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| 2,479 MLB PLAYERS | 15,806 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,479 MLB PLAYERS | 15,806 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Tournaments  | Story | 6/28/2019

15U BCS: Day 2 Scout Notes

Photo: Griffin Herring (Perfect Game)
2019 15U BCS National Championship: Day 1 Scout Notes

Starting off hot on Day 2 of the 15U BCS Finals was FTB Tucci-Orlando shortstop Rafael Betancourt Jr (2022, Deltona, Fla.) and the smooth swinging infielder had a big day with two doubles on the ledger. Betancourt is a good athlete with excellent projection, he’s young for the grade, and some present twitch. The set up from the left side is fairly simple, with a narrow setup and a higher hand set. He drops his hands slightly in the load and brings them to contact on an uphill path that is smooth and his hands are athletic enough to adjust to different pitch types and locations. Betancourt handles shortstop well with clean and quick footwork and looks to be a well-rounded prospect at this juncture.



Hector A. Candelas (2021, Carolina, P.R.) had a strong day both at the plate and on the mound for Team Elite of P.R. as he collected two hits and topped out at 82 mph on the mound while tossing three hitless innings. Candelas has a long and lean 6-foot-1, 172-pound frame with lots of room for projection and for strength on the frame. The swing is smooth with a longer swing path but gets some loft to the end of the stroke and allows him to leverage the ball hard to the pull side. The bat speed and offensive prowess certainly stand out for Candelas and his two-way on the mound offers intriguing potential to monitor.



A standout at the Junior National showcase, Alvin Keels (2022, Norfolk, Va.) had himself a day in what was a wild game during the afternoon slots as Keels knocked in two triples during game action. Keels has incredibly fast hands and those hands allow him to be able to not only pull the ball but create impact off the barrel, even when he’s mistimed; he was out in front of a breaking ball but did a very good job at keeping his hands back to punish the off-speed pitch deep to dead center field. Keels is an excellent athlete, as he ran a 6.8 second 60-yard dash a month ago in Hoover, but his offensive tools shine through loudly and there’s serious upside to his profile.

Starting the third slot for 5 Star West 15U Black, Riley Cruce (2021, Loganville, Ga.) showed off some impressive pitchability from a very slender frame that is ripe for physical projection. He’s got some wiry strength at present and though he’s listed at 5-foot-11 the delivery is clean and deceptive and the arm works. Cruce works really quickly, grabbing and starting his delivery almost immediately after receiving the ball, and hides it nicely in the back to allow the natural life to play up some on his fastball that sat 79-82 mph. The curveball has some shape and sharpness while Cruce also has good feel for his changeup; Cruce struck out four over two innings and needed very few pitches to do so.

Turning in a quick outing in relief was lefthander Jamie Arnold (2022, Tampa, Fla.) who touched 86 mph with his fastball early and sat in the 80-84 mph range. He’s very deceptive, coming at hitters from a lower and extended three-quarters arm slot that generates some life and good angle on the hitter at the plate. The arm swing is very long in the back and he almost pauses as he’s driving onto his backside to give hitters a bad look at trying to time him up. He only threw 20 pitches and spiked one curveball, but the changeup showed some promise. Arnold is a projectable southpaw with a good present fastball and sky-high projection.



Speaking of very quick and efficient performances, Dulin Dodgers McGarrh lefthander Griffin Herring (2022, Southlake, Tex.) was remarkably effective in two hitless innings on the mound. A LSU commit, Herring held 80-83 mph with his fastball from the onset and really gave hitters some tough looks as he garnered a lot of swing and miss. The Texas native gets his arm up quickly with a fairly direct delivery that allows him to incorporate his lower half well. The fastball worked to all parts of the strike zone, even effective when elevated, and his ability to hold his velocity certainly stood out. Both secondaries were solid with some sharpness to a low-70s curveball, but his changeup was nasty against righthanders. The pitch was in the mid-70s and fell off the proverbial table to get a lot of swinging swords from opposing hitters. Herring’s pitchability stands out among the class and with an uptick in velocity he has a chance to be dominant.

Herring’s teammate and starting shortstop Cade McGarrh (2022, Frisco, Tex.) stood out during Day 1 action for touching 89 mph off the mound in a relief appearance. He has the size and frame to fill out immensely at a listed 6-foot-3, 155 pounds with excellent athleticism and actions over at shortstop. The swing itself is fairly simple, mostly an upper half and hands-oriented stroke that allows him to both cover the plate and turn the barrel over effectively. He rocketed a single in one of his at-bats to the pull side earlier today and with additional lower half usage and strength he should be able to use his long limbs to leverage balls to the pull side with carry. The athleticism and first step quickness, along with the obvious arm strength, should allow him to stick at shortstop at the next level while the coming power is certainly a bonus.

Drake Flowers (2022, Jupiter, Fla.) has a lot of components to like out of a young, uncommitted prospect. The 6-foot-4, 165-pound prospect looks to have an immensely projectable frame with a relatively simple and easy operation on the mound. He delivers from an over-the-top arm slot and generates a high-spin fastball that worked in the 82-85 mph range. Flowers gets great extension toward the hitter with a relatively low effort release and the ball jumped on opposing hitters causing a lot of empty hacks at the heater. He mixed in a couple of mid-60s breaking balls, but the projection coupled with the present stuff and size make him an extremely interesting uncommitted follow.

Recently committing to Florida, Cade Kurland (2023, Tampa, Fla.) has been standing out in the early portions of the tournament as the three-hole and starting shortstop for Top Tier American. The athletic infielder will just be entering his freshman year in high school but it’s not hard to see what the Gators liked about him. The athleticism and glove work stands out as he has excellent first-step quickness and the arm strength to project as a shortstop at the next level. The swing is fairly mechanically sound with a clean shift of the lower half and very fast hands. He hits the ball hard and hit it on the ground more often than one would like, but the loose hands and easy bat speed both portend a high offensive ceiling. Kurland is a high-level prospect for this age group and he’s showing no issues handling an age group higher than his own.

-Vinnie Cervino

Starting pitcher for BBA National was Joan Sebasitan Roman Cancel (2022, Marlboro, N.J.). Cancel stands at 6-foot and uses his long arms to get down the mound. He has an athletic build and a smooth delivery to the plate. Cancel had his fastball up to 85 mph and his curveball was 68-70 mph. He controlled the pace of the game and he did not allow a hit during his outing. Cancel will continue to get stronger over the next couple years and velocity will improve also.

Another BBA National player that showed his potential was first baseman Tywone Malone (2021, Jamesburg, N.J.). Tywone stands at 6-foot-4, 290 pounds, and he is very strong. He looks to do damage with every pitch and drive balls into the gaps. He has quick hands to the zone and hunts pitches early in counts. He has good speed for his size and looks athletic at first base. Malone is exciting to watch and he will continue to develop as a ball player.

Kaleb Heatherly (2022, Cullman, Ala.) has started off hot. He is 5-for-6 with three doubles and two RBI. He stands at 6-foot-5, 230 pounds, and has pop to all fields. He looks to elevate to his pull side and drive the ball into the left-center gap. He plays a good first base and will continue to get more athletic and develop. Heatherly will continue to get stronger and keep hitting extra base hits over the next couple years.

Robert Lane (2022, Claxton, Ga.) of 5 Star National 15U Weaver looks confident at the plate. Standing at 5-foot-7, he keeps his hands inside of the baseball very well and lives in the middle of the field. Lane is a line drive hitter who looks for a pitch over the plate to drive hard up the middle. He also has good speed and uses it on the base paths well, as he disrupts the pitcher’s rhythm because he is a threat to steal a base at any time. Lane plays the game the right way and he is a fun player to watch.

-Parker Fronk

Tournaments | Story | 6/19/2026

Road to the 2026 17U BCS Title

Emily Hicks
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This weekend, 11 teams will take the field for the 2026 17U BCS Challenge, a three-day event that brings together programs from across the country for a full slate of pool play and bracket action. With games beginning Friday and a champion crowned Sunday, the format leaves little room for slow starts, making every inning important from the opening pitch. The field features a mix of established programs and rising teams. With so many evenly matched rosters, there’s not much separation heading into the weekend, which puts importance on pitching depth, defensive consistency, and timely hitting. Pool play will quickly determine seeding, and even one loss can shift a team’s path heading into bracket play. One of the teams expected to be in the mix is Hawaii Elite 2G 17U National, a group that is 6-3 overall and ranked as “Honorable Mention” on the Perfect Games...
Draft | Rankings | 6/19/2026

PG Draft: Top 500 Update

Tyler Henninger
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Rk. Name Lvl Pos. B-T School Hometown State Commitment 1 Roch Cholowsky C SS R-R UCLA Chandler AZ 2 Grady Emerson H SS L-R Fort Worth Christian Argyle TX Texas 3 Vahn Lackey C C R-R Georgia Tech Suwanee GA 4 Jackson Flora C RHP R-R UC Santa Barbara Pleasanton CA 5 Jacob Lombard H SS R-R Gulliver Schools Miami FL Miami 6 Eric Booth Jr. H OF L-L Oak Grove Bassfield MS Vanderbilt 7 Drew Burress C OF R-R Georgia Tech Perry GA 8 Ryder Helfrick C C R-R Arkansas Discovery Bay CA 9 AJ Gracia C OF L-L Virginia Monroe NJ 10 Chris Hacopian C SS R-R Texas A&M Potomac MD 11 Gio Rojas H LHP L-R Marjory Stoneman Douglas Coral Springs FL Miami 12 Tyler Bell* C SS S-R Kentucky Frankfort IL 13 Cameron Flukey C RHP R-R Coastal Carolina Egg Harbor Township NJ 14 Ace Reese C 3B L-R Mississippi State Canton TX 15 Justin Lebron C SS R-R Alabama Miramar FL 16 Derek Curiel* C OF L-R LSU West Covina CA 17...
Softball | Softball Tournament | 6/18/2026

PG Softball Stars Over Florida Showcase 14U Division

Erica Beach
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PG Stars Over Florida Showcase Clearwater, FL June 13-14, 2026   CLEARWATER, FLORIDA- Perfect Game Softball made its official debut in the state of Florida this past weekend at Eddie C. Moore sports complex. The weather was perfect, and the atmosphere was right for some great softball. We had many college coaches of all levels attend and our National Scouting Director was on hand to evaluate and highlight the athletes. We are excited for future events and the ability to promote and highlight the great athletes in the southeast! Below we highlight the 14U division where we had teams representing three states.     14U Division   Zoey Salas (2030, RHP/1B Windsor, CO) of the Colorado Angels 14U Breed was a standout player all weekend. She was a strong two-way player who proved to be a consistent force on both sides of the ball. Offensively, this left-handed hitter starts...
Softball | Softball Tournament | 6/18/2026

PG Aggieland Showcase

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PG Aggieland Showcase College Station, Texas June 13-14, 2026 Scouts: Brynn Baca & Karlie Milburn COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS- Perfect Game Softball was excited to return to College Station for the second annual Aggieland Showcase last weekend.. Some great competition was seen over the three age groups. We had two scouts on site to evaluate and highlight some of the athletes who caught their eyes. Thank you to all teams and players who competed so hard! Below we highlight those athletes who impressed our scouts. 18U Division Elizabeth Posada- Elizabeth Posada is a 2028 two-way player from Houston, Texas, competing for Aztecs Premier who brings an intriguing combination of offensive upside and athletic versatility. At the plate, Posada recently went 4-for-8 on the weekend, continuing to show consistency and offensive awareness. She sets up with a slightly open, wide stance and does a...
Tournaments | Story | 6/18/2026

Big Talent on Display at City of Palms

Alyssa Golden
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The fifth annual PG City of Palms Championship is set to take place in Fort Myers, Florida, from June 19-22, featuring teams from the 15U-18U age divisions. The four-day event will showcase some of the top talent in the state, including several nationally ranked prospects who have already made their presence felt this summer season. Before tournament play begins, here’s a look at some of the highest-ranked players expected to compete this weekend. Leading the group is catcher Nico Ayars in the 16U division. Ayars enters the weekend as the No. 135 player nationally, the No. 3 catcher in Florida and the No. 20 catcher in the country. Through 22 games this summer with Turn 2 Garcia, the right-handed hitter owns a .887 OPS while batting .306 with a .438 OBP and a .449 SLG. Ayars has collected 15 hits while driving in 12 runs and scoring 13 times. Ayars’ teammate, right-handed...
Softball | Softball Tournament | 6/17/2026

Perfect Game Softball Route 66 Summer Showcase

Dave Durbala
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SPRINGFIELD, IL - Perfect Game Softball Route 66 Summer Showcase, June 13-14, 2026. Twenty-Seven teams, representing the 14u and High School Divisions, arrived at the newly opened all turfed Scheels Sports Park at Legacy Pointe, for the opportunity to showcase their talent in a five game guarantee format. As with anytime we bring a group of players together for competition, there will be those players that rise to the challenge and turn in performances that earn them a place on our Top Performers list.  Below are some of the players, from both divisions, that were recognized as top performers. 14U Division Kinley Abrams (2030 Bloomington, IL) is a RHH for Texas Glory IL-2030 (Wyatt). Setting up in a slightly wide parallel stance, into her back leg, Abrams gains separation with a  push back to transfer weight, and then utilizes a small stride to launch her swing. Abrams works a...
Juco | Story | 6/18/2026

PG JUCO Awards & Final Top 25

Blaine Peterson
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Pitcher of the Year: Nathan Leffel - RHP - Fresno City College 2026 Stat Line: 89.1 IP | 12-1 | 1.91 ERA | .83 WHIP | 118 K An outstanding individual pitching season in California JUCO baseball this spring. A model of consistency on the mound making starts in January through May for Fresno City. Worked over 89 innings on the mound and made 14 starts where he threw at least 5 innings. Ranked in the top 5 of California JUCO in wins, ERA and strikeouts. And one of the only pitchers in all of JUCO to reach the benchmarks of 10+ wins (12), a sub 2.00 ERA (1.91 ERA) and 100 strikeouts (118 K). A consistent and dominant presence on the mound for a team that went 40-5 this past spring. Congratulations to Nathan Leffel, 2026 Perfect Game JUCO Pitcher of the Year. Ryan Bradford | FR | OF@JCCCBaseball Everything I have from this spring starting with HR’s 31 & 32 today. This is...
Tournaments | Story | 6/18/2026

150 Teams Set to Battle at SE Select

Will Dembo
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As summer travel season continues to ramp up, more than 150 teams from 13-17u from all over the nation will meet in East Cobb as they look to showcase their talents and compete for a trophy in the PG Southeast Select Championship. The tournament will kick off with pool play on Thursday, June 18th, and champions will be crowned following bracket play on Monday, June 22nd. The 13u division will host 23 teams from four different states in the major style tournament. The East Cobb Astros and Ninth Inning Royals will share the spotlight as the only nationally ranked teams in the field as the Astros enter the weekend as the No. 45 ranked squad and Ninth Inning falls at the No. 31 spot. 14u will also play as a major tournament for the weekend and contains 31 teams looking to compete for a trophy. Although there are currently no nationally recognized teams in the pool, PFA Regional will be a...
Tournaments | Story | 6/17/2026

UBC Midwest Scout Notes

Blaine Peterson
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Braydon McMillen (2029, Downers Grove, IL) an athletic MIF with a top of the order skill set at the plate. Reached base in all 5 games played at UBC this week. Including a 3 hit game in bracket play. Shows a balanced and compact swing at the plate with quick wrists and the ability to get the barrel to the baseball regularly. A quick first step defensively with clean glove actions and a quick release from the shortstop position. Made several athletic plays defensively this past week. Lot of promising impact traits and a real skill set to build on.  Paris Head | IF/OF/RHP | 2029 | IL@WhitesoxAce FB: 86-90 | CB: 73-75 SL: 77-79 | CH: 78-82 One of the best pitching performances of the tournament so far. High level athlete with an advanced pitch mix for the age. #UBC @PG_Scouting | @WhitesoxAce https://t.co/V3leWaCBSM pic.twitter.com/EDBvjpgI3p — Perfect Game Illinois...
Tournaments | Story | 6/17/2026

Windy City Elite Scout Notes

Perfect Game Staff
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28 LHP/OF Rex Johnson (CO) was impressive on the mound today. Quality FB/SL mix. FB(80-85) showed heavy arm side run, generating s/m. Good feel to spin, landing the low-70s SL for strikes, while keeping hitters off balance. 5.0IP, 9K, 3H #WCElite @PG_FourCorners pic.twitter.com/q459oPmXzW — Perfect Game Illinois (@PG_Illinois) June 14, 2026 Rex Johnson (2028, Highlands Ranch, Colo.) turned in one of the more impressive outings of the weekend for Canes Denver South 2028 Gold. The 5-foot-10, 170-pound left-hander worked 5.0 innings, striking out 9 while allowing just 3 hits and no earned runs. The fastball worked 80-85 with arm-side run and got on hitters quickly, generating both swing-and-miss and weak contact. He mixed in a slider with sharp action and showed feel to land it for strikes. Currently ranked the No. 5 outfielder and No. 8 overall prospect in Colorado, Johnson displayed...
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