We’ve now made it to part two of the Florida High School primer, and the simple fact that we had to turn this into a two-part series just shows the quality of depth that this prep class has.
Today we get to talk about Starting Pitching.
This 2022 prep pitching class has a chance to do something that the state hasn’t seen in 22 years. That is having not one, not two, but three prep pitchers taken in the first round. We here at Prospects Live have the first three names we will talk about today ranked among the top 27 players in this draft class, and they all have a chance to keep rising.
Beyond the top of the class arms, this group shows an immense amount of depth in left handed arms, a USF commit with a truly special fastball and even an ambidextrous pitcher with polish like we have never seen before. There’s both depth in draft arms and D1 commits as we see every year but this group presents some upside that we haven’t seen in some time.
(Ranking in the current Prospects Live Top 300 for the 2022 MLB Draft
LHP Brandon Barriera (#12)
American Heritage
One of the draft team’s here at Prospects Live favorites, Brandon Barriera is the type of left handed pitcher you build when you’re playing Road to the Show on your PS4.
Athletic, projectable frame at 6’1” with present flexibility and strength in his lower half. Creates effortless premier velocity that sits at 92-95, with the ability to touch 97 and likely more to come. What separates his fastball even more is the ability to pound every quadrant of the strike zone with the pitch consistently. Primary secondary is a slider that could be a plus pitch right now with mid-80s velocity and late, horizontal break that has made the best hitters in the class look foolish. Has shown the ability to mix in an at-worst average curveball and shows a good feel to spin on both breakers. Barriera also can lean on an above average changeup that shows good velo separation at 83-86 and late fade to get whiffs. It’s a true starters pitch mix that will miss bats, and he will even show a low-90s cutter to lefties on occasion giving him a distant 5th pitch.
Barriera’s bulldog mentality on the mound and drive to be great attitude, combined with elite stuff has made the Vandy commit potentially the best left handed pitcher in this draft class as we head into the spring.
LHP Jackson Ferris (#17)
IMG Academy
Right behind Barriera on the list of elite southpaws and fellow SEC commit (Ole Miss) is IMG Academy’s ace Jackson Ferris.
Armed with a long, yet deceptive delivery that uses a high arm slot creating a steep vertical angle with quite a bit of funk to go with it. Fully growing into his long levered frame, Ferris is able to repeat his delivery well with advanced command to boot. It’s command of possibly one of the best prep fastball/curveball combos in this entire class as well. Heater will in the mid-90s deep into outings with explosive ride through the zone that misses a ton of barrels. Curveball tunnels extremely well off of the fastball sitting mid-high 70s and creating a ton of depth with a consistent 1-7 shape and a great feel to spin. Ferris will mix in a mid-80s changeup as well that shows some tumble but not quite on par with the rest of his pitch mix.
Ferris looked like the best pitcher in the country in multiple outings last year, and there’s possibly more to project as he continues to develop his 6’5” frame. Sky high upside all around.
RHP Walter Ford (#27)
Pace
A recent addition to both the State of Florida and 2022 class in general is Pace flamethrower Walter Ford.
Ford is the type of arm you look at as a potential High school righty demographic breaker. Being 16 years old and blowing away much older competition quickly raised Ford to national relevance and ultimately pushed his hand into reclassifying into the 2022 class from 2023.
Already being looked at by multiple teams as a potential day 1 pick, the Alabama commit is armed with an above-average fastball/slider combo and an elite starter’s build at 6’3”, 180lb. Ford shows an innate feel to spin with both pitches averaging north of 2500 RPMs and creating a ton of movement, particularly the slider in the low 80s that gets hard, late horizontal break disappearing out of the zone for a ton of whiffs. Fastball lives 92-96 with natural sink and even set the Junior National Showcase touching 97 before he reclassified this summer. Also flashes an average changeup in the low 80s that will get some late tumble and good velo separation.
Ford also offers two-way upside as a power-hitting third baseman with huge bat speed and ability to lift combined with all the arm strength and athleticism to make all the plays needed to stick at the hot corner.
Walter Ford could easily be hearing his name called as a first round pick on upside alone, but he’s been keeping pace with high level production as well.
BHP Jurrangelo Cijntje (#116)
Champagnat Catholic
It’s not every year that you see an ambidextrous pitcher in a draft class and there’s a good chance we have never seen one with as much polish and upside as Jurrangelo Cijntje.
Another SEC commit as the Curaçao native is set to head to defending NCAA champion Mississippi State next fall. Cijntje shows huge arm speed and stuff from the right side with a fastball that sits 92-95 and will touch 96 with arm-side run. From the left side, it’s upper 80s with high level pitchability. Will show a big, high spin sweeping breaking balls from both hands that creates a ton of ugly swings.
Cijntje presents a smaller frame, but lack of effort in his delivery and seamless ability to switch hands allows for the Perfect Game All-American to have some of the highest untapped potential in the entire draft class.
RHP Zachary Showalter (#131)
Wesley Chapel
A member of the University of South Florida’s recent influx of quality pitching commits, Zachary Showalter presents some of the highest upside of any right handed pitcher in the state.
Showalter works exclusively from the stretch, utilizing an athletic delivery with a ton of present strength in his lower half and a low release point on his fastball that creates huge whiff inducing, riding life in the low 90s. It has the characteristics of being one of the best overall pitches in the state. Pairs the fastball with a hard breaking slider that lives in the low to mid 80s with gyro-esque movement tunneling extremely well off the fastball and will freeze hitters on regular. Mixes in a changeup that will flash above-average and gives Showalter a quality pitch mix at the next level.
After working primarily out of relief for most of the showcase season this summer, Showalter has a strong frame at 6’2”, 195lb., plus arm speed and strength and ability to throw strikes to become a quality starting pitching prospect long term.
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Others to know
LHP Bradley Hodges, St. John’s Country Day (#209)
Virginia commit who shows an athletic, deceptive delivery with some projection remaining. True four-pitch mix. Two distinct breaking balls that will miss bats and has run the fastball up 92 this past summer, with likely more to come.
LHP/OF Chris Arroyo, Stoneman Douglas (#263)
One of the best two-way prospects in the entire state, Arroyo was up to 92 on the mound at WWBA with a good feel for a CB and CH and fills up the zone. Bat will play to all fields, with some present juice due to a really strong frame that still shows projection.
RHP Luis Rujano, Central Pointe Academy
Another impressive pitcher with big upside who’s committed to South Florida, Luis Rujano is a high-waisted RHP who works low/mid 90s T96 with some natural sink out of a vertical arm slot. Shows a good feel for a slider that he will land for strikes, and flashes potential for an above-average cambio down the road.
RHP Jordan Vera, ESB Academy
Armed with a quality three pitch that could all be at least above-average, Jordan Vera uses a fastball/slider/changeup mix with the fastball running up to 95 and all three pitches showing a ton of movement. Present lower half strength is evident and works extremely fast with confidence on the mound. Ole Miss commit.
LHP Dakota Stone, Sandalwood
Stone presents a strong, compact frame that uses some effort in his delivery, sits 89-91 but was up to 95 from the left side this past summer. Shows big time pitchability utilizing two breaking balls that creates strikes both looking and swinging. Has a usable changeup and will fill up the zone with his entire pitch mix.
RHP Jake Clemente, Stoneman Douglas
Fitting a consistent trend of this list with yet another SEC commit in Clemente who’s set to head to Gainesville next fall. Quality fastball/slider combo out of a really athletic delivery that adds some deception. Will show a good feel to spin and ability to fill up the zone. Tons of projection remaining.
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Extended Follows
LHP Zach Root, Fort Myers
LHP Jamie Arnold, Jesuit
LHP Ashton Crowther, James W. Mitchell
RHP Davion Hickson, IMG Academy
RHP Ryan Denison, Jesuit
LHP Trey Wheeler, Melbourne
RHP Ben Barrett, The First Academy