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General  | General | 4/29/2022

PG Top 10: Baseball-Football Stars

Photo: Perfect Game
This week's PG Top 10 aims to be timely, with the NFL Draft this weekend. I did my best to rank the top-10 baseball-football duo-sport stars, with a Perfect Game angle, of course. A few items before we get to the list - this is very much un-scientific. There is no formula I used to figure out who the best PG alum-turned-football star would be. It's my personal ranking, and there's room for conversation here. I weighed Perfect Game accomplishments heavily, because well, you know what website you are on. That's really the only set-in-stone rule I put in place, to be considered you must have played in a PG event. That's why you won't see Bo Jackson or Deion Sanders or Brian Jordan.

1. Jameis Winston
Winston, a top-50 overall baseball prospect in the 2012 class, was a Perfect Game All-American as a prep. As a quarterback at Florida State, he won a national championship and a Heisman. He was then the No. 1 overall selection in the 2015 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Say what you want about Winston’s NFL career and whether he has met expectations or not, those accomplishments put him first on this list.
 
2. Kyler Murray
The case for Murray is very similar to Winston’s, minus the national championship and Perfect Game All-American status. That’s what ultimately gives Winston the nod, although Murray is the only athlete to be drafted in the top-10 in both the MLB and NFL Drafts – No. 1 overall to the Arizona Cardinals in the 2019 NFL Draft and No. 9 overall in the 2018 MLB Draft by the Oakland Athletics.
 
3. Kyle Long
Long has less of a high-profile two-sport story, but he had a promising career as a left-handed pitcher. In his NFL offensive lineman-sized 6-foot-7, 280-pound frame, he was hurling mid-90s fastballs and was named a Perfect Game All-American in 2007, and was the No. 40 overall prospect in the 2008 class. He chose to pursue football, and was drafted 20th overall by the Chicago Bears in the 2013 draft. He went on the earn Second-Team All-Pro honors in 2014 and is a three-time Pro Bowler.
 
4. Carl Crawford
Crawford shined in the early days of Perfect Game, attending the World Showcase in 1998 and the National Pre-Draft Showcase in 1999 right before he was selected in the 2nd round of the MLB Draft by the Tampa Bay Rays. Crawford was a four-time All-Star over 15 years in MLB. Before his time on the diamond, he had a scholarship offer to play quarterback at Nebraska toward the end of their decade of dominance in the 1990s.
 
5. Donavan Tate
When Tate was drafted third overall by the San Diego Padres in the first round of the 2009 MLB Draft, he was the No. 3 overall prospect in the 2009 prep class as an outfielder and coming off an appearance in the Perfect Game All-American Classic. When he signed with the Padres, he was giving up a scholarship to play quarterback for North Carolina. Tate’s senior year of high school, he was a top-100 overall football recruit and the No. 6 quarterback in the class.
 
6. Patrick Mahomes
Football weighs a bit heavier in this selection, naturally. Mahomes is an NFL MVP and Super Bowl winner, and odds are he adds to his trophy case many more times before his quarterbacking days are over. As a prep right-handed pitcher, Mahomes was a Perfect Game Preseason All-American in Texas before his senior season and was the No. 389 overall prospect in the 2014 class. Mahomes is also a minority owner of the Kansas City Royals, which doesn’t effect his ranking here, but it’s cool.
 
7. Jerrion Ealy
Ealy’s 6.13 60-yard dash at the Perfect Game National Showcase in 2018 gave a hint at what his talent on the gridiron might be. Ealy, the No. 12 overall baseball prospect in the 2019 class and No. 3 outfielder, was a Perfect Game All-American and possibly the best athlete at that event. As a running back at Ole Miss, Ealy collected over 2,000 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns over three years. He added 545 yards receiving and 864 yards returning kicks in his career. Ealy hopes to hear his name called in this week’s NFL Draft.
 
8. Riley Cooper
Cooper was a wide receiver for two national championship teams at Florida with Tim Tebow at the helm, catching 81 passes in his career for 1,496 yards and 18 touchdowns. He was drafted in the 5th round of the 2010 draft by the Philadelphia Eagles, where he caught 169 passes and scored 18 touchdowns over his six-year career. Before his time as a Gator and Eagle, he was the No. 38 overall baseball prospect in the 2006 class and was a member of the Top Prospect list at the 2005 Perfect Game National Showcase.
 
9. Golden Tate
Tate was ranked just outside the top-100 outfielders in the 2007 class, and committed to play both football and baseball at Notre Dame. He hit .318 for the Fighting Irish baseball team over two seasons before being named the Fred Biletnikoff winner as the best wide receiver in college football in 2009. Tate was drafted in the 2nd round of the 2010 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks and went on to catch almost 700 passes for more than 8,000 yards and 46 touchdowns.
 
10. Dylan Lonergan
Putting Lonergan on the list is a projection pick. Lonergan, a 2023 grad, is currently the No. 66 overall baseball prospect in his class (No. 13 right-handed pitcher), and has already accepted an invite to this summer’s Perfect Game National Showcase. On the football field, he’s the No. 62 overall prospect (ESPN rankings) and No. 6 quarterback, and recently narrowed his list of schools to Alabama, Florida, Stanford, South Carolina, and Ohio State.

General | General | 2/23/2026

PG Salutes Chet Brewer, a Youth Baseball Pillar

Jim Salisbury
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PG Salutes Chet Brewer, a Youth Baseball Pillar A few weeks ago, Perfect Game and its Believe in Baseball foundation held a fundraising event in Los Angeles. The “In the Spirit of the Game” dinner and auction brought in thousands of dollars, all of which will go toward providing deserving youngsters an opportunity to play and grow in the game. Chet Brewer was not at the event – the former Negro Leagues star died at age 83 in 1990 – but his spirit was. Big time. “That night was all about Chet,” PG commissioner Dennis Gilbert said. “He was all about giving kids chances to play the game, especially kids from underprivileged backgrounds. “When you’re 15, 16, 17 years old – those years are the basis of your life. Chet helped put a lot of kids on the right path through the game of baseball.” Brewer’s impactful life has...
High School | General | 2/27/2026

HS Showdown Scout Notes: Day 1

Tyler Russo
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High School Showdown Event Page | High School Showdown Preview ‘27 1B Frank Thomas (FL) goes liftoff once again for 2nd HR, again in the L on L. Leveraging w/ such easy juice. #PGShowdown @IMGABaseball @Florida_PG https://t.co/BgWiDyMiMo pic.twitter.com/IC6sdAkhmT — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) February 26, 2026 Frank Thomas III (2027, Sarasota, Fl.) was all over a breaking ball in the first inning of an IMG Academy offensive explosion, making it back-to-back-to-back homers to start the game. He did not turn back from there, homering on two more occasions. The ball explodes off the barrel with low effort strength and he showed the ability to manipulate the barrel to lift with authority. Thomas III is built strong and physical and he is just beginning to tap into that huge power upside. He showed no issues handling left on left matchups, with his first two homers coming...
Draft | Prospect Scouting Reports | 2/26/2026

PG Draft: Early Season Underclass Performers

Tyler Henninger
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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 RHP Dax Whitney, Oregon State (‘27 elig.) Whitney may not just be the best arm in next year’s class, he may be the best arm in the entire country right now. The right-handed sits 98 mph with the heater and has been up to 100 mph. Both the slider and curveball are plus offerings that he spins extremely well. Whitney will mix in a quality Gavin changeup that sits in the upper-80’s and has also introduced a new cutter. All the pitches come from the exact same release point and jump out of the hand. He...
High School | General | 2/26/2026

PGHS Showdown: Academies Scout Notes

AJ Denny
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Jordan Burwell (‘26 NJ) going WAY out to right. Rhythmic approach and smooth swing get into big time power. #Mountaineers commit. @PGMidAtlantic #PGShowdown pic.twitter.com/qyDaIPxIol — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) February 22, 2026 Jordan Burwell (‘26 NJ) First live look at the left-handed hitting West Virgina commit. The power is real, launched two long homers in game action this weekend. Easy mover with very clean path with sky high offensive ceiling if he continues to show like this. Swing is built for power and lofted pull side impacts.    CJ Alfano (‘26 NY) long PS bomb this morning. Just leaning on everything that’s thrown over the heart. #WVU commit. @PGMidAtlantic #PGShowdown pic.twitter.com/4lGnhOEyrl — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) February 22, 2026 Cj Alfano (‘26 NY)Just an impossible out throughout the weekend....
High School | General | 2/27/2026

SoCal High School Notebook: Feb. 27

Steve Fiorindo
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5 K's over 4 hitless innings of work for Jared Grindlinger (2026), making first start as member of the 2026 class. 92-94 t95 w/ the FB, SL 80-83, CH 81-83, CB 77/78. Efficient outing, 50 pitches, 39 strikes. #PGHS @PG_scouting @PG_Draft @HBHS_basebll @PG_Uncommitted pic.twitter.com/y7jwX1oPyB — Perfect Game California (@California_PG) February 25, 2026 Jared Grindlinger, LHP, Huntington Beach High School (2026) Gringlinger’s first start as a member of the 2026 class was a good one… 4 innings of no hit ball with 5 strikeouts.  Ran the fastball to 95, lived 92-94, throwing a ton of strikes.  50 pitches on the day, 39 strikes, pretty much landing all four pitches in the zone.  Went to the slider early and often, quadrupling up on the slide piece to the first hitter of the game. The slider shows late lateral action with some vert, living 80-83.  Used...
Softball | Softball Tournament | 2/25/2026

Perfect Game Softball 16U Winter Elite Showcase

Dave Durbala
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SPRINGFIELD, IL - Perfect Game Softball 16u Winter Elite Showcase, February 20-22, 2026. Twenty-Four teams arrived in Springfield for the opportunity to showcase some of the best talent in the midwest. After 3 pool play games,  the field was split and seeded into either the Platinum or Gold Division to begin bracket play.  With several highly sought after young arms on display, it was Indiana Magic Gold 16U Carroll and Indiana Magic Gold 14U National making it into the Platinum Division Championship, and through a mutual agreement, they decided to end the tournament as Co-Champions. In the Gold Division, it was Gts 16u Elite-Gonzalez with a 7-2 win over Cedar Rapids Blue Devils 14u, to earn the championship. Below are some of the players that played their way onto the top performers list, including the MVP and MV-Pitcher from both the Platinum and Gold Divisions. Earning the...
College | Recruiting | 2/25/2026

DII/DIII/NAIA Rankings Update: Feb. 25

Nick Herfordt
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A few weeks into the season and the shape of the national picture is starting to emerge (slightly, let’s get too silly about early results). Some preseason favorites are humming exactly as advertised, a few dark horses are pawing at the gate, and a handful of early contenders are discovering that February optimism and March reality are not always the same thing. Across DII, DIII and the NAIA, pitching staffs are setting the tone, offenses are either detonating or recalibrating, and the Top 25 is already beginning to feel less theoretical and more earned.   DII UT Tyler is performing as predicted with a 12-2 start that includes a series win at Angelo State. The Patriots’ offense has not exactly been knocking the cover off the ball, but the pitching staff has been stingy, holding opponents to a .228 batting average.  They have not faced a ranked opponent yet, but...
Juco | Rankings | 2/25/2026

JUCO Top 25: February 25

Blaine Peterson
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Another strong week for many of the top teams in junior college baseball. Walters State put together another undefeated weak and sticks in the top spot for the 3rd consecutive ranking. Chipola on the strength of a 20-1 start has established themselves early as one of top teams in the country. Johnson County put together a 2nd consecutive undefeated week and moves into the top 5 with a 15-1 overall record. They will play 4 games against #22 Iowa Western this week who is also coming off an undefeated week. Fresno City (15-0) and Midland (13-0) are two undefeated programs to begin 2026. They have gone from not in the preseason top 25 to the top 15 in our rankings in less than a month. And welcome to the PG Juco Top 25 Cloud County (KS) who debuts at #23 and is coming off a huge 3 game sweep on the road in Texas of a previous top 10 program in our rankings. Plenty of good matchups ahead this...
Softball | Softball Tournament | 2/24/2026

Perfect Game Softball February Frenzy

Dave Durbala
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BURLINGTON, IA - Perfect Game February Frenzy, February 20-22, 2026.  Twenty-two teams, representing five states, rolled into town for the opportunity to compete in this pool play, then into bracket play, with four games guaranteed,  in both a 14u and 18u division. Taking home top honors in the 14u division was Midwest Sluggers 11, who held off a late charge by the Black Dragons , winning 7-5. In the 18u division, it was Nebraska Gold 319 Berning topping Iowa Gold Prospects 4-0, avenging a pool play opening, 1-0 loss. Below are some of the players that played their way onto our Top Performers list, including the MVP and MV-Pitcher from the championship bracket in each age division. 14U Division Earning the 14u division MVP award was Presley Perkins (2030 Taylor Ridge, IL) who although is listed as a switch hitting OF, was only observed hitting from the left side for tournament...
High School | General | 2/25/2026

High School Showdown Preview

Cam McElwaney
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We’re only about 24 hours away from the 14th PG High School Showdown and as we get closer to one of the premier events on the high school schedule, we look ahead to what we’ll see in Hoover. The teams and players are what make this event special along with the environment with scouts packing the stands for this event. As with every year we’ve run this event, there are sure to be names called in the upcoming MLB Draft along with big time contributors at the college level. This year’s field is loaded with five teams ranked inside the Preseason High School Top-50, headlined by a trio of top-10 teams in No. 8 South Walton (FL), No. 9 Blessed Trinity (GA), and No. 10 IMG Academy (FL). Rounding out the list of top-50 teams are No. 34 Parkview (GA) and No. 43 Hoover (AL), along with plenty of other teams that will challenge for state championships in their respective...
Juco | Story | 2/27/2026

JUCO Notebook: February 27

Troy Sutherland
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An extended look at Carson Bailey (@mccbaseball1 )…. https://t.co/TltEl9M31H pic.twitter.com/24Lv8q73Yb — Perfect Game Texas (@Texas_PG) February 7, 2026 Carson Bailey (2024, Richardson, Texas) worked up to 97 with his fastball out the gate and lived 95-96 throughout his short burst outing. Fastball got up to 2500 RPM showing subtle tail at times. It plays firm and gets in on hitters quick. Locates fastball well at times. He went to a change in the 85-88 range as his bread and butter secondary killing spin with good dive. Change produced 5 whiffs. He also mixed in a slider in the 80-85 getting upwards of 2500 RPM with it. Slider tight and sharp when around it. Also flashed a curve at 79. Bailey stands in at 6-foot-3 from a deceptive delivery that creates tough angles for hitters. He should be a big follow throughout the Spring with plenty of draft buzz surrounding him. He is...
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