THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,606 MLB PLAYERS | 16,396 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,606 MLB PLAYERS | 16,396 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Sign in Create Account
Sign in Create Account
Showcase  | Story | 12/28/2019

McCants paves his own way

Jeff Dahn
Photo: Jordan McCants (Perfect Game)

FORT MYERS, Fla. – If everything goes according to plan and the MLB June Amateur Draft doesn’t interfere with those plans, a two- or three-year span beginning in the spring of 2022 could be very interesting at the McCants household in the Florida Panhandle community of Cantonment.

As it stands right now, top 2021 shortstop prospect Jordan McCants will be starting his freshman season at Mississippi State that spring, while his older brother, TJ McCants, will be preparing for his sophomore season at Ole Miss. Will the McCants’ residence truly be a house divided when the Bulldogs and the Rebels meet on the baseball field in the spring of 2022 and beyond?

“It is already a house divided because they’re so competitive against each other and that’s what pushes them and makes them better,” Jordan's and TJ’s father, Torianno McCants, told Perfect Game on Saturday.

“But it was their decision and we’re going to support them 100 percent no matter where they go,” he said. “Ole Miss recruited Jordan as well but he kind of wanted to pave his own way and he decided to go to State. We embrace both schools; we love both schools.”

Torianno McCants was speaking Saturday from just outside one of the back practice fields at the jetBlue Park Player Development Complex, where Jordan McCants was gearing up for three days of play at the blockbuster PG National Underclass Showcase-Main Event, which concludes Monday.

This year’s Underclass-Main Event features nearly 800 players from all across the country, Puerto Rico and Canada, and with this being Jordan McCants’ first PG showcase experience, he couldn’t be faulted for feeling a little overwhelmed when he arrived at the jetBlue complex early Saturday morning.

“I was a little nervous at first, but I’ve got to get through it and just show off all the work I’ve been doing,” McCants, a junior at Pensacola (Fla.) Catholic High School, told PG shortly after he had completed his workout session but before he had taken BP or played in his first game. “It was a little nerve-wracking at first – I didn’t think there was going to be that many people here.”

Despite the numbers, don’t be surprised to see McCants rise above the fray. He is a 6-foot, 160-pound left-handed hitting shortstop ranked No. 153 nationally (No. 32 Florida) in the class of 2021. He exudes tremendous upside and possesses a solid work ethic that should help him to continue to develop and define his game throughout the remainder of his prep career.

“Everywhere I go to play, I try to give 110 percent and show off my hard work and dedication,” McCants said when asked if he approached his first go-around at a PG showcase any differently than he does a tournament game. “So that’s basically what I came here to do today, the same thing, just give 110 percent on everything I do.”

“We thought it was important just so (Perfect Game) was able to see him play and evaluate him,” his dad, Torianno, said when asked why they put the Main Event on Jordan’s calendar. “We thought he might be ranked (higher) if he actually came to a showcase.”

It’s not as if the young McCants’ talents and abilities have gone unnoticed, however. He played in six PG WWBA tournaments with the East Coast Sox travel ball program the last two years, and earned all-tournament recognition at three of them, including last summer’s PG WWBA 16u National Championship.

“I love the environment, the organization and just everything about it,” he said of his relationship with the EC Sox. “Keeping God first and letting everybody know why you’re here because of the Lord and thanking him every day with the devotions we do at every tournament.

“The coaches are awesome – it’s just an amazing organization – and I would advise anybody who is looking for a travel team to look up the East Coast Sox and see what they’re doing.”

After playing with the MLB Breakthrough Series 16u team at the PG WWBA Underclass World Championship here in Fort Myers in early October, McCants joined the East Coast Sox Select squad for the PG WWBA World Championship a week later.

That’s the monster scouting event that has been held over in Jupiter, Fla., the last 21 years and it proved to be an unforgettable experience for the 17-year-old underclassman.

“It was definitely eye-opening seeing the best competition from (the class of) 2020,” McCants said. “With all the ace pitchers we faced … it was a great experience. Being out there, you weren’t known as the younger guy, you were just known as another player. …

“It was kind of hard getting around with all the golf carts if you were going from one side of the (complex) to the other, but I loved it; it was awesome,” he added. “If I could do it again right now, I’d fast-forward to next year’s Jupiter.”

He’s already come a long way. Jordan McCants began playing baseball as a 4-year-old with his dad coaching both he and TJ, a 2020 middle-infielder ranked No. 144 nationally.

The brothers are extremely close and have been playing with each other since their T-ball days. They are extremely competitive, a character trait that has benefitted both of them as they make their baseball journey through high school and on into college.

Yes, they are fierce competitors but, according to Jordan, at the end of the day they’re brothers first and they love and root for each other every step of the way. Jordan has always looked up to his older brother and considers him to be an outstanding role model.

The McCants brothers are the sons of Torianno and Felicia McCants, both of whom were with Jordan at the jetBlue Park complex on Saturday. They were collegiate athletes themselves, with Torianno playing baseball at Pensacola State College and Felicia playing basketball at the University of West Florida.

“He’s the reason why I picked up a bat in the first place, the reason that I’ve kept playing (baseball),” Jordan said of his dad. “He’s just helped me keep my head on straight.”

This showcase experience is a first for Jordan McCants but it is not a first for the McCants family. TJ McCants was at the PG Sunshine East Showcase here in Fort Myers in 2017 and then performed at the 2019 PG National Showcase out in Phoenix in June.

“It’s been awesome,” Torianno said, speaking of watching both his sons grow and prosper in the game. “I’d been their coach their entire lives until they got to high school and I turned them over to their coaches. It’s just been amazing to sit back on the outside of the fence and watch them play their game and see their maturation from then until now. It’s been an awesome ride.”

Having watched his sons perform on several of PG’s biggest stages, Torianno didn’t doubt for a minute that Jordan could come in here and immediately fit in.

“It’s amazing to come out and see the type of talent that attend these Perfect Game events,” he said. “Just to talk to the parents and see where everybody’s coming from. We’re from Florida and it’s amazing to talk to people from Detroit from New York from Chicago.”

As for Jordan, well, it’s pretty simple: “I just like interacting with everybody from all over the place,” he said Saturday. “It lets me know that everybody is doing the same work as me and I need to work even harder when I get back home.”

He went on to say that when he heads back home to the western reaches of the Florida Panhandle on Monday he hopes to do so knowing that he has made some new life-long friends who enjoy playing the game of baseball as much as he does.

A young man of deep faith, McCants also hopes he’s able to share a few words about God and the teachings of Jesus Christ, all while putting forth maximum effort on the field.

“Just keep going 110 percent like I’ve been saying,” Jordan said. “When I leave I want to be able to say I did the best that I can do and just praise God while I’m doing it.”

His dad also hopes Jordan can keep things in the proper perspective, which he certainly seems capable of doing.

“We want him to come out and play to the best of his ability but we also want him just  to understand the level of competition that he’s out here competing against,” Torianno said. “Just to understand that he’s got a lot of work still to do and just to go home and continue to work and progress.”

McCants said he put a lot of thought into his decision to commit to Mississippi State, and his parents ultimately let him decide where he wanted to continue his academic and baseball careers. He said he has a deep fondest for both Ole Miss and State, but ultimately felt like MSU provided the best fit.

Jordan also said he knew there were going to be a lot of people who would wonder why he would choose to join a top college program that just happens to be the arch-rival of the one his brother committed to, but he and TJ decided to go to the school at which they were most comfortable.

“He just accepted it,” Jordan said of his brother. “He said 'I’m still going to love you, you’re still my brother,' so I just chose Mississippi State.”

Jordan McCants can still look forward to two more seasons of high school baseball at Pensacola Catholic and another important summer and fall performing at PG events in 2020. And then, two or three years down the road, the McCants family can look forward to visiting those rockin’ SEC stadiums in Starkville and Oxford and cheer on their sons.

“That’s going to be some fun times, going to watch those games,” Torianno McCants said. “The biggest thing is going to be me and Mom deciding who’s going to wear Ole Miss and who’s going to wear Mississippi State shirts when we go to the game.” Fun times, indeed.
Give us your feedback
Showcase | Story | 8/13/2026

PG Honors Pat Gillick With Philly Showcase
Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
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...
Read More
College | Story | 8/21/2026

2027 Draft Preview: Collegiate Right-anders

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
High School | General | 8/17/2026

Scott Wins MVP Two Ways

Jim Salisbury
Article Image
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...
Read More
All American Game | Story | 8/16/2026

Romero Slams His Way to Classic MVP

Jim Salisbury
Article Image
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...
Read More
All American Game | Story | 8/15/2026

A Philly Dream for Steingall

Jim Salisbury
Article Image
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...
Read More
General | General | 8/13/2026

PG All-Star Game Heads to Philly

Jheremy Brown
Article Image
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...
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.