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Draft  | Story | 7/20/2026

2026 MLB Draft: Roster Challenge

Tyler Henninger
Michael Albee
Joey Cohen
With the 2026 MLB Draft complete, our own draft team put together a fun exercise. Using a snake style draft format, we each had to build a roster using players selected in the 2026 MLB Draft. There was one catch. Each team could select only one player from each of the first 10 rounds, plus one player from Rounds 11-20. You did not have to go in order of each round, meaning you could jump between rounds and pick which players you thought had the most value. Each team installed a different strategy, balancing between star power, positional value, and depth.
You tell us, which team do you think has the most talent?

Team Albee



C: Vahn Lackey, Georgia Tech (1st rd)
1B: Will Adams, Hoover HS (11th rd)
MIF: Cole Prosek, Magnolia Heights HS (2nd rd)
MIF: Eric Guevara, Auburn (7th rd)
3B: Robert Omidi, Fieldhouse Pirates (8th rd)
OF: Kevin Roberts Jr, Jackson Prep HS (4th rd)
OF: Alex Weingartner, St. Augustine Prep HS (6th rd)
OF: Martin Shelar, Marist HS (9th rd)
DH: Ben Ziegler-Namoa, Hawaii (10th rd)
RHP: Jensen Hirschkorn, Kingsburg HS (3rd rd)
LHP: Ryan Marohn, North Carolina State (5th rd)

This was a fun exercise that required some thinking power late in the process, but it was made much easier given that we did not have to factor in the bonus pool money to our fantasy draft. There was still a pinch for me late in the process, however, and that is how I landed with fifth year graduate student Ben Ziegler-Namoa at DH. He was a huge money saver late for the Braves ($500 bonus, not a typo) and played a similar role for me here. Ziegler-Namoa was a steady contributor for Hawaii over four years, showing more of an on-base archetype with less juice as a first baseman. 

I had the 1:1 overall selection here, and I used that on Vahn Lackey. Some of it was probably biased, given that I saw Lackey when he was an uncommitted senior looking for a home in the middle of his senior spring season. Regardless, he has blossomed over the last three years into becoming what is in my eyes a 5 tool prospect. He brings versatility defensively and could be an MLB average defender at various positions with above average arm strength. The hit/power here is self explanatory (performer, future projection), and I think there is even more impact to come as he fills out the body. He’s an above average runner as well. All the way in on this athlete and profile.

The infield is going to be home to a lot of prep talent. Defense is secondary with this unit, especially up the middle, but I am in on the ability for this group to really hit. Looking at the corners, I nabbed Will Adams and Robert Omidi. Adams has a controlled, smooth left-handed swing with projectable all-fields power and real feel to hit. I saw this in person on multiple occasions this spring at the High School showdown, and he was one of the best pure hitters I got eyes on at the event. He got some run in the outfield as well and by all reports he was serviceable, but I think he lands at first base long-term and provides good defense there. He is committed to LSU and may be a tough sign, but we aren’t too worried about that in this scenario. I am simply a believer in the zone control and bat to ball. In a similar vein, Robert Omidi was entered as a third baseman. I am not sold on his ability to stay there long-term, but we can let Team Albee PD iron out the kinks with the glove. The bat has performed stateside in essentially every look our staff has gotten, and he has handled professional arms on the backfields in the south better than just about anybody in his country outside of 2nd rounder Lascelles. This is a hit reliant profile with average to fringe tools elsewhere, but the bat gives him a path to the major leagues.

Here is where the aforementioned defense issues come into play, as I have Cole Prosek and Eric Guevara slotted to handle 2B and SS. If I had to choose, it would be Guevara at short and Prosek at second. Guevara was just a steady eddy performer at Auburn for three years, showing more juice this past spring than he had ever tapped into before without sacrificing the on base ability. There isn’t a tool here that is going to project as more than MLB average in my eyes, but there is a nice grouping of tools to carry this profile to the big leagues. I had him pegged as a mid day 2 interest type in my college report earlier this year, but his strong surge to end the year catapulted him into the 7th round. Prosek is just a hitter, and there really doesn’t have to be too much more said there. It’s a sound left-handed swing and he can adjust the barrel to any part of the zone. This is an easy plus hit tool projection. He played some catcher this spring and bounced around elsewhere on the diamond, but that will figure itself out in time. For now, he is my second baseman.

I went with three high ceiling preps that would never all get their fair share of pool money if taken by the same team in the real draft. Alex Weingartner, Martin Shelar and Kevin Roberts Jr are going to be the trio I roll with here. All three of these names kind of fall under the same umbrella… explosive athletes, lots of juice potential and hit tool concerns. We’ll trust Team Albee PD to develop these guys into even just below average (40) hitters so that their other tools can show at the big league level on a daily basis. 

Rounding things off, I went with two arms on totally different ends of the spectrum: prep right-hander and college left-hander. Jensen Hirschkorn already got paid by Atlanta ($4m), and it’s not too hard to see why. He has the size and ease of operation you look for paired with what is already plus velocity on his fastball with more to come. He has the capacity to spin the slider that has proved to be a bat miss offering, and there is feel for a change-up in the mix too. You can’t teach 6’7/205 and athletic. For my left-hander, I felt like I found some value in the fifth with Ryan Marohn. He’s a classic pitchability southpaw that pours strikes in the zone, competes with four pitches and gets outs. It’s a nice floor and one that I project out to being a backend of the rotation starter at the professional level. Last year for NC State, he would pitch to a 3.18 ERA over 8 starts (45.1 IP) with 62 striekouts and a .204 average allowed.

All in all, this was a fun challenge and I like how the team ended up. I leaned upside and ceiling over safer floors for the most part, but there’s a solid blend of both I think when you break it down in its totality. 


Team Joey

C: Will Brick, Christian Brothers HS, (4th rd)
1B: Brady Ballinger, University of Kansas, (7th rd)
MIF: Elliot Lascelles, Upper Canada College, (2nd rd)
MIF: Aaron Piasecki, Troy (8th rd)
3B: Tre Phelps, Georgia (9th rd)
OF: Will Gasparino, UCLA  (5th rd)
OF: Aiden Robins, Texas (3rd rd)
OF: Braden Holcomb, Vanderbilt (12th rd)
DH: Matthew Bucciero, Fairfield (10th rd)
RHP: Jackson Flora, UCSB (1st rd)
LHP: Justin LeGuernic, Clemson (6th rd)

As I built out my roster the goal was clear, prioritize impact talent at premium defensive positions while targeting players with present offensive skill but with big upside. I wanted a blend of high-floor contributors and high-ceiling bets, specifically guys who not only project to contribute but have legitimate big league impact in their outcomes. I feel like this group strikes that balance well.

I started with Jackson Flora because locking in a true ace-caliber arm early was a priority. To me, Flora stood alone at the top of this ‘26 pitching class as he simply checks every box. The combination of size, present stuff, velocity and projection gives him the type of profile you anchor a rotation around. It’s frontline upside with a strong foundation.

From there, I went to Elliot Lascelles, one of the more complete and polished prep bats available. I wanted a hitter I could trust at a premium position, and Lascelles brings that with athleticism, defensive reliability and a mature offensive approach. The barrel feel stands out, and while the present power isn’t overwhelming there’s clear room for more as he continues to add strength. It’s a hit-first profile with real offensive value.

After that, I doubled back into the prep pool for another upside swing in Will Brick. It’s a rare combination of defensive chops behind the plate, real athleticism, plus arm strength and legitimate offensive upside. That kind of catcher profile is hard to come by, especially at the prep level and the ceiling here is substantial.

On the college side, I wanted to inject some serious athleticism and impact which led me to Will Gasparino and Braden Holcomb. Gasparino is a true outlier physically as he’s a 6-foot-6 center fielder with real power and defensive ability which is a tough combination to find. There’s some swing-and-miss to monitor, but the upside is loud and worth the bet. Holcomb brings a different type of impact with elite raw power and physicality. He’s capable of producing some of the loudest contact in the class. There’s risk tied to the hit tool and defensive profile, but the offensive ceiling is undeniable.

Once that core was in place, I shifted toward proven production to round out the lineup. Aiden Robbins was a clear target given his track record and ability to impact the game in multiple ways offensively. He’s shown he can hit, drive the baseball, and handle quality competition. There are still questions about how the approach holds against premium arms but the offensive floor here is appealing. Tre Phelps fits a similar mold as a consistently productive bat. There are some questions surrounding the defensive home and overall approach, but the bat has shown it plays, and there’s impact in it.

I mixed in Justin LeGuernic among that group to add a different look on the mound. The slightly lower slot from the left side, above avg. velocity, and a swing-and-miss breaking ball give him a chance to develop into a serious bullpen weapon. It’s a profile that could move quickly.

Brady Ballinger was more of a conviction pick for me. I still believe in what he showed in 2025, even with a down 2026. The underlying offensive traits and big power are still in there, and I’m betting on a rebound. Matthew Bucciero fit nicely into a DH role as there’s some sneaky value in the swing decisions and power combination that flew under the radar in the MAAC. Aaron Piasecki rounds things out with versatility and reliability. He can handle the middle infield and brings a contact-oriented offensive approach that adds balance to the overall group.

Overall, this roster is built on a foundation of upside and long-term value. There’s a potential frontline arm at the top, strength up the middle defensively, a high-upside catcher, and multiple bats that project for middle-of-the-order impact. There’s some risk baked in, but that’s intentional. I’m betting on talent, athleticism, and projection. When it all comes together, I think this group stacks up as the strongest of the three.

Team Henni

C: Jack Natili, Cincinnati (3rd rd)
1B: Rintaro Sasaki, Stanford (8th rd)
MIF: Roch Cholowsky, UCLA (1st rd)
MIF: Nu'u Contrades, Arizona State (6th rd)
3B: Alex Hernandez, Georgia Tech (4th rd)
OF: Rylan Lujo, Georgia (4th rd)
OF: Matthew Thomas, CSUN (13th rd)
OF: Kyeler Thompson, Texas Tech (9th rd)
DH: Augie Lopez, USC (10th rd)
RHP: Savion Sims, Prestonwood Christian (7th rd)
LHP: Mason Edwards, USC (2nd rd) 

It is hard not to come away excited with your team when you are able to select the best player in the draft. I used my first pick on UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky. He is a plus defender at a premium position with a feel to hit and power potential. It’s both a safe floor and high ceiling and there was just no way I could pass on him as the last person to have a pick in this exercise. 

Cholowsky leads a college heavy roster that I feel is loaded with plenty of talent. I feel really good about my selection behind the plate. In a loaded catcher class, Jack Natili is one of the better ones and feels like great value as a 3rd round pick. He can provide sound swing decisions and power at the plate. Defensively, there is plus arm strength and actions that continue to get better. 

I had a few different directions I could have gone at the hot corner but wound up with Alex Hernandez from Georgia Tech. I like the thump he can provide with run-producing ability. As for my first baseman, I ran into a little trouble at the end. By the time I got around to filling my first base spot, I only could pick players from the 4th round, 8th round, or 10th round. This limited my available options, but I feel good with the selection of Rintaro Sasaki. I know there are some concerns with the hit tool, but the raw power is some of the best in the class. 

After spending my higher value picks on other positions, I had to get a little creative for my outfield group. I went with Matthew Thomas out of my CSUN with my 11th-20th round pick and that feels like a steal. I used my available 9th round player on Kyeler Thompson. He is an athletic center fielder that gives the roster some athleticism. After both Albee and Joey had already picked players from the 4th round early in the process, I was able to loop back around and grab Rylan Lujo with my last selection. He put together a monster sprint and I like the upside there. 

On the mound, I love the upside I was able to grab. I used my second pick on my second round player in USC left-hander Mason Edwards. He is arguably the best left-hander in the class with big time upside. Right-handed Savion Sims is the only prep on my roster and may have the biggest upside. He has the potential to be the hardest thrower in the entire draft and is supremely valuable after being selected in the 7th round. 

Overall, I feel really good taking my team over the other two. There is athleticism up the middle and big thumpers on the corner. I would argue I have the best collection of arms out of the three teams selected. This group feels like it has a mix of star power, a safe floor, and quality upside.
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Draft | Rankings | 8/28/2026

2027 MLB Draft Board
Tyler Henninger
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The 2026 MLB Draft is official in the books as those players have been signed and have begun their pro career. That means it is time to turn the page and dive into the 2027 class. This class features an intriguing mix of arms both from the prep and college ranks, along with an enticing position player pool. Today, we unveil our first 2027 MLB Draft Board, ranking the Top-100 prospects in the class. There is still plenty of time for new names to emerge and established ones to rise or fall, but here is where things stand as we begin this cycle.  Rk. Name Level Pos. B-T School Hometown State Commitment 1 Dylan Seward H SS S-R Norco Eastvale CA Tennessee 2 Brendan Lawson C SS L-R Florida Toronto ON 3 Dax Whitney C RHP R-R Oregon State Blackfoot ID 4 Gavin Kelly C C/UTL R-R West Virginia Presto PA 5 Tomas Valincius C LHP L-L Mississippi State Lockport IL 6 Malachi Butler H SS L-R...
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Joey Cohen
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Year in and year out when the best young talent from across the country is packed into one national-level event the arms tend to win the week. That feels especially true in today’s amateur game where velocity, pitch design and high-level training in general are being introduced earlier than ever, allowing young pitchers to develop impactful stuff at a faster rate than younger hitters can consistently catch up to it. The Underclass Area Code Games are no exception and this year there was no shortage of arms that made you stop and take notice. Narrowing it down to 10 was difficult, but I focused on the pitchers who either displayed starter-type traits, brought something genuinely different from a delivery standpoint whether it was slot, height, crossfire or deception or simply possessed an outlier element of stuff that separated them from the pack. These are the 10 arms that stood...
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2026 MLB Draft Report Cards: NL East

Tyler Henninger
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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 East Atlanta Braves  Grade: 55 Risk: High Notable Selections: OF AJ Gracia (1st rd) | OF Carter Beck (PPI) | RHP Kaiden McCarthy (2nd rd) | RHP Jensen Hirschkorn (3rd rd)   OF AJ Gracia (@UVABaseball) is seeing the ball really well & picked up a couple of hits, including a 2B into RCF. Smooth LH stroke & easy impact. Showed + pwr in BP, 46 BB: 36 K. Jr./'26 elig. @PG_Draft pic.twitter.com/C4rSc0ZNIc — PG College Baseball (@PGCollegeBall) May 30, 2026 Atlanta had $15,870,800 to spend in this year’s draft,...
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Draft | Story | 8/22/2026

2026 MLB Draft Report Cards: AL East

Tyler Henninger
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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 East Baltimore Orioles Grade: 50 Risk: High Notable Selections: OF Eric Booth Jr. (1st rd) | OF Ty Head (2nd rd) | OF Kevin Roberts Jr (4th rd)  Eric Booth Jr. (26 MS) goes big fly 💣 that carried out oppo. Explosive athlete w/ huge LH juice & tools. Big time in several facets. #NatElite #Vandy commit. @PG_DeepSouth pic.twitter.com/kXl7ZVyD9G — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) July 12, 2025 Baltimore was about middle of the pack in terms of money available this year, having $13.1m to spend on their class. Booth Jr. is a...
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Draft | Story | 8/24/2026

Area Code Gams: Prospect Recap

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Pitchers George Ferguson, RHP, Abilene HS  Ferguson toed the slab for the Rangers squad in game one of the Codes, setting the tone early with some loud stuff.  Ferguson attacked hitters with a verty fastball up to 96 that played well up in the zone with up to 24 inches of induced vertical break.  He showed more than just a power arsenal, going to the changeup often, using the pitch to put away hitters.  Kills the spin to the 1600’s, regularly getting 13-15 inches of horizontal break.  The slider rounded out the arsenal, working 82/83.  Struck out four over his three innings of work, two on the fastball, two on the change.  2026 PG All American committed to Texas.  Quinn Fitzpatrick, RHP, Stratford HS  Another 2026 PG All American out of Texas, the LSU commit punched out three over his two innings of work, allowing just one hit. ...
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2027 Draft Preview: Collegiate RHP

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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

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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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2026 MLB Draft Report Cards: AL Central

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
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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