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Tournaments  | Story | 10/4/2022

Jupiter: A 10 Year Lookback

David Rawnsley
Photo: Michael Chavis (Perfect Game)
Only the random luck of timing and storm paths kept the 2022 edition of the WWBA World Championship (aka Jupiter) from becoming a victim of Hurricane Ian, but that doesn’t mean that the annual October celebration of baseball hasn’t ever been impacted by hurricanes.  In 2004, “Jupiter” was actually a misnomer, as the WWBA World Championships were shifted to the West Coast of Florida and Fort Myers after Hurricane Jeanne (one of four hurricanes to batter Florida in a six-week period that year) caused extensive damage to the Roger Dean Complex when it came on shore September 26 with Category 3 force winds.

2012 was another year that Jupiter was impacted by a Hurricane.  “Superstorm” Sandy made its way up the Atlantic Coast to its eventual collision with New York and New Jersey during Jupiter Week, creating 35-50 mph winds that often played havoc with what “normal” baseball would have been.  If you ever wanted to see a high fly ball to left-center field caught by the right fielder (without a shift!), this was the time to experience it.  Games had to be moved around and rescheduled at times due to squalls but it was the wind that created the biggest impact.



On the field, the big story in 2012 was the East Cobb Astros cruising to their second Jupiter win (the first title came in 2003), concluding with an 8-2 win over Chet Lemon’s Juice in the championship game.

Many of East Cobb’s dominant teams over the past two decades have been led by dominant pitching staffs but the 2012 squad was the opposite, featuring an incredible lineup that featured five 2012 PG All-Americans in infielders Michael Chavis and Travis Demeritte, outfielders Kel Johnson and Josh Hart and catcher Brian Navarreto.

Yet with all those All-Americans and future Big Leaguers (Chavis, Demeritte and Navarreto), the Most Valuable Player turned out to be shortstop Wesley Jones.  Jones was a highly-ranked prospect himself, so his performance in Jupiter wasn’t especially a surprise.  He hit .524 for the week with four doubles and 10 RBI.  He was also the winning pitcher in the championship game, throwing four one-run innings.

Demeritte also stood out as a two-way prospect.  He went 3-for-3 with 4 RBI in the championship game and picked up a quarterfinal win on the mound with six innings of three-hit, 10-strikeout baseball.  Hart was outstanding in his lead off role all through the tournament, posting a .571 on-base percentage and stealing five bases.

The Juice’s success in reaching the championship game leaned heavily on their pitching staff and especially on two future Big Leaguers, right-handers Tyler Danish and Drew Carlton.  “Everyday” Danish, as he was dubbed, threw four straight days for the Juice, including a complete game win in the semifinals over a talented Evoshield Canes team, and was named the Most Valuable Pitcher.

Carlton could have easily laid claim to that MV-Pitcher award as well, allowing no earned runs in two starts totaling 13 innings, with only five hits allowed and 17 strikeouts.

A look down the Juice roster reveals two other future Big Leaguers.  Sophomore right-hander Brady Singer got into one game and threw two scoreless innings.  Future Florida Gator and Cincinnati Red Mark Kolozovary shared the Juice’s catching duties.

Here’s a look at some of the other individual standouts from the 2012 WWBA World Championships, highlighting future big leaguers:

Pitching for the Atlanta Blue Jays, Touki Toussaint showed some of the best stuff ever at Jupiter, working in the 93-97 mph range over two games, including a victory over the defending champion Marucci Elite.  One scout made the remark about Toussaint’s curveball, “it’s going to be tough to get a called strike call on that pitch when it keeps buckling the umpire’s knees.”  Incredibly, Toussaint threw six innings over those two games and recorded all 18 outs via strikeout.

Jordan Sheffield almost didn’t pitch in Jupiter after his loaded Ohio Warhawks team unexpectedly missed the playoffs but threw an inning in one of the most heavily-scouted consolation games ever.  Sheffield worked mostly 95-96 mph in a quick inning that ended up with a Jupiter record-tying 98 mph fastball on the last pitch.

Tyler O’Neill has won two Rawlings Gold Gloves for his defensive excellence as an outfielder with the Cardinals, but he was heavily scouted during the week as a catcher for the DBacks Team British Columbia.  The consensus among the scouts was that the slugging O’Neill could probably remain behind the plate, which actually only lasted until early in O’Neill’s professional career.

Speaking of catchers, one familiar PG All-American and current Big Leaguer made a surprising two-inning appearance behind the plate.  Left-handed throwing Dominic Smith played there during Yak Baseball’s consolation game and looked like a natural, including posting a pop time of 1.84 between innings.  This scout has often wondered why in this age of innovation in baseball there aren't any left-handed catchers being developed.

Devin Williams left quite an impression with scouts while pitching for the Mets Scout Team/St. Louis Pirates.  Williams was listed at 6-foot-3, 165 pounds on the Jupiter roster and showed huge athleticism and projection.  He worked in the 90-93 mph range to go with what even then was an outstanding changeup.  He would end up as the 14th ranked overall prospect in the 2013 class.

Only one player managed to hit multiple home runs in the high winds in 2012 and in retrospect it’s not surprising who it was.  Pete Alonso mashed two bombs while playing for All-American Prospects.

It’s not uncommon for current or former Major League players to come to Jupiter, many to root for their sons.  In this scout’s memory, there probably hasn’t been any player who has ever been as generous with his time and more giving than Manny Ramirez.  The 12-time All-Star had only finished his 19-year big league career in 2011 and was instantly recognizable to fans and scouts alike and he must have spent hours signing autographs and taking pictures without losing a huge smile.  Of course, Ramirez had another reason to be smiling, as his son, Manny Jr., led all qualifying hitters at the championship with a .778 batting average

Some other standout players and pitchers from the All-Tournament Team: 

Chance Sisco had an event-leading five extra-base hits and a .600 batting average playing for the Midland Redskins.

Another Midland Redskins standout was Andrew Benintendi, who hit .429 with three extra-base hits himself.

John Paul Crawford hit .357 with two doubles for Yak Baseball but stood out even more for his outstanding defense at shortstop.

O’Neill wasn’t the only Canadian standout, as Josh Naylor hit .333 with a pair of doubles for the Ontario Blue Jays.

Alex Verdugo showed his running speed and hitting ability, hitting .385 with two triples and six RBI for the Texas Scout Team Yankees.

Pitchers wanted no part of Rowdy Tellez, walking him nine times.  But when they did throw to the Team Elite slugger, he made them pay with a .417 average and three extra-base hits.

Zachary Gallen wasn't a big-name prospect as a 6-foot, 160-pound right-hander for the Tri-State Arsenal but he threw six shutout innings with nine strikeouts in Jupiter, working 87-90 mph with his fastball while showing a curveball and change up as well.

Many readers probably haven’t heard of Peter Strzelecki, who has been outstanding as a rookie reliever with the Brewers this year.  In 2012, he struck out 14 hitters in 7 innings for Palm Beach PAL but notably only threw 82-85 with a mid- to upper-60s breaking ball.  Players take different development routes, that’s for sure!

Nestor Cortes was another relatively unheralded prospect in Jupiter that year who enjoyed big success in the championship, striking out 11 in 4 innings pitching for Miami PG Columbia Blue.  The 5-foot-10 lefty worked 85-88 mph on his fastball with a full arsenal of secondary pitches.


BONUS JUPITER MEMORY




You might look at the East Cobb Astros' five All-American position players and wonder where that might rank among the all-time most talented teams.  And that would be a great question, one that is often discussed behind the scenes by PG veterans.

But one Jupiter team certainly comes to mind immediately, more emphatically because they didn’t even reach the championship game.

In 2010, the FTB Mizuno/Cardinals Scout Team had seven PG All-Americans on their roster and in addition, had four other non-All-Americans who ended up playing in the Major Leagues.  The All-Americans were INF Javier Baez, RHP Jose Fernandez, RHP Deshorn Lake, INF Francisco Lindor, C Tyler Marlette, LHP Henry Owens and OF Jesse Winker.  Five of those All-Americans eventually reached the big leagues.

The additional four future big leaguers included RHP Zach Eflin, RHP Jakob Junis, RHP Justin Shafer and 1B Daniel Vogelbach.

FTB’s most distinctive game that year came in the first round of the playoffs against a loaded Dallas Patriots team.  Fernandez threw maybe the most dominant game this scout has ever seen pitched in context, shutting out the Patriots while only allowing two hits and throwing 94-97 the whole outing with a plus-plus slider.  The two hits, fittingly, were by Josh Bell and Trevor Story.
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Tournaments | Story | 9/27/2023

Midwest Invitational Scout Notes
Tyler Kotila
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Creighton Tuzzio (2024, Clarinda, Iowa) took the ball in the semi-final game and was able to get on the bump and carve for his team. Tuzzio is a taller 6-foot-6, 210-pound frame with plenty to like in the operation. The right-handed pitcher has a slower and more controlled operation as he works through the delivery. He lifts the leg up around the belt and then works through a three-quarters release with good whip through it. The fastball worked up to 86 mph on the fastball and held in the low- to mid-80s. He creates some angle on it with the taller & projectable frame. It runs arm-side and can be a problem for right-handed hitters. He also showed a low-70s curveball with a bigger 11/5 tilt to it and good depth to miss some bats. The Iowa Western commit threw 5.0 innings, allowing just 1 run, with 4 walks and 6 strikeouts to his credit.   There’s no surprise here, but...
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Tournaments | Story | 9/26/2023

WWBA World Championship Pool Preview

Perfect Game Staff
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Pool A Team Top Pos. Player RK Class Top Pitcher RK Class Location Boston Red Sox Scout Connor Lane 500 2024 Tague Davis 59 2024 Boston, MA Cangelosi Sparks Tyler Bell  122 2024 Brady Chambers 500 2024 Lockport, IL Dirtbags National 2024 Dalton Wentz 74 2024 Riley Leatherman 251 2024 Sedalia, NC Florida Burn Colton Schwarz 214 2025 Presley Woodson 500 2025 Sarasota, FL Projected Pool Winner: Dirtbags National 2024 With one of the deepest and most physical lineups in the nation, the Dirtbags National 2024 club have been putting up runs in bunches. No hitter is hotter than Austin Irby, as the ECU commit is While sluggers Dalton Wentz, Will Craddock and Palmer Hornick won’t be in attendance, Lee Sowers, Will Brooks, Jon Young Jr. and spark plug Carter Richardson lead an offense that averages over 7 runs per game. They can cover ground on...
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Tournaments | Story | 9/26/2023

Coastal Soph. Fall Invite Scout Notes

Todd Coffey
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Michael Flores (2026, NC) looking great through 4 innings pitched with 11 k’s. Great command and completely missing barrels. #2023WWBACoastalSophmoreFallInvatational pic.twitter.com/Oqd3WD0E05 — PG Coastal Scouting (@PG_Coastal) September 24, 2023 Michael Flores (2026, Mooresville, NC) put on an electric performance to watch for the SBA Futures 2026 in their matchup versus the Carolina Reds. The 5-foot-10, 175-pound, RHP did his job for his team today to keep them in the game. Flores throws with a high leg lift and creates some good motions towards the plate with his whippy action. Flores has a great feel for the zone and pounded strikes at a 66% rate. Flores generated swing and miss after swing and miss and it was clear he was in control out there on the mound. He sat in the 70-mph range to 79-mph range with his fastball with the ability to pinpoint it wherever he pleased....
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Tournaments | Story | 9/26/2023

Fall Frenzy Scout Notes

Jason Phillips
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James Sherry (’26, Aiken, S.C.)- the 6-foot-1, 155-pound right-handed pitcher tossed a complete game for Xtreme Xposure Baseball-Bennett in an 8-1 win over 2 Way Athletics 16U. A primary outfielder, Sherry finished with 15 strikeouts and just one walk while controlling the zone at a 65% strike rate. Appearing in only his second PG tournament, Sherry turned in another great pitching performance after being selected to the All-Tournament Team at the 2023 16U PG Southeast Labor Day Classic. Aidan Petrocco (‘24 GA)- singles here into LF to load the bases for @643DPAthletics Primary MIF 2-for-4 w/ run scored on the day. #FallFrenzy @PG_Uncommitted pic.twitter.com/Ly7zEuRwyg — Perfect Game Georgia (@PG_Georgia) September 24, 2023 Aidan Petrocco (’24, Johns Creek, Ga.)- the 5-foot-9, 160-pound right-handed hitter for 643 DP Cougars 18U led the 18U Southeast Fall Frenzy...
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Tournaments | Story | 9/27/2023

Sophomore WWBA Scout Notes: Day 3-5

Kyler Peterson
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A high speed look at this 2B from Keon Johnson... #WWBAWorlds @PG_Georgia https://t.co/Ejl8GirIgk pic.twitter.com/ate7ro35cp — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) September 24, 2023 Keon Johnson (2026, Macon, Ga.) started off the morning loud, going down to get a pitch down and smoking a double that split the opposite field gap at a 92 mph exit velocity. The shortstop has one of the best hit tools in the class and has tremendous feel for the barrel. The swing is quiet and simple, staying loose through the zone. The ball jumps and the parts really work. At short, Johnson looked silky with good actions, range, and plenty of arm strength across. The game comes easy for the Georgia native, and still just 15, the all-around game is very well-refined for the age.  Jaxson Wood (2026, Hoover, Ala.) finished batting .500 over the tournament, including three extra-base hits. The primary...
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Tournaments | Story | 9/25/2023

Deep South Fall Invitational Scout Notes

Alex Dorso
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Patrick Kovacs (2026 Knoxville TN) was dominant in his outing in game two of pool play for Exposure National. The southpaw tossed three scoreless innings allowing two hits while striking out eight. He showed plus command of the fastball dotting it to both sides of the plate while working off the corners at times. Patrick sat 75-78 topping at 79 multiple times throughout. He mixed in a tight breaking ball with two plane movement that he had no problem mixing in any count keeping the opposing hitters off balanced in the box. Coming from a mid 3/4s slot there was some deception within the operation making it tough to pick the fastball up out of the hand. The frame has plenty of athleticism within with plenty of more room for additional strength as he continues to mature. Kovacs should be a fun follow as he continues to progress through high school. Ryan Riojas (‘26 TN) drives this...
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Tournaments | Story | 9/24/2023

Sophomore WWBA Scout Notes: Day 3

Troy Sutherland
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Sophomore WWBA Scout Notes: Days 1-2 Extended look at Gunnar Garrison... 7 IP, 1 H, OER, 13 K, 1 BB (70% K) #WWBAWorlds @PG_FourCorners https://t.co/V89oASpD8r pic.twitter.com/tsP1mWCoNz — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) September 21, 2023 Colorado right-hander Gunnar Garrison (2026, Eaton, Colo.) was magnificent in his start for Slammers Anderson 2026’s. The big and physical 6-foot-4, 210-pound arm threw a complete game, seven inning, one-hit shutout, striking out 13 and walking one. The fastball had downhill life to it, sitting in the 85-88 range for the entirety of the game. Garrison held the velocity and reached back for his fastest bullet of the game, at 89, in the seventh inning. Finishing the outing with 70% strikes, he filled up the zone and went right at hitters. He also induced swing-and-miss on a curveball, featuring late...
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Tournaments | Story | 9/22/2023

Northeast Qualifier Scout Notes

John McAdams
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Jack Harley (2024, Mendham, NJ) put together a dominant performance at the plate in the WWBA NEQ, leading his team to a coveted Jupiter bid while also earning MVP-honors. The 6-foot-1 left-handed hitter showcased his advanced bat-to-ball skills on several occasions. He batted .643 with two doubles, a home run and six stolen bases. Harley utilizes a repeatable, synced-up stroke with clean separation into launch. He has a great feel for the barrel and creates good strength at impact to all parts of the diamond. The future Hokie recorded a hit in all six of his games and proved to be a reliable bat at the top-of-the-order for Clubhouse 2024 EvoShield. Harley’s build offers a good balance of strength and athleticism, making him a well-rounded prospect with intriguing upside moving forward.  .#VandyBoys commit Aiden O’Connell (‘24, NH) is back on the bump in the #NEQ...
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Tournaments | Story | 9/23/2023

Sophomore WWBA Scout Notes: Days 1-2

Vincent Cervino
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Nathan Caldwell (2026, Columbia, S.C.) looked the part in the batter’s box as the Team Elite three-hole hitter had one of the hardest hit balls of the day. There’s really impressive bat speed and the ability to create violence and rotational acceleration through contact. He missiled a single during the game and there looks like there’s going to be pretty significant impact potential long term. He’s a strong kid with good indicators and offensive tools to like. Drew Borkowski (2026, Huntley, Ill.) showed plenty to like in the arm as he got the start in game one on the day for GRB. At 6-foot-1, 170-pounds he’s got a lanky frame with long limbs and plenty of room for physical projection. It’s a quick arm with solid arm speed throughout and he opened up sitting 85-87 mph with the fastball. The fastball showed good sinking life and he used it to get a lot...
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Cape Cod Top 2025 Prospect List

Vincent Cervino
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Earlier this week we debuted our Cape Cod Top 100 Prospect List and mixed amongst the 100 names were some 2025 graduates who will be eligible for the upcoming 2024 MLB Draft. Below, each of the 50 names are eligible in 2025 and those listed with an "^" are continuing their careers at a new school this fall.  Name Pos. Team School Hometown State Adonys Guzman^ C Bourne Arizona Valley Cottage NY Aidan Jimenez RHP Chatham Oregon State Elk Grove CA Anthony Martinez 1B YD UC Irvine Fairfield CA Ben Jacobs LHP Bourne UCLA Huntington Beach CA Bradley Hodges LHP Hyannis Virginia Fleming Island FL Brady Neal C YD LSU Tallahassee FL Brody Donay^ C/1B Hyannis Florida Lakeland FL Caden Bodine C Bourne Coastal Carolina Haddon Heights NJ Cam Leiter^ RHP Orleans Florida State Island Heights FL Cannon Peebles^ C Cotuit Tennessee Mechanicsville VA Drew Faurot^ SS Orleans Florida State Tallahassee FL...
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