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PG Select Baseball Festival  | General | 1/9/2024

Year in Review: PGAAC & Festivals

Jheremy Brown
Tyler Russo
West Wins a Thriller at PGAAC

The All-American Classic presented by Dick’s Sporting Goods was once again the premier event on the travel baseball circuit with 60 of the best rising seniors in the world competing in an all-star game format against one another. This year’s level of talent was no different as we saw 18 different arms bring high-level stuff, guys like Samuel Richardson hit a ball 105 off the wall at Chase Field, and Ty Southisene make one of the best plays we have ever seen in the Classic. The East made some noise in the middle innings, looking to win their first Classic in some time, but after the West re-took the lead, they wouldn’t give it up as the West pitchers struck out 9 East hitters in a row at one point before Cam Caminiti closed things out on an exciting 4-3 West win. We should once again see a significant number of players from this game have their name called in the 2024 MLB Draft, but for now we look to follow their talents across the high school season. -Tyler Russo



11u & 12u Combine for Epic Weekend
 
For the first time since we started the 11u and 12u Select Festivals, the games were played on back-to-back days, making the East Cobb Baseball complex the epicenter for youth baseball as 60 (28 at 11u/32 at 12u) made the voyage for their respective games. Combining the games into a single weekend allowed baseball fans alike a real glimpse at things to come with full practice days, a home run derby, and high-energy, back-and-forth action amongst both groups. 
 
In the 11u iteration, it was the East who came out on top with a late inning 13-9 victory, though there were plenty of highlights throughout the game. The East starter, lefty Tyler Early, was electric on the mound as he ran his fastball up to 75mph while showing his two-way prowess with a double and two RBI on the day. Both Zaylon Johnson and Christopher Cabrera contributed with the sticks as Johnson went 2-for-3 with two RBI while Cabrera collected a double and struck out a pair on the mound in his inning of work. That said, it was Bryan Johnson Jr. who took home MVP honors as he went 2-for-3 with a pair of singles, 2 RBI, 3 bags and a scoreless frame on the bump.
 
The West had plenty to write home about as well, beginning with Kingston George who hit a big two-run home run to put his club up 6-4 early on and also punched out 2, showing off the game’s best heater as he bumped 78 mph on 4 different occasions. Jacob Miller’s double in the bottom of the second plated 3 to knot things back up 4 apiece, though ultimately the East offense proved too much, taking the 11u title back to the East Coast.
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There’s a chance the 2023 12u Select Festival goes down as one of the most electric games in the history of the event as it was a true back-and-forth affair, culminating in a walk-off three-run home run by Co-MVP Trent O'Malley. The Virginia native also worked a 1-2-3 inning to open the game while running his fastball up to an eye opening 81 mph before jumping all over a hanging curveball, sending a no-doubter over the left-center field fence for the game’s 10th home run, securing an 18-16 victory for the East in dramatic fashion. 
 
Joining O’Malley in Co-MVP honors was the West’s Payton Lopez who finished the game going 2-for-3 with two no-doubters, collecting 7 RBI in the process. Dylan Mercado added a nuke of his own while Daveon Elder tallied a pair of knocks on the day. With a final score of 18-16 and high-octane offenses clashing, Cameron Hockett turned in one of the top pitching performances of the game as he struck out the side and did so on just 14 pitches. 
 
As for the East, Noah Jarolimek, the 12u Offensive Player of the Year, continued to exceed expectations as he went a perfect 3-for-3 with 2 home runs and 5 RBI while striking out a pair in his inning of work. Tre' Lawrence was another bright spot in the offense as his double and home run helped drive in another 3 runs for the East while Peyton Conley was nails out of the bullpen in the extra inning tie break, striking out three in 1.2 innings of work to help set up O’Malley’s heroics.
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Landry Goes Yard, West Wins Big
Full DiamondKast scoring of the 13u Select Festival

The 2023 13u Select Festival marked the 5th year of the games existence and for the first time ever, we had a home run in game courtesy of Washington’s Brayden Landry. Given how the ball was flying out of Lindsey Nelson Stadium both during BP and the Home Run Derby, you could have figured something was up as players from both clubs were connecting on some shots that would be impressive at the 17u level. 

Well known for his defensive prowess in the dirt at shortstop, Landry jumped all over a 1-1 fastball in the top of the 7th that caught too much of the plate, sending a laser out to left field, just clearing the wall while making Select Festival history in the process. Landry’s home run was just one of many West highlights as their 20 runs scored was also a Festival record, scoring early and often. Landry was joined alongside Luke Esquivel as Co-MVPs as the future LSU Tiger collected both a double and triple on the day while also getting the start on the mound where he needed just 5 pitches to secure his 3 outs.  
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Grindlinger Clutches Up, Green Throws Flames
Full DiamondKast scoring of the 14u Select Festival
 
The offensive firepower in Fort Myers wasn’t quite what we saw in Knoxville, but the West team was able to flex its muscle late and put up 6 runs in the final 3 frames, essentially snatching the game away from the East. While both teams had a handful of extra base hits, it was the late inning heroics on the mound from the youngest player in attendance, Jared Grindlinger, what helped secure the victory. 

Following a 1-2-3 inning from the 14u Pitcher of the Year Will Hayes, East sent out two-time Select Festivaler Landon Green and he immediately silenced the crowd, and both dugouts, with a fastball that SAT in the low-90s at 14 years old and bumped 93 mph a pair of times, good for another spot in the record books. In fact, every arm that was schedule to throw bumped at least 86 mph with the fastball and five arms (Green, Michael Teasley, Carson Liedel, Tucker Long and George Ferguson) all bumped at least 90 mph. 

Eventual MVP Jared Grindlinger didn’t quite click that 90 mph mark (topped 89 mph), but he did come up clutch for the West as he posted a 0 in the 9th and took the hill again in the 10th where he again posted a 0 on the Monster, though the extra inning rule dictates a bases loaded, 1 out situation. After navigating around a two out double in the 9th, Grindlinger continued to pound the strike zone with upper-80s bullets, punching out both hitters he faced in the 10th to give his team all the momentum and set up the walk-off win. 
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Big Night at the Draft

In the opening round of the 2023 MLB Draft, seven different Select Festival alum heard their names called, starting with Dylan Crews at No. 2 to the Nationals and ending with Thomas White who went to the Marlins with the 35th overall pick. In total, 20 former Select Festivalers were selected and sandwiched in between Crews and White, with the 23rd overall pick, the Cleveland Guardians helped make some Festival history with the selection of Raffaele Velazquez out of Huntington Beach, California. 

A two-time alum of the Festival, Velazquez became the first ever player to play in the 13u game and get drafted by an MLB club, a number that’ll surely climb this year as the Californian backstop was young for the grade, meaning he was able to play amongst a majority of 2024 graduates back in 2019. Even at a young age the left-handed juice was evident as he took home the Derby title, a part of his game that continued to shine throughout his prep career, eventually claiming another Derby crown at the PG All-American Classic leading into his senior year. 

Way back in 2016, playing alongside Crews, Jacob Gonzalez, Calvin Harris and Colby Halter also heard their names called, adding to a list from the inaugural game to get drafted by an MLB club (Gonzalez was also a first rounder). While he wasn’t drafted, Aaron Nixon, another 2016er, signed as a free agent with the New York Yankees and as it currently stands, 12 players have been drafted and three have signed via free agency, including Starlyn Castillo and Estanli Castillo Abad. 
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Big League Dreams, Big League Debuts

For any player, the ultimate goal is making the MLB and why not continue with the theme of the 2016 game? For the first time since the Festival was launched, an alum got that phone call every player dreams of; the call telling them they’re going to the show.

The first ever Festivaler to make the big leagues was none other than Miami native Victor Mederos, a long-time standout thanks to his powerful right arm, as the Los Angeles Angels called him up, put him in the bullpen and immediately had him make his debut where he logged 2 innings and struck out a pair.

Following Mederos’s debut against the Diamondbacks, the DBacks called up top prospect Jordan Lawlar, an alum of the 2017 Festival, on September 7th and he collected his first career hit in game No. 1, making for the first MLB hit from a former Festivaler. 
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Rodriguez Shines for Nicaragua in WBC

Back in 2017 Carlos Rodriguez took the hill for the East team during the 14u Select Festival where he ran his heater up to 90 mph following an eye-opening summer circuit. Jump forward to 2023, following a year stint at Florida Southwestern State and a 6th round select by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2021 and Rodriguez had steadily climbed up the prospect ranks to his current No. 6 spot in the org. 

That said, Rodriguez, a Nicaragua native who moved to the Miami area early in his life, made the Nicaragua club for the 2023 World Baseball Classic and toed the rubber for the team’s first game against a stacked Puerto Rico offense. Throwing at loanDepot Park, just down the road from where he went to high school, Rodriguez became the first Festival alum to make a WBC roster, adding to what proved to be a year of firsts for the game. The Brewers’2022 Minor League Pitcher of the Year logged four innings in the tourney opener, allowing just a run on two hits while punching out 4, putting his name on the prospect map even more than it already had been. 
-Jheremy Brown
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PG Select Baseball Festival | General | 4/21/2026

Select Festival Dates/Locations Announced
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    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...
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High School | General | 7/1/2026

PG High School All-Americans

Tyler Russo
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High School Top 50: Final Update With the High School season all wrapped up, today we take a look at our First, Second and Third Team All-Americans from around the country. Below you'll find three teams with stats that seem otherworldly from players who'll likely hear their names called in the coming week's MLB Draft. Within the "Notable Stats" section you'll see the individual award winners as well. First Team All-American Pos.  Name Class School State Commitment Notable Stats C Cole Prosek 2026 Magnolia Heights MS Ole Miss .595 BA, 18 HR, 79 RBI 1B Will Adams 2026 Hoover AL LSU .489, 13 HR, 52 RBI IF James Tronstein 2026 Harvard-Westlake CA Vanderbilt .531, 10 HR, 29 RBI, 21 XBH IF Grady Emerson 2026 Fort Worth Christian TX Texas .508, 8 HR, 56 RBI, 34/35 SB, National POY IF Jacob Lombard 2026 Gulliver Schools FL Miami .477, 10 HR, 52 R, 42 H, 14 SB OF Martin Shelar 2026 Marist GA...
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Tournaments | Story | 7/1/2026

Performance Baseball Rolls On

Kinley Kitchens
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Championship teams often reveal themselves when the game isn’t going their way. Performance Baseball 2028/Milwaukee Brewers Scout Team did exactly that. Trailing Florida Burn 2028 Scout through four innings, the Brewers refused to panic. Instead, they relied on timely hitting, consistent pitching, and an unselfish approach at the plate, rallying a five-run fifth inning before pulling away for a 9-5 victory to clinch their spot in the semifinals. The comeback was fueled by contributions throughout the lineup. Six different players drove in runs, including two RBIs each from Aiden Capobianco and Cameron Massey, while Matthew Heredia, Parker Weston, Ethan Smith, and Aj Bonnette each added an RBI of their own. On the mound, Derek Wenzel set the tone with 3.2 solid innings before Ethan Smith shut the door in relief, helping preserve the comeback victory. Although the Brewers have had a...
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Tournaments | Championship | 7/1/2026

JK Select Hawaii Tackles 14u West WS

Emily Hicks
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JK Select Hawaii capped off an impressive tournament run by defeating GBG Vegas 14u Red14-4 in the championship game on Sunday at Goodyear Ballpark, claiming the 14u West World Series title. From the opening pitch, JK Select controlled the pace of the game. The offense jumped out early, scoring 6 runs in the 1st inning after timely hits from MVP Sean Shindo and Kade Manarpaac. The early lead gave the pitching staff confidence as they worked efficiently through the opposing lineup. “I've worked hard to get better at my game for the past few months; it means a lot that I did well and performed in a tournament like this” said Shindo. Starting pitcher Maddox Prones turned in a strong performance, allowing 3 runs while striking out 5 batters over 3 innings. The defense backed the effort with great plays in the middle infield, preventing GBG Vegas from building momentum....
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Tournaments | Story | 7/1/2026

"Wow" Swings Catch Eyes at 16u Elite

Kinley Kitchens
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On the second day of the 2026 Perfect Game National Elite Championship, one swing turned heads across the ballpark. The next one brought everyone to a stop. With Wow Factor Nation 16U trailing midway through its matchup against Sandlot Scout Team 2028, Micheal O'Connor launched a solo home run to spark the offense. Just one batter later, Aaron Frink stepped into the box and sent another ball over the fence, delivering back-to-back home runs that quickly became one of the most talked about moments of the tournament’s opening days. Parents gathered along the nets, players from previous games stopped to watch, and college scouts turned their attention toward the action as the two towering swings energized the crowd and brought new life to the game. Although Wow Factor Nation ultimately lost 5-3 after a hard-fought performance, the back-to-back home runs served as a reminder of the...
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Tournaments | Story | 6/30/2026

Stacked Runs the Table at 17u WWBA

Will Dembo
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Following a jam-packed week of entertainment at the 17u WWBA Championships, the top nationally ranked program, USA Prime 17u National/Detroit Tigers Scout Team, faced off against Stacked Baseball 17u (No. 80 nationally) in the highly anticipated championship matchup as both teams looked to earn one of the most prestigious titles in all of travel baseball. Each talented squad entered the finale undefeated, but Stacked Baseball continued their dominance throughout the tournament, defeating the Detroit Tigers Scout Team 10-2 in mercy rule fashion to become national champions behind explosive bats and impressive pitching. Stacked Baseball was the overwhelming top team throughout the week as the WWBA Champions outscored opponents by an absurd 117-12 during their 11-0 run. “We got some talented kids, but we played against a little bit of Goliath over there,” Stacked Head Coach Mike...
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Tournaments | Story | 6/30/2026

17u WWBA Scout Notes: Day 7

Perfect Game Staff
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17u WWBA Scout Notes: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4  Day 5 | Day 6 Shea Corona (2027, Brooklyn, N.Y.) showcased some loud stuff out of the bullpen for MLB Breakthrough Series 2027. The New York native and primary shortstop topped out at 93 with the fastball, sitting comfortable in the 90-92 range. Corona paired it with a sharp and tight slider at 81-83, staying on the same plane until late. The pitch plays well already and the delivery is very athletic. The uncommitted right-hander went three scoreless and was in the zone plenty, striking out two while not allowing a walk. '27 SS Moises Gudino (FL) continues to stay red hot, working a long AB & cracking an oppo 2B on the 8th pitch. Really seeing ing well. #WWBA @Florida_PG https://t.co/OjNJ8Bmzao pic.twitter.com/WoDDp35EI1 — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) June 30, 2026 Moises Gudino (2027, Tampa, Fla.)...
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Tournaments | Story | 6/30/2026

Texas Twelve Firing On Full Cylinders

Kinley Kitchens
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Every team hopes to start a tournament with momentum, but few make a statement quite like Texas Twelve Maroon 2028. Matched up against defending champion Excel Blue Wave National to kick off their debut in the 2026 Perfect Game National Elite Championship, Texas Twelve Maroon delivered a complete team performance, earning a hard-fought 3-2 victory and immediately establishing themselves as one of the top teams to watch this week. The win showcased the balance that has made Texas Twelve Maroon a powerful team. Strong pitching, timely hitting, and steady defense all played a role as the team held off one of the tournament’s premier programs. Right-hander Ty Antley turned in an outstanding performance on the mound, throwing a complete game while allowing only five hits and two walks over seven innings. The High Follow prospect worked consistently between 85-89 mph and mixed in a sharp...
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Tournaments | Championship | 6/30/2026

Flames Capture 18U BCS Title

Alyssa Golden
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Flames Natty used timely hitting and a dominant start from Beau Collier to defeat NLB American 7-3 and capture the 18U BCS National Championship on Monday at Lee Health Sports Complex. Despite being assembled just hours before the tournament began, the Flames quickly developed chemistry throughout the tournament. “This team was put together 12 hours before this tournament, and they went on a crazy run,” head coach Adam Vasquez said. “These kids know each other locally, but they don’t play together. For them to come together last minute like that, it’s crazy. I’m proud of them for that.” The game opened as a pitchers’ duel, with David Acevedo recording the lone hit through the first two innings. NLB American starter Hayden Graham kept the Flames in check early, allowing just one hit while striking out one over 2.0 innings. The right-hander...
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Tournaments | Story | 6/30/2026

Ohio Valley BCS Champ. Scout Notes

Perfect Game Staff
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‘28 C Keegan Sawyer (OH) showcased the toolshed in this one. A top player in the OH ‘28 class. LOUD (Hit & Defense) #OVBCS @KeeganSawyer10 Clip 1: 3-R 💣 to LF Clip 2: 2B to LC Clip 3: SEED, Caught Stealing @ 2B Name for August 1 @MidlandBasebal pic.twitter.com/FvIpEU7Llz — Jordan Gates (@JGatesPG) June 27, 2026 Keegan Sawyer (2028, Cleves, Ohio) The stock continues to go up and up for Keegan Sawyer. Fresh off a state championship for Bading High School, he has picked up where he has left off this spring. It seems that he gets bigger each time I see him, but the frame really works on both sides of the ball at 6-feet, 190-pounds. It’s athletic and the actions on both sides are extremely advanced. Sawyer took home MVP honors after finishing with nine hits, six going for extra bases including two home runs, nine RBIs and eight runs scored. It’s electric at...
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Tournaments | Story | 6/30/2026

Texas Region Scout Notes

Perfect Game Staff
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Austin Lyons (2028, Cibolo, Texas) put on a display for Canes Southwest Prime 16U. Went 7-14 at the plate with a pair of doubles and triples, while driving in 13 runs. He won Tournament MVP for his efforts. Physical left-handed frame with feel to hit to all fields. Utilizes the middle of the field as well as the opposite field efficiently. Should be a force to be reckoned with as he grows into some more power. Evan Rosales (2027, Houston, Texas) was dominant on the mound for HP 2027 Allen. Went five shutout innings over the weekend, surrendering just one hit and two walks while striking out ten. Fastball lives 83-87 with some carry. Curveball is a heavy 12/6 downer at 69-74. North-south approach with a super steep release. Showed some really good feel for the zone and sequenced effectively to keep hitters off balance. Tristan Wright (2028, Magnolia, Texas) put on a show for Banditos 2028...
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