By Nathan Rode
National Supervisor

While much of the country tries to dig out from a harsh winter, Florida is already a couple weeks into the high school regular season and is, as always, deep in talent. Florida’s junior class is loaded with talent on the mound and that’s reflected in the initial Class of 2016 Rankings, as pitchers take up seven of the top 10 spots.

Coming in at No. 1 is Austin Bergner (Windermere Prep, FL). Bergner has tremendous upside on the mound with athleticism, a good frame at 6-foot-4, 190 pounds and a fastball that sits in the low 90s, touching 95-96 mph. Bergner is also a strong position player and everything he does in the field looks easy. Still uncommitted, Bergner played for Team USA’s 18U National squad last summer as an underclassman in the Pan Am Championships. He pitched five innings across five appearances, allowing just one hit while recording two saves and striking out seven.

Close in Bergner’s rearview mirror is LHP Jason Groome (IMG Academy, FL), a 6-foot-5, 210-pound Vanderbilt recruit. Groome is from New Jersey, but moved to IMG Academy for this season. He has a tall, lean and athletic frame with long, loose arms. His delivery is fluid and he sits 90-94 mph with his fastball. His curveball has 12/6 shape with good depth and ranges from 72-76.

The top position player in Florida’s 2016 class is C Herbert Iser (Killian HS, FL). He has premium power from the left side of the plate and a plus arm. He is committed to Miami. Another position player in the top 10 has a familiar last name. SS Bo Bichette (Lakewood HS, FL) is the son of former major league slugger Dante Bichette and younger brother to current Yankees farmhand Dante Bichette Jr. The youngest Bichette has a power bat of his own and consistently squares the ball up for hard contact.

Also in the top 10 are RHPs Todd Peterson (Lake Mary HS, FL), Anthony Molina (West Broward HS, FL) and Greg Veliz (Key West HS, FL), LHP Cole Ragans (North Florida Christian HS, FL), and 2B/OF Carlos Cortes (Oviedo HS, FL).

A look at the Top 10:

Rank	Name	State	School	Class	Pos	Commitment
1	Austin Bergner	FL	Windermere Prep	2016	RHP
2	Jason Groome	FL	IMG Academy	2016	LHP	Vanderbilt
3	Herbert Iser	FL	Killian	2016	C	Miami
4	Cole Ragans	FL	North Florida Christian	2016	LHP	Florida State
5	Bo Bichette	FL	Lakewood	2016	3B	Arizona State
6	Todd Peterson	FL	Lake Mary	2016	RHP	LSU
7	Anthony Molina	FL	West Broward	2016	RHP	Miami
8	Gregory Veliz	FL	Key West	2016	RHP	Miami
9	Carlos Cortes	FL	Oviedo	2016	2B/MIF	South Carolina
10	Andrew Baker	FL	Ridge Community	2016	LHP	Florida

Complete Top 50 Florida 2016 Rankings