Prep Baseball Report

Become a Member

More +

Inside The Rankings: 2016 Risers

November 9, 2015

By Justin Burgess
Florida Area Scout

With the release of our updated 2016 rankings, we would like highlight the players who have shot up the board in the top end of the rankings. Some players have shown tremendous improvement while some have plateaued or decline. Whether it is one of those factors or the obvious fact that Florida is loaded with talent, there have been changes to the 2016 rankings and there will almost certainly be more before the draft in June.

The first player who catapulted into the top ten is right-handed pitcher and North Carolina commit Tyler Baum. The West Orange HS standout has increased his velocity from touching 90-91 mph in the spring to touching 94-95 mph in Jupiter with an advanced 12/6 curveball. Baum is now ranked sixth in Florida.

Another newcomer to the top ten is Miami commit and catcher Michael Amditis. Amditis, who attends Boca Raton HS, really made his presence felt this summer when he stood out at the Under Armor All-American Game at Wrigley Field. Since then he has made his presence felt at other big events where he has shown off his consistent 1.9 pop time, advanced approach at the plate and the ability to drive the ball out of the park. Amditis is now the top-ranked catcher in the state and number eight overall.

Outfielder Austin Langworthy of Williston HS has jumped to the tenth spot in the rankings after impressing at East Coast Pro, Florida Diamond Club, and Jupiter. The Florida commit has proven that he is one of the best pure hitters in the state and can track down balls in the outfield.

Uncommitted shortstop Camryn Williams (Gaither HS) has really shot up the rankings and has proven to be one of the best infielders in Florida. He has gotten stronger, improved his fielding, added power to both sides of the plate and has proven that he can stand out amongst his fellow position players at the top events. The 6-foot-2 shortstop is now ranked 24th in the state.

Trinity Christian Academy outfielder and Auburn commit Edmond Americaan has really made a jump this fall. He possesses an athletic and projectable frame at 6-foot-1, 170 pounds and shows an above average arm and speed. He ran a 6.6 at Florida Diamond Club, drives the ball all over the field from the left side of the plate and wreaks havoc on the base path. Americaan is now ranked 31st overall in Florida.