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Perfect Game All-American Classic to be played at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark
Perfect Game Announces That the Nation’s Top-Rated High School Baseball Players Will Compete in Oklahoma City
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (July 20, 2020) – Jerry Ford, President of Perfect Game announced today that the 2020 Perfect Game All-American Classic will take place on Friday, September 4 in Oklahoma City, Ok. This is the 18th annual edition of the country’s premier high school baseball All-Star Game and the first time in 12 years the game will not be played at Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres.
Far more than just a game, the event provides a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the players selected. While in Oklahoma City the players will participate in a series of baseball related activities in addition to a visit to the Oklahoma City National Memorial, site of the April 19, 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. In the weeks leading up to the event, players will have the opportunity to participate in a fund-raising effort to help support the Toby Keith Foundation’s OK Kids Korral, which benefits families with children battling difficult health conditions. This is a similar endeavor to previous fundraising efforts in San Diego where total donations over the years to Rady’s Children’s Hospital has surpassed $1 million.
“Our organization is excited to partner with Perfect Game and the OKC Convention & Visitors Bureau to play host to this event. We passionately believe in the value of amateur baseball and seek ways to align with those in our industry that support and grow a love of baseball. This event will be great for our community and we expect many in the metro area will want to visit Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark to enjoy watching some great baseball.” Michael Byrnes, President/GM, Oklahoma City Dodgers
The rosters are comprised of the 50 best high school seniors from across the nation. The players are identified and selected through a series of events, including the Perfect Game National Showcase – a collection of the top 300 prospects – held in mid-June in Hoover, AL. From there most of the final selections for the Classic are made.
Since the event’s inception in 2003, 228 of the players that have participated have gone on to become first-round draft picks in the MLB First-Year Amateur Player Draft. Nine of those players were selected with the first overall pick. In addition, 188 players that have participated have played in the Major Leagues including some of the game’s brightest stars.
Some of the game’s past participants include:
Kris Bryant 2016 National League MVP and 2015 NL Rookie of the Year
Corey Seager 2016 National League Rookie of the Year
Rick Porcello 2016 American League Cy Young
Bryce Harper 2015 National League MVP and 2012 NL Rookie of the Year
Carlos Correa 2015 American League Rookie of the Year
Madison Bumgarner 2014 NLCS and World Series MVP
Andrew McCutchen 2013 National League MVP
Jose Fernandez 2013 National League Rookie of the Year
Buster Posey 2012 National League MVP and 2010 NL Rookie of the Year
Jeremy Hellickson 2011 American League Rookie of the Year
Other notable PG All-Americans include Major League All-Stars Javier Baez, Alex Bregman, Gerrit Cole, Justin Upton, Sonny Gray, D.J. LeMahieu, Francisco Lindor, Freddie Freeman, Dellin Betances and Lance McCullers. Rawlings Gold Glove winners that have played in the Classic include Freeman, Hellickson, LeMahieu, Lindor, McCutchen, Jason Heyward and Eric Hosmer.
The 2020 Perfect Game All-American Classic will be streamed live on PerfectGame.TV. Rosters for the 2020 Classic will be unveiled on the PGAAC Selection Show on PerfectGame.TV. The Selection Show will air on Friday, July 24th, immediately following the 17U WWBA Championship Game at approximately 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.
“This has been a very difficult year for everyone, including Perfect Game. We found out a few weeks ago that we could not play the PGAAC at Petco Park in San Diego. The Padres have been great partners for more than a decade. We are excited that we found a home this year at the beautiful Chickasaw Bricktown Ball Park, the Dodgers AAA Stadium in Oklahoma City. While many things will be different from past All American Classics, we will still showcase the very best high school prospects for next year's MLB Draft. It is always exciting to see the very best perform and this year is no exception. We would like to thank the many people in OKC for helping us out this year. We look forward to running many of our featured events here in the future.” Jerry Ford, Founder and President, Perfect Game
“The San Diego Padres, City of San Diego, and Rady Children’s Hospital have enjoyed a wonderful history with Perfect Game and the Perfect Game Cares Foundation in hosting the Perfect Game All American Classic at Petco Park since 2009. While the pandemic has caused the game to be moved this summer, we will be following the 2020 event and the great cause it represents. We look forward to working with Perfect Game in San Diego again in the future.” San Diego Padres Senior Executive Team
Blue Ridge Sports returns to serve as the logistical planning partner of the Classic. For more information about the event please visit www.perfectgame.org.
About Perfect Game
Perfect Game is considered the elite amateur baseball scouting organization in existence, producing over 1200 tournaments and showcases each year across the country. Perfect Game is dedicated to giving amateur players exposure to take their game to the next level, whether that be in college or in the professional ranks. At Perfect Game events, players are performing with top-level competition in front of college recruiters and professional scouts from all over the country. Because of this, these events prove to be invaluable to the college coaches as well as Major League Baseball as they can scout a large population of talented ballplayers in one location. To date, 1370 players that have played in a Perfect Game event have also played in Major League Baseball. Since 2003, 12,776 Perfect Game alumni have been selected in the MLB First-Year Amateur Player Draft.