 1 on the ‘27 board @PG_Draft So./‘27 elig. pic.twitter.com/9PNbjJ53Zo — PG College Baseball (@PGCollegeBall) February 13, 2026 Dax Whitney, Oregon State  Whitney has maintained...
Read More
All American Game | Story | 8/21/2026

Brotherly Love Inspires Carter Hadnot

Jim Salisbury
Article Image
PHILADELPHIA – Perfect Game has been a big part of Carter Hadnot’s life since he was 12. He participated in more than a dozen tournaments and showcases, including prestigious Select Festivals as a 13U and 14U player, as well as last summer’s PG All-Star Game for underclassmen in San Diego.   The PG event that Hadnot always wanted to be part of was the DICK’s All-American Classic. Now, that’s on his resume, too. He played in the 24th annual Classic earlier this week at Citizens Bank Park, home of the Philadelphia Phillies. “This means a lot to me,” he said during the event. “I always wanted to make it to Select Fest when I was younger. So, every time I get invited to an event it’s an honor and it’s fun. I don’t take it for granted. “This is definitely the one I always wanted to make it to. A lot of big names have...
Read More
Press Release | Press Release | 8/18/2026

Perfect Game & Delano 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 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...
Read More
Draft | Story | 8/17/2026

2026 MLB Draft Report Cards: NL Central

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
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...
Read More
Draft | Story | 8/17/2026

2026 MLB Draft Report Cards: AL Central

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
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,...
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.