Prep Baseball Report

Become a Member

More +

FL Insider: Catching Up with Florida's 2015 First Round Draft Picks

August 3, 2015

By Justin Burgess
Florida Area Scout

Today we are taking a look back at the five high school players from Florida who were drafted in the first round of this year’s 2015 MLB draft. After signing, most of these players have begun to get their feet wet in professional baseball. We will recap who drafted them and dig into some of their statistics in minor league baseball. It is important to note that these young men are now playing against experienced players who are mostly a couple years older than them and this is a big adjustment from high school baseball. Each player will adjust and progress at different rates, some may make it to the major leagues in 2-3 years while for some it may take 4-5 years to get called up. That being said, there is a good chance that some or even most of these players will make it to the major leagues at some point and some of them may even become stars.

Brendan Rodgers SS, Lake Mary HS

Taken by the Colorado Rockies as the third overall pick, Rodgers proved us, most scouts, and most critics right as being the best high school prospect in the nation. Through 19 games and 73 at-bats, Rodgers is hitting .233 with 2 HRs, 3 2Bs, and 11 RBIs. Brendan is playing for the Grand Junction Rockies which is a rookie-ball team in the Pioneer League.

Kyle Tucker OF, Tampa Plant HS

Tucker was taken by the Houston Astros as the fifth overall pick in the draft, and the second high school player taken after Rodgers. Kyle had a tremendous senior season that caused him to jump up in the rankings as the draft approached. Through 34 games and 128 at-bats in the Gulf Coast League and Appalachian League (both rookie leagues), Tucker is hitting .219 with 2 HR’s, 2 3Bs, 4 2Bs, and 14 RBIs.

Ryan Mountcastle SS/3B, Hagerty HS

Mountcastle was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles as the 36th overall pick in the first round. Some thought, and still think, this may have been a reach because of defensive questions, but there has never been any doubt that Mountcastle can hit and he is not disappointing this minor league season. Through 29 games and 112 at-bats in the Gulf Coast League, Ryan is hitting .321 with 6 2Bs, 2 HRs, 11 RBIs, and 9 SBs. Even though 112 at-bats is a small sample size and rookie ball is a tough indicator of projection, it is still always nice to see early success from young players. A strong first season will still give both Mountcastle and the Orioles some degree of confidence heading into next year.

Jake Woodford RHP, Tampa Plant HS

Woodford was picked up by the St. Louis Cardinals as the 39th overall pick. Woodford had a very solid senior season with his fastball sitting in the 90-93 mph range with a good, hard slider in the low to mid 80’s. His consistent velocity, ability to throw both pitches for strikes, and large 6-foot-4 frame always attracted scouts. His projection of a power fastball/slider combination could lead him to a closer role in the future, but as of right now the Cardinals appear to be building him into a starter. Through five games and three starts in the Gulf Coast League, Woodford has pitched 13.1 innings with 4.05 ERA and 7 strikeouts.

Triston McKenzie RHP, Royal Palm Beach HS

McKenzie was the 42nd overall pick in this year’s MLB draft by the Cleveland Indians. Over the past year, Triston was always viewed as arguably the number one high school pitching prospect in Florida. The Indians seem to think he is the real deal as they gave him a signing bonus of $2.3 million which is well over slot for where he was selected. Triston has not pitched in a professional game yet but we will continue to follow him this year and throughout the coming years.

Related Content