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General  | Professional | 11/23/2010

PG Alum Votto Wins NL MVP

Congratulations to PG Alum Joey Votto on winning the 2010 National League Most Valuable Player award. Votto becomes the first PG Alum to win an MVP award, although there are certainly more to follow in the near future.

RHP Zach Greinke was the first PG Alum to win one of the “major” individual awards, having earned the American League Cy Young Award in 2009.

Votto appeared in three Perfect Game events in 2001 before being drafted in the second round of the 2002 draft by the Reds (44th pick overall) out of Richview Collegiate Secondary School in Toronto, Canada. He was signed by Perfect Game’s good friend John Castleberry, currently the director/organizer of the East Coast Pro Showcase and a regional crosschecker with the World Series champion San Francisco Giants.

Votto was listed at 6-2, 196 back then and was primarily a third baseman that intrigued scouts because he was learning how to catch. Imagine Votto as a left-handed hitting catcher right now and debate whether you would want him or Joe Mauer on your team! He ran a 7.11 60 and threw 82 mph across the infield at the Perfect Game National Showcase. That raw arm strength was probably at the root of his eventual move across the diamond to first base after both playing third and catching during his initial year in the Gulf Coast League (.269-9-33/.873 OPS).

The notes and reports from the three 2001 events (2001 Sunshine Showcase, 2001 National Showcase, 2001 WWBA National Championship) are very consistent in Votto’s evaluation. Here’s the report from the National, which was held at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Votto made a name for himself at Tropicana. He is a good-looking athlete with a strong baseball body and a nice arm. Most importantly he has a beautiful left-hand swing that projects to hit with plus power. The ball jumps off his bat and sounds a bit different than most wood bats.

Although I wasn’t working with Perfect Game at the time, I saw Votto play at both the National Showcase and in Jupiter. I particularly remember sitting in the stands talking with Votto’s mother on the far back Red field at the Jupiter Complex during one game.

Two things in retrospect stood out about Votto, but keep in mind that they apply to a number of similar prospects every year. First of all, Votto had a very strong, loose and mature build, the type the any scout can say “he looks like a future big leaguer” with some confidence. We in scouting do plenty of projection physically, but sometimes a player doesn’t need much physical projection. That was the case with Votto.

Similar position players in the 2011 class (i.e. “he looks like a future big leaguer”) could be 3B/LF Travis Harrison, OF Josh Bell, OF Derek Fisher, C Cameron Gallagher or OF Billy Flamion.

The second thing was simply Votto’s easy tension-free swing and his raw bat speed. You knew watching Votto, being a Canadian, that he hadn’t seen significant amounts of high-level pitching, but the looseness and ease of the swing was obvious.

The obvious comparison for Votto is Twins first baseman and former American League MVP Justin Morneau, a fellow Canadian. Morneau was the Twins’ 3rd round pick in 1999, but did not participate in Perfect Game events and was largely underexposed to the scouting community. However, I remember then-Twins Scouting Director (now Assistant GM) Mike Radcliff telling me in early April of 1999, while sitting along the left-field line at Baylor way before a game started (can’t remember why we were both at Baylor), that Morneau was the best left-handed hitting high school prospect in that draft class. It was a testament to Radcliff’s savvy as a scouting director that he drafted the player he thought was the best hitter in the draft in the third round.

LESSON FOR YOUNG TOP PROSPECTS

It is very interesting and instructive to track Votto’s path through the minor leagues. Every top prospect in high school right now with aspirations of playing in the Major Leagues should pay attention to this! Remember, we’re talking about the 2010 National League MVP, a very special player.

Votto signed almost immediately and played his first summer in the Gulf Coast League. His first full season was split between advanced short-season ball and low A. His second season was 80% spent in low A with a late- season promotion to high A. His third season was spent entirely in high A and his fourth season spent completely in AA. His fifth full season was spent in AAA (.294-22-92/.859 OPS), where he played a bit of outfield for the first time in his professional career. At the end of that fifth full year in the minors (sixth overall), Votto got a call up to Cincinnati in September, where he promptly tore it up (.321-4-17/.908 OPS in 84 AB’s) and ensured his spot in the Reds’ lineup for the next spring.

The point being this: The most valuable player in the National League this year took a picture perfect, symmetrical path to the big leagues, the one that is designed in player development offices all over the country. He signed in June of his draft year and spent five years and three months in the minor leagues, and was successful at every level without exception and didn’t endure one serious injury. He reached the Major Leagues a few days before his 24th birthday.

The Reds didn’t rush him despite having some pretty mediocre teams in those years. He was ready to contribute when he reached Cincinnati.

So, for you top high school prospects, if there is anyone in your ear right now saying that you can reach the big leagues in three or four years out of high school, or that you should/can skip a level, tell them to get real and stop messing with your mind. The National League MVP had an outstanding and injury-free minor league career and didn’t make the Majors until his sixth year.

General | Blog | 1/21/2026

Wolforth Throwing Mentorship: Article 61

Ron Wolforth
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Demystifying the Curveball, Pitch Counts, and Weighted Balls- Part 1 You know what I love about the holidays? Good food, time with family, and the unspoken rule that nobody brings up religion or politics at the dinner table.   Why? Because they're powder kegs. Topics that bring out deep-seated beliefs and strong emotions.  Well, I accidentally lit one of those powder kegs recently, except it wasn't at the dinner table. It was on social media.   Our team posted a short clip of me at Boot Camp making what I thought was a pretty straightforward point: simply avoiding the curveball is far from a guarantee of arm health.   I wasn't trying to be provocative. I was just stating what I believed to be obvious after 30 years of doing this work.  But boy, did a few people have problems with it.   It became one of the most discussed posts in Ranch history....
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2026 Pacific Baseball Championship Set

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 ANNOUNCES VENUES, DATES FOR   2026 PACIFIC BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP    Elite global talent converges in Southern California, December 26-29, 2026, at the Dodgers’ new ONT Field Stadium and October Empire Complex    Ontario, California (Wednesday, January 28, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced additional details surrounding the 2026 Perfect Game Pacific Baseball Championship (PBC), including official venues, dates and the various nations that players will be coming from,...
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Believe In Baseball Event Adds Stars

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    JAY LENO, NIKKI GLASER, TIFFANY HADDISH, DUSTIN YBARRA AND GARY CANNON ADDED TO PERFECT GAME   BELIEVE IN BASEBALL CHARITY EVENT     Laugh Factory hosts an all-star comedy lineup for Perfect Game’s charity gala    Los Angeles, California (Tuesday, January 27, 2026) - The Perfect Game Believe in Baseball Foundation today announced an all-star comedy lineup for its first-ever “In the Spirit of the Game” charity awards dinner and auction, taking place this Saturday, January 31, 2026, at the world-famous Laugh Factory in Hollywood to benefit youth...
College | Story | 1/28/2026

Conference Preview: WCC

Steve Doherty
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2026 College Preview Index | Preseason Top 25 | Preseason Collegiate All-Americans For all of Perfect Game's conference previews as part of the 2026 college baseball preview content, the 2025 records and all-conference teams are available for free. The conference top prospects and individual team breakdowns can be viewed with a subscription. 2025 Records Teams are listed in alphabetical order*  Team W L W L Gonzaga  26  25 16 8  Loyola Marymount  27  27 14  10 Pacific  20  36 8  16  Pepperdine  12  42 7  17  Portland  22  29 13  11  Saint Mary's  36  26 15  9  San Diego  26  29 19  5  San Francisco  26  30 9  15  Santa Clara  20  30 7  17  Seattle U  20  32 8 16 Preseason All-Conference...
College | Story | 1/27/2026

Conf. Preview: Conference USA

Geoff Billock
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2026 College Preview Index | Preseason Top 25 | Preseason Collegiate All-Americans For all of Perfect Game's conference previews as part of the 2026 college baseball preview content, the 2025 records and all-conference teams are available for free. The conference top prospects and individual team breakdowns can be viewed with a subscription. 2025 Records Teams are listed in alphabetical order* Team W L W L DBU 41 18 21 6 Delaware 28 25 12 15 FIU 31 27 13 13 Jax State 37 25 15 12 Kennesaw State 31 27 17 9 LA Tech 32 25 14 12 Liberty 30 27 10 17 Missouri State 30 25 17 8 MTSU 23 32 8 19 NM State 23 33 11 15 Sam Houston 12 43 6 21 WKU 46 14 18 9 Preseason All-Conference Team   Pos. Name School Stats/Notes C Grayson Ashe Jax State .318/.435/.574; CUSA All-Conference Second Team honors last year. Highly productive offensive catcher who led team in average and home...
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High School Top 50: 40-31

Cam McElwaney
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High School Preview Index Top 50 Breakdown: 50-41 40. Prestonwood Christian (Plano, Tx.) 2025 Record: 25-5 Head Coach: James Vilade Notable Prospect(s): RHP Savion Sims (Oklahoma), RHP Trent Vilade (Texas A&M), OF Austin Smith, C Cruz Banuelas, RHP Harrison Hilliard, OF Lash Henderson (Texas A&M), SS Max Bachmann, SS Frantz Guignard, 3B Aiden Moffitt, C Chance Kidd Prestonwood Christian is coming off a successful season a year ago that saw them rattle off 25 wins, but they come up just short of a state title, losing 2-0 in the championship game. They lose a pair of senior power arms but also bring back one of the top right-handers in the state in Trent Vilade as well as adding one of the top flamethrowers in the nation in Savion Sims. Junior outfielder Lash Henderson, a Texas A&M commit and a top-25 talent in the class, headlines the group of position players along with...
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High School Content Index

Tyler Russo
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With the High School season about to pick up and kick off in the warmer states in the not-so-distant future, make sure to bookmark this index with all the dates of upcoming content so you can be in the know, beginning with a breakdown of every team in our Top 50 countdown.  Date Content Monday, January 26 HS Team Breakdowns: 50-41 Tuesday, January 27 HS Team Breakdowns: 40-31 Wednesday, January 28 HS Team Breakdowns: 30-21 Thursday, January 29 HS Team Breakdowns: 20-11 Friday, January 30 HS Team Breakdowns: 10-1 Friday, January 30 National High School Top 50 Monday, February 2 HS Top 50 All Prospect Team Monday, February 2 Top Team in Each State Tuesday, February 3 Florida Region Top Teams/Prospects Tuesday, February 3 Florida Region Preview Wednesday, February 4 Georgia Region Top Teams/Prospects Wednesday, February 4 Georgia Region Preview Thursday, February 5 Pacific Region Top...
High School | General | 1/26/2026

High School Top 50: 50-41

Cam McElwaney
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50. Cathedral Catholic (San Diego, Calif.) 2025 Record: 19-12 Head Coach: Gary Remiker Notable Prospect(s): SS Alex Harrington (Stanford), OF Hunter Harrington (Stanford), RHP Kaden Kuhn (Cornell), OF Xavier Nady (NYU), RHP Shoei Darvishsefat, SS Trey Kotsay (Princeton), OF Nick Ruder (University of Chicago), SS Jonas Nalu (Colorado School of Mines), OF Joshua Priest (Arizona State), LHP Jose Partida (Arizona State), 1B Maxwell Stewart, OF Dj Sweeney Cathedral Catholic has been one of the top programs in the San Diego area over the past handful of years and brings back not only one of the best rosters in their area, but one of the top rosters in the country. Headlining the group is twin brothers Alex and Hunter Harrington, both Stanford commits and bring dynamic athleticism mixed with a good bit of experience. The Dons also return seniors Xavier Nady, Trey Kotsay, Nick Ruder and Jonas...
College | Story | 1/26/2026

Conference Preview: Big South

Blaine Peterson
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2026 College Preview Index | Preseason Top 25 | Preseason Collegiate All-Americans For all of Perfect Game's conference previews as part of the 2026 college baseball preview content, the 2025 records and all-conference teams are available for free. The conference top prospects and individual team breakdowns can be viewed with a subscription. 2025 Records Teams are listed in alphabetical order*  Team W L W L Charleston Southern 31 22 14 10 Gardner-Webb 17 36 6 18 High Point 39 19 18 6 Longwood 14 38 8 16 Presbyterian 17 35 9 15 Radford 28 28 13 11 UNC-Asheville 15 35 8 16 USC-Upstate 36 25 19 5 Winthrop 31 29 13 11 Preseason All-Conference Team Pos. Name School Stats/Notes C  Preston Lucas USC Upstate 1st Team All-Big South performer in 2025. Hit .337 with 25 XBH and the 5th most RBI (63) in the conference. 1B Landen Johnson High Point 2nd Team All-Big South...
College | Story | 1/27/2026

Conference Preview: SoCon

Craig Cozart
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2026 College Preview Index | Preseason Top 25 | Preseason Collegiate All-Americans For all of Perfect Game's conference previews as part of the 2026 college baseball preview content, the 2025 records and all-conference teams are available for free. The conference top prospects and individual team breakdowns can be viewed with a subscription. 2025 Records Teams are listed in alphabetical order* Team W L W L Citadel 31 26 12 9 ETSU 41 17 14 7 Mercer 35 25 12 9 UNCG 21 33 9 12 Samford 30 27 13 8 VMI 27 26 6 15 Western Carolina 30 28 10 11 Wofford 33 27 8 13 Preseason All-Conference Team   Pos. Name School Stats/Notes C Cade Carr Samford .332/.531/.422, 16 2B, 8 HR, 61 RBI; athletic backstop with complete toolset, advanced offensive approach, cornerstone 1B Grayson Fitzwater VMI .315/.640/.425, 13 2B, 17 HR, 65 RBI; ++ power, professional approach, more BB than Ks,...
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Conference Preview: American

Craig Cozart
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2026 College Preview Index | Preseason Top 25 | Preseason Collegiate All-Americans For all of Perfect Game's conference previews as part of the 2026 college baseball preview content, the 2025 records and all-conference teams are available for free. The conference top prospects and individual team breakdowns can be viewed with a subscription. 2025 Records Teams are listed in alphabetical order*  Team W L W L UBA 24 30 8 19 Charlotte 36 22 18 9 East Carolina 35 27 13 14 Florida Atlantic 37 21 15 12 Memphis 22 33 8 19 Rice 17 40 10 17 South Florida 31 25 16 11 UTSA 47 15 23 4 Tulane 33 25 13 14 Wichita State 19 35 11 16 Preseason All-Conference Team Pos. Name School Stats/Notes C Andrew Stucky UTSA .324/.514/.467 with 6 HRs, 40 RBI; durable 6-0/192 backstop with elite defensive skills and a wealth of experience, returning 1st team all-conference member 1B Cody...
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