With the 2023 Florida high school baseball season set to begin in the coming weeks, we rank the top 23 players across the state.
23. 1B Emilio Gonzalez (Island Coast)
Defending Class 5A state champion Island Coast lands two names on our list of the top Florida high school baseball players in 2023, First is Gonzalez, a senior who is coming off a season in which he slashed .446/.523/.760 with 6 HR and 37 RBI.
22. OF Dallas Dale (Mount Dora Christian)
Dale returns for Mount Dora Christian as one of the state’s top outfielders. A year ago, he slashed .587/.667/1.130 with 5 HR, 21 RBI, and 12 SB.
21. RHP/1B Cooper Moss (Arnold)
One of Florida’s top sophomores is Moss, who returns for Arnold after an impressive 2022 campaign. A two-way player, Moss slashed .390/.474/.756 with 6 HR and 38 RBI a year ago, and he posted a 1.69 ERA and an 82:20 K:BB ratio in 58 IP.
20. RHP/SS Kevin Martinez (Island Coast)
The second of those two players from Island Coast is Martinez, one of the top two-way players in the state. The senior slashed .452/.546/.612 with 24 RBI in 2022, while also posting a 12-1 record with a 1.27 ERA and a 91:14 K:BB ratio in 83 IP.
19. C Marc Quarrie (Riviera Prep)
Quarrie, a senior at Riviera Prep, enters the 2023 season as one of the state’s top catchers. For the Bulldogs a year ago, Quarrie slashed .506/.600/.909 with 8 HR and 33 RBI.
18. SS Braden Holcomb (Foundation Academy)
The No. 18 spot on our list of best Florida high school baseball players in 2023 goes to Holcomb, a senior shortstop at Foundation Academy. Holcomb slashed .537/.649/.939 a year ago for one of the top teams in Class 2A, while also adding 8 HR, 26 RBI, and 18 SB.
17. OF Michael Torres (Doral Academy)
Two players from defending Class 6A state champion Doral Academy are on this list. The first is Torres, an outfielder who slashed .512/.594/.800 with 32 RBI and 10 SB for the Firebirds a year ago.
16. C Zion Rose (IMG Academy)
Rose comes in at No. 16, the highest ranking for a catcher on this list. The senior transferred to IMG Academy during the offseason from Brother Rice in Illinois, where he hit .496 with 39 RBI a year ago.
15. RHP Bryson Howard (Chipley)
You would be hard-pressed to find a more impressive 2022 season from a Florida pitcher than that of Howard. The Chipley senior recorded a 9-1 record with a 0.81 ERA and a 102:24 K:BB ratio in 60.1 IP.
14. SS/RHP Eric Fernandez (Riviera Prep)
The No. 14 spot belongs to Fernandez, a senior two-way player at Riviera Prep who could very easily be higher on this list. Fernandez slashed .568/.650/1.049 with 8 HR, 55 RBI, and 16 SB for the Bulldogs last season, while also holding an impressive 43:6 K:BB ratio on the mound.
13. LHP Hunter Dietz (Calvary Christian-Clearwater)
Multiple Florida high school baseball players are ranked among MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 prospects for the 2023 draft, including Dietz at No. 75. An Arkansas commit, the senior owned an 8-1 record with a 0.49 ERA and a 73:13 K:BB ratio in 43 IP with the Warriors a year ago.
12. SS Adrian Santana (Doral Academy)
The second of those aforementioned players from Doral Academy is Santana, who enters 2023 ranked as MLB Pipeline’s No. 69 overall prospect in the 2023 MLB Draft. A senior shortstop, the Miami commit slashed .433/.530/.800 a year ago with 25 RBI and 17 SB.
11. LHP Cameron Johnson (IMG Academy)
The first player sitting outside the Top 10 is Johnson, a senior left-hander at IMG Academy who is rated as MLB Pipeline’s No. 50 overall prospect. An LSU commit, Johnson transferred to IMG Academy from Bishop McNamara in Maryland during the offseason.
10. RHP/1B Caden McDonald (Sickles)
The Top 10 begins with McDonald, a senior two-way standout at Sickles who is coming off a truly special 2022 season. Offensively, McDonald slashed .600/.695/1.037 with 8 HR and 42 RBI, and he fashioned a 9-2 record, 1.97 ERA, and 81:19 K:BB ratio in 67.2 IP on the mound.
9. RHP/1B Christian Rodriguez (Stoneman Douglas)
Arguably the top player returning for defending Class 7A state champion Stoneman Douglas is Rodriguez, a senior two-way standout. Rodriguez owned a 7-1 record with a 1.11 ERA and 64:17 K:BB ratio in 44.1 IP last season, and he slashed .355/.456/.526 with 25 RBI and 8 SB.
8. LHP/1B Trey Beard (Dunedin)
Beard, a senior two-way standout at Dunedin, enters the 2023 season undoubtedly among the top high school baseball players in Florida Class 4A. Beard made a case to be considered the state’s top pitcher a year ago by posting a 0.65 ERA and 138:24 K:BB ratio in 75.1 IP. He also slashed .341/.482/.545 with 17 RBI and 11 SB.
7. SS/3B George Lombard Jr. (Gulliver Prep)
Lombard, a senior infielder at Gulliver Prep, enters the 2023 season in the No. 7 spot, and he’s ranked as the No. 93 overall prospect in the 2023 MLB Draft according to MLB Pipeline. The Vanderbilt commit slashed .360/.504/.779 with 9 HR, 19 RBI, and 12 SB a year ago.
6. RHP/1B Liam Peterson (Calvary Christian-Clearwater)
Perhaps the biggest name on a loaded Calvary Christian-Clearwater team is Peterson, who is ranked by MLB Pipeline as the No. 36 overall prospect in the 2023 MLB Draft. A Florida commit, the senior right-hander shone for the Warriors a year ago by posting a 5-0 record with a 0.75 ERA and 68:20 K:BB ratio in 37.1 IP, and he slashed .370/.456/.608 with 16 RBI offensively.
5. LHP/OF Wes Mendes (Jesuit)
Mendes, a senior two-way standout, is one of the biggest names returning this season for defending Class 5A state champion Jesuit. In 32 games in 2022, he slashed .422/.495/.677 with 21 RBI while owning a 10-1 record with a 1.16 ERA and 93:34 K:BB ratio in 60.1 IP.
4. RHP Garrett Baumann (Hagerty)
Baumann, a senior right-hander, enters the 2023 season in the No. 4 spot. He sported a 6-2 record with a 1.62 ERA and 100:23 K:BB ratio in 73.1 IP for the Huskies a year ago.
3. RHP Charlee Soto (Reborn Christian)
Among the top pitchers in Florida high school baseball in 2023 is Soto, a senior right-hander at Reborn Christian. The UCF commit is rated MLB Pipeline’s No. 17 overall prospect, and he has one of the best fastballs in the state.
2. SS Arjun Nimmala (Strawberry Crest)
There are two names to choose from when it comes to the No. 1 ranking, the first of whom is Nimmala, a senior shortstop at Strawberry Crest. The Florida State commit is ranked as the No. 34 overall prospect in the 2023 MLB Draft according to MLB Pipeline and is coming off a 2022 season in which he slashed .271/.386/.541 with 14 RBI for the Chargers.
1. 3B Aidan Miller (Mitchell)
Miller, a senior third baseman at Mitchell, earns our pick as No. 1 among the top Florida high school baseball players entering the 2023 season. Ranked as the No. 12 overall prospect in the 2023 MLB Draft by MLB Pipeline – the highest of any high school infielder nationally – the Arkansas commit is coming off a season in which he slashed .403/.552/.583 with 16 RBI and 18 SB for the Mustangs.
