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All American Game  | Story | 8/19/2021

Hard Work Lands Gupton in Classic

Blake Dowson
Photo: Michael Gupton (Perfect Game)
Michael Gupton didn’t necessarily show up to the Perfect Game National Showcase wanting to break any sort of record in the 60-yard dash.
 
Gupton, the No. 30 overall player in the 2022 class and No. 1 outfielder from the state of North Carolina, doesn’t really think that way. He doesn’t typically concern himself with what others are doing. He focuses on how he can improve himself, and takes comfort in knowing that’s enough.
 
He had run a 6.1-flat personal best 60-yard dash. That’s the number he had in mind to beat. He ended up running a 5.96, sending everyone in attendance into a frenzy with the fastest time ever recorded at the event.
 




“Honestly, I didn’t know the record,” Gupton said. “I knew I was capable of running 6.0 flat or under 6.0. I just went there trying to break my previous 60 time, which was 6.1. That’s all I was expecting. I’d been training to break that time and had a good outcome.
 
“You can run everything perfect one day, and then you can do it again on another day, and just because your body feels better that day, you run a faster time. Some things just fall into place in perfect ways.”
 
Gupton is one of the best sprinters in the country. He has won national championships in track spikes. And for all the buzz he gets for his speed, he wants people to know there’s more to him than just his speed.
 
Make no mistake – Gupton is nothing close to a one-trick pony on the baseball field. You don’t get to where he is headed by leaning on just one tool. A complete baseball player has five of them, ready and able, and Gupton has proven to have all of them.
 
In 57 career games at Perfect Game events, he has a .343 average. His top exit velocity at PG National came off the bat at 101 mph, and he is an elite defender in the outfield.
 


“There isn’t a spot I’m not working hard at,” Gupton said. “I’m working to make the skills that I have now a little bit better. Turn them into absolute weapons while developing the other things I need to work on. I know that I don’t have the strongest arm or some people don’t think I can hit the ball the furthest. I’m working to better myself in all areas.”
 
In talking to Gupton, the word ‘work’ comes up often. He wants to outwork all of his competition and he might well be on his way to doing so.
 
During the summer he’s running, lifting, and throwing one day, the next he’s hitting and lifting, and the day after he’s running and hitting. He doesn’t really have an offseason, but during those winter months when he doesn’t have game action on the baseball field, he’s running indoor track to keep his body right while still getting as much diamond work in as possible.
 
“There’s a lot of time in the day,” Gupton said.
 
Any shortcoming on the field or tweak that can be made to better himself, Gupton is anxious to work on. He mentioned his arm strength – he threw 87 mph from the outfield at PG National – as something he’s not content with.
 
“Whenever I do anything, whether that’s sports or school, I put my all into it,” he said. “I recognize that I’m gifted, and I try to take full advantage of the tools I have to offer.”
 
More than anything, he wants to feel dangerous on the baseball field; in the batter’s box, taking his lead off first base, patrolling center field, playing for the East squad at the Perfect Game All-American Classic.
 
A year ago, Gupton wrote down a list of goals he wanted to work toward, and playing in the Classic was one of them.
 
He had built the necessary resume heading into PG National, and his performance at Tropicana Field put an exclamation point on it. Of course, Gupton was glad to see his hard work (there’s that word again) pay off.
 
“When I found out that I had been selected, it was a big sigh of relief,” Gupton said. “You always think you did enough, but then the other side of your mind is like, ‘Did I really do enough?’ It means a lot to me, with the work I’ve put in. I’ve been working really hard and it was one of my goals, so I was really happy to achieve it.”
 
Now he gets to prove to himself one more time this summer how dangerous he can be on the field.
 
There’s no bigger stage as a prep prospect than to do it at Petco Park for the All-American Classic, and Gupton heads to San Diego comforted by the fact that he has put the work in.
 
“I don’t judge myself because other people will do that for you, so I just think to myself, ‘If they don’t think I’m the best, they’re going to know one thing, that I work the hardest.’ That’s what I keep in mind,” Gupton summarized.
 
“I just want to go out there and do my thing…I know the best me is plenty, so as long as I’m the best me, I can’t complain.”
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All American Game | Story | 7/3/2026

Initial 2026 All Star Game Roster Reveal
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We are excited to announce the first selections for the 2026 PG All Star Game from both the Perfect Game Junior and Sophomore National Showcases. The PG All Star Game will be held on Friday, August 14th at Citizens Bank Ballpark, the home of the Philadelphia Phillies, and will feature roughly 40 of the top players, predominately from the 2028 class with a few of the very best 2029s also selected. A watchlist has been created from the Junior National Showcase and another group of players will be selected from that showcase towards the end of July as we continue to evaluate players at the major Perfect Game tournaments this summer. The final wave of selections we be made at the PG Underclass All American Games August 5-7 at the UCSD in San Diego, CA. PG Underclass All American Games   Junior National Selections Dexter McCleon Jr. OF Suwanee, GA USA Prime Cullen Scott RHP/3B Melissa,...
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Tournaments | Story | 7/2/2026

Freedom Classic Opens Holiday Weekend

Alyssa Golden
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More than 30 teams from the 14U-18U age divisions will head to Fort Myers, Florida this Fourth of July weekend for the seventh annual Perfect Game Freedom Classic. The tournament, running July 3-6, features several nationally ranked prospects from across the country as teams look to compete for a championship. Headlining the field are twin brothers Derek and Ryan Yormark of Merrick, New York. Right-handed pitcher Derek Yormack is the No. 51-ranked player in the class of 2027, the No. 1 player in New York and the No. 5-ranked right-handed pitcher in the country. First baseman Ryan Yormark comes in just behind his twin brother as the No. 3 overall player in New York, the No. 5 first baseman in the nation and the No. 90-ranked player nationally. Both brothers are committed to Vanderbilt. Derek Yormark has established himself as one of the top two-way prospects in the 2027 class. He has run...
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Tournaments | Story | 7/2/2026

14u West World Series Scout Notes

Quinton Hall
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Asher Contreras (2030 | Las Vegas, NV) The 5-foot-10, 170-pound right-handed hitter and outfielder was one of the most dangerous hitters in the tournament for Wow Factor Nv 2030, stuffing the stat sheet while displaying an impressive combination of power and speed. He finished the weekend with 9 hits, including two doubles and a home run, while driving in seven runs and scoring five more. He also swiped three bases and worked three walks, consistently putting pressure on opposing defenses while showing feel for the zone with just one strikeout all weekend. His ability to hit for extra bases while also creating offense on the bases made him one of the most impactful offensive performers at the event.    Braylen Silva (‘30 | NV) RBI 2B for GBG Vegas 14u Red. Direct path, quick trigger, & barrel feel. Solid 2-hole stick creating offense all day #14UWestWS...
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High School | General | 7/1/2026

PG High School All-Americans

Tyler Russo
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High School Top 50: Final Update With the High School season all wrapped up, today we take a look at our First, Second and Third Team All-Americans from around the country. Below you'll find three teams with stats that seem otherworldly from players who'll likely hear their names called in the coming week's MLB Draft. Within the "Notable Stats" section you'll see the individual award winners as well. First Team All-American Pos.  Name Class School State Commitment Notable Stats C Cole Prosek 2026 Magnolia Heights MS Ole Miss .595 BA, 18 HR, 79 RBI 1B Will Adams 2026 Hoover AL LSU .489, 13 HR, 52 RBI IF James Tronstein 2026 Harvard-Westlake CA Vanderbilt .531, 10 HR, 29 RBI, 21 XBH IF Grady Emerson 2026 Fort Worth Christian TX Texas .508, 8 HR, 56 RBI, 34/35 SB, National POY IF Jacob Lombard 2026 Gulliver Schools FL Miami .477, 10 HR, 52 R, 42 H, 14 SB OF Martin Shelar 2026 Marist GA...
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Tournaments | Story | 7/1/2026

16u Elite Scout Notes: Days 3-5

Perfect Game Staff
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16u Elite Scout Notes: Days 1-2  ‘28 AJ Bonnette (TX) with 7 Ks thru 4 IP thus far, living 89-91 w/ heavy traits. Filling up all four quads & attacking hitters early in counts. Mixing a slurvy breaker & turning the CHG over well. @PG_Uncommitted #NatElite @Texas_PG pic.twitter.com/oz2XXoKHvt — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) June 30, 2026 Aj Bonnette (2028, Keller, Texas) showed out on both sides of the ball at the National Elite Championship, but really stood out on the mound Tuesday. He toed the rubber in round two of the playoffs, proceeding to toss six innings with eight punchouts and zero earned runs allowed. The 6-foot southpaw filled up all four quadrants of the strike zone, attacking hitters early and often with his fastball. The heater lived in the 88-91 mph range with heavy traits, often setting up his slurvy breaking ball. Bonnette showed good feel...
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Tournaments | Story | 7/1/2026

Performance Baseball Rolls On

Kinley Kitchens
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Championship teams often reveal themselves when the game isn’t going their way. Performance Baseball 2028/Milwaukee Brewers Scout Team did exactly that. Trailing Florida Burn 2028 Scout through four innings, the Brewers refused to panic. Instead, they relied on timely hitting, consistent pitching, and an unselfish approach at the plate, rallying a five-run fifth inning before pulling away for a 9-5 victory to clinch their spot in the semifinals. The comeback was fueled by contributions throughout the lineup. Six different players drove in runs, including two RBIs each from Aiden Capobianco and Cameron Massey, while Matthew Heredia, Parker Weston, Ethan Smith, and Aj Bonnette each added an RBI of their own. On the mound, Derek Wenzel set the tone with 3.2 solid innings before Ethan Smith shut the door in relief, helping preserve the comeback victory. Although the Brewers have had a...
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Tournaments | Championship | 7/1/2026

JK Select Hawaii Tackles 14u West WS

Emily Hicks
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JK Select Hawaii capped off an impressive tournament run by defeating GBG Vegas 14u Red14-4 in the championship game on Sunday at Goodyear Ballpark, claiming the 14u West World Series title. From the opening pitch, JK Select controlled the pace of the game. The offense jumped out early, scoring 6 runs in the 1st inning after timely hits from MVP Sean Shindo and Kade Manarpaac. The early lead gave the pitching staff confidence as they worked efficiently through the opposing lineup. “I've worked hard to get better at my game for the past few months; it means a lot that I did well and performed in a tournament like this” said Shindo. Starting pitcher Maddox Prones turned in a strong performance, allowing 3 runs while striking out 5 batters over 3 innings. The defense backed the effort with great plays in the middle infield, preventing GBG Vegas from building momentum....
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Tournaments | Story | 7/1/2026

"Wow" Swings Catch Eyes at 16u Elite

Kinley Kitchens
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On the second day of the 2026 Perfect Game National Elite Championship, one swing turned heads across the ballpark. The next one brought everyone to a stop. With Wow Factor Nation 16U trailing midway through its matchup against Sandlot Scout Team 2028, Micheal O'Connor launched a solo home run to spark the offense. Just one batter later, Aaron Frink stepped into the box and sent another ball over the fence, delivering back-to-back home runs that quickly became one of the most talked about moments of the tournament’s opening days. Parents gathered along the nets, players from previous games stopped to watch, and college scouts turned their attention toward the action as the two towering swings energized the crowd and brought new life to the game. Although Wow Factor Nation ultimately lost 5-3 after a hard-fought performance, the back-to-back home runs served as a reminder of the...
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Tournaments | Story | 6/30/2026

Stacked Runs the Table at 17u WWBA

Will Dembo
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Following a jam-packed week of entertainment at the 17u WWBA Championships, the top nationally ranked program, USA Prime 17u National/Detroit Tigers Scout Team, faced off against Stacked Baseball 17u (No. 80 nationally) in the highly anticipated championship matchup as both teams looked to earn one of the most prestigious titles in all of travel baseball. Each talented squad entered the finale undefeated, but Stacked Baseball continued their dominance throughout the tournament, defeating the Detroit Tigers Scout Team 10-2 in mercy rule fashion to become national champions behind explosive bats and impressive pitching. Stacked Baseball was the overwhelming top team throughout the week as the WWBA Champions outscored opponents by an absurd 117-12 during their 11-0 run. “We got some talented kids, but we played against a little bit of Goliath over there,” Stacked Head Coach Mike...
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Tournaments | Story | 6/30/2026

17u WWBA Scout Notes: Day 7

Perfect Game Staff
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17u WWBA Scout Notes: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4  Day 5 | Day 6 Shea Corona (2027, Brooklyn, N.Y.) showcased some loud stuff out of the bullpen for MLB Breakthrough Series 2027. The New York native and primary shortstop topped out at 93 with the fastball, sitting comfortable in the 90-92 range. Corona paired it with a sharp and tight slider at 81-83, staying on the same plane until late. The pitch plays well already and the delivery is very athletic. The uncommitted right-hander went three scoreless and was in the zone plenty, striking out two while not allowing a walk. '27 SS Moises Gudino (FL) continues to stay red hot, working a long AB & cracking an oppo 2B on the 8th pitch. Really seeing ing well. #WWBA @Florida_PG https://t.co/OjNJ8Bmzao pic.twitter.com/WoDDp35EI1 — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) June 30, 2026 Moises Gudino (2027, Tampa, Fla.)...
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