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| Mike Rinaldi (left) and Ben Ludwig (right). | PHOTO: Colin Schofield |
So, Rinaldi made a decision — he started his own program.
That decision led to the creation of Philadelphia Prime Baseball, an organization built to foster growth in players on and off the field. In just four years, the program has expanded from a single team to 14, offering a path for youth players to improve their game and gain exposure to college coaches.
“I just really enjoy coaching, really just trying to teach kids to be better baseball players and better people,” Rinaldi said. “I don't think that I ever thought that we would have 14 teams.”
The success of Philly Prime is rooted in strong coaching and a commitment to player development. Rinaldi helps lead the Philly Prime 2027 Scout team alongside Ben Ludwig, another coach whose journey began with his own children.
Ludwig’s coaching path mirrors Rinaldi’s. He began coaching his oldest son, Austin, in Little League and eventually became a regular fixture on the field. His connection with Rinaldi began when one of his players had an opportunity to join Philly Prime — and Ludwig was intrigued by what Rinaldi was building.
“A lot of the kids that I coached throughout Little League were at different organizations and something wasn't right,” Ludwig said. “It either wasn't the right fit, wasn't the right culture, and being their Little League coach from back in the day, they were all calling me saying, ‘Hey, what can we do, what is better than this?’ Knowing Mike and knowing the organization was like a perfect place to say, ‘let's go over there, join Philly Prime, build a team and go from there.’”
Austin, Matthew, and Michael all went on to play — or are currently playing — college baseball, one of the core goals the Philly Prime staff holds for their players. That cycle continues with former Prime players returning to give back. Matthew, Michael, and Austin all now coach in the organization.
Bringing back players as coaches reinforces the family environment that defines Philly Prime. The program now includes teams from 8U through high school levels, and many players remain for years — building bonds with teammates and coaches that extend far beyond the field.
“I've seen such big changes,” said Philly Prime 2027 Scout 16U player Blaise DeSanto. “I was never one of the better guys growing up, but coming here really made me a better player and I love playing.”
DeSanto joined Philly Prime at age 12 and is one of many examples of players who have grown within the organization, both as athletes and as young men. That development — on and off the field — is what fuels coaches like Rinaldi and Ludwig.
“It's a wonderful feeling,” Rinaldi said. “To see kids get older and stick with our program and just develop as baseball players and as people, it's a really great feeling.”
“They want to play baseball in college and there's a place for them if they keep doing things the right way,” Ludwig added. “We're trying to get them to where they want to be and then we can sit back and watch them and be proud that they grew.”
The summer schedule presents plenty of chances for the older Philly Prime teams to showcase their skills in front of college coaches. Rinaldi and Ludwig work to ensure those opportunities exist, including having the 2027 Scout 16U team play the New York Dynasty at Tommy Lasorda Field on Saturday.
That matchup, played without umpires and using a five-batter limit per inning, was a unique showcase event. Philly Prime dropped its first loss of the summer, 7-4, but the day was about more than the final score.
“Sometimes when there's no umpire, there's only five batters, there's no scoreboard on, some kids tend to take it less seriously,” Ludwig said. “So it's a really good thing to let them know that if they want to play college baseball, they need to self-motivate and assume some coach is watching them at all times and play hard no matter the situation. Whether it's good or bad, scoreboard or no scoreboard, umpire or no umpire. Play the game because you love the game.”
Philly Prime has grown into something larger than Rinaldi ever envisioned. Built around coaching, commitment, and care, the organization has evolved into a launching pad for athletes and young men with a passion for the sport. And while the future remains focused on development, Rinaldi is content with where things stand.
“I think we're in a good spot here,” Rinaldi said. “Between 10 and 15 teams is good. We can control the quality of coaching, because there are not a ton of teams and we're never going to be an organization where we pull kids from New Hampshire, Vermont or Maine, just to go to a tournament. So I think where we are now is probably where we're going to stay and just help grow the kids as best as we can.”
That decision led to the creation of Philadelphia Prime Baseball, an organization built to foster growth in players on and off the field. In just four years, the program has expanded from a single team to 14, offering a path for youth players to improve their game and gain exposure to college coaches.
“I just really enjoy coaching, really just trying to teach kids to be better baseball players and better people,” Rinaldi said. “I don't think that I ever thought that we would have 14 teams.”
The success of Philly Prime is rooted in strong coaching and a commitment to player development. Rinaldi helps lead the Philly Prime 2027 Scout team alongside Ben Ludwig, another coach whose journey began with his own children.
Ludwig’s coaching path mirrors Rinaldi’s. He began coaching his oldest son, Austin, in Little League and eventually became a regular fixture on the field. His connection with Rinaldi began when one of his players had an opportunity to join Philly Prime — and Ludwig was intrigued by what Rinaldi was building.
“A lot of the kids that I coached throughout Little League were at different organizations and something wasn't right,” Ludwig said. “It either wasn't the right fit, wasn't the right culture, and being their Little League coach from back in the day, they were all calling me saying, ‘Hey, what can we do, what is better than this?’ Knowing Mike and knowing the organization was like a perfect place to say, ‘let's go over there, join Philly Prime, build a team and go from there.’”
Austin, Matthew, and Michael all went on to play — or are currently playing — college baseball, one of the core goals the Philly Prime staff holds for their players. That cycle continues with former Prime players returning to give back. Matthew, Michael, and Austin all now coach in the organization.
Bringing back players as coaches reinforces the family environment that defines Philly Prime. The program now includes teams from 8U through high school levels, and many players remain for years — building bonds with teammates and coaches that extend far beyond the field.
“I've seen such big changes,” said Philly Prime 2027 Scout 16U player Blaise DeSanto. “I was never one of the better guys growing up, but coming here really made me a better player and I love playing.”
DeSanto joined Philly Prime at age 12 and is one of many examples of players who have grown within the organization, both as athletes and as young men. That development — on and off the field — is what fuels coaches like Rinaldi and Ludwig.
“It's a wonderful feeling,” Rinaldi said. “To see kids get older and stick with our program and just develop as baseball players and as people, it's a really great feeling.”
“They want to play baseball in college and there's a place for them if they keep doing things the right way,” Ludwig added. “We're trying to get them to where they want to be and then we can sit back and watch them and be proud that they grew.”
The summer schedule presents plenty of chances for the older Philly Prime teams to showcase their skills in front of college coaches. Rinaldi and Ludwig work to ensure those opportunities exist, including having the 2027 Scout 16U team play the New York Dynasty at Tommy Lasorda Field on Saturday.
That matchup, played without umpires and using a five-batter limit per inning, was a unique showcase event. Philly Prime dropped its first loss of the summer, 7-4, but the day was about more than the final score.
“Sometimes when there's no umpire, there's only five batters, there's no scoreboard on, some kids tend to take it less seriously,” Ludwig said. “So it's a really good thing to let them know that if they want to play college baseball, they need to self-motivate and assume some coach is watching them at all times and play hard no matter the situation. Whether it's good or bad, scoreboard or no scoreboard, umpire or no umpire. Play the game because you love the game.”
Philly Prime has grown into something larger than Rinaldi ever envisioned. Built around coaching, commitment, and care, the organization has evolved into a launching pad for athletes and young men with a passion for the sport. And while the future remains focused on development, Rinaldi is content with where things stand.
“I think we're in a good spot here,” Rinaldi said. “Between 10 and 15 teams is good. We can control the quality of coaching, because there are not a ton of teams and we're never going to be an organization where we pull kids from New Hampshire, Vermont or Maine, just to go to a tournament. So I think where we are now is probably where we're going to stay and just help grow the kids as best as we can.”
