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General  | Blog | 12/1/2025

Down on the Farm: NL East

Photo: Aidan Miller (Perfect Game)
It’s the time of the year again (i.e. the off-season) for the annual PG Down on the Farm feature.  We identify a top prospect in each of the 30 Major League organizations with as much Perfect Game background as possible and delve into that PG history for some insight into his development as a prospect.  Some of them might be high profile, high draft pick, ex-PG All-American talents who fans have been long familiar with.  Others might be more obscure prospects who have significantly improved either in college or as professionals.  Note that players who have used up their rookie eligibility are not considered.

The idea isn’t to necessarily pick the best PG background prospect in each organization but the one who might be closest to the big leagues.  Sometimes that is the same player, other times not.



And there is plenty of variation among organizations in their quantity and quality of prospects, whether it be those with PG backgrounds or not.
 
The profiles will be organized by League/Division and run on the following schedule.

American League East (November 24)
American League Central  (November 26)
American League West  (November 28)
National League East  (December 1)
National League Central  (December 3)
National League West  (December 5
 

National League East

 
Atlanta Braves  --   RHP Ian Ritchie Jr
High School:  Bainbridge HS (Bainbridge Island, Wash.)
Travel Team:  Canes National
Final PG Class Ranking:  22nd (2022)
Drafted:  1st Round, 2022, Atlanta (35th overall)
Highest 2025 Level:  AAA
2026 Age:  23
 
I first saw Ritchie pitch in the summer prior to his sophomore year at the 2019 PG Underclass All-American Games, an event usually for rising juniors that features at least 15-20 future PG All-Americans annually.  Despite his youth, Ritchie stood out and the following report was filed:

Young and slender athletic build, really projects well physically. Flexible actions in his delivery with a big leg raise, whippy arm action from a high 3/4's arm slot, arm is fast and loose. Fastball topped out at 91 mph with big hard running life at times, fastball explodes on hitters at times, chance to be at least a mid-90's thrower in the future given normal progression. Has confidence in his change up, gets similar diving life as his fastball but tends to change his arm slot and tip the pitch. Developing curveball can be dropped in for strikes, tends to slow arm on the pitch. Good athlete who creates some bat speed at the plate with a middle of the field approach and a short swing with some loose extension out front.

Ritchie was very active on the 2020 summer and fall travel circuit for Canes National, normally working in the 91-94 mph range with his fastball and topping out at 96 mph a couple of times, including at the 2020 WWBA World Championships.  He began playing less and less in the infield as it was apparent his future was on the mound and his breaking ball showed strong progress in joining his fastball/change up combination as a potential plus pitch.

In fact, Ritchie’s slider was his standout pitch at the 2021 PG National Showcase, showing power and hard late biting action, and like his fastball and change up, being thrown for consistent strikes.  He was an easy selection for the 2021 PG All-American Classic, where he threw a clean inning topping out at 95 mph.

There was plenty of buzz early in the 2022 spring that Ritchie was topping out in the upper 90’s while continuing to fill up the strike zone.  While those early reports didn’t hold up over the spring, Ritchie did dominate his senior season, going 7-0 with 74 strikeouts and only 4 walks allowed in 35 innings.

Ritchie was signed with UCLA but was selected with the 35th overall pick by the Braves in the 2022 draft and signed for a bonus of $2,400,000.

11 innings into Ritchie’s first full professional season in 2023, he went down with a torn UCL and underwent TJ surgery, although his recovery was and continues to be especially quick and clean.

2025 Summary

Ritchie’s career high for innings jumped from 49 in 2024 to 140 very successful innings in 2025.  The right-hander only allowed 87 hits in those 140 innings across A, AA and AAA, striking out 140 hitters while going 8-6, 2.64.

2026 Perspective

The Braves are very deep in potential starting pitchers, depending of course on health, so Ritchie is still pretty deep in the line for a chance early in the year.  Still, it seems inevitable that he will get a chance soon given his stuff, ability to throw strikes and rapid advancement to AAA in 2025. 

2024 Featured PG Player:  RHP Hurston Waldrep

2025 Update:  Waldrep was mediocre for most of the year in AAA (7-8, 4.42 in 91 IP with 50 walks) but was outstanding in 56 big league innings, going 6-1, 2.88 with much better command (22 walks) and occasionally overpowering raw stuff.

2023 Featured PG Player:  RHP A.J. Smith-Schawver
2022 Featured PG Player:  LHP Jared Shuster
2021 PG Player:  OF Michael Harris II 

 
Miami Marlins  --  LHP Robby Snelling
High School:  Robert McQueen HS (Reno, Nev.)
Travel Team:  NorCal Baseball
Final PG Class Ranking:  13th (2022)
Drafted:  1st Round, 2022, San Diego (39th overall)
Highest 2025 Level:  AAA
2026 Age:  22
 
With a slightly different sports path and a little less strength in his left arm, Snelling might be playing SEC football on Saturday’s and looking forward to a potential NFL career.  He was that good as a 6-3/220 outside linebacker at McQueen (NV) High School, where his father, Jim, was first the defensive coordinator and then 13-year head coach for the Northern Nevada powerhouse program.  Snelling ended up being ranked as a four-star prospect and was the 47th ranked linebacker in the country according to 247 Sports.

However, that arm strength did show early in Snelling’s baseball career and while he was committed to play both sports at both Stanford and Arizona at different points, the realities of the weight lifting and constant upper body collisions that are part of a linebacker’s life don’t mix well with throwing a baseball in the long-term and would pretty much be an unprecedented combination beyond the high school level.

While he was a nationally known baseball talent from an early age, Snelling’s football kept him largely off the summer travel circuit.  He did throw at the 2021 PG National Showcase and received this report.

XL frame with extremely strong, physical build. Ran 60 yard dash in 7.29 seconds. Primary lefthanded pitcher, excellent rotation in lower half, gets downhill with plus extension, fastball worked 88-94 mph with excellent carry through the zone, flashed curveball with sharp 1/7 shape and plus potential long term, flashed a changeup as well. High end arm. Also has serious thunder in his righthanded bat, elite separator/rotator and it shows up in huge power and bat speed, easy plus power to the pull-side. Serious football talent as well. Very good student, committed to LSU. Named to the 2021 Perfect Game All-American Classic.

Snelling came back a few weeks after the National Showcase and showed the velocity that was more common from him at this point, topping out at 97 mph at the 17U PG World Series.  For many evaluators, his ability to spin the ball, with a low 80’s curveball, was more impressive than his velocity as young pitchers who grow up at altitude, such as in Reno or Denver, often struggle to create consistent spin at a young age.

After being named the Regional Player of the Year in football, where he also played quarterback for the first time, Snelling won the Nevada Baseball Player of the Year after setting a state record with 145 strikeouts while going 8-0, 0.56 and adding 6 home runs at the plate.

Now committed only to baseball at LSU, Snelling was the 39th overall pick in the 2022 draft and signed for a bonus of $3,000,000 with the San Diego Padres.  At the July 30th trading deadline in 2024, Snelling was included in a trade to the Miami Marlins that was headlined by Tanner Scott going from the Marlins to the Padres.

2025 Summary


Snelling bounced back from a rough 2024 with an outstanding 2025 season, going 9-7, 2.51 in 25 starts and 136 innings (166 K’s) between AA and AAA.  Impressively, Snelling saved his best for AAA, going 6-2, 1.27 in 11 starts.

2026 Perspective

The Marlins are loaded with starting pitching talent and given that Snelling is only 22 years old with 11 AAA starts under his belt, he’ll likely be in the waiting line for a big league opportunity, but at least near the front of that line.

2024 Featured PG Player:  Joe Mack

2025 Update:  Mack had a very strong 22-year old season, spending all but two weeks in AAA and hitting .257-21-58 and playing well defensively.  He and 2025 rookie Agustin Ramirez give the Marlins an outstanding young catching duo moving forward.

2023 Featured PG Player:  SS Jacob Amaya
2022 Featured PG Player:  LHP Jake Eder
2021 Featured PG Player:  LHP Daxton Fulton


New York Mets  --  RHP Nolan McLean
High School:  Garner HS (Willow Springs, NC)
Travel Team:  Dirtbags
College:  Oklahoma State
Final PG Class Ranking:  65th (2020)
Drafted:  3rd Round, 2023, New York Mets
Highest 2025 Level:  MLB
2026 Age:  24

McLean was a two-way baseball prospect and two-sport standout in high school, which created plenty of confusion and schedule conflicts with his baseball in particular.

On the football field, McLean was a three-star pro style quarterback who threw for 6,809 yards and 62 touchdowns in his high school career.  He originally committed to Oklahoma State to play both baseball and football but redshirted his freshman football season, then gave up the sport to concentrate on baseball.

McLean grew into his velocity at a pretty early age on the mound, going from 79-81 in 2015 to 87-90 mph as a freshman in 2016.  Still, he gained his first big Perfect Game recognition with his bat at the 2017 WWBA 15U National Championships when he hit .464-2-18 in 10 games for the Dirtbags.  That he made three relief appearances throwing 87-90 mph was almost immaterial compared to his hitting.

McLean participated in two PG tournaments in 2018, swinging the bat well but also seeing his velocity move up to 91-94 mph to go with a sharp mid-70’s breaking ball.  Despite missing most of 2019 with injuries, he was named a 2019 PG All-American.  Like the rest of the country, he did not play his senior spring high school season and was not selected in the abbreviated 2020 draft.

Following the two-way theme, McLean both played more and was much more successful as a hitter at Oklahoma State.  Despite missing time with back trouble he hit .263-8-20 in 39 games as a freshman in 2021 while only throwing two innings off the mound.  As a sophomore in 2022, McLean was OSU’s starting third baseman and occasional right fielder and hit .285-19-47, although he did strike out 107 times in 64 games.  He also made 23 appearances out of the bullpen, going 2-1, 4.97 with 5 saves and 39 strikeouts in 25 innings. 

As a draft eligible sophomore, McLean was selected in the third round of the 2022 draft by the Orioles but decided to return to Stillwater for another year.  His hitting was consistent with his first two years (.250-9-29) but he showed more refinement on the mound, continuing to work out of the bullpen and going 1-2, 3.30 with 6 saves in 30 innings.

Interestingly for a pitcher who gained notoriety in 2025 for his impressive and deep array of pitches, the two PG reports filed during McLean’s junior spring mentioned that McLean would have to develop beyond the 94-96 mph fastball that he heavily relied on as a collegian once he turned pro.

The Mets offered him his next chance to turn pro, drafting him in the same third round in 2023 that he passed on in 2022 and signing him for a $747,600 bonus.

2025 Summary

McLean was positioned to be the rookie September/October pitching star before the Mets faded and Trey Yesavage was called up by Toronto.  He had gone a very impressive 8-5, 2.45 in 113 AA/AAA innings before almost pitching the Mets to the playoffs single handedly, going 5-1, 2.06 in 8 starts and 48 innings to finish the season.

2026 Perspective

McLean would seem to be a lock to have a rotation spot based on 2025 and is fully stretched out by modern standards on top of that, with 161 innings on his ledger in 2025.  He fell two innings short of losing his ROY status and will certainly be a pre-season favorite for that award.

2024 Featured PG Player:  RHP Brandon Sproat

2025 Update:  Sproat was solid in AAA all season, going 8-6, 4.24 in 25 starts and 121 innings, lonely allowing 97 hits and 9 home runs, then acquitted himself well in four emergency September starts as the Mets season unraveled.   

2023 Featured PG Player:  RHP Christian Scott
2022 Featured PG Player:  3B Brett Baty
2021 Featured PG Player:  3B Mark Vientos


Philadelphia Phillies  --  SS Aidan Miller
High School:  J.W. Mitchell HS (New Port Richey, Fla.)
Travel Team:  Top Tier Roos
Final PG Class Ranking:  6th (2023)
Drafted:  1st Round, 2023, Philadelphia (27th overall)
Highest 2025 Level:  AAA
2026 Age:  22

Miller was one of the early prodigies of the 2023 class, both in physical development and in skills, as he was already playing in 14U tournaments as an 11 year old.  Miller’s father, Jason, was drafted twice and played two years as a catcher in the minor Leagues and his older brother, Jackson, was a second round pick of the Reds in 2021.  Both obviously contributed to Miller’s early development.

Miller spent plenty of time on the mound early in his teen years after his fastball started touching 90 mph as a 15-year old (he would eventually top out at 94 as a sophomore) and he showed he could fill up the strike zone.  Still, it was pretty obvious from the start that his future was in the infield, and specifically in the batter’s box, where his bat speed and barrel to ball skills always stood out.  He was a regular presence at all major PG events all through high school in addition to staring for the USA Baseball 18U National Team and was on the very short list of best known prospects in the 2023 high school class.

His report from the 2022 PG National Showcase read:

Recorded a 6.93 second 60-yard dash time. Extremely strong build with physicality present and room for more. Primary shortstop with a shorter arm path and good footwork. Understands the fundamentals well and controls his body. Above average arm up to 91 mph across the diamond. Arm strength, baseball IQ, and body control point to a long term left side defender. Right-handed hitter with plus-plus bat speed and finished uphill through contact. Late hand hitch that he times up well and turns the barrel over aggressively. Gets out in front and hits the ball extremely hard, to put it plainly. Big time present power and posits one of the higher power ceilings in the class. Good student. Verbal commitment to Arkansas. Named to the 2022 PG All-American Classic.

Miller was also presented with the 2022 Perfect Game Jackie Robinson Award as the top amateur player in the country.

All that time spent in front of scouts benefited Miller when he broke his hamate bone early in the spring of his senior season and missed more of the year.  He slipped a bit in the 2023 draft as a result but still went in the first round at 27th overall to the Phillies.  Miller was signed with Arkansas, where he would have been sophomore eligible, but up with a $3,100,000 bonus from Philadelphia.

2025 Summary

Miller spent most of 2025 as a 21-year old in AA before a late season promotion to AAA and hit a combined .264-14-42/.825 OPS with 82 walks, a .392 OB% and an impressive 59 stolen bases. 

2026 Perspective

Miller is clearly the Phillies shortstop of the future and it’s interesting that he has never played an inning at another position in three years and 238 games of minor league play.  Baring a surprise, he’ll start 2026 at AAA and get more seasoning for when the Phillies move Trae Turner to another position or another team.

2024 Featured PG Player:  OF Justin Crawford

2025 Update:  Crawford spent all year in AAA as a 21-year old, hitting .334-7-47 with 46 steals and a .411 OB%.  There is always talk of Crawford developing more power but the young speedster appears ready to contribute in the big leagues next year.

2023 Featured PG Player:  RHP Orion Kerkering
2022 Featured PG Player:  RHP Andrew Painter
2021 Featured PG Player:  RHP Hans Crouse


Washington Nationals  --  1B Yohandy Morales
High School:  G. Holmes Braddock HS (Miami, Fla.)
Travel Team:  Banditos Scout Team
College:  Miami
Final PG Class Ranking:  32nd (2020)
Drafted:  2nd round, 2023, Washington
Highest 2025 Level:  AAA
2026 Age:  24

Morales grew up in a baseball family in Miami and was a regular participant on the summer travel circuit from as early as when he was a 5-7/135 13-year old.  However, the Morales Family wasn’t your normal baseball family.  Father Andy played for years for La Habana in the Cuban National Series and was a member of the Cuban National Team.  He attempted to defect from Cuba in 2000, only to be sent back to Cuba and later defect again and signed a $4.5M contract with the Yankees.  He played two years in the minors in the United States.

Yohandy grew quickly as a teenager and was already listed at 6-4/180 and standing out physically, especially as a shortstop when he attended the 2018 PG Junior National Showcase.  It was presumed all along that Morales would eventually outgrow shortstop but his athleticism and agility kept pace with his size throughout high school and he continued to impress in the middle infield defensively, all the while adding power and strength at the plate.  His report from the 2019 PG National Showcase read:

Long and lean very athletic build, huge amounts of physical projection remaining. 6.76 runner, very agile athletically for his size, has quick actions in the middle infield on defense, very quick release with easy carry from multiple arm angles, quick hands, can make plays easily on the move and has a mature inner clock defensively. Right-handed hitter, has a loose and fluid swing with some drift into contact, gets plenty of lower half torque into his swing, ball comes off the barrel well with gap to gap carry, hand timing can get intensive at times and leave him mistimed. How his bat develops will determine his eventual ceiling but is the type of player scouts dream on. Verbal commitment to Miami. Named to play in the Perfect Game All-American Classic.

The pandemic cost Morales his senior year at Braddock Holmes HS and he went unselected in the abbreviated 2020 draft.  He became a starter at third base immediately at hometown Miami and improved steadily all three years, going from hitting .284-11-45/.874 OPS as a freshman to .408-20-70/1.187 OPS as a junior.

The Nationals made Morales the first pick of the second round in the 2023 draft, 40th overall, and signed him to a $2.6M bonus. 

2025 Summary

Morales started the season in AA but was moved to AAA after 33 games and hit a combined .265-15-71/.769 OPS while striking out 164 times in 128 games.  He played first base about 70% of his innings, with the rest at third base.

2026 Perspective

Morales doesn’t appear to be ready for big league pitching yet but he has a long history going back to high school of making adjustments and improving from year to year, so it’s certainly possible, especially with his power projection.  Just as importantly, the Nationals have no obvious candidates on their roster presently after spending 2025 getting a combined 0.1 bWAR from their 1B/DH position.

2024 Featured PG Player:  OF Dylan Crews

2025 Update:  Crews missed almost three months with a left oblique injury and posted .208-10-27/.632 numbers in 85 games, his defense and base running were solid.

2023 Featured PG Player:  3B Brady House
2022 Featured PG Player:  OF James Wood
2021 Featured PG Player:  RHP Cole Henry

General | Blog | 12/10/2025

Youth Baseball Exec. DeDonatis III Joins PG

Jim Salisbury
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Youth Baseball Executive Don DeDonatis III Joins PG By Jim Salisbury  It’s free-agent season in baseball and Perfect Game has landed a big one. Don DeDonatis III joined PG as a consultant in November. The DeDonatis name is synonymous with youth baseball and softball. Along with his dad, Don Jr., DeDonatis helped build USSSA into a big hitter in the game. He brings decades of experience and knowledge to PG. “We all acknowledge that Donny has moved on from USSSA,” PG CEO Rob Ponger said. “This is a new chapter for him and we hope both sides take advantage of it to help youth sports in general. “The DeDonatis name has a legacy attached to it and we’re hoping that Donny is going to help us. PG is a growing brand and he’s on board to help.” DeDonatis was CEO at USSSA from 2018 until his exit from the company two years ago. “I’m...
Tournaments | Story | 12/13/2025

Finest in the Field: Class of 2029

Tyler Russo
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Finest in the Field: Class of 2026 | Class of 2027 | Class of 2028 These guys might just be entering high school, but they've certainly already made a name for themselves on the national circuit, especially with their abilities on the defensive side of things.  C: Xavier Rodriguez (Logansville, GA) Rodriguez is a polished defender with real arm strength behind the dish, while showcasing the ability to impact the baseball with authority to all fields evident by thirty of his sixty-five hits going for extra-bases including seven bombs. He handles high-level pitching extremely well, commands his staff and his offensive prowess makes him a true two-way asset. 1B: Cooper Knight (Buda, TX) Knight is a smooth operator at first base with plenty of range, fluidity and agility in his footwork around the bag. Add-in a rocket for an arm, the ability to change slots and to...
Tournaments | Story | 12/12/2025

Scout Stories: Part 5

AJ Denny
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Best Game I Saw: The Dream NTL 18U vs. MBA Scout Team Murphy Jupiter always brings out the best, and we got fireworks from the jump. Turner Marshall gave The Dream an outstanding 4+ innings of work on the mound, holding a lethal MBA team at bay with Chance Dixon, Derrick Carter, and Ellis Appling providing an offensive spark out of the gate for the Georgia based boys. However, it was only a matter of time before the talent on the other side got going, as MBA erased a 3-run deficit in the 5th to take a 4-3 lead led by a Parker Loew HR. The Dream then took command again in the Top of the 6th, before MBA punched right back with a huge 5-run inning in the bottom half capped off by a clutch RBI single from Matthew Kerrigan, ending a wild sequence with tons of notable performances from two very competitive rosters. Best Tournament Performance I Saw: Surely someone has already brought this...
College | Story | 12/12/2025

College Notebook: December 12

Craig Cozart
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Nebraska Cornhuskers 2025 Highlights: The Cornhuskers were a difficult team to figure in ’25 as they finished with 33 wins, played just .500 (15-15) in the Big Ten but had some big wins at various times during the season and got hot at the right time. They knocked off then #16 Vanderbilt in the second game of the year, beat #5 Oregon State 2-out-of-3 at home in late March and then got hot at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha to win the Big Ten Tournament. They beat Michigan State in a 10-inning thriller before taking care of #4 Oregon, knocking off Penn State and then shutout #13 UCLA to punch their ticket to the Chapel Hill Regional. Head coach Will Bolt has now led his alma mater to three conference titles and three NCAA Regional appearances during his six years in Lincoln. No different than when he was a player, Bolt’s teams play with passion and toughness, this was never more...
Tournaments | Story | 12/12/2025

Finest in the Field: Class of 2028

Troy Sutherland
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Finest in the Field: Class of 2026 | Class of 2027 You like athletes? You like defenders who can impact a game at any given point? Look not further than this class as it's loaded from coast-to-coast with elite defenders all over the diamond.  C: Brogan Witcher, Bakersfield, CA Our scouting staff got several strong looks at Witcher whether that was at the Summer Kickoff, Sophomore National or the Underclass All American Games where he showcased his strong overall skillset and especially his advanced ability behind the plate. His 6-foot-3,180 pound build looks like one that will fill in quite nicely and be that big and physical catcher’s frame. His arm talent is undeniable where he gets it out quick and runs it up to 79 mph on throwdowns to 2nd (1.84 pop). Besides the standout catch/throw ability, we’ve seen him frame/receive strong arms and block it well during...
Softball | Softball Tournament | 12/11/2025

PG Softball "Toys 4 Tots" Fundraiser 18U division

Dave Durbala
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BURLINGTON, IA - 2025 Perfect Game Softball Toys 4 Tots Fundraiser One Day, December 7, 2025. Kicking off the holiday season, six teams participated in this one day, 3 game guarantee tournament in the 18u Division. We would like to thank those that donated a toy, and know that they will be distributed to area underprivileged children through a local charity organization. Following are some of the top performers from the weekend. Earning Tournament MV-Pitcher was Jolee Strohmeyer (2026 Dubuque, IA), a RHP/UTIL with tournament champion Lady Expos Blue. Strohmeyer shows hitters a consistent and repeatable motion and delivery with good use of the legs in the drive phase, and a quick and aggressive arm whip. Working with a six pitch mix of fastball, change-up, rise, drop, curve and screw, Strohmeyer topped out at 60 mph, and showed good movement  as she worked her rise and curve just out...
Tournaments | Story | 12/11/2025

Scout Stories: Part 4

Tyler Henninger
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Scout Notes: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 Best Game I Saw: Hudson Reed (‘26, GA) torches this ball to deep CF for a solo 💣. Generates easy power that plays to the big part of the yard. Middle of the order traits #UBCWest @PG_Georgia @PG_Uncommitted pic.twitter.com/UXqDVFmUBx — Perfect Game California (@California_PG) June 18, 2025 I was fortunate enough to see a lot of highly competitive games with loads of talent on the field, the game that sticks out to me the most was Alpha Prime 2026 vs. ZT National Prospects at the UBC West. The game was an efficiently played affair with arms dominating on both sides. Graham Schlicht was masterful for Alpha, striking out 12 hitters over 5 dominant innings. PG All-American Julian Cazares came out of the pen blowing smoke, touching 97 mph with the fastball. On the other side, Jake Carbaugh surrendered just one hit and...
Press Release | Press Release | 12/11/2025

PG Believe In Baseball Announces Awards Dinner

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   THE PERFECT GAME BELIEVE IN BASEBALL FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES DETAILS FOR FIRST ANNUAL “IN THE SPIRIT OF THE GAME” AWARDS DINNER AND AUCTION   Los Angeles, California (Thursday, December 11, 2025) – The Perfect Game Believe in Baseball Foundation, together with Perfect Game leadership of Chairman Rick Thurman and CEO Rob Ponger, has announced the inaugural “In the Spirit of the Game” event, an evening of baseball and laughter, taking place Saturday, January 31, 2026, at the iconic Laugh Factory in Hollywood, Calif. The evening supports the Foundation’s mission to provide financial assistance and resources that allow deserving young athletes to play, learn and grow through the...
Tournaments | Story | 12/11/2025

Finest in the Field: Class of 2027

AJ Denny
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Finest in the Field: Class of 2026 Elite defenders from coast to coast certainly seems to be a strength and to think you could make another top-tier team without thinking, speaks to the real depth this group possesses. The infield is a no-doubt strength of the group, but what catcher Dariel Carrion can do behind the plate is like something we haven't seen in a while in the prep ranks with an absolutely bazooka of an arm.  C: Dariel Carrion (San Juan, PR)  It isn’t often you get a catching prospect as athletic and natural as Dariel Carrion, a big reason why he holds the rank of #1 player in PR and #18 nationally. Metrics wise, the 5-foot-10, 210 pound San Juan native is all you can ask for and more, posting a sub 1.80 pop time with an 84 mph arm behind the dish. He has both contact and clear power threat on the offensive end, ending 2025 with a .337 BA and 4 HRs while also...
Tournaments | Story | 12/10/2025

Finest in the Field: Class of 2026

Tyler Henninger
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The Class of 2026 is one of the deeper prep classes that we have seen in a couple of years. With that being said, there is plenty of talent on the defensive side. Let’s take a look at some of the best defenders in the class.  C: Will Brick, Christian Brothers HS (Memphis, TN) Brick is a newcomer to the class after reclassifying, but immediately became the top backstop. Extremely advanced actions are shown behind the dish with impressive athleticism to go with it. Brick showcases big time arm strength and is consistently accurate on throw downs. He can make playing the position look extremely easy at times. Brick possesses all the defensive tools needed to be a premier catcher.  1B: AJ Curry, University City HS (San Diego, CA) Curry has a bigger and stronger frame with good strength throughout. He has a well-proportioned build that serves him well on the dirt. He’s...
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