THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,619 MLB PLAYERS | 16,397 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,619 MLB PLAYERS | 16,397 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Sign in Create Account
Sign in Create Account
Draft  | Prospect Scouting Reports | 9/4/2026

2027 Draft: Way Too Early 1:1 Predictions

Tyler Henninger
Michael Albee
Joey Cohen
Ryan Miller
2027 Top 100 Draft Board 

Current Favorite: SS Dylan Seward, Norco HS (Calif.)

In our first iteration of the 2027 Draft Board, Norco shortstop Dylan Seward ranks No. 1 overall. The switch-hitter is an ultra-twitchy player with a lot to like on both sides of the ball. He is a supreme athlete that should stick up the middle. Explosiveness is shown in all aspects of his game and gives the profiles big time upside. 



In the event that Seward does not go 1:1, each member of our draft team selected a player that they think could wind up in that spot. We are still nearly a full year away from draft day, but here are our “Way Too Early” predictions for the 1st overall pick next July. 


Henni’s Pick: C/UTL Gavin Kelly, West Virginia 
 

In a college class that does not feature a ton of up-the-middle defenders, Gavin Kelly has a strong chance to be the first player off the board. The West Virginia backstop is coming off a monster sophomore campaign where he slashed .382/.477/.725 with 19 homers, 44 XBH, and a near 1:1 K:BB ratio. Not only does Kelly have performance history, he has quality underlying metrics. He is among the best in the country at finding barrels, he has impressive EV numbers despite not being overly physical, and does not chase or whiff a whole lot. You add all of that to an athletic profile that should stick behind the plate, not to mention he has proven he can play up the middle of the dirt as well. The profile just has so much to like and brings a ton of value to all facets of the game. Kelly currently ranks No. 4 on our board and has a strong chance to be the guy at the top when it is all said and done. 

Ryan’s Pick: SS Malachi Butler, McEachern HS (Ga.)
 

Georgia prep Malachi Butler has been an early helium name in this class, thanks to a well-rounded skill set that projects. Butler operates from a 6-foot-3 athletic frame with a healthy amount of length and room to fill. In the box, the Georgia Tech commit employs a clean and direct left-handed stroke. There is bat speed and impact potential in the barrel, presently a hit-over-power profile. Butler isn’t a burner on the basepaths but has the actions and arm to stick on the left side of the infield. Teams covet the high school shortstop demographic, making them the most likely to slide up a board amongst their prep peers. Butler starts in a good spot on our board, and the lack of a slam-dunk college profile makes 1-1 a realistic situation for him. Of course, once the draft arrives in July, bonus pool demands and signability concerns will impact the choice. Expect Butler to remain a “buzzy” name throughout the scouting community leading up to the selection. 

Albee’s Pick: SS Graham Houston, Venice Senior (Fla.)
 

I wanted to go a tick down the board and try to reach a bit for this 1:1 spot, picking a candidate who’s not in the conversation yet but has plenty of ability to push his way closer to that spot over the next 10 months. I decided to go with Houston, a switch hitting shortstop with bloodlines (his brother was a 1st rounder.. Marek Houston), steady performance at premier events and a selection to the 18U USA National Team. He’s an LSU commit as well. Houston employs a swing that is geared to hold up against premium velocity and stuff from both sides, showing a balanced and compaction operation with a good bat path through the hitting zone and balance throughout the process. He has displayed barrel accuracy and an ability to handle quality pitching all summer long at premium events, giving way to easy projection on the hit tool. He has the chops to stick at shortstop, having the hands required and arm strength to make plays on the move and in the hole. It’s a gap to gap power outlook who could get into the mid-late teens for homeruns at his peak if it breaks right. He is a solid runner to round it all off. The biggest knock to 1:1 would be less than expected athleticism and power upside for a first overall pick in the prep ranks. However, a polished, steady profile with more room for strength gains, switch hit ability with legit hit tool projection and a long-term outlook at a valuable defensive home all work for me when trying to reach at this point in our ‘27 draft cycle. 

Joey’s Pick: SS Brendan Lawson, Florida 


If you’re picking first in the 2027 MLB Draft today, Brendan Lawson offers the best combination of certainty and probably upside in the class. The Florida left-handed hitter already has two years of serious college production behind him, wood-bat success on the Cape, and an offensive foundation that could ultimately prove just too good to pass up. The bat is simply the reason here. Lawson pairs explosive hands and natural loft with elite contact quality, producing a 111.2 90th-percentile EV in 2026 that led the country among hitters with an 80% contact rate or better. There’s easy 30 HR juice here, but the power doesn't come at the expense of getting on base. His approach/patience is advanced, and his improving bat-to-ball ability gives him a path to being more than just a middle-of-the-order slugger. There are some questions, particularly his occasional passivity and an eventual move off shortstop but those are easier to stomach when the offensive foundation is as elite as his. Third base or center field could both work, and either way the profile will be driven by how special the bat is. Of course there are some preps that will have plenty of time to challenge him, but Lawson will enter 2027 with something most of them can't offer which is probably the most premium offensive ceiling already backed by college production. If he takes any sort of step forward I think the 1:1 conversation becomes his to lose
 
Give us your feedback
Draft | Rankings | 8/28/2026

2027 MLB Draft Board
Tyler Henninger
Article Image
The 2026 MLB Draft is official in the books as those players have been signed and have begun their pro career. That means it is time to turn the page and dive into the 2027 class. This class features an intriguing mix of arms both from the prep and college ranks, along with an enticing position player pool. Today, we unveil our first 2027 MLB Draft Board, ranking the Top-100 prospects in the class. There is still plenty of time for new names to emerge and established ones to rise or fall, but here is where things stand as we begin this cycle.  Rk. Name Level Pos. B-T School Hometown State Commitment 1 Dylan Seward H SS S-R Norco Eastvale CA Tennessee 2 Brendan Lawson C SS L-R Florida Toronto ON 3 Dax Whitney C RHP R-R Oregon State Blackfoot ID 4 Gavin Kelly C C/UTL R-R West Virginia Presto PA 5 Tomas Valincius C LHP L-L Mississippi State Lockport IL 6 Malachi Butler H SS L-R...
Read More
General | General | 9/3/2026

Class of 2029 Rankings Update

Article Image
Read More
Softball | Softball Tournament | 9/3/2026

Iowa City Scouting Showcase 14U &16U Divisions

Dave Durbala
Article Image
IOWA CITY, IA - Perfect Game Softball Iowa City Scouting Showcase, August 29 - 30, 2026. Fifty-Four teams, competing across three divisions in the 14u - 18u age classifications opened up our Fall schedule playing in a five game showcase style format. For the several college coaches in attendance, they were able to get quality looks at numerous uncommitted 27’ and 28’ graduation year class athletes, as well as having the opportunity to watch some of the quality younger athletes as they put their talent on display. Below are write-ups of some of our top performers over the weekend in the 14 & 16u age divisions. 14U DIVISION Josie Moen (2031 Urbandale, IA) is an athletic OF for TN Mojo 2030 Evans. Working from the left side, Moen was nearly unstoppable while showing defenses her slapping abilities. With great barrel awareness and footwork, Moen utilized the bunt, soft slap...
Read More
Softball | Softball Tournament | 9/3/2026

Iowa City Scouting Showcase 18U Division

Ashley Mears
Article Image
Perfect Game Iowa City Scouting Showcase August 29-30 Ashley Mears It was a great weekend to kick off the Fall 2026 tournament campaign in Iowa City. The fields were packed with college coaches from across the Midwest, providing a great opportunity for players to showcase their talents. Both hitters and pitchers put on quite a show, and there were plenty of standout performances to take note of. We are excited to continue following these players and see what the rest of the fall has in store! Gillian Hansen (2028 New Brighton, MN) of the 18u MN Force Impact Standering was an absolute force to be reckoned with at the plate this weekend. Hansen possesses a strong, athletic build that translates into impressive power. Standing parallel to the plate, she utilizes her lower half effectively and does an excellent job of staying through the ball and extending through the zone. Hansen led the...
Read More
Press Release | Press Release | 9/3/2026

PG Launches Global Country Partner Program

Article Image
  667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923 www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA     FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   PERFECT GAME LAUNCHES NEW GLOBAL COUNTRY PARTNER PROGRAM TO EXPAND INTERNATIONAL BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL PATHWAYS   Sanford, Florida (Thursday, September 3, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced the launch of its new Country Partner Program, an initiative designed to expand Perfect Game’s international presence while creating new opportunities for aspiring athletes around the world.  Through the Country Partner Program, select organizations will become the exclusive Perfect Game partner within their respective countries through annual licensing agreements. Each Country Partner will be responsible for managing local...
Read More
Press Release | Press Release | 9/1/2026

PG Hires Nuovo-Golden in South Carolina

Article Image
  667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923 www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA     FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   PERFECT GAME SOFTBALL EXPANDS REGIONAL TOURNAMENT OPERATIONS WITH KEY HIRE IN SOUTH CAROLINA   Greenville, South Carolina (Monday, August 31, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced an addition to its Southeast tournament operations team with the hiring of Michelle Nuovo-Golden as Operations Director.   In her role, Nuovo-Golden will oversee regional venue management, team relations and event logistics across South Carolina focusing on expanding Perfect Game’s fastpitch footprint within the core markets which include Columbia, Lexington, Greenville, Anderson and the surrounding regions.   Nuovo-Golden transitions to...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 8/26/2026

Underclass Area Codes: Standout Arms

Joey Cohen
Article Image
Year in and year out when the best young talent from across the country is packed into one national-level event the arms tend to win the week. That feels especially true in today’s amateur game where velocity, pitch design and high-level training in general are being introduced earlier than ever, allowing young pitchers to develop impactful stuff at a faster rate than younger hitters can consistently catch up to it. The Underclass Area Code Games are no exception and this year there was no shortage of arms that made you stop and take notice. Narrowing it down to 10 was difficult, but I focused on the pitchers who either displayed starter-type traits, brought something genuinely different from a delivery standpoint whether it was slot, height, crossfire or deception or simply possessed an outlier element of stuff that separated them from the pack. These are the 10 arms that stood...
Read More
Draft | Story | 8/23/2026

2026 MLB Draft Report Cards: NL East

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
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 East Atlanta Braves  Grade: 55 Risk: High Notable Selections: OF AJ Gracia (1st rd) | OF Carter Beck (PPI) | RHP Kaiden McCarthy (2nd rd) | RHP Jensen Hirschkorn (3rd rd)   OF AJ Gracia (@UVABaseball) is seeing the ball really well & picked up a couple of hits, including a 2B into RCF. Smooth LH stroke & easy impact. Showed + pwr in BP, 46 BB: 36 K. Jr./'26 elig. @PG_Draft pic.twitter.com/C4rSc0ZNIc — PG College Baseball (@PGCollegeBall) May 30, 2026 Atlanta had $15,870,800 to spend in this year’s draft,...
Read More
Draft | Story | 8/22/2026

2026 MLB Draft Report Cards: AL East

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
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 East Baltimore Orioles Grade: 50 Risk: High Notable Selections: OF Eric Booth Jr. (1st rd) | OF Ty Head (2nd rd) | OF Kevin Roberts Jr (4th rd)  Eric Booth Jr. (26 MS) goes big fly 💣 that carried out oppo. Explosive athlete w/ huge LH juice & tools. Big time in several facets. #NatElite #Vandy commit. @PG_DeepSouth pic.twitter.com/kXl7ZVyD9G — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) July 12, 2025 Baltimore was about middle of the pack in terms of money available this year, having $13.1m to spend on their class. Booth Jr. is a...
Read More
Loading more articles...
About Perfect Game :: Contact us :: Terms of Use :: Privacy Policy :: Testimonials :: Job Opportunities
Copyright 1994-2026 by Perfect Game. All rights reserved. No portion of this information may be reprinted or reproduced without the written consent of Perfect Game.