By Justin Burgess
Florida Area Scout

Being a couple weeks removed from the release of the 2016 Florida rankings and 2016 overall rankings, we will now examine the 2017 class and see who has really stood out over the last few months. The majority of these Top 100 players are already committed and all of them will likely play at the next level. The guys at the top end of the list are already being scouted by Major League organizations and will certainly have an impact on the 2017 draft. Also, the Florida rankings will make a huge dent in the 2017 overall rankings that were recently released.

Looking at the top 10, the No. 1 spot has been overtaken by a lefty power hitter with a smooth swing and advanced approach. 1B Alejandro Toral has a large and strong frame at 6-foot-1, 215 pounds and has flat-out hit his way into being the top-ranked player. The Miami commit shows advanced power, evidenced most recently by his two home runs in Jupiter.

A projectable shortstop comes in at the No. 2 spot as Mark Vientos continues to show smooth actions, a plus arm and the ability to drive the ball to all fields on a regular basis. The 6-foot-3, 175-pound Miami commit performed well at big events this fall and consistently shows the tools to remain the top shortstop in Florida.

The third-ranked player in Florida for the 2017 class is a newcomer to the list altogether. 6-foot-4, 210-pound LHP Jake Eder jumped onto the scene less than a month ago in Jupiter. His fastball sits in the 90-93 mph range and he shows off an impressive 70-74 mph curveball that has good shape and depth. The uncommitted lefty has proven that even in the age of instant video sharing and social media, a player can remain under the radar well into their high school career. This spring will be huge for Eder to solidify the hype and attention that he has brought upon himself.

Some newcomers to the top 10 are Francis Villaman, Joseph Perez, Tyler Ahearn and Mason Doolittle. Villaman, a Florida State commit, is a well-rounded shortstop who shows the hands and arm strength to stay that position, and he can really swing the bat. Perez is a South Florida commit who is a strong, physical two-way player who can run his fastball up to 93-94 mph and really swing the bat. Ahearn, another Florida State commit, is a polished right-handed pitcher who has a clean delivery and pounds the zone with three pitches, including an 87-91 mph fastball. Doolittle, who is a Louisiana State commit, rounds off the top 10 as a 6-foot-3, projectable catcher who shows off a strong arm, consistent sub-2 pop time and the ability to square up quality pitching.

A couple of players who have made big jumps in the Top 100 rankings are RHP CJ Van Eyk and SS Jeter Downs. Van Eyk, now ranked 15^th in the state, has shown a steady increase in velocity over the last few months and has recently been clocked up to 92-93 mph. He also committed to Florida State earlier this fall. Downs is a strong and athletic shortstop who really made a name for himself at last month’s Dynasty Games in Miami. He was able to show off his tools in front of dozens of scouts and was on the same field as guys like Vientos and Freddie Zamora. Downs showed that he was worthy of comparison to these top players and committed to Central Florida the next morning.

Top 10 2017 Rankings in Florida:

Rank	Name	State	School	Class	Pos	Commitment
1	Alejandro Toral	FL	Archbishop McCarthy	2017	1B	Miami
2	Mark Vientos	FL	Flanagan	2017	SS	Miami
3	Jake Eder	FL	Atlantic	2017	LHP
4	Jordan Butler	FL	Alonso	2017	LHP	Florida
5	Freddie Zamora	FL	Miami Killian	2017	SS	Miami
6	Francis Villaman	FL	Olympia	2017	SS	Florida State
7	Robert Touron	FL	Gulliver Prep	2017	RHP	Miami
8	Joseph Perez	FL	American Heritage	2017	3B	South Florida
9	Tyler Ahearn	FL	Dwyer	2017	RHP	Florida State
10	Mason Doolittle	FL	Jupiter	2017	C	Louisiana State

CLICK HERE To View Complete Top 100 Florida 2017 Rankings