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High School  | General | 12/9/2024

Finest in the Field: Class of 2025

As we wrap up our content from the 2024 summer circuit, we look back on some of the top defensive players from our events, culminating in the Rawlings Finest in the Field. Today we look at the Class of 2025 and while there's a West Coast heavy feel, the talent across the country is deep with the leather and it's a group that's simply fun to watch on the defensive of things. 





Catcher: Trent Grindlinger, Huntington Beach High School (Huntington, CA)

Grindlinger checks a ton of boxes behind the dish. He has a strong and durable frame, comfort in his set up with loose hips, sound footwork, a very quick release, and great leadership skills. He has handled the best arms in the country with excellent production and confidence. He is a wall back there and can also completely shut down a run game, which should lead to an easy transition at the next level.

First Base: Mason Braun, Penn High School (South Bend, IN) 

Braun is not your typical first baseman in terms of height, but at 6-0/190 he can still cover a wide area around the bag. Where he stands out is his fearlessness when it comes to putting his nose down and gobbling up hard hit balls, or his ability to pick it around the bag on throws. He has some defensive versatility as he roamed the outfield too, adding to his athletic profile at first.

Infield: Billy Carlson, Corona High School (Corona, CA)

Carlson might have the best pure hands in the class with the ability to transfer at a number of positions and get the ball out and improvise when needed to get an out. He is a very smooth mover with excellent body control and the ability to release from multiple angles. The only thing that may stand out more than the glove is his bazooka right arm that allows him to make all the plays required at short stop. He is as well-rounded as we have seen in the class.

Infield: Kayson Cunningham, Johnson High School (San Antonio, TX)

Cunningham is a super rangy infielder with a very high IQ. He plays with energy and instincts allowing him to make both the routine and spectacular plays when required. The short stop has very quick feet and shows the ability to adjust when taking angles or reading hops. He has proven to be one of the best in the class, on the biggest stages.

Infield: Ethan Holliday, Stillwater High School (Stillwater, OK)

Holliday has been a consistent defender throughout his high school career. He has long and smooth strides allowing him to cover a ton of dirt, with great glove awareness and a quick transfer to release the ball. He put on a clinic early in the summer making movement plays look extremely easy. He never stopped picking it at the highest level throughout the circuit and proved he has all the tools stay at short stop at the next level.

Outfield: Slater de Brun, Summit High School (Bend, OR)

de Brun was one of the more entertaining player to watch during the 2024 season. He has an excellent first step and 6.39 closing speed that allow him to cover a ton of green in the outfield. His arm strength can play anywhere in the outfield and he is accurate to the bases. But it is his ability to take away hits in bunches that really stood out amongst his peers.

Outfield: Anthony Pack Jr., Millikan High School (Lakewood, CA)

Pack Jr. is another rangy west coast defender that really came into his own as the showcase circuit took shape. He is a quick twitch athlete with lots of projection in terms of his ceiling in centerfield. The uber-athlete takes good routes and can run down anything using his 6.46 wheels.

Outfield: Brock Sell, Tokay High School (Stockton, CA)

Brock is a very heady player and hasn’t scrapped the surface of his future tool set. That being said, he is already a very athletic and versatile defender. He makes things look effortless when tracking ball flight and the 6.48 speed helps to take away extra base hits when given the chance. The arm strength continues to improve and everything adding up should put him in centerfield immediately at the next level.

Utility: Nicholas Partida, Pearland High School (Manvel, TX)

Partida came on in a big way on the mound as the summer went along. He runs the heater up to 97 and pounds the zone with three pitches. But the Texan is also an accomplished short stop with consistent and sound hands at the position to go along with that big arm. That type of athleticism and feel for the game helps him control the game and hold the running game when on the bump. He seems to be a sure two-way player if he makes it to campus and will seamlessly transition at the next stop.

Pitcher: Seth Hernandez, Corona High School (Chino, CA)

Hernandez has always been a two-way player and was a Swiss-army knife during the circuit. The athleticism give him a huge leg up when it comes to all of the nuances that come with pitching. Small ball, the running game, hold times, all come very easy with the righties feel for the game. That combination of the athlete and the baseball IQ allows Hernandez to seemingly stay a step ahead of the competition.
 

High School | General | 11/20/2025

Regional Superlatives: Florida

Vincent Cervino
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Most Likely To Make a Huge Jump in the Rankings in 2026 RJ Shields (2027, Venice, Fl.) Shields took some significant strides throughout 2025, especially on the mound. The fastball reached 95 mph in recent months and he projects well with great athleticism and a sharp breaking ball. Shields is also a left-handed bat with good thump in the stick. The Mississippi State commit shot up the rankings following a loud fall and looks poised to continue to climb. -KP High speed BP swing from '27 OF Gavin Ruvalcaba (FL)... #JrNational @Florida_PG https://t.co/OwU9I0u6eY pic.twitter.com/gjYZbmCPGE — PG Showcases (@PGShowcases) June 12, 2025 Gavin Ruvalcaba (2027, Hialeah, Fl.) Ruvalcaba had a very strong 2025 and looks to be continuing on that path. The Duke commit has plenty of athleticism and is very well rounded with good tools across the board. The stroke is smooth and produces...
Tournaments | Story | 12/16/2025

16u Tourney All-American Team

Michael Albee
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Hitter of the Year: Koa Romero is the Hitter of the Year for the 16u group, as he would come to every premier event of the summer and earn All-Tournament honors (Beast of the East, 16/17u WWBA, Jupiter) in every single one. Over 82 plate appearances, Romero would pump ten homeruns with forty two RBI and sixteen walks, good for a .378 average and 1.339 OPS. The performance on volume at the best events of the year pushed Romero over the edge here, as he’d hit a pair of homeruns in Jupiter (one of them at 112 EV) as an underclassmen and collect double digit hits in BOTH WWBA events with a combined six jacks over the two tournaments. It was a summer that combined performance and winning on the biggest stages for Romero. It’s a quiet left-handed swing that packs a punch. He would reap the benefits of his performances, earning a commitment to LSU and jumping to the #74 prospect in...
College | Recruiting | 12/15/2025

Recruiting Notebook: December 15

John McAdams
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Tucker Rice (27 MS) bumping up to 91; living hi-80s from real fast arm. Good SL @ 77-79 w/ depth & sold w/ intent. Loads of traits & strikes. #WWBA @PG_Uncommitted @PG_DeepSouth pic.twitter.com/DEjFqRcsIY — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) July 6, 2025 Tucker Rice, RHP, Class of 2027 Commitment: Alabama Alabama has continued to stay red hot in the recruiting trail ever since August 1st rolled around on the calendar and have continued to stack major pieces in their ’27 class. They dip into Mississippi to land one of the premier arms and one that’s stood out on the circuit for quite some time. It’s a fast arm and the athleticism certainly shines working down the slope. The velocity has continued to tick up over the last calendar year and reached into the low-90s towards the end of the summer. He’s confident in his changeup and the breaking ball is...
Tournaments | Story | 12/15/2025

17u Tourney All-American Team

Vincent Cervino
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There’s a lot of talent throughout this 2026 class, filled with the big-name stars, to talent that spreads across the nation. It’s been a lot of fun seeing these prospects grow and develop over the years, from the days of watching some of these guys at the 13/14u days at events on the circuit, to now where they are all graduating seniors in 2026. There’s been new faces who have popped along the way over the years, even in 2026, where some players who were relatively undiscovered, have come out and made a name for themselves with a statement performance. Between the familiar and the new, there’s a lot of names on this list that are going to be quite regularly talked about on the circuit, and for good reason.  Whether it’s PG All-Americans or not, there’s a lot of names with superstar potential at the next level. We’ve got 14 PG All-Americans...
Tournaments | Story | 12/13/2025

Finest in the Field: Class of 2029

Tyler Russo
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Finest in the Field: Class of 2026 | Class of 2027 | Class of 2028 These guys might just be entering high school, but they've certainly already made a name for themselves on the national circuit, especially with their abilities on the defensive side of things.  C: Xavier Rodriguez (Logansville, GA) Rodriguez is a polished defender with real arm strength behind the dish, while showcasing the ability to impact the baseball with authority to all fields evident by thirty of his sixty-five hits going for extra-bases including seven bombs. He handles high-level pitching extremely well, commands his staff and his offensive prowess makes him a true two-way asset. 1B: Cooper Knight (Buda, TX) Knight is a smooth operator at first base with plenty of range, fluidity and agility in his footwork around the bag. Add-in a rocket for an arm, the ability to change slots and to...
Tournaments | Story | 12/12/2025

Scout Stories: Part 5

AJ Denny
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Best Game I Saw: The Dream NTL 18U vs. MBA Scout Team Murphy Jupiter always brings out the best, and we got fireworks from the jump. Turner Marshall gave The Dream an outstanding 4+ innings of work on the mound, holding a lethal MBA team at bay with Chance Dixon, Derrick Carter, and Ellis Appling providing an offensive spark out of the gate for the Georgia based boys. However, it was only a matter of time before the talent on the other side got going, as MBA erased a 3-run deficit in the 5th to take a 4-3 lead led by a Parker Loew HR. The Dream then took command again in the Top of the 6th, before MBA punched right back with a huge 5-run inning in the bottom half capped off by a clutch RBI single from Matthew Kerrigan, ending a wild sequence with tons of notable performances from two very competitive rosters. Best Tournament Performance I Saw: Surely someone has already brought this...
College | Story | 12/12/2025

College Notebook: December 12

Craig Cozart
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Nebraska Cornhuskers 2025 Highlights: The Cornhuskers were a difficult team to figure in ’25 as they finished with 33 wins, played just .500 (15-15) in the Big Ten but had some big wins at various times during the season and got hot at the right time. They knocked off then #16 Vanderbilt in the second game of the year, beat #5 Oregon State 2-out-of-3 at home in late March and then got hot at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha to win the Big Ten Tournament. They beat Michigan State in a 10-inning thriller before taking care of #4 Oregon, knocking off Penn State and then shutout #13 UCLA to punch their ticket to the Chapel Hill Regional. Head coach Will Bolt has now led his alma mater to three conference titles and three NCAA Regional appearances during his six years in Lincoln. No different than when he was a player, Bolt’s teams play with passion and toughness, this was never more...
Tournaments | Story | 12/12/2025

Finest in the Field: Class of 2028

Troy Sutherland
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Finest in the Field: Class of 2026 | Class of 2027 You like athletes? You like defenders who can impact a game at any given point? Look not further than this class as it's loaded from coast-to-coast with elite defenders all over the diamond.  C: Brogan Witcher, Bakersfield, CA Our scouting staff got several strong looks at Witcher whether that was at the Summer Kickoff, Sophomore National or the Underclass All American Games where he showcased his strong overall skillset and especially his advanced ability behind the plate. His 6-foot-3,180 pound build looks like one that will fill in quite nicely and be that big and physical catcher’s frame. His arm talent is undeniable where he gets it out quick and runs it up to 79 mph on throwdowns to 2nd (1.84 pop). Besides the standout catch/throw ability, we’ve seen him frame/receive strong arms and block it well during...
Softball | Softball Tournament | 12/11/2025

PG Softball "Toys 4 Tots" Fundraiser 18U division

Dave Durbala
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BURLINGTON, IA - 2025 Perfect Game Softball Toys 4 Tots Fundraiser One Day, December 7, 2025. Kicking off the holiday season, six teams participated in this one day, 3 game guarantee tournament in the 18u Division. We would like to thank those that donated a toy, and know that they will be distributed to area underprivileged children through a local charity organization. Following are some of the top performers from the weekend. Earning Tournament MV-Pitcher was Jolee Strohmeyer (2026 Dubuque, IA), a RHP/UTIL with tournament champion Lady Expos Blue. Strohmeyer shows hitters a consistent and repeatable motion and delivery with good use of the legs in the drive phase, and a quick and aggressive arm whip. Working with a six pitch mix of fastball, change-up, rise, drop, curve and screw, Strohmeyer topped out at 60 mph, and showed good movement  as she worked her rise and curve just out...
Tournaments | Story | 12/11/2025

Scout Stories: Part 4

Tyler Henninger
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Scout Notes: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 Best Game I Saw: Hudson Reed (‘26, GA) torches this ball to deep CF for a solo 💣. Generates easy power that plays to the big part of the yard. Middle of the order traits #UBCWest @PG_Georgia @PG_Uncommitted pic.twitter.com/UXqDVFmUBx — Perfect Game California (@California_PG) June 18, 2025 I was fortunate enough to see a lot of highly competitive games with loads of talent on the field, the game that sticks out to me the most was Alpha Prime 2026 vs. ZT National Prospects at the UBC West. The game was an efficiently played affair with arms dominating on both sides. Graham Schlicht was masterful for Alpha, striking out 12 hitters over 5 dominant innings. PG All-American Julian Cazares came out of the pen blowing smoke, touching 97 mph with the fastball. On the other side, Jake Carbaugh surrendered just one hit and...
Press Release | Press Release | 12/11/2025

PG Believe In Baseball Announces Awards Dinner

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   THE PERFECT GAME BELIEVE IN BASEBALL FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES DETAILS FOR FIRST ANNUAL “IN THE SPIRIT OF THE GAME” AWARDS DINNER AND AUCTION   Los Angeles, California (Thursday, December 11, 2025) – The Perfect Game Believe in Baseball Foundation, together with Perfect Game leadership of Chairman Rick Thurman and CEO Rob Ponger, has announced the inaugural “In the Spirit of the Game” event, an evening of baseball and laughter, taking place Saturday, January 31, 2026, at the iconic Laugh Factory in Hollywood, Calif. The evening supports the Foundation’s mission to provide financial assistance and resources that allow deserving young athletes to play, learn and grow through the...
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