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Each summer, the Florida League sees talent on the field from all walks of life. While the Division 1 athletes are usually the most recognizable to a casual fan, there have been more than a fair share of great players from smaller schools. In fact, five of the the Top 10 Pro Prospects from the league last summer are JUCO or NAIA players. Even though hundreds of players have made their way through the league over the past few years from small schools, we have narrowed our list down to these players as the ones to watch in 2019 as the NAIA and JUCO seasons begin on Friday for Florida schools and next week for others around the country.

Brent Burgess
RHP - Georgia Gwinnett – NAIA
2017 Leesburg Lightning

Burgess is a right-handed flamethrower who has been drafted two times (2016 Rangers, 2017 Yankees). He put up filthy numbers at Middle Georgia last season, racking up 49 strikeouts in only 25.2 innings. For his senior year, he has transferred to NAIA power Georgia Gwinnett and will look to take the Grizzlies to the World Series. As a member of the 2017 Lightning, Burgess was named to the Prospect Team for the Southeast Prospect Showcase and a Top 5 pro prospect.

Chris Burgess
UTL - Middle Georgia – NAIA
2018 DeLand Suns

Burgess is physically gifted, and able to play both behind the plate and on the mound. He has a cannon for an arm, with a pro-level pop time throwing down to second base. He was nice with the bat as well, posting an absurd .576 OBP in 54 plate appearances for DeLand. Control is a bit of an issue on the mound, but he also managed nine strikeouts in 9.2 innings for the Suns.

Jarrod Cande
OF/RHP - Santa Fe (FL) – JUCO
2018-19 Sanford River Rats

Cande is another talented two-way player who returns for his second season at Santa Fe College. Last spring, he posted a .935 OPS for the Saints, and was third on the team in home runs. He flashed plenty of skill over the summer for the River Rats, including playing arguably the best outfield defense in the entire league. He swatted a pair of home runs while hitting .280, and also tallied 22 strikeouts in 14.2 innings on the mound.  He is signed to play at D-II power Florida Southern in 2020.

Hunter Caudelle
RHP - Georgia Gwinnett – NAIA
2018 Leesburg Lightning

After a spring at GGU that saw him throw only 10.2 innings, Caudelle had plenty of arm for Leesburg last summer. Over the course of 41.2 innings, the 6’7” righty tallied a league high 40 strikeouts to go with a respectable 2.59 ERA. Those numbers earned him 2nd All-League honors, and he also found himself on the Top Pro Prospects list. The Grizzlies are the preseason #2 team in NAIA according to Baseball America, and Caudelle should help them make a run to Lewiston.

Jared Cenal
RHP - St. Petersburg (FL) – JUCO
2017 Altamonte Springs Scorpions

The big righty quietly put together one of the top pitching performances of the 2017 season for the Altamonte Springs Scorpions. In 31.1 innings, Cenal struck out 27 against 10 walks, and posted an impressive 1.72 ERA. He was named to the All-Star team and 2nd Team All-Florida League. Last spring at SPC, Cenal was the ace of the staff, starting 14 games and tossing a team-high 68 innings. His 64 strikeouts were 21 more than the second best on the team. 

Javeon Cody
OF - Alvin (TX) – JUCO
2018 Leesburg Lightning

Cody was arguably the Florida League MVP for the first half of the season last summer. His final slash line for the Lightning read .373/.517/.493, while also adding 23 runs and 11 steals. He was selected for the Prospect Team, named All-Florida League 1st team, and was voted of the Top 10 pro prospects in the league. He will look to build on his outstanding freshman performance at Alvin that saw him post a 1.059 OPS over 49 games in his first season with the Dolphins.

Matthew Coles
LHP - Lake Sumter (FL) – JUCO
2018 Leesburg Lightning

Coles is transferring to Lake Sumter after spending last season with D-II Florida Tech. In his inaugural campaign with the Panthers, Coles finished second on the team in ERA with a 3.68 mark. While playing for the Lightning over the summer, Coles proved to be one of the top relievers in the league. He garnered 1st Team All-Florida League honors after posting a miniscule 1.42 ERA over 16 appearances and 31.2 innings for head coach Rich Billings.

Josh Crouch
C - State College of FL – JUCO
2018 Sanford River Rats

Crouch was one of the top performers in the Florida League last summer. He has plenty of tools in his bag, which helped him to a .325/.391/.558 slash line for the season. His bat had plenty of pop (six doubles, four home runs) and he also showcased a strong arm behind the plate. Crouch returns to SCF for his sophomore campaign after swatting 19 extra-base hits as a freshman. Crouch will head to UCF for the 2020 season. 

Michael Cullen
OF/RHP - Chipola (FL) – JUCO
2018 Winter Garden Squeeze

Cullen played roughly half a season for the Squeeze as a two-way player coming off an injury. He hit .300 in in 40 at bats, scoring eight times and driving in six. He also tossed 8.1 innings, earning a 2.13 ERA with seven strikeouts on the mound. Despite his lack of time on the field, Florida League coaches saw enough in him to select him for a spot on the Prospect Team for the Showcase in North Carolina. Fully healthy and ready to go, Cullen should be an impact player, especially on the mound, for the Chipola Indians who are the reigning back-to-back JUCO National Champions.

Louis Davenport III
RHP - Seminole State (FL) – JUCO
2018 Leesburg Lightning

Davenport enjoyed success during his freshman year at Pensacola State, picking up 47 strikeouts in 44 innings. He wanted more action, and turned to the Lightning to get it last summer. He was phenomenal on the mound, limiting opponents to a .169 batting average against while tallying 32 strikeouts in 22.1 innings. Louis has transferred to Seminole State for the 2019 Spring, and will attend Eastern Kentucky University in 2020.

Justin Farmer
OF - Wallace-Dothan (AL) – JUCO
2019 Sanford River Rats

The sophomore outfielder was a Top 150 national recruit out of Riverview High near Tampa, scoring a “10” grade on Perfect Game in 2017. He suited up last spring for St. Johns River where he had a .468 SLG%, powered by ten doubles and seven home runs. He will suit up for the Sanford River Rats for the 2019 season. 

Gibson Krzeminski
OF - Iowa Western (IA) – JUCO
2017 Winter Park Diamond Dawgs

The Canadian import found success in his first season at perennial JUCO power Iowa Western, slashing .312/.460/.545 over 34 games. His 32 runs and 22 RBI helped the Reivers reach the JUCO World Series in Grand Junction, CO. Krzeminski played for Winter Park in 2017, where he picked up 19 hits, including six for extra bases.

Sergio Lopez
OF/1B - St. Thomas (FL) – NAIA
2016-17 Sanford River Rats

The Bobcats were a powerhouse last year, sitting atop the national rankings for most of the regular season. Lopez played a big role in that, slashing an astonishing .351/.453/.675. He smacked a team-high 15 dingers, while also scoring 83 runs and driving in 70. He showcased similar talents as a two-time member of the River Rats. Including the All-Star Game and playoffs, Lopez has 11 HR, 33 SB, and 44 RBI in his Florida League career that spanned 74 games.

Pedro Reyes
RHP - Miami Dade (FL) – JUCO
2018 Leesburg Lightning

Reyes was the closer for the #1 seed Lightning last summer, leading the league in saves with six. Tabbed as one of the top pro prospects in the league, Reyes is a hard-throwing righty with a fastball that sits in the low-mid 90s. He had two punchouts in his inning against the Ripken League at the Prospect Showcase in North Carolina. In his first year with the Sharks, Reyes tallied 15 strikeouts in 14 innings of work. 

Cristian Rivera
SS - Webber International – NAIA
2016 Altamonte/2017-18 Winter Park

Rivera has seemingly done it all in the Florida League, from getting picked up at the open tryout to earning an All-Star Game MVP award to winning a championship with Altamonte in 2016. He also had the biggest swing of the season last summer, a three-run nuke at Leesburg in game three of their playoff series that sent the Dawgs to the Championship. Rivera flashes a nice glove at shortstop, and has some solid pop from both sides of the plate.

Jesus Valoy
LHP - Miami Dade (FL) – JUCO
2018 DeLand Suns

Valoy was terrific in his first year at Miami Dade, posting a 3.50 ERA and 49 K in 43.2 innings. He was a late addition to the Suns roster, signing two weeks before Opening Day. He turned out to be an absolute gem for coach Rick Hall, after posting one of the best pitching seasons in Florida League history. Including playoffs, the lefty went 9-0 with a 1.92 ERA over 61 innings. Valoy struck out 48 against only 10 walks. He will look to be a key factor in the success of the MDC Sharks in 2019.    

Riley Wash
C - St. Johns River (FL) – JUCO
2017 Altamonte Springs Scorpions

Wash had the rare opportunity to play in the Florida League as a recently graduated high schooler in 2017. He showed potential with the bat, picking up four doubles and five RBI, and also stood out as a top-tier defensive catcher. Last spring as a freshman at St. Johns River, he began to blossom, picking up 44 hits in 49 games, including 15 doubles and three dingers.  

Perfect Game released their Top 300 JUCO draft prospects on Friday afternoon. Seven former Florida League players were on the list:

#63 OF Luke Brown - John Logan (IL) ... 2018 Leesburg
#140 C Josh Crouch (See Above)
#142 OF Justin Farmer (See Above)
#175 LHP Quinton Martinez - St. Pete College ... 2018 Seminole County
#214 RHP Louis Davenport (See Above)
#279 OF/P Jarrod Cande (See Above)
#300 RHP Jake Christa - Northeast Mississippi ... 2018 Winter Park