Draft | Story | 6/4/2026
Pence Makes the Jump to 2027
Perfect Game Staff
667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923 www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PERFECT GAME STANDOUT STRIKER PENCE RECLASSIFIES TO CLASS OF 2027, ACCELERATING PATH TO MLB DRAFT Corona, California (Thursday, June 4, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced that Perfect Game prospect Striker Pence, one of the most watched young prospects in amateur baseball, has officially reclassified from the Class of 2028 to the Class of 2027, making the 17-year-old eligible for the 2027 Major League Baseball Draft. Pence is currently the #2 ranked player on Perfect Game’s national rankings and the top-ranked right-handed pitcher. Pence, a 6-foot-6, 215-pound right-handed pitcher and left-handed hitting first...
Tournaments |
Championship |
6/17/2026
Braves Capture WWBA East Title
Kinley Kitchens
By the end of championship Monday, the Atlanta Braves Scout Team had done much more than win a title. They had validated everything they believed they could become. After an undefeated run through the 2026 PG East WWBA Championship, the Braves captured the 15U championship with an 8-2 victory, finishing off a dominant weekend that featured elite pitching, explosive offense, and contributions throughout the roster. For coach Jed Douglas, the championship represented the results of months of practice, preparation, and a vision that finally came together. “This is our first championship with this group,” Douglas said. “We finally brought it together and for the first time, everything seemed to work just as we designed it when we were building the team, and it was just beautiful this way.” The Braves backed up that vision with one of the most impressive offensive...
Tournaments |
Story |
6/16/2026
PG Summer Showdown Scout Notes
Perfect Game Staff
Mason Kennerly (2028, Decatur, Ga.) hit .429 with a .667 OBP, five walks and three RBI in four games last week. He’s already showing the tools to be a big-time power bat in his class, and standing at 6’2 with an athletic frame, he’s one of the more projectable players we saw this weekend. His mechanics play into his size well, creating good hand separation from body on his load, using a medium-high leg kick, and getting a wide base when going into his launch. He uses every bit of his size and natural strength to create a violent swing. He’s got the makings of a really solid prospect, and as he develops and his approach matures, he’ll become a guy that college coaches keep at the top of their radar. ‘27 Grant Barden (GA) up to 90 mph on the hill. Loose on the mound, whippy arm action. Four pitch mix; FB 87-90, CB 71-72, SL 76-78, CH 79-81. Mixed...
General |
Blog |
6/16/2026
Wolforth Throwing Mentorship: Article 66
Ron Wolforth
The Number That Just Killed MLB Expansion: 1,217 USA Today's Bob Nightengale dropped a bomb shell recently that the baseball world is still digesting. Major League Baseball wants to expand to 32 teams. Team executives are quietly opposing it and the reason has nothing to do with cities or money. They cannot find enough healthy pitchers. Between 2020 and 2024, professional baseball performed 1,026 Tommy John surgeries at the minor-league level alone. Another 191 at the Major League level. More than twelve hundred elbow reconstructions in five years on the best young pitchers in the world. That is not bad luck. That is a system reporting a verdict on itself. For fifteen years, the youth-baseball industry has chased one number: velocity significantly more than projectability and arm care. Recruiters scout by it. Social...
Tournaments |
Story |
6/16/2026
PG Ascendant Classic Scout Notes
Perfect Game Staff
‘27 MIF Kyler Claunch (KY) took home MVP honors in the #Ascendant26 @claunch_kyler Set the tone out of the leadoff spot for @CincySpikes & showed + bat-to-ball .538 AVG/.714 OBP | 7 H/7 RS | 6 BB | 5 SB @EKUBaseball is getting a guy. https://t.co/wGL9E0XmQ6 pic.twitter.com/kvZQwxEXup — Jordan Gates (@JGatesPG) June 14, 2026 Kyler Claunch (2027, Harrodsburg, Ky.) The Eastern Kentucky commit took home the MVP honors after an excellent performance throughout the weekend. Claunch tied for the lead in hits on the weekend with seven. Finished as the second top performer in batting but probably would have been higher if he wasn’t the leadoff hitter. Despite the low RBI’s, Claunch delivered a six-game sample size that included a .538 average and .714 on base. It’s a contact-oriented swing that showed plus ability when it came to bat-to-ball skills. Swiped five...
Tournaments |
Story |
6/16/2026
UBC West Scout Notes: Days 3-4
Perfect Game Staff
UBC West Scout Notes: Days 1-2 Lucca Bacigalupi (‘30,CA) helps himself out at the plate racking up 2 hits & 2 RBI including a HR. Have a day young man. #UBCWest https://t.co/z2wAGXgavZ pic.twitter.com/Ilh7kU8K10 — Perfect Game California (@California_PG) June 13, 2026 Lucca Bacigalupi, C/RHP, Petaluma, Calif. Alpha Prime (2030) Bacigalupi is a versatile two-way prospect who continues to stand out with his size, arm strength and offensive ability. On the mound, the right-hander threw three solid innings, allowing three hits while striking out three over 69 pitches. His fastball touched 83 mph with decent life and he mixed in a serviceable breaking ball that he threw for strikes. The delivery looks clean, repeatable, and athletic. The combination of mound presence and bat production makes him an intriguing follow in the 2030 class. Ethan Duffy (‘30,CA) posted 4 strong...
Tournaments |
Story |
6/15/2026
Braves Scout Team Keep Winning In Hoover
Kinley Kitchens
Through big wins and making their way into the championship bracket, the Atlanta Braves Scout Team has done exactly what every team hopes to do at a major Perfect Game event: keep winning. Now undefeated and preparing for the semifinals, the Braves have established themselves as one of the top teams remaining in the 15U division. Dominant pitching performances, timely hitting, and a lineup full of contributors have powered the team through a strong weekend in Hoover. The Braves opened the tournament with a statement performance behind right-hander Daylen Woods, who tossed a five-inning no-hitter while striking out six. Woods also helped his own cause offensively with three hits and two runs scored as the Atlanta Braves Scout Team rolled to victory. The momentum continued with a 10-3 win over Wow Factor Nation 15U, as Sam Ridley allowed just one hit across four innings while...
Tournaments |
Championship |
6/15/2026
WC Ghost Claims Arizona All-State Title
Emily Hicks
In a championship game that featured strong pitching and sharp defense from both sides, West Coast Ghost AZ 16U pulled away late to defeat Overfly 2028, 5-3, and claim the Arizona All-State Games title. “We had discipline at the plate, on the mound, out in the field; everyone just did their thing. It was good,” said Cash Carmichael The two teams traded runs throughout the 1st and 2nd innings, making it 3-2. Followed by a single run scored at the top of the 4th by Overfly 2028, it remained tied 3-3 for most of the game. Both defenses made key plays to limit scoring opportunities, turning potential rallies into outs and keeping the pressure high in every inning. With the game deadlocked heading into the bottom of the sixth, West Coast Ghost AZ finally broke through. Bottom of the 6th, J. Haizen Reidhead recorded a single, Oren Tucker walked, and Josiah Shim was hit by pitch....
Tournaments |
Story |
6/15/2026
Coastal Region Scout Notes
Perfect Game Staff
Wyatt Smitherman (2028, Durham NC) had a solid day at the plate for USA Prime Triangle 16u Stars in their matchup against the Charlotte Colts. The 5-foot-11, 160-pound shortstop has a tall athletic frame. The left handed batter displayed a mature approach at the plate. Attacks fastballs and drives them with authority. He has quick hands and gets the barrel through the zone. Uses his lower half to his advantage creating enough torque to generate his power he shown. Smitherman finished the day going 1-for-3 with a home run and 4 RBI. Zachary Days (2028, Charlotte NC) had a impressive day at the plate for the Charlotte Colts against USA Prime Coastal. The 6-foot-3, 170 pound center fielder has a tall athletic frame. Days bats from the left side with a short but powerful swing. Very disciplined during his AB’s and applies pressure on the defense. He shifts his weight to his lower half...
Tournaments |
Championship |
6/15/2026
Weather Can't Delay Top Tier Victory
Alyssa Golden
A seven-run first inning gave Top Tier Roos American Red 2027 all the momentum they needed Sunday morning, but the road to a Florida World Series championship was far from straightforward. After jumping out to an early lead against WBC 17u, Top Tier endured a 3 ½-hour rain delay before returning to finish off a 9-1 victory at Lee Health Sports Complex. The championship game, which began at 8 a.m. and did not conclude until nearly 1 p.m., ended in the bottom of the fifth inning under Perfect Game’s mercy-rule format. Top Tier’s dominant performance was powered by a complete-game effort from Christian Davis and an offense that erupted for seven runs in the first inning. Not even hours of uncertainty and lightning delays could keep Top Tier from finishing what they started. Davis started on the mound for Top Tier and remained the entire five...
Softball |
Softball Tournament |
6/14/2026
PG Softball Super Regionals
Erica Beach
PG Super Regionals Dripping Springs, Texas June 6-7, 2026 DRIPPING SPRINGS, TX- The weather was nice, the Longhorns JUST won a national championship, and Perfect Game brought it’s first softball event to Dripping Springs. It was a weekend packed with college coaches, quality softball, and a great softball atmosphere. Over the course of the six-game guarantee event, our scout saw some amazing athletes. Below she highlights some of the athletes who caught her eye. Destiny Sidiropoulos (2028, Houston, TX) of the Impact Gold HTX 16U was an incredible spark plug at the top of their lineup all weekend. She is a true triple threat who has great speed on the basepaths. She can soft and power slap, drop a sneaky bunt, and hit away with pop. Her barrel control is next level, and she is fun to watch pick apart defenses. On defense, she is versatile and athletic. She gets...