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2,493 MLB PLAYERS | 15,806 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
College  | Story | 3/5/2010

The Next Aztec: Addison Reed Gets the Call

During the 2009 season, San Diego State right-hander Addison Reed had the honor to close out games that Stephen Strasburg started. And Reed’s numbers were equally gaudy, posting a 0.65 ERA, allowing only two earned runs all year, with a 38-to-7 strikeout to walk ratio in 27.2 innings of work.

He was also perfect in save opportunities, leading the nation with 20, although his accomplishments went somewhat over-shadowed by his famous teammate.

But Strasburg wasn’t the only pitcher that departed from the 2009 team, as Jon Berger and Tyler Lavigne were also drafted and began their professional careers, meaning the entire weekend rotation has a new look.

Coach Tony Gwynn wasn’t looking to replace the first overall pick from last year in Strasburg, but he needed someone to lead the staff and help replace some of the starts and overall innings that were lost from last year’s team.

And while Reed without a doubt is the best pitcher on the team, seeing him get called upon to become the team’s Friday ace was a surprise since he had been used almost exclusively as a one-inning reliever.

“It will take some time for him to get comfortable with it,” said new Aztecs pitching coach EricValenzuela. “He has never thrown more than four innings in a game in his whole life. (Being a starter) is all new to him, but it will make him a better pitcher no matter how he’s used in the future.”

Reed’s first start of the season didn’t go so well, although it was against one of the best offensive clubs in the nation in the Oklahoma Sooners. He gave up four earned runs in 4.2 innings, although he did strike out six batters.

Reed took a big step forward last weekend, striking out 11 batters in a complete-game effort over Valenzuela’s former team and cross-town rival, the San Diego Toreros, another ranked opponent. That effort led to him being named the Mountain West Conference pitcher of the week.

His stuff has held up well, especially so early in the season. While he’s not routinely touching the mid-90s as he did pitching in short stints, he consistently has sat 92-93. In his nine-inning performance against San Diego, his velocity never dipped below 90, and he remained at 92-93 until the eighth and ninth innings when he was throwing 90-91. His slider remains sharp, and Valenzuela has taught Reed the same changeup he showed to former pupils such as Brian Matusz and Josh Romanski.

“He just picked it up and he’s thrown it really well,” Valenzuela said. “He’s our best arm. He just needs to buy into it, stay with the plan, remain patient and continue to embrace the new role.”

The early-season success continued for Reed against another prominent national opponent as he out-dueled sophomore sensation Alex Meyer of Kentucky on Thursday night. Reed held the Wildcats to two runs over six innings, efficiently managing his workload by tossing 84 pitches, allowing only four hits and two walks.

Solis’ Return
While Reed tossed a dandy last Friday against the Toreros, San Diego lefty Sammy Solis returned the favor on Saturday.

Solis didn’t go the distance, but he didn’t allow a single run in six innings, allowing only four hits and two walks while striking out six. That effort led to him being named the West Coast Conference pitcher of the week, and overall this year over two starts Solis is 2-0 with a 0.82 ERA. That’s an encouraging start considering he missed almost all of last year due to a lower-back injury sustained while lifting weights.

Armed with a 90-92 fastball (and he has thrown harder in the past), he was throwing strikes all afternoon while mixing in his breaking ball and changeup. He has a good three- pitch mix, and with good size there is plenty of reason to believe the best has yet to come.

Frequently compared to former San Diego lefty Brian Matusz, Solis has a different style, attacking hitters with his fastball by constantly challenging them with his best stuff. His former pitching coach compared him to live-armed lefty Aaron Poreda, the key player the Padres acquired when trading Jake Peavy to the Chicago White Sox.
The Toreros have built a reputation on recruiting and developing impact pitching in recent years, and their weekend staff is highlighted by college stars including Solis and fellow potential first-round pick Kyle Blair. Should Solis’ success continue, much like Addison Reed’s, he could find himself taken a lot earlier than initially projected.

Bashin’ Blash

Keeping with the theme of players making an early impression this season, Miami-Dade College outfielder Jabari Blash has also elevated his game from where he left off a year ago.

A ninth-round pick by the Rangers last June, Blash’s season took an unfortunate turn when his brother lost his life in a motorcycle accident. Jabari needed to return home to the Virgin Islands to help manage the funeral arrangements and to honor his brother’s memory while also serving as the primary support system for his family.

That happened 10 home runs and 99 at-bats into a season in which he already was creating a serious national stir in regards to the draft.

It hasn’t taken long for the scouts, and scouting directors, to return to his games. He has put on some shows in batting practice, hitting to the ball to all fields while also launching some bombs. He has arguably the best outfield arm in the country, and at 6-foot-5 and approaching 230 pounds, he also presents one of the more exciting, athletic statures.

Blash’s success has translated well to games. He had five hits in nine at-bats over three games in a recent tournament hosted by Chipola College, and also drew six walks in those games. Patience in particular is something he has focused on, as his plate discipline and big swing were previous areas of concern. He already has drawn more than 20 walks, and it’s only a matter of time before his power stroke follows as he continues to wait for his pitch.

He continues to transform himself from an exciting raw talent into a more polished and true five-tool talent. Since he has shown that he knows what he has to do to continue to get better, many believe he is just starting to scratch the surface of the player he will become in the near future.

The thoughts and opinions listed here do not necessarily reflect those of Perfect Game USA. Patrick Ebert is affiliated with both Perfect Game USA and Brewerfan.net, and can be contacted via email at pebert@brewerfan.net.

College | Story | 7/6/2026

USA Collegiate National Team: Stars

Craig Cozart
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Quick Hits  Each year at the end of June and beginning of July, top collegiate baseball talent from around the nation arrives in Cary, NC at the USA Baseball National Training Complex.  Typically, the rosters are filled with top underclass, non-draft-eligible talent but this year, we will see a sprinkling of upper-classmen as the coaches evaluate just under 60 players to get to their final 28 roster spots.  For a total of two weeks, the Stars Squad and the Stripes Squad will compete against outside competition in North Carolina as well as Virginia before finishing their slate with 5-games against each other at the NTC Complex.  Once the final roster has been announced the team will depart for Taiwan to compete in the 2026 World Baseball Championships, July 11-15.    CNT Stars Position Players  Anthony Pack Jr.  FR / OF / University of Texas ...
Tournaments | Story | 7/6/2026

16u WWBA Rolls Into Marietta

Will Dembo
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More than 300 of the nation’s top 16u teams will meet in East Cobb, Georgia this week as the 16u WWBA Championship gets underway. Over 50 ranked teams from across the country will compete for one of the most prestigious titles in travel baseball, drawing scouts and fans from all over. Pool play will commence on Monday, July 6th with the championship game set for July 13th at the storied East Cobb Baseball Complex. Canes National 16u will hold honors of being the top ranked team entering the event as they have earned a No. 2 national ranking following a dominant 17-2-1 start to their season. The highly touted program is home to many of the top ranked prospects from the 2028 class including talented two-way athlete, Grant Arnold (No. 12 overall) who lives in the 90’s from the mound as well as middle infielder, Bryan Mesa (No. 14 overall) who will draw lots of attention this...
Draft | Mock Draft | 7/6/2026

MLB Mock Draft: 4.0

Tyler Henninger
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MLB Draft: Top 500 Update Pick Team Name Pos. School 1 Chicago White Sox Roch Cholowsky SS UCLA 2 Tampa Bay Rays Grady Emerson SS Fort Worth Christian 3 Minnesota Twins Vahn Lackey C Georgia Tech 4 San Francisco Giants Jacob Lombard SS Gulliver Schools 5 Pittsburgh Pirates Jackson Flora RHP UC Santa Barbara 6 Kansas City Royals Drew Burress OF Georgia Tech 7 Baltimore Orioles Eric Booth Jr. OF Oak Grove 8 Athletics Chris Hacopian SS Texas A&M 9 Atlanta Braves Ryder Helfrick C Arkansas 10 Colorado Rockies Tyler Bell* SS Kentucky 11 Washington Nationals Jared Grindlinger LHP/OF Huntington Beach 12 Los Angeles Angels Cameron Flukey RHP Coastal Carolina 13 St. Louis Cardinals AJ Gracia OF Virginia 14 Miami Marlins Derek Curiel OF LSU 15 Arizona Diamondbacks Gio Rojas LHP Marjory Stoneman Douglas 16 Texas Rangers Liam Peterson RHP Florida 17 Houston Astros Justin Lebron SS Alabama 18...
Tournaments | Story | 7/5/2026

13u World Series Notes: Days 1-2

Perfect Game Staff
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Michael Wedgeworth (2030, Flomaton, AL) had put the two way ability on full display so far this week, dominating from both sides. On the mound Wedgeworth ran the fastball up to 84 (81-83) with ease to the delivery. Broke off a couple nasty curveballs that induced swing and miss, as well as freezing hitters for punch outs. Collected six in his four inning complete game. He also would not be denied at the plate going 3-5 in the first two days with two doubles. Very intriguing young player as the body continues to grow.  Tyler Bellush (2031, Summerville, SC) is a sure handed shortstop for the Canes Nation squad. Swings it from the left side of the plate and the barrel accuracy has really stuck out thus far. 3-4 through the first couple days with a double and two triples, Bellush has also walked twice and collected 3 RBI along the way. Yesterday against USA Prime with the bases loaded,...
Tournaments | Story | 7/4/2026

16u WWBA North Scout Notes

Perfect Game Staff
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Oliver Lindstrom (2028, Green Bay, WI) created some of the loudest offensive moments of the weekend while producing across the board, finishing with six hits, eight RBI, and a home run. The right-handed hitter showed the ability to stay through the baseball and drive it with authority. Creates quality leverage through the lower half while arriving in strong hitting positions early, allowing the barrel to work with intent through the zone. The blend of power, athleticism, and all-fields impact stood out throughout the event.  Dominic Haigh (2028, South Bend, IN) was one of the most productive hitters at the event, collecting 10 hits while consistently creating pressure on opposing defenses. Made life difficult on pitchers with a relentless approach, routinely extending at-bats and forcing them to work deep into counts. The operation remains simple and efficient, featuring an early...
Tournaments | Story | 7/4/2026

West Region Rankings Risers: Class of 2028

Joey Cohen
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After a heavy stretch of early summer looks, our scouting staff felt confident rolling out an updated ‘28 national ranking a couple weeks ago. The evaluation window was packed whether it was with our Memorial Day and Summer Kickoff tournaments, UBC action, Sunshine Showcases, and of course the Junior National Showcase which all provided a deep and diverse look at the class against strong competition. Between fresh game evaluations and updated showcase data, we were able to get a clearer picture of where players stand and more importantly how they’ve progressed. Improvements in strength, athleticism, and overall skill were evident across the board giving our staff real conviction when it came time to shuffle the board. With that in mind, I wanted to highlight a handful of west region prospects who made a strong impression on me this summer and earned a well-deserved jump in...
All American Game | Story | 7/3/2026

Initial 2026 All Star Game Roster Reveal

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We are excited to announce the first selections for the 2026 PG All Star Game from both the Perfect Game Junior and Sophomore National Showcases. The PG All Star Game will be held on Friday, August 14th at Citizens Bank Ballpark, the home of the Philadelphia Phillies, and will feature roughly 40 of the top players, predominately from the 2028 class with a few of the very best 2029s also selected. A watchlist has been created from the Junior National Showcase and another group of players will be selected from that showcase towards the end of July as we continue to evaluate players at the major Perfect Game tournaments this summer. The final wave of selections we be made at the PG Underclass All American Games August 5-7 at the UCSD in San Diego, CA. PG Underclass All American Games   Junior National Selections Dexter McCleon Jr. OF Suwanee, GA USA Prime Cullen Scott RHP/3B Melissa,...
Tournaments | Story | 7/3/2026

13u WWBA Scout Note Recap

Jheremy Brown
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Walter Izquierdo Jr. (2031, Miami, Fla.) showed off the upside on the mound for Beast Baseball 13u. The right-handed pitcher went four innings and collected three strikeouts while spreading two hits and two walks for one run. The fastball topped out at 80 and was consistently in the upper- 70s. Showed feel for a curveball with 12-6 shape and some looser vertical depth that was able to get weak contact. Competes in the zone well and showed some feel to work on the arm-side half of the plate. Intriguing upside on the young arm.   Brett Hamlin (2031, Jupiter, Fla.) showed off the barrel feel for FTB American 13u. The left-handed hitter collected nine hits, including two doubles and a triple, to drive in seven RBI. Strong hands and flips the hips well to create good bat speed. Simple operation that gets on time consistently and impacts the ball well. Worked the pull-side well and...
Tournaments | Story | 7/2/2026

Freedom Classic Opens Holiday Weekend

Alyssa Golden
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More than 30 teams from the 14U-18U age divisions will head to Fort Myers, Florida this Fourth of July weekend for the seventh annual Perfect Game Freedom Classic. The tournament, running July 3-6, features several nationally ranked prospects from across the country as teams look to compete for a championship. Headlining the field are twin brothers Derek and Ryan Yormark of Merrick, New York. Right-handed pitcher Derek Yormack is the No. 51-ranked player in the class of 2027, the No. 1 player in New York and the No. 5-ranked right-handed pitcher in the country. First baseman Ryan Yormark comes in just behind his twin brother as the No. 3 overall player in New York, the No. 5 first baseman in the nation and the No. 90-ranked player nationally. Both brothers are committed to Vanderbilt. Derek Yormark has established himself as one of the top two-way prospects in the 2027 class. He has run...
Tournaments | Story | 7/2/2026

14u West World Series Scout Notes

Quinton Hall
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Asher Contreras (2030 | Las Vegas, NV) The 5-foot-10, 170-pound right-handed hitter and outfielder was one of the most dangerous hitters in the tournament for Wow Factor Nv 2030, stuffing the stat sheet while displaying an impressive combination of power and speed. He finished the weekend with 9 hits, including two doubles and a home run, while driving in seven runs and scoring five more. He also swiped three bases and worked three walks, consistently putting pressure on opposing defenses while showing feel for the zone with just one strikeout all weekend. His ability to hit for extra bases while also creating offense on the bases made him one of the most impactful offensive performers at the event.    Braylen Silva (‘30 | NV) RBI 2B for GBG Vegas 14u Red. Direct path, quick trigger, & barrel feel. Solid 2-hole stick creating offense all day #14UWestWS...
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