Looking ahead to the 2023 Florida high school baseball season, who are some of the state’s top teams likely to be? Here are a few that come to mind in our way-too-early Top 25 rankings.
1. Stoneman Douglas
The clear favorite on our way-too-early Top 25 list is Stoneman Douglas, the top-ranked team in our final Florida High School Baseball 7A-4A Top 25 rankings. The Eagles went back-to-back as Class 7A state champions during the 2022 season, and will undoubtedly be the favorite again in 2023. Stoneman Douglas lost key names such as Chris Arroyo, Jake Clemente and Roman Anthony, but will return one of Florida’s top pitchers in Christian Rodriguez, along with a few key pieces of their lineup such as Rylan Lujo and Nikko Benestad.
2. IMG Academy
One of Florida’s top teams from start to finish this past season, the Ascenders will lose multiple key names to graduation, headlined by the trio of Elijah Green, Jackson Ferris, and Brady Neal. IMG will, however, return at least two significant names in its lineup in Stone Russell and TayShaun Walton, as well as right-hander Jaewoo Cho.
3. Jesuit
The Class 5A state champions feature a pitching staff with the potential to be one of the best in Florida next season. It’s led by the duo of Wes Mendes and Brooks Chamberlin, both of whom held sub-2.00 ERAs this season. The Tigers’ lineup will have to replace a few key names however, but Jesuit also returns multiple talented hitters such as Mendes, Grant Jordan, Josh Hines and more.
4. Doral Academy
A big reason for the Firebirds’ success on their way to the 2022 6A state championship was their pitching. Many of those names, including as Frank Menedez and Keyler Gonzalez, will return in 2023, along with key offensive contributors such as Michael Torres, Adrian Santana, Daniel Restrepo and more.
5. Calvary Christian
This team didn’t lose many games in 2022, and it would be hard to find a pitching staff that returns more talent. Led by Hunter Deitz, Liam Peterson and Landen Maroudis, the Warriors’ staff has the potential to be one of the best in the state, and a number of key hitters return as well, making Calvary Christian an easy top-5 choice for our way-too-early Top 25 rankings.
6-10. Berkeley Prep, Miami Christian, North Broward Prep, Pace, Miami Columbus
Class 3A runner-up Berkeley Prep will return its top two power hitters next season in Cade Kurland and James Hankerson, while 2A state champion Miami Christian will return multiple key names such as Jeter Polledo, Chris Diaz and Jesus Mosegue. North Broward Prep is coming off its second consecutive state title in as many classifications, while both Pace and Miami Columbus will be talented once again, but will have to replace key names such as Patriots ace Walter Ford.
11-15. Palm Beach Gardens, Lake Brantley, Melbourne, Plant, Island Coast
Class 7A runner-up Palm Beach Gardens will return a few key players in 2023, as will Lake Brantley, headlined by pitcher Isaac Padilla. Melbourne will return its top three power hitters in Michael Petite, Jake Richardson and Jacob Weatherspoon, while Plant will likely be talented once again, as will 4A state champion Island Coast, whose returning roster is headlined by two-way player Kevin Martinez.
16-20. American Heritage, North Florida Christian, Jensen Beach, Out-of-Door Academy, Taravella
American Heritage will have to replace the most notable name of this group in star left-hander Brandon Barriera, while there may not be a team state-wide that returns more talent than 2A runner-up North Florida Christian. Class 4A runner-up Jensen Beach will return a talented rotation led by Chris Knier, while Out-of-Door Academy and Taravella both also have strong pitching staffs, including names such as Luke Geske and Brandon Metivier.
21-25. St. Johns Country Day, Windermere, The First Academy, Eau Gallie, Holmes County
St. Johns Country Day will have to replace two key names in Jordan Taylor and Bradley Hodges next season. Windermere, which lost very few games in 2022, also faces some key personnel losses. The First Academy will return multiple key names in its lineup, such as Trent Kelly and Austin Pierzynski, while Eau Gallie and Holmes County are both coming off deep runs in the playoffs, with the Blue Devils winning the Class 1A state title.
