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High School  | General | 2/10/2015

Regional HS Preview: Florida

Jheremy Brown
Photo: Perfect Game

2015 Perfect Game High School Baseball Preview Index

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The state of Florida looks especially strong this year and moving forward. Whether you’re a pro scout or a college recruiter, odds are you can fill your prospect “shopping cart” with whatever you’re looking for. The high level of talent is evidenced by the 12 members that played for the East Squad in last summer's Perfect Game All-American Classic that hail from the Sunshine State, and the waves of future talent look just as bright.

When it comes to talent look no further than shortstop Brendan Rodgers, the No. 1 ranked player in the class of 2015 who offers an abundance of tools and has placed himself in the conversation as the top draft prospect in the country, high school or college. Rodgers may be a rare talent that shows solid tools across the board, but he's not alone, as one can find big-time tools in every corner of the state.

Looking for a consistent in-game hitter with exceptional barrel feel against high level pitching? Look no further than Hagerty’s Ryan Mountcastle. How about a 6-foot-4 ultra-projectable righthander with a full arsenal and plus extension to go along with a low-90s fastball at present? Triston McKenzie is your guy. If power is what you like than take your pick amongst Rodgers, Daniel Reyes, Kyle Tucker, Christopher Chatfield or junior Herbert Iser, just to name a few.

Florida has power arms too with Austin Smith out of Park Vista High School and Austin Berger, a junior who shows stuff to challenge any pitcher in the country, regardless of age. Lefthanded pitching is equally as strong led by seniors Juan Hillman and Thomas Szapucki along with top 10 2016’s Jason Groome and Cole Ragans.

To keep a long story short, Florida is once again loaded with talent that will ultimately lead to heavily scouted games by both scouts and college coaches alike.


Florida High School Dream Team


C - Herbert Iser, Jr., Killian
Like most elite underclassmen, if you’re watching Iser either behind the plate or taking a round of BP you’re more than likely going to assume that he’s a senior. The physically built, 6-foot-3 Iser shows some of the best power in the 2016 class with big lift and excellent bat speed from the left side. The bat has long been the calling card with the Miami commit, but his receiving skills have quickly caught up, making him a well rounded, elite-level player. Iser moves very well behind the plate with light actions on his feet and soft hands receiving. Combine his athleticism, footwork, and quick exchange with a plus-plus arm from behind the plate (86 mph on his top throw) and Iser shows all the ingredients you’d hope to find in a young prospect.

1B - Desmond Lindsay, Sr., Out-of-Door Academy
When thinking of a typical first baseman, a strong, power-hitting slugger comes to mind, and the player will usually stay at the position throughout their career. Desmond Lindsay isn’t your typical first baseman though as he is highly athletic and is an above average runner with a strong arm, which leads to him spending time in the outfield during the summer travel circuit. The University of North Carolina commit does show the power and fast bat often associated with the position, using a low effort righthanded swing to drive the ball to all parts of the field. The swing is easy and repeatable, helping him perform at a high level throughout all the major summer events.

MIF - Brendan Rodgers, Sr., Lake Mary
The talents of Brendan Rodgers have been well documented and he did nothing but solidify his spot atop the Perfect Game 2015 high school player rankings last summer. Showing above average tools across the board, there is little reason to suspect a move off of shortstop coming for Rodgers in the near future. The Florida State University commit shows high levels of athleticism with mature footwork to and through the ball, finishing plays with plus arm strength across the diamond (Rodgers’ defensive prowess is examined in further detail below). His righthanded bat is equally as loud, showing easy plus bat speed and strength, tools that have only amplified as he has continued to develop physically.

MIF - Ryan Mountcastle, Sr., Hagerty
Some players show off their measurable tools loudly in showcase settings, others like Ryan Mountcastle show big tools during drills only to see their tools enhanced in game settings. Such is true with Mountcastle’s hit tool as he possesses a high hitter’s IQ in the box, showing the ability to adjust in the middle of an at-bat, and he also recognizes off-speed well out of the pitcher’s hand. The University of Central Florida commit has continued to grow into his power and projects for even more as he fills out his 6-foot-4 frame. He stays in control of his long limbs well while playing up the middle and shows balanced actions while charging in on slow rollers with plenty of arm strength and carry across thanks to a loose, whippy arm action.

3B - Julian Infante, Sr., Westminster Prep
Julian Infante possesses a prototypical build to man the hot corner, standing 6-foot-3, 205-pounds with loose defensive actions and a power righthanded bat. Defensively, the Vanderbilt University shows nice lateral range and sound footwork, allowing him to work through the ball well and generate plenty of zip and carry on his throws across. Like fellow summer teammate Daniel Reyes (as listed below), Infante swung the bat well throughout the summer circuit and earned a spot on the 17u WWBA National Championship All-Tournament team. In the batter's box Infante shows solid hand-eye coordination and a short, quick bat path to the ball with plenty of strength and carry when squared off the barrel.

OF - Daniel Reyes, Sr., Mater Academy Christian
Daniel Reyes has been a well known name in the 2015 class for quite some time, due in large part to the juice packed into his righthanded swing, even at a young age. Reyes grabbed the attention of everybody at day two of the PG National Showcase, taking perhaps the loudest batting practice session of the event with the ball exploding off the barrel of the bat. As it turns out, squaring up the ball for hard contact would be a recurring theme for the strongly built 6-foot-2, 200-pound future Florida Gator. No matter the stage Reyes has always hit, each time showing off his loose, fluid swing with easy power and loft to his pull side while exemplifying a strong feel for the head of the barrel. He moves well in the outfield for the physicality of his build and shows arm strength that will play well at a corner outfield position.

OF - Kyle Tucker, Sr., Plant
Even in the early stages of his travel ball career Kyle Tucker was identified as a pure hitter with an exceptional feel for the barrel of the bat. Since his first Perfect Game tournament, Tucker has grown three inches, now standing 6-foot-4, and has plenty of room to gain additional strength, although he already shows the ability to turn on a pitch and lose it over the right field wall. The University of Florida commit shows fast and loose hands coming through the zone, and despite the projectability with his frame, Tucker already shoots hard line drives all over the yard, evidenced by booming double in the Perfect Game All-American Classic that registered 104.8 mph off the bat to deep center field. Posting a 6.77 60-yard dash time at the National Showcase, Tucker’s athleticism is clear as he moves to the ball with fluid strides and shows a whippy arm action with nice carry on throws.

OF - Christopher Chatfield, Sr., Spoto
At the end of Christopher Chatfield’s report from the 2013 Junior National Showcase it read “Follow very closely for strength gains and offensive development.” The increase in strength has come for the University of Southern Florida commit, and with those physical strides, so has the offensive side of his game. Now standing 6-foot-3, 190-pounds, Chatfield shows big and easy bat speed with extension and lift from the left side with present power to his pull side that projects for even more. His defensive tools profile well in center field as he takes long and easy strides to the ball, allowing him to cover vast amounts of ground while showing a loose arm action with accuracy on throws.

UT - Jonathan India, Sr., American Heritage
More often than not the utility spot in the regional previews is reserved for players who show two-way abilities, helping their team both on the mound and with the bat. India’s versatility and athleticism provide enough reasons for him to claim this spot. A consistent performer, the University of Florida commit shows soft hands and athletic actions, complemented by an above average arm across the diamond. The tools are just as solid in the batter's box as India shows a fluid stroke with natural leverage and fast hands, resulting in hard contact with the ability to drive the ball to all fields.

P - Juan Hillman, Sr., Olympia
Looking through Juan Hillman’s Perfect Game resume of events, one can follow the upward trend with his velocity, a climb that most scouts have seen coming as Hillman continues to physically mature. Though he peaks at 92 mph now and projects for more, velocity is only a part of what defines Hillman on the mound. The one thing the University of Central Florida commit has always shown is advanced pitchability, a calling card that he put on display in one of his best PG performances, which happened to also be on the biggest stage, the WWBA World Championship last October. Not only does he pound the strike zone, Hillman does it with advanced command of a fastball/curveball combo, evidenced by the 18 of 23 pitches thrown for strikes in his first Jupiter start. Creating nice angle on his fastball with a loose and tension free arm action, Hillman also shows a deep curveball to both sides and an equally impressive feel for a late fading mid-70s changeup.

P - Triston McKenzie, Sr., Royal Palm Beach
Triston McKenzie is the type of pitcher who can grab your attention before even delivering a pitch and he did just that at the Perfect Game National Showcase last summer. Standing at 6-foot-5, 160-pounds, McKenzie may be the ideal image of a projection pitcher, and he already shows big-time stuff. With such long levers, it speaks to McKenzie’s athleticism with how balanced he remains throughout his delivery and the consistency of which he repeats it. With a fastball that currently peaks at 92 mph with late run to arm side, the future Vanderbilt Commodore sees his heater play up against opponents thanks to his plus extension out front, practically handing the ball to the catcher. The frame and looseness of his arm action suggests more velocity is on its way, though McKenzie continuously shows he can beat opponents without lighting up the radar gun, displaying both maturity and pitchability on the mound while mixing in two off-speed pitches, both of which show above average life.

P - Austin Smith, Sr., Park Vista Community
Austin Smith remained pretty consistent throughout the summer, regularly topping out at 92-93 mph with his fastball and peaked at 94 mph during the 17u WWBA National Championship. With a physically built 6-foot-4, 215-pound frame, the Florida Atlantic commit saw his fastball take another step forward in August, bumping 96 mph at the Perfect Game All-American Classic, still showing the same live arm action he had all summer. Smith has also shown the ability to pound the lower quadrants of the strike zone with his late moving fastball, a pitch that he is able to work to either side of the plate with intent. When all three pitches are working Smith is a hard pitcher to put the ball in play against, let alone square up, as he shows the makings of a power breaking ball in the low-80s and a late fading mid-80s changeup.

P - Cole Sands, Sr., North Florida Christian
With older brother Carson joining Cole and then sophomore Cole Ragans in the rotation last year, North Florida Christian went on a run to capture the 3A FHSAA State Championship. Now a senior, the younger Sands is primed for a big year, especially if he repeats what he did on the summer circuit. A strongly built 6-foot-3, 200-pound righthander, Sands is a competitor on the mound and comes at hitters with a full array of pitches. Throwing a heavy fastball that comfortably works in the low-90s and peaking at 95 mph last summer at the 17u WWBA National Championship, Sands is able to generate late life to his arm side and downhill plane on the pitch. He’s more than a fastball pitcher though as he shows both a curveball and a hard, power slider up to 84 mph as well as a changeup that mimics his fastball out of hand with late life, giving him a full arsenal on the mound.

P - Austin Bergner, Jr., Windermere Prep
It’s rare for an underclassman to make the Dream Team in our regional previews, especially in a talent-laden state such as Florida, but Austin Bergner isn’t your typical underclass arm. Standing 6-foot-5, Bergner shows a smooth, repeatable delivery with advanced command of his fastball that has peaked as high as 95 mph at Perfect Game events, comfortably sitting in the low-90s throughout an outing. If the velocity and command aren’t enough to grab your attention, add to the equation Bergner’s two plus off-speed pitches; a sharp, hard-breaking curveball with late depth and a late fading mid-80s changeup, both of which he shows the comfort to throw in any count.



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