Smitty’s Standouts Volume No. 2 - College of Central Florida is a FORCE

The state of JUCO baseball in Florida couldn’t be stronger. Everywhere you look throughout the state there’s a squad with multiple D-1 or draft hopefuls, or both for that matter. College of Central Florida fits that description to a tee. 

This has been my third time seeing the Pats this spring, and there have been multiple reasons why this squad is the best JUCO baseball team in the country. Potent, quality bats throughout the lineup and one of the deepest pitching staffs in the state. Let’s talk about a few of the roster that really stood out. 

2B Bradke Lohry, College of Central Florida

Lohry has been the most impressive bat that I’ve seen on the JUCO circuit this spring by a good margin. It’s a strong hit tool out of leadoff with a compact load paired with both electric hand and bat speed. Shows a strong ability to manipulate the barrel throughout the zone and will use the entire field. Flashed an impressive ability to turn on the ball into stiff headwind and can tap into above-average raw power at times in a smaller frame. Likely a 55 runner at worst with a sneaky first step and ability to reach top speed quickly. 4.0 home-to-first on an infield knock as well. Defensively, Lohry can stick at second base long term with good positioning and smooth transfers out of the glove. The Vols commit is the definition of a gamer on the diamond, and can bring instant impact to a lineup. I’m not outside of thinking that Lohry can be one of the rare JUCO bats drafted in the first 150-200 picks. 

Yet another quality look at #CoCF 2B Bradke Lohry.

On base three times with a pair of knocks and a BB. Clocked a 4.0 H-1st. Strong tools across the board. #Vols commit. pic.twitter.com/BLgWVfHc7c

— Ian Smith (@FlaSmitty) March 8, 2023

1B/OF John Marant, College of Central Florida 

A Georgia Tech transfer, Marant brings both imposing size and strength to the field. An XL 6-6, 230lb. with above-average athleticism for his size. Showed both impressive opposite-field pop with an effortless flick into a headwind for a home run and ability to show pull-side juice as well with above-average bat and strong lower-half. Easy plus raw power long term. Advanced approach at the plate with a good eye for spin and ability to do damage throughout the zone. Elevated fastballs got Marant to whiff a few times but adjusted in later at-bats. Defensively, athletic enough to play in either corner but likely will make a long term home at first base. Still uncommitted, and could be a very valuable power bat to plenty of D1 teams. 

With an imposing 6-6, 225 frame, #CoCF OF John Marant shows off the massive LH raw pop essentially flicking this pitch over the LF wall for the oppo HR into 20+ mph winds.

Adv. approach and above-average athleticism for the frame. Potential to be an impact bat for a P5 school. pic.twitter.com/eFebMpTefg

— Ian Smith (@FlaSmitty) March 9, 2023

RHP Cam Schuelke, College of Central Florida

Fresh off of a brand new commitment to Mississippi State, Cam Scheulke continued to show why he’s one of the most unhittable relievers in the country, regardless of level. Mixing between a high three-quarters and submarine arm slot, Schuelke shows a very deceptive pitch mix from both slots with an immense feel to spin. Fastball from over the top was up to 89 with carry, and mid-80s with some sink and run from the submarine slot while missing bats with both. Slider can be a real weapon from both slots at anywhere from 72-77 with tight break and ability to tunnel off the fastball from both slots. Schuelke will show a 11/5 curveball with consistent shape from the three-quarters slot as well. Avoids barrels at all costs, and will keep hitters off balance seemingly his entire outing. Just one earned run allowed across 23+ innings, and it’s easy to see the transition to the SEC next year. 

Others to note: 

3B Edwin Toribio and CF Carson Bayne are two uncommitted middle of the order bats for the Pats who have hit in every look for me this spring. Toribio has really leaned out since his prep years while maintaining impressive strength throughout the frame. Seemingly triple digit exit velocities on every barrel. Bayne shows an above-average glove in centerfield with a clear plus arm and ability to cover ground with ease. At the plate, creates leverage while using his lower half extremely well. A willing runner as well with sneaky foot speed, and will consistently pad the extra base hit numbers. Both bats can be quality pieces on a multitude of rosters. 

A few underrated preps in the 2023 MLB Draft

One of my favorite aspects in scouting the MLB Draft and amateur baseball in general is uncovering the sleepers, or the underrated if I may. 

Going to the ballpark with the intention of seeing a player and leaving with possibly two dudes who were off your radar completely. It’s what drives me, and it’s clear it’s what teams are hunting too. 

Guys like Xavier Issac and even Jackson Merrill were relatively unknown as Top 50 targets in the last few years, but both found their way into the first round. It’s a yearly occurrence where a prep (or multiple) makes the jump into the spotlight and it happens before you know it. Maybe these names can help get you started early on some names to watch this upcoming spring. 

C Luke Scherrer

Yucaipa (Ca.)

While there’s a few high school backstops who garner a majority of the national attention, Scherrer has been quietly evolving into one of the most complete catchers in the class.

The Cal Poly commit is the rare high school catcher you can easily project will stick behind the dish for the next decade. Athletic in the crouch, while explosive getting out with simple, deliberate actions that translate it very well in-game and led to the fastest pop time (1.80) earlier this year at the Perfect Game National Showcase. Tons of present strength in his lower half out of a physical frame (6-2, 210) with a whippy, accurate arm that he deploys from a lower arm slot then you would rarely see with most catchers. Advanced blocking and footwork give Scherrer close to above-average defensive tools across the board. To tie it all together, The Yucaipa product has been lauded as an excellent game manager with a high-level IQ on and off the field.

Where the true helium is coming from though is with the stick. Scherrer has been displaying a strong hit tool all year long, starting with an all-tournament bid at NHSI back in April and continued to hit through the summer and into a strong Jupiter performance at WWBA in October. It’s a simple, compact right-handed swing that shows above-average bat speed with a bat path that creates easy loft. Scherrer’s ability to get into his strong lower half paired with a present feel for the barrel have shown above-average raw power, especially to the pull-side, and there's now a clear path to a possible plus tool as there is still some projection remaining. When talking with a prominent amateur evaluator recently about Scherrer recently, it was a simple “He might just rake.” and I couldn't agree more.

Navigating the high school catcher demographic is always one of the toughest evaluations in every draft class, but there always seems to be an outlier who rises to the occasion and Luke Scherrer has the profile to be that guy. 

Here’s a look at the long homer from Scherrer in game two. Quick bat w/ obvious strength. #CalPoly commit @California_PG #WWBAWorlds https://t.co/CvlJerBq3S pic.twitter.com/wRyvnWTxxk

— Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) October 10, 2022

RHP Max Stanley

Douglas County (Co.)

It’s hard to have an underrated article without talking about a high-level projection arm, and Max Stanley fits that bill to a tee after making huge strides across 2022. 

Hear me out, but the BYU commit offers some of the best “pitch feel” in the 2023 class. What I mean by that is Stanley is able to display a five-pitch mix with an above-average feel to spin and average or above command throughout. Two distinct different fastballs with a four-seam with both hop and late arm-side run that currently sits in the low-90s, touching 95 this past spring and a sharp, upper 80s cutter that was the separator over the summer. Two breaking balls as well for Stanley, led by an above-average 12-6 curveball with huge shape and  plus command that creates current swing and miss and shows signs of being a true put-away pitch going forward. Slider has a short gyro-esque break in the low-to-mid 80s with present feel to land for both strikes and whiffs against right-handed bats. Changeup is firm, but shows promise with some arm-side fade and feel to land for strikes. It has a chance to be a really quality offering if the fastball velocity continues to trend up.

Projectability is substantial when talking about Stanley with electric arm speed and high-level athleticism evident. Exudes easy ability to get down the mound with advanced lower-half mobility and drive that allows him to repeat consistently. Standing a high-waisted 6-3, Stanley has just begun tapping into his physicality, and has the clay to grow into an imposing presence on the mound. 

Case Williams (2020, COL) and Alec Willis (2021, STL) were the last two Colorado prep pitchers drafted in the Top 5 rounds, and the combination of stuff and projection that Stanley offers could push him even higher in this upcoming 2023 MLB Draft.  

A slo-mo look at a Cutter from 2023 RHP Max Stanley, out of Colorado. The @BYUBaseball commit offers some of the highest level projection in the class. #MLBDraft pic.twitter.com/GB9vgoucMQ

— Ian Smith (@FlaSmitty) December 12, 2022

3B/C Trenton Lyons

Christian Brothers (Tn.)

A switch hitting, Swiss-army-knife with the highest level body projection and an SEC commitment, Trenton Lyons is one of the best players you’re not talking about.

I don’t believe there are very many players in the  2023 class, prep or college, who have the ability to project as above-average glove at catcher and another position, but I believe you can project Lyons as an everyday player at catcher, third base or either corner outfield role. An above-average athlete with a plus run tool and elite 10 yard split, the Ole Miss commit has impressive footwork and  ability to move laterally both behind the plate and at third base. The 6-3, 190lb. Lyons has the arm strength to make all the throws necessary across the diamond and the accuracy to make his arm play up even more. It’s a defensive profile at 3B that could be among one of the best gloves in the class if he makes third base a long term home. 

At the plate, Lyons offers a near mirror image from both sides of the plate with bat speed and ability to manipulate the barrel into an all-fields approach. That being said, It’s a slightly more direct, contact oriented approach from the right side and from the left, allows the hips to open and creates leverage, leading to above-average pull side power. The power possibilities are immense as Lyons continues to fill out with a strong baseline of above-average bat to ball skills. 

I don’t know if there’s a better body to project turning extremely physical this upcoming spring than Trenton Lyons. Where he ends up defensively long term remains to be seen, but with strong offensive upside and an above-average glove, the profile is extremely conducive to an early round pick to mold.