THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,572 MLB PLAYERS | 16,330 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,572 MLB PLAYERS | 16,330 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
College  | Rankings | 1/6/2022

Preseason Division I Top 25

Photo: Perfect Game
College Preview Content: Perfect Game/Rawlings Preseason Collegiate All-Americans

College preview content is already underway as the world turns the calendar over from 2021 to 2022. Preseason All-Americans were released yesterday and next week we will rank the top seniors, juniors, sophomores, and freshmen, respectively, in Division-I. Perfect Game will be your ultimate home for all things college baseball as we’ll also have conference previews for every Division-I conference along with previews and breakdowns for Division-II, Division-III, NAIA, and JUCO baseball.
 
This was one of the more difficult years in choosing a preseason No. 1 as, legitimately, every team in the current top-10 was considered for the No. 1 spot at some point in the process. Vanderbilt opens the 2022 season as the No. 1 team in the country given their pedigree in recent years, returning starters on what should be a potent offense, and the talent of the pitching staff, some of which will be expected to take jumps in their second or third season. The Commodores featured a team high of three All-American selections with Dominic Keegan on the first team, Enrique Bradfield Jr. on the second team, and Nick Maldonado on the third team. There will be a full feature on Friday, Jan. 7 from Blake Dowson on Tim Corbin and the No. 1 Commodores.
 
The rest of the top-5 rounds out with two Omaha participants in 2021 with Texas at No. 2 and Stanford at No. 3. Texas returns a ton from an already very dangerous team and there’s experience throughout the Longhorns’ roster, while the Cardinal re-established themselves atop the Pac-12 and return one of the best players in the country in Brock Jones. LSU comes in at No. 4 in Jay Johnson’s first year at the helm in Baton Rouge, while Link Jarrett’s upstart Notre Dame opens at No. 5. LSU might legitimately be the best offense in the country as they’ll be led by transfer Jacob Berry along with Cade Doughty and Gavin Dugas along with super sophomores Dylan Crews, Tre’ Morgan, and Jordan Thompson. Notre Dame only really loses two pieces from what was an Omaha-caliber team and their roster is littered with various third or fourth-year guys who have won before and have a bevy of experience.
 
The defending champion Bulldogs come in at No. 6, which might be low for Mississippi State when looking at season’s end. They’ll need to replace their entire rotation along with some key offensive pieces, but we don’t envision Landon Sims having any trouble transitioning to Friday nights at The Dude. NC State opens at No. 7 eager to get the 2022 season started after a disappointing finish in Omaha, the influx of a strong freshman class along with veteran arms makes them dangerous. TCU opens at No. 8 as they should compete with Texas and Texas Tech for the Big 12. Arkansas is at No. 9 as they’ll need to replace Golden Spikes winner Kevin Kopps, but there’s no absence of talent on the pitching staff and the experienced offense will be led by Robert Moore and Cayden Wallace. Ole Miss rounds out the top-10 at No. 10 as they’ll need to replace weekend starters Gunnar Hoglund and Doug Nikhazy, though the talent is there and of course captain Tim Elko returns.
 
Next week we will have full team breakdowns for the Top 25 along with blurbs on teams that just missed the cut in the 26-40 range. The rankings will be updated on Mondays following weekend series during the season. Make sure to follow along on Twitter for all things college baseball and Perfect Game.



@PerfectGameUSA | @PGCollegeBall | @vcervinoPG

Top 25 breakdown by conference:
SEC: 7 (Vanderbilt, LSU, Mississippi State, Arkansas, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Florida)
ACC: 5 (Notre Dame, North Carolina State, Georgia Tech, Florida State, Miami)
Big 12: 4 (Texas, TCU, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State)
Pac 12: 4 (Stanford, Arizona, UCLA, Oregon)
Big West: 2 (UC Irvine, Long Beach State)
American: 1 (East Carolina)
Big 10: 1 (Nebraska)
ASUN: 1 (Liberty)

Rank Team 2021 Finish 2021 Rec. Conference
1 Vanderbilt 2 (49-18) SEC
2 Texas 3 (50-17) Big 12
3 Stanford 5 (39-17) Pac 12
4 Louisiana State 15 (38-25) SEC
5 Notre Dame 10 (34-13) ACC
6 Mississippi State 1 (50-18) SEC
7 North Carolina State 4 (37-19) ACC
8 TCU 22 (41-19) Big 12
9 Arkansas 9 (50-13) SEC
10 Ole Miss 11 (45-22) SEC
11 Georgia Tech NR (31-25) ACC
12 Texas Tech NR (39-17) Big 12
13 East Carolina 12 (44-17) AAC
14 Arizona 8 (45-18) Pac 12
15 Florida State NR (31-24) ACC
16 Oklahoma State NR (36-19-1) Big 12
17 UCLA NR (37-20) Pac 12
18 Miami NR (33-21) ACC
19 Oregon 17 (39-16) Pac 12
20 UC Irvine 20 (43-18) Big West
21 Tennessee 7 (50-18) SEC
22 Nebraska 19 (34-14) Big 10
23 Florida NR (38-22) SEC
24 Long Beach State NR (28-15) Big West
25 Liberty 25 (41-16) ASUN

College | Story | 7/14/2026

Coppy's Corner: July 14 Summer Edition

John Coppolella
Article Image
The amateur players in the Cape Cod Baseball League are the future stars of the 2027 MLB Draft. The league runs from June 13th through August 2nd. Games are played at historic stadiums in Old New England towns. It’s beautiful and charming. Hollywood even made a movie about the Cape Cod League ~25 years ago called Summer Catch. It scored an 8% (!) on Rotten Tomatoes, but, on the plus side, it featured 2001 Jessica Biel in a starring role.  It was so much fun writing Coppy’s Column this spring. My hope is to highlight a pitcher and position player each week from the Cape. And, who knows, maybe somewhere out there Jessica Biel is reading it.    Player of the Week: Carter White – Falmouth Commodores  Talk about making a great first impression! White introduced himself in a very loud and boisterous way this past week by going 9-17 (.529 AVG) with 6 RBI...
Tournaments | Story | 7/15/2026

Mine Wood Bat World Series Notes

Jordan Gates
Article Image
‘28 OF/LHP Carson Tabler (OH) Rips one deep into the pull side gap for an inside-the-park HR. Athletic in the box w/ a projectable frame. Utilizes a toe tap on a fluid stroke w/ good bat speed. Good runner in stride + efficient around the bases. #MineWS @Carson_T7 @PFFlyers2028 pic.twitter.com/IVfICPg4qV — Perfect Game Ohio Valley (@PG_OhioValley) July 10, 2026 Carson Tabler (2028, Cincinnati, Ohio) Tabler was probably the most pleasant surprise when it comes to names from this weekend. A rather unknown for me and my staff going into the event, Tabler managed to cement himself by event’s end. It’s a true two-way projection at this stage, while he has the size in the 6-foot-3 long and loose frame, the strength will continue to add on to the 175-pound stature. While he only had two extra-base hits (triple, home run), the bat-to-ball skills were the calling card, and...
Tournaments | Championship | 7/14/2026

SBA Bolts National Raise Trophy at 16u

Will Dembo
Article Image
After an action-packed week at the 16u WWBA Championships, the tournament came down to two of the nation’s top teams battling for one of travel baseball’s most prestigious titles. No. 5 ranked SBA Bolts National faced No. 60 Alpha Prime 2028 after both teams reached the championship undefeated, but the SBA Bolts were the sole team to exit without a loss, defeating Alpha Prime 10-2 in mercy rule fashion and capture the national title behind dominant pitching and explosive offensive performances. The SBA Bolts were perfect throughout their week, running the table and going 11-0 while outscoring their opponents by an impressive margin of 108-25. “It was awesome,” SBA Head Coach Travis Thompson said on the mercy rule victory. “It just kind of culminated our week. It's been a long week. I can't even remember our first game, which felt like three weeks ago. The...
Tournaments | Story | 7/14/2026

Coastal Region Scout Notes

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
Ridge Whitfield (2029, Charlotte, NC) stands at 6-foot, 158 pounds with an athletic build that should allow him to maintain his mobility and quick-twitch actions as he continues to develop. He bats and throws left-handed. Whitfield locates his fastball to both sides of the plate, mixes his pitches effectively, and keeps hitters off balance. He competes on every pitch and doesn’t back down in big situations. Whitfield threw 5.1 innings, allowing three hits, one earned run, and no walks while striking out three on 75 pitches (58% strikes). He attacked the zone with a fastball that sat 73 mph and topped out at 78 mph, mixing in a 67 mph breaking ball and a 68-70 mph changeup to keep hitters off balance. Sam Jobe (2029, Charlotte, NC) stands at 6-foot-1, 175 pounds, with a lean, athletic frame and plenty of projection. He bats and throws right-handed. Jobe shows good feel for the...
Tournaments | Story | 7/14/2026

14u & 17u West Scout Notes: Days 3-5

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
14u & 17u WWBA West Scout Notes: Days 1-2 Adryan Zaragoza (‘30 | CA) turns on this one, sending it down RF line for a 2B. Finished 2-for-3 w/ 2RBI, 2R, BB. PS approach, bat speed, raw strength #WWBAWest @California_PG pic.twitter.com/V6Ctus4CX1 — Perfect Game Four Corners (@PG_FourCorners) July 13, 2026 Adryan Zaragoza (2030, Lake Elsinore, CA) The 5-foot-9, 150-pound left-handed hitter and infielder had a great weekend for ZT Select Prospects, finishing with five hits, eight runs scored, one double, one triple, six RBI, one stolen base, and two walks during the 14U WWBA West National Championships. Zaragoza consistently ignited the offense from the top of the lineup, with a disciplined approach and the ability to create scoring opportunities. He can drive the baseball into the gaps while producing in big situations, combining quality contact with aggressive baserunning....
Tournaments | Story | 7/14/2026

14u BCS Scout Note Recap

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
Jake Karpell (2030, Holmdel, NJ) got on the barrel a couple times in game five and totaled three rbis. Started his production with a single then later on hammered a heater down the right field and flew around the bases for a three run inside the park home run. Keeps the hands inside at contact really well and got the head around on the homer. Runs well and can hit it around the yard in the approach.  Luke Sauer (2030 C, FL)  put his hit tool on display with a well-struck double, continuing to show why he is regarded as one of the top catchers in the class. Owns a big frame with present physicality and does a good job keeping the hands connected throughout the swing. The barrel works efficiently through the zone and there is a solid offensive foundation present. Currently ranked as the No. 66 catcher nationally.  Gavin Politz (2030 OF, FL) continued a strong tournament...
Tournaments | Story | 7/14/2026

15u World Series Scout Notes: Days 1-3

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
Connor Ashley (‘29, FL) has struck out six over six no hit innings thus far. Got the FB up to 87 w/ feel for a sharp two-plane slider. #PGWS @Florida_PG pic.twitter.com/M7mEmTH8pk — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) July 12, 2026 Connor Ashley (’29, Minneola, FL) was stellar on Sunday, striking out seven in a seven inning no hitter. He operates from a medium-to-large right-handed frame with length, room to fill, and lower half strength. Ashley works exclusively from the stretch, starting at the belt before working into a higher compact leg lift, firing down the mound via a long arm action. He releases from a high three-quarters slot, with the fastball jumping from the hand up to 87. Ashley mixed in a sharp 11-5 breaking ball with depth and late bite, a true swing-and-miss offering.  Matthew Hernandez (’29, Miami Lakes, FL) has posted strong numbers on both...
Tournaments | Story | 7/13/2026

17u Elite Scout Notes: Days 1-2

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
High speed look at the FF-SL-CH from '27 RHP Liam McGeady (OH)... #NatElite @PG_OhioValley @Cincy_Legends https://t.co/hhoDL7DBbi pic.twitter.com/Ts79GLPGoU — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) July 12, 2026 Liam McGeady (2027, Liberty Township, Ohio) had the stuff working on Saturday morning, getting the start for Legends Scout 2027. The uncommitted right-hander ran it up to 91 and sat 88-90 with a full starter’s mix. All three of the secondaries played well and project moving forward. The curveball worked in the mid-70s with good depth and healthy shape. The slider operated in the 79-82 range with gyro spin and short break. McGeady rounded out the repertoire with a changeup that showed big fade and depth, proving effective versus lefties. He ended the outing going five ⅔ innings, allowing no earned runs on four hits, striking out six total. The tall and long 6-foot-5,...
Tournaments | Championship | 7/13/2026

ZT Select Takes 14u WWBA West Title

Emily Hicks
Article Image
After a week of competitive baseball, the ZT Select Prospects have been crowned the 14U WWBA National Champions, completing an impressive tournament run with a championship victory over Swarm Red Elite National 2030 with a final score of 3-1. The 14U division brought together 19 talented teams for a week of high-level competition, with players from California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Hawaii, and Pennsylvania battling for the opportunity to compete on one of the biggest stages in youth baseball. Throughout the tournament, ZT Select Prospects showed consistency, resilience, and the ability to compete in close games. From the opening rounds of pool play to the championship matchup, the team continued to find ways to win behind strong pitching, timely hitting, and a complete team effort. In the championship game, ZT Select Prospects was led by standout performances from Jeremy Jimenez, who...
Draft | Mock Draft | 7/13/2026

2027 Mock Draft: Way Too Early Ediition

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
With the 2026 MLB Draft officially complete, let's quickly turn our eyes to the 2027 group and do a way too early mock draft. Leading the way is shortstop Brendan Lawson out of the University of Florida, setting the trend as three of the top four names all call shortstop home with Dylan Seward and Carter Hadnot. If shortstops aren't your thing for any which reason, maybe hard throwing left-handers tickle your fancy whether it be prep Connor Salerno, Tomas Valincius from Mississippi State or Dylan Volantis, a dominant arm from the University of Texas.  Pick Team Name Pos. School 1 Los Angeles Angels Brendan Lawson SS Florida 2 Kansas City Royals Dylan Seward SS Norco (Calif.) 3 Colorado Rockies Landon Hairston OF Arizona State 4 New York Mets Carter Hadnot SS Aquinas (Calif.) 5 Athletics Connor Salerno LHP Sun Valley (N.C.) 6 Cincinnati Reds Tomas Valincius LHP Mississippi State 7...
Loading more articles...