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Tournaments  | Story  | 12/6/2022

Regional Superlatives: Florida

Jered Goodwin      Kyler Peterson      Tyler Kotila     
Photo: Lorenzo Laurel (Perfect Game)
Most Likely to Make a Huge Jump in the Rankings in 2023:





Nicholas Rodriguez, C, Miami, Fla.
 The University of South Florida commit consistently shows some of the most smooth and effortless catch-and-throw skills in the country. The hips are very loose and he has strong wrists that help him handle velocity easy. Rodriguez also has a loose swing with lots of whip and he showed plenty of power down the stretch during the 2022 showcase circuit. Adding more to it, he swings from the left side of the dish. It’s a really strong profile.

-Jered Goodwin

Anthony Quigley, 3B, Sunrise, Fla.
 Quigley, one of the top uncommitted bats in the state, has shown flashes of big power upside, and I expect that to blossom in the upcoming year. The 6-foot-3, 185-pound third baseman is an athletic swinger, staying short with a clean path conducive to power, especially as the frame continues to fill out. Quigley is also a solid athlete with plenty of arm strength to offer defensive value on the left side of the infield.

-Kyler Peterson



Madrid Tucker, MIF, Lehigh Acres, Fla.
Tucker has the chance to make a big jump in his rankings in 2023. Tucker is currently listed at No. 104 nationally amongst the class of 2025 and is No. 17 in the state of Florida with that group. After a strong performance in 2022, he was able to make some jumps in the rankings already. The 5-foot-10 middle infielder is very toolsy with his defense. He’s got a ton of speed and agility that helps him make the plays as necessary in the field. Perhaps the most exciting piece of the puzzle with Tucker is the hit tool paired with his speed. He had several well-hit balls that he was able to stretch into extra bases. He takes a good path around the bases and is able to stretch singles into doubles and doubles into triples. In 2022, Tucker hit for a .485 average over 109 plate appearances. If he is able to continue to define the hit tool and grind out extra-base hits, he’s going to keep climbing the rankings. The switch-hitter had an exceptional season in 2022 and could make an even higher jump in the rankings next year.

-Tyler Kotila

Most Likely to Hit .500 at PG Events in 2023:

Gian De Castro, 3B, Weston, Fla.
 De Castro had a huge year on his way to hitting over .400 and didn’t shy away from competition. He always had excellent feel for the barrel and now he is really growing into his 6-foot-4 frame, which has given him a noticeable uptick in bat speed coming from his left-handed swing. That work he has put in off the field showed up in a big way from start to finish in 2022. He controls the zone and the power is coming, all the checked boxes for another jump in 2023. De Castro is somehow still uncommitted.

-Jered Goodwin

Christopher Rembert, SS, Pensacola, Fla.
 Rembert has loud tools across the board and is equally impressive performance-wise in game. A fantastic athlete, the Pensacola Catholic shortstop has good actions that project well. The twitchy part to his game correlates at the plate as well, as he possesses quick wrists with strength. A career .430 hitter in PG events, Rembert has always had standout barrel skills, and the extra-base hit power has continued to turn into home run power. He has produced big offensive numbers event after event and that trend looks likely to continue.

-Kyler Peterson



Lorenzo Laurel, OF, Coral Springs, Fla.
Laurel wound up at the 2022 14u National Select Festival in Fort Myers, Florida this summer for his spectacular performance, as he continues to fill out the frame. Laurel stands 6-foot, 177 pounds, with some room to fill out the frame a bit more. The right-handed hitter consistently finds the barrel and ends up on base. As a part of the class of 2026, there is a lot of room to keep getting better, but Laurel has already taken plenty of advanced at-bats. In 2022, Laurel played in 65 games, logging 198 plate appearances. He ended up hitting .387 with a .515 on-base percentage. Laurel had 33 singles, 20 doubles, two triples, and three home runs. He has an impressive feel for the barrel, and if he continues to hit this well in 2023, he’s got a shot to hit over .500 on the circuit.

-Tyler Kotila

Most Likely to Make a Velo Jump into the Mid-90s in 2023:
Schuyler Sandford, RHP, St. Augustine, Fla.
 A Bartram Trail product, Sandford has already been up to 93 and has made significant physical strides, now 6-foot-7, 215 pounds. Given the frame and big arm speed, the velocity still projects in a big way. The Florida commit garners big strikeout numbers, collecting 37 punchouts over 18 innings in PG events this year. I expect these numbers to continue to improve as his ability to spin his breaking ball has proven to get better each time out. I anticipate 2023 to be a big developmental year for Sandford, and one that he could separate himself as the premier power arm in the class.

-Kyler Peterson

Joshua Whritenour, RHP, Hudson, Fla.
The right-handed pitcher who is committed to the University of Florida could have been the candidate as a rankings riser as well. The 6-foot-2, 180-pound frame has tons of room to fill out and given the overall athleticism, short and quick shoulder, and clean release, all make him seem destined for a big jump. When it comes to predicting this, I always tend to lean on the athlete to do it, and Whritenour has shown the ability to hit and move around like a true position player.

-Jered Goodwin

Lazaro Collera, RHP, Miami, Fla.
Collera has the desirable build that will continue to garner attention from the pro scouting community as he progresses. He stands 6-foot-6 and weighs in at 210 pounds. The right-handed pitcher is committed to the University of Miami and had a strong 2022 campaign on the circuit. He is certainly a candidate to creep up into the mid-90s and continue to see his fastball velocity improve. He’s already been up to 93 mph this fall and could keep creeping up. Collera uses the length in his build and controls his lower half to produce a controlled and repeatable delivery. Collera’s fastball has life to it, and he throws from a higher slot, creating some downhill plane that is deceptive at times. Collera shows a curveball and changeup in the repertoire to attack hitters, too. In 2022, Collera produced a 1.40 ERA over 35 2/3 innings pitched. He punched out 33 opposing hitters and managed a 0.87 WHIP. Plenty to like with Collera, and he might just have some more in the tank to help him get up into the mid-90s in 2023.

-Tyler Kotila

Most Likely to Back Up a Breakout in 2022:


Kolt Myers, 3B, St. Augustine, Fla.
 Myers recently committed to the University of Florida after producing another spike in production for the third straight year. There is real bat speed in the right-handed bat and the Jacksonville native does not lack confidence in the batter's box. At one point, you could argue that Myers was destined to be a pitcher, where he has huge potential. The continued strides he is making on both sides of the ball as a position player now seem to have him destined to become a middle-of-the-lineup bat with strong defense on the left side of the infield.

-Jered Goodwin

Aidan King, RHP, Jacksonville, Fla.
 Beginning 2022 as an athletic and projectable right-hander that worked more in the 80-84 range, King’s projection came to fruition as he ended the year up to 90 with his heater in Jupiter. The righty is a strike thrower and also gets a good amount of swing-and-miss. King works the corners with heavy run to his fastball and complements it with good feel to spin his breaking ball. He was a reliable arm all summer, ending with a 0.40 ERA in 2022. The Florida commit has the pitchability and ingredients that paint a picture of projection.

-Kyler Peterson



Andreas Alvarez, RHP, Largo, Fla.
Alvarez had a major bump in his velocity in the summer of 2022. The right-handed pitcher is still filling out his frame but has a chance to pair his jump in velocity with a real impressive performance on the bump in 2023. Alvarez continues to work into the low-90s, getting up to 93 mph this fall in PG events. The fastball has arm-side life to it, and he continues to find better ways to attack hitters and command the zone. He pairs the fastball with a slider in the upper-70s with good bite to it. He’s continuing to refine his feel to spin the slider. Alvarez has a smooth delivery that helps him continue to develop his presence on the mound. His velocity jump in 2022 helped him garner a commitment to the University of South Florida as well. Expect Alvarez to come out and impress in 2023 on the circuit.

-Tyler Kotila
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