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Inside The Rankings: 2016 Newcomers

November 11, 2015

By Justin Burgess
Florida Area Scout

With the release of last week’s 2016 updated Florida rankings, one will notice that there have been many changes made. On Monday we pointed out how some of these players have stepped up their game, shown tremendous improvement and/or played better than just about everybody for last few months. Today, however, we will highlight a few players who are new to the top end of the list altogether.

The first name that jumps out at us just moved to Florida a few months back and already finds himself being the top shortstop prospect in the state and the number seven player overall. Luis Curbelo moved from Puerto Rico and now attends Cocoa HS. He has a 6-foot-3, 190-pound frame and shows smooth and advanced actions in the field with easy arm strength across the diamond. The Miami commit also has an advanced approach at the plate and can really drive the ball to all fields. Come June, Curbelo will likely have a tough decision to make between attending Miami and signing a professional contract.

Another prospect who recently moved to Florida is right-handed pitcher and Ole Miss commit Greer Holston. Holston moved from Mississippi to attend IMG Academy and looks to be one of the top arms in the rotation of a very talented squad. The righty stands at 6-foot-4, 200 pounds and runs his fastball up to 91 mph. Holston has made a solid impact on the rankings as he slid into the 51st spot in Florida.

First baseman Elijah Eusebio, who is now ranked at number 76, is a player who has lived in Florida for a while but has really stood out at some big events this fall. Even though he is still uncommitted, Eusebio is a physical player at 6-foot-4, 220 pounds and he can really swing the bat. He had an impressive batting practice at the Dynasty Games in Miami and also hit the ball well in Jupiter, including a long home run to left-center field. He is still a little raw but Eusebio’s strength, bat speed and projectability may have a team interested in picking him up in the 2016 draft.