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Updated Florida Class of 2019 Rankings Released

November 30, 2016

By Doug Freeman and Mike Maerz

Following the release of our Florida Class of 2018 rankings, we take a look at another strong class in the Florida Class of 2019 Rankings update. Leading the way remains Triston Casas who has continued to impress, which included a strong performance with the USA Baseball 18u National Team. There is a deep pool of talent in this class, which has been mostly led by the same handful of players, but as we get closer to the spring season there are multiple players on the rise and pushing towards the top five. Now, let's take a look at the current top five of the Florida 2019 class:

Continuing to lead the way at No. 1 for Florida’s Class of 2019 is 1B/RHP Triston Casas (American Heritage HS, FL). The Miami recruit is known as one of the top power-hitting prospects in the country with a 6-foot-3, 230-pound frame and a physical, athletic build and strong lower half. He displays plus bat speed from the left side while staying balanced in the box with loose hands and good hand-eye coordination. The confident hitter has an aggressive approach that consistently finds the barrel and produces hard, loud contact. The ball jumps off the bat and he possesses the ability to drive the ball deep into the gaps or over the wall. Casas also shows good plate discipline and instincts. On the mound he has an easy working arm and gets some extension out in front on his delivery. His fastball has sat at 88-90 mph with run, touching 91 while also mixing in a 72-75 mph slider with depth and hard bite. This also culminated in an impressive Team USA performance, which was highlight by National Supervisor Nathan Rode here.

Moving up from No. 4 to the No. 2 spot is OF/LHP Riley Greene (Hagerty HS, FL), who stands at 6-foot-2, 180 pounds with a lean, projectable body. The Florida recruit has a good hitting approach with rhythm and timing along with a loose bat and quickness in the hands. He gets good extension and leverage with some loft in his swing that can drive the ball with some present power. He has shown athletic actions and a loose, easy throwing arm from the outfield. On the mound, he has been 80-83 mph with his fastball, touching 86 with a clean, loose and easy 3/4 arm action while also displaying good shape on the slider. He has a lot of upside on both sides of the ball.

The No. 3 spot belongs to LHP Hunter Barco (Bolles HS, FL), a Virginia recruit, who has a strong, athletic and projectable 6-foot-4, 185-pound frame with a good lower half. On the mound he shows a quick arm throwing out of a low-3/4 slot and he hides the ball well. His fastball sits in the upper 80s with life while touching the low 90s and he throws it for a high percentage of strikes. He also has a 74-75 mph changeup. Barco pitches with confidence and seems to get stronger the deeper he goes into games. He is athletic and projectable and the stuff has continued to improve.

Coming in at No. 4 is C Jake Holland (Calvary Christian Academy, FL) who is the top-ranked catcher. The Miami recruit stands at 6-foot-2, 185 pounds with a lean, athletic, long, and projectable frame. Behind the plate he displays a quick transfer with a plus arm that has accuracy on his throws to the bag. Holland also shows flexibility in his set-up and blocks and receives well. At the plate, he is balanced and on time to the fastball while also being able to stay on breaking balls, taking them the other way. He frequently has shown the ability to drive the ball into the gaps for extra-base hits. As he continues to fill out more power should come. With the athleticism and potential on both sides of the ball, look for Holland to continue to be one of the top prospects in his class.

Moving into the No. 5 spot is North Carolina recruit RHP Joseph Charles (The First Academy, FL). The 6-foot-2, 175-pound North Carolina recruit uses plus arm speed to generate a fastball that ranged from 89-91 mph, and a slider at 76-77 at Jupiter to finish the fall. Charles utilizes a simple, slow-paced delivery before the ball explodes out of his hand toward the catcher after a very short arm swing. Charles has made a jump in not only velocity, but a feel for pitching. He still can be inconsistent at times, but his arm works extremely quick and his athleticism will help him continue to improve and consistently perform at a high level.

Here's a look at the Top 10:


 Name State School Class Pos Commitment
1 Triston Casas FL American Heritage 2019 1B Miami
2 Riley Greene FL Hagerty 2019 OF Florida
3 Hunter Barco FL Bolles 2019 LHP Virginia
4 Jake Holland FL Calvary Christian Academy 2019 C Miami
5 Joseph Charles FL First Academy 2019 RHP North Carolina
6 Jud Fabian FL Trinity Catholic 2019 OF Florida
7 Brandon Walker FL North Florida Christian 2019 RHP Florida State
8 Isaac Nunez FL Lake Brantley 2019 SS Florida
9 Rece Hinds FL Niceville 2019 SS
10 Jacob Herbert FL George W. Jenkins 2019 C Florida

For a complete look at the updated Florida Class of 2019 Rankings, CLICK HERE

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