2017 Florida Collegiate League Top Prospects
| Florida Collegiate League Top Prospects |
| Tyler Keysor, rhp, Leesburg (So., Eastern Florida State) |
| Jacob Katzfey, 1b, Winter Park (So., Wichita State) |
| Garrett Zech, of, Altamonte Springs (Sr., South Florida) |
| Ray Alejo, of/inf, Altamonte Springs (Jr., Central Florida) |
| Sadler Goodwin, 3b/ss/rhp, Winter Garden (Jr., Troy) |
| Elih Marrero, c/of, Sanford (Jr., St. Thomas) |
| Brenton Burgess, rhp/3b, Leesburg (Jr., Middle Georgia) |
| Ronny Orta, rhp, Sanford (Jr., Nova Southeastern) |
| John Jones, c/1b, Sanford (Sr., South Carolina) |
| Brandon White, of, Winter Park (So., West Virginia) |
Postseason Recap: It took extras, but the Sanford River Rats were able to emerge victorious over the Winter Park Diamond Dawgs in 6-5 fashion, clinching their FCSL-leading fourth title. The Winter Park Diamond Dawgs went up early. A two-run double by Matt Mackey (Northwest Florida State) in the first, followed by a Jordan Bowersox (Penn State) two-run bomb in the second put the River Rats in a hole.
But Sanford battled back. Big RBI hits from John Jones (South Carolina), Richie Rivera (Tampa) and Omar Villaman (Florida Southern) led Sanford to a 5-4 lead heading to the seventh.The Diamond Dawgs were able to tie it back up in the eighth, setting the stage for extra innings. A scoreless ninth led to the deciding play—a Dathan Prewett hit by pitch forced in the winning run in the bottom of the 10th.
1. Tyler Keysor, rhp, Leesburg (So., Eastern Florida State JC)
A rising sophomore at Eastern Florida State JC, Keysor possesses a slew of tools that propelled him to the top of this list. He uses his size—6-foot-6, 210 pounds—to deliver a low-90s fastball, with the ability to reach 95 mph as he showed in the five-team Southern Collegiate showcase tournament July 15-16. Evaluators describe his fastball as a sinker. Both his fastball and his low 80s changeup have arm-side run, giving Keysor a nice advantage against righthanded hitters. He also has a curveball that flashed sharp break at 76-79 mph. Keysor flashed above-average defensive ability by finishing his delivery in a solid position and utilizing his athleticism to spring off the mound. Keysor, who struck out 36 in 32 innings in the spring, had a strong summer, going 2-1, 2.03 with 33 strikeouts in 26.2 innings and has considerable room to grow.
2. Jacob Katzfey, 1b, Winter Park (So., Wichita State)
Described by coaches as the best lefthanded hitter in the league, Katzfey has established himself as a threat to drive the ball each time he steps up. He led the Florida league with seven home runs this summer, predominantly against righthanded pitching. He battles each at-bat and keeps his swing plane consistent, helping him hit .316/.392/.553 for the summer. With his 6-foot-2, 210-pound size and barrel ability, Katzfey has a nice ceiling to reach for as a power bat. Katzfey holds his hands high at the plate, allowing him to drive down through the ball. He impressed this summer with his ability to see the ball deep and use the whole field. His speed is also above-average, showcased by his 6.6 60-yard dash at the workout. He gets out of the box well and flashed the ability to run slightly above-average speeds to first.
3. Garrett Zech, of, Altamonte Springs (Jr., South Florida)
Zech, a 6-foot-1, 200-pound athlete who bats right but throws left, is a potential five-tool player and has made leaps in unlocking those tools this summer. He ran a 6.34 60-yard dash and utilizes that speed well at the plate and in the outfield. He profiles as a left or center fielder because of his arm, but he has shown average, with some flashes of above-average arm strength this summer. His swing is a little long right now, but he has been generating solid power with it, winning the Florida League home run derby. He’s had swing-and-miss to his game (136 strikeouts in two seasons) and didn’t quite take off this summer (.234/.375/.403), but his combo of speed and athleticism give him a nice ceiling.
4. Ray Alejo, of/inf, Altamonte Springs (Jr., Central Florida)
A toolsy junior from Central Florida, Alejo showed an intriguing skill set this summer. He has decent size at 6-foot, 180 pounds, but above-average bat speed enables him to still produce solid power. He also showcased a patient approach at the plate, which allowed him to make loud contact on a fairly consistent basis. This played a large part in his Florida League-leading .990 OPS. His athletic ability, combined with exceptional routes to the ball, allowed for him to make tough plays look easy. He impressed scouts with his arm both in workouts and in game setting. He’s a natural shortstop whose athletic ability enables him to play all over the diamond.
5. Sadler Goodwin, 3b/ss/rhp, Winter Garden (Jr., Troy)
Goodwin has impressed with his soft hands and above-average arm at third base this summer. Using his 6-foot-3, 205-pound frame, he is athletic enough to showcase above-average range on ground balls and has a strong enough arm—92 mph on the mound—to still get the out. He has also flashed above-average power this summer, enough so that coaches voted him the league’s biggest power threat. Goodwin showed that power throughout the summer, slugging .528 and driving the ball with good rotation into the power alleys. He profiles as a third baseman but won’t hurt a college team at shortstop, either.
6. Elih Marrero, c/of, Sanford (Jr., St. Thomas)
The son of Eli Marrero, it should come as no surprise that Elih Marrero is mature and aware behind the dish. A true catcher, Marrero showed plus blocking skills and great throwing accuracy. He’s not afraid to snap behind runners and keep them honest on the bases. At the plate, he gets a decent amount of loud contact, although predominantly to his pull side. He is a free-swinging switch-hitter who trusts his hands on curveballs and sits back. He also possesses decent speed for a catcher and strong baserunning abilities. He’s transferring to Division II St. Thomas (Fla.) after two seasons at Mississippi State, where off-field issues cut his playing time.
7. Brenton Burgess, rhp/3b, Leesburg (Jr., Middle Georgia State)
Burgess, transferring from Spartanburg (S.C.) JC to NAIA Middle Georgia State, was selected in 38th round by Yankees in June but has all the tools necessary to improve upon that next summer. He played both ways, but he projects as a pitcher at the next level. With a steep over-the-top arm action, Burgess unleashes a fastball with occasional cut in the 91-93 mph range. He uses the angle to get firm rotation on a wicked curveball that showed above-average bite and dove straight down late. The breaker has been in the 77-79 range this summer and complements his fastball nicely. His other secondary pitches are relatively raw at this point, but he has a crisp, repeatable delivery, with natural arm speed to develop.
8. Ronny Orta, rhp, Sanford (Jr., Nova Southeastern)
Orta has the makeup of a solid reliever already. He generates a lot of velocity out of his 5-foot-10, 185-pound frame through a high-intensity delivery and above-average arm speed. His fastball sits in the 92-93 mph range and has a considerable amount of run. It also showed some sinking action on occasion this summer. His out pitch is a slider in the 83-84 range. It is has consistent action and a sharp bite. His fast arm action and athleticism are a show by themselves. He throws predominantly out of the stretch, where he uses a slide step mixed with a high leg kick to mess with timing, yet he is still able to consistently find the zone. He struck out 43 in 37.1 innings with 14 walks.
9. John Jones, c/1b, Sanford (Sr., South Carolina)
Jones, who had just four hits in 43 at-bats with South Carolina in the spring, has been steadily improving this summer, making adjustments at the plate. A switch-hitter, Jones has not shown power this summer but has displayed improved pitch selection and contact. Jones is a catcher with a decent pop time and solid blocking skills. He shows solid footwork at first base, but his 5-foot-11, 200-pound frame makes him a better fit for catching. Power is in progress, but his increase in contact—he batted .321/.415/.494 with the River Rats—is a good sign.
10. Brandon White, of, Winter Park (So., West Virginia)
White shows the potential to be a five-tool player, but he has to put it together on a regular basis. His most consistent tool is his speed. White showed above-average times from the righthanded box, running times in the 4.25 range this summer. He complements that speed with advanced outfield routes and decision-making. Coaches praised his reads and range in the outfield. His arm is average right now, but some scouts say they’ve seen it better. His plate discipline improved steadily throughout the summer, leading to a good contact rate and .286/.403/.429 slash line. His power is raw, but he generates a reasonable amount for his 5-foot-11, 160-pound size.
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