2015 WWBA Florida Qualifier Event Page


Carlos Cortes (2016, Oviedo, Fla.) All Cortes does is hit and he kept that trend going during the Florida Qualifier. The South Carolina commit has a strong, sturdy frame, especially his lower-half, where he keeps himself balanced and ready to pounce. His swing stays level and in the zone for a long time which allows him to make line drive contact more often than not. As impressive as his contact skills are, it’s his eye at the plate and advanced approach that really stood out. Rarely will he expand and help the pitcher. The kid just doesn’t have bad at-bats. f you nibble, he will take the tough pitches and work the count to his favor where he can let his hands fly and got to work with the bat.

Todd Peterson (2016, Lake Mary, Fla.) Standing 6-foot-5 and weighing 200-pounds, Peterson already has the coveted size for a workhorse starting pitcher. Using his strong legs to thrust off the mound, he came out firing his fastball in the 90-91 range and touching as high as 93. The LSU commit stays tall on the mound and uses his height well by staying on top and generating solid downhill plane. The arm speed is good and the action is clean. His front side opened early at times, but he did a good job correcting it and was able to get back to repeating the delivery and attacking hitters. Peterson displayed a hard 77 mph curveball that was his main secondary pitch while also mixing in a deep changeup in the 84-85 mph range.

Francisco Thomas (2016, Carolina, Puerto Rico) – Thomas immediately stands out on any field thanks to his physique. At 6-foot-2 and 195-pounds, Thomas looks more like a minor league player than a high school player. At the plate his stance is open and he has a swing that takes a direct route to the ball. There is no wasted movement or actions. He loads and unleashes with authority looking to drive the ball. The power potential is real. With all the physical tools he posses, it was great to see him be patient and not expand. The San Diego State commit has a keen eye and can impact the game in many different aspects.

Michael Feliz (2016, Englewood Cliffs, N.J.) – The Notre Dame commit was another physical player. His built rock solid from top to bottom and still has some projection left. He swings with bad intentions and looks to attack early in the count. Feliz gets his hands loaded quietly and on time, allowing him to square up the ball and turn on it no matter the location. He also showed a good idea of the strike zone and made pitchers come to him.

Blake Baker (2017, Clermont, Fla.) – Tall and lean with room to add some strength, Baker was solid across the board this weekend. He releases from a high three-quarters slot with good posture and balance. Baker attacked with his fastball in the 85-88 mph range that had some late movement and did a good job keeping down in the zone and out of the nitro zone of opposing hitters. The 6-foot-3 righthander flashed good potential with his curveball as well. The breaking ball came across anywhere from 73-75 mph with tight spin and good, consistent shape. Baker proved he has the ability to throw it for strikes and the willingness to throw it at any time. His sequencing and low effort delivery was fun to watch.

Trevor Holloway (2016, Venice, Fla.) – Holloway came right out and showed off a very quick and loose arm. The righthander was firing strikes with his fastball and was sitting comfortably 89-91 mph while hitting a lot of 91’s. He stayed very balanced and athletic throughout his delivery which led to him being able to repeat his delivery consistently. Holloway showed off one of the best breaking balls at the tournament. A powerful breaking ball in 77-78 range was a true weapon that he showed supreme confidence in.

Will Pillsbury (2016, Orange Park, Fla.) – Armed with one of the deepest arsenals at the tournament, the Citadel commit was very fun to watch throw. His fastball sat easily 87-89 while touching 90 a few times and the ball really jumps out of his hand. It proved to be very tough to pick up with his release point. To go along with the heater, Pillsbury showed a 62-65 mph curveball, a 83-84 mph cutter, and a 73 mph changeup that flashed to be an above-average pitch. At 6-foot-1 and 190-pounds, Pillsbury still has some projection left and should gain a few more ticks of velo moving forward. He stayed very linear and clean in his delivery and repeated very well. His arm action was short, but quick and his ability to spot his fastball arm-side was very impressive.

Jonathan Ortiz (2016, Caguas, Puerto Rico) – Ortiz had tons of movement on his mid- to upper-80s fastball. He sat 85-87 for the majority of his outing and demonstrated solid fastball command, especially to lower part of the zone. He has a simple and fluid delivery with a slight pause before his release to add some deception. Ortiz threw one of the better changeups at the tournament. Coming across at 77-79 mph, it was a powerful change and great fade action on it. Ortiz maintains his arm-speed very well which only adds to the effectiveness of the pitch. The fastball/changeup combo was very impressive and he also throws a short, tight spinning curveball around 75-76 mph.

Alejandro Toral (2017, Davie, Fla.) – The top-ranked player in 2017 class, Toral displayed some very loud tools over the weekend. The Miami Hurricane commit has a great frame and it will only get stronger which is a scary thought. The load is quick and quiet and his swing was short to ball with some natural loft to it. It won’t be long before the in-game power starts to take over. He is willing able to drive the ball to any part of the park. What’s even more impressive was his advanced approach and natural feel for hitting. Those characteristics aren’t always evident when scouting young power bats. Toral displayed a very keen eye at the plate, almost too selective at times, but I have no doubt he will learn to unleash his swing more regularly.

Michael Amditis (2016, Boca Raton, Fla.) – There are so many things to like about this kid, but his ability to square the ball up in-game was the most impressive. With excellent plate coverage and a quick, compact swing, Amditis was spraying line drives all weekend long and has no fear of driving the ball to the opposite field. The Miami commit controls the barrel with ease with his strong wrists and forearms. Amditis is a field general behind the plate and great leader on the field.

Riley Hogan (2016, Orlando, Fla.) – Hogan keeps things simple and puts a smooth, effortless swing on the ball from the left side. Always relaxed and balanced before unleashing his level swing with the ability to use the entire field. He has quick hands and solid bat speed. Hogan barreled the ball up throughout the entire event. He also showed some solid awareness on the bases by taking the extra base when the opportunity presented itself.

Drew Parrish (2016, Rockledge, Fla.) – Parrish’s fastball sat in the 83-86 range while touching 87 with premium command of it. He has a sharp, tight spinning curveball in the 69-70 mph range that can be a true out pitch. Parrish has a changeup that flashed to be a potential average offering as well.

Deaundre “D.J.” Roberts (2016, Jacksonville, Fla.) – Quick arm and comes from a high three-quarters slot Roberts ran his fastball in the 86-90 range in wet conditions. The fastball has some late movement especailly up in the zone. His traditional 12-to-6 curveball sat 73-74. Robertson also snuck in a couple of sliders at 76 mph and a few 77-78 mph changeups thats showed real has potential with very late fade on it.

Colton Welker (2016, Coral Springs, Fla.) – Strong kid with a quick bat and aggressive approach. He showed the ability to go inside-out with authority. He gets good leverage at the point of contact and will develop into a power threat. Did a good job recognizing and squaring up off-speed offerings.

Nikolas Dague (2016, Sickles, Fla.) – Has a good feel for contact with a smooth, level stroke. He is not an easy out. On the bases Dauge is an above-average runner with excellent instintcs and baseball IQ.

Paul Benitez (2016, Orlando, Fla.) – Long, lean, and very projectable. He showed a great idea of the strike zone and put some aggressive swings on the ball. He showed soft hands in the field with an accurate arm.

Colton Gordon-Zimring (2017, St. Pete Beach, Fla.) – Ideal size for a starter to go along with a solid three pitch mix. He has a quirky delivery that proved to be very deceptive and effective. Did a good job repeating and hiding the ball.

Anthony Servideo (2017, Jupiter, Fla.) – Loose and athletic player with a projectable body. Likes to work back up the middle with his swing. Stays inside the ball well and uses his hands very well to make consistent contact. He showed good speed on the bases and a reliable glove in the field.

Anthony Mulrine (2016, Davie, Fla.) – Displayed very quick feet behind the plate to go along with a quick release. Has a strong and accurate arm that can shut-down the run game of his opponents.

Robert Bell (2017, Ormond Beach, Fla.) – Playing for Nation Elite, Bell proved to be a threat at the plate during every AB. The switch hitting Bethune-Cookman commit came up a single short of the cycle. He displayed premium bat to ball skills with good plate coverage. It was no small task going deep in-game during this event with the wind that was swirling around.

Romain Reynolds (2017, Port Charlotte, Fla.) – Very mature frame for a 2017 kid and is very athletic. He covers a good amount of ground in the outfield. Reynolds proved to have the ability to square up the ball regularly and should develop some nice in-game power soon.

Santino Miozzi (2016, Orlando, Fla.) – A well-rounded defender behind the plate, with efficient footwork and a very strong arm that gets great carry to the bag. His arm is one of the most accurate at this event.

Tyler Shuck (2017, Cape Coral, Fla.) – Playing close to home, the switch hitting Shuck put on an impressive display at the plate. He has a quick trigger with a strong upper body. He showed the ability to stay inside and drive the ball with his plus bat speed. The Florida Gulf Coast commit keeps his swing in the zone for a long time and creates a good amount of leverage at contact.

Garret Rukes (2016, Coconut Creek, Fla.) – While he doesn't possess premium velocity, Rukes has plenty of other ways to create outs. The 6-foot-4 lefty comes at you from a low-to-mid three-quarters slot and his fastball has a ton of late run. He uses it almost like a cutter and rarely does he leave it over the plate. Rukes has a pretty nasty curveball in his bag as well. He knows how to add and subtract with it and throw it for strikes. It has the potential to be a future plus pitch. The adding and subtracting with his breaking ball allows his 81-83 mph fastball to play up. He's very crafty and has a great demeanor on the mound.