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Showcase  | Story | 6/20/2003

Perfect Game National Report

Perfect Game Staff
The annual Perfect Game National Showcase was held this past weekend at Haymarket Field in Lincoln, NE. Full player reports and top prospect listings will be posted later. A report has been turned in to Baseball America and the event will be featured in the next release of Prospects Plus.

     
We are now in Joplin, MO., watching the USA Baseball Tournament of Stars. The 2004 class will take some time to sort itself out. The obvious first round talents are not so obvious this year. The last two years the PG National had players like Scott Kazmir, Sergio Santos, BJ Upton, Jeff Allison, Delmon Young, Lastings Milledge, Chris Lubanski, Ryan Harvey and many others who, you just knew, were going to become early picks, even though it was a year before the draft. While there are a few ?€?04?€? pitchers who look like good bets to become first round picks, it?€™s difficult to figure out who, of the position players, will be surfacing over the next year. 2004 might be a real down year for early round high school position players.

Of course this doesn?€™t mean there?€™s a lack of talented position players in the ?€?04?€? class. In fact, there?€™s a good number, higher than usual, of talented high school catchers. Most all the major college baseball programs had a field day watching the talent in Lincoln. The problem is finding those top prospects who showed more than one or maybe two plus MLB tools. We look forward to following all these players closely over the next year. Several of them will develop and move up the ladder as we see more of them.

One position player in Lincoln that looked like a sure fire first round type was Justin Upton. BJ?€™s younger brother looks as good as BJ, but with more strength. Problem is, Justin is a 2005 graduate, but one that would probably be the first position player picked if he were eligible for the next June draft. One of the 2004 grad?€™s that stood out in Lincoln as a position player was Chris Davis (Longview, TX.) Davis is a big strong, good looking athlete with a plus arm and big time raw power. He hit several long balls out of the Stadium during BP. The ball really jumps off his left-handed bat. He does seem to change his eye level before his swing and that might be an area that he could improve. He also runs close to average. There were many other top ranked position players in Lincoln and you?€™ll be hearing a lot about them before long.

The pitching in Lincoln was outstanding. Nearly every pitcher threw high 80s into the 90s. Eric Davis RHP from Mountain View, CA. showed serious first round potential. There were several big tall pitchers with MLB fastballs in attendance. There were also a good number of high level pitchers in the 6?€™0 tall range. Once again, a hay day for college coaches at Hay Market Field in Lincoln. The pitching was the highlite of this years national and we will be posting much more later. Several of the nations highest ranked ?€?04?€? and a few of the very best ?€?05 pitchers were in Lincoln.

Three players from the Dominican Republic attended this year?€™s National. Outfielder Wady Rufino showed one of the best arms we?€™ve seen in awhile. Gun readings of 95 mph from the outfield with his throws showing great accuracy with plus carry. Rufino also creates excellent bat speed and projects to hit with big time power. Two young shortstops Vladimer Frias and Esmil Rogers both showed quick hands, strong arms and outstanding infield actions. Frias could end up being something ?€?extra special?€? as he gets bigger and stronger. T

he best 60 time (electronic) in Lincoln was a 6.44 recorded by Greg Burns OF from West Covina, CA. Other outstanding electronic times were run by Cale Iorg SS (6.65) from Knoxville, TN. Cale?€™s father is Ex Major Leaguer Garth Iorg. Joe Spiers INF from San Bernadino, CA and Justin Upton were the only others to run in the 6.6s. Upton was timed at 6.59 with the stop watch. The laser time usually takes a tenth or more off, so he could have recorded a 6.4 electronically. Several others ran in the 6.7s.

Interestingly enough we had two very good catchers who pitched an inning topping out at 90 mph from the mound. Chris Garcia from Miami, FL and Chris Kirkland from Knoxville, TN.

All in all, nearly every player in Lincoln is a high level Division One or MLB Draft prospect. Look for much more information from the PG National, coming later.
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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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College | Story | 8/21/2026

2027 Draft Preview: Collegiate RHPs

Ryan Miller
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2027 MLB Draft Profile Preview: College Right-Handed Pitchers  Throughout the 2027 draft cycle, I’ll be breaking down different demographics in the class. Today we begin with collegiate right-handed pitching, a strong group that is headlined by a legitimate 1-1 candidate in Dax Whitney. Most of the group is made up of high-quality power four arms, with a handful of mid-major arms mixed in. Below are the top college right-handers in the 2027 class:  Dax Whitney (@BeaverBaseball) showed LOUD stuff. FB up to 100, cruised at 95-98. Pair of plus secondaries. CB at 77-79 (2923) with sharp, 12-6 action. Firm SL at 89-91 (2714) with bite. Flashed fading CH at 87-88 (1425). Ranked No. 1 on the ‘27 board @PG_Draft So./‘27 elig. pic.twitter.com/9PNbjJ53Zo — PG College Baseball (@PGCollegeBall) February 13, 2026 Dax Whitney, Oregon State  Whitney has maintained...
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Brotherly Love Inspires Carter Hadnot

Jim Salisbury
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PHILADELPHIA – Perfect Game has been a big part of Carter Hadnot’s life since he was 12. He participated in more than a dozen tournaments and showcases, including prestigious Select Festivals as a 13U and 14U player, as well as last summer’s PG All-Star Game for underclassmen in San Diego.   The PG event that Hadnot always wanted to be part of was the DICK’s All-American Classic. Now, that’s on his resume, too. He played in the 24th annual Classic earlier this week at Citizens Bank Park, home of the Philadelphia Phillies. “This means a lot to me,” he said during the event. “I always wanted to make it to Select Fest when I was younger. So, every time I get invited to an event it’s an honor and it’s fun. I don’t take it for granted. “This is definitely the one I always wanted to make it to. A lot of big names have...
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Press Release | Press Release | 8/18/2026

Perfect Game & Delano Partner Up

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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 NAMES DELANO BAT COMPANY OFFICIAL WOOD COMPOSITE BAT PARTNER, LAUNCHES LIMITED-EDITION BAT SERIES   Delano Bats will serve as the Official Game Bat of the 13U Select Festival, taking place this coming weekend in East Cobb, Georgia   Sanford, Florida (Tuesday, August 18, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced a new partnership with Delano Bat Company, LLC, naming the company an Official Wood Composite Bat Partner of Perfect Game. The partnership will feature three exclusive limited-edition bat releases, which began with the Original Glory American Flag Bat in celebration of the United States' 250th birthday, that...
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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

Tyler Henninger
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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 Wins MVP Two Ways

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

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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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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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