Top 10 Stories Countdown of the Year 2017: No. 3 FL JUCO Coverage

TYLER KEYSORRHP / EASTER FLORIDA STATE COLLEGE, FL / 2018 Miami commit. At 6-foot-6, 210 pounds, he has a lean, strong frame that could fill out a bit more. He works with low effort, from a simple delivery and a 3/4 to low 3/4 slot. He shows a feel to pitch with the fastball working 91-93 mph with much more in the tank. He also showed a feel for a downer slider at 75-78 mph and a changeup at 80-82 mph. The present stuff along with the upside and feel to pitch has him as the top prospect in the Florida Junior College ranks.

PEDRO CASTELLANOSS / SOUTH FLORIDA STATE, FL / 2018 UCF recruit. The left handed hitting shortstop may have been the most impressive middle infielder in the state. He showed off his all around toolset, starting with advanced bat to ball skills from a simple, compact swing with gap-to-gap power potential. He shows easy, athletic range and athleticism. Should stick at short as an above average defender with above average hit tool.

BRIAN REYOF / 2B / MIAMI DADE, FL / 2018 Rankings  StateRank: 106 / POS: 17 North Carolina State recruit. 5-foot-10, 180 pound outfielder shows functional athleticism in the field with an average outfield arm. Where he stands out is offensively. Consistently barrelled balls in batting practice. He has an advanced approach, although can swing and miss, shows above average bat speed and more often a feel for the barrel. He als uses the lower half well and creates gap-to-gap power. There is a high offensive upside.

ZACH BRYANTRHP / DAYTONA STATE COLLEGE, FL / 2018 Jacksonville recruit. Athletic, strong, 6-foot-1 220 pounds. He showed a very low effort delivery, throwing from a 3/4 slot. He has a very quiet head and shows the ability to pound the strike zone with three pitches. The fastball work 89-92 touching 93 mph with life. Showed the ability to consistently throw an above average to plus slider at 79-81 mph. Also showed a feel for a changeup. The arm action is clean, he is athletic and repeatable. He shows the ability to be a potential front line starter at the next level.

CJ ALEXANDERSS / 3B / STATE COLLEGE OF FLORIDA, FL / 2018 UCF recruit. The 6-foot-5, 215 pound left handed hitting third baseman may have made the most intriguing impression in the fall. The big left handed hitter looks the part and showed very well in his two games. Offensively, he looks a little stiff with his hands very close to his head and  short load. Although, he does not get as rotational as you may expect and has loose wrists and his long levers create natural power. He consistently found the barrel while flashing power driving a ball off of the center field wall. There is some present athleticism and could potentially stay at third. The bat is very intriguing and there could be some big power potential and will be a guy to watch going forward.

ROBBIE PETORHP / STATE COLLEGE OF FLORIDA / 2018 Rankings  StateRank: 5 / POS: 2 OverallRank: 50 / POS: 22 DraftRank: 94 / POS: 34 Only threw once this fall, but was 91-93 with some life. Showed feel for above average to plus curveball. Peto was a 30th round selection out of high school and opted to attend North Carolina out of high school. Playing in Cape Cod this past summer, Peto has come to State College as another highly touted arm, who could be their No. 1 come the spring.

MAX GUZMANC / 1B / CHIPOLA COLLEGE, FL / 2018 Rankings  StateRank: 32 / POS: 3 OverallRank: 120 / POS: 7 FIU recruit. Guzman was a well known name coming out of high school and did not disappoint at Chipola during his freshman season. He hit .377 with 16 home runs and 57 RBIs in route to a Chipola National Championship. He continued to show his big power potential in the fall.. He is aggressive and seems to consistently find the barrel and make hard contact. The bat will continue to play and will be interesting to see how the defense continues to play throughout the season.

CHAVEZ FERNANDEZRHP/ POLK STATE COLLEGE, FL / 2018 The  6-foot-3, 205 pound right hander has a high waist, and long arms on an athletic frame. He throws from a 3/4 slot with a loose, easy arm action.The fastball worked from 88-91 touching 93 mph with some late life down in the zone. The fastball showed more tilt, and worked down in the zone more often out of the stretch as he seems to have his separation happen on time and let his arm get extended and fingers on top of the baseball. The slider showed a short, cutterish, action at times, but has tight spin and worked 76-78 mph with potential. Also, showed a changeup a 82 mph.

AUSTIN JAMESSS / STATE COLLEGE OF FLORIDA, FL / 2018 Rankings  StateRank: 76 / POS: 14 OverallRank: 298 / POS: 47 Missouri recruit. James was another well known player coming out of high school. As a freshman, he hit .290 with two home runs and 37 RBIs. There was some question with his swing and miss and he appears to have cut down his swing some. He looks the part, at 6-foot-2, 190 pounds, he is lean and athletic. Offensively, he has present power potential and when he is short to the ball he drives balls from gap-to-gap. The shorter swing and athleticism should lead to minimizing the swing and miss. Defensively, he moves well with natural instincts and has range currently to stay at short. He may eventually slide to third, but is physical and will likely see a jump in power this season.

JAREN SHELBYOF / STATE COLLEGE OF FLORIDA, FL / 2018 Rankings  StateRank: 3 / POS: 1 OverallRank: 73 / POS: 5 Stocky, strong, 5-foot-11, 195 pound outfielder has MLB bloodlines. Both his brothers and father played or are playing professional baseball and you can see the influence in his actions. He has an advanced approach, working gap to gap with a compact level swing. Also shows above average bat speed with some power potential.

TREVOR HOLLOWAYRHP / 3B / CHIPOLA COLLEGE, FL / 2018 Rankings  StateRank: 67 / POS: 23 OverallRank: 225 / POS: 84 UCF recruit. 6-foot-1, 185 pounds. Clean, repeatable delivery, throws from a high 3/4 slot with present plane on the fastball. The fastball worked 91-93 mph and he showed the ability to command it to both sides of the plate. Also showed a two plane slider at 79-81 mph with swing and miss potential.

BRIAN VAN BELLERHP / BROWARD COLLEGE, FL / 2018 Miami recruit. Athletic 6-foot-2, 170 pound right-hander. He has a simple and repeatable delivery. Coming off of Tommy John last season, everything has made a jump. He has very little effort and the fastball worked 90-92 touching 93 mph, which he commanded down in the zone. Also showed a feel for a hard curveball at 73-75 mph with depth.

PATRICK DOUDICANLHP / OF / POLK STATE COLLEGE, FL / 2018 Rankings  StateRank: 13 / POS: 3 OverallRank: 246 / POS: 37 South Florida recruit. At 6-foot-3, 220 pounds the physical left-hander looks the part of a front line starter. Mechanically he is sound, there is a slight crossfire actions, but the arm works clean throwing from a 3/4 slot. The fastball ranged from 86-88 touching 90 mph with plenty more to come. As he continues to log innings, he should continue to improve. The curveball was a bit soft and did not show as well as it has in the past, but worked with a quality 1-7 shape with depth and you can see the potential. He also showed a feel for a changeup at 80 mph and the three pitch mix gives a glimpse of a potential starter at the next level.

ETHAN ROUTZAHNRHP / NORTHWEST FLORIDA STATE COLLEGE, FL / 2018 Rankings  StateRank: 68 / POS: 24 St Johns recruit. 6-foot-3, 225 pound right-hander is a big, strong, durable frame. He has a lot of moving parts, starting with a high leg kick and slightly crossfire delivery that make him extremely deceptive. Adding to the deception is the fact he throws from a nearly side arm slot. He still generates power from his lower half with a fastball that ranged from 88-92 with heavy, late life. He also showed a feel for a hard, sweeping slider at 73-75 mph and a changeup at 79 mph. The stuff coupled the with deception is going to make him very difficult for hitters to square up all year.

DAVID FLORESOF / COLLEGE OF CENTRAL FLORIDA , FL / 2018 Listed at 6-foot-3, 210 pounds, he is every inch and every pound of that. He looks to be a head taller than everyone else and has a lean, strong frame. Offensively, he shows big time power in batting practice.There is some length, but may have some of the best pure raw power in the state. There is also more athleticism than you would initially think for how large the frame is. Very interesting outfielder.

ANTONIO VELEZLHP / OF / HILLSBOROUGH CC, FL / 2018 Rankings  StateRank: 48 / POS: 8 OverallRank: 150 / POS: 27 FSU recruit. Athletic 6-foot-1, 195 pound left-hander has a quick arm from a high 3/4 slot. Fastball worked 88-89 mph with some life. Showed a feel for a hard slider at 74-77 mph and a near plus changeup that proved to be the swing and miss pitch at 76 mph. He struck out two in his one inning stint.

ALDRICH DE JONGHOF / RHP / HILLSBOROUGH CC, FL / 2018 FIU recruit. At 5-foot-9, 175 pounds he is strong in the lower half and showed off his ability to drive the ball pull side in his first at-bat with a grand slam over the right-center field wall. The swing is compact and generates power along with present bat to ball skills.

ALEX CARBALLOOF / BROWAD COLLEGE, FL / 2018 Rankings  StateRank: 86 / POS: 12 OverallRank: 321 / POS: 41 Kennesaw State commit. The 5-foot-11, 190 pound left handed hitting outfielder has a strong lower half. He has a short load, but stays on time and shows present bat to ball skill. There is strength in the lower half, which he uses well and flashes present pull side power.

NELSON ALVAREZRHP / MIAMI DADE COLLEGE, FL / 2018 Rankings  StateRank: 117 / POS: 35 6-foot-4, 225 pounds he has a big, strong, prototypical pitcher’s frame. He gets rotational at times, leading him to spin off of some pitches, but when he gets extension the fastball worked 88-91 touching 93 mph. Same wen for the offspeed, as when he was extended the slider had later action at 79 mph and the changeup faded at 75 mph.

JOWENRICK DAANTJIOF / PALM BEACH STATE COLLEGE, FL / 2018 Rankings  StateRank: 146 / POS: 23 Switch hitting outfielder listed at 5-foot-10, 160 pounds, looks to have filled out some since high school. He has present athleticism with quick twitch actions. The swing is very similar from both sides. Compact and short to the ball, he shows ba to ball skills, with enough strength to drive one pull side and into the gaps. Could make a very interesting table-setter type player.

ANTHONY GONNELLAOF/ STATE COLLEGE OF FLORIDA , FL / 2018 Rankings  StateRank: 31 / POS: 2 OverallRank: 113 / POS: 3 The 6-foot-4, 225 pound outfielder looks the part. He shows big pull power in batting practice and effortlessly pulls the ball. The swing has begun to become more consistent in game and will be a follow in the spring

MARK POTTERRHP / COLLEGE OF CENTRAL FLORIDA, FL / 2018 Rankings  StateRank: 21 / POS: 10 OverallRank: 288 / POS: 114 Big, strong frame. Jacksonville University transfer. There is a lot to like and follow as he has been up to 93-94 mph.

KERRY CARPENTEROF / ST JOHN'S RIVER STATE COLLEGE, FL / 2018 6-foot-1, 200 pound outfielder is lean and physical. The left handed hitter has a wide base and a somewhat shouldered load. There is some stiffness and rotation in the swing, but he shows a feel for the barrel. He utilizes the strong lower half and generates above average bat speed and present above average power. Leading his team in average last year a .330, he also had 4 home runs and 34 RBIs. Look for the power numbers to make a jump and could be one of the top hitters in Florida come springtime.

ANDREW EYSTEROF / SANTA FE COLLEGE, FL / 2019 Rankings  StateRank: 122 / POS: 23 An athletic and physical outfielder was a guy to watch coming into the fall. He has continued to show above average power, especially to the middle of the field. There is some swing and miss and he profiles as a corner outfielder so the power will have to play during the spring, but is a high follow.

BRYAN LAVASTIDA3B / HILLSBOROUGH CC, FL / 2018 Alabama recruit. A physical third baseman, he moves well defensively. He has a strong arm and profiles well at third. Offensively, he has present strength. There is above average bat speed and the ability to hit for present power. He has bat to ball skills and will be one to follow this spring.

Every fall the FCSAA, the Florida governing body of NJCAA, runs their sophomore workout which includes nearly every sophomore from every junior college in the state of Florida. With 26 teams in the state, there was over 200 players in attendance. The weekend consists of two days of an All-Star game followed by a workout. We take a look at 40 standouts from the weekend, with the Top 10, led by RHP Tyler Keysor, who continues to be the best potential MLB Draft prospect in the state. Take a look at all of the standouts with video for the majority.

#1- Tyler Keysor, RHP, Eastern Florida
Miami commit. At 6-foot-6, 210 pounds, he has a lean, strong, frame that could fill out a bit more. He works with low effort, from a simple delivery and a 3/4 to low 3/4 slot. He shows a feel to pitch, with the fastball working 91-93 mph with much more in the tank. He also showed a feel for a downer slider at 75-78 mph and a changeup at 80-82 mph. The present stuff along with the upside and feel to pitch has him as the top prospect in the Florida Junior College ranks.

 

#2- Pedro Castellano, SS, South Florida State College
The left handed hitting shortstop may have been the most impressive middle infielder on the entire weekend. He showed off his all around toolset, starting with advanced bat to ball skills from a simple, compact swing with a  double and single during the game. He then showed easy glove side range and athleticism, making a play up the middle, followed by a 360 degree spin and throw to get the runner at first. Should stick at short as an above average defender with above average hit tool.

#3- Brain Rey, OF, Miami Dade
5-foot-10, 180 pound outfielder shows functional athleticism in t field with an average outfield arm. Where he stands out is offensively. Consistently barrelled balls in batting practice. He has an advanced approach, although can swing and miss, shows above average bat speed and more often a feel for the barrel. He als uses the lower half well and creates gap-to-gap power. There is a high offensive upside.

#4- Zach Bryant, RHP, Daytona State College
Athletic, strong, 6-foot-1 220 pounds. He showed a very low effort delivery, throwing from a 3/4 slot. He has a very quiet head and shows the ability to pound the strike zone with three pitches. The fastball work 89-92 touching 93 mph with life. Showed the ability to consistently throw an above average to plus slider at 79-81 mph. Also showed a feel for a changeup. The arm action is clean, he is athletic and repeatable. He shows the ability to be a potential front line starter at the next level.

#5- Jaren Shelby, OF, State College of Florida 
Stocky, strong, 5-foot-11, 195 pound outfielder has MLB bloodlines. Both his brothers and father played or are playing professional baseball and you can see the influence in his actions. He has an advanced approach, working gap to gap with a compact level swing. Also shows above average bat speed with some power potential.

#6- Trevor Holloway, RHP, Chipola College
UCF recruit. 6-foot-1, 185 pounds. Clean, repeatable delivery, throws from a high 3/4 slot with present plane on the fastball. The fastball worked 91-93 mph and he showed the ability to command it to both sides of the plate. Also showed a two plane slider at 79-81 mph with swing and miss potential.

#7- Brian Van Belle, RHP, Broward College
Miami commit. Athletic 6-foot-2, 170 pound right-hander. He has a simple and repeatable delivery. Coming off of Tommy John last season, everything has made a jump. He has very little effort and the fastball worked 90-92 touching 93 mph, which he commanded down in the zone. Also showed a feel for a hard curveball at 73-75 mph with depth.

#8- Ethan Routzahn, RHP, Northwest Florida State
6-foot-3, 225 pound right-hander is a big, strong, durable frame. He has a lot of moving parts, starting with a high leg kick and slightly crossfire delivery that make him extremely deceptive. Adding to the deception is the fact he throws from a nearly side arm slot. He still generates power from his lower half with a fastball that ranged from 88-92 with heavy, late life. He also showed a feel for a hard, sweeping slider at 73-75 mph and a changeup at 79 mph. The stuff coupled the with deception is going to make him very difficult for hitters to square up all year.

 

#9- Chavez Fernander, RHP, Polk State
Athletic, high waist, 6-foot-3, 210 pound right handed pitcher worked from a clean, high 3/4 slot. The fastball worked mostly in the 90-91 mph range but touched 93 and 94 mph. The arm works really well and you can see the velocity taking another jump and sitting 93-94 mph. Also showed a feel for a slider at 74-76 mph which proved to be a swing and miss pitch as he struck out three in his inning of work. 

#10- David Flores, OF, College of Central Florida
Listed at 6-foot-3, 210 pounds, he is every inch and every pound of that. He looks to be a head taller than everyone else and has a lean, strong frame. Offensively, he shows big time power in batting practice.There is some length, but may have some of the best pure raw power in the state. There is also more athleticism than you would initially think for how large the frame is. Very interesting outfielder. 

Best of the other players who stood out at the FCSAA Sophomore Showcase:

Aldrich DeJongh, OF, Hillsborough CC
At 5-foot-9, 175 pounds he is strong in the lower half and showed off his ability to drive the ball pull side in his first at-bat with a grand slam over the right-center field wall. The swing is compact and generates power along with present bat to ball skills.

Edmond Americaan, OF, Chipola College
6-foot-2, 175 pounds, he has a lean athletic frame with twitchy actions.  Swing has some steepness, but has barrel feel. Ran a 4.12 home to first time on infield hit. Stole two bases and shows functional athleticism. High ceiling. 

Griffin Rivers, OF, Pensacola State College
The switch hitting has a lean frame and looks the part. From the left side, he has natural loft and consistently drove the ball to the pull side during batting practice. From the right side, it is a more compact swing and shows a feel for the barrel. Interesting frame and the present pull power will be one to watch. 

Tucker Rayburn, INF, Tallahassee CC
At 5-foot-11, 195 pounds he is a stocky, strong middle infielder. The defensive actions are solid and may project more as an offensive second baseman at the next level. The left handed hitter has a compact swing with above average bat speed. Produced a single in the game. The bat works and will be one to watch. 

Brandon Rietz, RHP Tallahassee CC
An athletic 6-foot-1, 185 pounds. He has a quick arm from a 3/4 slot. Fastball worked down in the zone at 90-91 mph with some life. Showed a short, hard slider at 82 mph and a changeup at 82 mph. Has some starter potential, but slider could play better out of the back end of a pen. 

Aaron Ginn, RHP,  Pensacola State College
6-foot-1, 200 pound, stocky right hander threw from an extremely tough low 3/4 to sidearm slot. The fastball worked 88-90 with late arm side life, which looked extremely uncomfortable for right and left handed hitter alike. Also showed the ability to spin a 77 mph slider away from right handers and to the back foot to left handers. Will be an extremely valuable bullpen add at the next level. 

Grant Stewart, LHP, Northwest Florida State
Stocky, strong lower half, 5-foot-10, 175 pound left hander. Works with a high front side and creates tilt on his fastball that worked 88-89 mph with some late life, that was tough to square up. Also showed a sweeping slider at 76-77 mph. 

Alex Carballo, OF, Broward
Kennesaw State commit. The 5-foot-11, 190 pound left handed hitting outfielder has a strong lower half. He has a short load, but stays on time and shows present bat to ball skill. There is strength in the lower half, which he uses well and flashes present pull side power. 

Jowendrick Daantji, OF, Palm Beach
Switch hitting outfielder listed at 5-foot-10, 160 pounds, looks to have filled out some since high school. He has present athleticism with quick twitch actions. The swing is very similar from both sides. Compact and short to the ball, he shows ba to ball skills, with enough strength to drive one pull side and into the gaps. Could make a very interesting table-setter type player. 

James Reynolds, RHP, Palm Beach 
Stocky, broad shoulders, 5-foot-11, 200 pound right-hander. Throws with some effort from a 3/4 slot. Fastball worked 91-92 mph with late arm side life. Also showed a slider at 78 mph. Threw strikes and spun the slider well.

Nelson Alvarez, RHP, Miami Dade
6-foot-4, 225 pounds he has a big, strong, prototypical pitcher’s frame. He gets rotational at times, leading him to spin off of some pitches, but when he gets extension the fastball worked 88-91 touching 93 mph. Same wen for the offspeed, as when he was extended the slider had later action at 79 mph and the changeup faded at 75 mph. 

Phillip Felicien, OF, Florida Southwest
6-foot-3, 235 pounds, he looks the part of the power hitting corner outfielder and that is exactly what he shows the potential to be. He flashed the big pull side power in batting practice, despite some occasional length. Was more compact consistently in the game where he had a hard hit single up the middle. Big strong frame and the big power potential will make him intriguing. 

Zach Scott, INF, Polk State
The 6-foot-3, 200 pound infielder has a wide base and slightly unorthodox setup, but continues to crank out extra base hits. In a game with some of the best arms in the state he was 2-3 with a triple and a single. His defense is sound and can most likely stick at third base, but the hit tool with some present power, could see him sliding to first without any problem. 

Alec Barger, RHP, Polk State 
The 6-foot-3, 190 pound transfer has a clean delivery with some present upside. He worked mostly 89-91 mph with the fastball touching 92 mph at times. Showed a curveball with depth at 77 mph. Very intriguing frame and the arm works.      

 

Wade Walton, RHP, St. Pete College
An athletic 6-foot-3, 215 pounds. He uses the strength in his lower half well with a simple and repeatable delivery. The fastball worked 87-89 mph down in the zone to both sides of the plate. Also showed a feel for a curveball at 75-76 mph. Struck out all three hitters in his one inning outing. 

Antonio Velez, LHP, Hillsborough CC
FSU commit. Athletic 6-foot-1, 195 pound left-hander has a quick arm from a high 3/4 slot. Fastball worked 88-89 mph with some life. Showed a feel for a hard slider at 74-77 mph and a near plus changeup that proved to be the swing and miss pitch at 76 mph. He struck out two in his one inning stint. 

Luis Medina, 1B, College of Central Florida
6-foot, 230 pound first baseman. Stocky body, and swung with aggression. Nearly missed two home runs with a double off of the left field wall and a triple over the center fielder’s head. There is present bat speed and will be interesting to see if he continues to show enough power for he position. 

Nick Lentz, INF, Santa Fe College
6-foot, 185 pound infielder has an athletic and projectable frame. He has a compact swing with present hit tool and bat to ball skills. He squared up the ball in his at bats with a hard line drive to the right fielder and a base hit. 

Bo Seccombe, C, Santa Fe College
Strong, stocky, catcher’s frame at 6-foot, 210 pounds. Defensively, the hands work and is flexible behind the plate. Solid defender with a fringe ar,. Accurate throws with consistent 2.0-2.1 pop times. Use strong lower half to stay balanced throughout the swing. There is some length, but has bat to ball skills with power to the pull side. Had a single during the game. 

Matt Sparling, LHP, Daytona State College
Stocky, 5-foot-11, 195 pound left-hander. Loose arm, fastball worked 88-89 mph with life and showed the ability to command the pitch to both sides of the plate. Spun an above average to plus curveball at 73-74 mph with depth. Also had a feel for a changeup at 80 mph. 

Charlie Grennich, RHP, Gulf Coast State College
6-foot-3, 170 pounds, he is athletic with a projectable frame. Worked from a high 3/4 slot and showed a fastball that ranged from 91-92 mph. Showed a slider at 74-77 mph. 

Tyler Sullentrop, RHP, Indian River State College
Strong, athletic, 6-foot-3, 220 pound. Showed an easy 90-92 mph that worked downhill. Also showed a curveball at 76-77 mph and a changeup at 83-84 mph. 

Jake Kinney, RHP, Tallahassee CC
Listed at 6-foot-7, 240 pounds, he may not be quite that tall or thick, but has a very interesting frame nonetheless. Fastball worked downhill from 87-90 touching 92 mph. Also showed an 80 mph slider and an 85 mph splitter. 

Mark Potter, RHP, College of Central Florida
Big, strong frame. Jacksonville University transfer. There is a lot to like and follow as he was 93-94 mph in the pen. 

Colt Mink, LHP, Santa Fe College
The left hander worked 88-90 and will be one to follow.

Pat Doudican, LHP, Polk State
USF commit. The athletic, left-hander continues to look impressive. The frame is athletic and the arm works. The fastball was 90-91 mph in the pen. 

 

Max Guzman, C/1B, Chipola
The strong bodied right handed continued to show his near plus power in batting practice driving multiple ball out, including one over the road in left. The power is known, but the defense behind the plate looks solid and would make the bat play up another grade. Wouldn’t be surprised to see a pro team have him turned in as a catcher. 

Leo Horacio, SS, Northwest Florida State
Athletic infielder, looks the part at short. The arm is fringy, but the action worked and showed functional athleticism with plenty of range. The offense is average and will need to be a follow going forward. 

Anthony Gonnella, OF, State College of Florida
The 6-foot-4, 225 pound outfielder looks the part. He shows big pull power in batting practice and effortlessly pulls the ball. The swing has begun to become more consistent in game and will be a follow in the spring. 

Austin James, SS, State College of Florida
The 6-foot-2, 190 pound looks the part. He has a feel for the position and takes quality angles to balls in the middle. The first step quickness could improve some, but shows the ability to be a solid middle infielder and stick at short. Offensively, he hands are set somewhat far away from his body which can lead to him cutting himself off at times. There is present bat to ball skills and will be interesting to see how it continues to progress through the spring. 

Twin Classic Standouts

By Doug Freeman
Florida Scouting Director

The Florida JUCO Twin Classic held annually is one of the top fall tournaments for junior college players in the state. Twelve teams come together for a two day tournament at the Lake Myrtle Sports Complex. This is our first weekend with junior college coverage and we will look to focus on two things, uncommitted sophomores and potential MLB Draft prospects. Florida junior colleges consistently produces some of the top talent in the country, and this was never more prevalent than last year. In the 2017 MLB Draft, two players were taken in the first round, and a Chipola led the country in draft picks, at any level, with 10 players taken en route to a National Championship. Today we break down some players that stood out over the course of the weekend.  

Chavez Fernander, RHP, Polk State (Soph)
The  6-foot-3, 205 pound right hander has a high waist, and long arms on an athletic frame. He throws from a 3/4 slot with a loose, easy arm action.The fastball worked from 88-91 touching 93 mph with some late life down in the zone. The fastball showed more tilt, and worked down in the zone more often out of the stretch as he seems to have his separation happen on time and let his arm get extended and fingers on top of the baseball. The slider showed a short, cutterish, action at times, but has tight spin and worked 76-78 mph with potential. Also, showed a changeup a 82 mph.

 

Pat Doudican, LHP, Polk State (Soph)
At 6-foot-3, 220 pounds the physical left-hander looks the part of a front line starter. Mechanically he is sound, there is a slight crossfire actions, but the arm works clean throwing from a 3/4 slot. The fastball ranged from 86-88 touching 90 mph with plenty more to come. As he continues to log innings, he should continue to improve. The curveball was a bit soft and did not show as well as it has in the past, but worked with a quality 1-7 shape with depth and you can see the potential. He also showed a feel for a changeup at 80 mph and the three pitch mix gives a glimpse of a potential starter at the next level.

 

 

 

 

Zach Scott, 3B/1B, Polk State (Soph)
The 6-foot-3, 200 pound corner infielder has continued to fill out and become stronger since high school. As a freshman at Polk, he hit .332 with 17 doubles and 47 RBIs. He has always shown a feel for the barrel, with a simple, balanced approach and gap-to-gap power and that continued this weekend where I saw at least two doubles in three games. The added strength should translate to added power along with the bat to ball skills. It will be interesting to see if he can stick defensively at third, he is a solid defender and the potential to stay there  coupled with the bat make him a very interesting player.

Liam Silvagnoli, RHP, Seminole State (Soph)
The athletic right-hander was an above average runner and more of an outfielder than pitcher in high school. He has shown a strong arm and was more of a thrower on the mound than a pitcher. He appears to have made some big strides and has a high upside on the mound. He currently works 89-91 mph with some natural arm side run and flashed a short slider at 78-80 mph. He is still somewhat upright and when he is loose and gets extension the ball comes out of the hand well.

 

Vince Vannelle, RHP, Florida Southwest (Soph)
The 5-foot-10, 200 pound right handed pitcher has a lot of moving parts in his delivery that is both deceptive, but can also lead to some inconsistent release points and command issue. His fastball worked in the 90-91 touching 92 mph with some heavy late life. His best pitch is his curveball. It is hard and has late depth with tight spin at 80 mph. It will be a swing and miss pitch and the fastball, curveball combo could have him as a high end back of the bullpen type arm.

 

Carter Smith, C, Florida Southwest (Soph)
The left handed hitting catcher stood out offensively over the course of their two games. He has a wide base and simple load and setup. The hands are loose and he stays consistently short to the ball, consistently finding the barrel and showing the ability to drive the ball from line to line with some gap-to-gap power. The bat looks to be able to really play and will work off of a good freshman campaign where he hit .315. Defensively, he showed solid defensive actions. There is some flexibility, is a quality receiver and showed pop times in the 2.0-2.1 range.

Max Guzman, C, Chipola College (Soph)
Guzman was a well known name coming out of high school and did not disappoint at Chipola during his freshman season. He hit .377 with 16 home runs and 57 RBIs in route to a Chipola National Championship. He continued to show his big power potential with a long home run to left field in his second game of the day. He is aggressive and seems to consistently find the barrell and make hard contact. The bat will continue to play and will be interesting to see how the defense continues to play throughout the season.

 

 

 

 

Morgan McCullough, INF, Chipola College (Soph)
The 5-foot-9, 175 pound infielder may be a bit undersized, but is a broad shouldered, stocky and strong lower half left handed hitter. Defensively, the actions work and has a quality first step and some twitchiness. Offensively, the bat plays. He is short and level through the zone with present bat to ball skills and more pull side power than you would think. The offense should play up and could be an offensive second baseman at the next level.

 

Trevor Holloway, RHP, Chipola College (Soph)
The 6-foot-1, 180 pound High Point transfer is an athletic right handed pitcher. He worked 88-90 mph with a quick arm and some life on the pitch. Also featured a feel for an above average changeup at 80 mph.

 

 

Pedro Castellano, SS, South Florida State (Soph)
The Venezuelan, left handed hitting shortstop showed a lot of athletic actions and potential with the bat. Listed at 6-foot, 180 pound there is some present strength. He moves well at short with fluid, easy actions and an average arm. As a freshman, he hit .287 with 11 doubles and the swing appears to be short with a strong balanced lower half. The bat to ball skills are present, and would look for him to improve on the .287 average as well as add to the four home runs from  last year.

 

Austin James, INF, State College of Florida (Soph)
James was another well known player coming out of high school. As a freshman, he hit .290 with two home runs and 37 RBIs. There was some question with his swing and miss and he appears to have cut down his swing some. He looks the part, at 6-foot-2, 190 pounds, he is lean and athletic. Offensively, he has present power potential and when he is short to the ball he drives balls from gap-to-gap. The shorter swing and athleticism should lead to minimizing the swing and miss. Defensively, he moves well with natural instincts and has range currently to stay at short. He may eventually slide to third, but is physical and will likely see a jump in power this season.

Brock Bell, RHP, State College of Florida (Soph)
As a freshman, Bell posted a 2.38 ERA and struck out 20 in 22.2 innings pitched. He is a big, strong righty who is listed at 6-foot-4, 200 pounds. Working downhill, the fastball worked 87-88 mph with some heavy life and tilt. Also featured a slider at 79 mph that has a quality shape. Was featured as a bullpen arm and last season and may start more this year, but the heavy fastball and slider combination may have him projecting as a quality back-end arm at the next level.

CJ Alexander, 3B/OF, State College of Florida (Soph)
The 6-foot-5, 215 pound left handed hitting third baseman may have made the most intriguing impression on the weekend. The big left handed hitter looks the part and showed very well in his two games. Offensively, he looks a little stiff with his hands very close to his head and  short load. Although, he does not get as rotational as you may expect and has loose wrists and his long levers create natural power. He consistently found the barrel while flashing power driving a ball off of the center field wall. There is some present athleticism and could potentially stay at third. The bat is very intriguing and there could be some big power potential and will be a guy to watch going forward.

 

 

Wade Walton, RHP, St Pete College (Soph)
The 6-foot-3, 215 pound right handed pitcher has a big, strong durable pitchers frame. He works downhill with heavy life on the fastball from 86-89 mph and will continue to improve as he logs innings. The sophomore is one of the few returning arms for St Pete and logged a 5.17 ERA in 15.2 innings pitched. He struck out 14 and walked 15 and will look to improve on the command and make a big impact in the rotation.

Ryan Fernandez, RHP, Hillsborough (Soph)
Coming off of an impressive freshman season where he led the team in wins with 6, with a 5.31 ERA in 61 innings while striking out 57. He is a bit undersized, but uses a high front side and high 3/4 slot to create some tilt on his fastball that ranged from 88-89 mph with some life in the zone. He also showed a feel for a tight slider at 76 mph and a changeup at 82 mph. The three pitch mix and experience should have have at the top of the rotation and will be a quality, experienced add to a program.

 

 

Scarlen Perez, LHP, Eastern Florida State (Soph)
At 6-foot-6, 210 pounds, the long arms and long legs look the part of a high end arm. He shows flashes of things you really like. The arm is loose and the fastball ranges from 87-90 touching 92 mph. There is a lot of drop and drive and tends to leak open and could see some huge strides with better use of the lower half. The command was sporadic, but the frame and arm will make him an intriguing follow.

Tyler Keysor, RHP, Eastern Florida State (Soph)
Perhaps the biggest standout on the weekend, the 6-foot-5, 200 pound right handed pitcher was very impressive. One of the few returners on the roster, he posted a 4.78 ERA in 32 innings while striking out 36. The stuff appears to have made a jump, with much more to come. He throws from a low 3/4 slot with a loose whippy arm. The fastball sat 90-92, with mostly 92s while touch 94 mph with late life and more to come with added innings. He also showed a sweeping slider at 78-80 mph that when he threw it harder had some late biting action. Also featured a curveball at 72 mph and a changeup at 77 mph with fading action. There is a huge upside and the frame can continue to add strength and will log plenty of innings and may make some huge jumps. From the teams in attendance, he clearly stood out as the best potential draft prospect early in the season.

 

 

James Reynolds, RHP, Palm Beach (Soph)
One of the few players already committed, the Stetson recruit is a stocky and strong 5-foot-11, 200 pounds. He worked 90-91 mph with his fastball that had tilt. He works with an up-tempo pace and attacks hitters. Also featured an 83-84 mph slider and an 82 mph changeup. Working out of the bullpen last year with six saves, he had a 1.78 ERA in 30.1 innings while striking out 35. Look for him to slide to the rotation and make a big impact for Palm Beach.

Zach Zientarski, INF/RHP, Palm Beach (Soph)
The two-way transfer from Pittsburgh, looked very intriguing on the mound. He is athletic, with a strong lower half. The fastball sat 91-92 mph and has heavy tilt down in the zone. He also featured a curveball at 76 mph with some depth and a changeup at 78 mph. The athleticism shows up offensively, but especially shows up on the mound. He makes quality adjustments and the strong arm has some upside to watch.  

Samuel Peralta, LHP, Palm Beach (Soph)
The 6-foot-2, 210 pound left handed pitcher has a thick lower half. There is a long arm swing in the back and works from a high 3/4 slot. The stuff has made some big jumps in high school and the fastball worked consistently in the 86-89 mph range touching 90 mph a few times. When he gets separated on time and is loose and gets extended the ball comes out of his hand well. Also flashed a 11/5 curveball at 70 mph with depth at times. The big bodied lefty should continue to make strides with innings.

Kerry Carpenter, OF, St Johns River (Soph)
6-foot-1, 200 pound outfielder is lean and physical. The left handed hitter has a wide base and a somewhat shouldered load. There is some stiffness and rotation in the swing, but he shows a feel for the barrel. He utilizes the strong lower half and generates above average bat speed and present above average power. Leading his team in average last year a .330, he also had 4 home runs and 34 RBIs. Look for the power numbers to make a jump and could be one of the top hitters in Florida come springtime.