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| 2,414 MLB PLAYERS | 15,806 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,414 MLB PLAYERS | 15,806 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
College  | Story | 4/9/2026

Coppy's Corner: April 6 POY Deep Dive

I’m beyond thrilled to be a contributor to Perfect Game, widely recognized as the premier organization for amateur baseball. Working in baseball operations for the New York Yankees and Atlanta Braves for nearly 20 years, the importance of amateur baseball cannot be understated. Nobody does it better and I am honored to be working with great baseball people like Jered Goodwin, Vinnie Cervino, Craig Cozart, and many others. 

Each week I huddle with Vinnie and Craig to discuss Top 25 rankings and Players of the Week. In "Coppy’s Corner", I will dive deeper into these Players of the Week, providing analysis from 20+ years working in baseball front offices at the highest level. My hope is that you will enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it. 



Player of the Week: Andrew Williamson – University of Central Florida (UCF) 

Williamson can flat-out hit. While he had a great week, the left-handed hitting outfielder from St. Petersburg, Florida, has had a great three-year career at UCF. The nephew of 15-year MLB veteran Sean Rodriguez – a really good player himself who I actually signed when I was General Manager of the Atlanta Braves – Williamson has a definite MLB future. He’s draft-eligible and will be a young player (only 20 years old until July 21st) who fits a lot of teams’ models as a left-handed bat with a great hit approach, good plate discipline, and developing power. Williamson doesn’t miss much with only a 23% overall miss rate, and only a 17% miss rate on Fastballs. Williamson posted a 1.110 OPS in 2025 at UCF, a .904 OPS for Hyannis in the Cape Cod League, and, currently, has 1.139 OPS in 2026 at UCF. 

Carry Tool: Hit. Williamson has performed every season and continues to improve, adding power as he continues to mature. The interesting thing about his 2026 season is that he’s hit so much better on the Road (.439 AVG/1.497 OPS) than he has hit at Home (.280 AVG/.924 OPS). In other words, in every other ballpark besides his home park, he’s part-Ted Williams and part-Barry Bonds. 

Pitcher of the Week: Chase Frey – Grand Canyon University 

Even after Friday’s Complete Game Shutout, Frey still has a 5.19 ERA on the season. However, a closer look reveals a prospect with upside as a 6’6 lefty who sits 91-92 with a vicious hard SL 80-81 that has generated 41% miss rate and 44% chase rate this season. The Las Vegas native rarely uses a CH, as it has accounted for 2% of his total pitches thrown this season. Despite that, he has reverse splits, having allowed .325 AVG and .838 OPS to left-handed hitters .222 AVG and .651 OPS to right-handed hitters. However, that is a small sample size as Frey only has 40 At-Bats vs. left-handed hitters. Given his size and projectability at 6’6/225, this is the kind of pitcher who could really take off with the right development in pro ball. Frey is draft-eligible in 2026, and Friday night’s start was the best of his career. It couldn’t have come at a better time, and he will be a great follow heading into the draft. 

Carry Tool: Slider. Numbers like 41% miss rate and 44% chase rate are pretty special. So are 36 SO vs. 9 BB in 34.2 Innings Pitched, which means the 5.19 ERA is not only incredibly deceptive but more likely completely irrelevant. Lefties come later, and you give me a 6’6 lefty with a wipeout SL and a 4/1 SO/BB ratio, who continues to get better, and you have my full attention.  

Freshman of the Week: Cam Righi – University of Connecticut 

Righi is a big and powerful catcher at 6’4/232 and he has already hit 8 HR in 96 AB. There’s room for some improved plate discipline with 8 BB vs 25 SO thus far, but, again, this is a freshman who is hitting .375 AVG with a .430 OBP, .708 SLG, and 1.138 OPS. As a freshman. As a catcher. And he’s a left-handed hitter. I don’t know if he can stick at catcher with his size – he’s so young he could still be growing – but there’s a chance for a more physical Ben Rice here, and that’s a really good thing. The Connecticut native won’t be draft-eligible until 2028, and it will be fun to see how Righi’s hit approach and power continue to develop. There is already something special here, and it goes way beyond last weekend’s amazing performance.  

Carry Tool: Power. In 1887, noted baseball savant Lord Acton said, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Well, Righi is absolutely corrupting Big East pitching with his power and he’s still only 19 years old. Teams are always looking for left-handed power and it’s scary/exciting to think about what this might look like in a couple of years with continued development.  

National Nuggets (things that caught my eye this week): Perfect Game’s Mid-Season Player of the Year is Arizona State’s Landon Hairston and his numbers are more beautiful than a Grand Canyon sunset: .461 AVG/.538 OBP/1.016 SLG/1.555 OPS … to put this into perspective, fellow Sun Devil Spencer Torkelson was taken #1 overall in 2020 with a .340 AVG/.598 OBP/.780 SLG/1.378 OPS and he was a 1B! … Hairston, of course, is a CF and also left-handed, and has already drawn some comps to another young left-handed outfielder across town: Corbin Carroll … Hairston isn’t draft-eligible until 2027, and is making a case to be the 5th player in Arizona State history to go #1 overall along with Torkelson (2020), Bob Horner (1978), Floyd Bannister (1976), and Rick Monday (1965) … there’s still a long way to go and Dax Whitney at Oregon, the Paul Skenes to Hariston’s Corbin Carroll, may have something to say about who is on the top of draft boards next season (more on him next week) 


 

College | Rankings | 4/22/2026

DII/DIII/NAIA Rankings Update: April 22

Nick Herfordt
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The final weeks of the college baseball regular season have a way of separating programs that are genuinely postseason-ready from those that have simply been good enough for long enough. Conference tournaments loom, selection committees are paying close attention, and every game on the schedule carries weight that it simply didn't in February. This week's action, combined with the latest Perfect Game Top 25, paints a picture of a college baseball landscape where the top is clearly defined — and where the middle is a genuine battle. What follows is a cross-level look at teams across the NAIA, NCAA Division II, and NCAA Division III ranks who find themselves in that uncomfortable space: not safely in, not clearly out, but firmly on the bubble. Some have built compelling résumés that should hold up under scrutiny. Others have excellent records against soft competition...
Softball | Softball Tournament | 4/22/2026

PG Softball Battle for the Belt

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Perfect Game Softball Battle for the Belt April 18-19, 2026 Des Moines, Iowa It was a cold and very windy weekend, but the girls still came out and put in their best efforts. If you wanted the place to see some of the state’s top talent, this was the tournament to be at. The 18u division was quite the slugfest! The Ankeny Centennial 18U -Kennedy team took down a tough Iowa Alliance Select-Benge team in the championship. Both teams had double digit homeruns on the weekend. In the 16u division the Iowa Aries CE Fire Black took control of the game from the start and never let up on the gas, taking down a solid Alliance Select- Harper team. 18U Division Kori Lincicum (2026 Ankeny, IA) of the Centennial Jaguars- Kennedy and Drake Bulldog softball commit was the weekends MVP Pitcher. Lincicum defeated a tough Alliance team in the championship game finishing with that game with 11...
Juco | Rankings | 4/22/2026

JUCO Top 25: April 22

Blaine Peterson
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Another week down and Johnson County continues their torrid run to remain at number 1. They're 46-2 on the season with multiple hitters over 25 bombs which is astonishing for the level as the Cavs have announced themselves as title favorites. Just a couple of weeks left heading down the stretch and our field remains mostly the same with the two additions of midwest powerhouse Iowa Western and the Warriors of East Central who will have a tough test Wednesday in Poplarville against fellow Mississippi adversary Pearl River in a mid-week double header.   Rk. School Record 1 Johnson County (KS) 46-2 2 Gaston (NC) 47-3 3 Walters State (TN) 42-10 4 McLennan (TX) 38-8 5 Southern Nevada (NV) 33-9 6 Chipola (FL) 39-9 7 Blinn (TX) 33-12 8 Florida Southwestern (FL) 32-13 9 Florence-Darlington (SC) 42-10 10 Pearl River (MS) 39-9 11 Cloud County (KS) 40-4 12 Cochise (AZ) 39-11 13 Midland (TX)...
High School | Rankings | 4/21/2026

High School Top 50 Update: April 21

Tyler Russo
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Another few weeks have wrapped up this high school season as we’re flying through the spring and most southern states are starting playoffs right around the corner. With the end of the regular season, we have another National Top 50 update to bring to you, along with this will be the start of the weekly editions of our National Top 50. We have a change at the top of the rankings as Venice (FL) takes over the top spot after just dominating their competition in the state of Florida this year. Orange Lutheran (CA) drops one spot to No. 2 after dropping a series but still holds firm at No. 2 in the country. Barbe (LA) has continued to dominate and holds onto the No. 3 spot while Tomball (TX) skyrockets in this update to No. 4 in the country, currently holding an incredible 30-0-1 record. The rest of the top-10 is names we’ve become accustomed to see with Aledo (TX) at No. 5, IMG...
Tournaments | Story | 4/21/2026

Southeast Super NIT #2 Scout Notes

Jason Phillips
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Chase Jelks (‘30 GA)- with a long double to deep CF. Huge day from the primary SS, 5-for-6 w/ 4 doubles & 6 RBI. #SESuperNIT @TheDreamBall @PG_Georgia https://t.co/biFSzXCrUt pic.twitter.com/HCQMduedb5 — Perfect Game Youth (@PGYouthBB) April 20, 2026 Chase Jelks (’30, Atlanta, Ga.)- the left-handed hitting Jelks was all over the barrel on Sunday in a pair of games for The Dream 14U Black. He finished the day with five hits in six at-bats which included four doubles and six runs batted in. His two doubles and four runs batted in played a big part in the Gold Playoffs Round 1 victory over the talented BPA squad out of California. He backed up that performance with three more hits in a quarterfinal’s loss to the East Cobb Astros 14U Orange to finish the tournament with a .600 batting average and 1.636 on-base plus slugging percentage. A primary utility infielder,...
PG Select Baseball Festival | General | 4/21/2026

Select Festival Dates/Locations Announced

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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 ANNOUNCES DATES AND VENUES FOR   2026 SLATE OF SELECT FESTIVALS    Sanford, Florida (Tuesday, April 21, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced dates and venues for its 2026 Select Festivals, a premiere series of invitation-only events showcasing many of the nation’s top young prospects at the 11U, 12U, 13U and 14U levels.    The Select Festivals provide elite players with a unique opportunity to compete alongside and against the best talent in their age group while experiencing a...
College | Story | 4/21/2026

College Players of the Week: April 21

Vincent Cervino
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April 21st Perfect Game/Player of the Week:  Tague Davis, IF, Louisville  The Louisville Cardinals (22-18) haven’t been able to get themselves in much of a groove this spring, their longest winning streak is 5-games, and they are (4-6) in their last 10-games.  The issue has not been the offense as the Cardinals are averaging over 8-runs per game and Tague Davis is leading the club in virtually every offensive category.  His calling card is his 70-grade power and that was on display last weekend in their series against Cal.  In the three-game series, Davis went 7 for 12, scoring 4 runs, launching 5 home runs and collected 7 RBIs.  The 6-4/220 lefthanded hitter from West Chester, PA has a pure stroke, is one of the premier power hitters in the nation and has significantly improved his plate discipline from a year ago.  After his big weekend, he is...
Press Release | Press Release | 4/20/2026

PG & EventConnect Extend Collaboration

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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 AND EVENTCONNECT EXTEND COLLABORATION FOCUSED ON SCALE, SERVICE AND EXPERIENCE    Sanford, Florida (Monday, April 20, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced the renewal and expansion of its long-standing housing and technology partnership with EventConnect, reaffirming a shared commitment to innovation, scale and best-in-class experiences for athletes, families and event operators across North America.    The renewed multi-year agreement extends a successful partnership that has helped Perfect Game...
College | Rankings | 4/20/2026

College Top 25: April 20

Vincent Cervino
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As the old saying goes, “all good things must come to an end” and that was the case last Tuesday when UCLA (36-3) saw their 27-game win streak come to an end in a shutout loss to UCSB.  However, the No. 1 team in the land still has their 21-game winning streak in Big Ten to protect, as they have started off league play without a single blemish.  The Bruins will remain atop our poll this week and their historical start to the season roll on.  The UNC Tarheels (33-7-1) move up to No. 2 this week after they made their biggest statement of the year by taking the weekend series from now No. 4 Georgia Tech (32-7).  No. 3 Texas (30-8) and No. 5 Georgia (32-9) both went (3-1) on the week and won their SEC series to stay in contention for the regular season title.  Florida State (28-11) had a nice bounce back (4-0) week and re-enter the Top 10 at No. 8 this...
College | Story | 4/16/2026

Coppy's Corner: April 16 POY Deep Dive

John Coppolella
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Each week I huddle with Vinnie Cervino and Craig Cozart  to discuss Top-25 rankings and Players of the Week. In Coppy’s Corner, I dive deeper into these Players of the Week, providing analysis from 20+ years working in baseball front offices at the highest level.   Player of the Week: Jaquae Stewart – Texas State University  If you squint a little bit, you can see some Josh Naylor or Dominic Smith in Jaquae Stewart, with a stout build like a more powerful version of the teacup from the children’s song. Lately, the Sun Belt Conference has been child’s play for Stewart as he has been on fire showing an improved hit approach and power that tracks more with his 2024 performance at Northwest Florida State College than with his 2025 experience at the University of Texas. It’s tough for any player to jump from a JUCO in Florida to the big stage...
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