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Top 2018 Left-Handed Pitchers

September 30, 2015

By Justin Burgess
Florida Area Scout

With the top 25 of the 2018 Florida rankings being dominated by right-handed pitchers and catchers, there are still a few solid left-handed arms who already show an advanced arsenal of pitches and made a big impact at the varsity level as freshmen. Let us take a look at the top 2018 lefties in the state of Florida and see what sets them apart from the rest of pack.

Jonathan Gates LHP, Nature Coast Tech HS 2018
Gates, ranked fifth overall in the state, stands at 6-foot-2, 170-pounds with a lean, athletic, and projectable body. He has a loose and quick arm with a high ¾ release. His fastball sits 82-86 mph and he shows a good 75-77 mph changeup with the same arm speed as his fastball and has some arm side run and late sink. Gates also possesses an average curveball that is better the harder he throws it (70-74 mph). More velocity will come with added strength and physical maturity for Jonathan. He is uncommitted right now but we have to imagine that he at least has dozens of schools interested, if not multiple offers already on the table. Gates was one of the top arms for Nature Coast Tech last season and he will likely be the ace this year.

Doug Nikhazy LHP, West Orange HS 2018
The Ole Miss commit is 5-foot-10, 175-pounds with a loose, lean, and projectable body. He possesses a loose, easy working arm with a fluid delivery. His fastball sits 83-86 mph with tail action. Doug’s curveball can either be a tight, downer breaking ball or it can have a ¾ break with good depth. Either way, his curveball is advanced for his age.  Nikhazy stepped up for West Orange both on the mound and at the plate as a freshman. Overall, his fastball and off speed will only continue to improve with added size and strength. He is currently ranked seventh in the state.

Julian Bosnic LHP/OF, Berkeley Prep 2018
Standing at 6-foot-2, 195-pounds, Bosnic has an athletic, loose, and projectable body with a large frame for his age. He is currently ranked 23rd in Florida and might still have room to grow and will add more weight with maturity. He possesses a loose, high ¾ arm action and his fastball has jumped from 79-82 mph early in the spring to 83-86 and touching 87 mph this summer. Julian shows good feel for his off speed pitches and has a plus breaking ball for his age with a 12/6 action and late break. He helped Berkeley Prep from both the mound and plate this past year and will be looking to do the same in 2016.

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