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| 2,493 MLB PLAYERS | 15,806 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,493 MLB PLAYERS | 15,806 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
College  | Story | 4/30/2026

Coppy's Corner: April 30 POY Deep Dive

Each week I huddle with Vinnie Cervino and Craig Cozart to discuss Top-25 rankings and Players of the Week. In Coppy’s Corner, I dive deeper into these Players of the Week, providing analysis from 20+ years working in baseball front offices at the highest level.  

Player of the Week: Jarren Advincula – Georgia Tech 

Last week, Fernando Mendoza was taken with the first pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Mendoza transferred from the University of California – Berkeley (Cal) to Indiana University in advance of his draft year. Upon transferring, he won the Heisman Trophy and led the Hoosiers to a national championship. Advincula also transferred from Cal in advance of his draft year, but he took his talents to Georgia Tech. And, while there is still time left in the season, Advincula has positioned himself to be in the conversation for College Baseball’s Heisman Trophy (the Golden Spikes Award) and positioned his team for a College Baseball World Series berth.   



Advincula had a big week, but, really, he has had a big season. Recognized as a 2026 Perfect Game Midseason First Team All American at 2B, Advincula has absolutely raked this season to the tune of .428 AVG / .500 OBP / .628 SLG / 1.128 OPS with 21 BB vs. 15 SO and a miniscule 7.3% Strikeout Rate. All of Advincula’s metrics are trending up on a year-over-year basis from 2024 to 2025 to 2026, including AVG, OBP, SLG, OPS, ISO. The knock on him has always been the lack of power, but Advincula has seen his HR total rise from 5 in 2024 to 6 in 2025 to 8 this year, with games yet to be played. While transferring from Cal to Georgia Tech somehow kept him in the same conference, he has continued to dominate that conference – and all of college baseball.  

Carry Tool: Hit. Advincula might be the best pure hitter in the country. His career numbers almost don’t seem real: .361 AVG and .435 OBP with 69 BB vs. 60 SO over 629 AB in his college career. Most impressive to me is the career 8.3% Strikeout Rate, one of the best in college baseball. He reminds me a lot of a left-handed version of Nico Hoerner. Hoerner, who just signed a massive $141 million contract extension, was taken #24 overall by the Chicago Cubs in the 2018 MLB Draft out of Stanford University (ironically, Stanford’s hated rival is Cal). Hoerner was a career .305 AVG hitter in college with a .352 OBP, 47 BB vs. 73 SO, and a 9.5% Strikeout Rate for the Cardinal – and hit only 2 HR in his draft year. Expect Advincula to keep moving up MLB Draft boards. Teams are always looking for advanced college hitters who can move quickly through the minor leagues, and the comparisons to Hoerner – not to mention Mendoza – make him an intriguing prospect.  

Pitcher of the Week: Brett Renfrow – Virginia Tech  

Renfrow is one of the most underrated prospects in the 2026 MLB Draft. He was widely considered a better prospect as an Outfielder than an RHP coming out of Colgan High School in Manassas, Virginia, a suburb of Washington DC. Durable and athletic at 6’3 / 220, Renfrow went undrafted because of signability; he set a number, stuck to it, and bet on himself – on the mound – at Virginia Tech. That bet looks prescient, as Renfrow was a 2024 Perfect Game Freshman All American Second Team selection and has pitched the past two summers with Team USA.  

Renfrow can flash three above average offerings with a Fastball up to 97 mph, an above average CH, and a biting hard SL. The numbers are catching up to the stuff, and Renfrow had his best outing of the season on Friday night at Home in Blacksburg, VA, against North Carolina State – dominating with 8.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 9 SO. Even after that outing, Renfrow has a 5.47 ERA on the season, which becomes basically immaterial when you look inside his stuff numbers and see 54.1 IP, 54 H, 17 BB, 71 SO for the 2026 season. MLB teams care a lot more about these stuff numbers than they do about ERA. Expect Renfrow to be rewarded for betting on himself, and his draft stock is on the rise. 

Carry Tool: Cutter. Renfrow’s FB and CH were his two main weapons in 2024 and 2025, as he toyed with a Cutter, Slider, and Curveball. While he still sometimes uses the Slider and Curveball, his Cutter has become a real weapon, generating 14 SO in 32 AB and allowing only a .507 OPS. I’ve mentioned how much I like two-way players in past articles not only because of their athleticism, but also because of their special mindset and unique understanding. It is going to be fun to watch Renfrow as he continues to improve and the draft approaches. 

Co-Freshman of the Week: Ethan Bingaman – Auburn University 

There’s a really cool video (https://www.perfectgame.tv/player-video?id=540815) that Perfect Game produced about the 2025 Corona High School Baseball Team. For the uninitiated, Corona is in Southern California, where the 91 freeway meets the 15 freeway, and is a hotbed of high school baseball talent. I drove through Corona every day (my daily drive was four freeways each way: 5 -> 55 -> 91 -> 15) for two summers as an intern for the Lake Elsinore Storm in the summers of 1997 and 1998. Corona’s 2025 team was one for the ages; not only did it include Bingaman, a legit two-way prospect in his own right, but it also included three of the top 32 (!!!) selections in the 2025 MLB Draft: Seth Hernandez (#6 / Pittsburgh Pirates), Billy Carlson (#10 / Chicago White Sox), and Brady Ebel (#32 / Milwaukee Brewers). Bingaman was drafted in the 20th Round of the 2025 MLB Draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks but instead took his bat and glove to Auburn. 

 

Carry Tool: Hit. Bingaman has hit the ground running on the Plains with a .317 AVG / .420 OBP / .524 SLG / .944 OPS in 126 AB, showing a good hit approach with 19 BB vs. 23 SO. Bingaman has been playing primarily 1B, and he’s a good athlete who was also a standout pitcher on that magical Corona HS team. However, his hit tool is going to carry him, and he shows good traits by hitting better on the Road (.324 AVG / 1.108 OPS) and really performing vs LHP (.362 AVG / 1.125 OPS). That he’s doing all this at a major program in the SEC, which currently checks in at #7 in Perfect Game’s Top 25 rankings, is all the more impressive. 

Co-Freshman of the Week: Trent Grindlinger – University of Tennessee 

Like Bingaman, Grindlinger was a So Cal prep star – from Huntington Beach, about 35 miles west of Corona – who went to play college ball in the SEC. Perfect Game rated him the #30 overall high school prospect in the 2025 MLB Draft and, like Renfrow, Grindlinger went undrafted due to signability, flipping his commitment from Mississippi State to the University of Tennessee. Strong and athletic at 6’3 / 210, there is belief he can be a long-term catcher thanks to a plus arm and above average field grades. He’s a well below average runner but can hit with above power. 

And that’s exactly what he’s been doing in 2026: Grindlinger is currently hitting .395 AVG / .479 OBP / .642 SLG / 1.121 OPS, showcasing an advanced hit approach with 10 BB vs. 12 SO in 81 At Bats. These are impressive numbers for any freshman, or for any catcher, but to be doing this as a freshman catcher in the SEC is pretty special. Grindlinger absolutely has first-round upside if he can continue to develop, and he should be draft-eligible as a sophomore in 2027. His younger brother, Jared, just re-classified and is currently rated as the #9 overall high school prospect in the 2026 MLB Draft by Perfect Game. 

Carry Tool: Power. If Grindlinger can stay at catcher and tap into his power, he can be an impact player. Like most teams do now, when I was running the Atlanta Braves, we looked at days of the week as a performance indicator for draft-eligible college players. We wanted players who hit well on Friday nights because that is the night that hitters face an opposing team’s best starting pitcher. Grindlinger has only played 5 Games and had 16 At Bats on Friday nights this season, but he has made the most of them, launching 2 of his 5 HR this season against teams’ best starters, with a .438 AVG / .571 OBP / .938 SLG (!) / 1.509 OPS on TGIF. If that power continues to show against top arms, he will shine even brighter as a prospect. 


National Nuggets (things that caught my eye this week) 

Speaking of Friday Night Starting Pitchers, there hasn’t been any better this season than the University of California – Santa Barbara’s Jackson Flora … ranked #4 on the Perfect Game 2026 Draft Board Top 400 updated less than a week ago, Flora got the win on Friday night for UCSB with another strong outing: 6.0 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 SO, which brings his season totals to 8-0, 0.78 ERA (!), 69.1 IP, 36 H, 25 BB, 88 SO … Flora has allowed only 1 HR in 69.1 IP, pointing to the leverage he creates with a really good downhill plane that generates late arm side run and hard sink to his ++ FB 95-98 that has routinely touched triple digits … Flora mixes that with two types of Sliders, a harder one that has Cutter actions and has been devastating this year by limiting opposing hitters to .071 AVG and .259 OPS (!) with 1 BB vs. 8 SO in 14 AB … Flora has been tough on all hitters, but especially tough for RH hitters to whom he has allowed only .117 AVG and .340 OPS with 48 SO in 128 AB … at 6’5 / 205, and not turning 21 until late May 2026, he is still somewhat projectable and his body could easily carry another 20-25 pounds of strength … former UCSB RHPs have been very high picks in recent years with Tyler Bremner going #2 overall in the 2025 Draft to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and Dillon Tate going #4 in the 2015 Draft to the Texas Rangers … Flora has a higher upside than both of those pitchers and with his frame and top-shelf stuff reminds me a lot of a young Kevin Brown … like Bremner and Tate, Flora will likely be a Top-5 pick and would be a great addition to any MLB team.

College | Story | 7/6/2026

USA Collegiate National Team: Stars

Craig Cozart
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Quick Hits  Each year at the end of June and beginning of July, top collegiate baseball talent from around the nation arrives in Cary, NC at the USA Baseball National Training Complex.  Typically, the rosters are filled with top underclass, non-draft-eligible talent but this year, we will see a sprinkling of upper-classmen as the coaches evaluate just under 60 players to get to their final 28 roster spots.  For a total of two weeks, the Stars Squad and the Stripes Squad will compete against outside competition in North Carolina as well as Virginia before finishing their slate with 5-games against each other at the NTC Complex.  Once the final roster has been announced the team will depart for Taiwan to compete in the 2026 World Baseball Championships, July 11-15.    CNT Stars Position Players  Anthony Pack Jr.  FR / OF / University of Texas ...
Tournaments | Story | 7/6/2026

16u WWBA Rolls Into Marietta

Will Dembo
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More than 300 of the nation’s top 16u teams will meet in East Cobb, Georgia this week as the 16u WWBA Championship gets underway. Over 50 ranked teams from across the country will compete for one of the most prestigious titles in travel baseball, drawing scouts and fans from all over. Pool play will commence on Monday, July 6th with the championship game set for July 13th at the storied East Cobb Baseball Complex. Canes National 16u will hold honors of being the top ranked team entering the event as they have earned a No. 2 national ranking following a dominant 17-2-1 start to their season. The highly touted program is home to many of the top ranked prospects from the 2028 class including talented two-way athlete, Grant Arnold (No. 12 overall) who lives in the 90’s from the mound as well as middle infielder, Bryan Mesa (No. 14 overall) who will draw lots of attention this...
Draft | Mock Draft | 7/6/2026

MLB Mock Draft: 4.0

Tyler Henninger
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MLB Draft: Top 500 Update Pick Team Name Pos. School 1 Chicago White Sox Roch Cholowsky SS UCLA 2 Tampa Bay Rays Grady Emerson SS Fort Worth Christian 3 Minnesota Twins Vahn Lackey C Georgia Tech 4 San Francisco Giants Jacob Lombard SS Gulliver Schools 5 Pittsburgh Pirates Jackson Flora RHP UC Santa Barbara 6 Kansas City Royals Drew Burress OF Georgia Tech 7 Baltimore Orioles Eric Booth Jr. OF Oak Grove 8 Athletics Chris Hacopian SS Texas A&M 9 Atlanta Braves Ryder Helfrick C Arkansas 10 Colorado Rockies Tyler Bell* SS Kentucky 11 Washington Nationals Jared Grindlinger LHP/OF Huntington Beach 12 Los Angeles Angels Cameron Flukey RHP Coastal Carolina 13 St. Louis Cardinals AJ Gracia OF Virginia 14 Miami Marlins Derek Curiel OF LSU 15 Arizona Diamondbacks Gio Rojas LHP Marjory Stoneman Douglas 16 Texas Rangers Liam Peterson RHP Florida 17 Houston Astros Justin Lebron SS Alabama 18...
Tournaments | Story | 7/5/2026

13u World Series Notes: Days 1-2

Perfect Game Staff
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Michael Wedgeworth (2030, Flomaton, AL) had put the two way ability on full display so far this week, dominating from both sides. On the mound Wedgeworth ran the fastball up to 84 (81-83) with ease to the delivery. Broke off a couple nasty curveballs that induced swing and miss, as well as freezing hitters for punch outs. Collected six in his four inning complete game. He also would not be denied at the plate going 3-5 in the first two days with two doubles. Very intriguing young player as the body continues to grow.  Tyler Bellush (2031, Summerville, SC) is a sure handed shortstop for the Canes Nation squad. Swings it from the left side of the plate and the barrel accuracy has really stuck out thus far. 3-4 through the first couple days with a double and two triples, Bellush has also walked twice and collected 3 RBI along the way. Yesterday against USA Prime with the bases loaded,...
Tournaments | Story | 7/4/2026

16u WWBA North Scout Notes

Perfect Game Staff
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Oliver Lindstrom (2028, Green Bay, WI) created some of the loudest offensive moments of the weekend while producing across the board, finishing with six hits, eight RBI, and a home run. The right-handed hitter showed the ability to stay through the baseball and drive it with authority. Creates quality leverage through the lower half while arriving in strong hitting positions early, allowing the barrel to work with intent through the zone. The blend of power, athleticism, and all-fields impact stood out throughout the event.  Dominic Haigh (2028, South Bend, IN) was one of the most productive hitters at the event, collecting 10 hits while consistently creating pressure on opposing defenses. Made life difficult on pitchers with a relentless approach, routinely extending at-bats and forcing them to work deep into counts. The operation remains simple and efficient, featuring an early...
Tournaments | Story | 7/4/2026

West Region Rankings Risers: Class of 2028

Joey Cohen
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After a heavy stretch of early summer looks, our scouting staff felt confident rolling out an updated ‘28 national ranking a couple weeks ago. The evaluation window was packed whether it was with our Memorial Day and Summer Kickoff tournaments, UBC action, Sunshine Showcases, and of course the Junior National Showcase which all provided a deep and diverse look at the class against strong competition. Between fresh game evaluations and updated showcase data, we were able to get a clearer picture of where players stand and more importantly how they’ve progressed. Improvements in strength, athleticism, and overall skill were evident across the board giving our staff real conviction when it came time to shuffle the board. With that in mind, I wanted to highlight a handful of west region prospects who made a strong impression on me this summer and earned a well-deserved jump in...
All American Game | Story | 7/3/2026

Initial 2026 All Star Game Roster Reveal

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We are excited to announce the first selections for the 2026 PG All Star Game from both the Perfect Game Junior and Sophomore National Showcases. The PG All Star Game will be held on Friday, August 14th at Citizens Bank Ballpark, the home of the Philadelphia Phillies, and will feature roughly 40 of the top players, predominately from the 2028 class with a few of the very best 2029s also selected. A watchlist has been created from the Junior National Showcase and another group of players will be selected from that showcase towards the end of July as we continue to evaluate players at the major Perfect Game tournaments this summer. The final wave of selections we be made at the PG Underclass All American Games August 5-7 at the UCSD in San Diego, CA. PG Underclass All American Games   Junior National Selections Dexter McCleon Jr. OF Suwanee, GA USA Prime Cullen Scott RHP/3B Melissa,...
Tournaments | Story | 7/3/2026

13u WWBA Scout Note Recap

Jheremy Brown
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Walter Izquierdo Jr. (2031, Miami, Fla.) showed off the upside on the mound for Beast Baseball 13u. The right-handed pitcher went four innings and collected three strikeouts while spreading two hits and two walks for one run. The fastball topped out at 80 and was consistently in the upper- 70s. Showed feel for a curveball with 12-6 shape and some looser vertical depth that was able to get weak contact. Competes in the zone well and showed some feel to work on the arm-side half of the plate. Intriguing upside on the young arm.   Brett Hamlin (2031, Jupiter, Fla.) showed off the barrel feel for FTB American 13u. The left-handed hitter collected nine hits, including two doubles and a triple, to drive in seven RBI. Strong hands and flips the hips well to create good bat speed. Simple operation that gets on time consistently and impacts the ball well. Worked the pull-side well and...
Tournaments | Story | 7/2/2026

Freedom Classic Opens Holiday Weekend

Alyssa Golden
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More than 30 teams from the 14U-18U age divisions will head to Fort Myers, Florida this Fourth of July weekend for the seventh annual Perfect Game Freedom Classic. The tournament, running July 3-6, features several nationally ranked prospects from across the country as teams look to compete for a championship. Headlining the field are twin brothers Derek and Ryan Yormark of Merrick, New York. Right-handed pitcher Derek Yormack is the No. 51-ranked player in the class of 2027, the No. 1 player in New York and the No. 5-ranked right-handed pitcher in the country. First baseman Ryan Yormark comes in just behind his twin brother as the No. 3 overall player in New York, the No. 5 first baseman in the nation and the No. 90-ranked player nationally. Both brothers are committed to Vanderbilt. Derek Yormark has established himself as one of the top two-way prospects in the 2027 class. He has run...
Tournaments | Story | 7/2/2026

14u West World Series Scout Notes

Quinton Hall
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Asher Contreras (2030 | Las Vegas, NV) The 5-foot-10, 170-pound right-handed hitter and outfielder was one of the most dangerous hitters in the tournament for Wow Factor Nv 2030, stuffing the stat sheet while displaying an impressive combination of power and speed. He finished the weekend with 9 hits, including two doubles and a home run, while driving in seven runs and scoring five more. He also swiped three bases and worked three walks, consistently putting pressure on opposing defenses while showing feel for the zone with just one strikeout all weekend. His ability to hit for extra bases while also creating offense on the bases made him one of the most impactful offensive performers at the event.    Braylen Silva (‘30 | NV) RBI 2B for GBG Vegas 14u Red. Direct path, quick trigger, & barrel feel. Solid 2-hole stick creating offense all day #14UWestWS...
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