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Preseason Top 25: No. 20 Crawford Mosley

January 11, 2016

By Justin Burgess
Florida Area Scout

As we kick off the second week of unveiling the preseason top 25 teams in the state, we are now a little more than three weeks away from the start of preseason games and about a month away from the regular season being underway. We also covered teams 21-25 in the rankings which now leaves us with the top 20.

Coming in at number 20 is a strong program that is located in the Panhandle and lost in the 5a state championship game last year. Crawford Mosley was another squad who was considered to be one of the best in the country as they finished with a record of 27-3 with all of their losses coming from nationally-recognized opponents—two who were from out of state.

Even though the Dolphins lost a deep senior class, they still have their best player and a few talented underclassmen who will contribute both on the mound and at the plate. OF/LHP J.J. Bleday is signed with Vanderbilt and is one of the top two-way players in the state, if not the country. The lefty possesses a natural, smooth stroke and an easy delivery on the mound that allows him to pound the zone with all three pitches. He will almost certainly hit third in the lineup for Mosley and look to continue where he left off after he had an impressive junior season. As a pitcher he will be their clear-cut ace as his fastball sits 85-88 mph and can run up to 90-91 mph. He also has an advanced curveball and changeup that he can throw in any count for a strike.

2017 SS/RHP Michael Cullen is another two-way player who will be a vital piece for the Dolphins in 2016. Cullen has a strong and athletic frame at 6-foot-1, 175 pounds and he can run his fastball up to 87-88 mph and compliment that with solid off speed. He will also likely play shortstop for them when he is not pitching and will provide athleticism and a strong arm across the diamond. At the plate he will hit somewhere towards the top of the lineup and should be a major contributor to the offensive production for Mosley.

Another talented junior for the Dolphins is 2017 INF Ryan Yeager. Possessing a loose and athletic frame at 6-foot-3, Yeager can play anywhere in the infield at a high level but will likely play third base the majority of the time and shortstop when Cullen is pitching. Yeager has the ability to make difficult plays look easy and has the arm strength to stay on the left side of the infield. At the plate he has a simple approach with a quick, loose swing and consistently finds the barrel. Look for him to also be a big run-producer for the Dolphins as he will likely hit somewhere in the top five of the lineup.

The best teams and talent is a little more sparsely distributed in the Panhandle than in areas like South Florida but Mosley will certainly be tested by a few opponents, especially by those the play out of state. Do not be surprised if the Dolphins make another run at the 5a state title and try to seek revenge on Archbishop McCarthy.