40 Players Who Impressed Ben Badler At PG Junior National

The Perfect Game Junior National showcase brought together hundreds of players from the 2026 class, with many of the top ranked players in the country in attendance.

The event, held at the East Cobb complex in Marietta, Ga., is the first major showcase of the summer for 2026 players. Many of those players committed to colleges prior to the rule changes the NCAA implemented last year preventing coaches from contacting players prior to Aug. 1 of their junior year. But several of the top players remain uncommitted and should be priority targets for the top schools in the nation when Aug. 1 arrives. 

From an MLB draft perspective, multiple players stood out as potential early-round picks in a couple years, including Grady Emerson (the No. 1 player in the class) and shortstop Jacob Lombard. 

Here are 40 players who stood out at PG Junior National, with reports on each player and videos included.

MLB Draft Combine Data Leaders, Standouts Through Two Days

Baseball America’s Carlos Collazo is onsite in Arizona for the MLB Draft Combine. Through two days, he’s compiled a list of players with the most impressive Statcast data, plus 10 performers from each day catching the attention of evaluators. The lists run the gamut of high-profile prep picks and more under-the-radar players potentially boosting their draft stock.

• 10 standouts, data leaders from day one

• 10 standouts, data leaders from day two

You can also check out Carlos’ breakdown from day one on our latest Hot Sheet show.

Konnor Griffin Named Baseball America’s 2024 High School Player of the Year

Our annual high school awards are here! Mississippi two-way standout Konnor Griffin takes home Player of the Year honors after an impressive calendar year of performances that culminated with a 6A state championship during a prep season where he hit .559/.690/.966 with nine home runs and 85 — yes, 85 — steals. See why Griffin has put himself in impressive company, following in the footsteps of Max Clark, Jackson Jobe and Bobby Witt Jr. as Baseball America High School Player of the Year, below. You can also find our 2024 High School All-Americans here.

Can you guess which states have never had a first-round high school draft pick?

Baseball America’s Matt Eddy took a deep dive into high school MLB draft history to see where first-round prep picks typically come from. There are five states still waiting for their first-ever first-round pick. We’ll include the answers at the bottom of this email. Check out Matt’s story once you’re ready — no cheating!

Here’s what’s trending at Baseball America…

• J.J. Cooper pored over Triple-A pitch data, which shows robo umps didn’t work as hoped

• Tennessee and Texas A&M are headed to the College World Series final. Teddy Cahill sets the scene from Omaha

• Peter Flaherty expanded his NCAA transfer portal rankings to 20 players yesterday

• Chase Burns vs. Hagen Smith — which college arm would you take first in the draft?

June 20, 2024: Remembering Willie Mays, Cole's Solid '24 Debut, Red Sox Sneaky Heater

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There are five states without a single high school player drafted in the first round. They are: Alaska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont and West Virginia.

Nine more states can only claim one high school first-rounder. Check out the full story here.