THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION

| 2,384 MLB PLAYERS | 15,804 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS

2,384 MLB PLAYERS | 15,804 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS

Create Account

Showcase | Story | 6/14/2021

Day off? Walton says, 'No thanks'

Jeff Dahn

Photo: TayShaun Walton (Perfect Game)

MARIETTA, Ga. – As one of the younger elite prospects in the national prep class of 2023, TayShaun Walton has had the opportunity to double his pleasure and double his fun on more than one occasion in what has already been an action-packed four-plus year Perfect Game career.

The 16-year-old Walton, a junior-to-be at Maury High School in Norfolk, Va., has made a habit of embracing every opportunity that comes his way, especially those that have presented themselves on PG’s biggest national scouting platforms.

A 6-foot-3, 220-pound right-handed hitting outfielder with excellent speed and elite athleticism, Walton has developed into an attention-getter wherever he lands. He’s done that by realizing at a young age that nothing, absolutely nothing, comes to those who choose to sit on the sidelines and watch the parade pass them by.

“It’s definitely a step-by-step process,” Walton told PG this weekend during his working visit to the East Cobb Baseball Complex. “You can’t do everything too fast. Some things you’ve got to go slowly with and just progress with it. Like baseball, you don’t just wake-up and say, well, I’m going to do this. It takes time and you’ve got to put a lot of work in to get there.”

An unbelievably strong work ethic has helped Walton climb to No. 6 overall (No. 2 outfielder) in the national class of 2023 prospect rankings. A Miami (Fla.) commit, he was at the East Cobb Complex this weekend so he could take part in the PG Junior National Showcase, the second straight year he performed at the prestigious underclass event (the 2020 Jr. National was held in Hoover, Ala.).

He was one of eight top-15 2023s who will be in attendance over the event’s five-day run that began on Saturday, with four of the top guys ranked ahead of him – No. 2 Cam Collier, No. 3 Maxwell Clark, No. 4 Aidan Miller and No. 5 Ethan Robinson – also on hand. And that’s the point.

“It’s something that you’ve got to be very dedicated to,” TayShaun’s dad, Antwan, said during a conversation with PG this weekend. “As I’ve always told him, as long as you want to keep working, we’re going to keep on pushing – you can’t take any days off. The day you take off is the day somebody gets ahead of you, so we kind of live with that mindset of no days off.”

Not long after completing his workout session on Saturday, Walton told PG that the experience already felt completely different from what he went through in Hoover a year ago. The COVID-19 pandemic was still raging late last June, his high school season had been cancelled and he just hadn’t been able to properly prepare himself.

That changed this year. He got a full high school season in and was able to get back into a more regular workout routine and he felt much more prepared when he arrived here Saturday.

“Last year was still a lot of fun coming out here and meeting new people; it was a good experience,” Walton said when asked why he wanted to come back to the Jr. National again for this go-around. “The fact that with us being in different states and not seeing each other as much until the summer, it’s good seeing all the guys and hanging out with them...Coming into this one, I know the stats that I had last year. This year I’m working toward having a lot better stats than I had then.”

He was able to make that happen to a certain degree, although the differences weren’t drastic. His top exit velo this weekend was 98 mph, down a tick from the 101 mph he posted in 2020. His 6.75-second clocking in the 60 was a nice jump from the 6.87 he ran a year ago and his 86 mph throw from the outfield was a notch above his 84 mph effort in ’20.

Walton’s BP session on the other hand brought rave reviews from the PG scouts monitoring it. A collective report called it “one of the most impressive rounds of batting practice” and “one of the louder rounds of the day” while noting Walton’s “obvious power and strength in the frame.”

It’s a common theme that seems to repeat itself at every stop Walton makes. He doesn’t shy away from competition having already been rostered at 40 PG events with two more summer and fall seasons still to go.

The PG showcase circuit has always provided a monster stage on which Walton has excelled with unbridled abandon. He turned in a pair of Top Prospect List performances at the 2018 and ’19 PG 14u National Showcase to go with another at the 2019 PG Sunshine Southeast, and a Top Prospect Team performance at the ’20 Jr. National (there is no TPL at the Jr.).

Upon completion of the 2019 14u National, Walton received a coveted invitation to the 2019 PG 14u Select Baseball Festival in Fort Myers, a badge of honor worn by quite a few 2023 prospects in attendance here this weekend.

“The 14u Select Fest, that was probably the funnest event I’ve been to; I worked hard to be selected to that game,” Walton said. “And on top of that, that’s where I first met a lot of these guys. The experience there, with the [players] room where everybody goes to play video games and have fun with each other. Then taking it out on the field and still having fun, it was a great experience.”

Added his dad: “That was very exciting because that was one of his goals. We were all very excited because anytime he can reach a goal that he sets out is always a joy to see.”

Because Walton is young for his class, he was able to pull the rare double-double of being at the 14u National twice and now the Jr. National twice. In that regard, he is starting to feel like things are coming full circle a little bit, at least as much as they can in the two years between the 14u and 16u seasons.

He did contrast the events, however, calling those at the 14u level more of a “welcoming party” while saying that now, in his 16u season, “It’s time to go, time to put my name on the map. I’ve got to make sure I’m doing what I’m supposed to do...and hopefully put myself in a great position.”

Walton got his travel ball career started with the NBA Nationals which was basically his hometown team right there in Norfolk. He said he just finished up his 2021 high school season with a lot of the same kids who were on those 12u and 13u teams; he looks upon most of them as brothers just because of all the family-like experiences they’ve enjoyed.

After NBA, he first moved on to one nationally prominent program, the Virginia-based Richmond Braves, and is planning on spending this summer with another PG national championship program, the North Carolina-based Dirtbags.

Walton has accumulated plenty of accolades and awards throughout his travel ball experiences already, including 15 all-tournament team selections with both the Nationals and the Braves; he was the MV Player at a 12u PG Super25 tournament in 2017 while with the Nats.

“Everybody is just like family now,” Walton said of the entire group, “We’re just like brothers. … I spend a lot of time with the guys off the field and that’s where it really counts. If you’re on the field and you don’t have a bond off the field I don’t think it really matters (as much). When you have a bond off the field it’s more like you can talk to (your teammates) instead of coming at them head-on.”

Family is important to TayShaun Walton; that becomes evident early on during a conversation with him. When asked who may have had the biggest impact on his baseball career to date, Walton didn’t hesitate while naming his older brother Antwan Walton (same name as his dad).

The younger Antwan is a recent 2021 graduate of Maury HS and a PG top-500 right-hander/outfielder who has signed with D-I Old Dominion University.

“He’s amazing; I look up to that guy every single day,” TayShaun said. “I try to make him proud.”

The elder Antwan played college basketball at Virginia Union University in Richmond (Kimberly Walton played hoops at Elizabeth City State University) and played professionally for one season overseas in Iceland. He has a baseball background, too, and admitted that baseball was actually his favorite sport during his youth.

“I stopped playing once I got to high school and became 6-foot-4 and started dunking (a basketball) so I kind of lost interest in baseball,” he said with a laugh, “and that was a bad mistake.”

As for his college commitment, TayShaun Walton said he was only 12 years old the first time he visited the University of Miami in Coral Gables and it was love at first sight. He was able to spend some time at the beach and marveled at how beautiful the setting was during the evening hours.

And as for the baseball program, he said the Hurricanes coaches treated him like he was already part of the family.

“Just good people and I feel like they really welcomed me in,” Walton said.

When TayShaun, along with his mom and dad, first started out on this journey, they made it a goal to reach the level of competition the PG Jr. National Showcase presents. Deep down, he had always wanted to share the same stage with the other elite prospects from the class of 2023.

The family followed a lot of these other guys, too, doing their homework to see what the best of the best were doing to better themselves and bolster their profiles.

“We just jumped right on in and here we are now right here with them,” Antwan said. “The goal is to keep on building and keep on getting better.”

Keep getting better; keep getting better; keep getting better. Those three words drive TayShaun and his dad almost to distraction.

“I feel like every year I get better and better; that’s what I work for,” TayShaun said. “I’m just training every day, eating [right], working [on mechanics]; just doing the things that I can work on to get better each and every day.”

Antwan told PG that his son never stops challenging himself and that was among the biggest reasons why he decided to return to the PG Jr. National less than 12 months after attending the 2020 version. It’s a lifestyle that is measured by day-to-day improvement and what better way to accomplish that than being measured against your top peers.

TayShaun still has a lot to learn, his dad noted, but he still has a lot of time to complete his lessons with nothing short of straight-A’s. The goal, according to Antwan, is to have everything put together into what he called “one fine-tuned package” by the time his senior year rolls around in the fall of 2022.

That package is still unwrapped, waiting for many other prized pieces to be tucked inside. The Jr. National is TayShaun Walton’s first PG event of the summer with more certain to come in the months ahead, most while wearing the signature camo uniform of the Dirtbags. But this was an excellent place to launch the ship.

“It’s always good to come here so you get a chance to lay eyes on the other elite kids, as well,” the elder Antwan said. “That lets you know that, hey, you’re not the only one out here working. There’s more kids out here that’s capable of doing exactly what you’re doing.

“You get to challenge yourself a little bit more, too, and that keeps you humble and working hard. You know you can’t take days off because these guys, they’re right there with you; it makes you just want to keep on working.”

PERFECTGAME.TV

Give us your feedback

Showcase | Story | 1/6/2026

PG Leaderboard: Class of 2027

Jheremy Brown

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...

College | Story | 2/3/2026

Conference Preview: Patriot

Anthony Gambardella

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 Army West Point 25 25 14 11 Bucknell 18 27 10 15 Holy Cross 31 27 17 8 Lafayette 14 35 9 16 Lehigh 24 26 11 14 Navy 26 25 14 11 Preseason All Conference Team Pos. Name School Stats/Notes C Ty Deperno Navy Named PL Rookie of the Year & to 2nd Team All-PL in ‘25; batted .307 w/ 33 runs & 32 RBI IF Thomas Schreck Army West Point Named to 1st Team All-PL in ‘25; batted .335 w/ 40...

General | Blog | 2/3/2026

Wolforth Throwing Mentorship: Article 62

Ron Wolforth

Wolforth Throwing Mentorship: Article 62, Part 1 Demystifying the Curveball, Pitch Counts, and Weighted Balls - Part 2 Now, on to Part 2 of our three-part series on baseball's most misunderstood topics. We tackled the curveball. Next up: pitch counts. And in Part 3, we'll address weighted balls, another subject where fear has outpaced reason. Why these three? Because they share something in common: each has been reduced to a simplistic, one-size-fits-all rule that ignores the complexity of human performance. And in each case, well-meaning people have latched onto these rules as if they're gospel, while the arm injury epidemic continues unabated. It's time to think more clearly. Part II: Demystifying Pitch Counts Let me be clear from the start: I am not anti-pitch count. Pitch counts are a valuable tool. We use them at...

High School | General | 2/2/2026

Monday Morning SoCal Notebook

Steve Fiorindo

Three hitters and three pitchers that really impressed or improved their stock at the Area Code Select at Dodger Stadium. Gotta start with James Clark as he stole the show offensively, and right out of the gate, with a pull side home run as just the second hitter of the game. Added a triple to the pull side again, again on the barrel. Added a single up the middle. Really showed exceptional feel for the barrel. Flew out to center field on two occasions, both barreled up pretty well, with one getting lost in the sun. I’m old and salty, so didn’t give him the double for the cycle, but he was the most impressive bat (easily) on the day. One of the other position players that impressed, I’ve been somewhat critical of, have spoken with his travel coach a little bit about him behind the plate, but Vista Murrieta catcher Taytum...

Softball | General | 2/2/2026

PG Softball Announce Leadership Hires

Perfect Game Staff

667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923 www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PERFECT GAME SOFTBALL ANNOUNCES KEY LEADERSHIP HIRES Charlotte, North Carolina (Monday, February 2, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced the hiring of two industry-leading softball directors to lead and expand its footprint in the Charlotte, North Carolina market. The additions underscore Perfect Game Softball’s long-term commitment to North Carolina and its mission to elevate tournament standards, scouting opportunities, and player development across the region. Both were...

High School | General | 2/2/2026

High School Top 50 All-Prospect Teams

Cam McElwaney

High School Preview Index | High School Top 50 As we have finished unveiling the National High School Top 50, we now look at the abundance of high-level prospects that make up those rosters, building 3 teams at the Class of 2026 level and an underclass team, all made ONLY from players on the teams across the Top 50. Upperclass 1st Team Pos Name High School State Team Rank C Jorvorskie Lane Jr. Grapevine TX 7 1B Will Adams Hoover AL 43 INF Tyler Spangler De La Salle CA 12 INF Cole Prosek Magnolia Heights MS 16 INF James Clark St. John Bosco CA 1 OF Brady Harris Trinity Christian Academy FL 6 OF Malachi Washington Parkview GA 34 OF Trevor Condon Etowah GA 5 UT Matt Ponatoski Archbishop Moeller OH 35 2W Coleman Borthwick South Walton FL 8 P Gio Rojas Stoneman Douglas FL 2 P Kaden Waechter Tampa Jesuit FL 4 P Bo Holloway Nolensville TN 36 P Joseph Contreras Blessed Trinity GA 9 P Savion Sims...

College | Story | 2/2/2026

Conference Preview: Mountain West

Joey Cohen

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* Teams W L W L Air Force 12 18 20 34 Fresno State 18 12 31 29 GCU 13 11 31 27 Nevada 19 11 34 23 New Mexico 17 13 30 23 SDSU 14 16 20 39 San Jose State 13 17 29 30 UNLV 16 14 31 23 Washington State 11 19 18 36 Preseason All Conference Team Pos. Name School Stats/Notes C Walker Zapp Air Force .330/.420/.579 with 7 HRs, athletic catcher with strong catch/throw ability. 1B Jayce Dobie Nevada .339/.413/.526 with 7 HRs. Physical presence. On base skills...

College | Recruiting | 2/2/2026

Northeast Recruiting Notebook

Ryan Miller

Jack Nicholls (‘27, NJ) working the 85-88 T89 mph range on the FB w/ some angle & life. Shorter & compact AA thru it. Mid-70s CB w/ good bite & depth to it. Mostly FB attack early on. @PGMidAtlantic @PG_Uncommitted @Oilers_BPC #WWBAWorlds pic.twitter.com/7WYz7ExUPE — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) October 3, 2025 Jack Nicholls, RHP, Class of 2027 Commitment: Tennessee Josh Elander and the Vols’ staff venture into the Northeast to snag an up-arrow right-hander out of New Jersey. Nicholls works from a medium frame with athleticism and present lower half strength. He starts at the belt exclusively from the stretch, transitioning into a high and compact leg lift. Nicholls fires down the mound via a whippy and quick arm action and high three-quarters slot. The South Jersey product works a lively fastball into the low-to-mid 90s, mixing in a sharp two-plane...

College | Story | 2/2/2026

Conference Preview: Coastal

Ryan Miller

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* School W L W L Campbell 25 31 15 12 College of Charleston 37 22 15 12 Elon 25 32 13 14 Hofstra 18 36 8 19 Monmouth 24 30 10 17 NC A&T 15 37 9 18 Northeastern 49 11 25 2 Stony Brook 25 27 11 16 Towson 21 35 11 16 UNC-Wilmington 34 24 19 8 William & Mary 21 35 14 13 Preseason All-Conference Team Pos. Name School Stats/Notes C Tyler Smith North Carolina A&T Switch-hitting backstop who slashed .323/.414/.542 in ’25 and earned a Team USA training camp invite....

High School | General | 1/31/2026

Preseason HS Top 50

Tyler Russo

The start of another high school season is right around the corner in a handful of states and with that, as always, comes our Preseason High School Top-50. A whopping twenty states are represented in the initial Top-50, a number that is staggering when you look at the amount of depth some of these rosters have across the nation. Leading the group is St. John Bosco (CA), a team that brought home a CIF Southern D1 title in 2025 and bring back a strong group of seniors to look to repeat. Stoneman Douglas (FL) is a name most people should know by now in the high school ranks and comes in as our preseason #2 team, looking to win their sixth straight state championship in Florida. Orange Lutheran (CA) had a good case for preseason #1 but come it an No. 3, bringing a roster with seven seniors ranked inside the top-200 in the country to the table. Four other Florida schools are represented...

Softball | Softball Tournament | 1/30/2026

Perfect Game Burst the Bubble

Dave Durbala

BURLINGTON, IA - Perfect Game Softball Burst The Bubble Tournament, January 24 - 25, 2026. 15 teams in this four game guarantee, pool into bracket play tournament, with both a 16u and 18u division contested. In the 16u Division, it was the 09 Midwest Sluggers claiming the Championship over finalist Wisconsin Heat. In the 18u Division it was CIK 08’s taking home the gold rings over finalist Alliance Select Black. The tournament was filled with lots of young talent with big bats, and several players already committed to higher education programs. Below are some of the players that earned their way onto the tournament top performers list. 16U Division Earning the tournament MVP award was Ruby Stagg (2028 Bettendorf, IA) a solid fielding SS for tournament champion 09 Midwest Sluggers. Stagg, hitting from the right side, sets up in a conventional stance, slightly wide and...

Loading more articles...

PERFECTGAME.TV

SPEND MORE. SAVE MORE.

Event Types

Special Events

Featured

Baseball Showcases

Player Rankings

DRAFT BOARD

Team Rankings

Travel Team Rankings

College Rankings

Softball Player Rankings

Top Ranked Players

PG Rawlings Preseason All American

Top Ranked Teams

Recruiting Menu

Event Results

PG EVENT CONTENT

HIGH SCHOOL CONTENT

MLB DRAFT CONTENT

COLLEGE CONTENT

RECENT ARTICLES

PG Alumni

NOTABLE MLB PLAYERS

About Perfect Game