OVERVIEW:
There will be no shortage of Florida players drafted in the first round this
year, with as many as seven players capable of hearing their name called in the
first 30 picks, with a couple more looking at potential comp-round selections.
The biggest story in the state
this spring has been Florida State catcher Buster Posey, who is on the short
list to be selected by the Tampa Bay Rays with the first pick overall and thus
become the first Floridian to be the top pick since Miami’s Pat Burrell in
1998. Posey’s development from a high school pitcher to freshman shortstop to
the top catching prospect in the country has been a unique progression but it’s
been the Georgia native’s development with the bat, as much this spring as his
continued improvement behind the plate, that has fueled the No. 1 overall pick
speculation.
The University of Miami will fill
out a healthy portion of the top of the draft all by itself, as befits the No.
1-ranked college team in the country. First baseman Yonder Alonso and second
baseman Jemile Weeks have formed the best right-side infield combo in the
country and should both go in the first round. The two big surprises for the
Hurricanes have been center fielder Blake Tekotte and righthanded closer Carlos
Gutierrez, both of whom could go as early as the second round.
No one was sure what would be the
fate of junior college baseball after the draft rules were changed last year to
eliminate the draft-and-follow process, but the answer has been very clear in
Florida. There has never been more talent in the state’s junior college ranks,
in terms of both depth and quality, high-velocity pitching. PG Crosschecker has
14 Florida junior college players slotted to be picked in the first 10 rounds
of the draft, with many others potentially on the cusp. Indian River
righthander Brett Moorhouse is the clear No. 1 JC prospect in the state,
despite being a relative unknown at the beginning of the spring.
The theme in the Florida high
school ranks this spring focused on the lack of signable talent in the class
overall, especially in the middle part of the state where only Sarasota High
shortstop/righthander Casey Kelly really stood out and elevated his draft
stock. One veteran area scout made the comment at the beginning of May, that
“It’s not that the top high school players have played badly, they just haven’t
improved as much as you’d have hoped. We have a lot of fifth- to seventh-round
types and you just can’t sign many Florida high school players in that area.”
National attention has been
focused on the powerhouse American Heritage High team all spring, led by first
baseman/lefthander Eric Hosmer. That talent laden squad, which could yield as
many as six or seven draft picks (the draft record for most players from one
high school is six), hasn’t disappointed as it started the year No. 1 and held
that ranking in mid-May. Hosmer has firmly solidified his standing at the top
of the draft with his huge power and has even given scouts a bit extra to think
about, touching 98 mph off the mound as well.
STRENGTH:
First-round level talent, junior-college depth.
WEAKNESS:
Depth of signable high school talent.
OVERALL RATING
(1-to-5 scale): 4.
Best Out-of-State Prospect, Florida
Connection: David
Adams, 2b, U. of Virginia (Attended high school in Margate).
Top 2009 Prospect:
Mychal Givens, ss-rhp, H.B.
Plant HS, Tampa.Top
2010 Prospect:
A.J. Cole, rhp, Oviedo HS.
Highest Pick, Draft History:
Chipper Jones, ss, The Bolles
School, Jacksonville (1990, Braves/1st round, 1st pick);
Alex Rodriguez, ss, Westminster Christian HS, Miami (1993, Mariners/1st
round, 1st pick); Paul Wilson, rhp, Florida State U. (1994, Mets/1st
round, 1st pick); Pat Burrell, 1b, U. of Miami (Phillies, 1998/1st
round, 1st pick).
Highest Pick, 2006 Draft:
Chris Marrero, 3b, Monsignor
Pace HS, Hialeah (Nationals/1st round, 15th pick).
Highest Pick, 2007 Draft:
Matt LaPorta, 1b, U. of
Florida (Brewers/1st round, 7th pick).
Best
College Team: Miami.
Best
Junior College Team:
Chipola.
Best
High School Team:
American Heritage, Plantation.
TOP PROSPECTS /
By David Rawnsley
GROUPS (College, Junior
College, High School)
1 Premium-round draft (Rounds 1-3)
2
High-round draft (Rounds 4-10)
3
Mid-round draft (Rounds 11-25)