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Minors  | General | 11/29/2021

PG Down on the Farm: AL East

David Rawnsley
Photo: Anthony Volpe (Perfect Game)
It’s been especially difficult to follow the minors over the past two years, with the pandemic-canceled 2020 season and the complete restructuring of the minor leagues by Major League Baseball in 2021. So, over a two-week period, Perfect Game will be taking a look at former PG standouts who are continuing to build their baseball skills and resumes in the minor leagues in an attempt to bring things into a bit more focus.  One player from each organization will be highlighted, with the schedule as follows: 
 
American League East: November 29
American League Central: December 1
American League West: December 3
National League East: December 6
National League Central: December 8 
National League West: December 10

 
American League East 



  
Baltimore Orioles: INF Gunnar Henderson 
 
High School: John T. Morgan Academy (Ala.) 
Travel Team: TPL National 
Final PG Class Ranking: No. 16 (2019) 
Drafted/Signing Bonus: 42nd overall, Baltimore Orioles (2019), $2.3M 
Highest 2021 Level: AA 
2022 Age: 21 
 
Henderson was a 2018 Perfect Game All-American but made huge progress between the 2018 summer and the 2019 draft.  A physical presence on the field as a 6-foot-3, 195-pound shortstop, Henderson was both highly-athletic (All-State basketball in Alabama) and one of the younger players in the 2019 high school class and still 17 years old on his draft date.  What really jumped out to scouts was Henderson’s left-handed bat, which shined all spring as he hit .559-11-75 with 37 extra-base hits in 32 games.  The most common comparison for Henderson was pretty easy given his overall profile; the Dodgers' Corey Seager. 
 
After making his rookie league debut in 2019 (.259-1-11 in 29 games) and sitting out the pandemic 2020 season, Henderson started 2021 in what used to be called “low A” and moved up two levels during the season, going through “A+” and ending the season with 17 games in AA.  He hit .258-17-74 with a .826 OPS and 28 doubles between the three levels, impressive power numbers for a 20-year old in his first extended professional action.  Henderson split his time about 65%-35% between shortstop and third base defensively. 
 
Henderson and Jordan Westburg, the 30th overall pick in the 2020 draft out of Mississippi State, mirrored each other both in their promotions upwards during the 2021 season and in their production at the plate, with both toggling between the two left side infield positions.  It wouldn’t be surprising to see both start the 2022 season in AA together, with the idea that they will form the left side of the Baltimore infield starting possibly in 2023. 
 
 
Boston Red Sox: 1B Triston Casas 
 
High School: American Heritage HS (Fla.) 
Travel Team: Elite Squad 
Final PG Class Ranking: No. 14 (2018) 
Drafted/Signing Bonus: 26th overall, Boston Red Sox (2018), $2,552,800 
Highest 2021 Level: AAA 
2022 Age: 22 
 
Casas was originally a member of the 2019 class but was a year older than most of his peers in that class and soon grew to dwarf them physically on the field as well.  He famously committed to Miami as an eighth grader and was completely dominant on the field both in the batter’s box and on the mound.  Casas wisely re-classified up a grade during high school and graduated with the 2018 class.  He was a 2017 PG All-American and hit .385-7-35 with 27 walks in 29 games during a strong senior season, earning himself a spot at the end of the first round. 
 
Casas was one of the few young players who was really able to stand out during the canceled 2020 minor league season due to his performance at the Red Sox alternate site.  That helped him jump from low A in 2019 to AA/AAA in 2021 as a 21-year old.  The left-handed hitter posted a .279-14-59/.877 OPS line between the two levels in 86 games, then came back to hit .372-1-11/.982 in 21 games in the Arizona Fall League. 
 
An above-average first baseman on defense, Casas is clearly the Red Sox first baseman of the future and potentially the near future.  There is some frustration among Red Sox Nation it seems for his lack of big power numbers, but that’s realistically not who Casas is as a hitter right now and and not who he’s been during his development.  He’s always been a polished and patient hitter (57 walks vs. 71 strikeouts in 2021) who works counts and uses the whole field.  And while Casas can hit a ball as far as any prospect in baseball on a given swing, he still has years of developing that tool ahead of him. 
   
 
New York Yankees: SS Anthony Volpe 
 
High School: Delbarton HS (N.J.) 
Travel Team: Canes National 
Final PG Class Ranking: No. 25 (2019) 
Drafted/Signing Bonus: 30th overall, New York Yankees (2019), $2,740,300 
Highest 2021 Level: A+ 
2022 Age: 21 
 
Volpe and right-handed pitcher Jack Leiter formed a dynamic PG All-American duo at Delbarton High School in New Jersey, with Leiter, of course, moving on first to Vanderbilt before becoming the second pick in the 2021 draft.  Volpe was regarded as one of the most polished players in the 2019 class, with solid average tools across the board but a very advanced ability to play both offensively and defensively.  He hit .438 in 23 PG tournament games in 2018 and came on to hit .477-7-34 for the not-surprisingly state champion Delbarton team that fall. 
 
Volpe’s increased power his senior year was the major factor in his getting into the back of the first round, and it has strongly continued to improve in professional baseball.  Splitting the 2021 season evenly between A and A+, Volpe hit an eye-opening .294-27-86/.1.027 OPS in addition to 35 doubles, 33 steals, 113 runs (in 109 games) and 78 walks.  That season has clearly established Volpe as one of the top prospects in baseball and certainly the top prospect in the Yankees system. 
 
Given that he is a skills-over-tools player, it will be interesting how Volpe performs at the start of the 2022 season, presumably in AA.  There are bound to be heightened expectations given the Yankees shortstop situation, but Volpe will start the season still at just 20 years old with nary an at-bat over the A ball level. 
 
 
Tampa Bay Rays: 2B Xavier Edwards 
 
High School: North Broward Prep 
Travel Team: Palm Beach Select/EvoShield Canes 
Final PG Class Ranking: No. 19 (2018) 
Drafted/Signing Bonus: 38th overall, San Diego Padres (2018), $2.6M 
Highest 2021 Level: AA 
2022 Age: 22 
 
Edwards report for the 2017 PG National Showcase summed up his game as a teenager very well:
 
Young shorter build, slender and very live-bodied. Elite level defensive tools and instincts, plays the middle infield with flair and skills, exemplary footwork with very quick hands and a quick release, everything is clean and fluid and comfortable. Switch-hitter, has surprising pop in his bat from both sides for his size, short swing and squares the ball up from both sides, bit more pop from the right side, has always been a high-level game performer offensively. 6.59 runner and will run sub-4.0's from the left side. Knows how to play the game and plays a lot of it. Good student, verbal commitment to Vanderbilt. Selected for the 2017 Perfect Game All-American Classic. 
  
This scout’s favorite Xavier Edwards moment as an amateur actually came off the field, when Edwards was being interviewed on the main stage at the MLB All-Star Game Fanfest in Miami in 2017.  Responding to a question about what he works on defensively, Edwards, perhaps the best defender in the 2018 class, said that all he ever worries about were his feet and his footwork, that if his feet were in the right place, everything else would flow right.  It’s a lesson that all young infielders, and all defensive players actually, could take to heart. 
 
Edwards' plus/plus defensive skills and speed, along with his switch-hitting ability, got him drafted by the Padres over concerns about his size and future power.  The Padres traded him to the Rays in December, 2019 with Hunter Renfroe in exchange for Tommy Pham and Jake Cronenworth. 
 
In 1,093 minor league plate appearances over three seasons, including 337 in AA as a 21-year old in 2021, Edwards has very firmly established exactly what type of offensive player he is, posting a .320-1-86/.779 OPS line with virtually no power and virtually no strikeouts as well.  Defensively, he made just four errors in 2021 while playing primarily second base, with 22 games at third base as well and notably none at shortstop. 
 
Edwards' profile is a dead-on replica of second baseman Nick Madrigal, now with the Cubs.  There is a fit for that profile in the modern game, although maybe not with some clubs.  Whether that is with the Rays, an organization overflowing with talented infielders, is an open question.  What would be surprising is if Edwards didn’t hit .300 in 2022 and play outstanding defense. 
 
 
Toronto Blue Jays: INF Jordan Groshans 
 
High School: Magnolia HS (Texas) 
Travel Team: Banditos Black 
Final PG Class Ranking: No. 9 (2018) 
Drafted/Signing Bonus: 12th overall, Toronto Blue Jays (2018), $3.4M 
Highest 2021 Level: AA 
2022 Age: 22 
 
Groshans had solid overall tools as a high school age player, including 6.65 speed and a 92 mph infield throwing arm, but there was no mistaking that his biggest tool was his right-handed bat.  He hit .583-1-7 at the 2017 WWBA 17U National Championships, .444-11-36 as a high school senior, slammed a rocket home run at the 2017 PG All-American Classic and everything passed the eye test along with the performance test. 
 
That performance continued in 2018 after Groshans signed with the Blue Jays, as he immediately went out and hit .296-5-43 in 48 rookie league games.  Unfortunately, a broken foot sidelined Groshans for all but 20 games of the 2019 season (.337-2-13) and he, of course, didn’t play in 2020 due to the pandemic.  A sore back limited him to 75 games, all in AA, in 2021, where he hit .291-7-40/.817 OPS as a 21-year old while splitting time between shortstop and third base. 
 
The Blue Jays, of course, already have a 24-year old All-Star shortstop in Bo Bichette, so the logical place for Groshans to continue to play regularly is third base while keeping his hand in at shortstop.  Actually, the Blue Jays fondest wish for Groshans is probably just a completely healthy 2022 season, probably split between AA and AAA. 
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Minors | General | 12/13/2024

PG Down on the Farm: NL West
David Rawnsley
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It’s the time of the year again (i.e. the off-season) for the annual PG Down on the Farm feature.  We identify a top prospect in each of the 30 Major League organizations with as much Perfect Game background as possible and delve into that PG history for some insight into his development as a prospect.  Some of them might be high profile, high draft pick, ex-PG All-American talents who fans have been long familiar with.  Others might be more obscure prospects who have significantly improved either in college or as professionals.  Note that players who have used up their rookie eligibility are not considered. The idea isn’t to necessarily pick the best PG background prospect in each organization but the one who might be closest to the big leagues.  Sometimes that is the same player, other times not. And there is plenty of variation among organizations...
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Tournaments | Story | 7/23/2026

A Look Ahead: 16U PG West WS

Emily Hicks
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Another exciting week of Perfect Game baseball is on the horizon as the 16U PG West World Series brings together some of the top travel baseball programs for a highly competitive tournament. Taking place July 23 - 26 at Riverview Complex in Mesa, AZ, the event will feature talented teams looking to make a statement as they compete for one of the summer's most prestigious titles. The tournament will welcome clubs from across the West, creating a talented field filled with nationally recognized organizations, rising contenders, and some of the top 16U prospects in the country. Throughout pool play and the championship bracket, every game will provide an opportunity for teams to showcase their talent while pursuing a World Series championship. With high-level competition expected throughout the week, fans can look forward to quality pitching, explosive offenses, and outstanding defensive...
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Tournaments | Story | 7/23/2026

Battle For The Midwest Scout Notes

Perfect Game Staff
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Gavin Johnson (2029, De Pere, Wisc.) handled the bat pretty well this weekend for his CBT Wolfpack 15u team that made a run into bracket play. Johnson is a left-handed hitting first baseman with a physical 6-foot-1, 200-pound frame, showing good physicality throughout the build. It’s a clean stroke from the left side, with feel to deliver the barrel on time and drive the ball working pull-side. He has a feel to rotate well, loading deep with the hands & turning well through contact to impact the baseball out in front. Johnson tallied four hits on the weekend, including 2 doubles and a triple. He plated 3 runs as well.   Devon Hester (2029, Chicago, Ill.) had a heck of a weekend for Chicago White Sox Ace 2029 Hunt. He showed out on both sides of the ball this past weekend, really getting it done at the plate. He finished the weekend 7-for-15, with a double and 4 RBI to...
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Tournaments | Story | 7/23/2026

UBC Midwest X Atlantic Notes: Part 2

Jordan Gates
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UBC Midwest X Atlantic Notes: Part 1 ‘27 RHP Alexander Kakach (MN) displayed present arm strength and some feel to spin. The #Creighton commit was up to 93 mph with the FB (89-93), while the SL showed two plane break at 79-84 mph. Mixed in CT at 84-86 with tight action in the zone. #UBCMW @MNIcemen @PG_WiscMinn pic.twitter.com/TlrOnNDIcd — Perfect Game Illinois (@PG_Illinois) July 18, 2026 Alexander Kakach (2027, Plymouth, Minn.) of MN Icemen 17U Gominsky displayed intriguing upside on the mound, striking out five over 4.0 innings while running the fastball up to 93 mph with ride. The 6-foot, 180-pound right-hander and Creighton commit paired the fastball with a low-80s slider that flashed two-plane break and a cutter that played well off the mix. Kakach worked with a loose, quick arm from a high three-quarter slot, creating quality movement across his mix while displaying...
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Tournaments | Story | 7/23/2026

15u WWBA Scout Notes: Day 6

Perfect Game Staff
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15u WWBA Scout Notes: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 Brycen Orcutt (‘29, WV) was dominant to open his outing, tossing five innings of shutout ball thus far, striking out nine. Got the FB up to 85 w/ feel to land a tight + sharp two-plane BB. #WWBA @PG_VirginiaWV pic.twitter.com/Yjm2IbufqU — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) July 21, 2026 Brycen Orcutt (’29, South Charleston, WV) has put together a strong event on both sides of the ball, posting a 1.458 OPS at the plate thus far, including a pair of doubles and three driven in. On the mound, Orcutt has logged a pair of starts, totaling 11.1 innings of shutout ball, striking out 15. The West Virginia native operates from a medium right-handed frame with a bit of length and lower half strength. He starts above the belt, working into an over-the-head windup before utilizing a medium direct leg lift, firing down...
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Tournaments | Story | 7/22/2026

15u WWBA Scout Notes: Day 5

Perfect Game Staff
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15u WWBA Scout Notes: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 Noah Rumley (‘29 NC) has been up to 90 so far in this start w/ 8 Ks in 4 innings of work. Really jumps out of the hand at foot strike w/ some ride to it; has also mixed in a SL w/ horizontal action. #WWBA @PG_Coastal pic.twitter.com/OcU57a3Syl — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) July 21, 2026 Noah Rumley (2029, Summerfield, N.C.) got the ball for GBC Lopez 2029 15u in their final game of pool play and dominated, going up against a tough lineup in the East Cobb Astros. The 6-foot-2 left-handed pitcher ended up going five innings, allowing only one hit and one run, while striking out nine. It’s premium stuff at the 15u level as he worked easily in the upper-80s, topping at 90 mph in the first. The breaking ball showed two-plane shape in the upper-70s as well. There’s a ton of things to like already and even...
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Tournaments | Championship | 7/22/2026

Champions Named at Southwest Select

Emily Hicks
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Another week of Perfect Game baseball concluded as champions were crowned in the 15U, 16U, and 18U divisions of the Southwest Select Championship. After several days of pool play and championship bracket action, three teams rose above the competition to capture tournament titles following a week of high-level baseball. Throughout the tournament, teams from across the Southwest and beyond competed in closely contested matchups, producing standout pitching performances, timely offense, and memorable defensive plays. As the bracket narrowed, each division featured championship-caliber baseball before the final trophies were awarded. 15U Championship The 15U division title was claimed by AZ Prodigy, who defeated Nomadic 14U Premier by a score of 2-1 in the championship game. After putting together a strong tournament run, AZ Prodigy continued its momentum in the title game with contributions...
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Tournaments | Story | 7/23/2026

Battle for the Windy City Scout Notes

Perfect Game Staff
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Tyler Osmanski (2027, Frankfort, Ill.) a 5-foot-11 160-pound right-handed pitcher worked a 7 inning complete game shutout to start off Chicago Elite’s 6-0 weekend. On top of going the distance he allowed only three base runners and one hit. Osmanski has lots of athleticism in his delivery. He keeps his body under control while still being able to have good arm action and great hip to shoulder separation. He works from the third base side of the rubber with a high ¾ arm slot. His fastball was up to 84mph multiple times and sat 80-83mph. He used two offspeed pitches, a good 12-6 breaking ball 65-68mph, and a changeup in the low 70’s.     ‘27 RHP Brett Alkire (IL) punched out everyone across his 5.2 inning masterful outing. He struck out 13 batters and did it on 66% strikes. Has an active arm action and kept the ball on the corners. FB T92 early w/...
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All American Game | Story | 7/22/2026

PG All-American Classic Roster Reveal

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  667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923 www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA     FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   PERFECT GAME ANNOUNCES TEAM ROSTERS FOR 2026 DICK'S ALL-AMERICAN CLASSIC AT CITIZENS BANK PARK   The rosters span 20 U.S. states, Puerto Rico and Canada, with California leading the way Jersey City's Finnian O'Loughlin gives the host region a player in the spotlight Field includes sons of Hall of Famer Frank Thomas & MLB All-Star Brad Hawpe   Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Wednesday, July 22, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced the Team East and Team West rosters for the 2026 DICK'S All-American Classic, set for Sunday, August 16 at Citizens Bank Park, home of the Philadelphia Phillies. The 60-player field represents the top...
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Tournaments | Championship | 7/22/2026

Florida Burn Cruise to 17U BCS Crown

Alyssa Golden
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Ranked fifth nationally entering the tournament, Florida Burn 2027 Scout left no doubt who the best team was at the 17U BCS National Championship. Burn finished a perfect 9-0 tournament, earning an 11-1 semifinal victory before defeating No. 86-ranked Original Florida Pokers 2027 National, 9-1, Tuesday afternoon at JetBlue Park. Burn seized control early and never looked back in a game that ended after the fifth inning per Perfect Game’s mercy rule. Burn carried its explosive offense into the championship game as Braedon Mackay launched a two-run home run in the first inning, giving his team an early 2-0 lead. Mackay’s home run sparked a five-run opening inning, setting the tone for the rest of the afternoon. The Florida commit later earned tournament MVP honors after helping lead Burn to an unbeaten championship run. “I was just trying to get something started,”...
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Tournaments | Story | 7/22/2026

17u BCS Scout Notes: Days 2-3

Perfect Game Staff
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17u BCS Scout Notes: Day 1 Kenniel Nieves Medero (2027 SS, PR)  Nieves Medero put together another quality offensive showing, continuing the consistent production he displayed throughout the tournament. The 8.5 PG grade shortstop features quick hands and does an excellent job creating separation with strong hip rotation, allowing him to generate easy bat speed through the zone. The swing remains balanced and efficient with present feel for the barrel. A polished offensive profile with tools that continue to translate in game action.  Oscar Cambero (2027 3B, FL)  Cambero turned in an impressive offensive performance, smoking a triple into the gap while showcasing both speed and gap-to-gap power. The right-handed hitter generates quality bat speed and consistently impacts the baseball with authority. Plays with a high motor on both sides of the ball and competes with energy...
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