THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,031 MLB PLAYERS | 14,466 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,031 MLB PLAYERS | 14,466 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Tournaments  | Story | 10/22/2012

WWBA World 2009 College Standouts

Photo: Perfect Game
Few events come close to matching the WWBA World Championship when it comes to the presence of scouts and college recruiters with the impressive level of talent that is on hand.  The nation's top prospects from across the country, Canada, Puerto Rico and even Latin America converge in Jupiter, Fla. to compete.  While winning the championship is the ultimate goal, player exposure is also of great importance.

Many of the top players will find themselves playing in pro ball beginning next summer after the June draft, but many more will move onto the college ranks to continue their amateur careers.

Every year I assemble a team of players that are now at the college level that have attended the WWBA World Championship in past years.  For the most part, these players participated in 2009 as high school seniors, and continue to be ranked as some of the top draft-eligible players for 2013 and 2014.  College stars that have made this list in past years include young MLB stars Bryce Harper, Buster Posey and Stephen Strasburg as well as up-and-coming prospects Gerrit Cole, Danny Hultzen and Anthony Rendon.


Catcher

Tyler Ross, LSU
(All American Prospects 2008-09)
While the high school catching crop available for the 2013 draft is plenty deep, the same can't be said from the college ranks.  Ty Ross is among the best available, who excels behind the plate with advanced blocking skills and a cannon for a throwing arm.  He has honed his catching skills handling a power-armed staff at LSU, and would aptly handle the quality arms on this team.

Texas backstop Jacob Felts (SE Texas Sun Devils 2009) would provide needed depth off the bench at the position.


First Base


Kris Bryant, San Diego 
(Ohio Warhawks 2008-09)
2009 PG/Aflac All-American Kris Bryant slides over from his usual spot at the hot corner to make room for Tar Heel third baseman Colin Moran, the superior defender between the two.  Bryant may wind up at first base, or even a corner outfield spot, some day anyway, but his immense power potential makes him a valuable asset no matter where he plays.

Two more 2009 PG/Aflac All-Americans, Vanderbilt's Conrad Gregor (Royals Baseball Club 2008; MidlandRedskins/Kansas City Royals Scout Team 2009) and Stanford's Brian Ragira (Kansas City Royals Scout Team 2008; Texas Scout Team Yankees 2009), provide plenty of promising options at first base.


Second Base

JaCoby Jones, LSU 
(Kansas City Royals Scout Team 2008)
Jones, yet another member of the 2009 PG/Aflac All-American team, is a better fit at third base (where he made this same team a year ago) or in the outfield, but he fills a need on this team by playing second.  Jones has the ability to hit and hit for power, and has proven to do so with a wood bat, while his speed makes him a threat on the basepaths.


Third Base

Colin Moran, North Carolina (New York PG USA Dark Green 2008-09)
Moran led the Cape Cod League in RBI last summer, hitting .316 with 16 extra base hits.  A left handed hitter, his profile is similar to former Tar Heel Dustin Ackley for his polished, gap-to-gap approach at the plate with a knack for making consistent, hard contact.

New Mexico's D.J. Peterson (Texas Scout Team Yankees 2009) played with Brian Ragira in Jupiter three years ago, and the two would form a fine corner infield tandem behind Bryant and Moran.


Shortstop

Brandon Trinkwon, UC Santa Barbara
(OC Boxers, 2009)
Similar to catcher, the options for the middle infield were limited and is one of the weakest overall positions for the 2013 draft class.  Trinkwon is a dark horse prospect in this class, hitting .301 with 6 home runs and 10 doubles on the Cape last summer after an impressive spring (.347/.460/.490) for the Gauchos.

Mississippi State's Adam Frazier (Florida Bombers Scout Team 2009) would provide valuable middle infield depth.


Outfield

Austin Wilson, Stanford (All American Prospects 2008-09)
Jared King, Kansas State (Lids Indiana Bulls 2009)
Derek Fisher, Virginia (Royals Baseball Club 2010)
Michael Lorenzen gets the nod as the starting utility player as listed just below, and would start games in center in between Wilson and King.  Wilson would likely slide over to center in such a scenario with some late inning defensive adjustments to bring one of the team's liveliest arms to the mound.  Wilson, who was named to this team a year ago, was a PG/Aflac All-Americans in 2009 and has exciting power and overall athletic potential, although he has yet to put all of the pieces together.  King has had no problems hitting in his first two seasons at Kansas State, and is the younger brother of Jason King whom the Tigers drafted in the fourth round in 2011.  Fisher showed no problems hitting college pitchers during his freshman year at Virginia, and was among the national leaders in triples with eight.


Utility

Michael Lorenzen, Cal State Fullerton (ABD Bulldogs 2009)
As noted above, Lorenzen would start in centerfield on this team, but also would provide a valuable late inning arm out of the bullpen thanks to his mid-90s heat.  The Titans wisely started to use Lorenzen in this same role last spring when he recorded 16 saves in 20 relief appearances.  He also hit .297 with 20 doubles, and has true five-tool potential as positional prospect.



Starting Pitchers

Carlos Rodon, NC State (Royals Baseball Club 2010)
Mark Appel, Stanford (Braves Scout Team 2008)
Jonathon Crawford, Florida (Southwest Florida Baseball 18u 2009)
Bobby Wahl, Ole Miss (Orioles Scout Team 2008-09)
Rodon was so dominant during his freshman year I don't think many would argue with my placement of putting him over Mark Appel and the rest of this starting staff.  All four pitchers selected to be the starters in pool play have electric fastball-breaking ball combinations, and collectively went 32-8 with a 2.39 ERA last spring.  Rodon and Appel both are expected to once again compete for the Golden Spikes Award, and finished the nation third and fourth respectively in the nation in strikeouts.  Wahl is a fierce competitor, and Crawford doesn't know how to throw anything straight.

Pitching once again will once again define the college crop of draft-eligible players next June, as top prospects such as Dan Child (Oregon State, SE Texas Sun Devils 2009), Jason Hursh (Oklahoma State, Midland Redskins/Kansas City Royals Scout Team 2009), Trevor Williams (Arizona State, ABD Bulldogs 2008-09) and Kevin Ziomek (Vanderbilt, Mid-Atlantic Rookies 2008-09), as well as former PG/Aflac All-Americans Karsten Whitson (Florida, East Cobb Astros 2008; East Cobb Baseball 2009) and A.J. Vanegas (Stanford, SGV Arsenal 2008-2009) also have the Jupiter experience under their belts.


Closer

Michael Wagner, San Diego (Ohio Warhawks 2009)
Wagner finished second in the nation in saves last spring with 19, making 31 appearances on the mound for the Toreros, 29 of which came out of the bullpen.  The well built 6-foot-4, 200-pound right-hander worked mostly as a starter last summer on the Cape, where he featured a low-90s fastball and sweeping slider.


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...
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...
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....
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
College | Story | 9/22/2023

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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