Top Florida 2020 MLB Draft Prospects

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State List Talent Ranking: ??????
(Stars are listed on a 1 to 5 scale relative to what the state typically produces, with 1 being the weakest)

Nat Rank	Player	Pos	School	Ht	Wt	B-T	Commit/Drafted
7	Zac Veen	OF	Spruce Creek HS, Port Orange, Fla.	6-5	200	L-R	Florida
Veen started to raise eyebrows as a junior in high school, when he went on a bit of a home run binge in Florida, including homering against the top prep pitcher of the 2019 draft class, Matt Allan. While Veen didn’t attend USA Baseball’s PDP League, he was quick to impress evaluators with his exceptionally smooth and loose lefthanded swing and elite frame. After packing on around 20 pounds of muscle over the offseason, Veen stands at 6-foot-5, 200 pounds—still with room to add more strength. Veen has one of the best batting eyes of the prep class and brings a patient approach to the table. He frequently gets into deep counts and waits for a specific pitch to hit. His swing has natural leverage and good loft that should allow him to continue tapping into his ever-increasing raw power, which is at least plus now and could eventually reach double-plus. There are some swing-and-miss tendencies at the moment and critics wonder about his ability to handle velocity and adjust to offspeed stuff away, though most scouts believe he’ll be an above-average or better hitter thanks to his batting eye, the looseness of his operation and the way his hands work during his swing. Veen plays center field for his high school team, but he’ll be stretched there as a pro, especially as he adds weight. He’s a fine runner now but could eventually become fringe-average or below and will fit best in a corner, where he should have more than enough power to profile. He’s a solid defender with good arm strength. Veen has one of the more high-upside tools profiles in the class thanks to his power potential, swing and frame. After entering the season toward the back of the first round, the Florida commit is now one of the favorites to be the first high school player selected in a class that’s heavy on college players at the top.
30	Chris McMahon	RHP	Miami	6-2	205	R-R	Braves ’17 (33)
McMahon has shown impressive athleticism and arm strength dating back to his high school days, when he was up to 95 mph and showed potential with two quality offspeed offerings. He ranked No. 76 in the 2017 BA 500, but made it to Miami and should go off the board well before that range in 2020. The top arm in southern Florida, McMahon has a solid collegiate track record with the Hurricanes and scouts believe his pitch metrics will excite analytically inclined evaluators as well. His fastball is a plus offering, regularly in the mid-90s, but the pitch plays better than its velocity thanks to deception and solid riding life. He also has a slider and a changeup. Some scouts have the slider as his better offspeed offering, calling it a plus breaking ball, while others are high on a changeup that gets plus grades as well. He pulls the string with that pitch and induces whiffs and ground balls from hitters of both sides. McMahon has also implemented a cutter, though some evaluators believe it’s not a true cutter, simply a more firm version of his slider. Whatever the pitch, scouts believe both breaking balls have plus potential. McMahon has a minor back injury on his resume, but he’s largely been successful when healthy and was off to his best collegiate season in 2020 with a 1.05 ERA in four starts and 25.2 innings, with 38 strikeouts and five walks. Some teams could like him as high as the 20s, and it would be surprising to see him slide out of the second round.
32	Slade Cecconi	RHP	Miami	6-4	212	R-R	Orioles ’18 (38)
Cecconi has one of the best pedigrees of any player in the 2020 class going back to his high school days, fitting in talent-wise with the top arms in a loaded 2018 prep pitching class that included Indians righthander Ethan Hankins and Vanderbilt righthander Kumar Rocker. Cecconi looked like a no-doubt first-round pick based on his summer looks entering his senior year in high school but pitched sparingly during the spring due to an injury and made it to campus at Miami as a result. His freshman season was solid, and he handled 80 innings, although the stuff wasn’t quite as loud as he showed in shorter stints as a high schooler. Still, he showed enough flashes that teams were convinced he was the same pitcher and would become a first-round candidate with another strong season as a draft-eligible sophomore. With the season cut short, Cecconi started just four games, pitching to a 3.80 ERA in 21.1 innings with 30 strikeouts and seven walks. In terms of pure stuff, Cecconi has more than any arm in Florida and stacks up with the better starters in the 2020 class. But having everything together at once has been a challenge for the 6-foot-4 righthander, who also saw his velocity tick down in his last outing of the year. At his best he runs his fastball up into the upper 90s with impressive life and has a slider, cutter and changeup that all flash plus. On top of the quality of Cecconi’s pitches, scouts like his frame and strike-throwing ability but believe he gets too much of the plate at times. At the moment, Cecconi fits in the second round thanks to his track record and performance, but his overall talent likely fits higher than that. Whether a team wants to take the risk to draft and sign him in that range is another question, and with additional leverage as an eligible sophomore it could prove difficult.
40	Carson Montgomery	RHP	Windermere (Fla.) HS	6-2	195	R-R	Florida State
A 6-foot-2, 195-pound righthander committed to Florida State, Montgomery has a loud two-pitch mix featuring a fastball that’s already up to 96 mph and one of the better sliders in the prep class. Montgomery consistently showed an impressive ability to generate whiffs with both pitches, with his fastball up in the zone and his slider at the bottom and below the strike zone. His fastball sits more in the 90-93 range after he settles in, but the pitch comes out of a high three-quarters slot with good angle and features solid running life. His slider flashes plus consistently, with hard and late diving action that routinely fools hitters, though scouts mentioned that the pitch is inconsistent. Some cite a wrist wrap in the back of his arm slot that could lead to the inconsistencies of the breaking ball, which also limits his fastball command. Montgomery can lose the zone at times and his command is more scattered than teams would like from a prep arm with first-round stuff. Additionally, teams will have to project on Montgomery’s changeup, which is firm in the upper 80s with little movement, but could become a reliable third pitch with additional usage. A team that likes his chance to start long-term could take him in the back half of the first, though most of the industry might have him slightly after that range. He could be a tough sign, particularly within a shortened 2020 draft.
46	CJ Van Eyk	RHP	Florida State	6-1	205	R-R	Mets ’17 (19)
Van Eyk established himself as one of the more polished prep pitchers in the 2017 draft class. He ranked No. 109 on the BA 500 that year and would have been solidly in the top 100 of the class if it weren’t for health questions that stemmed from a forearm injury. Perhaps because of that, Van Eyk made his way to Florida State, where he has been extremely consistent. After starting just five games as a freshman, Van Eyk made a successful transition to a starting role in 2019, when he posted a 3.81 ERA over 99.1 innings and 18 starts, with more than 11 strikeouts per nine innings. He was off to another successful season in 2020, posting a 1.31 ERA over four starts and 20.2 innings with 25 strikeouts and 12 walks. Van Eyk gets things done with a solid three-pitch mix, including a fastball in the 90-95 mph range, a sharp, 78-80 mph downer curveball and an 81-84 mph changeup with sinking action that fools hitters on both sides. All three of those pitches are solid-average or better. Van Eyk can also spin a slider, but the pitch has less depth and less swing-and-miss potential than his curve. Van Eyk’s operation is clean, with a loose, fluid arm that comes from a deliberate windup with very little coil or torque in his lower half, some hooking action in the back and an easy, balanced finish. Everything about the operation screams starter, but Van Eyk’s stuff isn’t quite as explosive as the top-end pitchers in the class, which could make him more of a late first- or second-round pick.
54	Logan Allen	LHP	Florida International	6-0	170	R-L	Orioles ’17 (16)
A polished strike thrower going back to his prep days, Allen posted a stunning 126-to-9 strikeout-to-walk ratio as a senior at University High in Orange City, Fla. At the time, his fastball topped out at 93, but he mixed and matched effectively enough to overpower the competition. His profile is much the same after three seasons with Florida International. Without an overpowering fastball, Allen has still had nothing but success as a starter, with a career 3.33 ERA and 246 strikeouts to 47 walks in 183.2 innings. He can run his fastball into the 93-94 mph range, but he usually pitches in the 90-91 range. The pitch plays above its below-average velocity thanks to deception and command, though he has turned what was a fringe-average changeup into a legitimate plus offering. He also has a curveball that’s more of an average pitch. Despite no truly overpowering offerings, Allen is confident in his stuff and pitches fearlessly inside against any hitter. In his abbreviated junior season, Allen racked up double-digit strikeouts in three of his first four starts, finishing with a 2.45 ERA over 25.2 innings with 41 strikeouts and just six walks. Allen also had a strong summer in the Cape Cod League, where he struck out 24 batters and walked three in 15 innings. In addition to his pitching accomplishments, Allen has been a two-way player for FIU every season and is a career .297/.362/.410 hitter while playing first base. His pro future is on the mound, and he should be a safe second-round pick.
59	Victor Mederos	RHP	Westminster Christian Academy, Miami	6-4	215	R-R	Miami
A two-time Under Armour All-American, Mederos has been seen early and often by the national scouting community and brings a physical, workhorse’s frame to the table at 6-foot-3, 220 pounds. Mederos was running his fastball up into the mid-90s and showing a hammer of a curveball before his junior season and showed similar stuff last summer. Over the offseason, Mederos worked on improving his body. Scouts say he came out early this spring looking much better in that regard, but his results were inconsistent. When Mederos is at his best, he looks like one of the better pitchers in the 2020 class. He runs his fastball up to 95-96 mph consistently and backs it up with a two-seam fastball, curveball, slider and changeup. In previous years Mederos focused on throwing all of his off-speed offerings in any count, and has developed a good feel for landing those pitches consistently, but his fastball command has been more erratic. He has shown a tendency to overthrow at times, and repeating a consistent release point with the pitch has been a challenge, leading some scouts to question his athleticism. Others believe he has solid athleticism for a big-bodied pitcher but also acknowledge that he needs to be more consistent in his delivery. While he has typically shown a 60-grade fastball, the pitch appeared closer to fringe-average in his final starts before the season ended. His curveball is his best secondary pitch, with a spin rate in the 2,600-rpm range as well as excellent power and finish. Some scouts have graded the pitch as high as a 70 on the traditional 20-80 scouting scale. However, Mederos needs to improve the consistency of that offering, like the rest of his operation. Each of his other offerings have a chance to be at least average, giving him plenty of weapons to mix and match from at-bat to at-bat. Mederos has a big league-caliber frame and repertoire, but teams will need to be confident in his ability to refine his entire game to sign him out of a Miami commitment. His natural talent fits as high as the first round, but inconsistencies and questions about strike-throwing could push him into the second or third.
60	Alejandro Rosario	RHP	Miami Christian HS	6-1	165	R-R	Miami
Voted by scouts as a preseason second-team All-American, Rosario has an electric right arm, which he uses to fire a fastball that gets up to the 97-98 mph range. Standing at just 6-foot-1, 165 pounds, Rosario is undersized and smaller than most of the prep pitchers in the same talent range in the 2020 class. Despite his size, he has a fairly clean delivery without a ton of effort. In addition to Rosario’s fastball, he has a split-change and a slider which have both shown above-average potential. Rosario was one of the most reliable arms with Team USA’s 18U National Team last summer, throwing 13 innings with a 1.38 ERA, nine strikeouts and two walks. Despite his pure stuff, scouts have some concerns about how everything plays. This spring, scouts noted that he wasn’t missing many bats, which is alarming considering his velocity was still up to 97. There’s not a lot of deception in Rosario’s operation, and scouts wonder how his fastball will play at the next level. They would also like to see more tilt and depth out of his slider, which dives more vertically than horizontally and can often blend into his split change. Both offspeed offerings are in the same 79-84 mph velocity range. Scouts love Rosario’s arm strength and laud his competitive makeup, but with questions about the playability of his stuff and size, teams might be prevented from taking him in a range where he would sign away from his Miami commitment. With a refined breaking ball and more whiffs against his fastball at the next level, Rosario could work himself into a no-doubt first-round talent. For now, he’s just outside that range.
66	Enrique Bradfield	OF	American Heritage HS, Plantation, Fla.	6-0	155	L-L	Vanderbilt
The best runner in the prep class, Bradfield has posted sub-6.3 60-yard dash times, which are 80-grade times, and incorporates that speed in all phases of the game. A no-doubt center fielder, Bradfield uses his blazing speed to cover huge swaths of outfield grass, getting to balls in the gap that other fielders wouldn’t dream of catching. He’s more than just a fast runner though, as Bradfield consistently shows advanced route-running ability and has an elite first-step when reading balls off the bat. All of those traits combine to give him elite defensive potential at a premium position, and he also has solid arm strength. There are more questions about the offensive side of his game. Bradfield sets up with a wide stance and has impressive bat-to-ball skills, but he has well below-average raw power and there’s little in his frame to suggest he will ever grow into average power in the future. Instead, he should be a slappy, line-drive hitter who succeeds by putting balls into the outfield gaps, bunting and using his speed to collect extra-base hits and put pressure on the defense. His dynamic speed should be an asset on the bases as well, even at a time when stealing has become less of an emphasis in the major leagues. Bradfield could be a tough sign out of a Vanderbilt commitment, but he has the athleticism and game-breaking running ability that every team covets.
73	Freddy Zamora	SS	Miami	6-1	190	R-R	Never Drafted
Zamora was among the top tier of college shortstops in the 2020 class entering the season. If it weren’t for Arizona State’s Alika Williams, there would be an argument for Zamora as the top defender in the class, and Zamora brings more offensive upside to the table as well. Zamora hit .300/.391/.429 with more walks than strikeouts over his first two years with Miami, but a knee injury suffered in a preseason practice wiped out his junior season before it began. He had started to tap into more power in his 2019 season (going from one home run to six) and would have been right in the middle of the Hurricanes’ lineup as well as their defensive leader at shortstop. Zamora has the tools to be an impact defender at shortstop, though he showed a tendency to get a bit lazy on routine plays. If he cleaned those up, Zamora would have easy plus potential with the glove, with impressive hands, solid range and a reliable throwing arm. Zamora’s power is fringe-average, but he shows a solid understanding of the strike zone and has at least an average hit tool. He’s an above-average runner and does a nice job on the bases, going 33-for-40 (82.5 percent) in steals over his first two seasons. A solid all-around player who is likely to stick at shortstop long-term, Zamora could have easily played his way into first-round consideration if healthy and hitting well. He should slide a bit because of his injury but will still be in day one consideration thanks to very few holes in his game.
75	Tommy Mace	RHP	Florida	6-6	200	R-R	Reds ’17 (12)
A super projectable arm out of high school, Mace took steps forward with his velocity as a high school senior, when he ran his fastball up 94 after mostly pitching in the upper 80s on the showcase circuit. He made it to campus at Florida and made an immediate impact as a freshman in the bullpen before transitioning to a starting role in 2019, when he took over the Friday night role in just the fourth week of the season. He performed well through four starts in the shortened 2020 season, posting a 1.67 ERA in 27 innings with 26 strikeouts and five walks. A 6-foot-6, 215-pound righthander who still has plenty of projection in his frame, Mace throws a fastball that gets up into the 95-96 mph range. Scouts think his fastball gets too flat and prefer the sinking, two-seam fastball that he throws more than his four-seamer. Mace shows good feel for a slider and a changeup, though scouts think the breaking ball is more fringy, while his changeup has a chance to be an average offering. Because of the quality of his slider and his lack of big strikeout numbers at Florida, evaluators believe he’ll always be a pitcher who relies on ground balls and generating weak contact. Without a plus pitch, Mace doesn’t have a ton of upside, but he still has physical projection remaining and has always been a quality strike-thrower—2.8 walks per nine innings in his Florida career. Mace fits as a late day one or early day two pick.
77	Yohandy Morales	SS	Braddock HS, Miami	6-4	195	R-R	Miami
Morales is a big, physical, toolsy shortstop with big league bloodlines. His father, Andy, played in the majors and Morales likely has the same pure talent to follow in his footsteps. Morales matured physically quicker than most of his contemporaries and showed an impact righthanded bat as an underclassman. Now listed at 6-foot-4, 195 pounds, Morales still has room to fill out and add strength, but he’ll need more refinement in his game to make the most of his impressive tool set. Last summer, Morales showed an ambush approach with a strong tendency to pull the ball and he also struggled significantly with offspeed offerings, swinging and missing out of the zone at a moderate rate. Having his spring season shortened hurt Morales, as scouts were impressed with the growth he showed in his first few games. In those looks, scouts saw a better approach at the plate with a more direct swing, with fewer whiffs and much better contact ability. While the pitching competition wasn’t as consistently strong as he would see on the showcase circuit, South Florida is generally one of the better areas for high school baseball and this season is no different. Morales has plus raw power, but there are questions of how frequently he’ll be able to tap into that. Defensively, he has plus arm strength, though he lacks the foot speed and short-area quickness that teams want to see in a shortstop. He has long actions and a slow exchange at times, which will probably make him a better fit for third base. Morales could be a second- or third-round pick based on his talent upside, but if teams are concerned with the risk he comes with, he could make it to campus at Miami.
79	Coby Mayo	3B	Stoneman Douglas HS, Parkland, Fla.	6-5	215	R-R	Florida
Mayo is a big, physical third baseman with a 6-foot-5, 215-pound frame and raw power and arm strength to match it. He also has a solid track record of hitting against some of the better pitchers in the 2020 class, with solid zone recognition and a mature approach at the plate. Mayo has tinkered a bit with his setup. Last summer he shifted his weight significantly back on his right foot, which put him in inconsistent launch positions and hurt his rhythm, but he’s since gone back to a 50-50 weight split. He still is more herky jerky in the box than fluid, and scouts wonder if that will prevent him from consistently tapping into his plus raw power despite a solid eye. He’s an obvious swing-change candidate if he gets to pro ball, but he does have solid contact ability. Defensively, Mayo has one of the strongest arms in the 2020 class, an easy plus cannon with tremendous carry. He’ll need to improve both his footwork and hands to stick at the position though, particularly when major league third basemen are required to handle more ground in a heavily shifted era. His raw tools and physicality are among the loudest in the 2020 prep class, but he could be a tough sign away from Florida. If he gets to campus in Gainesville he could tremendously improve his draft stock by tapping into his power against SEC competition.
84	Beck Way	RHP	Northwest Florida JC	6-4	200	R-R	Louisiana State
The top junior college prospect in a fairly deep class at the level, Way is a 6-foot-4, 200-pound righthander who showed really good stuff last summer in the Cape Cod League. While he threw just 13.2 innings for Cotuit last summer, Way impressed scouts enough by striking out 18 batters and posting a 3.29 ERA that some evaluators put him in the second-to-third-round range on his summer look alone. This spring with Northwest Florida JC, Way continued to impress, showing better control and a solid fastball/changeup combination. Way gets up to 96-97 mph with the fastball, though the pitch more typically sits in the 92-94 range. He creates uncomfortable at-bats due to his ability to spot his fastball in all four quadrants of the zone and he disrupts the timing of batters thanks to a plus changeup with exceptional tumbling action. Way’s slider is more inconsistent than his fastball and changeup, but it has shown flashes of being an average third offering. With two plus pitches, a good frame and above-average control, Way has put himself in position to be taken in the second round or slightly after.
99	Jackson Miller	C	Mitchell HS, New Port Richey, Fla.	6-0	195	L-R	Wake Forest
Miller doesn’t have the loudest toolset you’ll ever see, but he has a solid all-around game that scouts are drawn to the more they watch him play. A 6-foot, 195-pound backstop committed to Wake Forest, Miller has few holes to speak of in his game. Defensively he has soft, quiet hands and receives well behind the plate with average arm strength and a good, clean transfer in his throws. He projects as at least an average defender and could get to a tick better than that. Offensively, Miller has a simple, low-maintenance swing that is geared for line drives more than home runs. He’s a gap-to-gap hitter and with a fairly mature frame it’ll be tough to project too much more in terms of power, but with a chance to hit from the left side and solid tools across the board, there’s a lot to like. Some scouts thought he could have been a breakout candidate with a strong performance this spring.
106	Colby Halter	SS	Bishop Kenny HS, Jacksonville	6-1	195	L-R	Florida
A 6-foot-1, 195-pound Florida commit who performed with USA Baseball’s 18U National Team and generally does well with the bat wherever he’s playing, Halter doesn’t overflow with tools but impresses scouts with his hitting ability and versatility. A utility player with Team USA who can handle any infield position in a pinch, Halter is a shortstop for his high school team but scouts think he’ll have to move off the position at the next level. He has an above-average, accurate arm that could play anywhere on the infield, but doesn’t have the elite actions or footspeed teams like to see out of a shortstop. Additionally, Halter doesn’t currently have the power that makes him an obvious candidate to profile super well at third base or another corner position, but scouts keep coming back to his natural hitting ability. Halter hit .419/.486/.548 with Team USA, good for third on the team in hitting, and he got plenty of national heat early this spring before the 2020 season was shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic. Teams who believe in Halter’s lefty bat will draft him in the second or third round and figure out the position later—similar to Reds second baseman Tyler Callihan from the 2019 class—while others would be more inclined to let him reach campus at Florida and prove it.
108	Mason Miller	LHP	Mitchell HS, New Port Richey, Fla.	6-3	200	L-L	Florida Gulf Coast
An up-arrow prep arm before the 2020 season was shut down, Miller is a 6-foot-3, 200-pound southpaw committed to Florida Gulf Coast who has some of the best natural ability to spin a breaking ball in the entire 2020 class. Over the summer at East Coast Pro, Miller showed a 74-78 mph breaking ball with elite spin rate in the 2,800-3,000 rpm range with tremendous shape and depth. The pitch humped out of his hand early and lacked power and consistent finish at times, but showed hints of a true plus offering. He also showed a fastball in the 86-91 mph range that generated 10 whiffs over three innings at ECP, and this spring his velocity was more 88-92 and touching 93. His fastball has slight running action thanks to a lower, three-quarters slot which can also make his curveball more slurvy. Miller’s control is just average now, but scouts are excited about how well his arm works, the clean action and an athletic body that bodes well for his future development. If Miller is signable, it would be difficult to see him going outside of the third or fourth round, as there aren’t many prep lefties with his body, arm action and breaking ball potential.
133	AJ Shaver	OF	South Lake HS, Groveland, Fla.	6-2	197	R-R	Florida State
A 6-foot-2, 197-pound outfielder committed to Florida State, Shaver impressed with his raw power and rhythm at the plate last summer at East Coast Pro. While there, he showed impressive pull side pop and an intriguing bat with above-average bat speed. Scouts continued to be impressed with Shaver early this spring and were able to see him take a jump before the coronavirus shut down the 2020 season. Shaver has an exciting package of tools, including plus running ability, above-average arm strength and raw power. He brings athleticism and strength to the table, and while Shaver still has some room to improve his offensive approach and pure hit tool, some evaluators have been excited with the steps he’s taken in that area to bet on his bat moving forward. With a chance to stick in center field at the next level, his power profiles well and some teams like him in the 3-5 round range.
135	Timmy Manning	LHP	Cardinal Gibbons HS, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.	6-2	175	L-L	Florida
Manning has one of the better and more consistent breaking balls in the 2020 prep class, a mid-70s bender with tremendous depth and impressive spin in the 2300-2600 rpm range. He shows tremendous feel for landing the pitch in the zone or burying it below hitters’ knees for swings-and-misses and can backdoor the pitch to righthanders as well. It’s a real hammer, with two-plane break at times and impressive 1-to-7 shape. While his curveball stacks up with most, Manning’s fastball currently sits in the 87-91 mph range, and because of that some teams are wary of signing him into pro ball right away. The pitch has solid running life at times, but it too frequently dips into the upper 80s. Manning has also shown a changeup in the 79-82 mph range that he throws with good arm speed, but the pitch is fairly straight and fringy for now. Manning is listed at 6-foot-2, 175 pounds and if he makes it to campus at Florida and adds more power to his fastball and more physicality to his frame, he could easily shoot up draft boards.
137	Carlos Perez	C	Florida Christian HS, Miami	6-2	195	B-R	Miami
Perez is one of the better catch-and-throw backstops in the country, with every scout who’s seen him praising his defensive work. A 6-foot-2, 195-pound Miami commit, Perez has gotten plus defensive evaluations thanks to impressive hands and above-average receiving and blocking ability to go along with plus arm strength. That arm has looked like a no-doubt plus arm at times, but this spring it was more in the average to above-average range. Either way, the strength is in the tank, it’s just a matter of Perez letting it loose on a consistent basis. While most scouts are confident in the defensive side of his game, there are more concerns about the quality of Perez’s hit tool. He has power potential with plenty of strength in his frame and more room to add physicality as well. He’ll show consistent contact and impact ability in batting practice with good bat speed, but there are some timing issues that have appeared in games that could limit him getting to his power. Perez had a chance to continue climbing draft boards this spring by hitting consistently and giving teams more confidence in his offensive game. If they are too scared of the bat, he could get to Miami and try and prove he’s a legit prospect on both sides, but teams are still in on him as a defender in the 3-5 round range.
146	Jake Smith	RHP	State JC of Florida	6-5	180	R-R	Miami
The Phillies drafted Smith out of Chapel Hill (N.C.) High in 2018, but the righthander opted to go to school, where he’s significantly raised his draft stock this spring as a sophomore with State JC of Florida. Smith has a good combination of remaining projection and present stuff, with a fastball that’s gotten up to 95-96 mph and a 6-foot-5, 180-pound frame that has room for more strength. In eight games and 40 innings this spring, Smith showed solid strike-throwing ability with 59 strikeouts to just eight walks, and evaluators believe some funk and deception in his delivery allows his heater—which sits around 93-94—to play up. Smith’s breaking ball isn’t quite as loud as his plus fastball now, but it’s an average offering now with a chance to get to above average in the future. Smith has good athleticism and his arm works well, giving him plenty of traits for pro teams to like, though if he still doesn’t want to sign in the draft, he could head to Miami next year and further improve his prospect status.
154	Sammy Infante	SS	Monsignor Pace HS, Miami	6-1	175	R-R	Miami
A 6-foot-1, 175-pound shortstop committed to Miami, Infante has a nice collection of above-average tools. Over the summer he showed some glimpses of above-average raw power to the pull side, but his contact was inconsistent as well. He started making improvements this spring and was moving up draft boards before the season was shut down, with plenty of crosscheckers in attendance to watch him play. While Infante might not have a carrying plus tool, he’s above average in many areas including his running ability, arm strength and power. He also has a chance to be an above-average defender, so if a team thinks he can develop into an average hitter then there’s a lot to like in a down year for top-of-the-class prep shortstops. If Infante makes it to campus at Miami, he would be an eligible-sophomore for the 2022 draft.
155	TK Roby	RHP	Pine Forest HS, Pensacola, Fla.	6-1	180	R-R	Troy
Roby was a prep arm trending up this spring before the 2020 season was shut down. Area scouts and southeast crosscheckers alike were impressed with what they saw out of the 6-foot-1, 180-pound Troy commit and could see him going in the third or fourth round of the draft. Over the summer Roby showed an 89-93 mph fastball that got plenty of whiffs up in the zone, with spin rates in the 2300-2500 rpm range. He also showed some potential with a 76-78 mph curveball. This spring, the reports on his curveball were better, with scouts calling it a potential plus offering. His fastball velocity was in the same range as last summer, getting up to 94 at its peak, and Roby also showed a solid 80-81 mph changeup. With three quality pitches and good strike-throwing ability, Roby has some starter vibes that teams might want to take a chance on before letting him get to Troy, where he could blow up.
157	Jack Leftwich	RHP	Florida	6-4	220	R-R	Tigers ’17 (39)
Leftwich is a big, physical righthander with plenty of pure stuff, but he hadn’t yet found the SEC results that scouts had expected of him entering the 2020 season. As a freshman in a split role as a reliever and starter, Leftwich posted a 4.20 ERA with solid strikeout-to-walk numbers, but his ERA blossomed to 5.31 in 2019 as a full-time starter. That mark was 4.15 through four starts in 2020 before SEC play got started, with 23 strikeouts to eight walks in 21.2 innings of work. Leftwich has a power arm with a fastball that gets up to 95-96 mph, but it doesn’t have much life, and because of that hitters have been able to square it up. He’ll pitch backwards at times with a slider that improved over the summer and a solid-average changeup, but some scouts would like to see him add a two-seam fastball to allow him to attack early with velocity. Standing at 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, Leftwich has a starter’s frame and is a good strike thrower, but his stuff portends more of a back-of-the-rotation arm. Leftwich missed time as a sophomore due to blisters. He also locks out his front knee in his landing, which has created audible clicking sounds that have mystified and concerned some evaluators, though to this point it hasn’t been an issue.
159	Alex Toral	1B	Miami	6-1	229	L-L	Never Drafted
Toral entered the 2017 draft cycle with lofty expectations, and he was seen as one of the better hitting prospects in the class before his stock fell after an underwhelming spring season with Archbishop McCarthy High in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Toral was a household name after showing big power potential as early as his freshman season, leading some to think he was well on his way to being the next Adrián González. That didn’t come to pass, and Toral made his way to Miami, where he continued to struggle with the bat. He hit just .161/.322/.237 with one home run and 40 strikeouts to 20 walks in 33 games. Scouts and coaches both questioned his ability to discern and make contact against offspeed offerings and use the opposite field. He took steps forward as a sophomore, tapping into his power and hitting 24 home runs, though that came with a strikeout rate north of 30 percent. Last summer Toral played 34 games in the Cape but hit just .200/.313/.305 with two home runs. As a first baseman who’s a well below-average runner and below-average defender, there’s a significant amount of pressure on Toral’s bat. In a brief stint this spring, scouts saw signs of improvement. He showed a more mature approach at the plate and was seeing the ball better, rarely getting fooled on pitches he previously struggled with. He cut down his swing and miss and also showed more power to the opposite field than he had before. Through 16 games, Toral hit .296/.435/.593 with five home runs and more walks (13) than strikeouts (9). It will take a lot of faith for teams to buy into that small sample of improvement given his long history of struggles and swing-and-miss concerns, but Toral does have plus-plus raw power and if he finds a way to regularly tap into it, he could become a dangerous hitter in the middle of a lineup.
165	Trent Palmer	RHP	Jacksonville	6-1	230	R-R	Never Drafted
Palmer’s first year as a full-time starter with Jacksonville got off to a great start as the righthander struck out 41 batters and walked just five over 27.2 innings in his first four starts. He was getting plenty of scouting attention for his early season performance after running his fastball up to 97 mph last summer in the Cape Cod League. On the Cape, Palmer appeared in seven games as a reliever and posted a 1.45 ERA in 18.2 innings with 21 strikeouts and eight walks. Palmer threw much better strikes this spring than he previously did as a reliever with Jacksonville in 2018 and 2019, and scouts think of him firmly as a top 200 prospect because of his improvement. This spring his fastball sat mostly in the 92-95 mph range, touching 96, and he’s mixed in two above-average secondaries in a slider and a changeup. His slider is a firm breaking ball in the 84-87 mph range. At 6-foot-1, 230 pounds, Palmer will need to maintain his body moving forward, but he’s shown a repeatable delivery that should give him every opportunity to start.
168	Ryan Bruno	LHP	American Heritage HS, Plantation, Fla.	6-3	185	L-L	Stanford
Bruno’s pure arm talent, handedness and athleticism could have made him a day one consideration, but given the shortened season and his previous control questions that could be a hard sell for teams. Last summer Bruno showed a lively delivery out of a 6-foot-3, 185-pound frame that had plenty of room for more weight, and slung fastballs in the 94-95 mph range at his best. However, the control of that pitch—along with his entire arsenal—was well below average and some evaluators have said that Bruno’s control questions are among the biggest in the prep class, at least among prospects in Top 300 consideration. There’s effort to his delivery, with head-whacking action in his finish and an arm that will fly out of sync frequently. He’s shown three secondaries, including a curveball in the 75-78 mph range, a slider in the low 80s and a changeup in the 81-83 mph range. All those pitches are in nascent stages, as Bruno struggles to get on top and land them consistently, and because of that scouts have had difficulty grading them with any real conviction. His control will need to improve significantly before scouts know what they are really dealing with and they weren’t able to watch him enough this spring to see if he had taken those steps. Because of that, Bruno could make it to campus at Stanford, where he’ll look to refine his game and start tapping into his lofty potential.
172	Elijah Cabell	OF	Florida State	6-2	200	R-R	Brewers ’18 (14)
Cabell was one of the toolsier prep players in the 2018 draft out of high school, with exciting power, speed and arm strength. He also struggled to make contact at times, leaving scouts to wonder how much impact he’d ever get to at higher levels. Since joining Florida State, he’s largely been the player teams expected, though he has started to fill out his frame and get more physical, adding even more power than he showed out of TNXL Academy in Altamonte Springs, Fla. Now listed at 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, Cabell shows massive raw power, with the ability to backspin a ball out of any part of the stadium. After hitting seven home runs as a freshman, with a .220/.404/.415 line in 58 games, Cabell started making a jump forward in his sophomore-eligible 2020 season. He hit as many home runs in just 17 games and was looking at a .263/.488/.649 line. While the power output is impressive, the strikeouts are concerning. After whiffing at a 40 percent rate as a freshman, Cabell’s strikeout rate during the abbreviated 2020 season was still sitting at 39 percent. He seems to have issues recognizing and laying off of spin, both in the zone and outside of it, and that will be a significant question mark for teams when considering his hit tool questions going back to his prep days. As a defender, Cabell has the arm strength and power to profile nicely in either corner outfield spot. He’s not the most fluid defender and he has shown lapses with his glove work at times, but moves well for his size and has plus arm strength that could be a weapon. Out of high school he had one of the strongest and most accurate arms in the class, and his throws still have considerable carry and power today.
187	Jacob Teter	1B	Florida Southern	6-6	225	L-L	Never Drafted
One of the top Division II players in the 2020 draft class, Teter entered the Cape Cod League last summer as a relatively unknown prospect on the national landscape. That certainly wasn’t the case after he left, as Teter held his own by hitting .292 with a pair of home runs and five doubles in 42 games. Scouts were intrigued with the massive raw power that came out of his 6-foot-6, 225-pound frame. Over the summer, his swing wasn’t leveraged just right for over-the-fence power, and coaches said he got on top of the ball and hit too many line drives. Throughout his career at Florida Southern, Teter has shown an ability to hit the long ball, with 12 home runs during the 2018 season, seven in 2019 and seven more through just 22 games in 2020. Before the 2020 season came to an end, Teter was hitting .329/.485/.618 with 23 walks and just 13 strikeouts. Over his three-year career, Teter has more walks (82) than strikeouts (80). With definite plus power and Cape performance, teams are excited about the impact ability of Teter’s bat. Where he goes will depend on the defensive evaluation teams have on him. The feedback seems split, as Teter got glowing reviews from coaches in the Cape Cod League for his work around the first base bag, while other scouts saw him as a below-average defender. Those who like him cite impressive arm strength, a good first step, reliable hands around the bag on balls in the dirt and good athleticism and footwork. With a 6-foot-6 frame, Teter also has the ideal target for a major league first baseman and the power to go along with it. His power potential should see him drafted somewhere in the 4-6 round range and he had plenty of crosscheckers in to see him early this spring.
189	Shane Drohan	LHP	Florida State	6-3	195	R-L	Phillies ’17 (23)
Drohan ranked as the No. 106 draft prospect out of high school in the 2017 draft class, when he showed advanced secondaries, and a fastball that showed future average potential. After pitching just 4.1 innings as a freshman with Florida State, Drohan settled into a starting role during his sophomore season, posting a 3.66 ERA in 51.2 innings with a good strikeout rate (12.4 per nine) but poor control (8.4 walks per nine). Listed at 6-foot-3, 195 pounds, Drohan has a skinny frame and a loose, easy arm action with a three-quarter slot and quick tempo. His fastball sits in the 90-93 mph range with some natural sinking life, and he pairs it with an 80-84 mph changeup that mimics the same motion. Drohan also throws a 77-80 mph curveball with 1-to-7 shape that is effective against lefthanders when located down and away. While Drohan improved his control from 2019 through his first four games in 2020, he still walked more than five batters per nine and the inconsistency of his strikes led many scouts to think he’s better suited for a reliever role at the next level. His stuff doesn’t have the explosion or plus potential that back-end relievers all have in the big league game, limiting his upside in that role if starting doesn’t work out. He still has a solid three-pitch mix with some athleticism and projection remaining, giving him a chance to take another step forward in pro ball.
191	Carson Ragsdale	RHP	South Florida	6-8	225	R-R	Never Drafted
One of the tallest pitchers in the 2020 draft class, Ragsdale is a 6-foot-8, 225-pound redshirt junior with limited track record at South Florida. After totaling 31.1 innings as a reliever during his freshman and sophomore seasons, Ragsdale missed the 2019 season with Tommy John surgery, before exciting teams with his combination of stuff, strikes and size early in 2020. While Ragsdale started just four games, he was an up-arrow guy after posting a 2.84 ERA in 19 innings, with 37 strikeouts (17.5 per nine) to just seven walks (3.3 per nine). His strike-throwing ability early this season was significantly better than he’s previously shown in his career, and Ragsdale has better body control and coordination than most players of his size. There’s some length in Ragsdale’s arm action, but he repeats a three-quarter arm stroke reasonably well and has good extension down the mound. Ragsdale throws a fastball that sits in the 90-93 mph range, but he’s run the pitch up to 96 and pairs it with a solid-average curveball and a below-average changeup. He’s more of a control-over-command pitcher, and because of that and a below-average third pitch, some scouts think he’s a better reliever profile. However, there are teams who think he has a chance to start, and because of that he could go off the board in the 4-6 round range.
196	Sterlin Thompson	SS	North Marion HS, Citra, Fla.	6-3	185	L-R	Florida
Thompson didn’t attend many of the high-profile summer showcase events, but he hit enough during the fall and early in the spring that scouts took note and they are intrigued with his hit tool potential. A 6-foot-3, 185-pound Florida commit, Thompson plays shortstop now, but scouts think a corner outfield spot will be a better fit for him in the future thanks to below-average running ability. While he’s got below-average power now, scouts believe Thompson will grow into more strength as he fills out his frame and get to above-average raw power in the future, to go along with a potentially average bat. Without a true defensive home, a team would have to be convinced Thompson’s lefthanded bat was legit to take him in the 4-6 round range, but it sounds like most teams are bought into it. If Thompson isn’t inclined to sign in that range, he is committed to Florida where he could go and tap into more power and potentially play his way into a day one prospect in 2022, when he’ll be a draft-eligible sophomore.
213	Nander De Sedas	SS	Florida State	6-2	198	B-R	Brewers ’18 (29)
Scouts noted that De Sedas had plenty of impact tools back in his high school days, but after struggling with the bat throughout the spring of his senior season, they had major questions about the quality of his hit tool. They were right to wonder about his ability to make contact, as De Sedas has struggled in the box throughout his collegiate career. The switch-hitting shortstop hit .231/.353/.337 as a freshman and through 17 games this spring, he struggled to a .150/.307/.150 line with 22 strikeouts to 12 walks. While De Sedas does have some pull-side power in the tank, he’s never been able to consistently tap into that thanks to significant swing-and-miss issues and trouble picking up and barreling offspeed pitches. Defensively, De Sedas has reliable hands, above-average arm strength and impressive instincts and body control, but scouts have long wondered whether he has the short-area quickness and range to play the position at the next level. If not, he could be a fit at second or third base. A draft-eligible sophomore, De Sedas could be better served heading back to Florida State and developing his offensive ability and bat-to-ball skills. His stock has fallen dramatically since the 2018 draft.
215	Carlos Rodriguez	RHP	Miami Christian HS	5-11	180	R-R	Miami
Rodriguez is an undersized righthander listed at 5-foot-11, 180-pounds, but he boasts big arm strength and impressive athleticism. Over the summer, Rodriguez ran his fastball up to 94, though it sat more in the 89-93 mph range. He has a fast arm but can get a bit erratic with his control and has some effort and a noticeable head whack in his delivery. Rodriguez has shown some feel for landing a solid changeup in the 80-86 mph range that has fading life and above-average potential. He’s also thrown both a curveball and a slider, though his feel for both offerings is lacking. His curveball is a mid-70s offering with 12-to-6 shape, while his slider is in the 80-85 mph range with late bite at times. Both pitches have shown a tendency to back up on him, but he does flash impressive ability to spin the ball at his best and his curveball was in the 2,500-2,600 rpm range last summer. Rodriguez will need to improve his control, but his athleticism might allow him to make the necessary steps, whether that’s in pro ball or at Miami.
216	Shawn Guilliums	RHP	The Villages (Fla.) Charter HS	6-2	170	R-R	North Florida
A projectable 6-foot-2, 170-pound righthander committed to North Florida, Guilliums was getting plenty of crosschecker attention this spring after taking a bit of a jump. He got his fastball up into the low 90s last fall at Jupiter, where he struck out five batters over three innings and could have become a household name in draft conversations with a full season to pitch at The Villages (Fla.) Charter High. Scouts currently see Guilliums as a 5-10 round sort of talent, with his velocity trending in the right direction, a developing breaking ball and a good arm action. His fastball sits in the 88-89 mph range for the most part, but he gets up to 92 earlier in outings. His breaking ball is slurvy presently, but there are scouts who think it could become an above-average curveball. Guilliums is certainly a player-development project for now, so he could be tougher for a team to sign in a shortened 2020 draft, but a number of teams seem to like his upside after seeing him perform well early this spring.
245	Mac Horvath	SS	IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla.	6-1	185	R-R	North Carolina
Expected to be the top prep bat in Minnesota, Horvath transferred to Bradenton, Fla.’s IMG Academy for his senior season, which was then quickly cut short. He missed time early last summer with appendicitis, then had an uneven summer when he returned. Horvath has above-average bat speed, plus speed and a plus arm (he’s touched 91-92 mph off the mound). He might slide to third base because he’s a little stiff at shortstop. A North Carolina signee, Horvath needs to refine his approach and make more consistent contact, but he has pro tools.
249	Matheu Nelson	C	Florida State	5-11	195	R-R	Phillies ’18 (39)
Nelson was a prominent prospect out of high school in 2018. He ranked No. 280 on the BA 500 that year thanks to an all-around profile that included solid arm strength and a compact swing from the right side. Now a draft-eligible sophomore, Nelson slots into a similar range on the draft board. Nelson had an excellent freshman campaign, hitting .282/.442/.442 with six home runs and an on-base percentage that was second for the Seminoles behind current Nationals prospect Drew Mendoza. Nelson went to the Cape Cod League the following summer, where he struggled with the bat—.163/.280/.233 in 14 games—but showed good catch-and-throw skills and did a nice job handling the pitching staff. Because Nelson has no carrying tools, his stock depends largely on his production in the ACC and teams might prefer to see him head back to campus in Tallahassee and build more of an offensive resume. Listed at 5-foot-11, 210-pounds, Nelson is close to maxed out physically and has more gap power than over-the-fence juice, but he does have a solid, short swing and solid plate discipline. Behind the plate Nelson has above-average arm strength and solid receiving and blocking skills.
250	Grayson Moore	OF/RHP	Lake Mary (Fla.) HS	6-4	180	B-R	Central Florida
Originally committed to Central Florida, Moore swapped to a Vanderbilt commitment and impressed scouts on both sides of the ball. A 6-foot-4, 180-pound outfielder and righthanded pitcher, scouts seem to like Moore’s future upside on the mound more than his potential with the bat. If he makes it to campus at Vanderbilt he could do both, but scouts are excited about how his frame could fill out in a few years and his feel to spin a breaking ball. He doesn’t have impact stuff now, but it’s easy to see that changing in a few years. Over the summer Moore threw a fastball in the 88-91 mph range, but that velo dropped down to 85-87 in later innings. He’ll need to add more velocity, but scouts believe that will come. His curveball is another projection pitch that needs more power—it was in the 66-72 mph range over the summer—but has solid 12-to-6 shape and depth. Moore has also shown a 76-78 mph changeup, but the pitch is raw. Moore’s value is based almost solely on his projection, but scouts love his body and the way his arm works. Look for him to take a jump in coming years, when he could be sophomore-eligible for the 2022 class.
251	Nolan Schanuel	OF	Park Vista HS, Lake Worth, Fla.	6-3	195	L-R	Florida Atlantic
A lanky, 6-foot-3, 195-pound outfielder committed to Florida Atlantic, Schanuel impressed scouts with his natural hitting ability from the left side. With a projectable frame that should add a good amount of muscle in coming years, scouts believe he’ll grow into average power. Those who really like his bat think he has a chance to become an above-average hitter. A 55-grade hitter with average power is an everyday profile, so those are lofty expectations for Schanuel, but scouts who like him are in because of the bat. He’s a tough profile because he can’t play in the dirt and doesn’t have the speed for center field, so he’ll need to develop power to profile in left or right field. Typically, teams let high school corner profiles go to college and prove the bat, but a team high on Schanuel’s hit tool could take a shot to get him before he goes to college and raises his stock.
268	Alex Freeland	SS	Mariner HS, Cape Coral, Fla.	6-2	180	B-R	Central Florida
A 6-foot-2, 180-pound shortstop who showed good feel to hit over the summer and fall, scouts are intrigued with Freeland as an offensive-oriented infielder. A switch-hitter committed to Central Florida, Freeland has solid power with a chance to get to fringe-average or average juice in-game, and some scouts think he can develop into an average hitter as well, with more impact from the left side than the right. While Freeland has shown solid hands, good arm strength and runs well in a straight line, scouts universally believe he’ll have to move to either second or third in the future because of a club foot he was born with. Without knowing, you likely wouldn’t be able to tell by watching him on the field, but it does limit his lateral mobility. Even still, Freeland has done enough with the bat to get scouts excited, though because of the shorter 2020 draft and questions about his medical, teams might prefer he go to college and prove it.
272	Justin Wrobleski	LHP	State JC of Florida	6-1	193	L-L	Mariners ’18 (36)
A high profile, athletic lefthander out of high school in 2018, Wrobleski ranked No. 215 on the BA 500 coming out of Sequoyah High in Canton, Ga. A Clemson commit, Wrobleski struggled over three starts for the Tigers in 2019 before transferring to State JC of Florida. Scouts weren’t able to see him much early in the season as he dealt with a jaw injury, but he ran his fastball up to 95 mph in the fall. In the past, Wrobleski has shown a solid slider in the low 80s that looked like an above-average offering. Wrobleski started getting on the mound more regularly in late February. On the season, Wrobleski started four games, threw 18.2 innings and struck out 27 batters while walking 11 and posting a 2.89 ERA. Wrobleski has solid stuff from the left side but a limited track record in college.
294	Cory Acton	2B	Florida	6-0	170	L-R	Tigers ’18 (39)
Acton had a highly regarded bat coming out of high school, when he ranked as the No. 147 prospect in the 2018 class. He hit in the middle of a talented American Heritage lineup that included Mark Vientos and Triston Casas and scouts expected him to be an immediate producer if he got to campus at Florida. He didn’t quite live up to expectations during his first season in Gainesville, hitting .251/.353/.387 and showing more swing-and-miss than expected. Teams thought he would control the zone better than a 21-percent strikeout rate, though he did show above-average power—particularly to the pull side. As an offensive-oriented second baseman, Acton needed a strong season as a draft-eligible sophomore to move the needle but was hitting just .192/.364/.269 through 15 games this spring, with a strikeout rate over 30 percent. Scouts have seen him add a leg kick at the plate and note that he’s out in front frequently and has had issues recognizing offspeed offerings. Some evaluators believe he needs a complete swing change to get back to his hitting roots. Defensively, Acton is a below-average runner who can make the routine plays and turn a double play at second, but he doesn’t project to be anything more than adequate at the position. He has average arm strength. His value comes from the bat, and so far he hasn’t produced in college. He could return to Florida for the 2021 season.
295	Adam Tulloch	LHP	JC of Central Florida	6-2	205	L-L	–
Tulloch pitched well at Wingate in 2019 during his freshman season, posting a 2.42 ERA over 48.1 innings with 64 strikeouts and 31 walks. He continued to walk batters at a high rate as a sophomore with JC of Central Florida in 25 innings this spring—with 21—but again managed to have success thanks to plenty of strikeouts (42) and posted a 2.88 ERA. Tulloch profiles as a reliever because of the effort in his drop-and-drive delivery and his below-average control, but he has a fastball that gets up to 95 mph from the left side and a fringe-average breaking ball. In a typical draft year, Tulloch could have intrigued teams that liked his arm strength from the left side in the 6-10 round range.
315	Franco Aleman	RHP	St. Johns River (Fla.) JC	6-6	230	R-R	Florida
Aleman was an exciting, high-upside arm out of high school in the 2018 draft. While the Braves took a flyer on the 6-foot-6 righthander in the 38th round, Aleman opted to get to school at Florida International, where he posted a 3.97 ERA over 12 starts as a freshman. He then went to the Cape Cod League over the summer, where he did even better, posting a 1.16 ERA in 31 innings while striking out 27 batters and walking two. Analytics departments will get excited about a righthander with his height and physicality—he’s now listed at 230 pounds—throwing strikes at such a high rate, but scouts who have seen his stuff are left wanting more. His repertoire sounds remarkably similar to when he was a high school pitcher, with a sinking fastball that sits in the 87-91 mph range and a slider that grades out as below average. Aleman’s fastball can get up into the mid-90s at times, but he doesn’t pitch in that range consistently, and evaluators are also skeptical about the Cuban-native’s athleticism, which would raise concerns for him in the future considering his extra-large current frame. There’s some effort to his delivery and Aleman has a long arm action that evaluators don’t love, but he has shown a solid ability to throw strikes. Aleman would have been a day three pick in a typical draft for most teams, but he’s a Florida commit who could advance his draft stock with a step forward at a strong pitching program.
319	Lebarron Johnson Jr.	RHP	Paxon School for Advanced Studies, Jacksonville	6-4	200	R-R	Florida
An ultra-athletic and projectable 6-foot-4, 200-pound righthander, Johnson had a chance to be something of a pop-up player this spring, but the 2020 season ended too abruptly for scouts to get repeated looks. After pitching in the upper 80s last summer, Johnson showed a jump in velocity this spring, getting his fastball into the 93-94 mph range at the beginning of his outings. He pairs that fastball with a top-to-bottom curveball that has a chance to be an above-average pitch as well. With good arm speed, developing velocity, feel to spin and a body that teams can project on, Johnson has a lot of traits that teams would typically love to take a shot on. But as a Florida commit in a five-round draft, it might be difficult for clubs to spend the money it might take to sign him, given the lack of spring looks. Johnson is certainly a name to watch out for in the 2023 draft, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him make a big jump in Gainesville.
323	Charez Butcher	RHP	IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla.	6-4	210	R-R	Florida
Originally a Midwest arm, Butcher transferred to IMG Academy this spring for his senior season, giving Florida scouts a righthander with significant upside to monitor in Bradenton. Over the summer, the 6-foot-4, 210-pound righty showed impressive raw stuff at events like the PDP League and East Coast Pro, but he also never put everything together and unraveled on the mound at times. He has a fastball that’s been up to the 96-97 mph range at his best, though he more typically sits in the low 90s. Butcher has shown two breaking balls as well, both with a chance to be average or better. Some scouts prefer his curveball, which has a big, 11-to-5 shape and depth, though he has a tendency to cast the pitch. His slider is in the 79-82 mph range with sweeping action but it ranges from well below average to solid-average and his feel for the pitch is rudimentary. Butcher has a solid frame and operation, but his arm action can get lengthy and he also has some wrist wrap in the back, which could affect his control and the consistency of his breaking balls. Scouts want to dream on the frame and the raw stuff, but most saw Butcher as a player that would go after the 10th round in a typical draft. Butcher is committed to Florida.
344	CJ Kayfus	1B	Palm Beach Central HS, Wellington, Fla.	5-11	165	L-L	Miami
Kayfus has an odd profile as an undersized high school first baseman listed at 5-foot-11, 165 pounds with limited power. That combination is typically a non-starter for MLB clubs, but his standout hitting ability has kept scouting departments interested. Perhaps he’s not toolsy or physical enough to factor into 2020’s five-round draft—particularly as a perceived tough sign out of Miami—but teams expect him to make it to campus in Coral Gables and produce with the bat. There’s a chance he could play a corner outfield position at the next level, which could help his profile, but at the end of the day the bat is Kayfus’ calling card.
349	Michael Brooks	SS	Palm Beach Central HS, Wellington, Fla.	5-11	180	R-R	Arkansas
A 5-foot-11, 180-pound shortstop committed to Arkansas, Brooks is a do-it-all type player who stands out more for his solid all-around game and versatility than any standout tools. He’s a solid shortstop but can play every position on the diamond outside of catcher. If Brooks had made USA Baseball’s 18U National Team last summer he also would have been a candidate to get on the mound if necessary, though he’s first and foremost a position player. He has all the fundamentals down defensively at shortstop and could handle the position in college, but some believe he lacks the twitchy athleticism that would allow him to stick there long term. Some scouts think he has more in the tank offensively, as he currently doesn’t have much impact with the bat. Because of his lack of tools and questions about the power he brings to the table, many teams are happy to let Brooks go to school and prove it, but those same scouts believe he will turn into an extremely productive and valuable college player thanks to his high IQ and the soundness to his game.
354	Brock Wilken	3B/C	Bloomingdale HS, Valrico, Fla.	6-4	217	R-R	Wake Forest
A physical, 6-foot-4, 217-pound catcher and third baseman, Wilken stands out for his impressive raw power. There are scouts who believe he has the strength to develop plus-plus raw power in the future, though he’s definitely a power over bat hitter at this point. There are questions about how frequently Wilken will be able to tap into his power in the future. Additionally, there are questions about his defensive home, as he lacks the athleticism for a typical backstop or third baseman. Because of that he might be a better fit in an outfield corner or first base at the next level, where there will be increased pressure on his bat and power. Wilken is a Wake Forest commit.
361	TJ McCants	SS	Pensacola (Fla.) Catholic HS	6-3	180	L-R	Mississippi
A quick-twitch athlete, McCants has exciting potential on both sides of the ball with a lean projectable frame, a whippy bat and solid defensive actions in the middle of the infield. Some evaluators believe McCants is a better fit for second base than shortstop because of a longer exchange, but he should have the glove and footwork necessary for either if he can shorten up his release. At the plate, McCants has a line-drive swing with fluid hands in the box, but he has a tendency to get lengthy at times which can disrupt his timing. He has some ambush power presently, but a 6-foot-3, 180-pound frame that should develop more strength in the future to tap into power that could play more consistently. McCants is committed to Mississippi and will be 19 on draft day.
378	Jackson Nezuh	RHP	TNXL Academy, Altamonte Springs, Fla.	6-2	175	R-R	Florida
A 6-foot-2, 175-pound righthander committed to Florida, Nezuh has a solid three-pitch mix and good feel for pitching and throwing strikes. He throws with a clean delivery, despite lacking standout athleticism, but his stuff is closer to fringe-average across the board. He pitches mostly in the 89-91 mph range with his fastball, and pairs that offering with a slider and a changeup, which both could be average offerings, but need improvement to get there. Most scouts are inclined to let Nezuh get to campus at Gainesville, where he has all the tools to be a successful pitcher in the SEC, and see if his stuff takes a jump at some point in the next three years.
381	Gavin Casas	1B	American Heritage HS, Plantation, Fla.	6-3	225	L-R	Vanderbilt
The younger brother of Red Sox 2018 first-rounder Triston Casas, Gavin has a similar profile as a power-oriented first baseman but doesn’t have the size or feel for hitting that Triston had at the same time. A 6-foot-3, 225-pound lefthanded hitter, Casas does have some power in the tank and flashes it at times, but scouts don’t think he’s able to get to all of it with the way he moves in the box presently. Defensively he is a below-average runner who will be limited to a corner. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Casas grow into more of his natural strength and learn to tap into his power more frequently at Vanderbilt. Casas is also old for the class and turned 19 in April.
385	Asher Akridge	OF	Santa Fe HS, Alachua, Fla.	6-4	165	R-R	Florida International
A toolsy outfielder with a lean and uber-projectable, 6-foot-4, 165-pound frame, Akridge has a few tools to brag about, but scouts also note that his overall game remains raw. He’s a plus runner who has routinely posted 60-grade run times in the 60-yard dash and also has above-average raw power in the tank. However, he doesn’t have great bat speed, and some scouts have noted that there is a bit of length to his swing, which could hinder his ability to tap into that power at the next level. Akridge has the speed for center field, but below-average arm strength now that might improve in the future as he adds strength. Akridge is committed to Florida International.
387	Nelson Berkwich	LHP	American Heritage HS, Plantation, Fla.	6-0	190	L-L	Vanderbilt
A touch and feel lefthander, Berkwich has a three-pitch mix with good feel for pitching and a competitive demeanor on the mound. A 6-foot, 190-pound lefthander committed to Vanderbilt, Berkwich has a fastball that has been up to 92 mph at its best, more frequently in the upper 80s. He has two secondaries in a 75-83 mph slurvy breaking ball that blends between a slider and a curveball and also throws a changeup in the 80-82 mph range. Berkwich doesn’t have the most fluid operation, with some recoil and effort through his delivery and without exceptionally loud present stuff it’s difficult to envision him not getting to campus in a five-round draft. With his advanced feel for pitching, though, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him perform in the SEC.
390	Tyler Myrick	RHP	Florida International	6-0	205	R-R	Rangers ’19 (40)
A 6-foot, 200-pound righthander who missed the 2019 season due to Tommy John surgery, Myrick has a big arm and some potential as a reliever. Scouts see a plus fastball and a breaking ball that has plus potential when he hits on it, but Myrick has struggled to make the most of his pure stuff consistently. His strike-throwing ability has been an issue in the past and because of that scouts believe he’ll have more success out of the bullpen at the next level. Myrick has thrown 144 innings over his Florida International career over the last four years—mostly in a starting role—with a 4.13 career ERA, 7.8 strikeouts per nine and 3.9 walks per nine. Scouts believe his stuff will play up in the bullpen and he was seen as a day three talent in a typical draft.
394	Jordan Carrion	SS	American Heritage HS, Plantation, Fla.	6-1	160	R-R	Florida
Carrion turned 19 in April so he’s old for his class, but he has impressive defensive skills that should allow him to stick at shortstop long term. A plus athlete with plus arm strength, Carrion shows the glovework and instincts to make both the routine and more difficult plays at the position, with good body control and feel throwing from multiple angles. Offensively, there’s some room for development. His bat is light at the moment and Carrion has limited power with an inside-out swing and opposite field approach. Scouts believe he’s a player who could benefit from getting to college at Florida, where he could raise his profile drastically by adding strength and becoming a more refined hitter.
396	Raymond Gil	3B	Miami	6-0	210	R-R	Athletics ’17 (37)
A power-oriented corner infielder at Miami, Gil is a 6-foot, 209-pound third baseman who entered 2020 coming off of a career year. As a sophomore in 2019, Gil hit .318/.396/.565 with 13 home runs, though much of that was fueled by an unsustainably high .431 BABIP. Either way, scouts were excited to see that sort of power production from the third baseman, but he didn’t get enough time in 2020 to replicate that success and he hit just .179/.300/.375 out of the gate in 16 games. There’s plenty of pressure on Gil’s bat moving forward, as many scouts are skeptical that he can stick at the hot corner and believe first base might be a better fit. He has a track record of striking out at a high clip—30 percent over his Miami career—and teams might not see enough home run production on his resume to overlook his swing-and-miss concerns. Additionally, Gil struggled in two summers in the Cape Cod League, where he’s a career .185/.318/.337 hitter. He does have above-average raw power, but it’s unlikely he’s able to make the most of it.
401	Hunter McMullen	RHP	Florida	6-2	194	R-R	Never Drafted
There were teams who wanted to sign McMullen in 2017 out of Forest High in Ocala, Fla., but the righthander opted for school. The 6-foot-2, 194-pound righthander threw 22.2 innings for Florida as a freshman—mostly out of the bullpen—and posted a 4.76 ERA. He tossed just four innings in 2019 before going down with an arm injury and underwent Tommy John surgery. McMullen hasn’t toed the rubber since April 2, 2019 and will be a tough sell for teams with a five-round draft in 2020. When healthy, he’s had a fastball up to 95 mph, but he has also shown below-average control in his time with Florida.
418	Brady Smith	C/3B	Florida	5-11	195	R-R	Never Drafted
A catcher and infielder at Florida, Smith handled the backstop duties for the Gators in 53 games as a sophomore, but this spring made his starts at first base, second base and third base. Evaluators are split on his true defensive talent behind the plate, with some seeing him as a well below-average defender, while others have praised his receiving skills, game-calling ability and the way he works with a pitching staff. Smith has average arm strength. Offensively, there are real questions about Smith’s bat, as he is a career .257/.350/.394 hitter with Florida and a .288/.381/.417 hitter over two summers in the Cape Cod League. He does have average raw power but hasn’t ever consistently tapped into it. If a team believes Smith can catch long term, he brings some value behind the plate, but he’s a below-average defender in the infield and it will be more difficult for him to profile at either of the corners as well.
453	Justin Farmer	OF	Florida International	6-1	190	R-R	Never Drafted
A transfer out of Wallace (Ala.) JC, Farmer showed intriguing physicality and raw power in junior college, and scouts were looking forward to seeing more of him with Florida International. With lefthander Logan Allen a potential day one pick, he certainly got seen and hit well during his 15 games this spring, but perhaps not as often as teams wanted. Farmer managed a .375/.435/.589 slash line, with one home run, two triples and five doubles and walked (six) as frequently as he struck out (six). Farmer could have been an early day three prospect in a typical draft if he had put up numbers thanks to his strong, 6-foot-1, 190-pound frame and power potential, but in a shortened draft his stock is less clear.
457	Mac Guscette	C	Venice (Fla.) Senior HS	6-0	185	R-R	Florida
A solid defender, Guscette has a chance to step onto campus at Florida and play right away if he doesn’t sign in a shortened 2020 draft. Guscette has solid arm strength and has turned in pop times in the 1.90-2.00 range fairly consistently for evaluators, with good makeup that should allow him to excel at the mental side of the game. Guscette has a wide setup at the plate with a flat bat path that’s more strength-based than twitchy and he’s a well below-average runner. That profile could be tough for teams to pounce on out of high school—particularly in a five-round draft—but if he proves his bat in the SEC he will elevate his draft profile significantly for the 2023 draft.
475	Dylan Eskew	RHP	Chipola (Fla.) JC	6-2	185	R-R	–
Eskew ranked among the top 200 prospects out of high school in 2019 thanks to a jump in velocity during the spring of his senior year. The Diamondbacks selected him in the 24th round, but he opted to go to school at Chipola (Fla.) JC, where he started six games and posted a 2.36 ERA over 26.2 innings. Eskew throws a fastball that ranges from 89 to 93 and has shown some feel to spin a breaking ball. Scouts were wary of an unorthodox delivery and long arm action previously, though in high school he didn’t show any obvious strike-throwing issues. That wasn’t the case in juco, as Eskew missed bats (31 strikeouts) but also missed the zone too frequently, with 16 walks—good for a 5.4 per nine rate.