THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,414 MLB PLAYERS | 15,806 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,414 MLB PLAYERS | 15,806 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Sign in Create Account
Sign in Create Account
General  | Blog | 10/27/2023

From Perfect Game to the World Series

Tyler Henninger
Photo: Corey Seager/Corbin Carroll (Perfect Game)
The 2023 World Series is loaded with talented young players, productive veterans, and multiple superstars. While every one of these players took a unique path to the big leagues, a handful of them attended a Perfect Game showcase at one point during their days as an amateur baseball player. These players have continued to grow and develop throughout their careers, but their potential was clear even as high school players. Before the first pitch of game one gets thrown in Arlington, let's take a look back at past Perfect Game showcase reports on some of the stars of the 2023 World Series. 

OF Corbin Carroll (ARI)
“Corbin Carroll is a 2019 OF with a 5-10 165 lb. frame from Seattle, WA who attends Lakeside HS. Medium athletic build with some wiry strength, plenty of room to get stronger. Very quick twitch athlete, 6.33 in the sixty, shows his athleticism well in the outfield, solid arm strength with on line carry, serious range in centerfield. Left handed hitter, hits from a narrow base with a short and quick swing, base swing is inside and middle of the field but will flash the ability to turn on the ball and drive it, lots of projection as a hitter. Highest level athlete who has baseball skills and plays with energy. Very good student, verbal commitment to UCLA. Selected to play in the 2018 Perfect Game All-American Classic.” (2018 National Showcase)



SS Corey Seager (TEX)
“Corey Seager is a 2012 MIF/3B with a 6-3 195 lb. frame from Kannapolis, NC who attends Northwest Cabarrus HS. Excellent physical build, square shoulders with tons of projection. Left handed hitter, big hand coil and wrap to start swing, generates very good bat speed, loose extended swing with lift, ball jumps hard, hand action creates length at beginning of swing. 6.85 runner, very good infield arm strength, plus carry on throws, accurate, all the tools to be a defensive standout. Brother of Mariners 2B Kyle Seager. Outstanding student, verbal commitment to South Carolina. Named to the Perfect Game All American Classic team.” (2011 National Showcase)

RHP Zac Gallen (ARI)
“Zachary Gallen is a 2013 RHP/MIF with a 6-2 180 lb. frame from Gibbsboro, NJ who attends Bishop Eustace Prep. Extremely projectable frame with an excellent present build. Throws from a high 3/4 slot and the arm is FAST. His fastball has big time life through the zone and his 2 seam fastball has serious run. Sat 88-90 mph down in the zone. Works fast and repeats his delivery very well. Pitches off of the FB and goes right at hitters. Has an 11/5 CB with late sharp bite. Also showed plus feel for the CB consistently spotting up in the lower half of the strike zone. Absolute stud. Outstanding in the classroom.” (2013 Sunshine Northeast Showcase)

1B Christian Walker (ARI)
“Christian Walker is a 2009 3B/C with a 6'1'', 210 lb. frame from Limerick, PA who attends Kennedy-Kenrick. Christian has a solid strong build and his hands and arm work in the infield. He runs fairly well. The bat is what makes Christian really stand out. The ball jumps off his bat and he has big power. He has a good stroke with excellent bat speed and hits hard line drives to all fields and can lift the ball. Walker has big power potential and can already drive the ball out of any ball park. He hit several out of the Metrodome in the Rawlings HR contest. Definite bat to follow. He has made a verbal commitment to South Carolina.” (2008 National Showcase)

C Jonah Heim (TEX)
 “Jonah Heim is a 2013 C/3B with a 6-3 178 lb. frame from Amherst, NY who attends Amherst Central. Tall athletic build with lean strength. Impressive arm strength allows for good pop times for age, could improve even more by shortening length of arm action. Similar abilities from each side of the plate, good hitting tools from both sides. Uses all fields, good plate coverage. Solid bat speed, projects well, quick hands, tools to hit. On the mound showed online low effort delivery, good break on 12-6 Curveball has some bite to it, projectable velocity. Interesting young player, should make big strides.” (2011 NJ Pitcher/Catcher Indoor Showcase)

OF Alek Thomas (ARI)
 “Alek Thomas is a 2018 OF/LHP with a 5-11 175 lb. frame from Chicago, IL who attends Mt Carmel HS. Square shouldered athletic build, good present strength for his size. 6.63 runner, quick twitch athlete in all his actions, plays faster than his 60 time on the baseball field. Left handed hitter, big coil to start swing, deep hands, loose swing with plus bat speed, lots of torque in his swing, has very good barrel skills and can drive the ball hard to all fields, sees the ball very well. Centerfield tools on defense, gets very good jumps and can make the athletic play in the outfield, playable arm strength with a quick release and very good accuracy. High level athlete who excels on the football field and basketball court. Very good student,, verbal commitment to TCU for both football and baseball. Selected for the 2017 Perfect Game All-American Classic.” (2017 National Showcase)

OF Tommy Pham (ARI)
 “Thomas Pham is a 2006 middle infielder/right handed pitcher from Las Vegas, NV with a strong athletic build at 6-2, 185 lbs. He ran the 60 in 6.88 and was 4.50 to first base from the right side. Pham's best tool is his arm strength, which plays big both in the field and on the mound. He threw 90 mph across the diamond from shortstop and the rest of his defensive skills are solid. Pham's arm was even more impressive on the mound, especially for a secondary pitcher, where he threw 91 mph with very little effort. Pham also threw a 77 mph curveball with sharp sweeping action and a 78 mph change up. Offensively, Pham is an aggressive hitter who gets to his front side quickly and uses his strong hands to drive the ball. He showed good pull power and is just going to get stronger and hit the ball harder and farther in the future. Pham has as high of two-way potential of any player in the 2006 class and could become a premium talent either as a shortstop or right handed pitcher down the road. Pham is also an outstanding student with a 4.0+ GPA.” (2005 National Showcase)

1B Nathaniel Lowe (TEX)
 “Nathaniel Lowe is a 2013 3B/1B with a 6-3 220 lb. frame from Marietta, GA who attends Pope HS. Big strong athletic build. Left handed hitter, upper half rotational swing, open stance, long smooth swing, looks to get hands extended, best contact to the opposite field, will flash strength and bat speed at times but gets tied up inside, strength to improve with adjustments. 7.42 runner, good hands at the ball, over the top arm action, good carry on throws. Very good student. Named to the Top Prospect Team.” (2011 National Underclass Showcase: Main Event)

OF/DH Robbie Grossman (TEX)
 “Robbie Grossman is a 2008 OF with a 6'1'', 195 lb. frame from Cypress, TX who attends Cy Fair HS. He has a very strong and tightly wound athletic build with an explosive look to him. Grossman is a rare left handed thrower/switch-hitter (how many ML players can you name who do that?) and has outstanding hitting ability and bat speed from both sides of the plate. He is an aggressive hitter who attacks the ball from both sides of the plate. He has a bit better bat speed from the right side but similar approaches. If anything, Grossman can be too aggressive and get himself committed early to pitches instead of trusting his hand speed and strength. He's going to hit with power, both extra base and over the fence pop, against top level stuff. Grossman is also a 6.58 runner who runs with the same type of explosive aggressiveness as he hits. Defensively, Grossman has the tools to play all three outfield positions. He gets very good carry on his throws and makes accurate throws. As a Houston native, Grossman has plenty of similarities to 2005 Reds first round draft pick Jay Bruce. Selected to 2007 Aflac All-American team.” (2007 National Showcase)

RHP Paul Sewald (ARI)
 “Paul Sewald is a 2008 OF/P with a 6'2'', 170 lb. frame from Las Vegas NV, who attends Bishop Gorman. Sewald has a tall slender body with a lean build. Defensively, Sewald moves to the ball well and has solid outfield actions. He has arm strength with some carry on his throws. At the plate, Sewald has a level swing path with a high finish. He is aggressive to the ball in the strike zone and has present line drive pop. Sewald pitches from a 3/4 arm slot with a good arm action. He has arm speed and pitches with low effort through his delivery. Sewald has solid mechanics and is smooth through finish. He has sink on his fastball with 11/5 break on his curveball. Outstanding student.” (2006 Southern CA Underclass)

IF Jordan Lawlar (ARI)
 “Jordan Lawlar is a 2021 SS/OF with a 6-2 185 lb. frame from Irving, TX who attends Jesuit College Prep. Very athletic build with good present strength. 6.45 runner in the sixty. Has very easy and smooth actions in the middle infield, hands are very quick and clean at the ball, rounds the ball with maturity and has a quick exchange and release, plays defense in an easy comfort zone with an advanced inner clock. Right handed hitter, hits from a slightly open stance with a short and quick inside swing, ball comes off the barrel hard, high contact middle of the field approach that can grow as he gets stronger, projects well offensively. Elite level student, verbal commitment to Vanderbilt. Named to play in the Perfect Game All-American Classic.” (2020 National Showcase)

RHP Josh Sborz (TEX)
 “Josh Sborz is a 2012 RHP/1B, 3B with a 6-2 200 lb. frame from McLean, VA who attends McLean. Sborz has a big strong build, ball comes out of hand well, fastball has good life, attacks hitters, good 11-5 curveball, has good bite, projects well, high follow on the mound. Also showed good power potential at the plate, hits to all fields, good hitting tools.” (2010 PG National Games: Class of 2012)

LHP Will Smith (TEX)
 “Will Smith is a 2007 LHP with a 6'4'', 215 lb. frame from Newnan GA, who attends North Gate HS. He has a big, athletic frame that is very strong now and could get even stronger with more work in the future. Smith has a low effort, smooth delivery and an extended mid 3/4's release point. He tended to get out of sync from the strength and push the ball with more effort. Smith's fastball ranged from 80 to 85 mph with good sink and run. His off speed pitches both showed very good quality and were his best offerings. His curveball was up to 73 mph and had good spin and bite to it. His 76 mph change up had good arm speed and life. Smith is a ground ball pitcher with three solid pitches and an idea how to use him. We keep waiting for his velocity to pick up but that just might now happen despite his big strong body.” (2006 Southeast Top Prospect Showcase)

LHP Cody Bradford (TEX)
 “Cody Bradford is a 2016 LHP/1B with a 6-3 185 lb. frame from Aledo, TX who attends Aledo HS. Extra-large, athletic build with high waist, long limbs and a lean, projectable build with room to fill out with additional strength. Nice build for on the mound. Primary left-handed pitcher, shows a long and loose arm action through the back side, works through to a high three-quarter release point. Balanced delivery, incorporate lower half well into drive down mound and showed ability to repeat. Sound arm speed, generates angle and downhill plane on fastball, up to 86 mph with some late life to arm side, flashes late sink when located down. Filled up the strike zone, showed a feel for 1-7 curveball at 70 mph, some sweeping life to it. Works both sides of the plate, slightly slows arm action on changeup but shows fade and dive to arm side at 72 mph. Named to South Top Prospect List. Excellent student. Verbal commitment to Baylor.” (2015 South Prospect Showcase)

RHP Slade Cecconi (ARI)
 “Slade Cecconi is a 2018 RHP/IF with a 6-4 193 lb. frame from Oviedo, FL who attends Trinity Prep. Outstanding young pitcher's build, has some present strength with long arms and loose athletic actions. Lightning fast arm action, high 3/4's arm slot, lots of extension out front, low effort release. Consistent mid-90's fastball, topped out at 96 mph, powers it down to the bottom of the zone with life and angle, lots of 96's. Slider is his best secondary pitch, has power and bite at 84 mph. Tends to lower elbow on his curveball and change up, will flash quality but not consistency, throws strikes with his secondary pitches. Elite level arm who should keep getting better. Excellent student, verbal commitment to Miami. Selected for the 2017 Perfect Game All-American Classic.” (2017 National Showcase)

INF Josh Smith (TEX)
 “Josh Smith is a 2016 SS/2B with a 5-10 175 lb. frame from Greenwell Springs, LA who attends Catholic HS. Medium athletic build. 6.78 runner, quick and athletic actions in the middle infield, very quick and active feet, works through the ball well with a quick release and lots of raw arm strength, plays defense with energy and aggressiveness, high level defender. Left handed hitter, big leg pull back load and coil with a big move into contact, timing can be late, momentum hitter, swings hard and looks to drive the ball from a low hand start, line drive gap contact, will likely have to simplify swing mechanics as pitchers get better but has raw bat speed and offensive potential. Plays the game hard. Good student, verbal commitment to Louisiana State.” (2015 National Showcase)

C Austin Hedges (TEX)
 “Austin Hedges is a 2011 C with a 6-1 185 lb. frame from San Juan Capistrano, CA who attends J Serra HS. Slender athletic build, wide shoulders, plenty of room to fill in. Outstanding defensive tools/skills, very light on feet, loose/quick and flexible, big arm strength, easy unrushed release, 1.75 pop in drills, 1.90 tag throw in game. Good flow hitting, good extension through the ball, simple line drive hitting approach, has some hand quickness, projects power. Defense stands out. Excellent student, verbal commitment to UCLA. Selected to the Aflac All-American team.” (2010 National Showcase)
Give us your feedback
General | Blog | 4/10/2026

Wolforth Throwing Mentorship: Article 64

Ron Wolforth
Article Image
What Do Barry Zito, Justin Verlander, Trevor Bauer, and Dallas Keuchel All Have in Common? By Ron Wolforth | Texas Baseball Ranch® | PG Arm Care Take a second and think about the question posed in the title before you read on. Four Cy Young Award winners. Four of the most decorated pitchers of their generation. What's the common thread? The first answer is obvious… they all won the most prestigious individual award in pitching. Most of you probably got there immediately. The second answer is less obvious… they all trained at the Texas Baseball Ranch® at some point in their development. Interesting, maybe, but not the point of this article. The third answer is the one I really want you to sit with, because it has direct relevance to your career right now: they all move completely differently. And they all attack hitters completely differently. Don't rush past that....
Read More
High School | Rankings | 4/21/2026

High School Top 50 Update: April 21

Tyler Russo
Article Image
Another few weeks have wrapped up this high school season as we’re flying through the spring and most southern states are starting playoffs right around the corner. With the end of the regular season, we have another National Top 50 update to bring to you, along with this will be the start of the weekly editions of our National Top 50. We have a change at the top of the rankings as Venice (FL) takes over the top spot after just dominating their competition in the state of Florida this year. Orange Lutheran (CA) drops one spot to No. 2 after dropping a series but still holds firm at No. 2 in the country. Barbe (LA) has continued to dominate and holds onto the No. 3 spot while Tomball (TX) skyrockets in this update to No. 4 in the country, currently holding an incredible 30-0-1 record. The rest of the top-10 is names we’ve become accustomed to see with Aledo (TX) at No. 5, IMG...
Read More
PG Select Baseball Festival | General | 4/21/2026

Select Festival Dates/Locations Announced

Article Image
    667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923  www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA      FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE    PERFECT GAME ANNOUNCES DATES AND VENUES FOR   2026 SLATE OF SELECT FESTIVALS    Sanford, Florida (Tuesday, April 21, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced dates and venues for its 2026 Select Festivals, a premiere series of invitation-only events showcasing many of the nation’s top young prospects at the 11U, 12U, 13U and 14U levels.    The Select Festivals provide elite players with a unique opportunity to compete alongside and against the best talent in their age group while experiencing a...
Read More
College | Story | 4/21/2026

College Players of the Week: April 21

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
April 21st Perfect Game/Player of the Week:  Tague Davis, IF, Louisville  The Louisville Cardinals (22-18) haven’t been able to get themselves in much of a groove this spring, their longest winning streak is 5-games, and they are (4-6) in their last 10-games.  The issue has not been the offense as the Cardinals are averaging over 8-runs per game and Tague Davis is leading the club in virtually every offensive category.  His calling card is his 70-grade power and that was on display last weekend in their series against Cal.  In the three-game series, Davis went 7 for 12, scoring 4 runs, launching 5 home runs and collected 7 RBIs.  The 6-4/220 lefthanded hitter from West Chester, PA has a pure stroke, is one of the premier power hitters in the nation and has significantly improved his plate discipline from a year ago.  After his big weekend, he is...
Read More
Press Release | Press Release | 4/20/2026

PG & EventConnect Extend Collaboration

Article Image
    667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923  www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA      FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE    PERFECT GAME AND EVENTCONNECT EXTEND COLLABORATION FOCUSED ON SCALE, SERVICE AND EXPERIENCE    Sanford, Florida (Monday, April 20, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced the renewal and expansion of its long-standing housing and technology partnership with EventConnect, reaffirming a shared commitment to innovation, scale and best-in-class experiences for athletes, families and event operators across North America.    The renewed multi-year agreement extends a successful partnership that has helped Perfect Game...
Read More
College | Rankings | 4/20/2026

College Top 25: April 20

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
As the old saying goes, “all good things must come to an end” and that was the case last Tuesday when UCLA (36-3) saw their 27-game win streak come to an end in a shutout loss to UCSB.  However, the No. 1 team in the land still has their 21-game winning streak in Big Ten to protect, as they have started off league play without a single blemish.  The Bruins will remain atop our poll this week and their historical start to the season roll on.  The UNC Tarheels (33-7-1) move up to No. 2 this week after they made their biggest statement of the year by taking the weekend series from now No. 4 Georgia Tech (32-7).  No. 3 Texas (30-8) and No. 5 Georgia (32-9) both went (3-1) on the week and won their SEC series to stay in contention for the regular season title.  Florida State (28-11) had a nice bounce back (4-0) week and re-enter the Top 10 at No. 8 this...
Read More
College | Story | 4/16/2026

Coppy's Corner: April 16 POY Deep Dive

John Coppolella
Article Image
Each week I huddle with Vinnie Cervino and Craig Cozart  to discuss Top-25 rankings and Players of the Week. In Coppy’s Corner, I dive deeper into these Players of the Week, providing analysis from 20+ years working in baseball front offices at the highest level.   Player of the Week: Jaquae Stewart – Texas State University  If you squint a little bit, you can see some Josh Naylor or Dominic Smith in Jaquae Stewart, with a stout build like a more powerful version of the teacup from the children’s song. Lately, the Sun Belt Conference has been child’s play for Stewart as he has been on fire showing an improved hit approach and power that tracks more with his 2024 performance at Northwest Florida State College than with his 2025 experience at the University of Texas. It’s tough for any player to jump from a JUCO in Florida to the big stage...
Read More
High School | General | 4/16/2026

High School Notebook: April 16

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
Alain Gomez-Gudiño (‘26 AZ) with a pair of backside barrels, including a double. Physical 6-0/215 frame. Switch-hitter with power. Adv. defender with strong C&T behind the dish. @PGAllAmerican alum. #Gamecocks commit #PGHS @PG_Draft @SaguaroBaseball pic.twitter.com/2Vhuu5gYX9 — Perfect Game Four Corners (@PG_FourCorners) April 11, 2026 C Alain Gomez-Gudino, Saguaro (Ariz.) Since I first saw him as a sophomore, Gomez-Gudiño has long been one of my favorite prospects in the state. The backstop features a super physical frame at 6-foot-0, 215-pounds with a thick lower half and strong forearms. Defensively, Gomez-Gudiño has always stood out. He moves well for his size behind the plate and receives with confident hands. The catch-and-throw ability stands out. Gomez-Gudiño looks to be aggressive and will back pick runners often. The glove alone makes...
Read More
Juco | Rankings | 4/15/2026

JUCO Top 25: April 15

Blaine Peterson
Article Image
Another week of undefeated weeks for our top 4 ranked teams. Joining them in the top 5, coming off an undefeated week of their own, is Florence-Darlington, a team we have consistently had as a top 10 team all season long. Cloud County and Midland College continue to put together strong weeks and climb the rankings each week it seems. Jumping into the rankings this week on the strength of a 15-game winning streak is Seminole State (OK). And Linn Benton makes the top 25 for a 2nd consecutive week and looks like the top team in the NWAC this spring. Plenty of high-level matchups at the JUCO level for some of the top teams in the county this next week.  Rk. School Record 1 Johnson County (KS) 42-2 2 Gaston (NC) 43-3 3 McLennan (TX) 34-7 4 Chipola (FL) 37-7 5 Florence-Darlington (SC) 40-8 6 Walters State (TN) 37-10 7 Blinn (TX) 31-11 8 Florida Southwestern (FL) 30-12 9 Southern Nevada...
Read More
College | Rankings | 4/15/2026

DII/DIII/NAIA Rankings Update: April 15

Nick Herfordt
Article Image
Welcome to this week's small school baseball rankings, covering NCAA Division II, the NAIA, and NCAA Division III. As the calendar turns toward the final weeks of the regular season, the urgency is real across all three levels — teams are running out of weekends to build their cases, and the extended postseason invitations that every program is chasing don't go to programs that peak in March. The next few weeks of results will carry more weight than anything that happened before spring break, and the postseason committees in all three divisions are watching closely. Every series dropped to a team you should beat, every road sweep you let get away — it all matters now in a way it simply didn't two months ago. What you'll also notice as you read through the breakdowns below is that the numbers are doing more of the heavy lifting in how these rankings are constructed. Run...
Read More
Press Release | Press Release | 4/15/2026

Perfect Game & Youth Prospects Team Up

Article Image
    667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923  www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA      FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE    PERFECT GAME AND YOUTH PROSPECTS ANNOUNCE   BROADCAST RIGHTS AND CONTENT PARTNERSHIP    Sanford, Florida (Wednesday, April 15, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced a new partnership with content platform Youth Prospects centered around broadcast rights, content collaboration and expanded visibility for elite youth baseball events.    As part of the agreement, Perfect Game will grant Youth Prospects broadcast rights to select games across its premiere events, including marquee matchups at the WWBA World...
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.