THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,384 MLB PLAYERS | 15,803 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,384 MLB PLAYERS | 15,803 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Create Account
Sign in Create Account
Showcase  | Story | 12/15/2021

FAQ Showcase Questions: Part 2

Perfect Game Staff
Pre-Showcase FAQs Part 1

For many heading into their first Perfect Game showcase, there’s an element of the unknown for players and families as they simply haven’t experienced an event in a showcase setting before. In part 1 we looked to answer some frequently asked questions and provide players and families as much information as possible heading into the event. In part 2’s installment, we take a look at what to expect once the showcase is underway, what our scouts are looking for, and how to maximize your exposure throughout the weekend among your peers. The final piece, part 3, will break down the metrics every player will accumulate throughout the weekend from all parts of the showcase. 

With the addition of Prospect Gateways (13U/14U) to the Perfect Game showcase schedule, players now have the opportunity to attend at a younger age, post a baseline of numbers and watch their progress over the years. Whether it’s a Prospect Gateway or the National Showcase with 300 of the top rising seniors, the structure of a Perfect Game showcase remains the same, providing continuity from one event to the next. Each segment of a Perfect Game showcase is used in each player's evaluation by our scouts, from the 60-yard time to their performance throughout drills and the live action portion of the event.

This article will answer the most popular question, “what are scouts looking for?” It’s a rather simple question but the answer is not. Scouts are looking at a variety of factors throughout the event.



There is no right or wrong answer when it comes to scouts as “talent is in the eye of the beholder” and two seasoned scouts may see different things evaluating the same process. Below is a brief process of what goes into every aspect of a Perfect Game showcase and what we have seen and been asked many times by players and parents. 

All players start by running the 60-yard dash and while notes may not be taken, every time is recorded along with their 10-yard split time, allowing a quick snapshot of their athleticism and twitch. From there we move into the workout portion of the event and that’s where we can begin to break down “what scouts are looking for.” 

It’s worth noting that a player’s overall potential and what our scouts project long term is factored into all aspects of a player’s performance and evaluation. 

Outfielders: Starting in right field, players will make two throws to third base and three throws to home plate, putting their arm strength on display. One of the first things we notice is how a player fields, moves to the baseball and whether they have proper footwork on the approach, while working through their release. Both their arm speed, arm action, the release point, accuracy and carry on flight are evaluated. All of these traits, along with arm strength, can result in a beautiful throw to the intended target, checking a lot of boxes in this drill setting. 

Infielders: The PG showcase method: One ground ball at the player, two to the backhand, one forehand up the middle and a charge play on a slow roller, all from shortstop. That means we want to see your footwork, moving to the backhand, how you maintain balance and if you can turn the glove over cleanly. Does this player show lateral range, can they throw on the run or off balance? One thing we see throughout the country during showcases are players who take a few extra steps to load up for the radar gun and while that can help post a big number on your profile and show your raw arm strength, it’s not how you’d play in a game setting and takes away from your true actions. That said, still show off your arm strength as it’s a critical tool in the evaluation process, just don’t sacrifice your actions in doing so! Like any position on the field, accuracy is important. While big arm strength is impressive, without accuracy it isn’t very usable in a game setting. 

First Basemen: While the attention is on the infielders at shortstop during their drills, their throws across also allow us a quick look at the first basemen with how they adjust to throws mid-flight, their flexibility, as well as their glove skill when it comes to picking balls out of the dirt. When it comes time to fully evaluate the first basemen, we get a further look into what we already saw while adding a couple pieces to the puzzle. We look to see how they move on their feet away from the base, how they pivot when making the throw to second base and of course their arm strength, carry and accuracy to the intended base. First basemen will work through a sequence of five ground balls: the first two they play deep and showcase their arm strength to third base, then play one deep to turn a double play, hold the runner on and start a double play before standing even with the base on a slow roller charge play to third base.

Catchers: The drills provide our first look at catchers and an important one as we get to see their mechanical profile for five throws down to second base whereas in live action we may only see one or two at best. That means game-like actions, pace, and mechanics are important in evaluating. Setting up behind the plate as one would in a game during drills is critical in the evaluation process. While starting with a higher set behind the plate or partially turned with shoulders and hips pre-pitch will help quicken your pop time, the prospect isn’t showcasing their true actions which our scouts make note of. Non-game actions can result in having a higher pop time during drills but that is factored into the evaluation process by our scouts and thus the defensive grade may not fall in line with the recorded pop time. Within those five throws scouts are looking how the ball is received, the cleanliness and quickness of the transfer into throwing hand, footwork, athleticism and overall flexibility, as well as their release, arm quickness and of course arm strength, carry and accuracy down to second base. 

•            When it comes to working out at a position, showcase where you envision yourself playing at the next level. Don’t tire your arm out at a secondary position just to show arm strength and ultimately take away from your performance at your primary position.

What do scouts look for in pitchers?
•            The first thing associated with pitchers more often than not is velocity but that’s just one piece of the puzzle in the total evaluation process. Our scouts look at everything from body type, to mechanical operation and arm action, ability to replicate movement patterns and release point, mound presence, command and control, feel for secondary pitches, overall pitchability and much more. Just because a pitcher doesn’t light up the radar guns yet doesn’t mean the player won’t catch our attention, especially at the Prospect Gateway events, as no two pitchers are the same in terms of development, both physically and on the diamond. 

We’ve seen players who are near physical maturity working upper-80s or better but don’t have the ability to harness within the strike zone and they may get the same overall PG Grade as a long and loose, projectable arm working in the low-80s but shows command of the zone and the makings of quality off-speed pitches.

•            If you’re a two-way prospect but a primary pitcher first and want to work out from a position during the drills portion, you can request to pitch on Sunday so that you aren’t getting your arm hot for drills and then cooling down until game time. 

What are the Perfect Game scouts looking at in batting practice?
•            Every player will get 10 swings during their round of batting practice while switch-hitters will get six swings from each side. Just like pitchers, there are a variety of things we look at for every batter aside from the obvious, which in this case is the result off the barrel. The mechanics are evaluated during batting practice, looking at whether they can repeat them, how their balance is, and how will it translate against live pitching?

•            All the components of a swing are broken down as well, from the hand load to timing trigger, length of swing and overall bat speed, whether there’s extension out front and the ability to square the ball up regularly. Of course, these are just some examples before getting into the overall results. In a wood bat setting, it’s understood that some players may not be able to impact the ball yet. They can still show ability to the barrel while squaring up eight of their ten balls and as the player grows stronger, it’s only a matter of time before the ball starts jumping. 

•            How does the ball jump off of the barrel? Can the player work to all fields with authority or intent? Is there present power and do the swing mechanics foreshadow power to come?

Why is your Perfect Game profile important? 
•            Think of your PG profile as a baseball resume of sorts with college coaches being the job interviewer. Often when a name is passed to a college coach the first thing they do is pull up a player’s profile, review the metrics, and watch the video. This is another reason why showing your true actions, fundamentals and arm strength are important as they will be on your profile for all to see. SHOW YOUR ACTIONS, SHOW YOUR ARM, PLAY YOUR GAME! 

What are things Perfect Game scouts are looking at during live game play?
•        Live play is important as we get to see how the drills portion translate into game play. How’s the first step quickness of the infielder, can they adjust to the ball, how are their overall instincts, how does an outfielder track off the bat, can the catcher frame and present pitches all around the zone, how are their throws down to second base with a batter in the box? It also gives us plenty of looks at a player’s game swing, how they can adjust to off speed, do they have an approach/plan at the plate? While players get to showcase their speed at the start of the showcase during the 60-yard dash, scouts also mark down times from home to first, seeing how the speed translates down the line for 90 feet, so run out those ground balls!
Give us your feedback
Showcase | Story | 1/6/2026

PG Leaderboard: Class of 2027
Jheremy Brown
Article Image
Complete PG Leaderboard Database PG Leaderboard: Class of 2026 To think this group still has another two years of high school is a scary thought given what some of the category leaders already are. Samir Mohammed up to 97 mph on the mound, Bryce Fontenot with a max exit velocity of 103 mph and a 6.22 60-yard out of Dylan Seward are all otherworldly numbers that you'd expect to find on a college campus, much less a junior in high school.  Below we check in on several categories for the Class of 2027 and will continue to do so through the week, taking in the top 10 for each, from both Perfect Game showcases and tournaments.  Top Fastball Velocity Rk Player FB Event Commitment School Hometown 1 Samir Mohammed 97 2025 PG WWBA World Championship Louisiana State Tampa Jesuit Trinity, FL 2 Connor Salerno 96 2025 PG WWBA World Championship Mississippi State Sun Valley Indian Trail, NC...
Read More
College | Story | 1/23/2026

Conference Preview: American

Craig Cozart
Article Image
2026 College Preview Index | Preseason Top 25 | Preseason Collegiate All-Americans For all of Perfect Game's conference previews as part of the 2026 college baseball preview content, the 2025 records and all-conference teams are available for free. The conference top prospects and individual team breakdowns can be viewed with a subscription. 2025 Records Teams are listed in alphabetical order*  Team W L W L UBA 24 30 8 19 Charlotte 36 22 18 9 East Carolina 35 27 13 14 Florida Atlantic 37 21 15 12 Memphis 22 33 8 19 Rice 17 40 10 17 South Florida 31 25 16 11 UTSA 47 15 23 4 Tulane 33 25 13 14 Wichita State 19 35 11 16 Preseason All-Conference Team Pos. Name School Stats/Notes C Andrew Stucky UTSA .324/.514/.467 with 6 HRs, 40 RBI; durable 6-0/192 backstop with elite defensive skills and a wealth of experience, returning 1st team all-conference member 1B Cody...
Read More
College | Story | 1/22/2026

Conference Preview: Big 10

Troy Sutherland
Article Image
2026 College Preview Index | Preseason Top 25 | Preseason Collegiate All-Americans For all of Perfect Game's conference previews as part of the 2026 college baseball preview content, the 2025 records and all-conference teams are available for free. The conference top prospects and individual team breakdowns can be viewed with a subscription. 2025 Records Teams are listed in alphabetical order*  Team W L W L Illinois 30 24 14 16 Indiana 32 24 16 14 Iowa 33 22 21 9 Maryland 27 29 12 18 Michigan 33 23 16 14 Michigan State 28 27 13 17 Minnesota 24 28 10 20 Nebraska 33 29 15 15 Northwestern 25 27 13 17 Ohio State 13 37 5 25 Oregon 42 16 22 8 Penn State 33 23 15 15 Purdue 31 23 11 19 Rutgers 29 28 15 15 UCLA 48 18 22 8 USC 37 23 18 12 Washington 29 28 17 13 Preseason All-Conference Team Pos. Name School Stats/Notes C Mason Eckelman Ohio State Taken steps forward--...
Read More
General | Blog | 1/21/2026

Wolforth Throwing Mentorship: Article 61

Ron Wolforth
Article Image
Demystifying the Curveball, Pitch Counts, and Weighted Balls- Part 1 You know what I love about the holidays? Good food, time with family, and the unspoken rule that nobody brings up religion or politics at the dinner table.   Why? Because they're powder kegs. Topics that bring out deep-seated beliefs and strong emotions.  Well, I accidentally lit one of those powder kegs recently, except it wasn't at the dinner table. It was on social media.   Our team posted a short clip of me at Boot Camp making what I thought was a pretty straightforward point: simply avoiding the curveball is far from a guarantee of arm health.   I wasn't trying to be provocative. I was just stating what I believed to be obvious after 30 years of doing this work.  But boy, did a few people have problems with it.   It became one of the most discussed posts in Ranch history....
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 1/20/2026

Back-to-Back MLK East for Phillies

Hannah Jo Groves
Article Image
TBT Phillies Scout run rules for second straight MLK East Championship The 14U TBT Phillies Scout Team overtook A3 Academy Futures 14-6 in the final game to win their second straight 2026 MLK East Championship. Though the skies were blue and the sun was out in Fort Myers, Florida, the air was very chilly. The wind whipped through the palm trees as players, parents and friends piled into the 5-Plex Player Development Complex bundled up in blankets, hoodies and beanies.  The A3 Academy Futures were first up to bat - and the TBT Phillies struggled through the first frame. The first run came across on a balk; the second came soon after off a double from Gabriel Messing. “I was surprised that they scored right away off the jump,” Kingston George said, an outfielder for TBT Phillies Scout and this year’s MVP of the 14U East MLK championship. “We were kind of quiet...
Read More
College | Story | 1/21/2026

Conference Preview: Big 12

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
2026 College Preview Index | Preseason Top 25 | Preseason Collegiate All-Americans For all of Perfect Game's conference previews as part of the 2026 college baseball preview content, the 2025 records and all-conference teams are available for free. The conference top prospects and individual team breakdowns can be viewed with a subscription. 2025 Records Teams are listed in alphabetical order*  Team W L W L Arizona 44 21 18 12 Arizona State 36 24 18 12 Baylor 33 22 13 17 BYU 28 27 10 20 Cincinnati 33 26 16 14 Houston 30 25 12 17 Kansas 43 17 20 10 Kansas State 32 26 17 13 Oklahoma State 30 25 15 12 TCU 39 20 19 11 Texas Tech 20 33 13 17 UCF 29 26 9 21 Utah 21 29 8 22 West Virginia 44 16 19 9 Preseason All-Conference Team Pos. Name School Stats/Notes C Jackson Natili Cincinnati .338/9/53; well-rounded bat with bat to ball skills and strong catch and throw 1B Brady...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 1/20/2026

A New Path to the Next Level

Jim Salisbury
Article Image
A New Path to the Next Level: Inside Perfect Game’s College Instructional Series An important new PG event will help aspiring college players grow, get noticed COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The changing environment of college baseball has led to an innovative new event at Perfect Game, one that will connect high school players looking for an opportunity at the next level with the coaches who may be able to provide one. On top of it all, there will be plenty of expert instruction along with the spirited, tournament-style competition that PG is known for. The College Instructional Series will take place at six regionalized venues starting this summer. “This event will serve an important purpose for players and coaches,” said Adam Revelette, PG’s senior director of events. “Everybody we’ve talked to is very intrigued about the platform.” The event is geared...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 1/20/2026

MLK West Scout Notes: Days 3-4

Steve Fiorindo
Article Image
MLK West Scout Notes: Days 1-2 Markus Chandler, RHP, Westside HS Class of 2027 A little on the undersized side as a sub 6 footer, but Chandler can generate some velo and spin.  Spun 3 frames of hitless ball for Spects National with zero walks and 6 strikeouts.  Committed to Kansas State, the righty ran the fastball to 92, living 89-92 pumping the zone with 75 percent strikes.  Looked like two different breaking balls, with the SL 80/81 (spin in 2500’s) and curveball 75/76.  No hard contact, little contact at all off the righty in this dominant outing. To follow up the pitching performance, Chandler swung the bat well on Championship Monday (Trademark Pending) with 5 RBI and three hits on the day, regularly on the barrel.  Trevor Alons, RHP, Centennial HS Class of 2028 Lean framed sophomore with a quick, whippy arm.  Playing up a few classes, you might...
Read More
College | Story | 1/20/2026

Conference Preview: Oregon State

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
2026 College Preview Index | Preseason Top 25 | Preseason Collegiate All-Americans For all of Perfect Game's conference previews as part of the 2026 college baseball preview content, the 2025 records and all-conference teams are available for free. The conference top prospects and individual team breakdowns can be viewed with a subscription. 2025 Record W L T Oregon State 48 16 1 Impact Player: Easton Talt, OF Impact Pitcher: Dax Whitney, RHP Impact Freshman: Mason Pike, RHP/MIF 2026 MLB Draft Prospects 1. Ethan Kleinschmit, LHP 2. Eric Segura, RHP 3. Zach Edwards*, RHP 4. Easton Talt, OF 5. Jacob Kreig, 1B 6. Wyatt Queen, RHP 7. AJ Singer, IF 8. Eli Gries-Smith, OF 9. Noah Scott, RHP 10. Paul Vazquez*, IF 11. Nyan Hayes, OF 12. AJ Hutcheson, RHP 13. Tyler Inge*, 3B 14. Bryson Glassco, IF 15. Jacob Galloway, C 2027 MLB Draft Prospects 1. Dax Whitney, RHP 2. Adam...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 1/18/2026

MLK West Scout Notes: Days 1-2

Steve Fiorindo
Article Image
Cole Migaki (‘29 WA) w/ one of his 5 K’s thru 2-innings. FB 84-86 coupled w/ a firm BB that has 11/5 shape sitting 77-77. Balanced operation w/ a live, loose arm. Athletic frame at 6-ft, 170 that projects #MLKWest @PG_PacificNW pic.twitter.com/iBgAoajNUM — Perfect Game Four Corners (@PG_FourCorners) January 16, 2026 Cole Migaki (2029 Vancouver, WA) Was lights out in his start on Friday at MLK West, only needing 42 pitches to get thru three-innings and did not allow a hit or run while punching out 8.  Migaki overwhelmed opposing hitters, running his fastball up to 86 and mixing in a firm breaking ball at 75-77 with 11-5 shape and depth.  The athletic 6-foot, 170-pound right-hander is the top ranked third base prospect in the state of Washington for the class of 2029, collecting a couple of hits in his five at-bats and drove in a run.  Excellent start to...
Read More
Press Release | Press Release | 1/16/2026

Perfect Game Hires Blakeley As Regional Dir.

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
    667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923  www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA      FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE    PERFECT GAME HIRES ERIC BLAKELEY AS REGIONAL DIRECTOR    Sanford, Florida (Friday, January 16, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced the hiring of Eric Blakeley as a Regional Director. Blakeley brings more than two decades of experience in elite baseball and softball events, along with an accomplished background as both a collegiate and professional player.    Blakeley joins Perfect Game after building the highly respected Crossroads Baseball Series, where for more than 20 years he developed and operated baseball...
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.