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Tournaments  | Rankings  | 4/17/2020

PG Tourney MVPs, MV-Pitchers

Patrick Ebert      Nate Schweers     
Photo: Michael Neustifter (Perfect Game)

Multiple MVP and MV-Pitchers at Perfect Game tournament events have always been an interesting topic of discussion. As any player will tell you, being (and staying) at such a high level for your travel team at such competitive events is no easy task, and to do it more than once just speaks to the consistent production these players provide, particularly considering an event MVP is usually from the event’s winning or runner-up team.

Michael Neustifter recently shared his compelling story with Daron Sutton on MLB Roundtrip with Perfect Game on MLB Network Radio and that conversation sparked our memories to when Neustifter was a dominant force for the Dallas Patriots from 2012 through 2015, a span of four travel circuit seasons that resulted in 10 All-Tournament Team selections, four MVP awards and three championships. He also was named to the 2015 17u PG Tournament All-American Team for his accomplishments that year both in the batter’s box and on the mound.

LISTEN: Neustifter on MLB Roundtrip with Perfect Game

Ten years earlier Josh Smoker had a similar impact for the East Cobb Astros. The 2006 PG All-American and 2007 first-round pick of the Washington Nationals was dominant every time he took the mound, earning MV-Pitcher honors four times from 2004-2006, including at back-to-back WWBA World Championships in Jupiter. His East Cobb squads earned championships at the 2004 and 2005 WWBA Underclass World Championship and the 2005 WWBA World Championship.

As you’ll see on the list below the addition of youth-level events has added more opportunities for even younger players to make their own impact at PG tournaments. Andruw Jones has already earned five MVP honors and he’s still two years away from being draft eligible. Anthony Tralongo is two years younger than Jones with four MVP awards at PG events, not to mention the MVP award he earned at last summer’s inaugural 13u PG Select Festival.

Eight of the 13 players that have received three MVP awards are from the 2022, 2023, 2024 or 2025 graduating classes, meaning they all have ample opportunities to put their names in unchartered waters moving forward.

Much of the same is true among the pitchers. After Smoker there are 13 players who have earned three Most Valuable Pitcher honors at PG tournament events. Seven of those 13 are from the high school classes of 2022-2025.

Dylan Lesko, the No. 1 overall prospect in the high school class of 2022, may be poised to join Smoker in a class amongst themselves. Also a product of the East Cobb program, Lesko was most recently named the MV-Pitcher at the PG High School Showdown and already has received All-Tournament honors 25 times and nine PG event championships.

Players with Multiple PG Tourney MVP Awards

No. Player Class Hometown ST
5 Andruw Jones 2022 Suwanee GA
4 Michael Neustifter 2016 Carrollton TX
4 Anthony Tralongo 2024 Wellington FL
3 Jayson Jones 2022 Savannah TX
3 Blake Grimmer 2023 Spring Lake MI
3 Ethan Stamps 2020 Madison GA
3 Conner Bennett 2023 Spring TX
3 Jacob Kendall 2025 Jacksonville FL
3 Caleb Brown 2024 Lilburn GA
3 Blake Rodgers 2023 Ringgold GA
3 John Anderson 2020 Suwanee GA
3 Andrue Henry 2020 Dubuque IA
3 Jimmyll Williams 2023 Durham NC
3 Brady House 2021 Winder GA
3 Preston Hartsell 2018 Newport Coast CA
3 Drew Waters 2017 Woodstock GA

Andruw Jones
Currently the No. 4 player in the 2022 class, Jones has taken home five MVP awards. Jones claimed MVP awards at back-to-back events in 2019 hitting .714 with five RBI at the 15u Summer Showdown and posting a .533 average with three scoreless innings on the mound as well. Jones has dominated regional events in the Southeast, taking home MVP honors at 13u, 14u and 15u events.

Michael Neustifter
A 2016 grad, Neustifter put together quite a run at PG events during his prep career, taking home MVP honors at marquee events in three straight years. The Texan took earned MVP awards at the 14u BCS Finals and 14u WWBA National Championship in 2012 before again shining at the PG World Series in ’13 and ’14. Neustifter’s three-year run is still regarded as an all-time great performance at PG events historically.

Anthony Tralongo
Still just a 2024 grad, Tralongo has already taken home MVP honors at four different PG Tournaments. The third baseman had quite the run in 2019, receiving MVP honors at the 13u East MLK Championship, East Memorial Day Classic and Florida World Series. Tralongo proved he can shine on the big stage as well, earning MVP honors at the inaugural 13u PG Select Festival in August.

Jayson Jones
Ranked as the No. 78 player in the 2022 class, Jones has earned MVP honors at three different Super25 events in his PG career. Jones’ performance at the 2016 12u Super25 National Championship sparked a title for the Dallas Tigers-Polk, their second tournament victory of the year.

Blake Grimmer
After earning his first MVP award at the 2017 PG 12u Invitational, Grimmer won a pair of MVP awards in 2019. The Tennessee commit took home the honors at back-to-back events, batting .533 with seven RBI at the PG 14u Elite Showdown and collecting five extra-base hits with another seven RBI at the 14u Spring Frost. Grimmer finished 2019 getting on base at a .486 clip and is poised for even more success in 2020.

Ethan Stamps
A long-time PG performer as a member of the class of 2020, Stamps really came into his own with a trio of MVP performances in 2019. At the PG/East Cobb Invitational in June, Stamps went 9-for-14 and took home both MVP honors and a co-tournament championship with the East Cobb Astros. Stamps continued his June dominance, taking home the honors at the 17u National Championship Qualifier and putting together a four-home run performance at the 18u WWBA.

Conner Bennett
A 2019 14u PG Select Festival participant, Bennett has taken home MVP honors at three different events in his PG career. After earning a pair of MVP awards at two Texas Regional events in 2018, Bennett hit .571 with a home run and seven RBI at the 2019 PG 14u TX Spring Kickoff in Tomball last February.

Jacob Kendall
Though just a 2025 grad and only beginning to scratch the surface of his PG career, Kendall posted three MVP performances in 2019, most notably at the PG 13u Fall World Series. Kendall went 7-for-15 at event, posting three extra-base hits and swiping four bases.

Caleb Brown
Brown has dominated the PG Spring Frost in back-to-back years and showed his muscle during the Sunday Series in 2019 as well. The 2024 grad and Georgia native earned Tourney All-American honors for his performance over those 12 months and hit above the .500 mark in all three MVP performances.

Blake Rodgers
Now a freshman, Rodgers has earned three MVP performances at youth events on the PG circuit. Most recently, the 2023 grad earned MVP honors at the 2019 PG 14u March Mayhem tournament, batting .667 and collecting three RBI during tournament play.

John Anderson
A three-time tournament MVP and National Showcase participant, Anderson started his dominance at PG events at the 13u Series Classic in 2015. Most recently, the Georgia Tech signee took home the MVP honors at the 17u BCS National Championship. Anderson hit .400 for the event and helped lead the East Cobb Astros to a runner-up finish.

Andrue Henry
Henry has risen to the top of the competition in both outdoor and indoor competition, winning a pair of MVP awards this past fall as well the same honors at the National Indoor League in 2018. Henry was 16-for-31 with 16 RBI during the two MVP performances in the fall and helped his Iowa Select team to a pair of trips to the championship game.

Jimmyll Williams
A three-time tournament MVP, Williams has already shown an ability to excel in some of Perfect Game’s Mid-Atlantic Regional events. Most recently, Williams turned in an MVP effort at the 13u Super25 North Carolina Super Qualifier while hitting .429 with a home run.

Brady House
A two-time PG Select Festival participant and the current No. 1 player in the 2021 class, House has been awarded three MVP awards as well as one MV-Pitcher trophy in his PG career. Most notably, House took home the MVP honors at the 2017 14u BCS National Championship with Team Elite. House hit .571 with 12 RBI for the event, leading Team Elite to a championship.

Preston Hartsell
A 2017 PG All-American, Hartsell earned three MVP awards at marquee events during his prep career. Hartsell first earned the honors at the 14u WWBA West Memorial Day Classic in 2014 before turning in another MVP performance at the California World Series a year later. Finally, and most impressive, Hartsell earned MVP honors with a .421, seven RBI performance at the WWBA World Championship in 2017.

Drew Waters
A five-time WWBA Tournament Champion and second-round pick of the Braves in 2017, Waters produced a trio of really impressive MVP performances in PG events. Waters earned the honors at the 2015 16u WWBA National Championship Qualifier along with a pair of MVP performances in 2016. Waters’ 643 DP Cougars team earned championships at all three events.

Players with Multiple PG Tourney MV-Pitcher Awards

No. Player Class Hometown ST
4 Josh Smoker 2007 Sugar Valley GA
3 Chaz Montoya 2016 Glendale AZ
3 Braylon Hall 2024 Knoxville TN
3 Braden Manning 2023 Fairfield PA
3 Brett Hanewich 2013 Bradenton FL
3 Jace Jones 2021 Ft Myers FL
3 Dylan Lesko 2022 Buford GA
3 Andrew Herrmann 2021 Kennesaw GA
3 Mikiah Negrete 2022 Yorba Linda CA
3 Jaden Agassi 2020 Las Vegas NV
3 Cameron Novak 2025 Canton GA
3 Jax Bishop 2025 Rome GA
3 Brett DeVall 2008 Niceville FL
3 Bailey Thorne 2024 Phenix City AL

Josh Smoker
Arguably the most dominant pitcher in PG’s rich tournament history, Smoker is the only player to record four MV-Pitcher awards in a career thus far. Smoker earned the award in back-to-back Jupiter appearances, leading some of the East Cobb teams of lore to deep runs at one of PG’s more prestigious events. Smoker’s command of the zone led to deep outings and plenty of shutout frames, and the southpaw was able to ride his left wing all the way to the big leagues in 2016.

Chaz Montoya
Ranked as the No. 1 lefthander in Arizona’s 2016 class, Montoya earned three MV-Pitcher awards during his time at PG events. The AZ Prowlers ace was able to earn the honors two years in a row at the PG MLK Championship, leading the group to a title during the 2015 edition of the event.

Braylon Hall
After earning his first MV-Pitcher award at the 11u One Day Showdown, the 2024 grad earned a pair of the honors at the 14u Major Sunday Series in 2019. Hall tossed scoreless innings in back-to-back Sunday Series events this fall, striking out a total of nine batters and allowing just six hits.

Braden Manning
Just a freshman, Manning has excelled on the mound in some regional events so far during his PG career. Manning earned his first MV-Pitcher honor in 2018 at a 12u Super25 Qualifier before earning the same honor at two different events in 2019. Most notably, Manning tossed eight scoreless innings at the 13u Northeast World Series and led his EvoShield Canes team to a championship.

Brett Hanewich
A ninth-round selection of the Angels in 2017, Hanewich earned three MV-Pitcher awards to go along with two MVP awards at PG events. Hanewich earned a pair of MV-Pitcher awards as a 14u player in 2009, dominating events such as the 14u WWBA National Championship and BCS Finals. Hanewich featured a low-90s fastball in his PG career and also attended the National Showcase.

Jace Jones
Jones has turned in impact performances at some marquee tournaments as well as the PG Series Classic. Jones turned in an MV-Pitcher worthy performance on the mound with Beast Mode Prime, tossing six strong innings with 10 strikeouts in a semifinal victory.

Dylan Lesko
With Smoker’s resumé being an extremely realistic goal, Lesko finds himself rapidly putting together an all-time PG career. The No. 1 player in the 2022 class, Lesko has three MV-Pitcher awards to his name, most recently taking home the honors at the PG High School Showdown in March. Lesko dazzled scouts and fans alike at the event, tossing a no-hitter and retiring 10 batters by strikeout.

Andrew Herrmann
A Wofford commit, Herrmann has three MV-Pitcher honors in his PG career. Most recently, Herrmann took home the honors at the WWBA National Qualifier at East Cobb after tossing seven scoreless innings over two appearances, striking out a total of 12 and allowing just three hits. The southpaw also took home two more MV-Pitcher awards at the East Cobb Complex in 2019, most notably at the 17u Summer Showdown.

Mikiah Negrete
Negrete is a San Diego commit that has won MV-Pitcher awards both on the PGBA circuit and Super25 events. Negrete most recently won the award at the So Cal Turkey Chase in 2017 and has made a pair of All-Tournament teams since the event. Negrete tossed three scoreless innings in his last PG event which was the 16u PG World Series.

Jaden Agassi 
Agassi has won three different MV-Pitcher awards for LVR, most recently at the West Memorial Day Classic in 2018. The Southern Cal signee also won a pair of MV-Pitcher awards during the 2016-17 year as well, taking home the honors at both the PG/EvoShield National Championship and West MLK Championship.

Cameron Novak
A member of the 2025 class, Novak is already putting together the makings of a strong PG career. Novak already has three MV-Pitcher awards to his name, most recently taking home the honors in the Major Division of the Spring Season Opener. The Georgia native has also been part of three Youth Tournament Championships with his 643 DP team.

Jax Bishop
Bishop won two of his three total MV-Pitcher awards in 2019, putting together strong performances at both the 12u (Major) Invitational and the March Mayhem tournament. Bishop did not allow a run over 11 innings pitched in the two events.

Brett DeVall
A 2007 PG All-American and the first round selection of the Braves in 2008, Devall turned in MV-Pitcher performances at some of PG’s biggest events. Devall first dominated at the WWBA 16u/’08 East Grad National Championship. After that Devall turned in MV-Pitcher performances at both the 18u BCS Finals and the WWBA World Championship, two of PG’s marquee events.

Bailey Thorne
Thorne is quickly becoming a name to know in the 2024 class, collecting Tourney All-American honors in 2019 and pitching at a high level in many marquee PG events. Thorne earned his first MV-Pitcher award in 2017, earning two more in 2019 at a pair of regional events in Georgia. Most recently, Thorne earned the honors after striking out 10 over four innings of work at the 14u Major Sunday Series.

The following players deserve recognition for winning multiple MVP and MV-Pitcher awards at Perfect Game events.

Patrick Holloman
A member of the inaugural 14u PG Select Festival in 2016, Holloman has been a regular on All-Tournament teams during his high school career being named PG All-Tourney a remarkable 33 times. He was the MVP at the 2016 PG 14u One-Day Showdown and the 2017 15u PG-East Cobb Invitational and earned MV-Pitcher honors at the 2016 14u WWBA National Championship and the 2017 PG Super25 15u North Carolina Super Qualifier. His Roadrunners earned four championships during that time, most notably the 2016 14u WWBA. Holloman was also named to the 14u (2016), 15u (2017) and 16u (2018) PG Tournament All-American Teams. He is part of the high school class of 2020 and has committed to play for Georgia.

Johnny King
A member of the class of 2024, King has already been named to 10 All-Tournament Teams as a member of the Gulf Coast Monarchs. He has twice earned MVP honors and twice earned MV-Pitcher honors, most notably doing so at last summer’s 12u BCS National Championship, and his Monarchs have won six PG tournaments.

Landon Ide
Also a member of the Gulf Coast Monarchs program, although a year younger than King as a part of the high school class of 2025, Ide has a pair of PG Series Classic MVPs from 2018-19 and two tournament MV-Pitcher awards. He’s a seven-time PG tournament champion and an 11-time All-Tournament Team honoree.
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