Florida Complex League Players to Watch

The Florida Complex League kicks off on Saturday, May 4, a full month earlier than previous seasons. But what could be better? More minor league baseball. I am excited to have another level to follow and look for more breakout prospects.

Rosters have not fully been finalized, and if things change or rosters get updated, I will update the article! But for now, with what we know, let’s look at the top prospects to follow from the Florida Complex League in 2024.

Prospects To Watch in the Florida Complex League

Jeremy Rodriguez, SS, NYM, 17, 6’0”/170

Rodriguez initially signed with the Diamondbacks in January 2023 for $1.2 million and began the DSL season as a 16-year-old before being traded for Tommy Pham and swapping his jersey for a Mets uniform. Rodriguez was solid before the trade, but really took off upon the trade and ended the season with a .293/.411/.467 slash with three home runs, five triples, and ten doubles. 

Rodriguez is a strong athlete, showing the propensity to steal bases at a high clip, swiping 19 in 51 games this season. You want to take DSL stolen base numbers with a grain of salt, but Rodriguez is the player who can continue to steal bases. The left-handed swing is smooth and simple and he displays good plate discipline. If Rodriguez turns some doubles into home runs as he continues to develop and fill out his frame, his stock will soar.

Henry Lalane, LHP, NYY, 19, 6’7”/211

Lalane signed back in 2021 and spent two seasons in the Dominican Summer League, which usually does not happen with a player of his caliber. But Lalane moved to the Florida Complex League and looked like the best arm there.

While you may be tempted to look at the 4.57 ERA and be disappointed, Lalane’s numbers were inflated by one poor start. But regardless, Lalane struck out 34 batters and walked just four across 21 innings.

Lalane’s fastball gets on you fast as it sits in the mid-90s but plays up with the extension he gets out of his 6’7” frame but out of a low release height. The changeup plays well off the fastball, sitting in the mid-80s and generating a ton of whiffs with the depth and fade it gets. He rounds out his arsenal with a slider in the upper 70s that has plenty of sweep but also vertical movement. He throws it away from lefties but can also back door righties with it. 

The arsenal is quite impressive and Lalane comes off a strong athlete on the mound despite the tall and lanky frame. If he continues to fill out and add weight and velocity, the upside is high-end starter stuff with Lalane.

Yoeilin Cespedes, SS, BOS, 18, 5’9”/181

Cespedes was the big name signing for the Red Sox in the 2023 international signing period, landing a $1.4 million bonus. Despite having a smaller frame, Cespedes hits the ball hard and generates easy power, collecting six home runs and 25 extra-base hits in 26 Dominican Summer League games.

The power comes naturally as Cespedes posted a 101 mph 90th percentile in 2023, which is quite an impressive mark for a 17-year-old who also saw a max of 107 mph. It showed in person as well as he hit some majestic home runs, which is impressive considering he did not turn 18 until September. He is already filled out, but it would not be uncommon to see him grow an inch or two, given his age. Obviously batting practice in a cage does not show us a ton, but the good news is we got more.

In live batting practice, Cespedes took five at-bats against Richard Fitts in which he made hard contact four of the times. There were a couple of whiffs, but every at-bat ended with the ball in play. In Cespedes’ first at-bat, he smoked one to the centerfield wall. Two other batted balls ended up in the outfield grass as well.

It was a highly impressive showing for an 18-year-old bat who has only played in the Dominican Summer League. To me, he already looks like a top-100 prospect, given what I saw and his Dominican Summer League performance.

An aggressive hitter, Cespedes jumps on pitches early in counts and shows strong pitch recognition. The contact will be the question mark as well as his future defensive home, but I am incredibly excited about what Cespedes might do in 2024.

Paul Wilson, LHP, DET, 19, 6’3”/205

Wilson was selected in the third round of the 2023 draft out of Oregon. A tall lefty with strong athleticism on the mound, Wilson pumps his fastball, sitting around 93 mph with up to 20 inches of IVB, but he has touched 97 on occasion. The curveball shows a nice downward action with a sweeping action to it. The changeup shows fade but is a bit inconsistent at times. 

The Tigers liked Wilson enough to hand him a $1.7 million bonus well over slot. He has yet to pitch as a professional, but we will likely see his debut in 2024.

Carson Rucker, 3B, DET, 19, 6’2”/195

Rucker was the Tiger’s fourth-round selection in 2023 out of Goodpasture Christian School in Tennessee. The former Volunteer commit has a strong frame and the potential to get to power. Rucker hits the ball at ideal launch angles often and posted upper tier exit velocities for his draft class. His 6.7 second 60-yard dash also shows good athleticism and speed.

Jeffry Rosa, OF, NYM, 19, 6’1”/190

Rosa mashed this summer to the tune of a league-leading 15 home runs across just 148 at-bats and added 13 doubles. The 6’1”/190 outfielder slashed .277/.400/.669, finishing third in the DSL in OPS. Rosa certainly shows flashes of power and athleticism, showing the ability to play all three outfield spots. 

You always want to be weary of DSL numbers, especially from a repeater, but it is hard to ignore what Rosa did this season. All eyes will be on him heading into 2024 as we see what he can do stateside against a higher level of competition.

Julio Zayas, C, NYM, 18, 5’11”/190

Zayas was one of the more unheralded Dominican Summer League prospects despite putting up pretty gaudy numbers all summer. He finished the season with a .307/.368/.517 slash line with seven home runs and 22 extra-base hits in just 202 plate appearances. Zayas put a ton of balls in play despite showing an aggressive approach and struck out just 12.9 percent of the time. 

The 17-year-old looks like he has more room to grow in an already solid frame, and if he does, the power could take off. Zayas uses a big leg kick to help generate easy power to all fields. He has quick hands but also solid rotational torque, helping him get the most of his swing. Zayas will have a chance to move up the list significantly next year when he comes stateside and is at the complex.

Jose Gerardo, OF, MIA, 18, 6’0”/180

Gerardo had an incredible Dominican Summer League in 2022, mashing 11 home runs and stealing 18 bases while slashing .284/.417/.551. Those numbers fell off fairly hard this year as Gerardo hit just .192/.345/.319 with just five home runs in 226 plate appearances at the complex. 

Contact against breaking balls has always been a concern, and that was exploited against pitchers in the complex. There is power here, and Gerardo’s real strength is his massive arm that will play well in a corner outfield spot.

Andy Acevedo, OF, WSH, 18, 6’1”/170

Acevedo had a disappointing debut in the Dominican Summer League last year after landing a $1.2 million signing bonus. The athletic outfielder hit two home runs and had just six extra-base hits in 47 games. Strikeouts were a major issue as he punched out 59 times, good for a 32 percent rate. The slash line of .170/.299/.248 was very uninspiring, but I believe there is more in the tank for the athletic outfielder.

Gabriel Terrero, 2B, NYY, 18, 5’6”/170

Terrero is smaller but honestly reminds me a bit of a Keiner Delgado-type player. The 5’6” second baseman was very good in the Dominican Summer League last year, swatting seven home runs and swiping 14 bases across 37 games. Terrero made plenty of contact and showed good plate skills, walking at a strong clip and striking out just 21 percent of the time, posting a .299/.407/.533 slash.

There is a chance that Terrero comes into camp bigger than last year and has the potential to have some helium in dynasty circles.

Travis Honeyman, OF, STL, 22, 6’2”/190

Travis Honeyman was the Cardinal’s second-highest pick in the 2023 draft at 90 overall from Boston College. Showing good contact skills, Honeyman rarely struck out and posted a .304/.383/.534 slash with six home runs and ten stolen bases.

On the Cape Cod league in 2022, Honeyman showed respectable power and a good feel to hit, which is encouraging, considering it is a wood-bat league. Among college hitters drafted last year, Honeyman was one of just nine hitters with a Zone-Contact rate north of 90% and a 90th-percentile exit velocity above 105 mph.

Injuries have kept him out of games as a professional, but the complex is a chance for Honeyman to showcase his ability.

Carlos Lagrange, RHP, NYY, 20, 6’7’/195

Pair Lagrange with fellow 6’7” pitcher Henry Lalane, and you have something brewing. Despite only signing for $10k, Lagrange has shown strong skills at both the Dominican Summer League in 2022 and at the complex level in 2023.

Lagrange missed bats at a high clip, striking out nearly 33 percent of batters he faced while walking 12 percent. Control has been a big issue throughout his short career, but the stuff has been really. 

With a fastball that sits in the mid-90s and touches 100, Lagrange gets nice sinking action down in the zone with an armside run while also throwing a four-seamer up. His slider sits in the mid-80s has a ton of downward action, almost appearing as a curve, flashing signs of being a plus pitch. The changeup is still coming along, but he could play nicely with his two-seam fastball.

Velocity comes easy for Lagrange, but the command must tick up as he is still learning how to pitch with a big frame. If the control does improve theres’s starter stuff, but Lagrange could also end up in a high-leverage bullpen role.

Starlyn Caba, SS, PHI, 17, 5’10”/160

Caba was the Phillies’ prized signing of the 2023 International class, getting $3 million. Caba’s biggest strength is his glove, as a slick-fielding shortstop who is a quick athlete. Caba makes plays easy in the field and has shown at least an above-average arm.

The switch-hitter has shown a decent feel for contact from both sides of the plate but seems to be much better as a left-handed hitter where his contact and power seem to come naturally. On the season, Caba posted a .304/.424/.348 slash leaving questions on power, but again, we are talking about a young, middle infield prospect that could still grow and add to his frame. Caba shows a hit-over-power approach but will likely bring fantasy intrigue due to his speed and stolen base potential. 

Jancel Villarroel, C/1B, HOU, 19, 5’8”/176

Villarroel is a player who spent two summers in the Dominican Summer League, which some may see as a negative, but in this case it makes sense. Being one of the younger players in the DSL in 2022, Villarroel played just 10 games and looked rather good before returning in 2023.

Splitting time between catcher and first base, Villarroel slashed .313/.435/.491 with five home runs and six stolen bases. He struck out just 16 percent of the time while walking at a 14 percent clip. There is a chance Villarroel becomes much more of a household this year at the complex.

Enmanuel Bonilla, OF, TOR, 17, 6’1”/210

Bonilla received one of the largest bonuses in the 2023 international class, signing with the Blue Jays for $4 million. Despite striking out more than once per game, Bonilla still managed to post a .307/.407/.429 slash with 14 extra-base hits in 50 games in the DSL.

There were some strikeout issues, but Bonilla still showed big power in his swing in his pro debut. There is still plenty of boom or bust potential in this profile, but if all clicks, there is a chance that Bonilla could tap into plus power pretty easily, but the questions remain on what kind of hit tool he can develop.

David Matoma, RHP, PIT, 18, 6’0”/154

Shout out to both Geoff Pontes and Aram Leighton for this one as Matoma would likely not be on my radar otherwise. Pitching last summer in the DSL as a 17 year old, Matoma compiled 16.2 innings in which he struck out 14 batters and did not allow an earned run.

A rare prospect out of Uganda who signed in 2023 as a 16-year-old at the time, Matoma has a big fastball that is already up to the mid-90s with his fastball with heavy ride. He throws a slider and a curve which are both solid swing and miss pitches. If he can command his pitches at the complex, his stock is gonna soar.

Zander Mueth, RHP, PIT, 18, 6’6”/205

Mueth might wind up being one of the bigger steals of the 2023 Draft, as the Pirates grabbed him in the second round. The org has had a ton of success scouting and drafting prep arms, and Mueth could be the next one who flies up rankings.  

Standing at 6’6”, Mueth has an intimidating frame on the mound, and his 96 mph fastball gets on your fast and plays up due to extension. His changeup plays well off the fastball with nearly ten mph of separation and a low spin rate, allowing the pitch to die and fade away from hitters late. Mueth’s slider sits in the lower-80s with high spin and averages over 16 inches of sweeping action on the showcase circuit. 

Despite standing at 6’6”, Mueth has a low release height, making his pitches quite deceptive. The arsenal and pitch data suggest that Mueth has a ton of upside if all clicks.

Keiner Delgado, MI, PIT, 20, 5’7”/145

Delgado signed for $100k in 2021 and immediately hit the ground running in the DSL in 2022, swiping 34 bases across 53 games and slashing .310/.504/.506. The performance continued into 2023 as Delgado made his stateside debut at the complex in 2023, where he showed equally strong performance but showed an uptick in power, hitting eight home runs while slashing .295/.413/.486. 

Delgado is a switch hitter who shows strong plate discipline and contact from both sides of the plate. As a lefty, he posted a .891 OPS and a from the right side a .959. Delgado is highly selective, posting low swing rate and chase rates, evident in his high walk rates(19.7 percent) for his 477 plate appearance career. The more impressive thing is the bat-to-ball skills and the fact that Delgado has only struck out in 12 percent of career plate appearances.

It is not often we see a player like Delgado become a player to be named later, but that was the case as

Estuar Suero, OF, PIT, 18, 6’6”/180

Suero is a tooled-up outfielder who came to Pittsburgh from San Diego as part of the Rich Hill trade. Having a highly projectable frame and a powerful swing, Suero gets to power, but also has speed on the base paths. Last year as a 17 year old at the complex, Suero slashed .216/.326/.341 with five home runs and nine stolen bases. The issue is that he struck out 61 times in 218 plate appearances.

If Suero can see his contact tick up, there are a lot of fun skills to dream on.

Tony Blanco Jr., OF, PIT, 18, 6’7”/243

Speaking of skills to dream on, Tony Blanco Jr. also has them. Standing at a massive 6’7” frame that is already well filled out, Blanco gets to easy power, but contact skills are a major question. Blanco repeated the Dominican Summer League in 2023 after playing just nine games there in 2022.

Last year, Blanco slashed .235/.325/.397 with five home runs in 157 plate appearances. It came with a 37.5 percent strikeout rate, though. Blanco is just someone to keep an eye on, though, because if it does click, he could take off.

Douglas Glod, OF, ATL, 18, 5’9”/185

Despite being listed at only 5’9”, Glod brings some power thanks to strong bat speed. His debut in the DSL in 2022 was fine, and even though he posted a .224 batting average in the Florida Complex League, he made major strides. He officially hit five home runs, but added a monster home run off one of the Yankees’ top pitching prospects, Henry Lalane, in the FCL Finals, pushing Atlanta to victory. Glod also stole six bases and showed good plate instincts, as shown by a .387 OBP. The body gives some concern on the defensive side, but Glod could play a corner outfield spot or even move to second base. 

Franklin Arias, SS, BOS, 18, 5’11”/170

Arias was one of the more impressive standouts in Red Sox camp this spring as an athletic shortstop who is filling out and adding to his frame. Last summer in the Dominican Summer League, Arias slashed an impressive .350/.440/.453 with just one home run but had 11 extra-base hits in 37 games. He walked more than he struck out as well.

In the spring, Arias did seem to be more tapping into a little more power so that will be something I am watching closely because the feel to hit is very good.

Starlyn Nunez, 3B, BOS, 18, 6’0”/155

Nunez was an extra-base hit machine in the DSL last summer, collecting 12 doubles, three triples, and four home runs in 49 games. The bat-to-ball skills were solid as Nunez struck out just 13 percent of the time and posted a .325/.391/.479 slash.

The switch hitter has an explosive swing from the left side and gets to power pretty easily. There are questions surrounding his glove, but the bat will play. Nunez could see his stock soar with a strong performance at the complex.

Brailer Guerrero, OF, TB, 17, 6’2”/215

Guerrero signed the fifth-highest bonus of any international player in 2023, landing $3.7 million from the Rays as a 16-year-old. Already standing at 6’2” and well filled out for a 16-year-old, Guerrero has high-end bat speed and massive raw power to all fields. 

The lefty posted exit velocities as high as 111 mph, which is quite crazy for his age. 

It was hard to get a great look at Guerrero this year, as he played just seven games in the DSL. The upside of a big power-hitting corner outfielder still remains as Guerrero will look to be healthy and play a full season in 2024.

Dylan Questad, RHP, MIN, 19, 6’1”/200

The Twins snagged a cold weather prep arm in Dylan Questad in the fifth round of the 2023 draft. Showing strong athleticism in his 6’0”/200 lb frame, Questad throws a four-seam and two-seam fastball, with the four-seam sitting 92-96 mph with a ton of run-up in the zone. 

The changeup is quite advanced for a prep arm, showing up to 23 inches of fade, which is elite. Questad will mix in a 12-6 curveball and a slider with a short break. He has shown the ability to pitch backward and miss bats and seems to be comfortable throwing all pitches at any point in counts. 

We still need to see Questad pitch professionally to get a better idea of his potential, but if he comes out showing his strong arsenal in 2024, he could move up the rankings quickly.

Bryan Acuna, SS, MIN, 18, 5’11”/176

Acuna is a player that stood out to me on the backfields in the Spring Training. After showing a strong feel to hit in the Dominican Summer League, things fell apart last year at the complex, hitting just .185. On the positive side, Acuna did show solid OBP skills, but looked much improved this spring. There are still questions about how much power Acuna will get to, but considering his age, there is still plenty of time to tap into more.

Yasser Mercedes, OF, MIN, 19, 6’2”/175

Grabbing the Twins’ highest bonus in 2022 of $1.7 million, Mercedes immediately showed off strong skills in the Dominican Summer League, hitting for average, some power, and stealing 30 bases. 

Having an athletic frame at 6’2”, Mercedes moves exceptionally well, posting plus clock times and solid exit velocities for his age. 

In 2023, Injuries limited Mercedes to 25 games with fairly uninspiring results as he slashed .196/.248/.381 with four home runs. The strikeout rate was right in line with his 2022 DSL number, but the BABIP dropped from .432 to .211. 

Mercedes is likely somewhere in between the players we saw in the DSL and FCL. He has plenty of power upside, and speed to burn, the question is where do the contact skills end up.

Luis Almeyda, SS, BAL, 18, 6’2”/180

The Orioles signed Almeyda in January 2023 for a Baltimore record $2.3M, topping the previous mark of $1.3M set by Samuel Basallo just two years prior. He was initially born in New Jersey and was a highly regarded prep prospect, but he relocated to the Dominican Republic and subsequently became eligible to sign as an international free agent.

The results were not great in the DSL sample last year as he hit two home runs and slashed .190/.290/.310 but Almeyda did have shoulder surgery and we have to wonder if it bothered him the entire season. There is a lot to like about Almeyda’s profile and it could be on full display in the Florida Complex League.