MLB Draft 2024: Florida's Top 25 high school baseball draft prospects

Rating the Florida high school baseball players who may hear their names called in the 2024 MLB Draft.

Hardee shortstop Kellon Lindsey has shot up the draft boards on most major league teams and is No. 1 on SBLive Sports Top 25 high school baseball prospects for this week's 2024 MLB Major League Draft. /

Just how strong is high school baseball in the state of Florida?

 

Consider, evaluators are calling the Class of 2024 a “down year” for the Sunshine State. Still, when you break it down, Florida remains one of the top states in producing baseball talent.

 

At the high school level, 10 players from Florida were selected to our SBLive Sports Top 50 national list of players eligible for the MLB Draft, set for Sunday-Tuesday.

 

With the three-day, 20-round draft just days away, SBLive Sports Florida offers our Top 25 draft-eligible players from Florida in the upcoming draft.

 

Florida’s Top 25 High School Baseball Draft Prospects

1. Kellon Lindsey, SS, Hardee

Hardee shortstop Kellon Lindsey. /

Talk about stock rising. The speedy shortstop has rapidly shot up the boards of many big league teams, and the Florida Gators’ commit projects to go in the first round. 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. Reminder, at the pro level, it’s about tools, and Lindsey’s elite athleticism has him topping the class in Florida.

2. Noah Franco, LHP/OF, IMG Academy

IMG Academy's Noah Franco. / IMG Academy

When you talk about a complete player, Franco belongs in the conversation. The Texas Christian University recruit is a left-handed pitcher, and left-handed hitting outfielder, who also can play first. Franco has terrific bat-to-ball skills, and hit .319 as a senior. Franco reclassified for the 2024 class, after initially being eligible for 2025.  On the mound may be where the southpaw finds his pro future. At IMG, he had a 0.89 ERA in the spring. It’s a tough call to say if he will be a hitter or pitcher. Maybe the recently turned 18-year-old will be both.

3. Blake Larson, LHP, IMG Academy

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. As a senior, the TCU commit posted a 1.80 ERA, striking out 71 in a team-high 42-2/3 innings.

4. Johnny King, LHP, Naples

Naples pitcher Johnny King. / Jonah Hinebaugh/Naples Daily News/USA

Among the youngest players eligible, King will still be 17 on draft day. The 6-foot-4 Miami commit continues to see 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. The talent and upside are there to be a high-round selection. If the money isn’t right, King projects to have a bright future at Miami.

5. Lazaro Collera, RHP, Westminster Christian

Westminster Christian School pitcher Lazaro Collera. / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Based on his senior season alone, where Collera’s velocity dipped and he wasn’t as sharp as last year, this ranking may appear a bit high. Why Collera gets the No. 5 spot is based on projectability. Last summer his fastball reached 97-98 mph, and at 6-foot-6 he has the physical tools to be a first rounder.  Yet, the Miami recruit’s velocity dipped to the 92-94 mph range. Collera had a chance to meet with teams in June at the MLB Draft Combine. While the right-hander has risk, Collera also could be a steal in the second or third rounds.

6. Ty Head, OF, Windermere

Regarded as the top player in the Orlando area, Head is a left-handed hitter with power, and he’s been a standout defensively in the outfield. A toolsy left-handed hitter and thrower, Head has developed his hit tool and at 6-3 has room to add power. The 19-year-old is a North Carolina State recruit.

7. Chase Mobley, RHP, Durant Plant City

Impactful on the mound and at the plate, 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.

8. Devin Fitz-Gerald, SS, Marjory Stoneman Douglas

Winner of four straight state championships, Fitz-Gerald is among the top all-around hitters in the country. 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.

9. Manny Marin, SS, Westminster Christian

An elite defender, Marin has the athleticism to stick at shortstop in pro ball. At the plate, the right-handed hitter batted .389 with 23 RBIs and 35 runs scored. Power at the next level is still developing, but it’s in there as Marin belted 11 home runs as a senior on a Warriors team that reached the Class 3A state championship game. Formerly the starting shortstop on Team USA’s 18U squad, Marin is committed to Tennessee.

10. Michael Torres, OF, Doral Academy

An all-around ballplayer, Torres was a standout in the field and on the mound at state power Doral Academy. But the left-handed hitter and pitcher is giving up pitching, and he’s focusing strictly on playing the outfield. As a senior, the Miami recruit batted .365 and added four home runs, and 21 stolen bases.

11. Ronny Cruz, SS, Miami Christian

Miami Christian School shortstop Ronny Cruz. / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Getting selected to the MLB Draft Combine is sign pro teams are serious about you. After a terrific senior season at Miami Christian, Cruz was picked to attend the week-long 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. Getting selected in the top 10 rounds is certainly possible.

12. Noah Sheffield, SS, Jesuit Tampa

Like father, like son. From the bat waggle to the performance on the field, Noah Sheffield is following in his famous father’s footsteps. Former MLB All-Star Gary Sheffield made famous the way he waggled the bat before doing damage at the plate. Noah, who helped lead Jesuit to the Class 5A state championship, is the mirror image of his dad at the plate. The Florida State recruit hit .411 with seven doubles and four home runs as a senior. At the MLB Draft Combine, he flashed an exit velocity of 102 mph.

13. Myles Bailey, 1B/3B, Lincoln Tallahassee

Lincoln baseball player Myles Bailey (center). / Liam Rooney/Tallahassee Democrat / USA

A power threat at 6-foot-4, 235-pounds, Bailey belted seven home runs on a Lincoln team that reached the Class 5A state semifinals. Bailey hit .325 on the season. While the FSU commit profiles as a first baseman, he has the athleticism to also play third. A potential drawback is the fact Bailey just turned 19 (July 7), and generally, draft models are cautious of prep players who already are 19.

14. Hunter Carns, C, First Coast Jacksonville

First Coast's Hunter Carns. / Clayton Freeman/Florida Times-Union via

One of the top prep catchers in the country, Carns is committed to FSU. As a senior, the right-handed hitter batted .384 with seven doubles and seven home runs. First Coast has had six players in the past selected in the MLB Draft, but none made it to the big leagues. Could Carns be the first?

15. Talan Bell, LHP, Hagerty Oviedo

Bell had a dominant senior season, posting a 7-1 record and 0.99 ERA. At the plate, the Clemson recruit hit .346, making him a two-way option. At 5-foot-10, Bell lacks prototypical starting pitcher size. But his plus changeup complements his 90-92 mph fastball.

16. Kolt Myers, INF, St. Johns Country Day Orange Park

St. Johns Country Day infielder Kolt Myers. / Clayton Freeman/Florida Times-Union /

A standout at shortstop on St. Johns Country Day’s Class 2A state championship team, Myers hit .305 with six doubles, a triple and two home runs as a senior. The son of former MLB pitcher Brett Myers is committed to Florida.

17. Kaiden Lopez, OF, Oviedo

Oviedo High School infielder Kaiden Lopez. / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Terrific athlete, Lopez is an Ole Miss recruit with tremendous physical tools as a pitcher and hitter. The bat is loud, with exit velocities regularly over 100 mph. On the mound, he throws 95. As a senior, Lopez batted .346 with eight home runs. And in 102 plate appearances, he struck out just 10 times and walked 15.

18. Fabio Peralta, OF, Miami Christian

Possessing an advanced approach at the plate, the Miami commit hit .368 as a senior. Peralta bats lefty and has terrific speed, and he is capable of playing all three outfield positions.

19. Akhil Nimmala, 3B, Strawberry Crest Dover

The University of Central recruit has power potential. In the spring, he hit .308 with five home runs and 24 RBIs.

20. Mateo Gray, RHP/INF, North Broward Prep

A gamer, Gray was one of the top performers in the state on a team that won the Class 3A state title. In the semifinals, he picked up the win as a pitcher, and he homered in the championship game. For the season, the UCF commit hit .354 and as a pitcher, the right-hander was 11-0 with a 0.83 ERA.

21. Kyle Boylston, OF, St. Johns Country Day Orange Park

The speedster has the ability to change the game with his bat, glove, and speed. As a senior, the Florida Atlantic recruit swiped 24 bases, and hit .316 with five doubles and five homers.

22. Jason Bello, INF, Bishop Verot Fort Myers

Jason Bello of the Bishop Verot (right). / Andrew West/The News-Press / USA TODAY

Committed to the University of South Florida, Bello was a big performer as a senior on a team that reached the Class 3A semifinals. He hit .464 with 23 extra-base hits, including 15 doubles and five homers. And he stole 19 bases.

23. Luca Ramirez, OF, American Heritage Plantation

Against a tough schedule, Ramirez regularly faced pitchers throwing more than 90 mph. And as the Patriots top power threat, 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 hitting Tennessee commit batted .308 with 10 doubles and four homers.

24. Jackson Miller, OF, Dwyer Palm Beach Gardens

Dwyer's Jackson Miller. / Chet Peterman / Special to The Post /

On the Class 6A state championship team, Miller, an Ole Miss commit, was a standout by batting .440 with 23 doubles, four triples and three home runs.

25. Blaine Rowland, RHP/OF, Durant Plant City

The Florida recruit has a 93 mph fastball, and he finished his prep career with a 6-0 record and 1.57 ERA. As an outfielder, he hit .494 with nine doubles and a home run.