As Hall of Fame pitcher Dizzy Dean once said, “It ain’t bragging if you can back it up.” The same thought applies to the Perfect Game National Showcase and the top-flight talent that attends year after year. It ain’t bragging if you can back it up, and we can back it up.
Next year’s PG National Showcase will be held in the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in downtown Minneapolis from June 16-19, 2011. It will be proceeded by the PG Junior National Showcase, which will be held in the Metrodome on June14-15.
It ain’t bragging if you can back it up, and the phenomenal level of high school talent that attends this event speaks for itself.
The 2009 National Showcase that was held in the Metrodome produced 19 first-round picks in the 2010 draft, along with seven other players who were selected in the second round in 2010. And that number will undoubtedly grow when players who elected to attend college are drafted in future years.
The 2010 National Showcase was held at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla., and those are the players who are eligible to be drafted this June. If history is any guide, there will be an impressive amount. Remember, it ain’t bragging if you can back it up.
In the past nine years, the Perfect Game National Showcase has produced more first-round picks than any other showcase in history. Some of the totals have been truly amazing.
The 2006 National Showcase featured such top attractions as Jason Heyward, Rick Porcello, Madison Bumgarner, Freddie Freeman, Trevor Reckling and Blake Beavan, and when the 2007 draft rolled around a total of 17 first-round picks, nine second-rounders and 131 players all told were graduates of that event.
The numbers from the 2006 National Showcase are even more eye-popping now, because now we can add players who attended college and were drafted in 2010 to the mix. That adds another 58 players to the equation, including such collegiate first-rounders as Christian Colon (, Matt Harvey, Deck McGuire and Yasmani Grandal, making for a grand total of 23 first-rounders, 14 second-rounders and 189 drafted players from the 2006 Showcase alone.
In other words, just about everyone who attended that 2006 Showcase ended up being drafted. That’s a lot of talent, and a lot of loot.
The National Showcase is one of the largest scouting attractions in all of baseball and the first big scouting event held each year. It attracts the top colleges and the highest-level Major League scouts, including of the MLB scouting directors.
A Who’s Who of top prospects, scouts, college recruiters, media and agents will flock to the Metrodome this June for the extravaganza, making it the best show in amateur baseball. The vast majority of top prospects in the nation will be in Minneapolis, and that’s a neat trick because Perfect Game extends the invitations before most of those players will have finished their junior years in high school.
It’s one thing to invite those players to a national event in August, prior to them becoming high school seniors, but it’s a lot tougher to identify all that talent before the players become well-known nationally. But as Perfect Game has demonstrated year after year, it ain’t bragging if you can back it up.
Check out these links for rosters from past PG National Showcases. It just keeps getting better.
2001 (Tropicana Field, St Pete) - Top Prospect List
2002 draft – 16 first-round picks, 37 drafted in the first five rounds. Some of the top players from the 2001 National included Big League players… Jeff Clement, Prince Fielder, Alex Gordon, Scott Kazmir, Jensen Lewis, John Mayberry Jr., Lastings Milledge, Scott Moore, Cliff Pennington, Shane Robinson, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Gabby Sanchez, Sergio Santos, Denard Span, BJ Upton, Joe Votto. Out of the 124 players attending in 2001, scouts had the opportunity to see around 25 future Big League players. Eighty-seven players from the 2001 Showcase ended up playing professional baseball. Nearly all 124 players were highly recruited by top DI colleges.
2002 (Tropicana Field, St Pete) - Top Prospect List
2003 draft – 11 first-round picks, 36 drafted in the first 5 rounds. Some of the top players from the 2002 National included future Big Leaguers… Chad Billingsley, Eric Hurley, Matt Laporta, Wade LeBlanc, Mark Melancon, Lastings Milledge, Andrew Miller, Xavier Paul, Chris Perez, Sean Rodriguez, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Ryan Sweeney, Chris Johnson, Wesley Wright and others. Nearly 70% of all those who attended that year went on to play professional baseball, some after a college career. Nearly every player was recruited by the top DI programs.
2003 (U of Nebraska) - Top Prospect List
2004 draft – The 2003 National in Lincoln, Neb., will always be remembered as the least productive PG National by a large number. Only 3 first-round picks, 19 drafted in the first 5 rounds. Some 70 of the 120 players were drafted, though. Some of the top players from the 2003 National included future Big Leaguers… Tommy Hanson, Brad Bergesen, Chris Davis, Luke French, Jeremy Hellickson, Jacob McGee, James Parr, Esmil Rogers, Justin Upton. There are currently several in the highest levels of the Minor Leagues. Nearly every player was recruited by the top DI programs.
2004 (Tropicana Field, St Pete) - Top Prospect List
2005 draft – The 2004 National in St Pete will always be remembered as one of the most productive showcases ever. 17 players became first-round picks, 37 were drafted in the first 5 rounds. 109 of the players were drafted. Some of the top players from the 2004 National included future Big Leaguers… Cameron Maybin, Justin Upton, Andrew McCutchen, Jonathan Niese, Gerardo Parra, Buster Posey, Colby Rasmus, Chris Volstad, Tyson Ross, Austin Jackson, Brett Wallace, and others. There are currently several in the highest levels of the Minor Leagues. Nearly every player was recruited by the top DI programs.
2005 (Turner Field, Atlanta) - Top Prospect List
2006 draft – The 2005 National was held in Turner Field and also will be remembered as one of the most productive showcases ever. 14 players became first-round picks, 42 were drafted in the first 5 rounds including the Oakland A’s lefty Brett Anderson, who went in the 2nd round. Phillies #1 prospect Dominic Brown lasted until the 20th round. 153 of the players were drafted. Some of the top players from the 2005 National included many of the top current prospects in professional baseball, all destined to be future Big Leaguers… Nearly every player was recruited by the top DI programs. The event at Turner Field was the year for football stars as well… Riley Cooper (U of Florida), D’Vontrey Richardson (Florida State), Jared Mitchell (LSU), Dominic Brown and Derrick Robinson were also football stars but signed with pro baseball clubs. Then there was an outstanding outfielder who went to Stanford and finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting, Toby Gerhart! Lots of great athletes played at that event and there have been many others at PG National Showcases.
2006 (U of Arkansas) - Top Prospect List
2007 draft – The 2006 National was held at the U of Arkansas and many high level scouts have called it the greatest showcase in history. 17 players became first-round picks and six others went to college and became first-round picks in 2010. 36 were drafted in the first 5 rounds. Some of the top players from the 2006 National included many of the top prospects in professional baseball, all destined to be future Big Leaguers… Rick Porcello, Jason Heyward and Madison Bumgarner have already appeared in Big League games. Nearly every player was recruited by the top DI programs. When it is all said and done, this single showcase event in 2006 could end up having as many as 50 or more Major League players
2007 (U of Cincinnati) - Top Prospect List
2008 draft – The 2007 National was held at the U of Cincinnati and it was another huge success. 9 players became first-round picks in a bad year for HS draft picks and several others went to college and are first-round projections for future drafts. 33 were drafted in the first 5 rounds. A total of 114 players from that event were drafted the following June. Some of the top players from the 2007 National included many of the top prospects in professional baseball, all destined to be future Big Leaguers… Nearly every player was recruited by the top DI programs.
2008 (Metrodome, Minneapolis) - Top Prospect List
2009 draft – The 2008 National was held at the the Metrodome in Minneapolis. 12 players became first- round picks the following June and several others went to college and are first-round projections for upcoming drafts. 35 were drafted in the first 5 rounds. A total of 117 players from that event were drafted the following June. Some of the top players from the 2007 National include many of the top prospects in professional baseball, destined to be future Big Leaguers… Nearly every player was recruited by the top DI programs.
2009 (Metrodome, Minneapolis) - Top Prospect List
We think it was one of the best. Check the list of players against any draft or prospect list you come across. Nearly all the top guys were in attendance! Better yet, compare it to the 2010 draft.