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 | 9/8/2018

East Labor Day Scout Notes

Perfect Game Tournament Staff

A talented collection of experienced ball players journeyed to Fort Myers over the Labor Day weekend to battle for the Perfect Game/WWBA East Labor Classic championships. Even with the prospect of Tropical Storm Gordan zeroing in on Southwest Florida, teams and players stayed focused and played at a very high level.

The Cape Coral-based Florida Sox were paced by a number of quality players as the local nine played fundamentally sound baseball all weekend. The Sox leadoff hitter and shortstop Kevin Reyes (2021, Fort Myers, Fla.) swung a great bat and flashed consistent leather for the entirety of the tournament. The 5-foot-10, 140-pound Cypress Lake HS sophomore showed soft hands, quick feet and advanced arm strength in holding down the key middle infield position. He also proved to be a sound top-of-the-order hitter for his club. He used a patient approach and a quick, compact swing to spray line drives from gap-to-gap.

Travis Ronco (2019, Alva, Fla.) toed the rubber in the Sox first game on Friday evening and was solid from the first pitch on. The 6-foot-3, 180-pound righthander used a solid three-pitch mix and masterful command and control to turn in a commendable performance. He was relived late in the ball game by the Sox bulldog of a closer, Jean Espinal (2019, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic). The 5-foot-9, 170-pound Espinal is a gamer who works fast and with a purpose. He used a sound two-pitch mix that was highlighted by an 84-86 mph fastball that showed both arm-side run and sink. His breaking ball was a deceptive 11-to-5 spinning slider that was a solid out-pitch.

The Sox three-hole hitter, Juan Javier (2019, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic), flashed pull-side pop and advanced bat-to-ball ability in pacing the Cape Coral club offensively. The lefthanded hitting Cenapal HS senior used a patient approach and a flat bat path to consistently drive the ball to the pull side.

Playing out of Cayey, Puerto Rico, was the SBO 18u club. The fundamentally sound SBO team was paced by their No. 1 pitcher, Keniel Cruz (2019, Cayey, Puerto Rico), and their three-hole hitter and third baseman, Luis Miranda (2019, Cayey, Puerto Rico).

The righthanded tossing, 5-foot-10, 170-pound Cruz used a low three-quarters arm slot and a long, whippy arm action to dominate the action. His lower arm slot was very deceptive and led to a lot of poor swings. His very heavy two-seam fastball was consistently clocked in the 82-84 mph range and appeared to have much more velocity because of the late sinking life this pitch showed at the plate. His complementary slider (71-73 mph) was a knee-buckler that produced a lot of bad swings.

Miranda was a tough out hitting in the three-spot. He used a short and quick swing path and confident bat-to-ball ability to drive the ball from gap-to-gap. He also flashed a very sound glove and a strong, projectable arm at the hot corner.

Pacing BAM Baseball 17u were Andre Vidal (2021, Miami, Fla.) and William Garcia (2020, Miami, Fla.). Vidal is a very accomplished shortstop who shows projectable abilities defensively. His feet are very quick and he shows outstanding anticipatory skills in getting into position to routinely make each play. His glove and arm will play at the next level and his baseball IQ is that of a player much his senior. Garcia handled the BAM pitching staff like an accomplished veteran. He sets low in his stance and ably presents each pitch for the umpire. He has very quick feet and gains ground to throw with confidence. His quick trigger and strong arm get the ball on its way and on target in under two seconds.

The Grizzlies Baseball Club left fielder and two-hole hitter, Justin Farmer (2019, Middleburg, Fla.), was sound both offensively and defensively. The righthanded swinger used a patient approach and a flat, inside-out path the drive the ball up the middle and to the off field with consistent confidence. He is also an advanced baserunner who flashed plus speed. Defensively, Farmer is athletic enough to play center field and has a strong enough arm to play right field.

Central Florida Play Hard 18u played outstanding baseball all weekend. Their roster was comprised of a number of fundamentally sound players and they were paced by two standouts.

Gabriel Cruz (2020, Orlando, Fla.) was their gifted third baseman and two-hole hitter. The 5-foot-11, 155-pound Timber Creek HS junior is a mature hitter who really understands the expectations hitting in that spot in the order. He is patient and has a great understanding of the strike zone. He has a flat path and shows the ability to hit the ball to all parts of the field. His bat path is quick enough to pull the ball and disciplined enough to hit behind the runner. He is very sound at third base and shows excellent footwork and outstanding lateral movement, especially to his glove side. His arm is strong and consistently accurate.

Tanner Oakley (2020, Lakeland, Fla.) proved to be one of the top catchers in the tournament. The solidly built 6-foot-1, 175-pound backstop is an excellent catch-and-throw receiver. He calls an advanced game and keeps his fielders involved and his pitchers focused. His consistent 1.95 pop times limited opponents’ running game.

South Florida Select ran Matthew Varela (2020, Hialeah, Fla.) out to the mound on Saturday and he certainly did not disappoint. The 6-foot, 180-pound righty used almost perfect mechanics, pinpoint command and control and a very accomplished three-pitch mix to get his team off the field in short order every inning. His 82-85 mph fastball showed late life up in the zone and consistent run and sink down. His 12-to-6 breaking curveball was thrown with tight spin and was a sharp, late breaker. His changeup was a very sound and advanced pitch that was thrown with the same action and out of the same window as his fastball. His change was a great equalizer and a go-to out-pitch against lefthanded hitters.

No club showed as well as the Ostingers team out of Lithia, Florida. Just about every player who took the field for the green-and-black-clad Florida club was worthy of recognition.

Sean (Grady) Maguire (2020, Tampa, Fla.) is the smooth fielding shortstop for Ostingers and his glove will certainly play at the next level. His arm is sound and shows consistent carry and accuracy. He is a very accomplished and mature lefthanded swinging two-hole hitter who truly understands his role in his team’s relentless offense. He is very disciplined and never chases out of the zone. He takes a lot of pitches which allows his team to aggressively run the bases.

Maguire’s mate at the top of the order is Ostingers leadoff hitter Bryce Hazzard (2019, Valrico, Fla.). The Bloomingdale HS senior is a sound, switch-hitting stick. He hunts fastballs and uses an aggressive, inside-out path and a keen eye to drive the ball consistently up the middle and to the off field. When on base, he is a gifted baserunner who will steal a bag and take the extra base. He is also a very solid center fielder who takes charge of the outfield and make all the plays in either gap allowing his corner outfield mates to play closer to their respective lines.

Manning the hot corner for Ostingers was their three-hole hitter Brock Wilken (2020, Valrico, Fla.). Athletically built at 6-foot-3, 202-pounds, Wilken is a gifted slugger who can drive the ball with authority to either gap. He incorporates a solid lower half in every pass and has a slugger’s lift at contact. He is also a very capable third baseman who has plus lateral movement and a sound and true throwing arm.

Zachary Devito (2020, Lithia, Fla.), while not a high velocity thrower, knows how to pitch. The Newsome HS sophomore mixed and matched his well-commanded fastball, with a sharp-breaking curveball and an ability to work both edges and pitch backwards. No opponent had a comfortable at-bat against the poised righthander. He missed a lot of barrels for the duration of his outing.

The Ostingers club had a complete staff that helped pace the club throughout the weekend. Durant HS righthander Nathan Hood (2019, Lithia, Fla.) used a high three-quarters arm slot and smooth, easy, repeatable mechanics to dominate his outing, His fastball, which showed riding life up and to the glove side and running, sinking life down and to the arm side, was consistently clocked in the 84-86 mph range. His 11-to-5 breaking slider was a dominant out-pitch that was thrown between 72-74 mph.

Trevor Finan (2020, Lithia, Fla.) was a picture of poise and composure as he turned in a solid performance on Saturday. The 6-foot, 155-pound righty used a quick and strong arm action to consistently pound the zone with an 84-86 mph fastball, a 72-73 mph slider that showed frisbee-like break at the dish, and a bat-missing 76 mph tumbling changeup that was thrown out of the same window as his fastball.

– Jerry Miller



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.