THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,618 MLB PLAYERS | 16,397 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,618 MLB PLAYERS | 16,397 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Sign in Create Account
Sign in Create Account
All American Game  | Story | 6/3/2016

Boldt ready to fulfill dream

Blake Dowson
Photo: Nebraska Communications Office



Perfect Game 2016 MLB Draft Preview Index

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – Ryan Boldt knew he would be a first or second round selection in the MLB Draft. His lefthanded swing that generates easy gap power while playing plus defense in center field, along with an attitude to get better every single day, assured that.

It’s just taken him three more years than what he had originally planned on.

Coming out of Red Wing, Minnesota, Boldt was one of the most highly touted prospects in the country during his high school days. Perfect Game had him ranked as the No. 15 prospect in his class, and the third-highest ranked outfielder. At one point leading up to the 2013 MLB Draft, Perfect Game had him pegged as the No. 20 overall prospect.

It’s easy to see why. Standing at 6-foot-2 and 185-pounds, Boldt excelled against every level of competition he played against. In his junior year at Red Wing, Boldt slashed .423/.516/.756 and helped his team reach the Minnesota State Baseball Tournament for the first time since 1977. He was named a Perfect Game All-American after his junior year and was the MVP of the Perfect Game All-American Classic in San Diego in 2012.

“[Perfect Game] was awesome for me,” Boldt said from the Big Ten Tournament in Omaha, Neb. “The first thing I went to was the National Showcase and then after that I was invited to the All-American game and that’s where everyone saw me, so it kind of kick-started me as far as being seen by colleges and pro teams.”

Boldt was selected to play on the USA 18u team in 2012 as well, leading off and hitting .273 for a team that won a world championship.

With all of the talent and accolades surrounding Boldt, he was a sure-fire first round pick when he headed into the spring season of his senior year. Until he awkwardly slid into third base during the first week of the cold Minnesota spring, tearing his meniscus and losing the rest of his season.

The injury not only hurt his team, as losing anybody that hits .423 naturally would, but it also took a major blow on Boldt’s draft stock.

Boldt fell out of the first round, and then out of day one, and then day two, before finally being drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 22nd round of the 2013 draft.

The Red Sox flew the Red Wing native out to Boston to take a tour of Fenway Park to try to sway him into signing, but Boldt knew he wasn’t a 22nd round talent, and didn’t want to sign a contract that would financially say he was.

“It was obviously tough, to be able to get drafted [in the first round] after my senior year would have been great,” Boldt said. “But at that point I was just working to get my health back and getting back on the field. At that point, it kind of made the decision [to go to school] easier.”

The talented outfielder decided to honor his commitment to Nebraska and head coach Darin Erstad, who he had pledged to in high school, and started the rehab process.

Unfortunately, Boldt was no stranger to baseball injuries. When he was just 10 years old he injured his left elbow throwing, and doctors told him he would never be able to throw a baseball again. So he switched his glove over to his left hand and taught himself how to throw righthanded. He loved baseball too much to just give up.

Countless hours of catch re-learning how to throw a baseball with his right arm at age 10 helped turn Boldt into a first round prospect by his senior year of high school. Now three years later, the countless hours he put into rehabbing his knee has him back in the same position.

Boldt didn’t miss a beat his freshman year at Nebraska, slashing .311/.382/.437, with 20 extra-base hits and 31 RBI. After doubts on what kind of player he would be after the injury to his knee, Boldt proved he was the same player that earned MVP honors at the PG All-American Classic.

But a change in philosophy at the plate for the Huskers slumped his sophomore campaign, and Boldt’s power numbers plummeted, making a number of scouts wary once again. Although Boldt had raised his average to .344, the opposite way approach he implemented added up to only 10 extra-base hits on the year.

Before the 2016 season, Erstad overhauled the approach his hitters were taking up to the plate, and Boldt’s power stats came back in a big way. In his first draft-eligible season at Nebraska, Boldt has hit 14 doubles, a pair of triples and five home runs. He has also added 30 RBI out of the leadoff spot and 20 stolen bases, a career high.

With his game coming full circle in his junior year – Boldt has shown he can go the other way with success and has now flashed his power – Erstad has compared his center fielder to another Minnesota native and current major leaguer, Joe Mauer. The comparison was fun for Boldt, who looked up to Mauer as a kid.

“Being from Minnesota, I always watched Joe Mauer play,” Boldt said. “He’s got a pretty swing and I’ve always watched him play. Obviously we don’t play the same position but he’s a Minnesota guy too so it’s kind of fun to watch him play and watch him swing the bat.”

Boldt’s head coach at Nebraska has also been a big influence on him, with Erstad himself playing outfield for the Cornhuskers and moving on to a 14-year major league career.

To have a guy in your dugout everyday that has experience at the highest level is invaluable, Boldt said, and he often takes the opportunity to ask questions on what to expect at the next level.

“He’s always kind of given me little pointers and stuff,” Boldt said. “To be an everyday player, you have to be out there every day even if you’re hurt a little bit. If you find one way to help your team win, it’s a successful day. It’s just little stuff like that I try to pick his brain about as much as I can.”

The Cornhusker star, whose team is getting ready for an NCAA Tournament run as part of the Regional in Clemson, S.C., said he hasn’t allowed himself to think about the draft much because it is out of his control.

One thing is almost certain, however. Boldt will, by all projections, hear his name called on the first day of the MLB Draft, finally realizing a dream that started more than three years ago.

 
Give us your feedback
All American Game | Story | 8/21/2026

Brotherly Love Inspires Carter Hadnot
Jim Salisbury
Article Image
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...
Read More
Press Release | Press Release | 9/1/2026

PG Hires Nuovo-Golden in South Carolina

Article Image
  667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923 www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA     FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   PERFECT GAME SOFTBALL EXPANDS REGIONAL TOURNAMENT OPERATIONS WITH KEY HIRE IN SOUTH CAROLINA   Greenville, South Carolina (Monday, August 31, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced an addition to its Southeast tournament operations team with the hiring of Michelle Nuovo-Golden as Operations Director.   In her role, Nuovo-Golden will oversee regional venue management, team relations and event logistics across South Carolina focusing on expanding Perfect Game’s fastpitch footprint within the core markets which include Columbia, Lexington, Greenville, Anderson and the surrounding regions.   Nuovo-Golden transitions to...
Read More
Draft | Rankings | 8/28/2026

2027 MLB Draft Board

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
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...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 8/26/2026

Underclass Area Codes: Standout Arms

Joey Cohen
Article Image
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...
Read More
Draft | Story | 8/23/2026

2026 MLB Draft Report Cards: NL East

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
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,...
Read More
Draft | Story | 8/22/2026

2026 MLB Draft Report Cards: AL East

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
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...
Read More
Draft | Story | 8/24/2026

Area Code Gams: Prospect Recap

Steve Fiorindo
Article Image
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. ...
Read More
Draft | Story | 8/21/2026

2027 Draft Preview: Collegiate RHP

Ryan Miller
Article Image
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...
Read More
Press Release | Press Release | 8/18/2026

Perfect Game & Delano Partner Up

Article Image
  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...
Read More
Draft | Story | 8/17/2026

2026 MLB Draft Report Cards: NL Central

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
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...
Read More
Loading more articles...
About Perfect Game :: Contact us :: Terms of Use :: Privacy Policy :: Testimonials :: Job Opportunities
Copyright 1994-2026 by Perfect Game. All rights reserved. No portion of this information may be reprinted or reproduced without the written consent of Perfect Game.