THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,631 MLB PLAYERS | 16,402 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,631 MLB PLAYERS | 16,402 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Sign in Create Account
Sign in Create Account
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.”
Give us your feedback
High School | Rankings | 11/4/2026

Class of 2027 Rankings Risers
Kyler Peterson
Article Image
Complete Class of 2027 Rankings With the end of the summer and fall seasons behind us, it was time for a quick refresh of the 2027 class rankings. Below you'll be able to read about some of the biggest risers up the board, led by North Carolina outfielder John Hucko who jumped more than 110 spots to now sit at No. 20 overall.  John Hucko, OF, Charlotte, N.C. Previous Rank: 132 | Current Rank: 20 Hucko makes a huge leap into the top-20 players in the class after a dominating showing in Jupiter. It’s as good of a left-handed swing as you’ll come across with pretty easy impact to all parts. He’s a supreme athlete with all the tools to play center long term and is a present plus runner. Hucko is a name that cemented his prospect status in Jupiter and will be a name to follow for next year’s MLB Draft. Elyjah Mason, SS, Lake Forest, Calif. Previous Rank: 71 |...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 11/8/2026

14u National All State Scout Notes: Day 1

Tyler Russo
Article Image
2031 C/OF Jace Winston (Fuquay-Varina, N.C.) had a really nice day at the dish as he picked up a couple hits in his first game, both well-struck, and then launched a bomb in game 2. He’s one of the more physical players here who can really impact the baseball already, and the consistency in which he’s hitting this fall is a great sign going into 2027. 2031 SS/RHP Weston Stalls (Blackstock, S.C.) came in for a couple innings of relief on the day and showed off the arm talent running the fastball up to 87. It’s a fast arm and he generates real life to the fastball, while the breaking ball is a good pitch as well.   ‘31 SS Parker Smith (NC) went 3-for-3 to open the weekend, this a line drive single the other way. 6’2/140 & can accelerate the barrel already, intriguing projection. #NatAllState @PG_Coastal https://t.co/Z7C5kDGdIM — Perfect Game...
Read More
General | General | 11/6/2026

Class of 2028 Rankings Update

Article Image
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 11/6/2026

National All State Preview: Week 1

Hannah Jo Groves
Article Image
This weekend, teams from all around the country in the 10U, 12U and 14U divisions will converge on the Houston area for the 2026 PG National All-State Select Championships. The 10U division will have 22 teams, 12U will have 23 and 14U will have 22. All ages have many different states represented - from Hawaii, to the Pacific Northwest, to Arizona, to New England, to Carolina to Florida and many more. “National All-State brings together the best players in the country across Houston,” national crosschecker and northeast scouting director, John McAdams, said. “It’s a fun atmosphere for ultimate bragging rights amongst all the regions the PG platform reaches domestically while serving as a good litmus test for myself, Jheremy Brown and Tyler Russo to see the players. We get another glimpse at the end of the year as we start to formulate our initial thoughts on the...
Read More
Draft | Rankings | 11/6/2026

2027 MLB Draft Board Update: Top 200

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
PG Draft Content Hub With the fall season winding down and the winter months approaching, it is time for another draft board update.  After getting more live looks and gathering information from the fall action across the country, we have expanded the board to a Top-200. The class continues to feature an intriguing mix of arms from both the prep and college ranks, along with an enticing position player pool.  There is still plenty of time for new names to emerge and established prospects to continue to improve their draft stock, but here is where things stand as we head into the winter.  * denotes draft eligible sophomore 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 Tomas Valincius C LHP L-L Mississippi State...
Read More
College | Story | 11/6/2026

College Fall Notebook: November 6

Craig Cozart
Article Image
Virginia Cavaliers  2026 In Review:  Under the leadership of first year Head Coach Chris Pollard, the Cavaliers won 37 games which was the second most victories by a first-year coach in program history.  Virginia went (37-23) finishing tied for 8th in the ACC and earned an at-large bid to the Hattiesburg Regional.  They fielded a talented offense that averaged over 8-runs per game, highlighted by AJ Gracia and Eric Becker who were both selected on Day 1 of the 2026 MLB Draft.  While the defensive squad wasn’t quite as elite as usual, they were ultra-competitive on the mound with a strong rotation and lock down bullpen.  With plenty of talent returning for Pollard and his staff in ’27, they should be a force on a national level once again.  Impact Returners:    Senior Antonio Perrotta (.266/.459/.431, 5 HR, 6 2B, 24 RBI) experienced...
Read More
General | General | 11/5/2026

Wolforth Throwing Mentorship: Article 70

Ron Wolforth
Article Image
That Off-Season Program Wasn't Built for Your Son. It Was Built for Nobody. The Harsh Reality of Skill Development · Part 2 of 5 Somewhere right now, a pitcher is starting a twelve-week off-season program. It came from his travel team. Or a trainer. Or a big leaguer's Instagram. It has phases and a logo, and every kid in the building got the same one. Here is the harsh reality. That program was written before anybody looked at your son. It doesn't know he exists. It was built for the average pitcher... and the average pitcher does not exist. A Template Fixes Somebody's Problem. Maybe Not His. Every pitcher who is stuck is stuck for a reason. We call that reason his constraint... the thing that is actually limiting him right now. For one kid it is strength. For the next it is mobility. For the next it is a mechanical inefficiency, or an arm that isn't recovering, or a body that...
Read More
General | General | 11/5/2026

Wolforth Throwing Mentorship: Article 69

Ron Wolforth
Article Image
Your Son's April Arm Injury is Being Scheduled Right Now   The Harsh Reality of Skill Development - Part 1 of 5 Let me start this series with something most people in baseball won't say out loud. In my experience, a great many of the arm problems we will see next April are being set up right now... in October, November and December. Not necessarily because a young pitcher is throwing too much. Often it's because of what happens when he stops. Here is the pattern. I have watched it for more than thirty years. The fall season ends. The arm is tired, so the family does what seems like the responsible thing.  They shut it down. No throwing. For a lot of kids, no anything. Weeks go by. The holidays come and go. Then somebody looks at a calendar in January and realizes tryouts are three weeks away. Suddenly, an arm that has done nothing since October is asked to go from zero to game...
Read More
General | General | 11/3/2026

Class of 2027 Rankings Update

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
Read More
Press Release | Press Release | 11/2/2026

PG Partners Up with Minority Prospects

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
  667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923 www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA     FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   PERFECT GAME ANNOUNCES MEDIA RIGHTS PARTNERSHIP WITH MINORITY PROSPECTS   Sanford, Florida (Monday, November 2, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced a media rights partnership with Minority Prospects, the Atlanta-based organization that has become the largest platform in the world for minority baseball and softball prospects. The partnership kicked off last month at the WWBA World Championship in Jupiter, Fla., Perfect Game's premier fall event, where Minority Prospects produced content featuring some of the nation's top amateur players in front of college coaches, professional scouts and MLB legends. Under the agreement, Minority...
Read More
Loading more articles...
About Perfect Game :: Contact us :: Terms of Use :: Privacy Policy :: Testimonials :: Job Opportunities
Copyright 1994-2026 by Perfect Game. All rights reserved. No portion of this information may be reprinted or reproduced without the written consent of Perfect Game.