Prep Baseball Report

Preseason Top 25: No. 1 Archbishop McCarthy



By Justin Burgess
Florida Area Scout

Over the last month we have counted down what appears to be 24 of the top 25 teams in the state of Florida. Factors that were taken into account are returning key players, 2015 success, and schedule/classification difficulty in 2016. Some of the teams that have been ranked so far are historical programs with multiple state championships under their belt, while a few of the other teams have had more recent success and are looking to gain more respect.  The top-ranked team is one who falls under both of those categories as they are nationally recognized and boast some major league alumni, while they have also won five state championships in the last six years.

Archbishop McCarthy has seven college commits with a good mix of offense, pitching, and defense. They are the clear favorite to take home the 6A state championship and continue to build on their dynasty. From the mound, the Mavericks will be led by 3B/RHP Joseph Perez who sits 89-92 and touches 93-94 mph with his fastball and shows above average off speed. The South Florida commit is also one of the top position players in the 2017 class as he shows soft hands and a plus arm across the diamond from third and the ability to drive the ball out of the park at any given time. The number two starter for Archbishop McCarthy will be 2017 RHP Daniel Federman. Federman, a Miami commit, has an athletic and wiry frame at 6-foot, 170 pounds and sits 86-90 mph with a quick arm. He also throws three pitches for strikes including a 74-76 mph curveball.

From the offensive side, the Mavericks will have one of the deepest lineups in the state that will be led by 2017 1B Alejandro Toral. Toral, another Miami commit, is not only the top 2017 prospect in Florida, but he is the top overall prospect as well. He possesses a smooth and natural lefty stroke with plus power and has proven to be able to drive the ball out of the park against some of the top arms in the country. Another asset for this Maverick lineup will be 2016 OF Alex Carballo. The Broward College commit runs a 6.7 in 60, has an above average arm from the outfield, and possesses impressive power for his size for the left side. At SS, Kobe Lopez will be setting the table at the leadoff spot and should continue to be a reliable defender. The Alabama State commit is a smaller player at 5-foot-7, but he has proven to be able to stand out against top competition. Two younger players who are already committed to division I schools are 2018 INF Luis Tuero and 2019 C Jake Holland. Both of these underclassmen are Miami commits and will likely be playing a major role in trying to help the Mavericks repeat in winning a state championship.

As for their road back to the Final Four, Archbishop McCarthy will have to grabble with teams such as American Heritage, Merritt Island, and Rockledge in their region, and possibly Jesuit, Robinson, and Crawford Mosley at the state level. Archbishop McCarthy and Jesuit appear to be the top teams in the 6A classification and would be the ideal matchup for both fans and scouts if they ended up playing each other in the state tournament. That being said, their lineup, experience, and recent success appear to give the Mavericks the edge over Jesuit and every other program as being the top team in the state of Florida.