THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
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2,434 MLB PLAYERS | 15,806 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Tournaments  | Story | 1/20/2014

PG MLK Scouting Recap Day 3

Photo: Perfect Game

This is part three of a three-part series highlighting some of the players who stood out from a scouting standpoint at the 2014 PG MLK Championship at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Ariz. It is by no means comprehensive, but rather the observations and opinions of one scout.



With one day of games remaining, the scouting highlight of the 2014 PG MLK Championship belongs to 2015 catcher Michael Hickman (Katy, Texas), who made the biggest splash of the weekend by crushing a no doubt home run that landed in the pond well beyond the right field fence on field six of the White Sox spring training complex. Hickman is one of the premier power bat in the 2015 class and this jaw dropping shot reaffirms that status. He also had a single and a triple in a 3-for-3 game with four RBI.

After working out with several other highly sought after 2014 MLB Draft prospects at a nearby Spring Training complex this morning, outfielders Marcus Wilson and Denz'l Chapman rushed over to the Camelback Ranch complex to join their Team Citius Inner City Elite teammates in the second inning. The duo of speedy outfielders who are also high school teammates, each put their wheels to use. After walking his first time up Wilson legged out an infield single by getting down the line in 4.25 seconds before taking second on a ball in the dirt and stealing third with a huge jump. The impressive home to first time was a bit slower than his usual times, partly as a result of having just worked out earlier in the morning and partly as a result of a late start getting out of the box on a check swing. Chapman's highlight of the game was a well struck foul ball to the pullside while hitting lefty, and he also ran down a ball in the left center gap.

Wilson is a high ceiling prospect who enters the spring as a top two round candidate and will be crosschecked heavily between now and June, while Chapman will draw plenty of interest as well.

After taking the mound earlier in the tournament, 2014 righthander Dakody Clemmer (Vancouver, Wash.) was called upon to keep a close game close for Showtime Baseball. The funky right hander's funkiness was matched by his effectiveness. He throws from a sidearm slot with a short arm action with an angle to the plate from the third base side. He located his mid-upper 80s fastball on both corners, finishing off the inning with a tailing 88 mph fastball on the glove side corner for a called third strike. The fastball tails back hard to the arm side as a result of his cross-fire delivery that has some resemblance to that of big leaguer Pat Neshek. He also showed a deep sweeping mid 70s slider that played well off of his fastball. Clemmer struck out two of the three hitters he faced and threw 10 of his 13 pitches for strikes.

2014 outfielder Alec Chaney (Vancouver, Wash.) stood out in his first at-bat for turning on the ball and driving it hard to the pullside for a hard hit out. While the balls he put into play were all to the pullside, the foul ball that he crushed the opposite way was the hardest hit ball of the game and was a positive development, even if it doesn't show up in his spray chart. He also showed good closing speed and direct routes in center field. While he lacks the ideal height for an outfield prospect at 6-foot and 180 pounds, he showed good tools on both sides and is a player who made a good first impression, in spite of an 0-for-4 day.

The instincts and actions of 2014 shortstop Tyler Friis (Auburn, Wash.) were sneaky good. His best play of the game came on a ground ball that he fielded behind the second base bag and then immediately glove flipped the ball to the second baseman in one motion for an inning ending force out. He made several other smooth plays that you wouldn't expect from a 5-foot-9 shortstop with no flashiness to his game. He also showed a very compact swing with good balance and timing, hitting the ball back up the middle consistently.

He's been highlighted in this space already this weekend, but his performance demands repeat mention, so here is an update on 2015 infielder John Cresto (San Diego, Calif.): He went 2-for-2 with a walk today, including a laser shot that left the bat at 100 mph, to move him to 5-for-7 on the tournament. He'll enter the playoffs among a group of MVP candidates.

2015 outfielder Chris Botsoe (Hinsdale, Ill.) went 2-for-4 out of the leadoff spot for the Indiana Landsharks, showed quick hand acceleration with an easy swing, and hit one ball that came off the bat at 91 mph. He also runs well and is a good all around athlete with solid range in center field.

2014 shortstop Ryan Day (Rancho Cuccamunga, Calif.) had a two hit game at the plate and is a very well rounded prospect with solid tools across the board already. His hands at shortstop and release time are the highlight of his game, though his arm strength doesn't lag far behind and he can even touch 90 mph when he takes the mound as a secondary pitcher. While he's a bit immature physically, he shows surprising bat speed for a player whose stature at 6-foot and 165 pounds would suggest that he's a light hitting middle infielder, but he makes up for his lack of present strength with bat speed. If he makes it on campus at Duke, where he is committed, the Blue Devils will have themselves a very good asset who has a chance to develop into a very good prospect.



Camelback Buzz
Since it's impossible to watch every game with up to 15 fields in use at one time, it is impossible to cover every game. But there were several performances that created a buzz around the Camelback Ranch complex, the spring training home of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago White Sox.
 
 

2016 outfielder Blake Rutherford (Simi Valley, Calif.) continued to show off his power development again today, hitting a grand slam that was described as a "moon shot."

2014 shortstop and righthanded pitcher Travis Sanders (Lake Oswego, Oregon) ran his fastball up to 88 mph and paired it with a mid 70s breaking ball with good spin. He struck out seven over four innings of work.

2016 righthanded pitcher Trevor Franklin (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) struck out 17 in a complete game four hit shutout of the Arizona Pilots, throwing 62.2 percent of his pitches for strikes.

2015 shortstop and righthanded pitcher Zack Kesterson (New Hartford, N.Y.)  impressed yet again and after playing three games his name has been mentioned prominently by the scout covering that field following each game. He tripled to the left field corner in the game on a very well struck ball.

2015 lefthanded pitcher Tyler Watson (Gilbert, Ariz.) topped out at 85 mph on the mound and went 2-for-2 with a long home run and a walk at the plate.

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,...
High School | General | 5/7/2026

High School Notebook: May 7

Cam McElwaney
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Ryder Bell, LHP, Hamilton (AZ) Bell got the ball for Hamilton in the first round of playoff action and did not blink. The young left-hander tosses 6 2/3 strong innings with four strikeouts and just one walk. Bell faced some adversity at times with runners on, but consistently competed and found a way out of most jams. An athletic operation with intent is shown on the mound. Bell throws from a lower 3/4 slot that can create a tough angle. The fastball worked 82-85 mph with armside run. It paired well with a sweeper at 70-72 mph. Bell attacked the zone with both pitches often and landed the sweeper arm side consistently. The stuff has already shown it can play against quality lineups. Bell should be a fun name to monitor over the next couple years.    Cory Wuttke (‘27, AZ) hammers this out to LF for solo 💣. Multi-hit performance. Stays compact with strength at contact....
College | Story | 5/7/2026

Coppy's Corner: May 7 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: Tyce Armstrong – Baylor University  Armstrong is a big man with a big bat that produces big power. Just the second player in the history of Baylor to reach 20 HR in a single season – if you knew the other one was Charley Carter in 1998, you get the gold star – Armstrong brings an impact bat that can turn the game around with one swing. Listed at 6’4 / 228 he is Texas-strong and has been tearing up the Big 12 this season. Armstrong spent his first three season at the University of Texas – Arlington before transferring to Baylor for the 2026 season. He had a...
High School | Rankings | 5/6/2026

High School Top 50 Update: May 6

Tyler Russo
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Another week of high school baseball has come and gone across the country, and we have another update as we continue to roll to the finish of the high school seasons in the southern states in just a few weeks. Regular seasons are wrapping up across the country and playoffs are deep in progress down south, with every update there’s some movement inside the High School Top 50 along with a few new names breaking in. The top-10 remains very similar at the top with Venice (FL) holding onto the No. 1 position for the third straight update. Tomball (TX) jumps up to No. 2 as they continue to rattle of wins with Orange Lutheran (CA), Aledo (TX), and IMG Academy (FL) rounding out the top 5. Trinity (KY) and Harvard-Westlake (CA) sit at No. 6 and No. 7 respectively with a trio of new teams inside the top-10 in Magnolia Heights (MS) at No. 8, Norco (CA) at No. 9, and South Walton (FL) and No....
College | Rankings | 5/6/2026

DII/DIII/NAIA Rankings Update: May 6

Nick Herfordt
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Records and rankings tell you who has won. Résumé tells you who can win. Every season when the final regular season rankings are released the natural instinct is to point at the team sitting at number one and label them the favorite. That instinct is understandable — those programs have earned their place at the top of the table, and none of them should be dismissed.   Alas, college baseball has a way of humbling the polls when the bracket opens. The teams that survive the NCAA Tournament and the NAIA World Series are rarely the ones with the prettiest record — they are the ones who have been tested repeatedly by elite competition and passed those tests at the highest rate in the country. Winning streaks built against soft schedules tend to dissolve the moment the opponent is worth a damn.   In each of the three small-school divisions, there is a...
College | Story | 5/5/2026

College Players of the Week: May 5

Vincent Cervino
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May 5th Perfect Game/Player of the Week:  Tyce Armstrong, IF, Baylor  The Baylor Bears still have some work ahead of them if they want to extend their season beyond the Big 12 Tournament but if Tyce Armstrong stays on his heater, they could be in business.  For the second time this season, Armstrong, the 6-4/228 senior from Magnolia, TX is our Perfect Game Player of the Week.  It was a record setting week for Armstrong as he became just the second player in Baylor program history to hit 20 home runs in a season and tied the all-time single season record with his 21st round-tripper on Sunday.  For the week, he collected 9 hits in 16 at-bats, scoring 5 runs, lacing 4 doubles, 5 home runs and drove in a total of 9 runs.  It has been a career year for the hulking first baseman who in his first season at Baylor, transferring from UT Arlington.  For the...
College | Rankings | 5/4/2026

College Top 25: May 4

Vincent Cervino
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One of the keys to putting together a historical season is not purely talent, but the ability to win games by any means necessary.  The No. 1 UCLA Bruins (43-4) have demonstrated that all year, often riding the strength of their pitching and defense to victory but at other times, slugging their way to a win.  The latter is what kept their perfect (24-0) record in Big Ten play intact, as they overcame an 8-run deficit in the last 3-innings yesterday to defeat Michigan State on the road by a score of 13-11.  The Bruins have already clinched the Big Ten Regular Season title and only have two series remaining in their quest for an undefeated conference record.  UNC (37-9) had an off week and remain at No. 2, while No. 3 Georgia Tech (39-8) won an out-of-conference series against Xavier.  The Texas Longhorns (35-10) stick at No. 4 this week after a huge home series...
High School | General | 5/1/2026

Texas High School Notebook

Jay Vossler
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Cullen Scott (‘28 TX) strikes out 8 over 6 IP. 4-Seam 94-97 T98 carry up. 2-Seam 90-93 ASR. And it’s easy velo out the hand; held velo into 6th. Slider 78-81 (2400 RPM) short and tight tilter. Curve 76-79 (2400 RPM) power depth varies between 10-4 and 11-5. Change 82-83 rolls out… pic.twitter.com/aFCQ6m70Ax — Perfect Game Texas (@Texas_PG) April 18, 2026 Cullen Scott (2028, Melissa, Texas) was as advertised in this look as he went 6 innings while striking out 8 batters. Throws 2 different fastballs and holds velo well throughout outing. 4-seam works 94-97 and topped out at 98 with carry up just jumps out of hand. 2-seam works 90-93 with good arm side run. Held velocity into the 6th. Slider 78-81 plays short with tilt and late bite getting upwards of 2400 RPM. Curve 76-79 with power depth that varies between shape 10-4 to 11-5. Change 82-83 rolls out of hand with...
Draft | Mock Draft | 5/1/2026

MLB Mock Draft: May 1

Tyler Henninger
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Pick Team Player Position School 1 Chicago White Sox Roch Cholowsky SS UCLA 2 Tampa Bay Rays Grady Emerson SS Fort Worth Christian 3 Minnesota Twins Vahn Lackey C Georgia Tech 4 San Francisco Giants Jackson Flora RHP UC Santa Barbara 5 Pittsburgh Pirates AJ Gracia OF Virginia 6 Kansas City Royals Eric Booth Jr. OF Oak Grove 7 Baltimore Orioles Ace Reese 3B Mississippi State 8 Athletics Jacob Lombard SS Gulliver Schools 9 Atlanta Braves Ryder Helfrick C Arkansas 10 Colorado Rockies Drew Burress OF Georgia Tech 11 Washington Nationals Jared Grindlinger LHP/OF Huntington Beach 12 Los Angeles Angels Cameron Flukey RHP Coastal Carolina 13 St. Louis Cardinals Cole Carlon LHP Arizona State 14 Miami Marlins Gio Rojas LHP Marjory Stoneman Douglas 15 Arizona Diamondbacks Tyler Bell* SS Kentucky 16 Texas Rangers Justin Lebron SS Alabama 17 Houston Astros Chris Hacopian SS Texas A&M 18...
High School | General | 4/30/2026

High School Notebook: April 30

Jordan Gates
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Slo-mo look at the swing by Jordan Ransom (‘26, AZ) #PGHS @QCHS_Athletics @PG_Draft https://t.co/fyPaOimF5k pic.twitter.com/T7yH6a1qRI — Perfect Game Four Corners (@PG_FourCorners) April 29, 2026 OF Ryan Harwood, Casteel (Ariz).  Harwood is one of the premier draft names in the state and showed why in the regular season finale. The Texas A&M commit collected a pair of hits and also threw a runner out at home from left field. Harwood possesses impressive physicality that can produce big impact at the plate. The profile has middle of the order upside. Defensively, Harwood profiles best for a corner outfield spot long term. The arm strength may allow him to slide over to right field, as he can produce strong on-line carry. Harwood showed off that arm strength on the mound, where he threw the last inning and ran the heater up to 91 mph. IF Jordan Ransom, Queen Creek...
High School | Rankings | 4/29/2026

High School Top 50 Update: April 29

Tyler Russo
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With another week in the books across the country in the high school baseball season, we have another update to the National Top 50. The southern states are rolling through the playoffs as the weeks unfold along with northern states starting to get to the back half of their schedule as the summer is quickly approaching. The top-10 holds firm in this update as Venice (FL) continues to hold onto the top spot after rattling off W’s since returning home to Florida. Barbe (LA) comes in at No. 2 this week after being ranked at No. 3 a week ago and sport a 37-1 record with 36 straight wins. Orange Lutheran (CA) drops one spot to No. 3 and a pair of Texas schools round out the top-5 as Tomball is at No. 4 and Aledo is at No. 5. 5-9 is the exact same this week as last as IMG Academy (FL) comes in at No. 6, Trinity (KY) is at No. 7, Harvard-Westlake (CA) is at No. 8 and Grapevine (TX) is at...
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