THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,576 MLB PLAYERS | 16,376 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,576 MLB PLAYERS | 16,376 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Tournaments  | Story | 6/3/2021

Winter Work Fueling Success For Knaak

Photo: Aidan Knaak (Knaak family)
Throughout the winter offseason, Aidan Knaak had one goal on his mind: an invite to the 2021 Perfect Game Jr. National Showcase. To do so, he knew he had to work.
 
Knaak, a right-handed pitcher in the 2023 class, believes he’s always had command of his arsenal of four pitches. The Fort Myers, Fla. native put out a stellar performance at the 2020 National Underclass Showcase-Main Event in December, locating his stuff and shutting down some of the top bats in his class. However, Knaak’s fastball topped out at 84 mph and sat in the low-80s. To get his invite, Knaak began to grind to build velocity.
 
“Velocity has been a big part of this offseason for me,” Knaak said. “Locating has never really been an issue, but I needed to get some extra velo behind my pitches.”
 
On his quest for more miles per hour, Knaak, who ranks on the High Follow list by Perfect Game, started to go to Randy Sullivan’s Florida Baseball ARMory. The ARMory, which specializes in young pitchers building velocity on their fastballs, trains many of the Gulf Coast’s top talents, along with major leaguers such as Jake Odorizzi, Jamison Taillon and Justin Verlander. At the ARMory, Knaak got into weightlifting, focusing on deadlift and split squats to build power behind his delivery. In doing so, Knaak says he has put on 10-15 pounds in the past five months.
 
On top of his budding strength, Knaak has also continued to grow. Knaak’s father, Robert, says that the 16-year-old has gained two inches over the last few months. He now stands at 5-foot-11 and has filled more into his frame, weighing in at 170 pounds.
 
“He’s always been a good pitcher in terms of his delivery and off-speed stuff,” Robert said. “But the work he’s put in with the ARMory has really taken his game to the next level.”
 
As the summer season began, Aidan was determined to display his new skills. Participating in the 2021 Sunshine East Showcase, his fastball climbed as high as 89 mph and now sat in the high-80s. Knaak was named to the Showcase’s Top Prospect List amongst many of the region’s highest talents for his performance. Going into his first competitive tournament of the summer, the 2021 PG 16u East Memorial Day Classic, Knaak focused on building off his strong showing.
 
“I was feeling good and feeling confident,” Knaak said. “I was locating well and starting to break hitters down and just focused on doing that.”
 
At the East Memorial Day Classic, Knaak looked as dominant as he’d ever been. Playing for the Florida Burn 2023, Knaak started the team’s first game on Saturday, May 29, against Victus Elite Fl. He only threw two innings but fanned six batters, recording every out via strikeout and only allowing one hit and no walks in the process. Knaak then took the bump against the X Team 2023 in the tournament’s quarterfinals and continued his command of opposing batters. Hurling five shutout innings, Knaak struck out six more batters, allowing just one hit and one walk, with a fastball ranging from 85-89 mph. Despite the Burn losing in the championship game, Knaak took home MV-Pitcher honors, which he was truly honored to receive.
 
“I felt like my hard work paid off,” Knaak said. “I worked really hard over the past five months, and I was starting to get recognized for it.”
 
While Knaak’s increased velocity has undoubtedly enhanced his performance on the mound, he contributes a lot of his success to his off-speed pitches. Knaak throws a curveball, slider and changeup, which all range from the low- to mid-70s. However, Knaak made use of this past year’s shutdown to develop a new pitch, a splitter, which he says was a critical factor in putting away hitters last weekend at the East Memorial.
 
“I had a lot of free time during quarantine, so I decided to develop this new pitch,” Knaak said. “I was already able to locate my other pitches, so I was like, ‘why not have another pitch?’ I think it gives me a bigger advantage over hitters too.”
 
Despite his new notoriety, Knaak is currently uncommitted. However, with the NCAA baseball recruiting period opening up on June 8, college coaches will likely come seeking Knaak’s elite velocity and breaking ball.
 
Since setting those goals in December, Knaak has receiving an invite to the 2021 Jr. National Showcase, which takes place at the East Cobb Complex in Marietta, Ga., from June 12-16, where he will get a chance to be seen by more programs and scouts.
 
“We’re really excited about him getting to play against good competition,” Robert said. “It will be really good for him to compete against elite talent.”
 
Knowing the recent precedent he’s set in Perfect Game events, Aidan wants to continue to make a name for himself and showcase his growing abilities.
 
“Playing in the [East Memorial Day] Classic was a great experience,” Knaak said. “Pitching well in an event like that, I now need to really prove to myself and everyone else that I can continue to do what I know I can do.”

Tournaments | Story | 7/21/2026

16U BCS Rolls into Fort Myers

Alyssa Golden
Article Image
The 21st annual 16U BCS National Championship returns to Fort Myers, Florida from July 23-27, bringing together many of the nation’s top 2028 graduates. The tournament features 44 teams, including six nationally ranked clubs, competing for a national title across five days of high-level competition. Year after year, the event has served as a proving ground for elite talent. Defending champion Showtime Select National 16U returns after capturing last year’s championship, while a talented field from across the country will look to add its name to the event’s prestigious history. One of the premier prospects in the field, shortstop Gabriel Coupet enters as the highest-ranked player in attendance, checking in at No. 49 overall in the Class of 2028 and No. 8 player in Florida. The Boynton Beach, Fla., native has established himself as one of the country’s most talented...
PG Select Baseball Festival | General | 7/21/2026

13u Select Festival Roster Reveal

Jheremy Brown
Article Image
With the completion of the 2026 13u National Showcase, an event that featured some of the best talent the age group has to offer, 42 players came out with the label of "Festivaler" as they received a phone call shortly after the event concluded. Moving back to the University of Tennessee after a two year stay at the University of Virginia, Ole Rocky Top will see a mixed bag of returners; three-timers, new faces and a couple who bridged the gap from the 11u game into the 13u iteration.  Of the 42 players, 9 players call Florida their home base which is the most of any state while Texas (8), California (7) and Georgia (5) are all close behind nearly three-quarters of the players selected. In total 17 different states are represented, from Hawaii to Arkansas, Washington to Maryland and everywhere in between.  Quick roster breakdown: Three-time Select Festival: 13 players ...
College | Story | 7/21/2026

Coppy's Corner: July 21 Summer Edition

John Coppolella
Article Image
The amateur players in the Cape Cod Baseball League are the future stars of the 2027 MLB Draft. The league runs from June 13th through August 2nd. Games are played at historic stadiums in Old New England towns. It’s beautiful and charming. Hollywood even made a movie about the Cape Cod League ~25 years ago called Summer Catch. It scored an 8% (!) on Rotten Tomatoes, but, on the plus side, it featured 2001 Jessica Biel in a starring role.  It was so much fun writing Coppy’s Column this spring. My hope is to highlight a pitcher and position player each week from the Cape. And, who knows, maybe somewhere out there Jessica Biel is reading it.    Player of the Week: Coen Niclai – Wareham Gatemen  The Internet tells me that 12 MLB players have come from Alaska, 10 of whom were from Anchorage, and the best of which is Curt Schilling. Niclai, who is also...
Tournaments | Championship | 7/20/2026

FTB National Completes Elite Run

Kinley Kitchens
Article Image
Championships are never won in a single game. For FTB National 2027, this one has been in the making for years. An 8-0 victory over Team Elite 17U Scout capped off an unforgettable week at the 2026 Perfect Game 17U National Elite Championship, but according to those inside the dugout, the championship was a product of friendships formed long before the tournament ever began. FTB took their first national elite win in team history, giving one of the nation’s top 2027 teams an elite ending to their 17U summer. “This is a homegrown group,” head coach Will Haynie said. “This team has been together for the last four or five years, and I think a lot of them have been together since the Little League World Series when they were 12. It’s been fun, and a nice little cap off to their 17U summer, especially after winning a big event like this.” That chemistry...
Tournaments | Story | 7/20/2026

16u World Series Scout Notes: Days 3-4

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
16u World Series Scout Notes: Days 1-2 Lucas Sullivan (2027, Winder, GA) absolutely shoved in the first round of the playoffs. He racked up a total of 13 strikeouts across his seven inning, complete game shutout performance. Sullivan worked three pitches for strikes with lots of comfort and only allowed two hits. Ran the fastball up to 86 and he got lots of swing and miss on the 11-5 curveball. Mixes speeds well and was electric to watch. Landon King (2028, San Mateo, CA) was just one of the best players on the field the first two rounds of the playoffs. Totaled four hits, two of those were for extra bases and scored three times. Has lightning quick hands in the left-handed batter's box and produced loud contact constantly. Top of the class barrel skills with twitch in the turn.  Jacob Piles (2028, Cape Coral, FL) is hitting an astounding .615 with a pair of doubles in the...
Tournaments | Story | 7/20/2026

15u WWBA Scout Notes: Day 3

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
15u WWBA Scout Notes: Day 1 | Day 2 ‘29 RHP Bryson Auten (NJ) comes out throwing absolute flames to get out of a jam. Sitting 92-94 & does it with ease. Comes out of the hand well & challenging hitters with the FB. #WWBA @PGMidAtlantic pic.twitter.com/Tf18Rdk4mx — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) July 19, 2026 Bryson Auten (2029, Flemington, N.J.) came in out of the bullpen in a brutal spot and recorded back-to-back strikeouts to get out of it. He would then register another pair of strikeouts in his second inning of work, ending the game going 1 2/3 innings with four strikeouts. The fastball was electric, working at 92-94 and does it super easy, coming out of the hand great. Command was excellent in this outing as well, throwing 70% strikes. It’s a power type arm with advanced arm talent for the age and any time you see 92-94 at a 15u event, it’s notable...
Tournaments | Championship | 7/20/2026

Legion Captures 16u WWBA West

Emily Hicks
Article Image
After five days of competitive baseball, Legion Baseball emerged as champions at the Perfect Game WWBA Championship, completing an impressive tournament run with a victory over ‘28 San DIego Ghost 10-3 in the championship game at Surprise Stadium.  The tournament brought together talented programs from across the West and beyond, with teams competing in the 15U and 16U divisions. Throughout the week, players showcased their skills in front of coaches, teammates, and families while battling through pool play and the championship bracket for the opportunity to hoist the trophy.  From the opening day of competition, Legion established itself as one of the tournament's top contenders. The club relied on hitting, quality pitching, and consistent defense to navigate a challenging field and earn its place in the championship game.  In the title matchup, Legion received key...
Draft | Story | 7/20/2026

2026 MLB Draft: Roster Challenge

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
With the 2026 MLB Draft complete, our own draft team put together a fun exercise. Using a snake style draft format, we each had to build a roster using players selected in the 2026 MLB Draft. There was one catch. Each team could select only one player from each of the first 10 rounds, plus one player from Rounds 11-20. You did not have to go in order of each round, meaning you could jump between rounds and pick which players you thought had the most value. Each team installed a different strategy, balancing between star power, positional value, and depth. You tell us, which team do you think has the most talent? Team Albee C: Vahn Lackey, Georgia Tech (1st rd) 1B: Will Adams, Hoover HS (11th rd) MIF: Cole Prosek, Magnolia Heights HS (2nd rd) MIF: Eric Guevara, Auburn (7th rd) 3B: Robert Omidi, Fieldhouse Pirates (8th rd) OF: Kevin Roberts Jr, Jackson Prep HS (4th rd) OF: Alex...
Press Release | Press Release | 7/20/2026

LGND Becomes Official Glove of PG

Article Image
  667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923 www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA     FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   PERFECT GAME PARTNERS WITH MLB SUPERSTAR MOOKIE BETTS, NAMING LGND OFFICIAL GLOVE OF PERFECT GAME   Partnership Officially Kicks Off with LGND Block Party on July 27 in Fullerton, California   Los Angeles, California (Monday, July 20, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced a landmark partnership with Los Angeles Dodgers All-Star and 6-time Gold Glove Award winner Mookie Betts, naming recently-announced LGND Glove the Official Glove of Perfect Game. The collaboration establishes a first-of-its-kind relationship between baseball’s most influential amateur ecosystem and an active MLB superstar at the height of his career. The...
Tournaments | Story | 7/19/2026

17u WWBA North Champ. Scout Notes

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
Ty Teske (2027, Merrill, WI) worked a complete-game seven-inning shutout while striking out 12 and never allowed the game to speed up on him. The fastball sat 79-81 and touched 83, consistently working to both sides of the plate and getting him into favorable counts. Repeats the delivery exceptionally well and maintained command throughout all seven innings. Mixed in a 69-71 curveball with depth that he showed confidence landing for strikes early or using to finish at-bats. Did an excellent job changing eye levels and preventing hitters from sitting on one pitch.   Landon Sanderson (2027, Lake Crystal, MN) attacked hitters with an 85-87 fastball that reached 89 and showed quality arm-side movement through the zone. The ball comes out with some jump and continued to play throughout the outing. Stayed on the attack from the first inning, consistently getting ahead and forcing...
Loading more articles...