By Justin Burgess
Florida Area Scout

As technology has progressed and we have been able to see videos and news from around the world instantaneously, college recruiting has only sped up and intensified. Gone are the days (for the most part) that the best players commit and sign their senior year. In fact, we are even occasionally seeing players in middle school commit to division 1 schools. The most popular time for players to commit has gradually evolved from senior year, to junior year, and to now their sophomore year of high school. In this article we will be highlighting some of the better 2017 players in Florida who are uncommitted heading into the summer season.

. 1B  Alejandro Toral Archbishop McCarthy

Toral is lefty-swinging first baseman who already contains huge plus power and the ability to just flat out rake. He has a strong, stalky body with athleticism that suits him well at first but he could still play a corner outfield spot. He helped lead Archbishop McCarthy to another state title this year and will likely play for team USA again this summer. Schools should be drooling over Toral this summer.

. OF/1B Oraj Anu Home School

Anu is a gifted athlete who has a strong, lean, and athletic body that produces plus plus speed. With likely the best speed in the 2017 class and his ability to switch hit, he could be a nightmare for pitchers at the top of the order in the future. He has a flat swing that produces line drives but the ball really jumps off his bat as well. Oraj has flown a little under the radar up to this point but will likely be a familiar name to most after this summer.

. SS/3B/RHP Graham Hoffman Calvary Christian

Hoffman is a toolsy shortstop who possesses a loose, plus arm from SS and on the mound, where he sits in the mid to upper 80’s, good range and soft hands in the field, and a short, quick swing that produces consistent line drives in the gaps. He has a tall, lean, athletic, and projectable frame. At 6’3 he looks like a true SS that can stay there for a while. If he has not already, he should be receiving a lot of attention from schools this summer.

. INF Alex Arauz Sarasota HS

Arauz is a physically gifted player who really helped Sarasota in their quest as the 7A state runner-up this year. I saw him play both short and second this season and he looked comfortable at both spots and he also swung the bat very well. He has an athletic, loose, and strong body and is well put together. Arauz also has very soft hands in the field and has above average speed and range. He has a nice, short stroke that allows him to produce hard line drives to all fields. Alex should gain a lot of attention this summer with both his bat and glove.

A few other players to keep an eye out for:

Robert Touron
Hunter McMullen
Francis Villaman