2021 Florida Top MLB Draft Prospects

Today, Baseball America rolls out its state-by-state rankings for the 2021 MLB Draft. Additionally, you can find our:

500 Draft Rankings | 2021 MLB Mock Draft | MLB Draft Tracker

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1. Andrew Painter, RHP, Calvary Christian HS, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (BA RANK: 15)
Source: HS • Ht: 6-6 • Wt: 230 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Florida

Painter established himself as the top pitcher in the high school class last summer and entered the season as the sole unanimous selection on Baseball America’s preseason All-America Team, as voted on by scouting directors. He was never the hardest thrower on the field, but it is difficult to find a pitcher in this year’s class who checks as many boxes as Painter—which has led to comparisons to 2020 prep righthander Mick Abel. Painter is a 6-foot-6, 230-pound righty with a buttery smooth delivery and a tremendously loose, easy arm action that should give him above-average or plus command in the future. It’s rare to put 60-grade control on a prep arm, but some scouts have even gone as far as putting 70 grades on his future control. In terms of stuff, Painter has a four-pitch mix that’s above-average or better across the board. This spring, Painter has run his fastball up into the upper 90s at his peak, and he’s held 94-95 mph deep into his outings, which is a solid tick up from the low 90s range he settled into last summer. His best secondary is a changeup in the low 80s that scouts put plus grades on, and he throws both a curveball and a slider. Painter’s breaking stuff has been inconsistent at times, but he’s shown enough flashes and general feel for spin for both to project as above-average in the future. Painter was just OK during his first few starts of the season, which caused him to lose his grip on the “consensus top prep arm” label of the class that he entered the season with. Despite that, and despite the industry’s general hesitance to spend significant draft capital on high school righthanders, Painter checks all of the boxes to become a first-round pick and shouldn’t make it to campus at Florida. Calvary Christian had three players drafted in the 2010s (Luke Jackson, Jake Eder, Raynel Delgado) but Painter should become the highest drafted of the bunch, and the highest ever for the program.

2. Adrian Del Castillo, C, Miami (BA RANK: 25)
Source: 4YR • Ht: 5-11 • Wt: 210 • B-T: L-R • Commitment/Drafted: White Sox ’18 (36)

In a draft class light on college bats, Del Castillo entered the year as the clear-cut, top college hitter in the class, with a track record of hitting that dates back to his time as a high schooler with Gulliver Prep in Miami when he was a top-200 prospect in the 2018 class. After hitting .336/.430/.571 over his first two seasons with Miami, Del Castillo took a step back in his draft-eligible third year this spring, hitting .284/.388/.411 through 51 games with more strikeouts (28) than walks (25) for the first time in his career, and just three home runs. That lack of over-the-fence power is concerning for teams who are skeptical about Del Castillo sticking behind the plate at the next level. He would have to play a corner if he can’t catch, which will put more pressure on his bat and his power production. Each of his three home runs this spring were to right field, and historically in his better home run seasons, Del Castillo has mostly used the pull side. He did homer five times in 37 games in the Cape Cod League in 2019, but that power production with a wood bat also came with an uncharacteristic 32-to-9 strikeout-to-walk rate. This spring he did most of his damage on fastballs and struggled to regularly impact breaking stuff, though that wasn’t much of an issue for him in previous years. Del Castillo does have a loose, easy swing from the left side, with solid zone recognition and low strikeout rates for his career, so many scouts still think he’ll be a plus hitter, but the question of defensive profile and impact potential loom after his 2021 season. Del Castillo put in plenty of work over the summer with Royals catcher Salvador Perez, where he worked on improving his arm strength, blocking and receiving but he still needs work in those areas—particularly the latter two. While teams are split about his chances to catch, his pure hitting ability and offensive track record should make him a first-rounder.

3. Jud Fabian, OF, Florida (BA RANK: 27)
Source: 4YR • Ht: 6-2 • Wt: 195 • B-T: R-L • Commitment/Drafted: Never Drafted

Fabian has become one of the biggest conundrums of the 2021 draft class. One of the youngest college players in the class after graduating from high school early and enrolling at Florida, Fabian won’t turn 21 until September and has been a standout defensive center fielder for the Gators since the day he stepped on campus. On top of that, this spring he has been among the top home run hitters in the country and through 57 games was tied for sixth among Division I bats with 20 dingers. Fabian’s age, defensive profile and power output should have him as one of the top players in the class, but teams have plenty of concerns about his pure feel for hitting and his high strikeout rates. He entered the year with question marks about his swing and miss against spin but has whiffed more than 30% against each pitch type. Fabian has attempted to make some tweaks mechanically to cut down on his strikeouts, removing a leg kick in two-strike counts which did help him lower his strikeout rate, but it’s still higher than the 25% mark teams generally prefer with first-round bats. Fabian does have solid bat speed and plus raw power that has translated mostly to the pull side, but he’s hit a few impressive homers over the right-field fence as well. A righthanded hitter and lefthanded thrower, Fabian should have no issues handling center field and playing it at a high level defensively at the next level. He’s an above-average runner but what makes him a special defender are his defensive instincts, first step, reads off the bat, athleticism and arm strength. He’s at least a plus defender in the outfield and some scouts have gone as far as putting double-plus grades on his glove, making him one of the best defensive center fielders in the 2021 draft class. While some teams might be scared off given the swing and miss, Fabian has upside with his age, power and defensive profile and has more leverage than most college hitters at the top of the draft considering he would still be age-appropriate in the 2022 class.

4. James Wood, OF, IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla. (BA RANK: 35)
Source: HS • Ht: 6-6 • Wt: 230 • B-T: L-R • Commitment/Drafted: Mississippi State

It would be difficult to find a player in the 2021 class with more overall upside than IMG Academy outfielder James Wood. The son of a college and professional basketball player, Wood has a unique collection of traits and tools packed into a massive, 6-foot-6, 230-pound frame. Like his father, Wood was also a talented basketball player but began focusing exclusively on baseball after transferring from Maryland to IMG. He has some of the best raw power in the class—which some scouts have given a future 70 grade—he moves exceptionally well for his size and has played an impressive center field, he can throw and he showed impressive bat-to-ball skills with a smooth and leveraged lefthanded swing last spring. However, for as good as Wood was a year ago, he struggled this spring while playing for perhaps the most scrutinized and heavily-scouted high school team in the nation. While Wood did show some swing-and-miss tendencies over the summer, he struck out at a significantly higher rate this spring which raised questions about how much the long-levered slugger would be able to make contact at the next level. Wood has used a very low handset in his setup at the plate, and when he’s on time it hasn’t been an issue with more than enough bat speed to get on plane and catch velocity out in front. However, Wood has recently tweaked his setup with a wider base and a higher handset to try and simplify the process and let himself simply react and use his hands naturally. It’s most likely that Wood winds up in a corner outfield spot, simply because players of his size so rarely stick in center field at the big league level, but he does have the speed and route-running ability to handle the position. Wood might be a bit of a split-camp player at the top of the draft because some teams will shy away from his long levers and swing-and-miss tendencies, but for teams unafraid to take a shot on massive upside, his tool set easily fits in the first round. Wood is committed to Mississippi State.

5. Jay Allen, OF, Carroll Catholic, Fort Pierce, Fla. (BA RANK: 38)
Source: HS • Ht: 6-0 • Wt: 190 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Florida

An impressive three-sport athlete, Allen was named the third-best athlete among position players in Baseball America’s preseason poll voted on by scouting directors, trailing only Texas shortstop Jordan Lawlar and Pennsylvania outfielder Benny Montgomery among high school players. Allen was a talented high school quarterback and basketball player at Carroll Catholic, and scouts were impressed with how easily he seemed to bounce from the basketball court to the diamond and swing the bat well. Allen impressed evaluators with his ability to drive the ball to both sides of the field this spring, against solid pitching, and those who believe in his bat think he has a chance to add solid power in the future as he fills out a 6-foot-3, 190-pound frame. While Allen has turned in plus run times in the past, some scouts were surprised with the lack of explosion Allen showed in the run times they got on the stopwatch this spring. At the same time, he’s shown impressive baserunning instincts in the past with good acceleration and a solid first step. For teams who believe Allen is more of a good runner than a great one, there will likely be some concern that he has to move off of center field to a corner, but there are scouts who think he will be able to handle center field and also be a top-of-the-lineup hitter. Allen is committed to Florida, but some teams like him inside the top-two rounds.

6. Matheu Nelson, C, Florida State (BA RANK: 50)
Source: 4YR • Ht: 5-11 • Wt: 209 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Phillies 2018 (39)

Nelson ranked squarely in the middle of the BA 500 in the 2020 class, at No. 250, thanks to an all-around profile with a compact swing and solid arm strength, but no obvious carrying tools. A year later, Nelson has dramatically shifted his profile and improved his draft stock, thanks to one of the better offensive seasons of any Power 5 Conference player. Through 52 games, Nelson was tied for the Division I lead with 23 home runs, while putting up a .330/.436/.773 slash line. Nelson has a compact and strong frame, listed at 5-foot-11, 209 pounds, and his homers this season have been scattered from the left-field line to the right-center gap, with a majority of them coming off of fastballs. There is some swing and miss to Nelson’s game, and he also struggled with pitches on the inner third and with spin, but when he’s able to get his hands extended he has shown an ability to do plenty of damage. He has the defensive tools to stick behind the plate, with some scouts saying he is one of the better catch-and-throw backstops in the country in a class where most of the top college backstops are bat-first types. He has easy, plus arm strength and has shown an ability to throw quickly and with good carry from his knees, with solid blocking and receiving ability as well. Nelson is old for the class but has a chance to be an everyday catcher with some power.

7. Tommy Mace, RHP, Florida (BA RANK: 65)
Source: 4YR • Ht: 6-6 • Wt: 230 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Reds ’17 (12)

Mace was draft-eligible in the 2020 class, where he ranked as the No. 75 prospect but reportedly turned down big money to go back to Florida to try and improve his draft stock. He added good weight and improved the velocity of his fastball a tick or two, sitting in the 93 mph range this spring and touching 97. Scouts critiqued the life on Mace’s fastball last season, and this spring they’ve seen him try and throw more four-seam fastballs, but he still doesn’t get a ton of swings and misses with the pitch. Instead, he relies on spotting it at a high level in each quadrant of the strike zone. Mace also throws a hard slider/cutter in the mid-to-upper 80s, a slurvy 78-80 mph curveball and a mid-to-upper-80s changeup with slight arm-side fade. None of Mace’s secondary pitches projects as plus and his lack of bat-missing stuff makes scouts wonder about his true upside, though he did achieve a career-best strikeout rate (11.3 K/9) through 90.1 innings this spring, while still walking just 2.1 batters per nine. Mace has given up close to a hit per inning over his Florida career, so he’ll likely have to rely on inducing weak contact at the next level and avoiding walks barring a jump forward in his secondary stuff. Sinker/slider types aren’t the most coveted in today’s game, but Mace has enough pitching ability to become a back-of-the-rotation arm.

8. Edwin Arroyo, SS, Central Pointe Christian Academy, Kissimmee, Fla. (BA RANK: 72)
Source: HS • Ht: 6-0 • Wt: 175 • B-T: B-B • Commitment/Drafted: Florida State

The top prospect in a relatively light Puerto Rican class, Arroyo transferred to Central Pointe Christian Academy in Kissimmee, Fla. this spring. One of the youngest players in the class, Arroyo won’t turn 18 until a month after the draft and was also the youngest player at Perfect Game’s All-American classic, where he doubled and singled against 92 mph velocity. Arroyo stands out more for his glovework at shortstop than his offensive ability. He’s one of the best defenders in the class and has gotten plus defensive evaluations from scouts. Arroyo has impressive actions in the field and quick reactions off the bat, with reliable hands and easy plus arm strength. He has thrown 96 mph across the diamond on the showcase circuit and is a unique athlete who is ambidextrous and can throw with both hands. He’ll turn in plus run times underway, but evaluators haven’t gotten those run times out of the box given how his swing works. He’s a switch-hitter who has shown some barrel control and gap power, but his bat can also get in and out of the zone quickly and at times he’s looked overmatched against the best arms in the class. He could grow into more power as he fills out a lean, 6-foot, 170-pound frame, but is presently a contact-oriented hitter who has good instincts on the bases. Arroyo is committed to Florida State but could go in the top several rounds to a team willing to be patient with his offensive development.

9. Jackson Baumeister, RHP, Bolles HS, Jacksonville (BA RANK: 84)
Source: HS • Ht: 6-3 • Wt: 200 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Florida State

Baumeister is committed to Florida State, where he would have a chance to impact the program as a hitter and a pitcher if he makes it to campus. Scouts prefer his upside on the mound, however, and while he has arm strength that could play nicely behind the plate and some raw power, scouts ultimately question his pure hitting ability. Baumeister has impressed on the mound this spring and taken some steps forward, with plenty of upper-level scouting heat checking in on him frequently enough that he might not make it to Tallahassee. He sat in the 89-92 mph range last summer but has been up into the 94-96 mph range pretty consistently this spring, with a better breaking ball and more consistent strike throwing. Baumeister’s curveball sits in the mid-to-upper 70s with solid three-quarter break and spin. It looks like an above-average future pitch. He’s also thrown a changeup in the 82-85 mph range that shows a tick of fading action but needs more refinement. Listed at 6-foot-3, 215 pounds, scouts love his frame and arm action, and as a solid athlete there’s hope that as he focuses exclusively on pitching he’ll continue to take steps forward.

10. Jordan McCants, SS, Pensacola (Fla.) Catholic HS (BA RANK: 89)
Source: HS • Ht: 6-0 • Wt: 170 • B-T: L-R • Commitment/Drafted: Mississippi State

The younger brother of TJ McCants—who ranked No. 359 on the 2020 BA 500 and currently plays at Mississippi—Jordan is credited as the more advanced of the siblings, with above-average hitting, running and defensive ability at shortstop. He’s turned in 70-grade run times in the 60-yard dash and is at least a plus runner who is regularly a nuisance for pitchers when he gets on base. That speed allows him to cover plenty of range at shortstop, and some scouts believe he has the glovework and intangibles to play the position at the big league level. He’ll make some flashy plays and all of the routine ones as well, but his current fringe-average arm strength could lead some teams to project him as a second baseman in the long run, while others think his actions and exchanges will always let his arm play up from its strength. McCants has solid hitting traits from the left side, with a slow heartbeat in the box and a solid understanding of the strike zone. He has contact ability and can put pressure on defenses with his legs, but this spring drove the ball a bit more than scouts have seen him do in the past, showing an ability to drive the ball into the left-center gap to the opposite side after adding some strength to his frame in the offseason. McCants won’t be intriguing for every team given his size and the fact that he’ll be 19 on draft day, but he has everyday upside potential at a premium position.

11. Michael Robertson, OF, Venice (Fla.) HS (BA RANK: 93)
Source: HS • Ht: 6-0 • Wt: 170 • B-T: L-R • Commitment/Drafted: Florida

Robertson is one of the fastest players in the 2021 draft class and turned in the quickest electronic-timed 60-yard dash at East Coast Pro last summer—6.26 seconds, an 80-grade time. While scouts view him as more of a 70 runner overall given how his speed plays out of the box, he still uses that running ability to cover massive swaths of ground in center field, with an old-school offensive approach that features drag bunts and slapping the ball the other way. While power will likely never be a huge part of Robertson’s game, scouts said he added about 15 pounds of good weight over the offseason and hit well against solid Florida competition, with very little swing and miss. He has some similarities to Vanderbilt center fielder Enrique Bradfield in terms of tool set and style of play, and Robertson could easily step right into Jud Fabian’s shoes at Florida and continue giving the program an advanced defensive center fielder to anchor the outfield defense. How much a team buys into Robertson’s swing and pure hitting ability will determine where he goes in the draft. At times last summer his swing looked better in batting practice than games and with a 6-foot, 170-pound frame it will be difficult to project much strength or power gains in the future. Still, his defense and speed could be carrying tools if he’s able to control the zone, limit his strikeouts and get on base.

12. Irving Carter, RHP, Calvary Christian HS, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (BA RANK: 100)
Source: HS • Ht: 6-4 • Wt: 200 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Miami

There’s a good chance that Carter is the best No. 2 high school arm in the country as the teammate of fellow 2021 righthander Andrew Painter. While Carter might benefit from being on the same team as Painter in terms of scouting eyeballs, he’s a talented prospect in his own right with a three-pitch mix, super projectable frame and athleticism that give him exciting upside. Carter throws a fastball that sits in the low 90s and gets up into the 95 mph range at its best, with good downhill angle out of a high, three-quarter arm slot. After throwing more of a traditional 12-to-6 curveball earlier in his prep career, Carter transitioned to a slider last summer, and the pitch has shown plus potential with power and two-plane break in the mid-to-upper 80s with spin rates in the 2500 rpm range. He’ll need to improve the consistency of the pitch, as he’ll get around the ball at times, but it has real out-pitch potential. Carter also throws a mid-80s changeup with good arm speed, though he’ll bury the pitch in the dirt fairly regularly. Carter has the athleticism and starter frame that teams are looking for, but he’ll need to refine his strike throwing and potentially clean up his delivery to avoid a bullpen projection. There’s plenty of effort in the delivery and he has length in his arm stroke with stabbing action in the back that could create issues with timing and repeating his breaking ball. Coaches and scouts alike do love his mentality and demeanor on the mound, however. Carter is a Miami commit.

13. Dylan Ross, RHP, Northwest Florida State JC (BA RANK: 116)
Source: JC • Ht: 6-5 • Wt: 250 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Georgia

Ross is one of the better junior college arms in the 2021 class and was scouted heavily early this year at Northwest Florida State JC. Ross is a massive righthander, listed at 6-foot-5, 250 pounds, and he attacks hitters with a three-quarter arm slot that allows him to get good downhill plane on his fastball. That fastball was up into the 98-99 mph range, with some rumors of 100 mph on a few radar guns, and scouts also said that he held it into the mid 90s fairly deep into his outings. After that, he has a hard slider in the upper 80s that has been up to 90 mph. The pitch has the velocity of an above-average breaking ball and when he hits on it there’s impressive biting action and tilt. Ross also throws a split-change in the upper 80s with tumbling action at its best, but he will yank the pitch at times. Some scouts see his splitter as a future plus offering and some prefer the slider. Whichever secondary is preferred, everyone seems to agree that Ross has big-time stuff and exciting upside if he can continue to refine his command. He’ll get scattered at times and needs to more consistently hit on his secondaries to make the most out of his impressive natural arm talent. Ross was seen by enough heavy hitters in the scouting community to get drafted in the first several rounds, but if not he is committed to Georgia, where he’ll get a chance to pitch in the SEC.

14. Jac Caglianone, LHP/1B, Plant HS, Tampa (BA RANK: 124)
Source: HS • Ht: 6-5 • Wt: 210 • B-T: L-L • Commitment/Drafted: Florida

A two-way player with solid raw power from the left side and a big, 6-foot-5, 210-pound frame, Caglianone has gotten more attention this spring for his exploits on the mound. He has been up to the 95-97 mph range this year, which is an uptick from what he showed last summer. Last summer he sat in the upper 80s and would touch a 92 here or there, but this spring he’s regularly been into the upper 90s. While that sort of arm strength from a high school lefthander is rare, scouts also note that Caglianone needs a lot of refinement with his control and his secondaries. He seems more comfortable pitching out of the stretch than a full windup at the moment, and frequently gets into deep counts because of scattered control. He’s thrown both a curveball and a slider, with the former a slurvy, three-quarter breaking pitch he struggles to get on top of regularly and the latter a hard, lower-80s breaker with sweeping action. He’s thrown a changeup with solid fading life but doesn’t land it consistently yet. There are some moving parts in Caglianone’s delivery that could be cleaned up. He has a long, hooking arm action in the back and he finishes with noticeable head whack and recoil. For those reasons, some scouts think he’s a reliever in the long run, while those higher on Caglianone’s pitching upside think these are all areas where he can improve in the future when he focuses on pitching only. He is committed to Florida. Caglianone underwent Tommy John surgery near the end of the season.

15. Drew Gray, LHP/OF, IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla. (BA RANK: 130)
Source: HS • Ht: 6-3 • Wt: 190 • B-T: L-L • Commitment/Drafted: Arkansas

Gray would have ranked as the top prep prospect in Illinois this spring if he hadn’t transferred to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., where he was able to play better competition and be scouted much more heavily with one of the more talented prep teams in the country. Gray is committed to Arkansas—where his brother Evan currently plays—as a two-way player, but his pro upside is greater on the mound. His stuff made a jump last summer and he now throws a fastball in the 90-94 mph range with big spin rates (2600-2700 rpm) that allows the pitch to generate plenty of whiffs up in the zone. The pitch looks like a potential plus offering when Gray spots it up in the zone, but he will occasionally get out of sync with his lower and upper half, and he also is more erratic in his command at the higher range of his velocity. Gray throws two breaking balls, including a mid-70s downer curve with top-to-bottom shape that looks like a potential chase pitch. His other breaking ball is a slider in the low 80s with more sweeping action. Gray will need to refine his control a bit more to make the most of his stuff, but with a still projectable, 6-foot-3, 190-pound frame he has room for more in the tank in the future.

16. Robby Martin, OF, Florida State (BA RANK: 131)
Source: 4YR • Ht: 6-3 • Wt: 200 • B-T: L-R • Commitment/Drafted: Marlins ’18 (37)

Martin ranked on the BA 500 out of high school thanks to impressive running ability and a slap-and-dash offensive approach at the plate. His profile quickly changed in college, when he filled out and moved to a corner outfield position, and after hitting .315/.398/.449 in his 2019 freshman season, it looked like he might have the bat to profile in a corner at the next level. Teams wanted to see Martin tap into more power this spring to further give them confidence he could profile as a left or right fielder. While he did hit a career-best 11 home runs, that came with a .260/.352/.451 batting line and a 22% strikeout rate. Most of Martin’s home runs this spring went to right field to his pull side, but he does have some pop to drive balls to the left-center gap. While he was an above-average runner coming out of high school, Martin is more of a solid runner at the moment, with average tools across the board. His hitting track record over three years in the ACC could give teams some confidence in his bat-to-ball skills, and perhaps a more leveraged swing in the future could translate to more in-game power, but Martin did struggle with a wood bat in a brief 14-game stint in the Cape Cod League in 2019 (.167/.265/.233). His solid all-around collection of tools could make him an early Day Two selection.

17. Nathan Hickey, C, Florida (BA RANK: 132)
Source: 4YR • Ht: 6-0 • Wt: 205 • B-T: L-R • Commitment/Drafted: Never Drafted

Hickey was scouted frequently out of high school thanks to playing on the same Providence High team in Jacksonville as Tyler Callihan, who was drafted by the Reds in the third round in 2019. Hickey was a solid offensive prospect in his own right and thought at the time to be an above-average hitter with above-average power, albeit with defensive questions. That continues to be the reputation Hickey has after two seasons with Florida. This spring he was the best hitter on a strong Gators team. He posted a .317/.435/.522 line with nine home runs and more walks (42) than strikeouts (20). Hickey hammers fastballs and has done well with 93-plus mph velocity this spring and tries to access his easy plus raw power with a leveraged and steep uphill swing path. That’s allowed him to do damage to his pull side on pitches middle and down, but there is a hole at the top of the zone that better pitchers might be able to expose more often. A good feel for the strike zone and a willingness to take walks should take some of the pressure off of Hickey’s pure bat-to-ball skills. A team that thinks Hickey can stick behind the plate might like his bat among the top-50 picks in the draft, but most of the industry seems to think he’ll have to move off the position at the next level. His arm is more serviceable than above-average or plus and he needs plenty of work as a receiver and blocker to get to even fringe-average defensive ability.

18. Mason Albright, LHP, IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla. (BA RANK: 136)
Source: HS • Ht: 6-0 • Wt: 190 • B-T: L-L • Commitment/Drafted: Virginia Tech

Albright transferred from the Midwest to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. for his senior season, joining players like outfielder James Wood and lefthander Drew Gray as high-profile transfers to the Florida powerhouse. At his best, Albright dominates opposing hitters with his fastball from the left side, though there are many pitchers in the class who throw harder than the 93-94 mph he frequently tops out at. Scouts frequently call Albright’s heater an “invisiball” and he routinely racks up whiff after whiff with the pitch, even against some of the better hitters in the class. The pure spin rates aren’t outrageous (1900-2200 rpm), but something about Albright’s fastball routinely sneaks over the bats of hitters. Albright also throws a curveball and a changeup, though scouts have described his secondaries as fringe-average pitches. Albright has an extended, one-piece arm action that gets lengthy and inverted in the back, which isn’t always conducive to ripping off hard breaking balls, and he’s been slurvy in the mid 70s with decent shape. While Albright has shown fairly advanced command despite that long arm action, there are some scouts who think he’ll need to shorten it up to get to a more consistent curveball—but that change could also impact the life on his fastball. Albright is listed at just 6 feet, 190 pounds, so there’s not a ton of physical projection left and because of that some teams might want to see him perform at Virginia Tech, unless he’s signable on Day Two.

19. Jose Pena, RHP, Tampa Prep (BA RANK: 148)
Source: HS • Ht: 6-3 • Wt: 200 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Florida International

Pena flashed a big arm last summer with a fastball that got up to 94 mph and overpowered a lot of hitters at East Coast Pro. A 6-foot-3, 200-pound righthander committed to Florida International, Pena transferred to Tampa Prep this spring and has been up to 95 mph while flashing an above-average curveball—giving him two 55-grade pitches. There was a decent amount of scouting heat running in to see him, which means there are probably a few teams thinking about signing him out of his FIU commitment, but he did get hit around against some of the better teams in the area. Pena has a fast arm, but he is an erratic strike-thrower at the moment, with a long arm action in the back and early hand/glove separation. There’s some effort in the delivery, with head whack and a finish that falls off to the first base side at times, so Pena will need to clean up some of that to profile as a starter in the long run. His curveball is in the mid 70s with 12-to-6 shape and shows good power at its best, with plenty of depth when he gets on top of the pitch and keeps it down. Pena has also thrown an upper-70s changeup, but the pitch needs plenty of refinement and he tends to slow his arm down with it presently.

20. Brandon Neely, RHP, Spruce Creek HS, Port Orange, Fla. (BA RANK: 156)
Source: HS • Ht: 6-2 • Wt: 205 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Florida

A year after Zac Veen went as the No. 9 overall pick in the draft, Spruce Creek High in Port Orange, Fla. has another player who could get drafted in righthander Brandon Neely, though Neely doesn’t have the sort of top-of-the-draft talent that Veen did before him. Still, Neely has a talented arm from the right side and scouts think he’ll throw plenty hard one day in the future, already getting into the 94-95 mph range now with the arm speed and physical projection that could have him in the upper 90s in a few years. On top of a lively fastball, Neely has shown both a curveball and a slider that have above-average potential, along with an 83-84 mph changeup that he flashes enough to project for a solid four-pitch mix in the future. He doesn’t use the changeup much now, and instead relies more heavily on his breaking balls. Neely throws a curveball in the mid-to-upper 70s and the pitch has good top-down movement at its best, but occasionally blends into his slider with more slurvy shape. Scouts seem to like the curveball variant better and believe it could turn into a consistent above-average pitch in the future. Neely is plenty athletic, with a delivery that’s on line to the plate, but scouts have noted that his fastball command will vary from day to day and they aren’t sure exactly why that’s the case. He’s committed to Florida and could be a difficult sign, but teams like him in the three-to-five-round range.

21. Tommy White, 3B, IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla. (BA RANK: 165)
Source: HS • Ht: 6-1 • Wt: 220 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: North Carolina State

White is one of the better corner infield prospects in the high school class, as a third baseman at the moment with a big and powerful swing from the right side. Listed at 6-foot-1, 220 pounds, White has a physically mature frame with raw power to match it, and he frequently takes big and aggressive hacks, always looking to do damage at the plate. That approach and strength lead to plenty of home runs, but scouts also see a decent amount of swing and miss and wonder how that approach will fare for him when he’s consistently seeing velocity in the 90-plus mph range. Still, evaluators seem to like his swing path and mechanics at the plate and have pointed out that he tracks breaking balls and offspeed stuff well. It’s easy to compare White to Blaze Jordan from the 2020 draft class, though most scouts believe White doesn’t have the same pure feel for hitting or bat speed. White shows solid instincts and hands at third base now, but the industry seems to think he’ll have to move to first base at the next level thanks to his size and a lack of foot speed and side-to-side mobility. He’s shown a strong arm in the past, but last summer scouts thought it was more fringe-average. Because of his defensive profile many teams would prefer to let him go to college at North Carolina State and prove his bat, but others might want to take a chance on his above-average power out of high school.

22. Ty Evans, OF, Lakeland (Fla.) Christian HS (BA RANK: 188)
Source: HS • Ht: 6-2 • Wt: 200 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Florida

A 6-foot-2, 200-pound outfielder committed to Florida, Evans impressed last summer with his power and speed, as well as an advanced offensive approach that led to good results against high-caliber pitching. He has impressive hand speed that’s allowed him to stay inside low-and-mid-90s velocity and turn it around with impact, and because of that some scouts think he has solid or better pure hitting ability at the next level. However, scouts this spring thought he got a bit stiffer with his swing and saw a hitter who was more of a power-over-hit sort of bat. Evans is plenty strong with above-average raw power now and a chance to get to plus power in the future as he continues to grow and add more muscle to his frame. He previously played shortstop, but transitioned to center field recently, with some scouts giving him a chance to stick in the middle of the outfield because of his running ability and others thinking he will outgrow the position and slow down a tick. He’s turned in plus run times and is probably an above-average runner now. A team that signs Evans out of his Florida commitment is either heavily convicted in his pure hitting ability or thinks he has a chance to stick in center, as the industry is typically hard on right-right corner outfield profiles out of high school. If Evans does get to campus, he has a chance to be a special hitter with power.

23. Drake Varnado, SS, IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla. (BA RANK: 196)
Source: HS • Ht: 6-2 • Wt: 175 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Arkansas

A lean-framed infielder committed to Arkansas, Varnado played on a loaded IMG Academy team in Bradenton, Fla. this spring and was scouted heavily and often because of that. He showed solid athleticism, running ability and defensive potential last summer over the showcase circuit, but scouts were looking for him to add some strength and take a step forward with the bat this spring. Varnado did change his approach and setup at the plate this spring, hitting from an upright and open stance that didn’t ever get back to even and led to a heavy pull approach. While Varnado has turned in plus run times in the 60-yard dash and is a 60-grade runner underway, his swing prohibits him from getting out of the box quickly and scouts have gotten more fringe-average home-to-first times from him because of it. There’s a bit of a split-opinion on Varnado’s defensive ability and future home. Scouts who like him see good enough hands and defensive actions to play a solid shortstop, with good lateral mobility and solid body control coming in on slow rollers. Others think he is more fringy at shortstop and would be better to move to second base, while others think his speed would play best in center field. Varnado has room to add strength to his frame but doesn’t look like the sort of player who will ever be a big home run hitter, so his overall upside might be tied to his pure hitting ability and how much he can improve his offensive approach.

24. Jonathan Vastine, SS, Bartow (Fla.) Senior HS (BA RANK: 208)
Source: HS • Ht: 5-11 • Wt: 165 • B-T: L-R • Commitment/Drafted: Vanderbilt

Vastine is an undersized middle infielder committed to Vanderbilt who has gotten a good amount of attention and scouting looks this spring with Bartow (Fla.) Senior High. Listed at 5-foot-11, 165 pounds, scouts don’t see a clear plus tool with Vastine, but he does a lot of things on the field well and brings a gritty style of play that coaches and scouts alike seem to love. He’s an above-average runner and could be a fringy defender at shortstop, or a solid defender at other up-the-middle positions like second base or center field. He has average arm strength and below-average power presently, with a frame that doesn’t suggest massive power potential. Teams high on Vastine might try to buy him out of his Vanderbilt commitment with high conviction on his natural hitting ability.

25. Jack Leftwich, RHP, Florida (BA RANK: 209)
Source: 4YR • Ht: 6-4 • Wt: 220 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Tigers ’17 (39)

Leftwich was draft-eligible in the 2020 class, when he ranked as the No. 157 player in the BA 500, but he went unselected and returned to Florida for his fourth season, where he posted a 3.36 ERA over 69.2 innings, with 78 strikeouts (10.1 K/9) and 22 walks (2.8 BB/9). Leftwich stepped into a full-time starting role for the Gators in 2019 and seemed poised to keep that role this spring but made just six starts and 18 separate appearances out of the bullpen. At 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, Leftwich has a solid pitcher’s frame and a three-pitch mix including a fastball that sits in the 92-94 mph range but has been into the upper 90s at its best, as well as a slider and changeup. The slider is Leftwich’s go-to secondary in the low 80s and will flash average potential, but scouts note that it comes in well below-average at times as well. He throws a low-to-mid-80s changeup but has used it only sparingly this spring, perhaps because of a larger role out of the bullpen. Leftwich does have solid control, so some teams might still like him as a starter, but there’s also concern from teams about how he locks out his front knee in his landing.

26. Christian Scott, RHP, Florida (BA RANK: 217)
Source: 4YR • Ht: 6-4 • Wt: 215 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Never Drafted

Scott was eligible as a sophomore in 2020 but went unselected even after posting a 1.20 ERA in seven appearances and 15 innings, with solid strikeout and walk rates. This spring, Scott continued to be a reliable arm for the Gators out of the bullpen, leading the team in appearances (26) while posting a 3.00 ERA. Coaches said Scott took a step forward with his fastball command during the fall and he posted the lowest walk rate of his career this spring (1.5 BB/9) while sitting in the 93-95 mph range and running the pitch into the upper 90s at its peak. Scott is mostly a fastball/slider pitcher and his breaking ball comes in hard in the mid 80s. The pitch shows some solid action when he lands it down and to his glove side, but it also backs up on him fairly regularly when he leaves it up in the zone. Scott also throws a low-to-mid-80s changeup that looks like a solid pitch when he hits on it, but he rarely uses it. Scott has significant effort in his delivery and an aggressive head whack in his finish that he’s had since his high school days and because of that and the fact he’s pitched primarily out of the bullpen for his career at Florida, most teams see him as a reliever at the next level.

27. Antonio Knowles, RHP, Florida Southwestern State JC (BA RANK: 230)
Source: JC • Ht: 6-1 • Wt: 180 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Florida

Knowles had an excellent season as a reliever with Florida Southwestern State JC, pitching to a 1.35 ERA over 40 innings while striking out 72 batters (16.0 K/9) and walking just five (1.1 BB/9). Those numbers and that strikeout-to-walk rate alone would pique the interest of analytics-heavy teams, but Knowles has also shown solid stuff, with a fastball up to 94 mph and a slider that flashes plus at times. Knowles is listed at 6-foot-1, 180 pounds and doesn’t have the most physical presence on the mound, but his stuff generated plenty of ugly swings against juco competition. He has a definite reliever look on the mound, with significant effort and head whack in his delivery and an arm stroke that is lengthy in the back with some stabbing action as well. Knowles transferred from Stetson and pitched just 2.2 innings for the program in 2019. This spring he led NJCAA pitchers in strikeout-to-walk ratio and was named a first team NJCAA Division I All-American—the first Florida Southwestern State JC closer to receive the honor. Knowles is committed to Florida.

28. Alex Ulloa, SS, Calvary Christian HS, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (BA RANK: 258)
Source: HS • Ht: 5-11 • Wt: 180 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Oklahoma State

Ulloa has been scouted frequently this spring as a member of the same Calvary Christian High team that righthanders Andrew Painter and Irving Carter pitch for. That scouting magnifying glass helps, but Ulloa did well to make a name for himself last summer by showing impressive feel for hitting. He turned around some of the better pitchers in the class and drove the ball to both fields, doing a nice job taking what he was given and using an all-fields approach with a line-drive swing and solid understanding of the strike zone. While scouts really like his barrel control, he doesn’t have the loudest raw tool set. Listed at just 5-foot-11, 180 pounds, he has well below-average power now and projects to be more of a doubles hitter than a middle-of-the-lineup slugger. Defensively at shortstop he shows solid actions with an advanced internal clock and clean footwork around the bag. He doesn’t have huge arm strength, but scouts think his actions allow it to play up. He’s an average runner. Ulloa is the sort of high school profile that many clubs like but would prefer to let go to college and prove his hitting ability. He is committed to Oklahoma State.

29. Alex Toral, 1B, Miami (BA RANK: 261)
Source: 4YR • Ht: 6-1 • Wt: 229 • B-T: L-L • Commitment/Drafted: Never Drafted

Toral had a tumultuous amateur career in terms of his draft stock and the expectations placed on him. He blew up in the scouting community after just his freshman season when he started getting Adrian Gonzalez comps. After struggling offensively during his senior season at Archbishop McCarthy High in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Toral made his way to Miami, where he struggled to a .161/.322/.237 line. The next year, Toral exploded for 24 homers, though that came with a strikeout rate over 30%. In the shortened 2020 season, it looked like Toral had taken another step forward. He walked more than he whiffed over the first 16 games, while also showing a better all-fields approach en route to a .296/.435/.593 slash line. This spring, the power backed up, as Toral hit just seven homers over 54 games and posted a .264/.398/.436 slash line while also mainly hitting to the pull side and back up the middle. Power is his calling card and he’ll need to hit with plenty of thump as a 6-foot-1, 235-pound hitter limited to first base, where he’s a below-average runner and defender. Toral has a patient approach at the plate and draws his fair share of walks (16.9 BB% this season), but scouts now are skeptical about how his hit tool is going to play against professional pitching. There’s no doubt Toral has massive raw power, but how frequently he’ll get to that power is a question teams might not have a great answer for.

30. Jake Smith, RHP, Miami (BA RANK: 263)
Source: 4YR • Ht: 6-4 • Wt: 177 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Phillies ’18 (21)

Smith ranked as a top 200 member of the 2020 class out of junior college a year ago but went undrafted and made his way to Miami, where he pitched to a 3.45 ERA in 47 innings, with 63 strikeouts (12.1 K/9) and 14 walks (2.7 BB/9). Smith was used out of the bullpen for most of the season but transitioned to a starting role in April, where he was largely successful outside of a regional matchup against South Florida where he allowed five hits and five earned runs in just 3.1 innings. Smith has a three-pitch mix led by a fastball that sits in the 92-94 mph range and has touched 98 this spring. His slider is his best secondary, a low-to-mid-80s breaker that has shown above-average potential with solid tilt when he hits on it and keeps it down. His third pitch is a firm, upper-80s changeup that he doesn’t go to often but features solid fade and drop to the arm side. Smith has a bit of a funky arm action with a bit of effort in his finish, but he’s thrown enough strikes to warrant a shot at starting at the next level.

31. Rene Lastres, C, Calvary Christian HS, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (BA RANK: 264)
Source: HS • Ht: 6-3 • Wt: 205 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Florida

Calvary Christian is loaded with draft prospects this spring and while Lastres isn’t seen in the same caliber as righthanders Andrew Painter and Irving Carter, he’s a talented player in his own right. Lastres is a 6-foot-3, 205-pound backstop with the defensive tools that could allow him to become a 55-grade catcher and the size and strength to grow into power from the right side as well. He shows off a strong arm that’s at least above-average and has recorded pop times around 2.00 seconds in games, which is right around the MLB average. He has strong hands and has shown an ability to spot pitches in the zone well, and also blocks well with runners on, though he’ll get into one-knee setups at times and get inconsistent in this area as well. Physically, he moves well side to side but has some room for improvement in terms of centering and smothering pitches that are off line. This is a bit nitpicky for a high school catcher, however, and Lastres has spent plenty of time handling some of the best pitching this class has to offer. Lastres has a bit of a long swing at the moment, and some swing and miss that could limit his offensive game, but does project to have solid or better raw power. Like his batterymate Painter, Lastres is committed to Florida.

32. Justin Colon, SS, Montverde (Fla.) Academy HS (BA RANK: 268)
Source: HS • Ht: 6-2 • Wt: 175 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Missouri

Colon comes out of the same Montverde (Fla.) Academy program that produced shortstops Francisco Lindor and Nander De Sedas. The 6-foot-2, 175-pound infielder stands out for his defensive tools more than his bat at the moment. Last summer, he impressed scouts with his athletic actions, soft hands and easy plus arm strength—with some evaluators going as far as saying a double-plus arm grade was in reach in the future. Colon was previously a solid runner but posted below-average run times and because of that and his projectable frame, some scouts think he’ll outgrow shortstop and be a better fit for third base or second in the long run. Scouts question his pure hitting ability and contact skills but note that he has above-average raw power with a chance to get a bit more than that at physical maturity. He is committed to Missouri.

33. Shawn Guilliams, RHP, JC of Central Florida (BA RANK: 224)
Source: JC • Ht: 6-1 • Wt: 185 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Florida

Guilliams is one of the younger collegiate players in the class after graduating high school in 2020—he ranked as the No. 217 player in the class at the time. Now draft-eligible a year later out of JC of Central Florida, Guilliams struck out 49 batters in 33.2 innings this spring and posted a 2.41 ERA over six starts. He impressed scouts with a fastball in the 92-95 mph range and a curveball around 80 mph that has impressive late power through the zone and got plus grades from scouts. He’s also thrown a firm, upper-80s changeup that has significant arm-side running action and looks like a potential weapon against lefthanded hitters. Guilliams is listed at 6-foot-1, 195 pounds, and will have just turned 19 on draft day. He throws from a higher, three-quarter arm slot and has plenty of arm speed and a short arm action in the back, but there’s plenty of effort and recoil in his delivery that could portend a future bullpen role. He is committed to Florida.

34. Franco Aleman, RHP, Florida (BA RANK: 305)
Source: 4YR • Ht: 6-6 • Wt: 230 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Florida

Aleman has been scouted and flashing upside potential since his high school days and has bounced around Florida colleges over the last few years, starting at Florida International, then heading to St. John’s (River) JC and pitching his first season with Florida this spring. He’s a huge presence on the mound at 6-foot-6, 230 pounds with a fastball that sits around 93 and is regularly into the upper 90s, touching 98 mph at its peak this spring. Aleman split time as a starter and reliever this spring and scouts have seen him sitting 90-92 mph in a starting role, with more of a four-seam fastball (he used to be a sinker pitcher) this spring. Aleman throws a slider, changeup and curveball, and the slider flashes above-average in the low 80s with plenty of horizontal movement, but the curve and changeup are distant third and fourth offerings at the moment. Aleman posted a 5.74 ERA over 69 innings, with 65 strikeouts (8.5 K/9) and 21 walks (2.7 BB/9) but he remains incredibly inconsistent from outing to outing, struggling to find the zone one day and looking lights out the next. The Cuban-born righthander has arm talent, but a team has to bank on him becoming more consistent at the next level.

35. Devin Futrell, LHP, American Heritage HS, Plantation, Fla. (BA RANK: 307)
Source: HS • Ht: 6-5 • Wt: 195 • B-T: L-L • Commitment/Drafted: Vanderbilt

Futrell is a projection lefthander who comes out of the same American Heritage High program in Plantation, Fla., that produced first-rounder Triston Casas in 2018. Futrell is more of a projection prospect than Casas and not near his first-round pedigree, but scouts are excited about his upside potential from the left side. He mostly threw in the upper 80s last summer and while he’s trended in the right direction in terms of his velocity this spring, evaluators are still projecting an average fastball. With a 6-foot-5, 195-pound frame that has plenty of room for additional strength, he should be able to get there and is impressively synced up for how tall and lanky he is. Futrell will throw multiple pitches for strikes and has shown a slider, curveball and changeup. He is committed to Vanderbilt, and could be a tough sign given his lack of impact stuff now, but is a candidate to make huge strides over the next few years.

36. Karl Hartman, RHP, Rockledge (Fla.) HS (BA RANK: 315)
Source: HS • Ht: 6-4 • Wt: 213 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Florida

A big righthander with a 6-foot-4, 213-pound frame, Hartman pitched in the low 90s last summer and showed good feel to spin a breaking ball. His size and the stuff he showed led evaluators to dream a bit on his upside, though his strikes have come and gone. This spring he’s ticked that velocity up and been up to 95 mph. He’s thrown an upper-70s curveball with impressive depth and spin and scouts also like a slider that gets average grades. Hartman has some tilt in his delivery, with a deep sweeping arm action in the back that might affect his timing and consistency at the next level. Hartman is committed to Florida and has a chance to throw very hard with a power breaking ball with a bit more development and growth.

37. Karson Ligon, RHP, Riverview (Fla.) HS (BA RANK: 342)
Source: HS • Ht: 6-3 • Wt: 193 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Miami

Ligon is a 6-foot-3, 193-pound righthander committed to Miami who showed off some of the better control in the high school class last summer, with a solid three-pitch mix to go with it. He has a fastball that has been up to 95-96 mph at its best, but mainly sat in the lower 90s this spring. Scouting directors thought he had one of the better changeups of the prep class—it’s a 78-84 mph pitch that he throws with conviction, with solid fade and tumbling life and he shows advanced feel to land it already. He also has an upper-70s curveball that has solid depth and big, 11-to-5 shape. Ligon has plenty of athleticism and could increase his fastball velocity as he fills out his frame.

38. Jacob Young, OF, Florida (BA RANK: 356)
Source: 4YR • Ht: 6-0 • Wt: 175 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Never Drafted

Perhaps if Jud Fabian wasn’t beside him in the outfield Young would get a bit more recognition or excitement from the scouting industry. As it stands, Young is an above-average runner who patrols left field for the Gators and has quietly been a .330/.400/.447 hitter over his three-year career in Gainesville. Standing at 6 feet, 175 pounds, Young certainly doesn’t look like a corner outfielder, but it would make all the sense in the world for a team to draft him and give him a chance to prove he can’t play in the middle of the outfield at the next level. He has the speed and has shown solid route running and athleticism in left field, though his arm might make right field a tougher sell. Young is a contact bat offensively, with below-average raw power, but he led the Gators in hits (80), doubles (16), runs (56) and stolen bases (13) this spring. While he doesn’t have a carrying tool, he does some things well and his track record of hitting in the SEC should give him a shot for a club that values that sort of statistical performance.

39. Jayden Melendez, C, Westminster Christian HS, Miami (BA RANK: 369)
Source: HS • Ht: 5-7 • Wt: 170 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Florida International

Melendez is an undersized catcher listed at 5-foot-9, 170 pounds. His defensive game is well ahead of his offensive game now, thanks to above-average arm strength and a willingness to throw aggressively behind runners hunting for back picks. He has the potential for above-average defensive ability behind the dish in addition to his strong arm, but there are more questions about how much impact he will provide as a righthanded hitter. He will need to simplify his mechanics at the plate and quiet some of the bigger movements in his swing and he’s also a well below-average runner. Melendez shares some traits with current Vanderbilt catcher CJ Rodriguez out of high school and could raise his stock in a similar way by proving his defense and controlling the zone as a hitter if he makes it to campus at Florida International. Melendez’s older brother is MJ Melendez, a catcher in the Royals system who was drafted in the second round in 2017.

40. Corey Robinson, OF, Spruce Creek HS, Port Orange, Fla. (BA RANK: 379)
Source: HS • Ht: 5-11 • Wt: 165 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Florida

Scouts have solid history with Robinson, thanks in part to playing with first-round pick Zac Venn at Spruce Creek High in Port Orange, Fla., a year ago. While not the caliber of prospect that Veen was at the same time, Robinson is a solid center fielder with quick-twitch athleticism and above-average running ability. He didn’t perform offensively at the level that scouts expected last summer, and some scouts thought he tried to hit for too much power, which hampered his approach. Robinson has shown barrel ability against some of the better pitchers in this class and the 2020 class, standing out in back-to-back years at PBR’s Florida Preseason Classic and homering against 95 mph fastballs from Miami righthander Alejandro Rosario and 2021 righthander Andrew Painter. His swing and miss last summer will be tough for scouts to forget about, however, so opinions on his hit tool could be mixed. Robinson is committed to Florida.

41. Elijah Cabell, OF, Florida State (BA RANK: 389)
Source: 4YR • Ht: 6-2 • Wt: 200 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Brewers ’18 (14)

Cabell has draft pedigree dating back to his high school days when he was one of the toolsier prep players in the 2018 class out of TNXL Academy in Altamonte Springs, Fla. At the time, he showed plus power, plus running ability and plus arm strength, but scouts were concerned about his natural feel for hitting. That proved to be a prescient assessment, as Cabell is a career .245/.415/.511 hitter after three seasons at Florida State, with 29 home runs at the cost of a 40% career strikeout rate. While Cabell has some of the loudest raw power in the country (which was also the case a year ago), he’s proven to be a three true outcomes hitter in college. Over his career, 62% of Cabell’s plate appearances have resulted in either a strikeout, a walk or a home run. Cabell whiffs at a high rate against most pitch types, but particularly struggles against spin and seems to do best when he gets pitches on the outer half of the plate, where he can extend his hands and let his natural power take over. There’s a real hole on the inner half, but when he makes contact he has the sort of raw power to leave any ballpark from foul pole to foul pole. He’s no longer a plus runner, but he’s a solid athlete with enough arm strength to play either corner—though most of his time has been spent in left field at FSU.

42. Andrew Baker, RHP, Chipola (Fla) JC (BA RANK: 396)
Source: JC • Ht: 6-3 • Wt: 190 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: South Carolina

Baker has had an interesting path the last few years. He was drafted out of Chipola (Fla.) JC by the Dodgers in the 16th round in 2019, but opted to not sign and instead went to Auburn, where he made six relief appearances and struggled to a 9.53 ERA in the shortened 2020 season. After that, Baker bounced back to Chipola, where he has once again shown scouts impressive stuff out of his 6-foot-3, 190-pound frame, but with below-average control. Baker sat in the 92-94 mph range this spring and ran his fastball up to 96 mph, and he flashed two breaking balls that both showed potential but lacked consistency. He’s also thrown a changeup infrequently. Baker pitched to a 3.45 ERA over 57.1 innings, with 92 strikeouts (14.4 K/9) and 34 walks (5.3 BB/9). He is a South Carolina commit.

43. Jake Fox, SS, Lakeland (Fla.) Christian HS (BA RANK: 401)
Source: HS • Ht: 6-1 • Wt: 180 • B-T: L-R • Commitment/Drafted: Florida

Fox is a 6-foot-1, 180-pound shortstop out of Lakeland (Fla.) Christian High who has shown impressive feel for both sides of the game. Scouts seem most intrigued by his lefthanded bat. He has a bit of an unorthodox setup and swing at the plate with a hitch in his hands during his load and a bat head drop, but he’s made it work for him. While he didn’t show much impact potential last summer, Fox has added some weight over the offseason and gotten stronger, though he still profiles as more of a doubles hitter with below-average power. Defensively, Fox has the hands to stick at a middle infield position and he’s an above-average or plus runner underway. Scouts think he will be a better fit for second base at the pro level thanks to fringy arm strength, but there’s no reason why he can’t handle the position in college. That still might be a tough ask given Fox’s commitment to Florida, which has multiple solid defensive shortstops currently at the program.

44. Jacob Teter, 1B, Florida Southern (BA RANK: 430)
Source: 4YR • Ht: 6-6 • Wt: 225 • B-T: L-L • Commitment/Drafted: Never Drafted

Teter was draft-eligible in 2020, where he ranked as the No. 187 player in the class as one of the top Division II bats in the country. He made a bit of a name for himself by holding his own in the Cape Cod League in 2019, and his production with Florida Southern has been consistently strong since he first stepped foot on campus. Teter is a career .338/.437/.569 hitter with 33 home runs and more walks (97) than strikeouts (92), but he played in just 17 games this spring. Teter has gotten split feedback on his defensive ability at first base, but he looks the part for the position at 6-foot-6, 225 pounds and has the raw power to match. The question will be whether or not teams think he’ll hit enough against better competition to get to that power.

45. Ben Specht, RHP, Florida (BA RANK: 482)
Source: 4YR • Ht: 6-1 • Wt: 210 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Dodgers ’18 (40)

Specht entered the year as one of the more prominent non-starters on Florida’s pitching staff. Scouts have liked his arm strength out of the bullpen with an easy fastball that gets into the mid 90s as well as solid secondaries in a slider and changeup. He’s got a big, strong frame at 6-foot-1, 210 pounds, but this spring had his worst collegiate season, posting a 13.86 ERA in just 12.1 innings.

46. Tyler Dietz, RHP, Calvary Christian HS, Clearwater, Fla.
Source: HS • Ht: 6-2 • Wt: 185 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: South Florida

 

47. Tyler Santana, RHP, Jacksonville
Source: 4YR • Ht: 6-1 • Wt: 205 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Never Drafted

 

48. Dylan Jacobs, RHP, TNXL Academy, Altamonte Springs, Fla.
Source: HS • Ht: 6-2 • Wt: 180 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Florida State

 

49. Reese Albert, OF, Florida State
Source: 4YR • Ht: 6-2 • Wt: 200 • B-T: L-L • Commitment/Drafted: Never Drafted

 

50. Dorian Gonzalez, SS, Belen Jesuit HS, Miami
Source: HS • Ht: 5-9 • Wt: 170 • B-T: L-R • Commitment/Drafted: Miami

 

51. Nick Anello, RHP, American Heritage HS, Plantation, Fla.
Source: HS • Ht: 6-3 • Wt: 225 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Miami

 

52. Bryan Loriga, 3B, ESB Academy, Pembroke Pines, Fla.
Source: HS • Ht: 6-0 • Wt: 195 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Florida International

 

53. Tyler Myrick, RHP, Florida International
Source: 4YR • Ht: 6-0 • Wt: 205 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Rangers 2019 (40)

 

54. Satchell Norman, C, Sarasota (Fla.) HS
Source: HS • Ht: 5-11 • Wt: 195 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Florida State

 

55. Keegan Allen, RHP, IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla.
Source: HS • Ht: 6-0 • Wt: 180 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Oklahoma

 

56. Aidan Meola, 3B, Palm Beach Gardens (Fla.) HS
Source: HS • Ht: 6-2 • Wt: 205 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Oklahoma State

 

57. Juhlien Gonzalez, 3B, American Heritage HS, Plantation, Fla.
Source: HS • Ht: 6-0 • Wt: 190 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Florida International

 

58. Victor Rodriguez, OF, Montverde (Fla.) Academy
Source: HS • Ht: 6-5 • Wt: 205 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Florida International

 

59. Luis Guerrero, RHP, Chipola (Fla.) JC
Source: JC • Ht: 6-0 • Wt: 215 • B-T: R-R •

 

60. Deric Fabian, SS, North Marion HS, Citra, Fla.
Source: HS • Ht: 6-3 • Wt: 180 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Florida

 

61. Matthew Prevesk, OF, Apopka (Fla.) HS
Source: HS • Ht: 6-2 • Wt: 185 • B-T: L-L • Commitment/Drafted: Florida

 

62. Alexander Ayala, LHP, Florida Southwestern State JC
Source: JC • Ht: 6-1 • Wt: 190 • B-T: R-L •

 

63. Jojo Blackman, OF, Escambia HS, Pensacola, Fla.
Source: HS • Ht: 6-0 • Wt: 185 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Alabama-Birmingham

 

64. Amir Asghar, RHP, Bethune-Cookman
Source: 4YR • Ht: 6-5 • Wt: 210 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Never Drafted

 

65. Cole Ayers, RHP, State JC of Florida
Source: JC • Ht: 6-3 • Wt: 185 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Astros ’18 (36)

 

66. Dominic Baratta, LHP, Eastern Florida State JC
Source: JC • Ht: 6-1 • Wt: 185 • B-T: L-R • Commitment/Drafted: Never Drafted

 

67. Daniel Batcher, LHP, State JC of Florida
Source: JC • Ht: 6-5 • Wt: 170 • B-T: L-L • Commitment/Drafted: Blue Jays ’19 (33)

 

68. Cade Bush, 1B, Palm Beach Gardens (Fla.) HS
Source: HS • Ht: 6-3 • Wt: 215 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Florida State

 

69. Chase Carney, OF, Flagler (Fla.)
Source: 4YR • Ht: 5-10 • Wt: 185 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Never Drafted

 

70. Steven Casey, RHP, Florida International
Source: 4YR • Ht: 6-0 • Wt: 200 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Never Drafted

 

71. Drew Cavanaugh, C, Eastern Florida State JC
Source: JC • Ht: 6-0 • Wt: 190 • B-T: B-R • Commitment/Drafted: Never Drafted

 

72. Luis Chavez, C, Florida International
Source: 4YR • Ht: 5-8 • Wt: 184 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Never Drafted

 

73. Logan Clayton, RHP, JC of Central Florida
Source: JC • Ht: 6-4 • Wt: 185 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Houston

 

74. Kendrick Calilao, 1B/OF, Florida
Source: 4YR • Ht: 6-1 • Wt: 210 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Cardinals ’18 (30)

 

75. Gavin Conticello, 3B, Stoneman Douglas HS, Parkland, Fla.
Source: HS • Ht: 6-4 • Wt: 195 • B-T: L-R • Commitment/Drafted: South Florida

 

76. Juan Correa, 3B, West Broward HS, Pembroke Pines, Fla.
Source: HS • Ht: 6-4 • Wt: 210 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Stetson

 

77. Chase Costello, RHP, Stetson
Source: 4YR • Ht: 6-4 • Wt: 218 • B-T: R-R •

 

78. Brandon Cruz, RHP, Bethune Cookman
Source: 4YR • Ht: 6-6 • Wt: 230 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Never Drafted

 

79. Drew Daczlowki, RHP, Rollins (Fla.)
Source: 4YR • Ht: 6-6 • Wt: 235 • B-T: R-R •

 

80. Marc Davis, RHP, Florida Southwestern State JC
Source: JC • Ht: 6-3 • Wt: 195 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Cubs ’18 (38)

 

81. Nick Diponzio, OF, Stetson
Source: 4YR • Ht: 6-1 • Wt: 200 • B-T: L-R •

 

82. Jaiden Duarte, OF, Jefferson HS, Tampa
Source: HS • Ht: 6-3 • Wt: 200 • B-T: L-L • Commitment/Drafted: Northwest Florida State JC

 

83. Andrew Estrella, SS, Miami Christian HS
Source: HS • Ht: 6-1 • Wt: 170 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Stetson

 

84. Jaime Ferrer, C, Florida Virtual School
Source: HS • Ht: 6-1 • Wt: 208 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Florida State

 

85. Eric Foggo, OF, Stetson
Source: 4YR • Ht: 6-5 • Wt: 260 • B-T: R-R •

 

86. David Crawford, OF, Miami Dade JC
Source: JC • Ht: 6-1 • Wt: 175 • B-T: L-R •

 

87. Ariel Garcia, RHP, Columbus HS, Miami
Source: HS • Ht: 6-2 • Wt: 185 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Miami

 

88. Dawson Gause, RHP, St. Johns River (Fla.) JC
Source: JC • Ht: 6-4 • Wt: 215 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Louisiana State

 

89. JJ Gonzalez, INF, St. Johns River (Fla.) JC
Source: JC • Ht: 6-2 • Wt: 175 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Erskine (S.C.)

 

90. Juan Gonzalez, C, Miami Dade JC
Source: JC • Ht: 5-10 • Wt: 190 • B-T: R-R •

 

91. Dillon Haines, LHP, Episcopal School, Jacksonville
Source: HS • Ht: 5-9 • Wt: 175 • B-T: L-L • Commitment/Drafted: Stetson

 

92. Nander De Sedas, SS, Florida State
Source: 4YR • Ht: 6-2 • Wt: 198 • B-T: B-R • Commitment/Drafted: Brewers ’18 (29)

 

93. Kevin Heinrich, RHP, St. Johns River (Fla.) JC
Source: JC • Ht: 6-2 • Wt: 180 • B-T: R-R •

 

94. Sam Hunt, C, IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla.
Source: HS • Ht: 6-2 • Wt: 205 • B-T: B-R • Commitment/Drafted: Vanderbilt

 

95. Juan Jaime, INF, St. Johns River (Fla.) JC
Source: JC • Ht: 6-2 • Wt: 190 • B-T: R-R •

 

96. Fisher Jameson, OF, Park Vista HS, Lake Worth, Fla.
Source: HS • Ht: 6-5 • Wt: 220 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Florida

 

97. Ian Jenkins, OF, Miami Dade JC
Source: JC • Ht: 5-11

98. Dylan King, C/OF, American Heritage HS, Delray Beach, Fla.
Source: HS • Ht: 6-2 • Wt: 200 • B-T: L-R • Commitment/Drafted: North Carolina

 

99. Kyle Kramer, RHP, Rollins (Fla.)
Source: 4YR • Ht: 5-11 • Wt: 175 • B-T: R-R •

 

100. Justin Farmer, OF, Florida International
Source: 4YR • Ht: 6-1 • Wt: 190 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Never Drafted

 

101. Kyle Larsen, RHP/C, TNXL Academy, Altamonte Springs, Fla.
Source: HS • Ht: 6-2 • Wt: 220 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Florida

 

102. Nick Long, RHP, Stetson
Source: 4YR • Ht: 6-1 • Wt: 210 • B-T: R-R •

 

103. Mario Lopez, C, Pensacola (Fla.) State JC
Source: JC • Ht: 5-8 • Wt: 195 • B-T: R-R •

 

104. John Malcom, 1B, Tampa
Source: 4YR • Ht: 6-3 • Wt: 230 • B-T: L-L •

 

105. Chandler Marsh, OF, Wellington (Fla.) HS
Source: HS • Ht: 6-5 • Wt: 225 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Georgia

 

106. AJ Mathis, OF, Eastern Florida State JC
Source: JC • Ht: 5-11 • Wt: 175 •

 

107. Jackson Mayo, OF, Bolles HS, Jacksonville
Source: HS • Ht: 6-2 • Wt: 185 • B-T: L-L • Commitment/Drafted: South Florida

 

108. Evan Michelson, RHP, JC of Central Florida
Source: JC • Ht: 6-0 • Wt: 205 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Charlotte

 

109. Colt Mink, RHP, Flagler (Fla.)
Source: 4YR • Ht: 6-1 • Wt: 185 • B-T: L-L • Commitment/Drafted: Never Drafted

 

110. Andrew Moore, RHP, Chipola (Fla.) JC
Source: JC • Ht: 6-5 • Wt: 205 • B-T: L-R •

 

111. Shamir Morales, C, Bethune Cookman
Source: 4YR • Ht: 5-9 • Wt: 205 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Never Drafted

 

112. Kendry Noriega, OF, Florida Southwestern State JC
Source: JC • Ht: 5-11 • Wt: 150 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Never Drafted

 

113. Isaac Nunez, 3B/RHP, South Florida
Source: 4YR •

 

114. Austin Grause, RHP, Gaither HS, Tampa
Source: HS • Ht: 6-2 • Wt: 190 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: South Florida

 

115. Abimelec Ortiz, OF/1B, Florida Southwestern State JC
Source: JC • Ht: 6-0 • Wt: 205 • B-T: L-L • Commitment/Drafted: Never Drafted

 

116. Daniel Paret, LHP, Stetson
Source: 4YR • Ht: 6-3 • Wt: 210 • B-T: L-L • Commitment/Drafted: Never Drafted

 

117. Duncan Pastore, INF/RHP, Nova Southeastern
Source: 4YR • Ht: 6-3 • Wt: 175 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Never Drafted

 

118. Nate Henderson, RHP, Flagler (Fla.)
Source: 4YR • Ht: 5-11 • Wt: 165 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Never Drafted

 

119. Roberto Pena, INF/RHP, South Florida
Source: 4YR • Ht: 6-2 • Wt: 200 • Throws: R •

 

120. Joshua Plummer, OF, Stetson
Source: 4YR • Ht: 6-2 • Wt: 215 • B-T: R-R •

 

121. Brandon Hylton, 1B, Stetson
Source: 4YR • Ht: 6-7 • Wt: 230 • B-T: L-R •

 

122. Enrique Porchas, 3B, Bethune Cookman
Source: 4YR • Ht: 5-10 • Wt: 180 • B-T: L-R • Commitment/Drafted: Never Drafted

 

123. Tyler Rapf, RHP, Palm Beach Gardens (Fla.) HS
Source: HS • Ht: 6-3 • Wt: 180 • B-T: R-L •

 

124. Gabriel Rincones, OF, St. Petersburg (Fla.) JC
Source: JC • Ht: 6-4 • Wt: 225 •

 

125. Carlos Rodriguez, RHP, Florida Southwestern State JC
Source: JC • Ht: 5-11 • Wt: 180 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Never Drafted

 

126. Kaeber Rog, INF, Eastern Florida State JC
Source: JC • Ht: 6-1 • Wt: 205 •

 

127. Tony Rossi, RHP, State JC of Florida
Source: JC • Ht: 6-3 • Wt: 220 • B-T: R-R •

 

128. David Rossow, RHP, Cardinal Gibbons HS, Ft. Laderdale, Fla.
Source: HS • Ht: 6-4 • Wt: 195 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Miami

 

129. Cole Russo, 3B/RHP, Tampa Jesuit HS
Source: HS • Ht: 6-2 • Wt: 205 • B-T: L-R • Commitment/Drafted: Central Florida

 

130. Carlos Lequerica, RHP, Miami Dade JC
Source: JC • Ht: 6-2

131. Alec Sanchez, 3B/OF, Florida International
Source: 4YR • Ht: 5-11 • Wt: 195 • B-T: L-R • Commitment/Drafted: Never Drafted

 

132. Christian Santana, RHP, Florida International
Source: 4YR • Ht: 6-4 • Wt: 198 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Brewers ’17 (15)

 

133. William Silva, RHP, Miami Dade JC
Source: JC • Ht: 6-0

134. David Luethje, RHP, Florida
Source: 4YR • Ht: 6-5 • Wt: 205 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Rays ’18 (40)

 

135. Sam Sloan, RHP, Lakeland (Fla.) Senior HS
Source: HS • Ht: 6-3 • Wt: 200 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Florida

 

136. Darien Smith, RHP, Eastern Florida State JC
Source: JC • Ht: 6-3 • Wt: 195 •

 

137. Kyle Smith, C, St. Johns River (Fla.) JC
Source: JC • Ht: 5-11 • Wt: 200 • B-T: R-R •

 

138. Garner Spoljaric, RHP, Stetson
Source: 4YR • Ht: 6-2 • Wt: 185 • B-T: R-R •

 

139. Collin Sullivan, RHP, South Florida
Source: 4YR • Ht: 6-1 • Wt: 211 • Throws: R •

 

140. Hunter McMullen, RHP, Florida
Source: 4YR • Ht: 6-2 • Wt: 194 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Never Drafted

 

141. Austin Temple, RHP, Jacksonville
Source: 4YR • Ht: 6-4 • Wt: 180 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Never Drafted

 

142. Angel Tiburcio, RHP, Florida International
Source: 4YR • Ht: 6-2 • Wt: 234 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Never Drafted

 

143. Mark Townsend, OF, Stetson
Source: 4YR • Ht: 6-1 • Wt: 190 • B-T: B-R •

 

144. Anthony Ursitti, RHP, Canterbury HS, Fort Myers, Fla.
Source: HS • Ht: 6-4 • Wt: 205 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Florida

 

145. Jermaine Vanheyningen, RHP, Florida International
Source: 4YR • Ht: 6-6 • Wt: 220 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Never Drafted

 

146. Henry Wallen, SS, Miami Dade JC
Source: JC • Ht: 6-0

147. Preston Wetherell, LHP, Spruce Creek HS, Port Orange, Fla.
Source: HS • Ht: 6-3 • Wt: 185 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Florida State

 

148. JP Williams, RHP, Nova Southeastern
Source: 4YR • Ht: 6-3 • Wt: 210 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Never Drafted

 

149. Erick Orbeta, INF/OF, Miami Dade JC
Source: JC • Ht: 5-11

150. Gabe Rivera, OF, Miami
Source: 4YR • Ht: 5-10 • Wt: 220 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Never Drafted

 

151. Cory Acton, 2B, Florida
Source: 4YR • Ht: 6-0 • Wt: 170 • B-T: L-R • Commitment/Drafted: Tigers 2018 (39)

 

152. Josh Crouch, C, Central Florida
Source: 4YR • Ht: 6-1 • Wt: 200 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Never Drafted

 

153. Colby Frieda, RHP, Creekside HS, St. Johns, Fla
Source: HS • Ht: 6-3 • Wt: 195 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Kentucky

 

154. BJ Murray, 3B, Florida Atlantic
Source: 4YR • Ht: 6-0 • Wt: 205 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Never Drafted