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Tournaments  | Story | 11/21/2025

Regional Superlatives: West Coast

Steve Fiorindo
Steve Doherty
Scott Rankin
Photo: Logan Schimdt (Perfect Game)
Most Likely To Make a Huge Jump in the Rankings in 2026
Julian Garcia, RHP, San Pedro, CA. St. John Bosco HS (2026)
Garcia, a 6-foot-3, 210-pound right-hander, is poised for a significant leap in the 2026 rankings despite coming off an arm injury last season that limited his exposure. His recent performance showcased a fastball that consistently touched 91-93 mph with exceptional riding life, complemented by a mid-70s curveball with spins north of 2800 RPM. The arm action suggests untapped potential, positioning him as a name to watch closely as he continues to refine his command and secondary offerings. Garcia's recent commitment to Long Beach State further underscores his upside, as he fits the mold of a high-ceiling college arm with the tools to ascend rapidly in the prospect hierarchy. -SD

I guess I kinda teased this in the Jupiter preview when I brought up Taden Krogsgaard as a potential breakout guy that gains some helium down at our biggest tournament (WWBA), and it looks like that’s kinda what happened.  He flipped commitments shortly after the event, now committed to UCLA, and it feels like he could really take off once the calendar turns to 2026.  A two way player, he’s really impressed and made strides, especially on the bump.  At The All American scrimmage, it wasn’t great, but you could see the athleticism and projection, and then we saw a little velo jump in scout ball and we could see even more in ‘26.  Currently ranked 47th in the state (after a sizable recent jump), we could see him jumping significantly as the typical athletic So Cal righty that moves well that scouts can dream on. -SF



The buzz around Kensen Johnson started to be heard in the spring of 2025 and continued to grow over the summer.  At 6-foot-4, 180-pounds with room to add and athleticism, Johnson has the frame that scouts drool over.  His performance at the WWBA in Jupiter earned him All-Tournament team honors, collecting five hits in twelve plate appearances with a couple of triples and a game in which he drove in four.  Already hitting 91 on the mound going into his sophomore season at Bonita Vista, along with developing secondary offerings and big-time projection.  Kensen had a recent jump in the rankings and I feel he could go even higher in 2026. -SR

Most Likely To Hit .500 at PG Events in 2026
Evan Thompson, OF, Gilbert, AZ. Casteel HS (2029)
The athletic 6-foot-2, 180-pound outfielder embodies the model of a future star with his sweet left-handed swing and obvious intent at the plate. As the No. 2 overall prospect in-state nationally in the ‘29 class and the top outfield talent in Arizona, his combination of raw power and refined mechanics suggests he’s primed for a breakout 2026, where a .500 batting average isn’t just possible, it’s probable. -SD

Dylan Seward out of Norco High School is probably the chalk pick here, as I have a pretty long history in seeing, going back to 8th grade when he was a bit undersized, but showed a strong foundation of a swing from both sides of the plate.  Since then, he has hit a growth spurt and filled out and has developed in to quite a burner.  Added strength has introduced some power in to the equation as well, but the hit tool has especially blossomed with the maturation.  Benefitting from hitting from both sides, it’s easy to put him as the safest bet to really hit in 2026.  Since I went with the chalk pick here, I’ll throw another, lower ranked guy in to the fold, Joaquin Covarrubias is currently ranked 39th in the state, and has been a guy that consistently performs for me, both at PG events and at Bonita High School.  The total package is very similar to Matthew Acosta (2016, Ayala HS), who was also committed to USC. Both a little on the shorter side at 5-foot-11 and both swinging it from the left side (and both pitch). Both pests in the box at the top of the lineup that regularly work good at bats.  Just a lot of parallels here. In 2025, Covarrubias hit .455 for BPA, and I can see him taking that to another level. -SF

I didn’t have to think long and hard about this one as Joel Vargas has been as steady of a performer in PG events as you will find.  Vargas landed on six All-Tournament teams in 2025, hitting .437 over 34 games played. The WWBA Underclass World Championship in Jupiter was Joel’s most impressive performance, collecting a hit in all six games played, including two-multiple hit games, finishing with a .533 average.  He also hit .500 in the inaugural Pacific Baseball Championship in August. -SR
 
Most Likely To Make a Velo Jump Into the Mid-90s in 2026
Noah Hunter, RHP, Huntington Beach, CA. Edison HS (2026)
Hunter stands out as a prime candidate to elevate his game in 2026. Already touching 93 mph with a fastball that boasts impressive carry, Hunter's projectable 6-foot-3, 185-pound frame suggests untapped potential for velocity gains. His polished mechanics, combined with a slider that tunnels effectively at 84-86 mph and a wipeout changeup, position him as a breakout prospect in the 2026 MLB Draft class. As he continues to refine his delivery and build strength, expect Hunter to not only maintain his current effectiveness but also push into the mid-90’s in the spring when the weather warms up. -SD

Can I say Striker Pence? Probably not, so I’ll go with his high school teammate at Santiago, Ben Lewis. It may not be next year, but there’s more velo to come from the projectable righty, and you could probably say his heater already looks like it’s mid 90s to opposing hitters, as he hides the ball well and shows some invisible traits as it really gets on hitters with quality life. With a lean, 6’2” frame, Lewis has plenty of room to add strength, so we could see some steady increase in velocity going into 2026 for a Santiago team that has a sneaky good rotation (and 'pen). -SF

I’m not going too far out on a limb when taking Eli Herst out of the state of Washington. Standing 6-foot-5, 205-pounds with room to add, the projection is off the table. Herst is a fluid mover with a low effort delivery and has touched 93 at the 17u UBC West in Irvine. He has a compact arm stroke, throwing out of a low ¾ arm slot and creates vertical qualities with the fastball that consistently misses the barrel. A steady velocity increase in the spring will not come as a surprise from the Vandy commit. -SR

Most Likely To Back Up a Breakout in 2025
Daunte Bell II, LHP, Bellflower, CA. Millikan HS (2026)
Bell, a 6-foot-3 projectable left-handed pitcher from Millikan High School, is poised to solidify his breakout 2025 campaign with a combination of elite stuff and projectable arsenal. His 13 strikeout performance we witnessed underscores his ability to dominate at the high school level. Bell's athletic delivery, slight crossfire action, and 91 mph fastball, coupled with his mid-70’s breaking ball, suggest a high ceiling as he continues to add strength. As a recent Houston commit, Bell's rapid rise of 167 spots in the California state rankings position him as a prime candidate to back up his breakout with sustained excellence in 2026. -SD

Logan Schmidt didn’t really ‘Break Out” in 2025, as he’s been a pretty high profile guy for a few years now, winning MVP’s of tournaments going in to his freshman year (UBC West), but that was more of a hitter than an arm, and he really put things in a new gear over the summer of 2025 that now sees him ranked as the top arm in California. After PG National, he went on to dominate in every look, from the All American Game, to the Area Code Games, and then the Champions Cup up at Westmont, he’s been purely dominant. The heater is now up to 97 and he showed the ability to land the secondaries to get whiffs on all offerings. Ganesha will have plenty of scouts in attendance when he’s on the bump, and we are expecting a huge year from the PG All American. -SF

I’m going to go with a pair of High School teammates out of University City in AJ Curry and Jayden Parker. Curry is coming off of a 40 hit junior season that resulted in a .417 batting average. The two-way star is dominant on the mound as well, posting a 1.14 ERA in 2025 over 61+ innings pitched, recording 111 punchouts.  The sky is the limit for the Tennessee commit. Parker is a standout defensive presence at short and a massive threat at the plate. Jayden followed up a big spring season with a strong showing over the summer in Perfect Game events. He has the ability to completely take over games on both sides and watch out when the power potential is unlocked. Big things to come for the Indiana commit. -SR

Most Likely To Lead the Region in Home Runs in 2026
Tyler Spangler, SS, Danville, CA. De La Salle HS (2026)
Spangler stands out as a prime candidate to lead the region in home runs next season due to his combination of size, strength, and swing mechanics. His ultra athletic frame and well-balanced swing allow him to consistently impact the ball, with projections for above-average power as he matures. Spangler’s ability to make quality contact, coupled with his dynamic tools and athleticism, positions him as a formidable presence at the plate. His offensive upside is undeniable, cementing his status as a top prospect in the class. -SD

If my memory serves me correctly (prob 50/50 chance), Chaminade is a very friendly place to hit, especially for lefties with a short porch in left field. Not like he needs a short porch, but it should help Isaiah Hearn out quite a bit, playing half his games there. The PG All American has arguably the most juice from the left side in SoCal, so it’s easy to see big power numbers for the Oregon commit. Opposing pitchers may pitch around him a bit, but that may be a fools errand as he also has the speed to steal bases. So pick your poison, but if they pitch to him, the ball may be leaving the yard. -SF

I didn’t have to do a deep dive for Judah Ota to come to mind. At 6-5, 210-pounds, the left-handed hitter was built in a lab, regularly flashing 100+ exit velo. The Arkansas commit has the strength to go deep to any part of the field and is on the barrel with regularity. The do it all outfielder can hurt you in a variety of ways with superior speed and athleticism to go along with huge power that he is still tapping into and this could be the year we see it all come together. -SR
 
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Tournaments | Story | 1/27/2026

MLK East Scout Notes Recap
Perfect Game Staff
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‘28 OF Jakob Groeschel (OH) continues to impress with the bat on the circuit, picked up 2 2Bs in the first game today. Really athletic, went 4.4 on turn; easy to dream on all the traits. #MLKEast @PG_OhioValley pic.twitter.com/wOIwnGKnkg — Perfect Game Florida (@Florida_PG) January 17, 2026 2028 OF Jakob Groeschel (Springfield, Ohio) broke out at this event last year hitting a casual .909, and although he didn’t turn in quite the same performance, he hit a strong .462 with 4 extra-base hits, 5 walks, 5 bags and only struck out once. He’s a pretty dynamic athlete who can do a lot of things well, but the bat is the calling card as he just lives on the barrel and has no problem handling all kinds of pitching. It’s a simple swing, but he’s got fast hands and he can really impact the ball without being overly physical yet.  2030 RHP Michael Vazquez...
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College | Rankings | 3/16/2026

College Top 25: March 16

Vincent Cervino
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Collegiate Player Report Database As each week of the college baseball season passes, we continue to be entertained at an incredible level with high level drama at every turn.  Conference play is under way and the national landscape is starting to make a bit more sense.  The development and strength of individual players is on full-display and there continue to be upsets on occasion that sends the message no team can relax for one moment.  For the most part, the Top 10 remains unchanged with some reshuffling as No. 1 UCLA (17-2) holds on to the top spot with yet another perfect (4-0) week after sweeping Michigan.  The No. 2 Texas Longhorns (18-1) did drop their first game of the season in Game 1 of SEC play but won the series against Ole Miss and finished the week with a (3-1) record.  The Georgia Tech Yellowjackets (17-3) passed their first real road test of the...
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Draft | Story | 3/13/2026

PG Draft: Under the Radar Preps

Tyler Henninger
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PG Draft: Under the Radar Preps As the spring season gets underway, the showcase circuit and early high-level tournaments have already provided our scouts with some intriguing first looks at this year’s crop of prospects. At the same time, we’ve been tracking the buzz among team evaluators, listening closely to the names that keep coming up in conversations and the players clubs are making sure they get eyes on this spring. Every year, a handful of prospects quietly slip beneath the radar during the fall and winter months, only to reemerge once the games start counting again. Sometimes it’s the result of a productive offseason in the weight room, a noticeable jump in velocity, or a step forward in skill development. Other times, it’s simply a player finally getting the opportunity and the stage to show what’s been building behind the scenes. The spring has a...
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College | Rankings | 3/11/2026

DII/DIII/NAIA Rankings Update: March 11

Nick Herfordt
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Allendale Doesn't Rhyme With Knoxville or Danville. The Baseball Does. Meet the Three Coaches Turning Small College Programs Into National Contenders. There's something happening in small college baseball right now that doesn't get nearly enough attention. Three programs — separated by hundreds of miles and spread across three different governing bodies — are in the middle of the kind of rebuilds that make you wonder why anyone ever counted them out in the first place. One is in a Michigan lakeside college town. Two are in places that end in 'ville. All three have coaches who looked at a program and saw something nobody else did. The Perfect Game small school rankings noticed. You should too. See where Grand Valley State, Johnson U, Centre and the rest of the schools are positioned in the latest Perfect Game Top 25 Small School Rankings. NCAA DII For a generation of DII...
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High School | General | 3/12/2026

High School Notebook: March 12

Steve Fiorindo
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Trey Rangel (‘26 TX) with some early morning fuzz. Goes 3.2 IP on 7ks. Fastball 92-96 T97 (2508 RPM) late life ASR. Curve 79-83 (2900 RPM) sharp 10-4 shape; power curve. Cutter low-90s. Change flashed at 89 (1405 RPM); kick change. Elite arm talent. #PGHS @PG_Draft #HookEm… pic.twitter.com/Xn3WaTJoVH — Perfect Game Texas (@Texas_PG) February 19, 2026 Trey Rangel (2026, The Colony, Texas) worked through 3.2 quality innings while striking out 7 batters for his opening season look here. Fastball opened up 93-96 with heavy arm side run out the gate. He would proceed to settle into the mid-90s range beyond his first inning of work while topping out at 97 once in the second and then closed out his final inning of work with a strikeout swinging on 96. Velo range varied throughout his outing and command came and went but was still dominant for the most part. He forced a ton of...
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College | Story | 3/10/2026

College Players of the Week: March 10

Vincent Cervino
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March 10 Perfect Game/Player of the Week:  Lorenzo Carrier, OF, Pitt  The Pitt Panthers (12-2) are off to one of the best starts in recent program history and their offense has performed as one of the best in the country.  For the season, they are averaging almost 12-runs per game and on their recent trip to the West Coast, Lorenzo Carrier went on the kind of hot streak that is hard to comprehend.  The 6-5/215 senior from Bear, DE was a one-man wrecking crew in their 4-wins last week, starting with the fact that he reached base safely in 17 of his 19 trips to the plate.  He collected 13 hits in 14 official at-bats, scoring 10 runs, with 4 walks, 2 triples, 4 home runs and he drove in an insane 19-runs.  Carrier has refined his approach, simplified his bat path and is creating massive power that has him putting up career numbers.  For the season, he is...
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College | Rankings | 3/9/2026

College Top 25: March 9

Vincent Cervino
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Collegiate Player Report Database While there will not be any new faces in this weeks Top 25, there is quite a bit of shakeup as the season, somehow, becomes even more unpredictable.  There were several teams in the poll that dropped weekend series and, in some cases, registered losing records in the last seven days.  There is sure to be more chaos this week as virtually every conference starts league play and the race for regular season titles begins.  The UCLA Bruins (13-2) remain No. 1 as their sizzling hot bats led the way to a perfect (4-0) week and they swept their first Big Ten series of the year.  As one of only two remaining undefeated teams in the nation, the Texas Longhorns (15-0) jump to No. 2 before they open SEC play this weekend in Austin.  No. 3 Georgia Tech and No. 4 Mississippi State both (14-2) hold their spots in the poll after both dropped a...
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Debut: Contreras YouTube Feature

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 DEBUTS NEW YOUTUBE FEATURE FOLLOWING JOSEPH CONTRERAS ON HISTORIC DAY BEFORE WBC   Behind-the-scenes access captures the youngest player in the World Baseball Classic preparing for the global stage   Sanford, Florida (Friday, March 6, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced the debut of a new original YouTube feature spotlighting right-handed pitcher Joseph Contreras, as PG cameras followed him throughout the day of his final high school start before departing to join Team Brazil in the World Baseball Classic.   The feature provides exclusive, behind-the-scenes access to one...
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Perfect Game Softball March Madness

Ashley Mears
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2026 Perfect Game March Madness February 27-March 1st Ashley Mears What a weekend at the Fun City Dome in Burlington, Iowa! The energy was electric from first pitch to final out towering home runs, edge-of-your-seat battles, dramatic comebacks, and extra-inning thrillers with some unpredictable endings, it was a great weekend all around. The Top Performers list welcomed some exciting new names, while seasoned seniors continued to cement their legacies, delivering standout performances week after week. For some, this may have been their final appearance on a Perfect Game stage, and they made sure it was unforgettable. In the 18u division a tough Nebraska Gold 319 Berning team outlasted the Southeast Iowa All Stars in the championship. In 16u the Top Gun 2028- Strange completed their weekend by beating the Iowa Aries 16U CE Fire Black. 18U The weekend’s Most Valuable Player award...
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High School | General | 3/5/2026

High School Notebook: March 5

Steve Fiorindo
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Full BP & pregame I/O from ‘26 SS Keon Johnson. Whippy hands and lifted to the middle of the field throughout the rounds, athletic mover on the dirt & enough arm strength to stick on the left side. #4 in @PG_Georgia & #50 on the @PG_Draft Board. #PGHS @FPDVikingSports https://t.co/vYvReQKTVh pic.twitter.com/BksHJtA09X — Cam McElwaney (@CamMcElwaneyPG) February 20, 2026 Keon Johnson, SS, First Presbyterian Day Johnson has long been near the top of the 2026 rankings and it all culminated in being a PG All-American last August. He heads into the spring as one of the names to know in the upcoming MLB Draft and is drawing crowds to his high school in Macon. It’s a well-built 6-foot-2, 200-pound frame with good actions up the middle. The defensive acumen has continued to improve over the last few years and now looks comfortable at shortstop and even projects there...
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College | Rankings | 3/4/2026

DII/DIII/NAIA Rankings Update: March 4

Nick Herfordt
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The 2026 college baseball season is starting to reveal its early storylines, and across the Division II and Division III landscape a few programs have already forced their way into the spotlight. From the blistering start by the Pittsburg State Gorillas baseball that rocketed them to the top of the rankings, to the steadily rising championship ambitions of the Taylor Trojans baseball, the national picture is beginning to take shape. In Division III, heavyweight programs like the Trinity Tigers baseball and the Wisconsin–Whitewater Warhawks baseball have already traded blows in one of the season’s first statement series, while emerging challengers such as the Keene State Owls baseball are looking to turn early momentum into a breakout year. With many teams still just getting their seasons underway, the rankings remain fluid, but the early results are already giving us clues...
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