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All American Game  | Story | 8/29/2024

All in the Family at PGAAC

Photo: Ethan Holliday (Perfect Game)
PHOENIX, Arizona – Standing just a few feet away from the batter’s box in which he stroked the championship-clinching hit in the 2001 World Series, Luis Gonzalez shook his head in amazement as he watched pre-game workouts at the 22nd annual Dick’s Perfect Game All-American Classic.
 
“The talent here is astonishing,” Gonzalez said.
 
He looked over at third baseman Ethan Holliday, brother of 2022 No. 1 overall MLB draft pick and current Baltimore Orioles rookie second baseman Jackson Holliday.
 
“You thought the last one was good,” Gonzalez said with a laugh. “This one might be better.”
 
Gonzalez was honorary chairman for the PGAAC, played at Chase Field, where his retired Arizona Diamondbacks No. 20 hangs in the rafters. He was one of many former big-leaguers who roamed the ballpark, some, like Tom “Flash” Gordon and Clint Hurdle, in official roles, some just as dads for the contest that featured the top 62 rising seniors in the country.
 
“The bloodlines,” Gonzalez said. “It’s fun to watch."
 
“There are some guys that you don’t recognize at first, then you start putting the names together, then you start seeing their dads walking around here and you realize that’s their son. It’s pretty cool. A lot of former big leaguers have come out here to support because their kids have come through here. It’s just fun to see these guys because they’re the future of major league baseball. They’re rising so fast. Some of them sign right out of high school and get to the big leagues a couple years later.”
 
Matt Holliday, seven-time major-league All-Star, 2007 National League batting champ and 2011 World Series winner, was at the event, supporting son Ethan, who could follow in his brother’s footsteps as a high first-rounder in the summer of 2025.
 
Benny Agbayani, whose distinguished big-league career included stops in New York (Mets), Boston, Colorado and Japan, was in town supporting his son, Bruin, a shortstop and South Carolina commit.
 
The list of prospects with big-league ties didn’t stop there. It included shortstop Eli Willits, son of former Los Angeles Angel Reggie Willits; shortstop Brady Ebel, son of Los Angeles Dodgers third base coach Dino Ebel; third baseman Quentin Young, nephew of former big-leaguers Dmitri and Delmon Young; and shortstop Jayden Stroman, brother of New York Yankees starting pitcher Marcus Stroman.
 
“The best of the best, they send their kids to Perfect Game for a reason,” Hurdle said. “There’s a lot of noise on the street which one is best, but the best of the best send them here.”
 
Hurdle managed the East team, which beat Gordon’s West team, 8-7, in the PGAAC. The former Colorado Rockies and Pittsburgh Pirates manager became involved with PG in 2020. He now serves as a senior adviser.
 
“Until 2020, I had always been in the pro space,” Hurdle said. “The youngest kid I saw was 20, maybe 19, in the instructional league with the Pirates and the Rockies years ago. Before that, I hadn’t seen much amateur baseball.
 
“Quickly, my attention was taken. I’m watching 13-year-olds do some specific things. I’m watching 14-year-old kids doing it. Over the years, I’ve seen it continue to grow and evolve, and the strength and the speed, the structured skill sets, they’re probably at an all-time high. I love the energy.” 
 
Both Hurdle and Gonzalez were impressed with the size of the players at the PGAAC. 
 
“The physicality gets your attention,” Hurdle said. 
 
“These guys are just bigger and stronger,” said Gonzalez, whose son Jacob played in the PGAAC in 2017. “For 19 years, my maximum weight I played at was 205. These guys are coming at 215, 225. They’re just bigger.”
 
Gonzalez, winner of the 2001 Major League Home Run Derby, was impressed with the left-side power display put on by Texas A&M commit Josiah Hartshorn, winner of Perfect Game's annual AAC Home Run Challenge. The 6-2, 210-pound Hartshorn is a natural right-handed hitter. He did some switch-hitting until he was 13 then got away from it. He only went back to it this summer because of a back injury.
 
Hurdle was also impressed with the power at the event, but he was not shy about reminding hitters that line drives to the gaps matter, too. During the East team’s batting practice session, he coached hitters to use the middle of the field.
 
“They are very receptive,” he said. “We have an opportunity to share with them some insight on community and different parts of the game.”
 
During batting practice, Hurdle observed Stroman’s smooth swing – from both sides of the plate. Stroman is ticketed for Duke, his brother’s alma mater. The younger Stroman also does some pitching and said he may get on the mound in October at PG’s event in Jupiter, Florida. 
 
“It’s nice to see,” Hurdle said of Stroman’s offensive work on both sides of the plate. “Switch-hitting used to be a thing. We’ve lost a lot of that. People say it’s too hard to swing both ways. I say, let ‘em swing. They will find their way or they won’t.”
 
After his East team took batting practice, Hurdle watched the Holliday family’s latest talent take BP for the West team. Hurdle managed the Rockies when Ethan Holliday’s dad was bashing balls around Coors Field.
 
“This is déjà vu because Jackson just went through here, too,” Hurdle said. “I had them both in the clubhouse in Colorado when they were little, had them both on the field for family day. It’s really special seeing them come through here and put together their talents.”

All American Game | Story | 9/15/2025

PG Athletes Raise Money For Charity

Perfect Game Staff
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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 ATHLETES RAISE MORE THAN $130,000   FOR CHILDREN’S CHARITIES THROUGHOUT AUGUST    Sanford, Florida (Monday, September 15, 2025) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced that its athletes raised a combined $130,195 for children’s charities during its August 2025 showcase events throughout the country.    The fundraising efforts took place at Perfect Game’s Select Festivals and the DICK’S All-American Classic, with each age group rallying behind a cause that supports children in need. The 11U and 12U Select Fests each benefited Elite Development Academy out...
Showcase | Story | 12/27/2025

Main Event Invades Fort Myers

Perfect Game Staff
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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 CLOSES OUT 2025 WITH MAIN EVENT SHOWCASE  AT JETBLUE PARK IN FT. MYERS, FLORIDA    Nearly 1,000 players expected at largest showcase of the year  that has produced over 1,000 MLB Draft picks    Ft. Myers, Florida (Saturday, December 27, 2025) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, will host its 2025 Main Event Showcase from December 28–31 at JetBlue Park, the spring training home of the Boston Red Sox, in the Fort Myers area.    The Main Event is the largest showcase Perfect Game holds annually,...
Draft | Rankings | 12/26/2025

2026 MLB Draft Board Update

Vincent Cervino
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The calendar is just days away from being flipped over to 2026, and while the players may be on break, it’s clear that they are just itching to get back on the field and compete once again, with another season of college baseball right around the corner. For prep players (especially in warm-weather states), the season’s right around the corner, and players will be back on the ball fields sooner than later. With that said, the PG Draft Team came together and got to work on a 2026 MLB Draft Board update. A little pre-season shake-up and expansion as we took our board from the Top 150 names to the Top 300 names, in preparation for the 2026 college and prep seasons to begin. The 2025 MLB Draft Lottery occurred earlier in December and shed some light on what the draft order will look like in 2026, with the Chicago White Sox taking home the first overall pick, followed by the Tampa...
College | Story | 12/25/2025

2025 Year in Review: College

Craig Cozart
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The LSU Tigers Win It All Again For the second time in the last three years, the LSU Tigers, led by head coach Jay Johnson secured the national title. The national championship was the eight in LUS program history as they swept Coastal Carolina in the MCWS championship series. As a result, Johnson was virtually a unanimous choice for National Coach of the Year on media outlets and is the fastest coach to win multiple CWS championships at a single school. The tournament’s Most Outstanding Player was Tigers’ lefthanded ace and Perfect Game First-Team All-American, Kade Anderson highlighted by his complete-game shutout in Game 1 of the CWS Finals. The roster was a tremendous blend of offensive firepower, frontline pitching and elite defense, leaving opponents with very few avenues to victory. PG Second-Team All-American, Jared Jones was the heart of the lineup with his 20...
High School | General | 12/24/2025

2025 Year In Review: High School

Cam McElwaney
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IMG Academy Takes Home the National Title Every year IMG Academy comes into the spring with top-to-bottom one of the top rosters in the country and every year have the expectation of winning the national championship. Well in 2025 they did just that after finishing the spring 24-1, winning the High School Showdown, and winning 15 straight games to end their season. Their high end offensive ability was on full display throughout the year and they will once again be one of the most talented teams in the country in ’26 as they look to go back-to-back. Two Top-10 Picks in the MLB Draft Headline National Players of the Year It was another loaded crop that took home the National Players of the Year as both Ethan Holliday, the National Player of the Year, and Seth Hernandez, National Pitcher of the Year, heard their names called within the first-10 picks in the MLB Draft. Another first...
Draft | Rankings | 12/24/2025

Top 2027 Collegiate Draft Prospects

Isaiah Burrows
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With the 2025 cycle officially behind us and the calendar nearly flipping over to 2026, it is time to start looking ahead to the future. More importantly, start looking ahead to the next season of college baseball and what that may mean for draft-eligible players with big dreams of continuing their journey. While the 2026 MLB Draft is now on the horizon, we are looking ahead to the future even further – to see which players have already made impacts upon their arrival to college campuses. We have already dropped our 2028 Top 75 collegiate prospects board, but this one is our Top 100 college prospects who will be eligible for the 2027 class. These are the Top 100 players in our eyes for this group, and many of them have already shown up on campus and been impactful in many ways. Whether its our top-ranked player in Oregon State’s Dax Whitney or ninth-ranked William Schmidt...
Draft | Rankings | 12/23/2025

Top 2028 Collegiate Draft Prospects

Vincent Cervino
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The college players in the 2028 draft class have yet to step on campus, but they're positioned to make an immediate impact. Several high end talents either turned down significant money last year or honored strong college commitments, resulting in their arrival on campus this fall. The class is currently led by a trio of high-upside arms in Jack Bauer, Angel Cervantes, and Cameron Appenzeller. They are followed by a deep group of bats that rounds out a strong, high end Top-10. Rk. Name Level Pos. B-T School Hometown State 1 Jack Bauer C LHP L-L Mississippi State Frankfort IL 2 Angel Cervantes C RHP R-R UCLA Lynwood CA 3 Cameron Appenzeller C LHP L-L Tennessee Springfield IL 4 Brayden Jaksa C C R-R Oregon Fremont  CA 5 JD Stein C SS R-R Wake Forest Carmel IN 6 Mason Ligenza C OF L-L Pittsburgh Brockton PA 7 Ty Peeples C OF L-R Georgia Lavonia GA 8 Lucas Franco C SS L-R TCU Katy TX 9...
Juco | Story | 12/23/2025

2025 Year in Review: JUCO

Blaine Peterson
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Looking Back at the 2025 Top 10  Matt Barr (‘25 Niagara, ‘26 Minnesota Twins) Bursting onto the scene last winter, footage of an indoor bullpen rocketed Barr onto the radar of many. Explosive fastball reaches near triple digits with incredible spin numbers across the secondaries. Huge numbers at Niagara earned him the title of the first Juco player drafted in 2025. JC Vanek (‘25 Chipola, ‘26 Kansas City Royals) Just a professional hitter. Vanek for two years at Chipola was an impossible out. While there are questions if the power will ever reach what it takes to play first base at the big league level, the bat and quality defensive skillset at first base may carry. Donovan Becerra (‘25 New Mexico, ‘26 Texas Tech) One of the more high octane arms anywhere in the country last year. Can reach back for upper 90’s and has shown serious swing and...
Draft | Story | 12/22/2025

2025 Year in Review: Draft

Isaiah Burrows
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2025 Year in Review: Draft We’ve reached the end of the 2025 calendar year, and while we’ve already jumped in on the 2026 cycle with some of the fall events and post-draft content we’ve had here at Perfect Game, there’s still one more piece on the docket, and that’s the 2025 Year-In-Review piece here from the PG Draft staff.  The 2025 MLB Draft took place in July, when many highly talented players heard their names called and continued their journey through the game to the next level. There’s already been some of those names making noise in the minors and guys who are moving up prospect lists and becoming names to know for MLB fans digging deep into the future of their organizations. While we are going to “close the book” on 2025 with this article, these players still have many years ahead of them, and many blank pages to continue...
College | Recruiting | 12/22/2025

Recruiting Notebook: December 22

Jheremy Brown
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Lucien Saint Cyr, INF, Class of 2026 Commitment: Bucknell Saint Cyr announced his pledge to Bucknell, giving the Bison an interesting blend of present tools and projection. Saint Cyr stands 6-foot-1 and offers room to fill in his medium frame, profiling in the middle infield defensively. The New York product starts wide at the base in the right-handed box, keeping his hands high behind the ear. He works into a subtle outward step load, firing through a compact barrel that showcases bat speed and gap-to-gap impact. For head coach Scott Heather and Bucknell, they land a high-quality Northeast infielder in the ’26 cycle, adding to a class that takes the quality over quantity approach. Patrick Diaz ('26, NY) 102 EV off the bat. Impact to the pull side. #PGNational @PGMidAtlantic @PG_Uncommitted pic.twitter.com/NN0L3FRdO9 — PG Showcases (@PGShowcases) July 9, 2025 Patrick Diaz,...
High School | General | 12/19/2025

Huntington Beach HS World Series Recap

Steve Fiorindo
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MVPitcher: Duncan McLeod The uncommitted junior toed the slab in three of the four games for Team Mick, tossing 3 2/3 innings.  Zero walks, zero hits and 6 punchouts for the lefty who was used both as a starter in the series clinching game 4 and he closed out game 3 on Friday in quick fashion.  McLeod was very efficient as well, needing just 42 pitches over all his outings.  In the game 4 start, over two innings he punched out 3, with one strikeout with all of his offerings.  The mid 80’s fastball regularly played up, set up with efficient use of the secondaries, with the breaking ball 73/74 and fading change-up 72-74.   Owen Bone (2026) at it again... Solo shot in the 5th to tie things up. Back to back days with a home run for Bone. #PGHS pic.twitter.com/2JC9qETI5h — Perfect Game California (@California_PG) December 13, 2025 MV Hitter: ...
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