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High School  | General | 1/31/2022

Next Level Environment Brings IMG Together

Blake Dowson
Photo: Jackson Ferris (Perfect Game)
High School Baseball Preview Index

As an independent school, IMG Academy doesn’t get to play for a state championship in Florida.
 
What it does instead is put together one of the most daunting schedules in the country, playing the best teams across Florida and the Southeast, and getting everyone’s best shot in the process.



A big part of that is the Perfect Game High School Showdown, which IMG won in 2021, and wants to defend in March.
 
“It’s a really good part of the development, playing for a brand,” IMG head coach Dave Turgeon said. “It really drives the preparation, because our kids know it. They know that teams are ready to play us and would like nothing more than to put a ‘W’ against IMG on their resume. I think that’s a great thing. I think it’s great for the teams we play and it’s great for us.”
 
IMG brings in some of the best prospects from across the country to play together in one of the most competitive environments possible.
 
Elijah Green (Windermere, Fla.) is the No. 2 overall prospect in the 2022 class, an outfielder who has a real chance to go 1:1 in the 2022 MLB Draft. Green, a Perfect Game All-American who is built like an NFL linebacker, has an unrivaled speed/power combo. He ran a 6.16 60-yard dash at PG National last summer, and it’s best to wear ear plugs during his batting practice rounds, it gets that loud.
 
Turgeon has spent a lot of time around Big Leaguers and first round picks. In talking about Green, he brought up Deon Sanders and Bernie Williams. Green is that level of athlete.
 
“With Elijah, I can honestly say I have never seen someone that is 6-foot-4, 240 pounds move with such an ease of operation,” Turgeon said. “It’s not 6-foot-2, 180 pounds. He’s an elite runner and he’s a big man that moves at world class speed…He’s a rare type of athlete because of the size and the raw power and the quickness, and when you watch it, it’s very easy.”
 
Brady Neal (Bradenton, Fla.) is another Perfect Game All-American on the roster. Neal reclassed up to the 2022 class from 2023, and hasn’t missed a beat. He’s the No. 32 overall prospect in his new class (No. 2 catcher), and is committed to play at LSU, although his athleticism behind the plate and smooth left-handed stroke suggest he’ll be highly sought-after in the MLB Draft.
 
The top-ranked pitcher on the roster is Jackson Ferris (Mount Airy, N.C.), the No. 1 left-handed pitcher in the country in the 2022 class and No. 6 overall prospect. Ferris is another PG All-American, sitting in the mid-90s with his fastball and complementing that offering with a power curveball and a nice changeup.
 
The PG All-Americans are joined by top-100 shortstops Alvin Keels (Portsmouth, Va.), the No. 66 overall prospect in the 2022 class, and JeanPierre Ortiz (Carolina, Puerto Rico), the No. 76 overall prospect. There’s also Nathan Fink (Charlottesville, Va.) and Davion Hickson (Bradenton, Fla.), an outfielder and right-handed pitcher, respectively, checking in as top-200 prospects in the class.
 
TayShaun Walton (Emporia, Va.) and Stone Russell (Bradenton, Fla.) are top-100 athletes in the 2023 class. Walton, an outfielder built somewhat similarly to Green, is the No. 15 prospect, and the shortstop Russell sits at No. 68 overall in PG’s most recent update.
 
Beyond that, IMG has players committed to Arkansas (RHP Jaewoo Cho), Indiana (LHP Ryan Rushing), Oregon (OF McCabe Moyer), Fresno State (SS Aidan Cremarosa), and Valparaiso (C Will Radich).
 
There’s a transition period when these players get to the IMG campus, Turgeon said. They no longer are surrounded by their normal support system. It’s closer to college baseball than the high school system their peers are in day-to-day.
 
“It’s a major transition because you go from a high school environment to what’s more like a big-time college environment,” he said. “The resources we have for them to take advantage of and tap into, it’s like a college program in terms of nutrition, weight room, mental skills, and the baseball aspect. They’re being coached up by a lot of ex-pros that have a lot of knowledge and wisdom…I don’t take that lightly because there is that transition where they are now away from home and away from their anchor.”
 
Turgeon knows the transition, but he made it the more traditional way, moving from Connecticut to North Carolina to play his college baseball at Davidson in the 1980s.
 
In his eyes, the move to IMG a year or two ahead of college or pro ball puts his players in an advantageous position. For one, there’s less of a transition period once you step on your college campus when it comes to time management and the other challenges of being away from home for the first time.
 
Secondly, he explained, it’s a good opportunity for his players to experience competition on their own roster. In their hometowns, these guys all hit third in the order. Now, it’s more of a battle to get on the lineup card.
 
None of that makes the transition to college or pro ball easy, just easier.
 
“They get a dose of reality here, knowing that this is how it’s going to be at the next level,” Turgeon said. “The expectation for us is to develop our players, but there’s also an expectation to win.”
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High School | General | 8/17/2026

Scott Wins MVP Two Ways
Jim Salisbury
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PHILADELPHIA – When the folks at Perfect Game reached out to invite him to pitch in the 2026 PG All-Star Game for rising sophomores and juniors, Cullen Scott had one request. “You mind if I get a couple of at-bats, too?” Along with his dad, Scott traveled from the family’s home in Texas to Citizens Bank Park. The trip proved to be a huge success as he starred on the mound and at the plate and was named the game’s Most Valuable Player. Scott, 16, pitched a scoreless first inning and struck out two. In the fourth inning, he belted a grand slam six rows up into the left-field seats to lead the National team’s 6-1 win over the American team. “He showed us why he’s here as a pitcher and a hitter,” said Greg Sabers, PG’s vice president of scouting and showcases. "He’s one of the top pitchers here, but he’s too good a...
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Draft | Rankings | 8/28/2026

2027 MLB Draft Board

Tyler Henninger
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The 2026 MLB Draft is official in the books as those players have been signed and have begun their pro career. That means it is time to turn the page and dive into the 2027 class. This class features an intriguing mix of arms both from the prep and college ranks, along with an enticing position player pool. Today, we unveil our first 2027 MLB Draft Board, ranking the Top-100 prospects in the class. There is still plenty of time for new names to emerge and established ones to rise or fall, but here is where things stand as we begin this cycle.  Rk. Name Level Pos. B-T School Hometown State Commitment 1 Dylan Seward H SS S-R Norco Eastvale CA Tennessee 2 Brendan Lawson C SS L-R Florida Toronto ON 3 Dax Whitney C RHP R-R Oregon State Blackfoot ID 4 Gavin Kelly C C/UTL R-R West Virginia Presto PA 5 Tomas Valincius C LHP L-L Mississippi State Lockport IL 6 Malachi Butler H SS L-R...
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Tournaments | Story | 8/26/2026

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Year in and year out when the best young talent from across the country is packed into one national-level event the arms tend to win the week. That feels especially true in today’s amateur game where velocity, pitch design and high-level training in general are being introduced earlier than ever, allowing young pitchers to develop impactful stuff at a faster rate than younger hitters can consistently catch up to it. The Underclass Area Code Games are no exception and this year there was no shortage of arms that made you stop and take notice. Narrowing it down to 10 was difficult, but I focused on the pitchers who either displayed starter-type traits, brought something genuinely different from a delivery standpoint whether it was slot, height, crossfire or deception or simply possessed an outlier element of stuff that separated them from the pack. These are the 10 arms that stood...
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Draft | Story | 8/23/2026

2026 MLB Draft Report Cards: NL East

Tyler Henninger
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With the 2026 MLB Draft officially in the books, it’s time to evaluate how each team performed. Every draft class was graded using the standard 20-80 scouting scale with risk factor assigned. While these grades won’t be proven right or wrong for years, they reflect the overall talent, value, and upside each organization added to its system. NL East Atlanta Braves  Grade: 55 Risk: High Notable Selections: OF AJ Gracia (1st rd) | OF Carter Beck (PPI) | RHP Kaiden McCarthy (2nd rd) | RHP Jensen Hirschkorn (3rd rd)   OF AJ Gracia (@UVABaseball) is seeing the ball really well & picked up a couple of hits, including a 2B into RCF. Smooth LH stroke & easy impact. Showed + pwr in BP, 46 BB: 36 K. Jr./'26 elig. @PG_Draft pic.twitter.com/C4rSc0ZNIc — PG College Baseball (@PGCollegeBall) May 30, 2026 Atlanta had $15,870,800 to spend in this year’s draft,...
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Draft | Story | 8/22/2026

2026 MLB Draft Report Cards: AL East

Tyler Henninger
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With the 2026 MLB Draft officially in the books, it’s time to evaluate how each team performed. Every draft class was graded using the standard 20-80 scouting scale with risk factor assigned. While these grades won’t be proven right or wrong for years, they reflect the overall talent, value, and upside each organization added to its system. AL East Baltimore Orioles Grade: 50 Risk: High Notable Selections: OF Eric Booth Jr. (1st rd) | OF Ty Head (2nd rd) | OF Kevin Roberts Jr (4th rd)  Eric Booth Jr. (26 MS) goes big fly 💣 that carried out oppo. Explosive athlete w/ huge LH juice & tools. Big time in several facets. #NatElite #Vandy commit. @PG_DeepSouth pic.twitter.com/kXl7ZVyD9G — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) July 12, 2025 Baltimore was about middle of the pack in terms of money available this year, having $13.1m to spend on their class. Booth Jr. is a...
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Draft | Story | 8/24/2026

Area Code Gams: Prospect Recap

Steve Fiorindo
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Pitchers George Ferguson, RHP, Abilene HS  Ferguson toed the slab for the Rangers squad in game one of the Codes, setting the tone early with some loud stuff.  Ferguson attacked hitters with a verty fastball up to 96 that played well up in the zone with up to 24 inches of induced vertical break.  He showed more than just a power arsenal, going to the changeup often, using the pitch to put away hitters.  Kills the spin to the 1600’s, regularly getting 13-15 inches of horizontal break.  The slider rounded out the arsenal, working 82/83.  Struck out four over his three innings of work, two on the fastball, two on the change.  2026 PG All American committed to Texas.  Quinn Fitzpatrick, RHP, Stratford HS  Another 2026 PG All American out of Texas, the LSU commit punched out three over his two innings of work, allowing just one hit. ...
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Draft | Story | 8/21/2026

2027 Draft Preview: Collegiate RHP

Ryan Miller
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2027 MLB Draft Profile Preview: College Right-Handed Pitchers  Throughout the 2027 draft cycle, I’ll be breaking down different demographics in the class. Today we begin with collegiate right-handed pitching, a strong group that is headlined by a legitimate 1-1 candidate in Dax Whitney. Most of the group is made up of high-quality power four arms, with a handful of mid-major arms mixed in. Below are the top college right-handers in the 2027 class:  Dax Whitney (@BeaverBaseball) showed LOUD stuff. FB up to 100, cruised at 95-98. Pair of plus secondaries. CB at 77-79 (2923) with sharp, 12-6 action. Firm SL at 89-91 (2714) with bite. Flashed fading CH at 87-88 (1425). Ranked No. 1 on the ‘27 board @PG_Draft So./‘27 elig. pic.twitter.com/9PNbjJ53Zo — PG College Baseball (@PGCollegeBall) February 13, 2026 Dax Whitney, Oregon State  Whitney has maintained...
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All American Game | Story | 8/21/2026

Brotherly Love Inspires Carter Hadnot

Jim Salisbury
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PHILADELPHIA – Perfect Game has been a big part of Carter Hadnot’s life since he was 12. He participated in more than a dozen tournaments and showcases, including prestigious Select Festivals as a 13U and 14U player, as well as last summer’s PG All-Star Game for underclassmen in San Diego.   The PG event that Hadnot always wanted to be part of was the DICK’s All-American Classic. Now, that’s on his resume, too. He played in the 24th annual Classic earlier this week at Citizens Bank Park, home of the Philadelphia Phillies. “This means a lot to me,” he said during the event. “I always wanted to make it to Select Fest when I was younger. So, every time I get invited to an event it’s an honor and it’s fun. I don’t take it for granted. “This is definitely the one I always wanted to make it to. A lot of big names have...
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Press Release | Press Release | 8/18/2026

Perfect Game & Delano Partner Up

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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 NAMES DELANO BAT COMPANY OFFICIAL WOOD COMPOSITE BAT PARTNER, LAUNCHES LIMITED-EDITION BAT SERIES   Delano Bats will serve as the Official Game Bat of the 13U Select Festival, taking place this coming weekend in East Cobb, Georgia   Sanford, Florida (Tuesday, August 18, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced a new partnership with Delano Bat Company, LLC, naming the company an Official Wood Composite Bat Partner of Perfect Game. The partnership will feature three exclusive limited-edition bat releases, which began with the Original Glory American Flag Bat in celebration of the United States' 250th birthday, that...
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2026 MLB Draft Report Cards: NL Central

Tyler Henninger
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2026 MLB Draft Report Cards: AL West | NL West | AL Central With the 2026 MLB Draft officially in the books, it’s time to evaluate how each team performed. Every draft class was graded using the standard 20-80 scouting scale with risk factor assigned. While these grades won’t be proven right or wrong for years, they reflect the overall talent, value, and upside each organization added to its system. NL Central Chicago Cubs  Grade: 40 Risk: Medium Notable Selections: RHP Cade Townsend (1st rd) | OF Caden Sorrell (2nd rd) | 1B Myles Bailey (2C)   RHP Cade Townsend (@OleMissBSB) sat 95-96 T97 w/ riding FB from fast arm. Nasty cutter at 88-91 is the go-to, showed biting 2 pln SL. Low-80s top to bottom CB & CH ~ 1300 RPM to round out mix. Has had a great spring & risen up boards. Soph./'26 elig. @PG_Draft pic.twitter.com/TAFbM37f5j — PG College...
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Draft | Story | 8/17/2026

2026 MLB Draft Report Cards: AL Central

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2026 MLB Draft Report Cards: AL West | NL West With the 2026 MLB Draft officially in the books, it’s time to evaluate how each team performed. Every draft class was graded using the standard 20-80 scouting scale with risk factor assigned. While these grades won’t be proven right or wrong for years, they reflect the overall talent, value, and upside each organization added to its system. AL Central Cleveland Guardians  Grade: 45 Risk: Moderate  Notable Selections: RHP Liam Peterson (1st rd) | Tre Broussard OF (3rd rd) | RHP Savion Sims (7th rd)  Liam Peterson (@GatorsBB) has been pure power stuff through the first 3.0 IP in his start vs Bama…imposing his will on hitters with a fastball that has grabbed 100 mph a few times, backed up by his power slider and curveball @PG_Draft pic.twitter.com/RVThNrdMTn — PG College Baseball (@PGCollegeBall) May 21,...
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