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College  | Story | 8/5/2026

Coppy's Corner: August 5 Summer Edition

John Coppolella
The amateur players in the Cape Cod Baseball League are the future stars of the 2027 MLB Draft. The league runs from June 13th through August 2nd. Games are played at historic stadiums in Old New England towns. It’s beautiful and charming. Hollywood even made a movie about the Cape Cod League ~25 years ago called Summer Catch. It scored an 8% (!) on Rotten Tomatoes, but, on the plus side, it featured 2001 Jessica Biel in a starring role. 

It was so much fun writing Coppy’s Column this spring. My hope is to highlight a pitcher and position player each week from the Cape. And, who knows, maybe somewhere out there Jessica Biel is reading it. 




Player of the Week: Armani Guzman – Chatham Anglers 

Guzman went 8-for-20 this week with 9 Stolen Bases. If that seems like a lot for one week, it is. Guzman has 18 Stolen Bases in the Cape, so half that total came this week, which helped put the final touches on a terrific performance for the Chatham Anglers. All in all, Guzman hit .344 AVG / .494 OBP / .422 SLG / .916 OPS over 83 Plate Appearances in 20 Games this summer. 

Guzman had a nice season at West Virginia, producing a .321 AVG, 1 HR, 45 RBI, and 42 Stolen Bases in 46 Attempts. He has played all over during his three years in Morgantown, spending most of his time in Right Field, but with game experience in Center Field, Left Field, Third Base, Second Base, and First Base. Really, Guzman is a utility player with a plus run tool who can play anywhere you need him, who is going to work counts, get on base, steal bases, and wreak havoc. This year he became the first player in the history of the West Virginia baseball program to have at least 40 RBIs and 40 Stolen Bases in the same season. 

It was surprising to me that Guzman went unselected in the 2026 MLB Draft. He pulled himself out midway through Day #2, announcing that he would return to Morgantown for his senior year during the 14th Round. I like Guzman a lot and think he can be a Juan Pierre type corner outfielder – maybe even a Tony Phillips super utility type throwback for those of you who want a truly deep cut in terms of comparisons – profiling as a leadoff hitter and catalyst at the top of a lineup.  

Carry Tool: Hit. Guzman is a table-setter who had nearly as many Walks (39) as he did Strikeouts (42) for West Virginia this spring – and he the same number of Walks (17) as he does Strikeouts (17) for Chatham this summer. He’s hit over .300 AVG and .400 OBP in college and summer leagues. Guzman has terrific bat-to-ball skills and works counts, showing the ability as a left-handed hitter to hit left-handed pitchers (.316 AVG / .862 OPS) just as well as right-handed pitchers (.318 AVG / .850 OPS).  

Guzman has also shown other good hitting indicators. He’s performed better on the Weekends (.326 AVG / .874 OPS) than during the Midweek (.283 AVG / .759 OPS), hitting better against better competition. He’s also hit slightly better on the Road (.328 AVG / .892 OPS) than he has at Home (.307 AVG / .811 OPS). I’d love to see Guzman build off this strong run in the Cape, have a big senior year, and get drafted in 2027. I have a feeling that whichever team is fortunate enough to take Guzman next year will come to see this is one Armani they won’t want to exchange.  

 
Pitcher of the Week: Sahil Patel – Wareham Gatemen  

Kumar Rocker became the first player of Indian descent to play in an MLB game when he debuted for the Texas Rangers on September 12, 2024. Patel is trying to follow in his footsteps. Both are pitchers and both were born 30 miles apart in Georgia (Rocker in Bogart, Patel in Lawrenceville). The similarities end there, as Rocker is a 6’5/245 power right-hander while Patel is a 6’0/180 left-handed pitcher. Rocker was also twice a top 10 pick (#10 overall to the New York Mets in 2021 and #3 overall to the Rangers in 2022) while Patel will likely go undrafted. 

And while a fast track to MLB like Rocker had seems incredibly unlikely for Patel, he had arguably the best stretch of pitching in his life over the past few weeks in the Cape. He capped it off this week by throwing 4.0 innings, allowing 1 hit and 0 runs and registering 8 strikeouts. It’s been a nice summer for Patel in Wareham, where he has gone 2-1, 1.72 ERA in 15.2 innings with 19 strikeouts and 8 walks. And it’s quite a departure from Patel’s performance at Ohio State this spring, where he went 1-1, 8.71 ERA in 20.2 innings with 26 strikeouts and 18 walks. 

Patel was actually worse against left-handed hitters (.314 AVG / .962 OPS) than he was against right-handed hitters (.283 AVG / .919 OPS) this spring in Columbus. Candidly, it’s hard to find much to get excited about beyond the swing and miss and the fastball velocity. All that said, you never know with left-handed pitchers. 

Carry Tool: FB. Patel threw his FB 67% of the time this spring at Ohio State, generating a 30% Miss Rate and 24% Swing Rate. Those rates were the best of any pitch that he throws so it makes sense for him to rely so much on the heater. And it’s got some velocity, especially for a left-hander, with Patel sitting between 92-94 and touching 96 with good arm side run. Left-handed pitchers with that type of velocity who can consistently miss bats are intriguing, and Patel could be an interesting project for an MLB player development department. 

And even though he turns 23 years old in December, Patel may still have some unexplored upside, having spent his first two college seasons at North Greenville University and Gainesville University before transferring to Ohio State. Patel is going to be an interesting name to follow heading into the 2027 season, and if he can build off this coming-out party in the Cape, he may someday join Rocker. 


National Nuggets

As we close out the summer, over the next few weeks, we will take a look at some other interesting names who have hit the transfer portal in recent weeks … last week we looked at left-handed pitchers and this week we will look at catchers … specifically, a trio of catchers all transferring to SEC schools … I’ve wanted to write about Andrew Costello for a few weeks because he’s had such a good summer in the Cape, hitting .361 AVG / .448 OBP / .557 SLG / 1.005 OPS with 13 Walks and only 15 Strikeouts over 116 Plate Appearances while splitting time between Catcher and Left Field for the Bourne Braves … Costello has been fine catching, and has thrown out 11 of 24 (46%) of attempted base stealers in the Cape … a pretty big name on the showcase circuit leading up to college, Costello had strange reverse splits this past season at Wake Forest, struggling against left-handed pitching (.121 AVG / .398 OPS) while putting up solid numbers against right-handed pitching (.291 AVG / .795 OPS) … the more he plays, the more these anomalies will normalize and based on his breakout in the Cape, he will be a name to watch next season at South Carolina, a program that certainly has a lot of needs and opportunities … Costello played behind Matt Conte at Wake Forest … Conte, a draft-eligible sophomore who withdrew from the 2026 MLB Draft, is transferring to Vanderbilt after a strong season for the Demon Deacons in Winston-Salem … Conte handles both right-handed (.265 AVG / .893 OPS) and left-handed (.299 AVG / .858 OPS) pitching and provides power and plate discipline from a premium position … he can also hit premium velocity, producing a strong .308 AVG / 1.073 OPS against pitches 93 miles per hour or faster … Conte is a solid defender who played in the Cape last season, appearing almost exclusively at catcher and will be a fascinating player to monitor in 2027 … Ian Armstrong can flat-out hit, following up a freshman debut where he hit .364 AVG / .978 OPS with a sophomore season where he hit .351 AVG / 1.069 OPS … Armstrong will be transferring from Saint Mary’s (California) in the West Coast Conference to the University of Texas in the SEC, where he will assuredly be receiving pitches from rising sophomore sensation Sam Cozart (son of our own Craig Cozart) … Armstrong is a solid defender, but the bat is a carry tool and strong exit velocities back up his terrific offensive numbers … he performed significantly better on the Road (.421 AVG) than he did at Home (.310 AVG) and also did well against pitches 93 miles per hour or faster (.375 AVG) … if his progression continues at Texas, his draft prospects will continue to improve and he’s a name to watch in 2027 … the SEC is the best conference in college baseball (and football – and a whole bunch of other sports), and these three catchers will play key roles for three teams with big expectations. 
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College | Story | 8/7/2026

Cape Cod League Notebook: August 7
Perfect Game Staff
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RHP Jason Flores (@BaseballUGA) Showed some electric stuff, up to 98 several times CT, SL, CH to round out the arsenal in his 5IP 9K performance. @HarwichMariners So./‘27 elig pic.twitter.com/p2nTvkFnWh — PG College Baseball (@PGCollegeBall) August 5, 2026 Jason Flores | RHP | University of Georgia | Harwich Mariners  Flores heads to Georgia this fall looking to reestablish himself as one of the premier arms in the 2027 draft class after showing significant promise during his freshman season at Texas. Flores posted a 2.78 ERA over 32.1 innings as a freshman before a limited sophomore campaign in which he logged just 12 innings. The stuff was on full display this summer, highlighted by a dominant five-inning, nine-strikeout playoff performance in which he touched 98 mph five different times. His fastball averaged nearly 96 mph throughout his time on the Cape, pairing the...
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Draft | Story | 8/17/2026

2026 MLB Draft Report Cards: NL Central

Tyler Henninger
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2026 MLB Draft Report Cards: AL West | NL West | AL Central With the 2026 MLB Draft officially in the books, it’s time to evaluate how each team performed. Every draft class was graded using the standard 20-80 scouting scale with risk factor assigned. While these grades won’t be proven right or wrong for years, they reflect the overall talent, value, and upside each organization added to its system. NL Central Chicago Cubs  Grade: 40 Risk: Medium Notable Selections: RHP Cade Townsend (1st rd) | OF Caden Sorrell (2nd rd) | 1B Myles Bailey (2C)   RHP Cade Townsend (@OleMissBSB) sat 95-96 T97 w/ riding FB from fast arm. Nasty cutter at 88-91 is the go-to, showed biting 2 pln SL. Low-80s top to bottom CB & CH ~ 1300 RPM to round out mix. Has had a great spring & risen up boards. Soph./'26 elig. @PG_Draft pic.twitter.com/TAFbM37f5j — PG College...
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Draft | Story | 8/17/2026

2026 MLB Draft Report Cards: AL Central

Joey Cohen
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2026 MLB Draft Report Cards: AL West | NL West With the 2026 MLB Draft officially in the books, it’s time to evaluate how each team performed. Every draft class was graded using the standard 20-80 scouting scale with risk factor assigned. While these grades won’t be proven right or wrong for years, they reflect the overall talent, value, and upside each organization added to its system. AL Central Cleveland Guardians  Grade: 45 Risk: Moderate  Notable Selections: RHP Liam Peterson (1st rd) | Tre Broussard OF (3rd rd) | RHP Savion Sims (7th rd)  Liam Peterson (@GatorsBB) has been pure power stuff through the first 3.0 IP in his start vs Bama…imposing his will on hitters with a fastball that has grabbed 100 mph a few times, backed up by his power slider and curveball @PG_Draft pic.twitter.com/RVThNrdMTn — PG College Baseball (@PGCollegeBall) May 21,...
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High School | General | 8/17/2026

Scott's Eye Popping Two-Way Earns MVP

Jim Salisbury
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PHILADELPHIA – When the folks at Perfect Game reached out to invite him to pitch in the 2026 PG All-Star Game for rising sophomores and juniors, Cullen Scott had one request. “You mind if I get a couple of at-bats, too?” Along with his dad, Scott traveled from the family’s home in Texas to Citizens Bank Park. The trip proved to be a huge success as he starred on the mound and at the plate and was named the game’s Most Valuable Player. Scott, 16, pitched a scoreless first inning and struck out two. In the fourth inning, he belted a grand slam six rows up into the left-field seats to lead the National team’s 6-1 win over the American team. “He showed us why he’s here as a pitcher and a hitter,” said Greg Sabers, PG’s vice president of scouting and showcases. "He’s one of the top pitchers here, but he’s too good a...
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All American Game | Story | 8/16/2026

Romero Slams His Way to Classic MVP

Jim Salisbury
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PHILADELPHIA – Sunday’s DICK’s Perfect Game All-American Classic was a pitching-dominated affair until the bottom of the eighth inning when the rain started to fall at Citizens Bank Park and Koa Romero stepped to the plate and did his best impression of Kyle Schwarber. Romero wears No. 12, just like Schwarber. He bats left-handed, just like Schwarber. He’s got big power, just like Schwarber. And at 5-10 and a rock-solid 225 pounds, he’s even built like Schwarber. Needless to say, Schwarber is Romero’s favorite player. So, it was all kind of storybook when Romero belted a grand slam to dead center to cap off the scoring in the West team’s 8-3 win over the East club in the 24th annual Classic. “This is a dream come true,” said Romero, who was named MVP of the game. “It’s amazing to be able to put a ball like that out of a...
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All American Game | Story | 8/15/2026

A Philly Dream for Steingall

Jim Salisbury
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PHILADELPHIA – Carson Steingall had been to Citizens Bank Park many times over the years. After all, he hails from Nazareth, Pa., about 90 minutes up the road from the home of the Philadelphia Phillies and he counts himself as a big fan of the team. Zack Wheeler is his favorite. Steingall realized a dream when he pitched from the same mound that Wheeler does in Perfect Game’s fourth annual All-Star Game for rising sophomores and juniors on Friday. The dream got even better when Steingall, a 16-year-old right-hander, was named Most Valuable Pitcher after striking out the side in the third inning of the National team’s 6-1 victory over the American team. “It’s just an honor to be here,” Steingall said after receiving his trophy. “This event is the best of the best. It’s really cool to win something like this.” Steingall, who’ll...
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Showcase | Story | 8/13/2026

PG Honors Pat Gillick With Philly Showcase

Perfect Game Staff
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Perfect Game to honor Pat Gillick in new Philadelphia Showcase  By Maya Heyman Perfect Game is bringing its elite showcase experience to Philadelphia’s FDR Park for the inaugural Philly Stars/Pat Gillick Showcase this weekend, honoring one of the greatest executives in MLB history in the city where he constructed his final of three World Series winners. The event will take place on Sunday, the same day as the DICK’S All-American Classic, taking place just across the street at Citizens Bank Park.  The showcase will allow Philadelphia-area players to gain exposure and will also honor Gillick, who has been a tremendous influence in both professional and amateur baseball.   Jered Goodwin, Vice President of Scouting Operations for Perfect Game, said the idea came naturally.  “Going to Philly made a lot of sense to honor Pat Gillick, who's been a...
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General | General | 8/13/2026

PG All-Star Game Heads to Philly

Jheremy Brown
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For the fourth time since its inception in 2023, two rosters comprised of the best rising juniors (and a handful of rising sophomores) will step out onto the field Friday afternoon, kicking off the All-American weekend. While the Perfect Game All-American Classic is slated for a 1:35 first pitch at Citizens Bank Park on Sunday, 36 future hopefuls of the Classic will go up against one another in an American vs National clash at 11 AM Eastern, Friday morning.  With 36 players from across the country descending on Philadelphia, there will be plenty of familiar names in attendance as 24 of the 36 played in at least one PG Select Festival and all 36 attended either the he Sophomore National, Junior National, or the PG Underclass All-American Games this summer. Leading the charge are a pair of No. 1s in 2028 dynamic talent Dexter McCleon Jr and 2029 Macgraw VanWormer, a do-it-all...
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Tournaments | Championship | 8/12/2026

Pokers Rally to Capture 16U BCS Title

Alyssa Golden
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Pokers Rally to Capture 16U BCS Title A hot afternoon at JetBlue Stadium in Fort Myers, Florida ended in a 9-1 victory for the Original Florida Pokers 2028 National, defeating SBA Bolts Florida 2028 National on Monday to capture the 16U BCS National Championship. A pitchers’ duel kept the game scoreless through four innings before the Pokers broke it open with a five-run fifth inning. The title marked the Pokers’ second 16U BCS Championship, adding to the championship they won in 2022. Despite a slow start to the summer, the Pokers found their stride at the right time. “We struggled a lot early in the summer, but the past few tournaments we really started turning it on,” Pokers head coach Will McCrimon said. “I’m just so proud of these kids.” Max Maynes started the game on the mound for the Pokers. The left-hander allowed three hits and two walks...
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Draft | Story | 8/11/2026

Realistic Expectations of a 1:1 Pick

Tyler Henninger
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Over the 2026 draft cycle, UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky was the projected No. 1 pick throughout the entire cycle. White Sox fans began #RochWatch and were already talking about when he will make it to Chicago. Now that he has been selected, Cholowsky has immediately become a Top-10 prospect in all of baseball. There is no denying the hype, and the pressure, for Chowlosky to get to the big leagues and produce at a high level.  But how realistic is that? Let’s take a look back at past 1:1 selections and see what you can expect from a No. 1 overall selection.  For this exercise, we’ll look at No. 1 overall picks from the bonus pool era, excluding Eli Willits from 2025 since this is his first full year of pro ball. That gives us 13 players selected from 2012 through 2024.  Almost All Become Big Leaguers The first thing that stands out is how successful No. 1 picks...
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Press Release | Press Release | 8/11/2026

Perfect Game & Goat'd Come Together

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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 AND GOAT'D PARTNER TO BRING PREMIUM PROTECTIVE GEAR TO THE NATION'S TOP AMATEUR BASEBALL PLAYERS   Sanford, Florida (Tuesday, August 11, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced a new partnership with Goat'd, a premium protective gear brand focused on developing innovative products for athletes. The partnership will bring Goat'd's premium protective equipment to some of the nation's top amateur baseball players and families across Perfect Game's premier national events. The partnership will debut at several of Perfect Game's marquee events, including the 13U Select Fest, 14U Select Fest, Perfect Game All-Star Game and...
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