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Inside The Rankings: 2017 Newcomers

November 23, 2015

By Justin Burgess
Florida Area Scout

Last week we released the list of the top 100 players in the 2017 class in Florida and on Friday we highlighted the players who made a big jump in the rankings after having an impressive fall season. Four new players jumped into the top ten and much of the landscape was reconfigured by players who continue to improve and play at a high level when it counts.

Today we will be focusing on players who are completely new to the rankings and how they will likely impact this class moving forward. Two of these players have recently moved from out of state and one of them just popped up on the radar after not being involved in showcases or travel ball.

Jake Eder, LHP, Atlantic HS
The 6-foot-4, 210-pound lefty is a young man who was recently discovered at a big showcase in Jupiter last month. This may have been the perfect event for him attend because of the hundreds of college coaches and scouts who showed up. Eder displayed an arsenal that included a 90-93 mph fastball and an advanced 70-74 mph curveball that had everyone buzzing. His frame, mechanics, mound presence and velocity put him into the argument of being the best 2017 player in Florida. He is now the third-ranked player in the state behind the slick-fielding and projectable shortstop Mark Vientos and power-hitting first baseman Alejandro Toral. Hopefully what Eder revealed last month was just a glimpse of what he will show this upcoming spring.

Matthew Golda, SS, Inspiration Academy
Golda moved from Massachusetts down to Inspiration Academy in Bradenton and has made this class, that was already loaded with shortstops, even deeper. Golda possesses soft, quick hands in the field with plus footwork, great range and plenty of arm to stay at shortstop. At the plate he has good hand-eye coordination with a smooth, short and quick stroke. He hits hard line drives to all fields and the ball really jumps off his bat. Golda is the 16th ranked player in Florida and will get a chance to show off his skills this spring and see how he compares to the three shortstops who are ranked ahead of him.

Brandon Dorsey, 3B, IMG Academy
The North Carolina commit stands at 6-foot-1, 205 pounds with a thick, strong and stalky body. He just moved down from Maryland to take advantage of being a part of a strong IMG program. Dorsey shows the hands and arm strength to stay at third base and is a middle of the lineup-type hitter as he already shows gap to gap and pull side power. In Florida, he is ranked 54th and is the fifth-ranked third baseman.