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2,628 MLB PLAYERS | 16,400 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
PG Select Baseball Festival  | General | 9/5/2024

Different Perspective In Year 2 for Vargas

Photo: Joel Vargas (Perfect Game)
Joel Vargas, the 14-year-old standout from San Diego, California, is a pretty familiar name to all who know the rising stars of youth baseball.

As the nationally ranked No. 5 player, Vargas’s stats speak for themselves. A .417 batting average, a .700 slugging percentage, 37 runners batted in and 15 stolen bases for the 2024 season - it’s all part of what led Vargas to the Select Fest for the second year in a row.



“It’s been a lot of fun,” Vargas said. “It’s just a big friend group and we’re all friends, East and West. It’s the event that I always wanted to be at.”

But going into this Select Fest, he said, he’s got a different perspective - and not just because he’s a year older.

Vargas spent time earlier this year in Mexico and Colombia playing in the World Baseball Softball Confederation U-15 Baseball World Cup. In talking to him, it was clear that the month-long experience had a lifelong impact for the teenager.

“It’s a different type of game,” Vargas explained. “Here, we play for fun. We play for the name on the back of our jersey. But over there, they’re playing to make it out. So it’s a little bit of a different type of gameplay. It’s definitely an eye-opening experience…

You stay with the same kids for a month, you gotta make friends. Those are the kids that I’m gonna remember for the rest of my life. I’m thankful that they brought me in as one of them and let me come in with open arms…

When you play over there, every game is an important game. It’s like their final game. It’s their way out. When you come over here, it’s a little bit calmer, but I’m going to try to bring the energy, the same mentality and try to feed it into the team.”

In addition to bringing that same attitude he learned while competing in the WBSC Baseball World Cup, he’s also working on other aspects of his game.

“More mentally than physically, [I’m] just trying to handle failure. The game’s getting harder and [I need to] be able to handle failure that’s going to come my way and be able to keep a straight head throughout the process.”

For those young players who are looking up to Vargas and hoping to make it to a Select Fest:

“Play the game with fun, with energy. Never forget that there’s always somebody else working harder than you. So just be mentally prepared for that. Just keep working.”

PG Select Baseball Festival | General | 7/21/2026

13u Select Festival Roster Reveal

Jheremy Brown
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With the completion of the 2026 13u National Showcase, an event that featured some of the best talent the age group has to offer, 42 players came out with the label of "Festivaler" as they received a phone call shortly after the event concluded. Moving back to the University of Tennessee after a two year stay at the University of Virginia, Ole Rocky Top will see a mixed bag of returners; three-timers, new faces and a couple who bridged the gap from the 11u game into the 13u iteration.  Of the 42 players, 9 players call Florida their home base which is the most of any state while Texas (8), California (7) and Georgia (5) are all close behind nearly three-quarters of the players selected. In total 17 different states are represented, from Hawaii to Arkansas, Washington to Maryland and everywhere in between.  Quick roster breakdown: Three-time Select Festival: 13 players ...
Tournaments | Story | 9/17/2026

South Underclass Qualifier Scout Notes

Geoff Billock
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Cole Marquardt (2029, Montgomery, Texas) left no doubt this weekend as he came home with Tournament MVP honors for his work with Banditos 2028 Black. Went 7-10 with a double, a home run, a pair of triples, and the walk off single in the championship game. Projectable left-handed swing with plenty of tools to dream on. Bat to ball was on point all weekend and he had plenty of chances to show off an advanced run tool. Plenty to dream on moving forward. Callen Corley (2028, Houston, Texas) put together a stellar two-way performance for Houston Wildcatters Navy 2028. At the plate, he went 5-10 with a double, triple, and home run, driving in seven runs. Sinks into his lower half well and creates strong angles for leverage. Plenty of power upside remaining in that frame, to go along with the twitch already present. On the mound, Corley went four shutout innings, surrendering just one hit while...
Tournaments | Story | 9/16/2026

Midwest Labor Day Classic Scout Notes

Brayden Powell
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Ryan Jones (2027, Tinley Park, IL) was one of the most productive hitters of the weekend, collecting six hits, including three doubles and a home run, while driving in nine runs. The left-handed hitter consistently got the barrel out front and created hard contact throughout the event. Working from an open setup with high hands, he features a compact swing that allows him to get to the ball quickly. His hand speed stood out and helped him drive the baseball to multiple parts of the field. Jones showed a strong understanding of pitches he could handle and rarely missed opportunities to do damage. The swing remains efficient through the zone and produces carry off the barrel. His combination of consistent contact and extra-base impact made him a key offensive contributor all weekend. Uncommitted  JP Elbert (2027, Dubuque, IA) put together an impressive tournament, finishing with five...
Tournaments | Story | 9/16/2026

Southeast Qualifier #1 Scout Notes

Perfect Game Staff
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Walk. It. Off! ‘27 IF Drew Giles (GA) calls game here as he hammers a ball over the CF wall for a solo HR to win it in the bottom of the 7th. #FLQualifier pic.twitter.com/YrzspVZzUY — Perfect Game Florida (@Florida_PG) September 12, 2026 Drew Giles (2027, Brunswick, Ga.) took home MVP honors from the weekend after hitting .385 including a walkoff home run during pool play. Giles helped lead his Canes team to victory and did so with the bat. The swing is super short and simple and he gets immense jump off the barrel. It’s a level path through the zone but the blend of hit and power showed out all weekend for the MVP.  August Backman (2027, Venice, Fla.) had a solid weekend on both sides of the ball: hitting .333 over three games and also sitting 88-91 mph on the mound. Backman, a Florida commit who is nationally ranked, has a three pitch mix highlighted by a really...
College | Recruiting | 9/14/2026

Class of 2026 Recruiting Rankings

Perfect Game Staff
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Tournaments | Story | 9/14/2026

Coastal Fall Battle of the Carolinas Notes

Perfect Game Staff
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Deacon Hensley (2028, Zebulon, NC) stands at 6-foot-0, 165 pounds and is a left-handed hitting and throwing right fielder. Lean frame with good athleticism and additional strength likely to come with maturity. Compact swing with quick hands and good feel for the barrel. Relaxed setup with good bat speed through the zone. Good balance in the box with a direct path and solid contact skills. Hensley went 3-for-3, scoring three runs and hitting a double. Great day at the plate. Colt Funderburk (2027, Lancaster, SC) stands at 5-foot-10, 195 pounds with an athletic frame and present strength. Bats and throws left-handed. Physical hitter with a compact swing, good bat speed, and the ability to drive the ball with authority. Good pitch recognition with a disciplined approach. Quiet lower half with a controlled load and good balance. Funderburk went 2-for-4 with one double and two RBI. Cameron...
Press Release | Press Release | 9/14/2026

PG Athletes Raise North of $138,000 in August

Perfect Game Staff
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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 ATHLETES RAISE OVER $138,000 FOR CHARITABLE PARTNERS THROUGHOUT MONTH OF AUGUST   Sanford, Florida (Monday, September 14, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced that its August premier events raised a combined $138,422 for children's hospitals and charitable organizations, with 1,112 total supporters contributing across five showcases. Since 2016, Perfect Game athletes have raised over $1.8 million for various charitable causes and organizations. The annual fundraising initiative, which runs in conjunction with several of Perfect Game's marquee events each year, gives players, families and fans the opportunity to support...
College | Recruiting | 9/14/2026

Top 500 Fresh Arrivals on Campus

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It's that time of the year where the freshmen around the country start arriving on campus. Regardless of level, here are the top 500 names to make it to their school for the 2027 season.  Rank Name School High School City ST 1 Archer Horn Stanford St. Ignatius College Prep San Mateo CA 2 Noah Wilson Vanderbilt McCallie School Ooltewah TN 3 Logan Schmidt Louisiana State Ganesha Aliso Viejo CA 4 Blake Bowen Oregon State JSerra Catholic Riverside CA 5 Cole Koeninger Tennessee Keller Keller TX 6 Joseph Contreras Vanderbilt Blessed Trinity Cath Alpharetta GA 7 Bo Holloway Vanderbilt Nolensville Nolensville TN 8 James Clark Duke St. John Bosco Riverside CA 9 Malachi Washington Louisiana State Parkview Stone Mountain GA 10 Brady Harris Florida Trinity Christian Academy St. Augustine FL 11 Grayson Willoughby Kentucky Trinity Louisville KY 12 Jorvorskie Lane Jr. Arkansas Grapevine Fort Worth...
College | Rankings | 9/15/2026

Top Incoming Freshmen by Conference

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Every conference at the D1 level has impact talent coming onto campus this fall and below we will see who is where, looking for the next program difference maker. America East Conference Rank Name Pos School HS City ST 1 Charlie Firth RHP Bryant St. Martin's Ottawa ON 2 Ryan Moreschi OF Massachusetts at Lowell Austin Preparatory Peabody MA 3 Will Margolies LHP Bryant The Cheshire Academy Trumbull CT 4 Dylan Zammit RHP New Jersey Tech Holmdel Holmdel NJ 5 Kam Street RHP New Jersey Tech Ocean City Brigantine NJ 6 Donald Lloyd C New Jersey Tech St. Augustine Preparatory Millville NJ 7 Jack Curtis 3B Maine Kingsmen Baseball Academy Castle Creek NY 8 Jacob Veloz OF Maine Mount St Charles Academy Lincoln RI 9 Nolan Gillis RHP Bryant Kimball Union Academy Surry NH 10 Chase McLaughlin 3B UMBC Northeast Pasadena MD 11 Matthew Chirumbolo RHP Maine Salisbury Harwinton CT 12 Tobey Bajda RHP Bryant...
Juco | Rankings | 9/16/2026

JUCO: Top Incoming Freshmen

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With another spring quickly approaching, let's take a look at some of the new faces arriving on campus who could make an immediate impact during their first year in college.  Rank Name Pos School HS City ST 1 Deion Cole OF State College of Florida Etowah Acworth GA 2 Brady Stewart SS Johnson County CC St. Thomas Aquinas Overland Park KS 3 Carter (Cj) Lake RHP John A. Logan College Oakville Sr. St. Louis MO 4 Cooper Leggett RHP Crowder College Owasso Bixby OK 5 Luke Tucker SS McLennan CC Krum Krum TX 6 Kail Peña SS St. Petersburg College Christian Military Academy Caguas PR 7 Ashten Ballew SS Galveston College Katy Katy TX 8 Cale Fossett 3B Kansas City Kansas CC Shawnee Mission South Roeland Park KS 9 Jack Petroff 3B Arizona Western College Sunnyslope Phoenix AZ 10 Jack Beck SS Walters State CC Columbia Central Columbia TN 11 Dawsyn Anderson RHP Lower Columbia College North...
Draft | Story | 9/11/2026

PG Draft: Potential Risers Into Top 50

Michael Albee
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We are in the early stages of the 2027 cycle and there is still plenty of time for players to make significant jumps up the board. While our current Top-100 provides an early look at the class, several players just outside that group have the upside to make a run at becoming Top-50 pick by next July. With that in mind, each member of the draft team each selected one college player and one prep player they believe could make the jump into the Top-50 over the course of the spring. These are the names to keep an eye on as the 2027 draft picture continues to develop. Joey’s Picks:   Jake Cueto (27 FL) goes oppo 💣 on a mid-90s LonL heater. Performing at a very high level, hitting .464 with 5 homers. Excellent hit/run combo and here comes the juice! #PGHS #Miami commit @Florida_PG pic.twitter.com/g4gtml81mm — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) April 1, 2026 Prep: OF, Jake...
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