Call me maybe
Here’s a list of South Florida baseball standouts who could be taken in abbreviated draft
Although the Major League Baseball season hasn’t started yet, the MLB draft will still take place. Several local players will hope to hear their names called in the abbreviated draft.
The first round and Competitive Balance Round A will be broadcast on MLB Network and ESPN, starting at 7 p.m. on Wednesday. The remaining four rounds will start at 5 p.m. on Thursday and be broadcast on MLB Network and ESPN2.
The draft was shortened from its typical 40 rounds to five due to the coronavirus pandemic, limiting the opportunity for high school and college players to start their professional careers.
Despite the shortened draft, there are still several local standouts who could hear their names called:
Enrique Bradfield Jr., OF, American Heritage
Bradfield, who signed with Vanderbilt, is one of the top high school outfield prospects in the country. MLB Pipeline rates him the No. 104 overall prospect in this year’s draft. Bradfield, who played in last year’s MLB High School All-Star Game, missed a large part of his junior season with a back injury, but he was a key player on the Patriots this year, helping them start the season 10-0 before the coronavirus forced the season to end. He was hitting .367 with a 1.012 OPS and a home run before the season ended. He also had five steals.
Shane Drohan, P, Florida State (Cardinal Newman grad)
Drohan had a solid career at Cardinal Newman, posting a 2.00 ERA with 78 strikeouts in his senior year, before developing further in Tallahassee. The Phillies selected Drohan in the 23rd round of the 2017 draft, but he elected to go to FSU. In two full seasons and an abbreviated junior year, Drohan went 3-2 with a 4.66 ERA — bloated by struggles as a freshman. As a
sophomore, Drohan went 3-1 with a 3.66 ERA and 71 strikeouts in 51 2⁄3 innings. This year, he had a 4.08 ERA and 27 strikeouts in 17 2⁄3 innings over four games. MLB Pipeline ranks him as the No. 148 prospect in the draft.
Jake Eder, P, Vanderbilt (Calvary Christian grad)
Eder played at Atlantic for three years before transferring to Calvary Christian as a senior. He was an ace for the Eagles, and the Mets
picked him the 34th round of the 2017 draft. He elected to pitch for Vanderbilt and developed into a standout pitcher. He was a solid relief pitcher in 2019, putting up a 2.97 ERA in 19 games for the College World Series champion Commodores. He pitched in six games and started four for Vanderbilt this year, posting a 3.60 ERA. He is the No. 59 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline.
Timmy Manning, P, Cardinal Gibbons
Manning, who signed with Florida, was off to a dominant start to his senior
campaign before the season ended abruptly. He was hitting .538 with a home run and a 1.416 OPS at the plate. On the mound, he was 4-0 with a 1.17 ERA and 38 strikeouts in 24 innings. Manning, who also played in the MLB High School All-Star Game, is No. 144 in MLB Pipeline’s prospect rankings. He was a firstteam All-County pick as a junior.
Coby Mayo, IF, Stoneman Douglas
The Eagles third baseman, who was named a MaxPreps preseason AllAmerican, was off to a
strong start to his senior year, hitting .455 with a pair of home runs and a 1.386 OPS. Mayo was a first-team All-County selection as a junior. Mayo signed with Florida. MLB Pipeline lists Mayo as the No. 133 prospect in the draft.
Anthony Servideo, IF, Miss (Jupiter grad)
Servideo was a key player in his time at Jupiter and grew into a dangerous hitter for Ole Miss. As a sophomore, he hit .287 with a .817 OPS and 24 stolen bases. Servideo was off to a hot start a junior, hitting .390 with a 1.270 OPS and nine
Ole
steals through 17 games. The Ole Miss shortstop is listed as the No. 111 prospect in this year’s draft.
Alex Toral, IF, Miami, (Archbishop McCarthy grad)
Toral was a dangerous hitter for Archbishop McCarthy, and he grew into one of the top power hitters in college baseball. As a sophomore, Toral hit .293 with a 1.056 OPS with 24 home runs — tied for third in the nation. Toral was hitting .296 and had five home runs when the 2020 season ended. Toral is listed as the No. 186 prospect in the draft.