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College  | Recruiting  | 11/10/2021

Head of the Class: No. 9 Florida State

Jheremy Brown     
Photo: Jordan Taylor (Perfect Game)
Recruiting Rankings | 2022 High School Player Rankings | Recruiting Database

9. Florida State



Full 2022-2023 Recruiting Class
Head Coach: Mike Martin Jr. | Recruiting Coordinator: Mike Metcalf

Top 5 Recruits:

Rk. Name POS. HT WT B-T High School Hometown ST
49  Jordan Taylor OF 6-2 192 R-R St. John's Country Day Jacksonville  FL
68 Nicolas Perez SS 6-0 175 R-R BYOU Academy Isabela PR
134 Cameron Smith SS 6-3 205 R-R Palm Beach Central Lake Worth FL
160 Ben Barrett RHP  6-4 210 R-R The First Academy Orlando FL
196 Davion Hickson RHP 6-4 200 R-R IMG Academy Bradenton FL

*Rk. Denotes National Rank in PG HS Class of 2022

Mike Martin Jr. took over the helms of FSU for his legendary father and college baseball great Mike Martin and enters season three with his staff of recruiting coordinator Mike Metcalf and pitching coach Jimmy Belanger and together they’ve hit the recruiting trail hard, showing a slight shift in the way they go about business in Tallahassee. It’s a relatively big class overall, composed of 18 players who are set to sign their NLI and all but four hail from the Sunshine State. With a class of this size there’s obvious depth throughout and on both sides of the ball with 8 primary arms (5 right-handers and 3 lefties) and 13 players ranked with Perfect Game’s top-500, 6 of whom are in the top 250.

Leading the way is outfielder Jordan Taylor, who’s perhaps one of the better athletes in the entire nation with a combination of physical strength and fast-twitch muscle you don’t always find at the prep level. Listed at 6-foot-2, 192 pounds, Taylor has the skill set and track record of performance to make an immediate impact upon arriving on campus, whether it’s his 6.21 speed, plus arm strength in the outfield (also up to 91 mph on the mound) or his right-handed swing which features which features another plus in the bat speed category with intriguing carry and bat-to-ball skills. 

Taylor may sit atop the class rankings, but a pair of shortstops are right on his heels in Nicolas Perez and Cameron Smith, both of whom raised plenty of eyebrows with their play on either side of the ball this summer and fall. Perez, a 14u Select Festival alum, has certainly transformed his frame since those days as the physicality jumps off of the page now and it’s playing consistently and at a very high level from the right side of the plate, showing standout bat speed and strength at impact which when combined with his standout defensive prowess, will make him an alluring prospect come the 2022 MLB Draft. The staff had shortstop Edwin Arroyo of Puerto Rico signed in last year’s class prior to his second round selection by the Seattle Mariners and they hope their fortunes are better this time around with Perez. 

While Perez has been on the national circuit for some time now, Cameron Smith began making noise this past spring before his prospect status completely erupted at the 17u WWBA, elevating his stock as much as any player in the tournament. On the week he hit .522 with four home runs, 14 RBI and six stolen bags while showing standout athleticism on the left side with ample range, which even should he move to third base, he’ll be an asset and make for a lock-down left side with Perez.

As you go down the list of commitments the depth only grows in terms of offensive components whether it’s catchers Santiago Ordonez and Gunnett Carlson, outfielders Deamez Filipe' Ross, Jason Avila and Mason McDougall or infielder Derek Bermudez and Titan Kamaka, all will bring something to the Noles and make a difference over the next few years. 

It’s been all about the bats up until this point, though the arms that have been assembled are just as impressive, and given the development we’ve seen in some of the guys already on campus, watch for this group to follow their lead and develop into premium arms in the ACC. A pair of right-handers crack the top-200 in Ben Barrett and Davion Hickson, with Barrett leading the way, and though he’s capable of running his fastball up to 92 mph, he’s a quality athlete as well, running a 6.72 at the National Showcase while showing legitimate tools at the plate with both a feel for the barrel and very real juice to all fields. 

To put it simply, the upside with Hickson is exciting. The combination of physical projection and standout arm speed, while factoring in the strides he has already made, lead to the potential of a high-end arm down the road with swing-and-miss stuff across the board. Hickson’s fastball has already bumped 94 mph with the aforementioned arm speed and he pairs both of his secondaries well off of it, showing a true three-pitch mix around the zone. 

Just like the offense, the depth continues to shine as left-handers Jamie Arnold, Brett Barfield and Nick Biasi alongside righties Ryan Denison, Drake Flowers and Jaden Stockton have all delivered big performances at some point throughout their Perfect Game careers. 

The Noles have plenty of pieces already on campus to continue to make their presence felt in the ACC and as they keep reloading with talent like they have in the 2022 class, Mike Martin Jr. and Co. will continue to make noise. 
 
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