THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,384 MLB PLAYERS | 15,802 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,384 MLB PLAYERS | 15,802 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Create Account
Sign in Create Account
Tournaments  | Story | 10/4/2016

Kernels Scout Notes, Days 3-4

Kevin Schuver
Photo: Perfect Game


Daily Leaders | Days 1-2 Scout Notes

Minnesota Blizzard Blue and the Zepp Prospects 18u went head-to-head on Sunday morning with matching 2-0 records and a lot on the line, as the winner would win the pool and advance to bracket play. The game ended in a 3-3 tie, but Florida State commit Francis Villaman (2017, Orlando, Fla.) had an incredible performance for Zepp Prospects 18u. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound shortstop showed incredibly smooth athletic actions defensively and drove in all three of the Zepp Prospects runs offensively. Villaman’s offensive ceiling is very high as he shows the ability to hit to all fields with power. With his dependable defensive skills and game-changing hitting ability, Villaman will be a name to follow closely while with the Florida State Seminoles.

Matt McCumber (2017, Cary, Ill.) got the starting nod for the Red Midwest Scout Team against the Nebraska Prospects 2018 Kenny. The Northern Illinois commit was up to 88 mph early, but fell to the 82-84 mph range in the second inning. The Nebraska Prospects were able to jump on the Reds early and often thanks to the offensive performances of Owen Richter (2018, Elkhorn, Neb.), Dylan Phillips (2018, Omaha, Neb.) and Drew Gilin (2018, Omaha, Neb.). The trio combined for seven hits in nine at-bats and drove in three of the team’s six runs. Gillin, an uncommitted shortstop, was 3-for-3 with two doubles in the 6-1 win over the Reds Midwest Scout Team.

Kyle Perry (2018, Omaha, Neb.) kept the powerful and talented Red Midwest team in check through six innings of work. The uncommitted lefthander allowed one run over his six innings of work while striking out eight batters. Perry was able to consistently keep the Reds hitters off the balance by mixing a 79-81 mph fastball and a curveball that flashed very good sweeping depth. Perry may lack the present velocity to blow hitters away, but his knack for being able to locate to each edge of the plate will make him a very promising prospect to follow moving forward.

Trey Leonard (2017, Cedar Rapids, Iowa) showed why he will be a constant terror at the top of the Louisville Cardinals lineup in the future. The 6-foot, 160-pound center fielder consistently found his way onto the bases collecting three hits in four at-bats Sunday against Iowa Select Navy in the opening round of playoffs. Leonard’s compact swing plane, paired with his ability to generate bat speed makes him a threat to drive the baseball to all fields at any time.

The Nebraska Prospects 2018 Kenny continued their hot run in the semifinals defeating Cangelosi Black 2017 by a score of 3-1. The Nebraska Prospects were led by Drew Gilin, who continued to show a very mature, high-contact approach at the plate. Gilin drove yet another double to deep right field that nearly cleared the fence and drove in the go-ahead run that would prove to be enough for the Nebraska Prospects to advance to the championship round.

Will Hanafan (2017, Council Bluffs, Iowa) patrolled center field for the Nebraska prospects. The 6-fot-1, 170-pound outfielder made two impact plays making a nice diving play in the left-center field gap to save an extra-base hit, then a running catch straight back over his shoulder before quickly getting the baseball back in the infield and nailing down the potential go-ahead run at the plate.

Sam Carlson (2017, Savage, Minn.) was the starting pitcher for the Minnesota Blizzard Blue’s semifinal matchup with Hitters Baseball Navy. The 6-foot-4, 195-pound righthanded pitcher sat 90-92 mph throughout all six innings, showing solid running action to each edge of the plate. Hitters Navy keyed on the Florida commit’s fastball early and was able to scratch together two early runs in the first inning, but Carlson would quickly quiet the Hitters bats hanging five consecutive zeros on the board. Carlson, who is the 19th ranked righthanded pitcher nationally, showed two very good off-speed pitches in a slider and changeup. Each had consistent, late movement that proved to be very difficult for hitters to barrel on Monday afternoon. There is little doubt that the future Gator will continue to add velocity and be an impact starter in Gainesville over the next four years.

Alex Binelas (2018, Oak Creek, Wis.), who was mentioned in Days 1-2 notes for his power potential, showed his overall barrel control and knack for base hits. Binelas collected three hits in three at-bats, two of which were off of Carlson.

Tommy Springer (2018, Apple Valley, Minn.) received the win in the championship game against the Nerbraska Prospects 2018 Kenny. The Missouri Tigers commit tossed a no-hitter while striking out three batters over five innings of work in a shortened 8-0 run-rule game. The 6-foot 190-pound righthanded pitcher was able to induce weak groundballs throughout the game due to his over-the-top release that generated very good downward angle to the plate. Springer sat between 85-88 mph while topping at 89 late in his second inning of work. Springers fantastic performance on the mound earned him Most Valuable Pitcher honors and the Minnesota Blizzard Blue a trip to Jupiter, Florida for the WWBA World Championship later this month.

The Most Valuable Player went to before mentioned Drew Gilin. Gilin was outstanding all tournament long, producing big hit after big hit to lead the Nebraska Prospects to the championship game. Gilin finished the Kernels Foundation Tournament with a .643 batting average (9 hits in 14 at-bats), three doubles, four RBI, five runs scored and a stellar 1.594 slugging percentage. Gilin and the rest of the Nebraska Prospects hope to continue their string of good baseball this week at the WWBA Underclass World Championship in Fort Myers, Florida.
Give us your feedback
Tournaments | Story | 1/9/2026

PG Leaderboard: Class of 2030
Jheremy Brown
Article Image
Complete PG Leaderboard Database PG Leaderboard: Class of 2026 | Class of 2027 | Class of 2028 | Class of 2029 Today we wrap up our reviews of the 2026 thru 2030 class where we looked back on some of the eye opening metrics we saw from around the country, both in a showcase and tournament setting. To those not inside the youth baseball world, some of the metrics below would seem truly unattainable from current 8th graders, from the pair of 90 mph heaters courtesy of Amani Tuiasosopo and Kingston George, to upper-80s velocity from all over the field and multiple players north of 90 mph on the exit velocity testing (with wood), this 2030 class is one that has a chance to be special as we continue to watch it unfold moving forward.  Top Fastball Velocity  Rk Player FB Event School Hometown 1 Amani Tuiasosopo 90 2025 WWBA 14U World Championship Renton...
Read More
College | Rankings | 1/13/2026

Top 100 Collegiate Sophomores

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
Top 100 Collegiate Freshmen As we creep toward opening day here in a month or so, the draft team has put together the Top 100 sophomores on campus this spring.  This list is chalk full of talent, with future draft prospects littered top to bottom. The headliner of this group is Derek Curiel, a draft eligible sophomore that took the SEC by storm last spring. The Perfect Game All-American posted a .990 OPS over the course of a full season and is projected to vault himself further up the board during his ‘26 campaign. An electric arm in Dax Whitney follows up Curiel, with Strosnider, Lawson and Franco rounding out the top five.  Keep tabs on the draft eligible sophomores in this group come the summer. The rest of the pack are eligible for next year’s draft and figure to feature at the top of many draft lists in ‘27.  Rk. Name Level Pos. B-T School Hometown...
Read More
Draft | Rankings | 1/12/2026

Top 100 Collegiate Freshmen

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
As we creep toward opening day here in a month or so, the draft team has put together the Top 100 freshmen on campus this spring.  Three high-end arms lead the way, starting with Jack Bauer. The Mississippi State left-hander reached triple digits as a prep and is sure to make an immediate impact this spring. UCLA right-hander Angel Cervantes was selected in the 2nd round of last year’s draft but held firm on his commitment and should be an impact arm for the Bruins. Following the arms, a collection of bats rounds out the Top 10. There is loads of upside to the group with the potential and they should draw considerable playing time as freshman.  As the list gets deeper, there are plenty of players that should pop up and make significant contributions both this year and years down the line. The class has both depth and talent, making for a very intriguing group of...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 1/8/2026

PG Leaderboard: Class of 2029

Jheremy Brown
Article Image
Complete PG Leaderboard Database PG Leaderboard: Class of 2026 | Class of 2027 | Class of 2028 These players below are just entering their freshmen year's of high school, a scary though as you scroll through the 11 categories and see some of the eye opening numbers from the fastballs to the infield and outfield velocities, down to the Diamond Kinetic testing and their three sub-categories.  Top Fastball Velocity Rk Player FB Event Commitment School Hometown 1 Brody McCorkle 92 2025 18U PG Mid-Atlantic Fall Elite Championship Uncommitted Ranney Forked River, NJ 1 Caleb Polk 92 2025 14U Perfect Game Select Festival Uncommitted IMG Academy Dallas, TX 1 Knox Myers 92 2025 PG WWBA Freshman World Championship Uncommitted East Bay Riverview, FL 2 Alex Bello 91 2025 16U PG Fall World Series Uncommitted Montverde Academy Orlando, FL 2 Alex Bello 91 2025 14U Perfect Game...
Read More
College | Story | 1/9/2026

LSU Reloads & Returns; Opens No. 1

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
“How do you get to success? You have to honor the process that you built to get to that success…The standard is how we operate, train, and get better each day.”” Process-oriented leadership is a popular coaching strategy here in the mid-2020s but no one exemplifies that more than LSU head coach Jay Johnson. He’s won the Tigers two national titles during his time in Baton Rouge and expectations won’t be any lower in 2026 as LSU is the No. 1 team in the country in Perfect Game’s Preseason Top 25.  Johnson is heading into his fifth season at the helm in Baton Rouge and it’s fair to say that he has already experienced enormous success. There have been two national titles in four years (2023, 2025), a Golden Spikes winner (Dylan Crews, 2023), a first overall MLB Draft pick (Paul Skenes, 2023), and five first-round MLB Draft picks during...
Read More
Press Release | Press Release | 1/7/2026

PG Announces Naming Rights in Chesterfield

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
    667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923  www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA      FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE    PERFECT GAME AND FIRST COMMUNITY CREDIT UNION ANNOUNCE CHESTERFIELD ATHLETIC COMPLEX    Landmark Partnership to Center on Community, Inclusion and Youth Sports    Chesterfield, Missouri (Wednesday, January 7, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, along with the City of Chesterfield, today announced  an exclusive naming rights partnership with First Community Credit Union (FCCU) for the Chesterfield Valley Athletic Complex. Effective immediately, the venue will be known as the “Chesterfield First Community Athletic...
Read More
College | Rankings | 1/8/2026

2026 Preseason Top 25

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
With an interesting and action-packed fall behind us, a new college season is just around the corner. The college game continues to prove it is alive and well as the Division 1 team count has now ballooned to 308 teams for the 2026 season. With new legislation allowing teams 5-weeks to prepare for opening day, many student athletes have returned to campus and will begin skill related workouts soon. Opening Day, as usual, will fall on Valentine’s Day weekend and it is just six weeks away. After a fall of evaluation and months of research and discussion, we are ready to release our annual Perfect Game pre-season Top 25 poll. After winning 53-games, hosting the NCAA Regional and Super Region, and sweeping their way through the College World, the LSU Tigers will debut the 2026 season as our No.1 ranked team. Head coach, Jay Johnson, has now led the Tigers to two national titles in the...
Read More
College | Story | 1/7/2026

Preseason Collegiate All-Americans

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
The transfer portal, JUCO gems, 6th year waivers and impact freshman; following the college game and figuring out rosters is basically a fulltime job nowadays. This is the new norm, and while the baseball purist may not like it, the college game has never been more exciting. It looks like 2026 is shaping up to be an incredible season with the balance of power seemingly spread out evenly from coast to coast. Like we seem to say every year, the depth and quality of talent has never been better, and the 2026 Perfect Game Pre-Season All-American teams will attest to that fact.With the 2026 College Baseball season is just around the corner, the Perfect Game college staff will have you loaded with coverage heading into the new year. On the heels of our Pre-Season Top 25 poll, the All-American list will be headlined by a banner sophomore class on the 1st team. The sweet lefthanded swings of...
Read More
College | Recruiting | 1/6/2026

Recruiting Notebook: January 6

Michael Albee
Article Image
Griffin Boesen (‘27, IA) shoots this one backside down the line. Adds his second hit of the day. Picked up a base knock. Physical LH bat w/ an ability to drive the baseball here. @IowaPG @PG_Uncommitted @CanesMidwest #WWBAWorlds https://t.co/pmpIzaAbLz pic.twitter.com/Qz0CHiS3P1 — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) October 13, 2025 Griffin Boesen, Class of 2027 Commitment: Duke Another top 100 prospect is off the board as the Corey Muscara led Duke Blue Devils picked up a physical two-way prospect in Boesen out of Florida recently. At 6-foot-5, 205 pounds, Boesen looks the part of a middle of the order type slugger and he's just that, showing lots of looseness and bat speed in his left-handed stroke and is coming off a Jupiter where he hit .700 (!!) as an underclassman while driving in 10 runs. The bat-to-ball skills are obvious as he simply hit at all the big stops in 2025,...
Read More
Tournaments | Story | 1/7/2026

PG Leaderboard: Class of 2028

Jheremy Brown
Article Image
Complete PG Leaderboard Database PG Leaderboard: Class of 2026 | Class of 2027 Well, the fastball department is dominated by two arms in particular with Striker Pence and Dexter McCleon Jr. combining for almost 200 mph of velo between them on their peak heaters in 2025. That's just absolutely insane. The freakiness of the class continues down the boards with a 6.26 60-yard from Colton Fitzgibbon to the 88 mph hand cannon of Grant Arnold behind the plate to Christian Lux's 106 (!!!) mph exit velocity, this class has out of this world chart toppers. Even scarier? They don't graduate for another three years... Top Fastball Velocity Rk Player FB Event Commitment School Hometown 1 Striker Pence 101 2025 PG WWBA World Championship Uncommitted Santiago Corona, CA 2 Striker Pence 99 2025 PG 17U World Series - National Uncommitted Santiago Corona, CA 2 Striker Pence 99 2025 PG 16U WWBA...
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.