Florida high school baseball: MLB Draft recap

Fourteen Floridian prep stars get selected; other draft eligible players opt for college opportunities

Devin Fitz-Gerald (left) and Jayden Dubanewicz of Majory Stoneman Douglas were two of 14 Florida high school baseball stars selected in this week's 2024 MLB Draft. / Joe Frisaro

After 20 rounds and 615 picks, the exhaustingly hectic 2024 MLB Draft has concluded. 

The event spanned three days, and it was folded into MLB’s All-Star Week at Globe Life Field, home of the Texas Rangers. 

While there was a Texas theme throughout the festivities, with players and TV hosts frequently sporting cowboy hats, the draft certainly had a Sunshine State flavor. That’s because the state of Florida was prominent in the draft.

SBLive Florida has the breakdown of all the players selected from the Sunshine State. Now, keep in mind, with the way the signing bonus pool works, several top players could have been selected in the first five rounds. However, the money figures being offered by teams wasn’t worth them signing.

That was the case with three high-profile players from South Florida. Westminster Christian right-hander Lazaro Collera was seeking $1.2 million, per the Miami Herald, and Doral Academy outfielder Michael Torres wanted $800,000. Both will now attend the University of Miami. And Westminster Christian shortstop Manny Marin is opting to play at the University of Tennessee.

Here’s a breakdown of the prep players who were selected:

Kellon Lindsey, SS, Hardee (1st Round, 23rd overall) Los Angeles Dodgers: Talk about stock rising. The speedy shortstop has rapidly shot up the boards of many big league teams, and the Florida Gators’ commit is one of the fastest prep shortstops in the draft. At the June MLB Draft Combine at Chase Field in Phoenix, Ariz., Lindsey ran the 30-yard dash in 3.552 seconds. As a senior at Hardee, he hit .403 and swiped 26 bases.

Blake Larson, LHP, IMG Academy (Competitive Balance Rd. B) Chicago White Sox: After being a standout in his home state of Iowa, Larson joined IMG Academy, and he emerged as one of the top lefties in the country. The Texas Christian University commit posted a 1.80 ERA, striking out 71 in a team-high 42 2/3 innings.

Ronny Cruz, SS, Miami Christian (3rd Rd, 90) Chicago Cubs: After a terrific senior season, Cruz attended the MLB Draft Combine in June at Chase Field. Cruz’s athleticism and tools stood out, as he flashed an exit velocity of 107.9 mph. Defensively, he’s a standout at shortstop.

Johnny King, LHP, Naples (3d Rd, 95) Toronto Blue Jays: Still just 17-years-old, the 6-foot-4 Miami commit saw his stock rise after posting an 8-1 record and 110 strikeouts in 47 2/3 innings in the spring. A terrific athlete, King batted .500 in 116 plate appearances, with 12 doubles, four triples and two home runs.

Dylan Jordan, RHP, Viera (5th Rd, 143) Los Angeles Angels: A performer with dominant stuff, Jordan struck out 103 strikeouts in 58 1/3 innings with a 1.32 ERA.

Devin Fitz-Gerald, SS, Marjory Stoneman Douglas (5th Rd, 165) Texas Rangers: The North Carolina State recruit is a switch-hitter who batted .407 with 10 doubles, one triple and five home runs as a senior. Fitz-Gerald is the son of Stoneman Douglas’ legendary coach, Todd Fitz-Gerald. His brother Hunter currently is in the Seattle Mariners’ system.

Chase Mobley, RHP, Durant Plant City (10th Rd, 295) Cleveland Guardians: Mobley posted a 1.30 ERA with 104 strikeouts, while also batting .329 with four home runs. Committed to Florida State, the 6-foot-6 right-hander has caught the attention of MLB clubs. It tends to work that way when your fastball has touched 99 mph.

Edgar Colon, RHP, Felix Varela (11th Rd, 329) Cincinnati Reds: A potential steal for the Reds. The Miami recruit was heavily scouted, yet seemingly under the radar. With a 94-mph fastball, Colon fanned 53 in 42 innings against top competition.

Jack Lines, SS, TNXL Academy (12th Rd, 366) Tampa Bay Rays: At 6-foot-2, Lines is a toolsy switch-hitter from Canada.

Bailan Caraballo, OF, Reborn Christian Academy (15th Rd, 442) Los Angeles Angels: Committed to Miami, Caraballo is a 6-foot-4 athletic outfielder.

Jayden Dubanewicz, RHP, Marjory Stoneman Douglas (16th Rd, 485) Milwaukee Brewers: Big-game tested, Dubanewicz (Florida commit) started the Class 7A state championship game, won by the Eagles. The right-hander was 7-2 with a 1.52 ERA. 

Luca Ramirez, OF, American Heritage Plantation (17th Rd, 502) Los Angeles Angels: Against a tough schedule, Ramirez (Tennessee commit) showed terrific bat-to-ball-skills, striking out just 16 percent of the time. With excellent plate discipline, he walked 15 percent. The left-handed hitter batted .308 with 10 doubles and four homers.

Myles Bailey, 1B/3B, Lincoln Tallahassee (20th Rd, 589) Chicago White Sox: A power threat at 6-foot-4, 235-pounds, Bailey (FSU commit) belted seven home runs on a Lincoln team that reached the Class 5A state semifinals. Bailey hit .325 on the season.

Hunter Carns, C, First Coast Jacksonville (20th Rd, 614) Arizona Diamondbacks:  Carns is committed to FSU. As a senior, the right-handed hitter batted .384 with seven doubles and seven home runs.