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.
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.
— Ian Smith (@FlaSmitty) March 8, 2023
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
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.
— Ian Smith (@FlaSmitty) March 9, 2023
Adv. approach and above-average athleticism for the frame. Potential to be an impact bat for a P5 school. pic.twitter.com/eFebMpTefg
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.
This is introducing my new weekly, sometimes multi-week series of live looks that I’ll be conducting this spring and summer where I touch on a few players from either a game, showcase or even weekend series.
We start off with a quality high school matchup featuring Viera and Melbourne high that had multiple D1 commits and underclass that could be among the best in their classes.
It’s been a minute since our last update from the state of Georgia, but I was having trouble coming up with a catchy title for this live looks piece. It’s still not that catchy, but better late than never I suppose. A smorgasbord of talent awaits below, with an appearance from an out-of-area bat that is a likely first round talent. Enjoy!
A new year, a new board and new ranks. The Top 300 is here. With the summer showcase circuit behind us and college fall ball in the rearview mirror, we’re ready to re-rank the 2023 draft class. Our team has taken in 9 showcase tournaments and been closely monitoring fall scrimmages. We’ve collected data and pitch metrics from guys showcasing their summer gains and, boy, do things look promising. Some guys are breaking out.
It's not just the one-on-one interviews that catch your eye. It’s the laidback nature and willingness of these decision-makers to talk about their journey and the processes in their profession. Of course, they don’t spill all the secrets but the insight to be gained from these conversations is second to none. Dipoto dove into a number of things in the hour-long interview but what caught my attention was what he had to say about how tiebreakers in draft decisions take place. How those sometimes heated conversations get resolved. Let’s dive in.
College baseball is BACK, baby! The Top 400 is here. With high school ball roaring nationwide and college ball in high gear, we’re ready to re-rank the 2023 draft class. Our team has been at ballfields for the better part of two months now and we’re constantly digging into the analytics we can get our hands on. You can find a lot of our film and live looks in each player’s blurb. As always, our boards are built on three pillars:
Our team’s Live Looks.
Trackman, Rapsodo and data evaluation.
Conversations within the industry. What are scouting executives, cross-checkers and area scouts seeing at the ballfields?
This Top 400 really establishes a few things:
This year has a reasonably established Top 10-12 names. There’s value in the 20-50 range too.
This class is led by a strong and deep crop of college talents.
We are excited to be offering a new benefit to our Patreon: one week early releases of our MLB Draft board updates and mock drafts! This is our first step in a journey to bring MLB Draft content to Patreon and even more value to your subscription! These releases will be accessible through the 55 Tier ($5 /mo).
With this release of the Top 400 we are also launching the Draft Database, an online application that will be a Patreon exclusive, housing all of our MLB Draft lists in one place. You'll be able to easily filter through positions, schools, class and easily see the list view or all the blurbs for each player. Additionally we'll have links to our MLB Draft Show interviews and film where available.
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This article is brought to you by Nick Johnson, one of the newest contributors at Prospects LIve
Performance: 6 IP, O R, 0 H, 0 BB, 1 HBP, 11 K
Talk about starting out with a bang! I’m not sure even Sean Sullivan could have scripted a better beginning to his Wake career. Through his first two appearances the 6’4 lefty has thrown 10 innings allowing only 2 hits, 1 walk, while striking out 21 batters!
As I wrote in January I thought Sullivan was one of the most under-the-radar transfers in all of D1. A Northwestern transfer, Sullivan had an impressive freshman season as the Wildcat’s Friday night starter throwing 64.2 innings, striking out 78 while sporting a 4.45 era. After the collegiate season he pitched an additional 28 innings in the Cape League where he struck out 29 in 28 innings while only giving up 22 hits and walking 9.
If you’ve never seen Sullivan pitch he throws from a funky low 3⁄4 slot that is super deceptive. He works quickly and pounds the zone. He has a 3 pitch mix (FB,SL,CH) but is super FB heavy. In his start Friday against Mount St. Mary’s he threw 77 pitches and a staggering 66 of them were fastballs (85%). He had a crazy 25 swing and misses on the day. The fastball had 55% miss and 41% chase. Sullivan’s FB sat 88 and topped out at 90. If he can tap into his big frame and gain velocity you could watch his stock soar. With the news that Teddy McGraw may be out for an extended amount of time it will be interesting to see if Sullivan sticks in the starting rotation. My bet would be yes.
⭐️Top Weekend Performers⭐️
— Nick Johnson (@nicholasmilo) February 28, 2023
Sean Sullivan: 6 IP, O R, 0 H, 0 BB, 1 HBP, 11 K
If you’ve never seen Sean Sullivan pitch he throws from a funky low 3⁄4 slot that is super deceptive. He works quickly and pounds the zone. He has a 3 pitch mix (FB,SL,CH) but is super FB heavy. pic.twitter.com/KjlXMxYc2n
Performance: 7.1 IP, 1R, 4H, 0BB, 8K
After missing all of 2021 due to injury Ryan Hawks became Louisville’s go to arm out of the pen in 2022. In 27 appearances (1 start) Hawks threw 49 innings allowing 54 hits, walking 16 and striking out 65.
This year Hawks becomes arguably the most important piece of a Louisville staff that is coming off an underwhelming 2022. The former Kentucky Gatorade player of the year has certainly looked the part of a Friday night starter through his first two games. In 13.2 innings he has only given up 7 hits, 1 walk, 1 ER, while striking out 17.
This Friday against Bowling Green he looked really good. He tossed 7.1 innings of 4 hit ball without allowing an earned run and striking out 8. He threw 88 pitches and was primarily FB/SL while mixing in 6 CH. Despite it being a brisk 45 degrees the fastball sat 92 and topped 93. I expect the velocity to tick up as it gets warmer and he builds back up. The slider looked really impressive with 56% whiff/31% chase. I hope he mixes the change in more because it had good fading movement and induced some funky swings.
Through two starts Louisville has to be extremely happy with what they’ve seen from Hawks as he will be a pivotal piece in their push to Omaha.
⭐️Top Weekend Performers⭐️
— Nick Johnson (@nicholasmilo) February 28, 2023
Ryan Hawks: 7.1 IP, 1R, 4H, 0BB, 8K
The former Kentucky Gatorade player of the year has certainly looked the part of a Friday night starter through his 1st 2 starts. In 13.2 innings @_RyanHawks has only given up 7 hits, 1 walk, 1 ER, w 17 K’s. pic.twitter.com/yPiV5qG29A
6 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 3BB, 13K
When Florida went and got Hurston Waldrep out of the transfer portal I imagine this was exactly what they thought they were getting. The RHP Southern Miss transfer was absolutely electric Saturday afternoon. The 6’2 Thomasville, GA native shoved against Cincinnati going 6.0 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 13 K (tied career high). He threw 100 pitches (62% strikes) and featured a FB,CB,SP/CH mix. The fastball sat 95 and topped 98. He held 96 into the 6th inning. The Split-Change was absolutely nails at 87 mph with 71% whiff/64% chase.
After facing Charleston Southern and Cincinnati, Waldrep will get his first real test of the season this weekend as he faces a talented and nationally ranked Miami offense highlighted by projected first rounder Yoyo Morales.
⭐️Top Weekend Performers⭐️
— Nick Johnson (@nicholasmilo) February 28, 2023
Hurston Waldrep: 6 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 3BB, 13K
Waldrep threw 100 pitches (62% K) w a FB,CB,SP/CH mix. The FB sat 95 and T98. He held 96 into the 6th inning. The Split-Change was absolutely gross at 87 mph with 71% whiff/64% chase.
🎥: @gabyvitalee pic.twitter.com/Lfdzz1Oi0B
5.2, 1H, 0 ER, 2BB, 8K, 81 pitches (50 strikes) at #10 TCU
8 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 12 K, 99 pitches (71 strikes) vs UPENN
7 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 9 K, 101 pitches (67 strikes) at #4 Ole Miss
Performance: 6 for 12, HR, 2 2B, 7 RBI
In what was billed to be one of the best matchups of the weekend #13 Maryland traveled down south to take on the #4 Rebels of Ole Miss. It was a great early season test for the Maryland offense to go up against some great SEC arms. While the series didn’t go the way Maryland would have hoped, Jr. catcher Luke Shliger really stood out. In the 3 game series the 5’9 LHH went 6-12 with a 2B, HR, 5 RBI’s, 2BB and 3K.
Shliger really burst onto the scene as a sophomore slashing .357/.500/.643 with a 1.143 OPS. He had 22 doubles, 2 triples, and 12 homers. He followed up his sophomore campaign with an All-Star season on Cape.
With a hit > power approach, good swing/take decisions, strong bat-to-ball skills, and limited physical projection remaining, the Maryland backstop profiles as a high-floor, low-ceiling type player. The question he will have to answer this spring is just how much impact the bat carries. The power production will dictate how high he goes but he currently projects as a Top 100 pick.
Top 5 | That's our captain!!
— Maryland Baseball (@TerpsBaseball) February 26, 2023
Luke Shliger hammers a ball over TJ McCants and into the student section for the Terps fourth home run of the game
Rebels 10, Terps 8 pic.twitter.com/oZwRJfATcO
Performance: 8-13, 7 2B, 1 HR, 11 RBI, 2 BB, 3HBP, 2 SB
I’m not sure anyone in the country had as good of a weekend as RS SO catcher Devin Burkes. Burkes went crazy against Wright St. going 8 for 13 with 7 doubles, 1 homerun, 11 RBI, 2 walks, 3 HBP, and 2 stolen bases. Including his midweek game against Indiana St. Burkes slashed .563/.667/1.188 with a 1.855 OPS. The Bradenton, Florida native is enjoying his first year as Kentucky’s everyday catcher and has a 20 game on base streak dating back to last season. He currently leads the nation in doubles. Burkes is making his case to fly up draft boards this spring.
👋, baseball@Devin_Burkes pic.twitter.com/tstNXQzA2e
— Kentucky Baseball (@UKBaseball) February 26, 2023
Performance: 5-9, 5R, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 1BB, 1K
Not even a historic Southern California deluge could cool off JR RHH Jack Costello. The third baseman only got two games in this weekend due to heavy rain but did wreak havoc in both.On Friday night against Hawaii he went 3-4 with 2 HR and 6 RBI. On Sunday against UNLV he went 2-5 with a HR and 3 RBI.
Costello is coming off an impressive sophomore campaign where he slashed .307/.369/.487 with a .856 OPS. He had 15 2B, 2 3B, and 8 HR. He spent 18 games in the Cape Cod league where he hit .270 in limited at bats.
The Terero’s are off to a hot 5-0-1 start and a lot of their future success will rest on the success of their star 3B.
It's Jack Costello versus everybody.#GoToreros pic.twitter.com/yJhOldsYgO
— San Diego Baseball (@USDbaseball) February 27, 2023
While Spring is still more than a month away on the calendars, “Spring baseball” is underway in both Florida and Georgia. The first two weeks in February have seen a number of intriguing arms take the mound in JUCO and high school action. Ergo, for this first edition of Live Looks, we will cover seven draft eligible arms in the Southeast that grabbed attention in their season debuts.
Performance: 5 IP, 3 K, 1 BB, 0 H, 0 R
Carson Dorsey put together a stellar start for Gulf Coast State to open up the tournament, pitching five hitless innings vs. a tough San Jacinto lineup. Operating with a big arm swing, over the top armslot and exhibiting hard falloff to third base, Dorsey’s ability to throw strikes is a testament to his athletic ability. He carries his low 90s fastball very well at the top of the zone, and gets varying levels of two plane shape on a low to mid 70s curveball and high 70s slider. The Dores’ ace also flashed a changeup at 76 with fading life. A 17th round pick for the Rangers last year, scouts are still anticipating an uptick in stuff from the long and lean lefty. However, the pitchability and above average starter’s arsenal was on full display in his season opener.
Performance: 4.1 IP, 5 K, 2 H, 1 R
Ramsey David got the ball on Friday night for NWFL State and put together a strong outing for the Raiders. The physical right hander operates with tempo and has a really quick arm, moving downmound well to get the ball on hitters in a hurry. To right-handed hitters, David used a 90-94 MPH four seam fastball with good carrying life and a sweeping 79-80 MPH slider. To lefties, David went to a two seamer with good tail and similar velocity, and pitched off that with a 84-86 MPH changeup with good depth. The well-traveled (Auburn, Gordon State) 22 year old executed his plan well and even went to a quick pitch for one of his strikeouts, demonstrating some advanced pitchability that has developed over the fall in Niceville.
Performance: 5 IP, 9 K, 1 H, 0 R
The top JUCO prospect on our board at press time, Christian Oppor dominated a good Delgado lineup with almost nothing but fastballs over five innings. The lean and athletic left hander sat 92-96 MPH with his two seamer from a low 3Q armslot, flashing plus tailing life and touching 97 early on. Oppor flashed a solid 84 MPH changeup with late depth in the first inning, and showed a decent low 80s slider in warmups. However, 69 of his 70 pitches in game were fastballs, and all the Delgado Dolphins could muster was a single infield hit. Operating with low effort and not even needing to go to his secondary offerings, the A’s draft and follow pick put together a loud performance that is eclipsing the $225,000 that Oakland could offer him, shooting him up boards across the league into Day 1 consideration.
RHP Francesco Capocci (Denmark (GA), 2023) worked a scoreless first vs Cambridge. FB sat 91-93 with good carrying life, CB at 74-77 with above average vertical shape. Flashed a SL at 80 with tight vertical break. North Carolina commit. pic.twitter.com/4cxQcFGLSp
— Will Hoefer (@whoeferbaseball) February 8, 2023
Francesco Capocci put together a solid outing to start off the Denmark Danes’ 2023 season, surrendering two runs over four innings of work. The UNC commit worked off an improved four seam fastball at 89-93 MPH, which seems to have exchanged some natural cut for more armside run and carry. Capocci was able to get whiffs on it up in the zone, but did have issues locating it early on. The main secondary offering was a curveball in the 75-78 MPH range with above average two plane shape. With a 6-4, 210 lb. frame straight out of central casting, Capocci moves well and has a quick arm--but the stiffness of its action may be causing the timing issues that has led to him losing his fastball release point. However, Capocci was able to quickly go to his curveball and pitch backwards off it to get the outs he needed, showing some of his strong pitching aptitude.
Tate McKee got the start for Mt. Paran in their scrimmage against Houston County, and struck out 4 batters over two innings. McKee has a long wrapping front leg that he is able to keep on time with his short arm action, which hides the ball behind his head for a substantial portion of his delivery. The 6-2 Kennesaw native worked off a 90-93 MPH fastball with good armside life, and put a bevy of batters away with his sweeping slider at 79-81. The slider has the potential to be a plus pitch for the Georgia Tech commit, who could elicit serious draft interest if he shows a good third pitch and makes velocity gains as the weather heats up.
Coming on in relief, Luke Dotson pitched two scoreless innings against Houston County, including a strikeout of Drew Burress, one of Georgia’s best hitting prospects. The big left hander has a fairly unique drop and drive delivery, which allows him to keep his release point low on the overhead slot in which he fires his 88-92 MPH four seam fastball from. There were early command issues, but once Dotson settled in no one could touch his heater. Complementing the shallow angle of his fastball was a sweepy slider at 75-77 MPH that lacked sharpness, but was still effective when Dotson finished it at the knees. Committed to Mississippi State, Dotson’s two pitch mix feels tailor made for late relief in Starkville, but he will continue to be monitored throughout the spring for any developments in his stuff and/or command.
Andrew Dunford pitched a scoreless first inning for Houston County in their scrimmage against Mt. Paran Christian, with his fastball flummoxing hitters. The heater sat 89-92 MPH, touching 93 and possesses good running life that jams hitters on the inner third and can paint on the outer third. Dunford mixed in a few curveballs at 75-77 MPH, though the feel for spin is below average and the shape is soft. The 6-6 righty shows very strong athletic ability in his drop and drive delivery, though the maintenance of getting his long arm swing and involved lower half on time can lead to command issues. Nevertheless, athletes of this caliber at this size are viewed as great clay, and as such an eye should be kept on the Mercer commit to monitor velocity gains throughout the Spring.
