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Prep Baseball in Review: Summer

November 1, 2024
Seth Fromowitz
Prep Baseball Staff

Looking back at the past summer for Prep Baseball, the Future Games saw its biggest turnout of coaches looking for their next commitment, the MLB Draft League saw the most drafted players in league history, the second annual Prep Baseball All-American Game in Miami hosted the brightest up-and-coming talent in the 2025 and 2026 classes – and that's just scratching the surface.

ALL-AMERICAN GAME

 

In September, Miami's loanDepot Park, home of the Marlins, opened its doors to Prep Baseball as well as the nation's best incoming juniors and seniors to play the second annual All-American Game on Sept. 14, as well as a workout held at the stadium the day prior. Forty-five prospects from the classes of 2025 and 2026 went head to head on Saturday, and the seniors class won handily, 7-0, retaining the 'title' after upseting the Class of 2024 squad in the inaugural game last year in Milwaukee. The 2025s were led to victory by the event’s MVP and Texas commit, Kayson Cunningham (TX), who put up the first runs of the game via a two-run blast to right field; SS Billy Carlson (Corona HS, CA; Tennessee commit) also pitched in by notching two run-scoring hits, including an opposite field solo homer. There were over 150 scouts in attendance and you catch up on the workout day's recap, post-game recap and a replay of the game below.

+ Standout 2025s: Billy Carlson (CA) | Angel Cervantes (CA) | Justice de Jong (NY)
| Kayson Cunningham (TX) | Brady Ebel (CA) | Jaden Fauske (IL)

+ Standout 2026s: Cade Allen (TN) | Ethan Bass (IL) | Carson Bolemon (SC) | Coleman Borthwick (FL)
| AJ Curry (KY) | Anthony Del Angel (NM) | Sean Dunlap (IN)

THE HOTLIST: It’s never too early to look forward to the next Prep Baseball All-American Game. As the class of 2026 will look to avenge their loss with an added year of experience, we asked state directors from around the country to see who they feel might earn a place on the next year's AAG roster, in addition to the Class of 2027 prospects who could pave their way to the big game too. Find out who our scouts have their eyes on early in this edition of ‘The Hotlist’.

FUTURE GAMES

 

The 14th annual Prep Baseball Future Games hosted a total of 425 college coaches from between July 24 and July 28 at LakePoint Sports in Emerson, Ga., which was the the most in the event’s prestigous history. The 2024 Future Games featured several record-breaking performances and, for the first time, hosted a 17U division branded as the Senior Future Games.

Showing out in workouts and in-game, the MVP honor went to Rob Czarniecki (Chesterton HS, IN) after finishing the week 5-for-8 with a triple, home run and five RBIs. On the mound, running his fastball into the mid-90s with four strikeouts in two perfect innings, Cade Allen (South Gibson County HS, TN) was named as the Future Games' Most Valuable Pitcher. Czarniecki has since committed to Kentucky, while Allen went on to star at September's All-American Game, and he committed to Tennessee in October.

+ Commitment Tracker

+ Rosters: Senior (2025) | Future Games (2026 & 2027) | Junior (2028 & 2029)

Workout Days & On The Hunt

On the first day of the Future Games, every prospect in each class participated in a pro-style workout that can typically be seen in Prep Baseball’s various showcases and events. With speed and athletic tests, on-field workouts and cognitive testing, coaches are able to see each player up close before playing in games.

+ Workout Warriors: Shooter’s 75 Follows
+ National Data Dive
+ All Pitching Metrics
+ Impact Bats | Impact Arms

Leading up to the event, Prep Baseball’s Vice President of Scouting Shooter Hunt went through each state and their prospects to provide a cheat sheet for who to know heading into the event.

+ IN-OH-MI-PA
+ DE-MD-NC-SC-VA
+ CAN-IA-KY-MN-NE
+ CT-MA-NJ-NY
+ CO-OK-PNW-UT
+ AR-AL-LA-MS
+ FL-GA-TN-TX
+ AZ-CA-NV-HI-GA

MLB DRAFT LEAGUE

The fourth season of the MLB Draft League showed to be one of its best. Starting with an extension through the 2030 season, the league also saw 52 players from this year and past seasons be selected in the 2024 MLB Draft. The season saw the first-half champion, Williamsport Crosscutters taking the crown for their first MLB Draft League title with a 5-4 victory over the Trenton Thunder. The influx of talent saw players stand out from a data perspective that played a hand in getting drafted, as well as signing to undrafted free agent deals as the league’s ‘Data Darlings’.

+ Data Darlings: June 4-23
+ Data Darlings: July & the MLB Draft
+ Top Pitching Prospects of the Second Half
+ Appalachian League Data Darlings: June 4 to July 4
+ Appalachian League Data Darlings: All-Star Game to the End of Season

NATIONAL NEWS

Draft HQ

+ From July 14-16, the 2024 MLB Draft was held in which 615 players were drafted over the course of its 20 rounds. Throughout the draft, Director of College Scouting, David Seifert, and Vice President of Scouting, Shooter Hunt, and Kendall Rogers and Aaron Fitt from D1Baseball shared their takes on the best selections of the weekend, as well as the picks that surprised them the most.

+ Heading into the 2024-2025 school year, were assessing the top prospects who are poised to have their best seasons at the collegiate level. We took in the busy summer collegiate season to determine who those prospects are as they returned to campus in the fall prepared to play their best season yet – many of whom are making themselves at home in new enviroments, byway of the transfer portal.

JUCO WIRE

+ From July 12-19, the NJCAA assembled an all-star team that traveled to the Netherlands and play in the Haarlem Baseball Week. From staff writer Jadyn Hsieh-Bailey, learn more on the history of the event as well as a breakdown of the roster and coaching staff here.

+ With the transfer portal heavily impacting college athletics, only 25 prospects selected in the MLB Draft came from junior colleges. From Director of College Scouting David Seifert, see which JUCO products were selected and where, here.

+ The Prep Baseball JUCO Wire staff made their way to the Grand Park complex in Westfield, Ind., for the annual Puma Classic on Sept. 13 and 14. In total, 30 JUCO teams faced off on those two days in front of a fleet of four-year coaches and pro scouts. JUCO Wire’s Josh Fields previewed the teams seen over the weekend and provided takeaways following the event as well.

STATE-BY-STATE

ON THE HUNT

Taking in a busy summer at Prep Baseball, Shooter Hunt made his way across the country for big marquee events like the All-American Game and Future Games. On top of that, he looked ahead at the MLB Draft and reviewed who he had his eyes on in updated class ranking. Catch up on all of Hunt's breakdowns, notes and more in his ‘On The Hunt’ series.

PODCASTS

Want to hear more from Prep Baseball scouting directors and staff? There's 20 podcasts spanning the country that give listeners an additional way to learn more about the state of college recruiting, breakout players in their own backyards, and knowledge about the everchanging NCAA landscape and how they can stick out. Find your state's podcast by visiting this page.

'THE HOTLIST’

Over the summer, Managing Editor Andy Sroka talked with Prep Baseball’s scouting directors across the country about what prospects best fit the week’s respective category nationwide. See who has scouts talking in the ‘Hotlist’.

TOURNAMENTS

Over the summer Prep Baseball Tournaments provided premium events for summer clubs to be seen in front of scouts and coaches across the country. With events happening across the country, see all the information on previous and upcoming tournaments below.

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