THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,631 MLB PLAYERS | 16,401 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,631 MLB PLAYERS | 16,401 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Summer Collegiate  | Story | 9/19/2013

Valley League prospect reports

Photo: Staunton Braves

Official League Website: 
www.valleyleaguebaseball.com
2013 Summer Collegiate Top Prospect coverage
Valley League Top Prospect list (free)


Superior pitching alone didn’t account for the precipitous decline in offense in the Valley League from 2012 to 2013, but there seems little question that it was a major contributing factor.

Valley League teams combined to hit 469 home runs a year ago, but managed to go deep just a collective 148 times this summer. Winchester alone nosedived from a league-record 84 homers in 2012, to just eight in the current season. Moreover, league-wide batting averages dipped from .278 to .250, while ERAs plummeted from 5.08 to 3.59.

A loosening in quality-control standards of the Diamond baseball in use in the Valley League, along with numerous other summer leagues, has been widely-documented as the primary cause for the substantial spike in offense in 2012, and statistics across the board in 2013 were more in line again with 2011 with a tightening of the same standards.

But even when compared to 2011, when Valley League teams slammed 287 homers, hit .270 and posted an overall 4.61 ERA, offense was down significantly throughout the league this season, with the logical explanation that pitching was superior to both of the last two years, and coaches and scouts surveyed pretty much confirmed as much.

Appropriately, the first five names on the accompanying list of the league’s top professional prospects are pitchers, led by towering Staunton Braves righthander Max Povse. He leads a wave of 90-plus arms that had dominant 2013 seasons. Superior pitching also enabled the Harrisonburg Turks to sweep to the league’s best record during the regular season (32-12), easily posting the best staff ERA at 2.53.

In the end, the resurgent Waynesboro Generals, who entered July with a 9-14 record and qualified for the playoffs at 22-22 as a fourth-seed in the stronger Southern Division, swept aside Harrisonburg in two straight games in the first round of the playoffs, and went on to win the league title, beating the Strasburg Express, the No. 3 seed from the North, 2-1 in the final series.


FAST FACTS

Year League Established:
1961
States Represented in League: Virginia
No. of Teams in League: 12
Regular-Season Champion (best overall record): Harrisonburg Turks (32-12; 32-14 overall)
Post-Season Champion: Waynesboro Generals
Teams, Perfect Game Summer 50/Final Ranking: No. 23 Harrisonburg Turks, No. 43 Waynesboro Generals
No. 1 Prospect, 2012 (per PG CrossChecker): Julian Ridings, of, Waynesboro Generals (Western Carolina; drafted by Rays/18rd round, 2013)
First 2012 Player Selected, 2013 Draft: Harrison Cooney, rhp, Front Royal Cardinals (Florida Gulf Coast/Angels, 6th round)

Most Valuable Player:
Jordan Tarsovich, of, Strasburg Express (Virginia Military Institute)
Pitcher of the Year: Jordan Camp, rhp, Harrisonburg Turks (Auburn)

BATTING LEADERS (Regular-season games)

Batting Average:
Jordan Tarsovich, of, Strasburg Express (.414)
Slugging Percentage: Jordan Tarsovich, of, Strasburg Express (.529)
On-Base Average: Jordan Tarsovich, of, Strasburg Express (.511)
Home Runs: Erik Armstrong, 1b, Strasburg Express; Bryant Hayman, c, Staunton Braves (7)
RBI: James Vazquez, 1b, Staunton Braves (43)
Stolen Bases: Andy Perez, 2b, Harrisonburg Turks (30)

PITCHING LEADERS (Regular-season games)

Wins:
Four tied at 6
ERA: Ricky Winters, rhp, Woodstock River Bandits (0.44)
Saves: Adam Zipko, rhp, New Market Rebels (17)
Strikeouts: Connor Kaden, rhp, Harrisonburg Turks (69)

BEST TOOLS

Best Athlete:
Kyri Washington, of, Woodstock River Bandits
Best Hitter: James Vasquez, 1b, Staunton Braves
Best Power: Kyri Washington, of, Woodstock River Bandits
Fastest Base Runner: Tyler Hibbert, of, Charles Town Cannons
Best Defensive Player: Emmanuel Marrero, ss, Charles Town Cannons
Best Velocity: Max Povse, rhp, Staunton Braves
Best Breaking Ball: Max Povse, rhp, Staunton Braves
Best Command: Justin Camp, rhp, Harrisonburg Turks


TOP 25 PROSPECTS

1. MAX POVSE, rhp, Staunton Braves (UNC Greensboro/JR in 2014)
The 6-foot-8, 210-pound Povse commands immediate attention because of his lean, towering frame and the fact that he is the only pitcher on this list to have been drafted out of high school (Dodgers/42nd round, 2011). He also had the most impressive arm at the Valley League all-star game, as the starting pitcher for the South squad, according to scouts in attendance, and fanned a pair in his one inning of work with his combination of a fastball at 90-94 mph and one of the best sliders seen in the league in years. Povse typically worked at 90-92 on the summer, and peaked at 95 coming from a high-three quarters slot. His sharp, deep slider was his primary strikeout pitch, and an effective low-80s changeup was a third offering. He went 2-2, 3.33 in nine starts, getting numerous no-decisions as he was often paired up against the other team’s best pitcher and found wins tough to come by, but in 54 innings, he walked 12 and struck out 60. On that score, his summer was a solid upgrade from his sophomore season at UNC Greensboro, when he went 4-4, 4.75 in 14 starts with 33 walks and a team-high 81 strikeouts in 78 innings, which in itself was a significant improvement from a 2-6, 6.55 mark as a freshman. Povse generates obvious leverage in his delivery with his long, extended frame, but often struggles to locate his stuff on the bottom rung of the strike zone; when his pitches are up, they often tend to flatten out. He also may need to improve his stamina going forward as he tended to lose his velocity after 5-6 innings, though in fairness came off a heavy workload in the spring and took the ball every time out on the summer.

This is PG 'DiamondKast' Level content.
You must be either an DiamondKast, Crosschecker Rankings & Scouting Reports, or Scout subscriber to read the rest.

Sign in Subscribe Now

Summer Collegiate | Story | 9/26/2023

Cape Cod: Best of the Rest

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
Cape Cod Top 100 Prospect List | Cape Cod Top 2025 Prospects * indicates draft eligible sophomore ^ indicates incoming transfer Name Pos. Team School Hometown State Andrew Sundean C Hyannis UCF Lakeland FL Bradke Lohry^ IF Hyannis Tennessee Trinity FL Cam Schuelke^ RHP Hyannis Mississippi State Dorr MI Carter Lovasz RHP Hyannis William & Mary Midlothian VA Colby Shelton*^ IF Falmouth Florida Lithia FL Colin Tuft^ OF Orleans Tulane Vienna VA Daniel Corona^ IF Cotuit Missouri Brooklyn NY Derek Clark^ LHP Orleans West Virginia Petersburg MI Duce Gourson IF Falmouth UCLA San Diego CA Eddie Micheletti OF Orleans George Washington Wilmington DE Enzo Apodada^ OF YD Baylor Scottsdale CA Evan Truitt RHP Orleans Charleston Southern Berlin MD Finnegan Wall RHP YD UC Irvine Hesperia CA Garrett Coe RHP Falmouth Uconn Lakeside CT Ian Petrutz OF Bourne Maryland Mantua NJ Jakob Christian^ 1B YD...
Tournaments | Story | 10/1/2026

MW Champions Cup Scout Notes: Part 2

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
Midwest Champions Cup Scout Notes: Part 1 Alexander Kakach (‘27, MN) high level stuff with athleticism on the mound. 89-94 with the FB today. Two distinct breaking balls with a SL at 80-83 & over 3000 RPM at times. Another vertical depth breaking ball in the upper 70’s. Real developing arm talent. #Creighton commit.… pic.twitter.com/EUS21vI7o0 — Perfect Game Illinois (@PG_Illinois) September 27, 2026 Alexander Kakach (2027, Plymouth, Minn.) for pitchers from cold weather states in the fall, scouts look for who can potentially make the jump next spring and who has big stuff. And I think this one proved that he is in that category while in Chicago last weekend. He’s athletic, he moves well on the mound and rolled out throwing 90-94 for 3+ innings. Spun sharp breaking balls with distinct shapes including a couple sliders north of 3000 RPM. There’s a...
Press Release | Press Release | 10/1/2026

PG Introduces New Event Classification System

Article Image
  667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923 www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA     FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   PERFECT GAME INTRODUCES NEW EVENT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM   Sanford, Florida (Thursday, October 1, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced a reorganization of its events into five distinct classes in order to provide more clarity to families and teams across the country. PG’s event offerings – from onsite experience to DiamondKast to social media coverage – will evolve based on each event class. The five event classes are: Flagship, Premier, Signature, Classic and All-Star. All include both team and individual events except for All-Star, which are invitation-only individual events that operate at a Flagship level. The...
Tournaments | Story | 9/30/2026

MW Champions Cup Scout Notes: Part 1

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
Jake Michel (‘27, MN) 2 swings on base hits from today. 1st an impressive swing in a 2-strike count left on left matchup. Swinging the bat well this fall. Made a couple nice plays at 3B too. #Oregon commit. #MWChampionsCup @RedsScoutTeam pic.twitter.com/LQW7e7sGHO — Perfect Game Illinois (@PG_Illinois) September 26, 2026 Jake Michel (2027, Rosemount, MN) the MVP of this year’s 18u Midwest Champions Cup. Went 6-for-11 with a double, a home run and 8 RBI in 4 games. A left-handed hitting corner infielder that is swinging the bat at a high level this fall. This was back-to-back tournaments with a home run, one to the pull side and one to the opposite field. Has hit LHP’s and RHP’s equally well and really uses the whole field. One to really watch in Jupiter in about a week. Committed to Oregon.    Cole Chambers (‘27, MO) 3 hit game with a double...
Tournaments | Story | 9/29/2026

Florida Fall World Series Scout Notes

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
2029 RHP/SS Kevin Rodriguez Marrero (FL) Physical two-way prospect who continues to show intriguing upside on both sides of the ball. At the plate, shows a whippy barrel with present pop and the ability to drive the ball up the middle. Off the mound, works in the high-80s with life through the zone and a sharp 12-6 CB. Size, arm strength, and two-way ability make him an interesting young prospect to follow throughout the weekend. 2030 2B Daniel Alvarez (FL) Athletic middle infielder with a direct swing and strong barrel control. Stays on plane through the zone and works long through contact. Has shown the ability to turn on pitches and drive the ball to both gaps, including a double to left field and a line drive to right field. Consistent quality of contact has stood out throughout the tournament. 2028 C Andrew Gonzalez (FL) Physical right-handed bat with a violent swing and present...
Tournaments | Story | 9/29/2026

18U WWBA National Invite Scout Notes

Quinton Hall
Article Image
Baylor Denny (‘27 | AZ) The #Oklahoma commit has a MONSTER day at the plate for GBG National 2027, going 3 for 4 w/ two 2Bs, a HR, & 5RBI, while scoring twice. Top-of-the-order stick w/ a quick trigger, strength in the frame, easy G2G ability 💣 #NBI pic.twitter.com/ZwhlwweLaL — Perfect Game Four Corners (@PG_FourCorners) September 25, 2026 Baylor Denny (2027, Queen Creek, AZ) The 6-foot-1, 185-pound, right-handed hitter and middle infielder earned #1 on the Top Performers list for the 2026 18U WWBA National Baseball Invitational. The Oklahoma commit finished 3-for-10 with two doubles, a home run, six RBI and two runs scored, showing a quick trigger and quality impact to the pull side. Denny's athleticism plays in the box, with strength in the frame and an efficient move into launch that allows him to consistently impact the baseball.   Ryan Sanchez (‘27 | AZ)...
Tournaments | Story | 9/29/2026

WWBA Champ. Pool Preview & Release

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
It's the time of the year again when nearly every golf cart in the United States, or so it feels, flocks to Roger Dean and crowds the backstops, getting one last look at the top players in the country before the spring season. Below our staff breaks down every pool as we are set to release them in 10 minute increments, starting with Pool A and working all the way down to Pool DD. Once again laying claim as the champion of "Jupiter" will be no easy task as every pool game will be a battle just to advance to the bracket where the intensity of each pitch will multiple 10-fold.   Pool A Team Top Pos. Player RK Class Top Pitcher RK Class Location East Cobb/SD Padres ST Underclass Myles Tate 109 2028 Luke Crowder 174 2028 Marietta, GA Lonestar Baseball Club - National - 2027 Braylon Jones 309 2027 Owen Sieve 500 2027 Austin, TX Spects National 2027 Gominsky Charlie Sarsfield 99 2027...
Tournaments | Championship | 9/28/2026

ZT National Takes Down Sophomore

Hannah Jo Groves
Article Image
ZT National Prospects Hold Out to Win 2026 WWBA Sophomore Championship In a game that kept everyone guessing until the very end, the ZT National Prospects won the 2026 WWBA Sophomore Championship over Wow Factor/Toronto Blue Jays Scout Team 8-7. Over the past few days of the tournament, the usually cruel southwest Florida weather had been unusually kind - but the warmth of the sun had still taken energy out of both championship teams. They had finished hard-fought semifinal matches before walking from the backfields of JetBlue Park to the big-league stadium. Enzi-Yaw Otieku threw the first pitch for ZT National at 11:43 a.m. - and this highly anticipated championship match-up was underway. The first three outs came quickly for the ZT National Prospects with their defensive chemistry and strength on display right away. ZT’s head coach, Carlos Avila, expressed his happiness with his...
Tournaments | Story | 9/28/2026

WWBA Sophomore Scout Notes: Day 4

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
WWBA Sophomore Scout Notes: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 Lukas Klipper (2029, Clearwater, Fla.) was electric at the plate, collecting six hits, highlighted by a monstrous home run off the batter's eye in his second game. High-level left-handed hitter with a really easy swing and functional actions. Klipper lived on the barrel throughout the game and showed off his run-producing ability in huge situations.  Lane Ayars (2029, Mount Juliet, TN) got the starting nod in round two and did not disappoint. The 6’4” left-handed pitcher tossed three scoreless innings, striking out four and allowing zero hits. Fastball up to 90 mph with some heavy arm-side run, with a slider that consistently was in the zone. Also collected two hits at the plate, showcasing a very simple approach.  Frankie Pagano (2029, Waukee, IA) was electric in relief, tossing three scoreless innings while...
Tournaments | Story | 9/27/2026

WWBA Sophomore Scout Notes: Day 3

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
WWBA Sophomore Scout Notes: Day 1 | Day 2 Ronin McCrea (2029, San Diego, Calif.) had an all-around performance at the plate, going two-for-two with two singles, two runs scored, and three RBIs. The right-handed hitter displayed a short, compact swing with a direct and efficient path to the baseball. McCrea showed excellent barrel control throughout the game, consistently producing hard line-drive contact to all parts of the field. Jayson Blanco (2029, Homestead, Fla.) was dominant on the mound, tossing a five-inning no-hitter while striking out six. The right-handed pitcher worked down the mound efficiently with a smooth, fluid delivery that helped him consistently attack the strike zone. Blanco featured a fastball that sat in the low-80s with sneaky life to it at the top of the zone, while mixing in a slower slider that generated swing-and-miss. Parker Miller (2029, Burleson,...
Tournaments | Story | 9/26/2026

WWBA Sophomore Scout Notes: Day 2

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
WWBA Sophomore Scout Notes: Day 1 Rhys Jones (2029, Mc Lean, Va.) was absolutely dominant on the bump to start off day 2 hanging an impressive 10 strikeouts in 5 innings. Running the heater up to 84 with arm side run and the breaking ball got swings and misses. The strike percentage stayed right over 55%, and he carried a no hitter into the 6th. Easy arm action with a high 3/4 slot and controls the move down the rubber.  Jevan McMenamy (2029, Fargo, N.D.) was all around solid today tallying two hits, an rbi, and a walk. In the box he works to the middle of the field in the approach and can elevate to all fields. Coils deep into the back hip and works through contact with strength. Quick feet around the bases and the barrel is fast.  Khian Escalana (2029, Ankeny, Iowa) was a heavy producer in this one collecting three hits, two of those being doubles. Also drove in three RBIs...
Loading more articles...