Prep Baseball Report

Florida Class of 2019 Rankings: Newcomers



By Mike Maerz
Director of Florida Operations/Area Scout




With the list of players expanding from 35 to 65 in the recent Florida Class of 2019 Rankings update, there were many players who entered the rankings for the first time. The following eight players are newcomers to the rankings to keep an eye on as we continue with the fall season and the high school season right around the corner.

Ben Rozenblum, C, Calvary Christian Academy, FL
Coming in at No. 28 in the rankings, the 5-foot-11 175-pounder is solid defensively, both showing well above average receiving and blocking skills for his class. He shows a quick transfer and strong arm with his best pop time being at 2.0 seconds. At the plate, Rozenblum has quick hands through the zone, which creates some power and the ability to drive the ball. Although he still doesn’t use his lower half completely, he will continue to improve and with more at-bats will be able to build upon the power he already possesses. Rozenblum already has above-average all-around tools for his class and will be interesting to follow to see how he continues to develop.

Josh Rivera, SS/RHP, Avon Park HS, FL
Now at the No. 29 spot, the 6-foot, 165-pounder has an athletic, strong build. He is a solid defender with soft hands and moves well with an above-average arm.  He has shown the ability to consistently barrel the baseball in the game, creating above-average bat speed from a strong lower half and quick hands. He consistently stays through the baseball and displays good hand-eye coordination. Rivera has also sat 81-83 mph on the mound with his fastball, touching 84, with a loose arm action.

Cooper Weiss, SS/3B, Canterbury HS, FL
Coming in at No. 30, the 5-foot-9 160-pounder has a strong upper body with a proportional frame. He is a smooth defender with strong and accurate throws across the diamond that have carry. Weiss stays balanced in the box with loose hands and a swing that is very short and direct. He continually makes consistent contact with a line-drive approach that uses all of the field. Weiss displays confidence in his game and has quality baseball instincts. 

Hunter Mink, RHP/OF, Palm Harbor University, FL
After his impressive performance at the Underclass Games, Mink moves into the No. 33 spot. The athletic 6-foot, 180-pounder shows athleticism and a quick arm on the mound. Landing slightly closed, with a crossfire action, he throws from a 3/4 slot with a quick and easy arm action. The fastball ranges from 84-86 mph with late sinking action. When he gets extension out in front, there is more life on the fastball. The slider has a good shape to it and ranges from 68-69 mph. The right-handed hitter starts from an open stance and uses a low hand load trigger. He has an uphill path and can get long at times, but shows some good bat speed. His potential is on the mound and has a high upside being athletic with a quick arm.

Raymond LaFleur III, 1B/LHP, JM Tate HS, FL
Coming in at No. 34, the athletic and projectable left-handed hitter stands at 6-foot-2, 175 pounds, hitting from a tall set-up with a medium leg kick and small hand load. He stays in good rhythm and is on time to the baseball. With an advanced approach and good path through the zone results in consistent quality swings and line drives all over the field with more power to come. On the mound with long, easy, over the top arm action he stays in line to home showing a fastball that ranges from 80-82 mph. He also displays a sweeping slider that ranges from 66-67 mph with shape and potential. There are present tools that play well above his class with a high ceiling both at the plate and on the mound that make him one of the top 2019s in the state.

Bryce Boone, C/OF, Trinity Catholic HS, FL
Ranked No. 39 in the class, the recent Florida State recruit stood out all summer with a lean, projectable body on a 6-foot-2, 180-pound frame with plenty of room to fill out. He is slightly open at the plate with good balance and a confident approach. Boone displays a quick bat with an easy swing from the right side with the ability to square the ball up and make solid contact. During game play, he has shown the ability to drive the ball deep into the gaps for extra-base hits. Look for Boone to make a big impact for his high school team this upcoming season, especially as he continues to mature and fill out his frame.

Matthew Corlew, SS, Trinity Christian Academy, FL
Now at the No. 44 spot, the 6-foot, 160-pounder has a projectable, high-waisted frame. Even though there is some choppiness in his steps, he has a quick first step and moves through the ball well with soft hands that work well out in front of his body. As he continues to get a feel for his body, the athleticism and first-step quickness should translate into better footwork, making him an above-average middle infielder. At the plate, the right-handed hitter has quick hands through the zone, but tends to cut himself off before getting full extension through the baseball. As he learns to use his athleticism both offensively and defensively, he will continue to get better and has a chance to be very good on both sides which makes him a high follow going forward.

Derek Crum, OF/LHP, Gaither HS, FL
Coming in at No. 46, the 5-foot-10, 165-pounder has shown potential on the mound by throwing a knuckleball and curveball along with his fastball that ranges from 83-85 mph with a quick and easy high 3/4 arm action. At the plate, the left-handed hitter shows bat speed and quick hands through the zone. With a leg kick trigger creating rhythm, he stays on time and consistently gets quality extension in an aggressive approach. He shows some present pull-side power and as he continues to get stronger, with the above-average bat speed, he should have above average power. In the outfield he showed athleticism working through the ball well showing strong low accurate throws with some carry.

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