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Draft  | Story | 8/6/2026

2026 MLB Draft Report Cards: AL West

Tyler Henninger
Michael Albee
Joey Cohen
Ryan Miller
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 WEST

Athletics
Grade: 60
Risk: Moderate-Low

Notable Selections: OF Drew Burress (1st rd) | LHP Mason Edwards (2nd rd) | RHP Gabe Gaeckle (CBB rd) 
 

The A’s hammered the college demographic throughout their entire draft and arguably came away with the best class of any organization. Holding the 8th overall pick, the Athletics were able to grab Drew Burress, who is arguably one of the most productive college players in the last decade. They followed that up with getting the No. 20th overall player on our board Mason Edwards with the 47th overall pick. Edwards put together a dominant spring and is a fun starters profile. They grabbed another exciting arm with the 73rd overall pick in Arkansas right-hander Gabe Gaeckle. Gaeckle is in the conversation for best stuff in the country and could become a steal if the command comes around. Jacob Dudan and Aiden Weaver are two more intriguing college arms. In rounds 4-6 they got a trio of college bats in Roman Martin (UCLA), Alex Hernandez (Georgia Tech), and Alex Sosa (Miami). All three ranked inside our Top-130. When you look at each pick they made, you come away more and more impressed. The Athletics are an organization that has had success developing college players recently and only added to the stash of players they can do so again with. 



Houston Astros
 Grade: 45
Risk: Moderate

Notable Selections: OF Logan Hughes (1st rd) | RHP Jack Radel (PPI rd) | LHP Wes Mendes (2nd rd) | SS Keon Johnson (3rd rd)
 

The Astros got their guy at pick 17, selecting outfielder Logan Hughes out of Texas Tech, who had gained late first-round buzz throughout the cycle. With Hughes, Houston is undoubtedly buying the hit/power combo that produced a 1.245 OPS in 2026, slugging 18 homers. A lack of a safe defensive home will temper expectations a bit. With their next two selections, the Astros went the “safe” college pitching route, starting with Notre Dame righty Jack Radel in the PPI round. Radel throws five solid-average or better offerings with a filled-out workhorse frame, giving him a starter look. Houston went back to the demographic with their second-round pick, selecting Florida State southpaw Wes Mendes. He carried a 30-plus percent strikeout rate throughout the spring, displaying a strong mix headlined by a tumbling change-up. In the third round, they shot for upside with Georgia infielder Keon Johnson, whose pure hitting ability and budding power allowed for an overslot payment. Overall, the Astros went with high-floor options outside of Johnson early on, taking on acceptable risk with their first three selections. 

Los Angeles Angels
Grade: 45
Risk: Moderate

Notable Selections: OF Jared Grindlinger (1st rd) | 2B Jarren Advincula (2nd rd) | 3B Gavin Grahovac (3rd rd)
 

It is not very often that a team will fire their GM less than a month before the draft. But the Angels did just that, turning to John Mozeliak to act as the interim GM and lead the draft strategy. The change in leadership did result in a different tactic by the Angels. Instead of going the fast-track college route like they have in recent years, they went to the prep ranks with the selection of Jared Grindlinger. Grindlinger was a standout two-way player at Huntington Beach, but was just announced as an outfielder. The pick is a nice change of pace for the organization, but could leave some things to be desired if they do not let me develop as a two-way player. Following the first round, the Angels went with a heavy load of college players. Jarren Advincula out of Georgia Tech may have the best hit tool in the class and should be a big leaguer. Lack of impact does limit the ceiling on the profile. Gavin Grahovac (Texas A&M), Rylan Lujo (Georgia), and Jaxon Willits (Oklahoma) were the next three picks. All three have been college performers and have some intriguing aspects to the profile, but once again the ceilings are limited. As a whole, the Angels took some quality players, but the class feels more like a collection of safe plays rather than upside plays.

Seattle Mariners
 Grade: 45
Risk: Moderate

Notable Selections: 3B Ace Reese (1st rd) | OF Jake Brown (2nd rd) | RHP Nathan Taylor (3rd rd)
 

The Mariners were comfortably in the bottom half of the league in terms of their bonus pool money, having $8.2 million to dish around for their picks. Naturally, it wasn’t the splashiest of drafts and they had to play it a bit more conservative throughout the process. Naturally, they went college heavy. They drafted one prep (Dominic Santarelli) in the 18th, but did not have the money to lure him away from his LSU commitment. Ace Reese was selected in the first by Seattle, a corner infielder that slugged at Mississippi State this year (.336/24/74). There are some whiff and chase things to take notice of here, but the impact and damage he puts out is enough to off-set those concerns for Seattle. They gave Reese $3.5m. Jake Brown was their 2nd round selection, given $1.38m. He was knocked out in April with a hamate injury, but looks like a fringe hit tool corner outfielder with a good arm and run that has above average raw pop in the stick. With over half their pool gone after the top 2 rounds, you could see the strategy for the draft play out down the board - safer college producers. Nathan Taylor had a track record at Cincinnati of starting games the last two years and racking up quality innings with a solid FB-SL combo. Henry Ford in the 6th provides interesting value if he can dial in the approach a bit, as his under the hood damage numbers can stand next to the best sluggers in the class. All in all, the Mariners stuck with a strategy that aligned strongly with their limitations given the bonus pool money allotment.

Texas Rangers
 Grade: 50
Risk: Extreme

Notable Selections: LHP Gio Rojas (1st rd) | SS Connor Comeau (2nd rd) | LHP Brody Bumila (3rd rd) 
 

While a majority of teams went the college route early in the draft, the Rangers implemented a different strategy. They took a prep player with their first three selections, grabbing Florida left-hander Gio Rojas, Texas shortstop Connor Comeau, and Massachusetts left-handed Brody Bumila. All three players ranked within the Top-55 on our final board. The trio of players cost the Rangers $9,850,000 in signing bonuses, which makes up over 96% of their bonus pool. Not a single other player was signed for more than $500,000 with their rounds 6-10 picks signing for less than $10,000. The strategy does come with obvious risk. You’re pretty much going all in on three prep players with the hopes they provide all the value to the draft class. Gio Rojas was our top prep arm on the board and Connor Comeau received rave reviews throughout the spring. Brody Bumila was likely going to be a first round pick, before news that he will need another elbow surgery the week of the draft. That pick alone brings significant risk, as you are investing $2.75 million into an arm that has had injury history and will likely not see the field until 2028. For an organization that has inconsistent success in development, such a high risk/high reward strategy is a bold one. 
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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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Tournaments | Story | 8/26/2026

Underclass Area Codes: Standout Arms

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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Draft | Story | 8/23/2026

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

Steve Fiorindo
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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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Draft | Story | 8/21/2026

2027 Draft Preview: Collegiate RHP

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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All American Game | Story | 8/21/2026

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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