Chet Lemon Juice defeated East Cobb Astros for the title.

2005 Top Prospects

1. CF Andrew McCutcheon (Fort Meade HS, FL): 

McCutcheon is one of the top high school athletes in the country, a 6.5 runner with the potential to have above average tools across the board as he gets stronger.  His bat speed right now is excellent and he shows the ability to hit all pitches hard to all fields.

2. RHP Jeremy Hellickson (Hoover HS, IA): 

He doesn’t always look the part of top prospect at 5-11, 165, but Hellickson has one of the top arms in the country.  He was 89-91 with fluid, smooth arm action in Fort Myers and flashed a plus curveball in the mid-70’s at times.  We’ve seen him up to 94 mph in the past and think there’s even more there.  What separates Hellickson from many pitching prospects is that he’s an outstanding athlete who has a very advanced grasp on how to pitch.

3.RHP Josh Zeid (Hamden Hall Copuntry Day, CT): 

Zeid is already overmatching hitters with a heavy 91 mph fastball that he maintains velocity on late into games.  In fact, his last pitch in Fort Myers was a 91 mph fastball.  He’ll be one of the top power pitchers in the Class of 2005.

4. RHP Shane Funk (Arnold HS, FL): 

Funk is an extra big bodied right hander (6-6, 220) who has excellent velocity right now, touching 91 mph frequently and really maintaining his speed well.  When Funk gets on top of his mid 70’s curveball, it shows signs of becoming a future plus pitch, as well.  Funk also experiments with a slider and change up and throws strikes with all his pitches.  He’s undoubtedly one of the top pitching prospects in the class.

5. RHP Ryan Mitchell (Magnolia HS, TX): 

Mitchell has future power pitcher written all over his 6-5, 220 frame.  He throws in the low 90’s already with excellent life to his pitches. He’s been throwing in the lower 90s for a couple years already.  The rest of his package is improving.

6. 3B-RHP Chris Dominguez (Miami Pace HS, FL): 

There will continue to be debate about whether the 6-5, 220 lb Dominguez is a position player, which he prefers, or a pitcher, as some scouts prefer.  What he does now is show well above average arm strength and raw power as a position player.  His mobility at third base is surprisingly good for such a physical young man, too.

7. C Jonathan Egan (Cross Creek HS, GA): 

Egan has a professional body at 6-3, 190 lbs and has all the defensive skills of a pro catcher right now.  He has the bat speed and strength to become a solid hitter in the future and has shown plus power in the past.

8. 2B Jemile Weeks (Lake Brantley HS, FL): 

Weeks is the younger brother of Brewers top pick Richie Weeks and looks to have the same sort of athleticism.  He has plus, plus speed right now and plays a smooth, athletic second base.  Jemile has added plenty of strength in the past year and is starting to swing the bat with authority.

9. C Robert Lara (Nova HS, FL): 

Lara is a high energy player who has the arm strength to throw 90 off the mound and the kind of bat speed and power potential that would make him a prospect at any position. 

10. C Ryan Duffy (Barron Collier HS, FL): 

Although he’s only 6-1, 175, Duffy has one of the most powerful bats in his class and shows big time power and offensive potential regardless of his position.  It looks like he can catch, too, which could make him a premium draft in 2005.

11. LHP Bobby Kennedy (Forest HS, FL): 

Kennedy is a big physical southpaw who touched 90 early with his fastball and had quality to both his slider and curveball.  He’s also a very intense competitor who wants the ball with the game on the line. Named Most Valuable Pitcher in Ft Myers.

12. RHP Brett Summers (Lake Central HS, IN): 

The 6-6 Summers wasn’t in pitching shape but touched 89 mph with a long, loose arm action and a sharp curveball that touched 78 mph.  We can’t wait to see him when he’s stretched out and in game shape, he projects large!

13. 1B Luke Murton (McDonough HS, GA): 

Murton’s brother Matt is now a top prospect in the Red Sox organization after a sterling career at Georgia Tech.  Believe it or not, Luke is already bigger and stronger at 6-4, 225.  No one in the Class of 2005 is going to have more raw power than Luke, the ball rockets off his bat.

14. RHP Mark Zenko (John Leonard HS, FL): 

Zenko has a loose arm and easy delivery that produces a consistent 86-88 mph fastball.  He also throws both a curveball and slider and projects to get much better across the board.

15. RHP Chas Spottswood (Key West HS, FL): 

Spottswood is a very projectable pitcher with solid present stuff.  He threw 85-87 mph for us in Fort Myers with a 79-83 mph true slider that has plenty of potential.  Spottswood is also an above average athlete as a position player.

16. OF John Matulia (Eustis HS, FL): 

The Tournament MVP showed good tools in addition to very advanced skills.  He’s a solid average runner with average arm strength in centerfield and has some pop in his bat.

17. SS Rafael Vera (Sarasota HS, FL): 

Vera smoked the ball all tournament, displaying plus bat speed and surprising power to the gaps.  He has at least average speed on the bases and has the tools and actions to play in the middle infield.

18. LHP-1B Nick DeSilvio (Etowah HS, GA): 

DeSilvio is a very polished player both on the mound and with a bat in his hands.  He’s launched home runs with wood at a number of events and has a solid fastball/curveball/change up combination as a pitcher.

19. OF Will Cherry (George Jenkins HS, FL): 

Cherry has the potential to be one of the top hitters in his class.  He’s very strong with plus bat speed and a sound approach at the plate.  His arm strength and athletic ability project well in the outfield.

20. C Cody Neer (Edgewater HS, FL): 

Neer is a big, strong 6-3 catcher with good quickness to his actions, a big league arm and the chance to have impressive power at the plate.

21. 3B Kent Mathes (Edgewater HS, FL)

Big time hitting prospect who is an athletic third baseman.  Big power potential and strong arm. MLB body already (6’3/187) with room to get stronger yet.

22. RHP Casey Coleman (Mariner HS, FL): 

Coleman’s bloodlines are outstanding; both his father and grandfather (Joe and Joe Jr.) had long big league pitching careers.  Casey is a quality athlete who throws a hard sinking 86 mph fastball and a tight 71 mph curveball.

23. RHP Luke Greinke (Dr. Phillips HS, FL): 

Zach Greinke’s younger brother has the pitching genes and looks very similar physically.  He’s coming off minor shoulder surgery but threw in the mid-80’s with a sharp slider and very good pitchability.

24. 3B Sergio Morales (Hollywood Hills HS, FL): 

Morales is appears to be very raw but he has some big time tools both offensively and defensively.  He could be one of the sleepers of the 2005 Class.

25. RHP Caleb Graham (Gaither HS, FL): 

Graham is a strong armed right hander who throws in the mid-80’s with heavy sinking action.  He’ll even drop down sidearm occasionally while maintaining his velocity.

26. CF Matt Sheely (Palm Beach Gardens HS, FL): 

Sheely is a legit plus runner with surprising pop in his bat for his size.  He’s the prototypical leadoff hitter type who can play a good centerfield.

27. RHP Tyler Musselwhite (Gainesville HS, GA): 

Musselwhite is a polished right hander with a smooth delivery, a 85-87 mph fastball and a tight low 80’s slider that has some sharp bite to it.

28. LHP Michael Huts (Wesleyan HS, GA): 

Huts only threw 80-83 mph but he knew exactly where the ball was going.  More importantly, he threw one of the best change ups we’ve seen on a high school pitcher in ages.  He’s very projectable on his velocity and he already does plenty of things that will win at higher levels right now.

29. RHP Jeremy Lucroy (Umatilla HS, FL) : 

Lecroy isn’t the biggest pitcher in the country at 6-0, 170 lbs but he has a big time arm.  He maintained 86-88 mph velocity for 5 innings but his best pitch was a sharp breaking curveball that flashed plus potential.

30. 3B David Adams (Grandview Prep, FL): 

Adams has a well rounded set of tools on an athletic 6-2, 180 lb frame.  He has good bat speed with power potential but his best present tool might be his arm strength across the diamond.

31. 1B Dennis Raben (Hollywood Hills HS, FL): 

Raben is an angular athlete with excellent raw power from the left hand side of the plate.  He has the type of swing and plate presence that intimidates pitchers at all levels.

32. SS Ja'Cote Ward (Hartselle HS, AL): 

Ward is a very slick fielding shortstop with good speed and tremendous natural defensive tools.  He has some work to do with the wood bat but it’s rare to find this athletic a middle infielder.

33. OF Rick Marlin (Bishop Moore HS, FL): 

Marlin’s a strong 6-2, 200 and has impressive bat speed with good power potential along with the kind of tools that play well in right field.  If he ends up playing with a certain big league team in South Florida, it would be a marketing bonanza.

34. LHP/OF Nick Nordgren (Jefferson HS, IA)

Nordgren threw a one hit shutout and was one of the leading hitters in the tournament. He also made several outstanding plays in the outfield. Had his team gone a bit farther, he would have been considered for the MVP.

35. 3B Eduardo Mendiola (Palmer Trinity HS, FL)

Mendiola has a pro body (6’1/185) and strong already.  Swings with excellent bat speed from both sides of the plate.  Strong arm (88 across the infield) nice actions. Outstanding all-round player.

36. C Andrew Giobbi (Deering HS, ME)

Giobbi is a big strong catcher (6’1/205) with tools.  He can receive, throw and shows big power potential.  Good quickness behind the plate and big bat.

37. SS Cameron Brown (Bethlehem HS, NY)

Brown shows lots of projection.  At 6’2/165 he shows athletic actions. Not much he can’t do on a baseball field. And he’s going to get better yet!

38. 1B/LHP Brett Morris (Bloomingdale HS, FL)

Morris is a big strong (6’4/215) power hitting left handed bat. Great body and he pitches in the mid 80s.

39. C Kyle Enders (Riverside HS, SC)

Enders is a strong catcher who can really catch and throw.  Excellent hitting ability, kind of reminds us of  top 04 catcher Preston Clark.

40. C Bryan Bennett (Lyman HS, FL)

Bennett keeps getting bigger, stronger and better. At 6’2/195 he has a solid build and he can hit the ball hard with wood. Also a very good defensive catcher.

2006 Top Prospects

1. LHP-1B Aaron Miller (Channelview HS, TX): 

Miller would rate as a prospect just as a first baseman, but 6-4 southpaws who are already touching 88 mph as sophomores are hard to scare off the mound.  His mid-70’s curveball is already a big league average pitch. Outstanding arm action!

2. SS Gabby Saade (Gulliver Prep, FL): 

Saade is the latest in the very long line of top quality Miami shortstops.  He’s a hard nosed, intense player who already shows plus speed and defensive actions at times and is just going to keep getting better.

3. RHP Kasey Kiker (Russell County HS, AL): 

We’ve seen the highly projectable Kiker in the 90 mph range in the past but his shutout performance in Fort Myers pitching at 84-88 mph was plenty impressive.  He gets excellent sink and run on his fastball and backs it up with a good 72 mph curveball.

4. CF Cedric Hunter (Martin Luther King HS, GA): 

Hunter plays one of the shallowest centerfields we’ve seen in a long time, and with his speed, he can get away with it.  He’s a slasher with the bat in his hands, spraying line drives all over the field with a crisp left handed stroke, but at 6-0, 170, he may have the frame to gain some strength and pop.

5. RHP Ryan Jenkins (Cy Falls HS, TX): 

The 6-4 Jenkins could become one of the hardest throwers in the country by the time he’s a senior.  He already touches 88 mph on a hard sinking 2-seam fastball. 

6. 1B Mike Meschke (Pope HS, GA): 

Meschke’s left handed swing is already showing signs of having plus power.  At 6-2, 215 already and only a sophomore, Meschke could become a fearsome hitter in the future.

7. RHP Alex Hassan (Boston College HS, MA): 

Hassan is a very projectable and athletic 6-3, 175 lb. pitcher with a very high ceiling.  He was mainly 85-86 mph in Fort Myers with a power curveball that touched 76 mph.

8. C Max Sapp (Bishop Moore HS, FL): 

Sapp is a power/power player, with a power arm that is already above big league average and some serious juice in his bat.  In fact, teams just stopped pitching to him late in the tournament.

9. 2B Mike Demperio (Kell HS, GA): 

Demperio is one of the fastest players in the country, regardless of class.  He’s 4.0 down to first base from the right side and can steal bases at will.  Demperio’s just not a speed merchant, he swings a good bat and shows the ability to become an above average defensive second baseman.

10. SS Marcus Lemon (Eustis HS, FL): 

The son of former big league CF Chet Lemon, Marcus has an extra live body and plus speed on the field.  He showed us the ability to turn on upper 80’s fastballs with wood and drive them hard.  We think Marcus will end up as an offensive force at second base in the future.

11. RHP Preston Claiborne (Newman Smith, TX): 

Claiborne is one of the most impressive competitors we’ve seen in a while.  He was 84-87 mph for 7 innings with a very clean delivery and solid secondary pitches.  Claiborne’s a good athlete and very projectable physically.

12. 3B Brandon May (Lassiter HS, GA): 

A very advanced hitter for his age, May should be able to develop both top notch power and overall hitting ability.  He’s a good athlete who can play third base or probably any other number of positions defensively.

13. RHP Danny Feldman (Gloucester Catholic, NJ): 

Feldman is extra big at 6-7, 230 with an intimidating and deceptive arms and legs delivery.  He’s made tremendous improvement during the past 5 months with his arm speed and mechanics and now pitches steadily in the 86-87 mph range with a better breaking ball.

14. RHP Ryan Wood (C.D. Hylton HS, VA): 

Wood is extra long and thin at 6-4, 170 but is athletic enough to play a solid shortstop and swing the bat well.  On the mound, Wood threw 85-87 mph and showed a crisp curveball.  There’s tons of projection here.

15. 3B Chris Duffy (Cypress Creek HS, FL): 

Duffy is a great looking athlete now at 6-2, 180 lbs.  He has impressive bat speed and really showed his athleticism defensively at third base.

16. RHP Joe Castaldi (Pine Crest School, FL): 

Castaldi already has three quality pitches in a fastball that touches 85 mph consistently, a hard breaking upper 60’s curveball and one of the better change ups you’ll see in a sophomore right hander.  His body and arm action say he’s going to keep getting better.

17. C Caleb Shofner (Waco Reicher HS, TX): 

Shofner does just about everything well behind the plate and offensively.  He also has the type of leadership and hustle that makes a catcher stand out.

18. RHP Chris Huseby (Martin County HS, GA)

Huseby is a tall (6’4/180) RHP who projects very nicely.

19. C Dustin Spruill (Baker HS, Tuscaloosa, AL)

Spruill is not the biggest of catchers, but he has one of the top bats in his class and from both sides of the plate.

20. C AJ Wirnsberger (Tuscaloosa County HS, AL)

Wirnsberger is an excellent switch hitting catcher. He can hit and catch. Projects to get better yet.

2007 Top Prospects

1. RHP-CF Michael Main (Deland HS, FL). 

Main played centerfield, has above average speed and batted in the middle of the lineup when he wasn’t throwing 89 mph off the mound.   He’s a quality athlete with a huge future.

2. SS Christian Rodriguez (Hewitt Midway HS, TX): 

This young Puerto Rican native already shows plus defensive tools in all areas!  Rodriguez can run well also and shows the ability to swing the bat for his age. 

3. RHP Gus Schlosser (Lakewood Ranch HS, FL):  

Schlosser is a 6-3, 170 lb 14 year old who already throws 83-85 mph from a long, loose high ¾’s arm stroke.

4. LHP Josh Smoker (Calhoun HS, GA): 

Smoker lost his velocity quickly but touched 86-87 mph early in his outing with a loose, easy arm action.  At 6-3, 175 lbs, he’s got tons of potential.

5. SS-C John Tolisano (Estero HS, FL): 

When Tolisano gets stronger, he’s going to be something with the bat, plus he’s a switch hitter.  His actions and tools are solid at shortstop, especially his arm and his balance but catching may end up being his best position down the road and he’s already starting to play it.