THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,490 MLB PLAYERS | 15,806 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,490 MLB PLAYERS | 15,806 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
General  | General | 10/1/2021

The Lead Off: October

Photo: Perfect Game
“Tis’ the Most Wonderful Time of the Year”

Does the title confuse you? 



That’s fair.

Let me explain.

I love October! Two wonderful events happen every October and I love both of them.

MLB Playoff Baseball and Halloween.

It’s going to get crazy cool with the Wild Card Games and ensuing playoffs. 162 games matter until they don’t matter any more once the playoffs start. The Wild Card games are genius and heartbreaking. I’ve been involved in 3 WC games. One good...two hard. Eight trips into October Baseball. Never the last team standing, however, it still gives me chills.

Halloween, on the other hand, is a Hurdle Family tradition. We own Halloween. I’ve been dressing up since I was 6 years old and have never stopped.

2011 (Wizard of Oz)



2020 (Schitt$ Creek)



The Colorado Rockies got so hot in October the city renamed it Rocktober!



Alrighty then...

I’ve been on Staff with Perfect Game a few months and I’ve been a part of two very big events: the National Showcase at Tropicana Field and the All-American Classic at Petco Park.

Over 300 players participated at the Trop. It was a blast to watch. We measured everything! All the players activities were captured on video as well. It was a well-oiled production. From Skills & Drills to competition in games, players were watched by a small town of college coaches and MLB scouts.

The two things we will never be able to measure as an industry is the size of the player's heart for the game and their guts! These two parts to the player create the difference and separation of talent more often than not.

I also look for “want to” and “how to”. Are they having a blast while competing or do they look like they’re taking an algebra test in a dentist chair?????

We had conversations with about 100 players after and during the National Showcase, communicating with them and their parents/parent they were being considered for the All-American Classic in San Diego. That list was the whittled to 60 players chosen for the Classic at Petco.

I had the unique opportunity to manage the East Team. My good friend Luis Gonzalez managed the West. Friday night we had a scrimmage game and got first looks at our teams. There were more scouts in the stands to “eyeball” our guys on the Diamond at Fowler Park.

Saturday night we had an incredible gala to celebrate the Classic, the All-Americans and the award winners!

This party was Big League.

By the way, this is a list of some of the dads who showed up:

CC Sabathia 
Mark McGwire 
Andruw Jones 
Matt Holliday

Perfect Game is good enough for these guys and they know a little about baseball. They trust us with their sons.

Sunday morning we had the Home Run Derby and it turned into a full-blown spectacle with a clutch finish for an exciting ending to a great morning.

Sunday late afternoon was game time.

The West had won the last 6 games and the talking was getting loud! The East team throttled the West 9-0. However...11 pitchers took the mound for the East and dominated for 9 innings and spun a NO-HITTER! Are you kidding me?

It was the first time I had ever been on the right side of a NO-NO. Forty-five years in uniform and professional ball, I’d never been a part of jumping up and down side of the no-hit gem!

It took PERFECT GAME for me to experience the All-American Classic no-hitter!

Until next month 

Tis’ the most wonderful time of the year!

Make a difference today, 
Clint

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 | 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...
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...
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...
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...
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....
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...
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...
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.)...
Tournaments | Story | 6/30/2026

Texas Twelve Firing On Full Cylinders

Kinley Kitchens
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Every team hopes to start a tournament with momentum, but few make a statement quite like Texas Twelve Maroon 2028. Matched up against defending champion Excel Blue Wave National to kick off their debut in the 2026 Perfect Game National Elite Championship, Texas Twelve Maroon delivered a complete team performance, earning a hard-fought 3-2 victory and immediately establishing themselves as one of the top teams to watch this week. The win showcased the balance that has made Texas Twelve Maroon a powerful team. Strong pitching, timely hitting, and steady defense all played a role as the team held off one of the tournament’s premier programs. Right-hander Ty Antley turned in an outstanding performance on the mound, throwing a complete game while allowing only five hits and two walks over seven innings. The High Follow prospect worked consistently between 85-89 mph and mixed in a sharp...
Tournaments | Championship | 6/30/2026

Flames Capture 18U BCS Title

Alyssa Golden
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Flames Natty used timely hitting and a dominant start from Beau Collier to defeat NLB American 7-3 and capture the 18U BCS National Championship on Monday at Lee Health Sports Complex. Despite being assembled just hours before the tournament began, the Flames quickly developed chemistry throughout the tournament. “This team was put together 12 hours before this tournament, and they went on a crazy run,” head coach Adam Vasquez said. “These kids know each other locally, but they don’t play together. For them to come together last minute like that, it’s crazy. I’m proud of them for that.” The game opened as a pitchers’ duel, with David Acevedo recording the lone hit through the first two innings. NLB American starter Hayden Graham kept the Flames in check early, allowing just one hit while striking out one over 2.0 innings. The right-hander...
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