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| 2,474 MLB PLAYERS | 15,806 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,474 MLB PLAYERS | 15,806 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Tournaments  | Story | 7/16/2021

USA Prime Primed For Title Run

Photo: Nikolas Sanders (Perfect Game)
MARIETTA, Ga. -- Pound for pound, USA Prime National may have the single strongest roster in the field of the 428 teams at this year’s 16u WWBA National Championship. And that roster has provided a 2-0 record in the first two days of the tournament with a +16 run differential. 
 
On Friday, Prime secured their second win of the tournament, beating Canes Central, 5-2, one day after dismantling Main Baseball Academy, 12-0. Adam Hachman, the country’s third-rated left-hander in the 2023, started on the bump, and battled through 1 2/3 innings of scoreless ball. 
 
Although at times his command proved evasive, Hachman navigated through two multiple-runner jams, and snuck out of his start unscathed with a double play ball and two strikeouts. 
 
Stanford commit Christian Lim stole the show in relief, after entering in the second inning and pitching the remainder of the game. Lim’s 4 1/3 innings were the longest line of the game, and one in which he gave up only one run and struck out eight Canes batters. But for Lim, the showing was no more than just doing his job.
 
“I just had to pound the zone and get us out of the inning,” Lim said on his entering the second inning with runners on. “You can’t do anything good throwing balls, so I just needed to pound the zone.”
 
Alongside Lim’s impressive line was a batting lineup that fielded 11 different hitters, all of which registered a hit in the game. Antonio Anderson, Parker Picot, Nazzan Zanetello and Zaid Diaz led the way for USA with two hits each. In a total team effort, the game ended with 15 total hits, three of which went for extra bases. 
 
“It’s fun out here with really great competition, and I can’t wait to see how far we go,” Anderson said, the country’s 11th overall player and second-rated shortstop. “We just get into each other with hard work, but also just have fun really.”
 
Although not equipped with the largest roster at the event, 21 of Prime’s 24 players are top-500 talents, and a further 12 of those 21 lie within the top-100. And in boasting 16 current college commitments, including collegiate powerhouses like Arkansas, Louisiana State and Texas, Prime enters nearly every game they play as overwhelming favorites. 
 
Still, in national events like this summer’s climax in Atlanta, that level of recognition makes a team the top of the tournament’s proverbial ‘hit list.’ Every time the Texas-based team steps on the field, they get everyone's best shot, and for good reason. 
 
“We just have to stay focused,” said catcher and Texas commit Nikolas Sanders. “The target is on our back especially with the talent we have on here. We’re here to come in, take care of business, not play around, and just do the job.”
 
And although teams of this caliber often have a multi-state mosaic of prospects, USA’s camaraderie rivals that of any local, home-grown team. Players from 16 different states from California to Connecticut compose a roster designed to challenge America’s elite. USA Prime seems like a more-than-applicable name for a team that has top-level recruits from almost half of the states in the union. 
 
Even when graced with a roster like this, the team treats every game with comparable importance. Winning their first two games of the week-long event sets up Prime with a path to unlock games later in the tournament. Each game gives the team the ability to build on the last.
 
“It definitely gives us momentum because it helps out our pitching staff, we’ve got a good rotation going on right now. But also, winning early games puts in a better position to win the tournament,” Sanders said.
 
Another source for motivation is remedying what Sanders described as past shortcomings at the event. Even some of the best players in the country are using failures to build a contemporary push to the championship.
 
“I expect us to win this tournament,” Sanders said. “That’s the end goal, and it’s always been the end goal. I came here two years ago and came up short, so it’s definitely the goal for this tournament.”
 


Tournaments | Championship | 6/17/2026

Braves Capture WWBA East Title

Kinley Kitchens
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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
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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
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  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
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‘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
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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
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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 | Story | 6/16/2026

WWBA East Scout Notes: Days 3-4

Perfect Game Staff
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WWBA East Scout Notes: Days 1-2 William Satinoff (‘28 TN) has been a treat to watch all game, this good for a 1B up the middle. Finished 4-for-4 at the plate with smooth actions defensively on the dirt. @PG_Tennessee #WWBAEast pic.twitter.com/uQJ7AYqFY1 — PG Deep South (@PG_DeepSouth) June 13, 2026 William Satinoff (‘28 Ten..) has been on a tear to kick off his summer. On day three, he collected four base knocks while driving in a couple. Most of Satinoff’s batted balls went backside while keeping fluid rhythm in the box with a flat barrel path. Worked well at shortstop too, looking comfortable at the position making a handful of plays to his glove-side. Finished up the weekend hitting .769 overall with five stolen bags for FTB, a name to know for the ‘28 class. Will Platz (‘28 Tenn.) had a really nice tournament from start-to-finish. Producing some...
Tournaments | Championship | 6/15/2026

WC Ghost Claims Arizona All-State Title

Emily Hicks
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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
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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
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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...
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