By Doug Freeman
Florida Scouting Director

Kissimmee, FL—This past Saturday, 50 talented unsigned seniors came to Osceola County Stadium to play in Florida’s first Unsigned Senior Games. The players ran through a pro-style workout, which included throws from the outfield, ground balls at shortstop and first, pop times from the catchers and batting practice. Following the pro-style event, the players were split into four teams playing two games in which each primary pitcher was able to throw two innings.

There were a lot of talented players who should have the opportunity to play at the next level in attendance, but a few really stood out during the course of the event. One of those players was a strong, left-handed hitting first baseman and right-handed pitcher in Luis Ezra (Calvary Christian Academy, FL). Not only was he impressive with the bat, but he showed a strong arm on the mound and solid defensive actions.

Another big standout was the 6-foot-2 shortstop Jose Varela (Somerset Academy, FL). He showed above average defensive actions both in the workout and game play as well as a nice, easy swing with some power potential.

Overall, the catchers were impressive, rounding out the standouts from the day. C Josh Rulli (Riverview HS, FL), is a strong, stocky backstop with an aggressive approach and feel for the barrel with gap-to-gap power. C Riley Wash (Lake Brantley HS, FL), is projectable and lean with a strong arm from behind the plate and a good path from the right side with some power potential. Finally, C Joe Kelly (Park Vista HS, FL) is stocky and strong with a quick bat and strong arm.

Check out the full scouting report on each player below:

Luis Ezra, 1B/RHP, Calvary Christian Academy, FL
The 6-foot, 190-pounder was one of the biggest standouts of the day. In the pro-style workout he showed good footwork around the bag at first and an above average glove and arm topping out at 85 mph across the infield. After watching him field both in the pro-style and in the game I would be interested to see if he could play third base, as he seems to have the glove and arm to do so. Offensively, the left-handed hitter has a strong lower half and a very quick bat with an exit velocity of 94 mph. He showed a slightly uphill path with natural loft, feel for the barrel and pull-side power. He translated the tools and batting practice to the game, showing the ability to keep his hands inside the ball with a double down the right field line and a deep fly ball to right. He also pitched, running his fastball up to 83 mph. Overall he is a very intriguing left-handed hitter that could potentially play third, but the bat is what will take him to the next level.

Jose Varela, MIF, Somerset Academy, FL
The physical 6-foot-2, 185-pound middle infielder was impressive all the way around. He was the first infielder to go in the pro-style workout and showed solid actions, working calm and under control while being able to come through the baseball with soft hands out in front of his body. He showed some first-step quickness as well as an above average arm, with the best velocity of anyone at 89 mph across the infield. The actions work, but he may get too big and strong to stay at short, but he definitely has the arm to play third. Offensively, the right-handed hitter hits from an upright stance with a small weight shift trigger. He shows a gap-to-gap approach with a feel for the barrel and a quality, slightly uphill path through the zone. There is not a lot of effort and he already generates a lot of bat speed, with an exit velocity of 95 mph, and present pull-side power. There is a lot to like about how he goes about his batting practice and approach to the game. He shows present feel with tools and potential for more power to come.

Josh Rulli, C, Riverview HS, FL
The strong 5-foot-10, 185-pound right-handed hitting catcher was one of the most impressive performers in the event. In the pro-style workout he proved to be an average to above catcher with a quick release and best pop time at 2.0 seconds. In the game he also showed the ability to receive well with present strength in his forearms and he blocked well to both sides with some flexibility. Offensively, he took two solid rounds of BP, showing his ability to drive the ball gap to gap and also show some aggressive pull-side power. With a wide set-up and leg kick trigger, he creates a lot of rhythm while staying on time and generating significant torque with his lower half. This resulted in a lot of bat speed through the zone and an exit velocity of 92 mph off of the tee. The swing translated well into the game, resulting in two singles, a triple, and a deep fly ball to center. Every at-bat he had during the game he found the barrel. He showed his athleticism and hand-eye coordination both offensively and defensively in the game. With the toolset he showed today, there is no reason he should not be able to play at a high level at the next stop in his career.

Riley Wash, C, Lake Brantley HS, FL
The broad-shouldered 6-foot-1, 175 pound catcher looks like there is a lot of room to continue to fill out and get stronger. Being one of the more projectable guys, he also showed multiple present tools. Defensively, he was consistently sub 2.0 with his pop times with his best being a 1.95. He shows a strong arm and can continue to shave time as he improves his footwork and transfer. Offensively, the right-handed hitter shows quick hands through the zone with a level, line drive path. When he utilized his lower half he showed some gap-to-gap power with much more to come. The hand-eye coordination is very good and his hands worked well, producing two singles and a double in the game. The kid seems to be an extremely hard worker with some present tools and projection, which all makes him very interesting at the next level.

Joe Kelly, C, Park Vista HS, FL
The 6-foot-1, 210-pound catcher is built for the position. He has a strong, thick lower half and defensively is a little stiff, but has a quick transfer with his best pop time being 1.94. He also blocked and received the ball well in the game. Offensively, the right-handed hitter hits from an upright stance and with a slight weight shift and leg kick trigger, when he is in rhythm and on time the ball jumped in batting practice especially to the pull side. He has quick hands and a good, slightly uphill path through the zone. This resulted in an exit velocity of 87 mph off of the tee and a single in the game.