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Florida Class of 2019 Rankings Released

September 19, 2016

By Mike Maerz
Director of Florida Operations/Area Scout

With the 2016 Underclass Games in the books after this past weekend, it’s time to update the Florida Class of 2019 Rankings. This update sees the list expand from 35 to 65 players with a number of players rising up the board or entering the rankings for the first time.

This talented crop of sophomores already has nine of the top 10 players committed to play at the Division I level. In fact, 19 of the top 25 players in the 2019 class are already committed to a college. This class boasts some great depth and while some have already made an impact for their high school team as freshmen, expect for many of those on the list to stand out for their teams as sophomores in the spring.

Below are how the top five shake out in the updated Florida Class of 2019 Rankings:

Leading the way at No. 1 for the Florida Class of 2019 while also being ranked No. 1 in the PBR Overall Rankings is 1B/RHP Triston Casas (American Heritage HS, FL). The Miami recruit is known as one of the top power hitting prospects in the country in his class with a 6-foot-3, 230-pound frame with a physical, athletic build and strong lower half. He displays plus bat speed from the left side while staying balanced in the box with loose hands and good hand-eye coordination. The confident hitter has an aggressive approach that consistently finds the barrel and produces hard, loud contact. The ball jumps off the bat and he possesses the ability to drive the ball deep into the gaps or over the wall. Casas also shows good plate discipline and instincts. On the mound he has an easy working arm and gets some extension out in front on his delivery. His fastball has sat at 88-90 mph with run, touching 91 while also mixing in a 72-75 mph slider with depth and hard bite.

Coming in at No. 2 is C Jake Holland (Calvary Christian Academy, FL) who is the top-ranked catcher. The Miami recruit stands at 6-foot-2, 185 pounds with a lean, athletic, long, and projectable frame. Behind the plate he displays a quick transfer with a plus arm that has accuracy on his throws to the bag. Holland also shows flexibility in his set-up, deadens pitches in the dirt, and receives well. At the plate, he is balanced and on time to the fastball while also being able to stay on breaking balls, taking them the other way. He frequently has shown the ability to drive the ball into the gaps for extra-base hits. With the athleticism and potential on both sides of the ball, look for Holland to continue to be one of the top prospects in his class.

The No. 3 spot belongs to LHP Hunter Barco (Bolles HS, FL), a Virginia recruit, who has a strong, athletic and projectable 6-foot-4, 185-pound frame with a good lower half. On the mound he shows a quick arm throwing out of the low three-quarters arm slot and hiding the ball well. His fastball sits in the upper 80s with life while touching the low 90s and he throws it for a high percentage of strikes. He also has a 74-75 mph changeup. Barco pitches with confidence and seems to get stronger the deeper he goes into games. In the state semifinals, he threw a complete game shutout to send his team to the state final.

Right behind Barco at No. 4 is OF/LHP Riley Greene (Hagerty HS, FL), who stands at 6-foot-2, 180 pounds with a lean, projectable body. The Florida recruit has a good hitting approach with rhythm and timing along with a loose bat and quickness in the hands. He gets good extension and leverage with some loft in his swing that can drive ball with some present power. He has shown athletic actions and a loose, easy throwing arm from the outfield. On the mound, he has been 80-83 mph with his fastball, touching 86 with a clean, loose and easy 3/4 arm action while also displaying good shape on the slider.

Rounding out the top five is RHP Joseph Charles (The First Academy, FL). The North Carolina recruit stands at 6-foot-2, 180 pounds with an athletic build and strength in the lower half. He has a loose, live, easy working arm at a high-3/4 arm slot and hides the ball in back. His fastball sits at 86-89 mph and has recently been up to 91 while displaying good arm-side life and late sink. The curveball is a 3/4 breaker with occasional depth at 69-71 mph.

Here’s a look at the Top 10:


 Name State School Class Pos Commitment
1 Triston Casas FL American Heritage 2019 1B Miami
2 Jake Holland FL Calvary Christian Academy 2019 C Miami
3 Hunter Barco FL Bolles 2019 LHP Virginia
4 Riley Greene FL Hagerty 2019 OF Florida
5 Joseph Charles FL First Academy 2019 RHP North Carolina
6 Brandon Walker FL North Florida Christian 2019 RHP Florida State
7 Jacob Herbert FL George W. Jenkins 2019 C Florida
8 Matt Allan FL Seminole 2019 RHP Miami
9 Josiah Miller FL Lincoln 2019 2B
10 Dylan Simmons FL Trinity Christian Academy 2019 RHP Florida State

CLICK HERE for the updated Florida Class of 2019 Rankings

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