by Top high school baseball players from throughout the nation will compete in the 23rd annual Perfect Game Dick’s All-American Classic on Sunday at Petco Park, with former Padres stars Ryan Klesko and Trevor Hoffman leading the East and West teams, respectively.
According to Rick Thurman, chairman of Perfect Game, a platform and scouting service for young baseball and softball players, Ryan and Trevor are not simply legendary players on the field; they are members of the Perfect Game family.
Their mutual dedication to amateur baseball’s development extends well beyond their well-known names. As friends, mentors, and investors, they devote their lives to assisting young baseball players in becoming successful.
For everyone who believes in what we’re creating at Perfect Game, including myself, it means a lot to have them back at Petco mentoring the best high school athletes in the nation.
For the first time in his career, Hoffman, the renowned Padrescloser, will be managing at any level.
“There is no better way for me to make my managerial debut than with the nation’s top high school players in front of the world’s greatest baseball fans at my home ballpark,” he added.
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It is a privilege to be a part of this event, which Perfect Game has done a fantastic job of transforming into something genuinely unique. I can’t wait to share my professional knowledge and assist these young men in savoring every second of this experience, just as I did in this industry.
Future big league players like Bryce Harper, Gunnar Henderson, Bobby Witt Jr., Gerrit Cole, Freddie Freeman, Francisco Lindor, and Zack Wheeler have all participated in the All-American Classic since 2003.
Two hundred and ninety-three of the 1,126 players who played in the previous 22 All-American Classic games were selected in the MLB draft, including 10 first-overall picks and 293 first-round selections.
Before spending seven years with the Padres, with whom he was selected as an All-Star in 2001, Klesko won a World Series with the Atlanta Braves. He presently works for the Braves as a pregame and postgame analyst.
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Nothing makes me happier than spending my summer weekends on the field with young players who are passionate about the game and eager to learn as much as they can, he said. For me, it all comes down to sharing in their journey and assisting them in developing both as athletes and as individuals.
I have so many wonderful memories of Petco Park, and I am pleased to be out there with the top players in the nation at the All-American Classic.
Former Padres Phil Nevin and Mark Loretta, World Series-winning manager Charlie Manuel, Mo Vaughn, Alfonso Soriano, Jose Contreras, and other former MLB players and managers will join Hoffman and Klesko in the dugouts.
Fans can watch the Home Run Challenge at 3 p.m., but the first pitch is scheduled for 5:08 p.m. Both events will be broadcast live on the free PGTV app and PerfectGame.TV.
