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College  | Recruiting | 11/30/2022

Recruiting Notebook: November 30

Jheremy Brown
John McAdams
Photo: Ariel Antigua (Perfect Game)
Aaron Hernandez, LHP, Class of 2026
National Rank: 243 | Commitment: Wake Forest

The Demon Deacons are on a roll and seem to be snapping up high-level commitments left and right as of recent. Hernandez, a highly projectable southpaw out of Florida, is their latest commitment and he’s the second arm they’ve secured as he joins fellow left-hander Carson Bolemon, who committed a couple weeks back. At a long 6-foot-2, 160 pounds, Hernandez is just beginning to scratch the surface of his potential and he’s come on strong towards the end of the summer and into the fall, showing an uptick into the mid-80s with the same command and strike throwing ability we’ve come to expect given his performances over the last year-plus. He shows comfort in both his breaker and changeup, giving a true three-pitch mix to go with the overall poise on the mound, making him an excellent get for Wake Forest. 



Theo Gillen, SS, Class of 2024
National Rank: 24 | Commitment: Texas

Gillen wasn’t on the scene at all in 2022 following an injury sustained in high school baseball, but he’s back and ready for a loud spring season which he’ll look to propel into an even bigger national circuit schedule. A two-time Select Festival alum and native of Austin, Texas, Gillen won’t have to travel far as he recently announced his commitment to the Longhorns and he adds to an already-impressive haul by Head Coach David Pierce and staff. He’s as physical as he is athletic, standing at 6-foot-2, 198 pounds, which means he still isn’t close to hitting his physical ceiling and that’s a scary thought for opposing pitchers. The bat-to-ball skills are an area of Gillen’s game that immediately stand out in any given look as he’s able to unlock all fields while working on a line with some serious thump and backspin to the gaps. Along with the offense, Gillen is a smooth defender in the dirt and currently finds himself No. 24 in the class, nationally. 
 

Ariel Antigua, SS, Class of 2023
National Rank: 118 | Commitment: Tennessee

Antigua is no stranger to the national scene as he played in the 2019 14u Select Festival and over the course of his Perfect Game career, he’s accumulated over 700 at-bats with a lifetime average of .381. Formerly a South Carolina commit, Antigua has long been a defensive standout in the dirt where he shows fluidity in his footwork and snatch in his hands that few can replicate in the class before showing off his arm strength (94 mph) across the diamond. After showing off his bat speed/strength combo over the years, the newly-tabbed Vol signee put an exclamation point on his PG career by earning MVP honors at the most prestigious tournament in the WWBA World Championship. During his time in Jupiter he finished with 7 hits, which included 2 doubles and a home run, drove in 5 runs, scored 9 of his own and also swept 3 bags while playing his usual high-level of defense. 

Gavin Knox, RHP, Class of 2027
National Rank: 11 | Commitment: Virginia Tech

Knox burst on to the national scene this past fall after making a big jump with his arsenal, though that’s not to say he wasn’t impressive up until that point either. A strongly-built 5-foot-11, 160-pound right-hander out of Virginia, Knox made a few appearances late this fall in which he solidified himself as one of the top arms in the class after sitting in the mid-80s throughout, working upwards of 87 mph while staying short and fast with his arm action and simplistic with his overall mechanical operation. The velocity at 14 certainly stands out as it should at this age, but the curveball is a real difference maker for Knox, as he spins the ball with serious intent, registering in the 2500s with its RPM while working in the low- to mid-70s. All signs point to Knox continuing his upward trend moving into next summer and for the Hokies, he marks their fourth commit in the 2027 class. 
 

Tee Southisene, RHP, Class of 2024
National Rank: 500 | Commitment: Southern California
Tracking players from the early stages of their travel careers until the time they graduate affords us an opportunity to watch the player grow and develop both on and off the field, and such is the case with Southisene, as he’s done nothing but make big strides and hone his craft on the bump. The Trojan coaching staff has been doing well on the trail lately and the 5-foot-11, 155-pound right-hander out of Nevada fits well into what they’re doing, especially when you factor in the projection still remaining. Southisene has long showed poise and control on the mound with feel for a complete repertoire, and still does, only now the fastball has a little more behind it as he bumped 88 mph in each of his three outings this summer/fall. As we saw in prior outings over the year, the newly-minted USC commit can land the breaking ball for strikes, pretty much at will, in the low-70s and used it to average a strikeout per inning.

-Jheremy Brown

Loud inning of work for Brighton Fontaine (’26 PA) today. Sat 85-87 mph w/ ride through the strike zone. Flashed a short, darting SL at 76 mph. Long levered w/ immense upside. @PG_Uncommitted #WWBAWorlds pic.twitter.com/unmvuQs6OV

— Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) October 7, 2022

Brighton Fontaine, RHP, Class of 2026
PG Rank: 80 | Commitment: Alabama

Fontaine becomes the sixth commit for the Crimson Tide and Coach Bohannon in the class of 2026, as the coaching staff continues to identify premium talent across the country. The young right-hander has continued to impress each time out with steady velocity gains and refinement of his repertoire. It’s a fairly repeatable operation with good lower half movements down the slope. He is now into the upper-80s with his fastball now and possesses a swing-and-miss breaking ball that he tunnels well. He adds in a developing changeup that disrupts timing and has plenty more of feel for throwing it. There is a ton more physical projection for the athletic 6-foot-2, 190-pounder and would not be remised to see him work his way into the mid-90s by the time he sets foot on campus.
 
Brady Wardell, RHP, Class of 2025
PG Rank: 500 | Commitment: Maryland

Wardell becomes the latest commit for the Terrapins, as they continue to stockpile young talent from their immediate surroundings. Coach Vaughn and his staff do a great job of identifying both in-state and regional prospects early in the process, while continuing to bolster their rosters for the future. Wardell is another athletic right-hander with monster physical upside that has continued to impress each time we’ve gotten eyes on him. He works steadily in the mid-80s now and has peaked in the upper-80s as of late. The 6-foot-4, 200-pound Delaware native repeats well despite his length and throws quality strikes with all three of his offerings. His breaking ball has the makings of a true swing-and-miss pitch with sharp bite to it and he has the feel to throw his changeup to both left-handed and right-handed hitters. The velocity will continue to climb for the young 2025 grad as he will assuredly add more strength to his already immense frame and it will be fun to watch his continued development as he inches closes to stepping on campus.

Devin Diaz, C, Class of 2026
PG Rank: 153 | Commitment: Miami

Diaz becomes the eight commit in the 2026 class for Coach Gino DeMare and his staff, as they continue to scour the entire country for young talent that can impact their future rosters. Typically lauded for his defensive acumen, Diaz has taken the next step with the bat as he has added some strength to his frame and smoothed out his swing. He firmly impacts the baseball well from gap-to-gap and has some burgeoning power potential that will only continue to grow. Behind the dish, he exhibits good lateral mobility and a strong arm that can thwart the running games pretty seamlessly. The New York native has good leadership skills and a high baseball IQ that aides in commanding a pitching staff well. Look for Diaz to continue expanding his offensive skill set over the next few years and provide the sure handedness behind the plate that we have become accustom to seeing.


John Podgorski, RHP, Class of 2024
PG Rank: 500 | Commitment: Villanova

Podgorski becomes just the second commit for Coach Mulvey and the Wildcats, as they typically are very selective when it comes to their incoming recruiting classes. The 6-foot-2, 180-pound right-hander has made steady gains velocity wise over the last calendar year and is now into the upper-80s comfortably with his fastball. He pairs it well with an abrupt two-plane breaking ball that misses bats and a faded changeup that he deploys to both right-handed and left-handed hitters. The projection within the New Jersey natives frame will lead to additional velocity as he continues to mature and it will be exciting to see where he can ultimately end up.

Jordan Serrano, OF, Class of 2025
PG Rank: 475 | Commitment: Wake Forest

Serrano becomes the latest Northeast product to commit to the Demon Deacons and Coach Tom Walters. Recruiting Coordinator Corey Muscara has deep ties to the region and continually identifies talent from the region extremely well. The twitchy outfielder was a consistent performer throughout 2022 with an intriguing power, speed combination that is going to only continue to explode as he fully matures. The right-handed hitting outfielder generates a ton of whip to his barrel and has the knack for finding the barrel, while getting to his power in-game. He possesses a legitimate threat to leave the yard at any moment, while not sacrificing his bat-to-ball skills by doing so. In the grass, he covers ground effectively from gap-to-gap and has more than enough arm strength to thwart extra bases. Look for Serrano to continue refining his overall skill set and should be fun to watch develop over the next few years.

-John McAdams
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College | Story | 7/10/2026

Cape Cod Notebook No. 1
Perfect Game Staff
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14u BCS Scout Notes

Perfect Game Staff
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Austin Way (2030, Yulee, FL) was 2-3 in game four, driving in a run and scoring once himself. Picked it well defensively at shortstop but really showed out in the box today. Works the barrel path to the middle of the field and whips the barrel through the zone. The RHH creates lift in the turn, and the ball jumps off the bat hot.  Sutton Walling (2029, Ponte Vedra, FL) is an athletic 5’11/160lb infielder who gets it done on both sides of the ball. Dominated at the plate right behind his teammate Way in the batting order going 3-3 with two doubles. He does a really good job with the barrel accuracy and works through contact with heavy hands. Lots of project-ability in the profile and is having a sneaky great week at the plate. Banks Kennedy (2030, Arcadia, FL) received it well behind the dish and was the leading force in this one driving in three rbis. He ended up going 2-3...
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Draft | Story | 7/12/2026

2026 MLB Draft: Best Available

Tyler Henninger
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2026 MLB Draft: Best Available for Day Two  A total of 135 players heard their name called on Saturday. As always, signability, bonus pool strategy, and organizational preferences play a major role in how the board unfolds. With that being said, we saw a majority of the top half off the board get selected, but there are a number of players ranked inside our Top 150 that remain available. From high-upside prep talent to polished college performers, these are the top names still available according to our Final Top 500 Draft Board.  Top Prep Bats Available (with Top-500 Board Rankings) 38. Archer Horn, SS/RHP, St. Ignatius College Prep (CA) 58. Blake Bowen, OF, JSerra Catholic (CA) 64. James Tronstein, SS/OF, Harvard-Westlake (CA) 66. Noah Wilson, OF, McCallie School (TN) 71. Cole Koeninger, SS/RHP, Keller (TX) 77. Sean Dunlap, C, Crown Point (IN) 82. Alex Weingartner, OF//RHP,...
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Tournaments | Story | 7/11/2026

17U National Elite Heads to Hoover

Kinley Kitchens
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Another week, another big tournament makes its way to Hoover.  This week, 104 of the nation’s top 17U teams will make their way to Hoover for the 2026 Perfect Game 17U National Elite Championship.  Featuring nationally ranked teams, Division I commits, and many of the country’s top 2027 players, the tournament promises another week of elite competition as teams battle for one of the biggest championships of the summer.  With many players already committed to some of the nation’s top college programs, every game in Hoover this week offers a glimpse into the future of college baseball.  Now entering its eighth year, the National Elite Championship continues to bring in the nation’s best. Past champions include Team Elite Scout Team, Canes National, USA Prime National, Scorpions/Giants Scout Team, 5 Star Performance National, Knights Knation Scout...
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2026 MLB Draft: Day One Recap

Tyler Henninger
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Storylines Heavy College Run Early We came into the day knowing that there were a lot of talented college players at the top of the board, more specifically college bats. That came to light very early in the day, as we saw just two prep players selected within the first ten picks. The college preference lasted throughout most of the entire first round. Nearly 75% of the first 40 selections were college players. It is clear teams want players at the top of the draft that can quickly get through the system and help the big league club as soon as possible. Underslot Strategy Throughout this cycle, we knew that once you get past the first handful of picks the difference in value you were getting for let say pick ten was not that difference compared to pick 30. Because there was a large collection of players that are relatively close in value, teams were looking to get creative. We saw this...
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Final 2026 MLB Mock Draft

Vincent Cervino
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It's draft day and that means it's time for our final Mock Draft with the 2026 group. 1. Chicago White Sox | Roch Cholowsky, SS, UCLA It’s between Roch and Grady Emerson at this pick, though there have been heavy rumors of a very late deal potentially with another top 5 pick. This boils down to negotiations and we think that they will get there.  2. Tampa Bay Rays | Grady Emerson, SS, Fort Worth Christian (Tex.) If Grady isn’t the first pick then he is almost certain to be the second pick. The Rays like to get creative but Emerson is a well worth prospect in his own right.  3.  Minnesota Twins | Vahn Lackey, C, Georgia Tech This is likely the floor for Roch Cholowsky, though the Twins might prefer Lackey to Roch outright. They are thought to be in on the top college players with Emerson a distant third.  4. San Francisco Giants | Jackson Flora, RHP, UC...
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Ohio Valley Regional Scout Notes

Perfect Game Staff
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‘28 INF Christian Ramirez (OH) WALKS IT OFF for @CincyDBulls2028 to win the chip! Has shown impressive tools throughout the weekend and in this AB showed the ability to adjust to the offspeed and win the game. #OVElite pic.twitter.com/J3MXJXFnbM — Perfect Game Ohio Valley (@PG_OhioValley) July 5, 2026 Christian Ramirez (2028, Mason, Ohio) helped his team win the championship batting out of the two-hole. Though he didn’t win tournament MVP, Ramirez was my favorite player to watch take a plate appearance. He has an advanced feel for the zone and sees the ball out of the pitcher’s hand quicker than most. Ramirez led the tournament with eight walks, batting .375 with a .583 on-base percentage. Much more than just the approach, the swing is efficient with little wasted movement, creates quality separation, and puts him in an excellent position at contact. With such an...
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Tournaments | Story | 7/10/2026

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Perfect Game Staff
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16u WWBA Scout Notes: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 ‘28 C Nico Ayars (FL) coming off a monster game yesterday & comes up with the biggest swing of this one. A triple right down the LF line to drive in two. Came into today hitting .833 this week. #WWBA @PG_Uncommitted @Florida_PG pic.twitter.com/Hvb7UvtkNi — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) July 8, 2026 Nico Ayars (2028, Fort Myers, Fla.) has just been on the barrel throughout the week so far, collecting six hits across the first four games of the tournament. That didn’t slow down on day three at Mt. Zion High School as he came up with the biggest swing of the day, hitting a triple down the left field line to drive in a pair. It’s been a standout week so far for Ayars and he’ll be a driving force behind the run through the tourney for CBU 2028 Scout Team Lawson. Rylan Jenkins (2028, Tennille, Ga.) put...
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Tournaments | Story | 7/10/2026

14u & 17u West Scout Notes: Days 1-2

Perfect Game Staff
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Tre Hallberg (‘27, AZ) hammers this out to deep LCF for a 2-run 💣. Continues to stand out at the plate. Power will only continue to develop #WWBAWest @PG_Uncommitted https://t.co/NlWlDygpwg pic.twitter.com/RHrgYXLmwm — Perfect Game Four Corners (@PG_FourCorners) July 10, 2026 Tre Hallberg (2027, Mesa, Ariz.) was nearly impossible to get out over the first two days of action, going 7-for-9 with a triple and a home run. A balanced right-handed swing stays compact to contact. There is quick hand speed through the zone with feel for the barrel. Hallberg has a strong feel to hit to go with power that continues to develop. The upside is apparent.  William Garcia Falmer (2027, El Dorado Hills, Calif.) collected a pair of mulit-hit games over the course of day one and two, going 5-for-7 with two doubles, a homer, and seven runs driven in. Garcia Falmer features a physical build...
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Windy City Invite & Open Scout Notes: Part 2

Perfect Game Staff
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Windy City Invite & Open Scout Notes: Part 1 Braedon Paczocha (2028, Palmyra, Wis.), a 5-foot-11, 180-pound frame catcher for GRB STiKS 16U Black, displayed a quick bat with the ability to do damage. Showed a good feel for the barrel throughout the weekend, hitting .538 (7-for-13) with 3 doubles, 8 RBI, 2 stolen bases, and a 1.376 OPS. Also received well behind the plate with quick, efficient transfers and displayed good instincts.    ’28 1B Brock Hamilton (IL) displays some present strength, driving this ball deep into the LCF gap to leg out a triple. Creates loud contact off the bat and does damage here. #WCInvite @WhitesoxAce pic.twitter.com/6EK81gG9Wi — Perfect Game Illinois (@PG_Illinois) July 5, 2026 Brock Hamilton (2028, Flossmoor, Ill.), one of the top first basemen in Illinois, brings a physical 6-foot-5, 240-pound frame with plenty of present strength...
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