IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) and Calvary Christian Academy (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) dominate the MaxPreps Preseason All-America Baseball Team and represent all of the players from the state of Florida.
Outfielder James Wood, infielder Tommy White and junior outfielder Elijah Green represent IMG Academy while the pitching duo of Irving Carter and Andrew Painter represent Calvary Christian Academy. The five players make Florida the leader on the All-America squad while California is second with four players.
The players are chosen based on previous all-state and All-America honors, statistics, and national rankings by Perfect Game and Prep Baseball Report.
Andrew Painter, Calvary Christian Academy
Photo by Alyson Boyer Rode
Preseason MaxPreps All-America baseball team
Went 2-1 in three appearances last year with 27 strikeouts in 12
innings pitched. Ranked by Perfect Game as one of the nation's top
pitching prospects.
P — Chase Petty | Mainland Regional (Linwood, N.J.) | 6-1 | 185
Might have the best fastball of any player in the Class of 2021 as he
hit 100 mph during a summer Perfect Game showcase in Georgia.
P — Jackson Jobe | Heritage Hall (Oklahoma City) | 6-2 | 190
A five-tool player who can throw 96 mph off the mound, he's also
regarded as a prospect at shortstop. After his performance at the
Perfect Game All-American Classic, Jobe will likely be drafted as a
pitcher.
P — Chase Burns | Beech (Hendersonville, Tenn.) | 6-4 | 215
He transferred to Beech last summer. He
sported a 0.52 ERA in 40.2 innings pitched to rank among the top
pitchers in the state in 2019.
P — Josh Hartle | Ronald Reagan (Pfafftown, N.C.) | 6-5 | 195
Regarded
as a possible first-day draft pick in this summer's MLB draft, Hartle
went 7-2 as a sophomore on a Reagan team that went 21-7. He picked up
two of Reagan's three wins in last year's shortened season.
P — Brock Selvidge | Hamilton (Chandler, Ariz.) | 6-3 | 205
The MaxPreps Best Player in Arizona was 4-2 on the mound as a sophomore and batted .311 with four home runs.
P — Irving Carter | Calvary Christian Academy (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) | 6-4 | 200
As
a sophomore, went 7-1 with 79 strikeouts and a 1.24 ERA in 50
innings pitched. He's ranked as the No. 2 pitcher in Florida by Perfect
Game, right behind teammate Andrew Painter.
P — Cale Lansville | ThunderRidge (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) | 6-0 | 205
Struck out 47 batters in 34 innings and batted .386 as a sophomore. Earned second team Class 5A all-state honors.
P — Maddux Bruns | UMS-Wright Prep (Mobile, Ala.) | 6-2 | 210
Got his junior season off to a strong start in 2020 as he struck out 15
in a win over defending 2019 state champion McGill-Toolen.
P — Gage Jump | JSerra Catholic (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.) | 5-11 | 170
A
left-handed pitcher, his fastball reaches 95 mph and the UCLA commit has also has
developed a knuckle-curveball.
C — Harry Ford | North Cobb (Kennesaw, Ga.) | 5-10 | 200
Headed
to Georgia Tech next year, Ford is ranked as the No. 2 catcher in the
nation by Perfect Game. He also played in the Perfect Game All-America
Classic.
C — Joe Mack | Williamsville East (East Amherst, N.Y.) | 6-1 | 203
Considered one of the top catchers in the nation, Mack did not play last
year, but earned All-Western New York honors while batting .462 with
four home runs as a sophomore.
C — Carter Jensen | Park Hill (Kansas City, Mo.) | 6-1 | 210
Batted .405 with 13 RBI and six doubles as a sophomore. He
can play multiple positions as he is listed as a catcher, corner
infielder and outfielder.
1B — Grant Hussey | Parkersburg South (Parkersburg, W. Va.) | 6-3 | 225
The first baseman has committed to West Virginia. He batted .385 as a
freshman and earned honorable mention all-state honors as a sophomore.
1B — Max McGwire | Capistrano Valley (Mission Viejo, Calif.) | 6-2 | 185
McGwire
put on a show this summer with his home run bombs at the various
showcases he attended. That shouldn't seem like too much of a surprise
considering he is the son of former MLB home run record holder Mark
McGwire. The younger McGwire has already committed to play at Oklahoma.
IF — Jordan Lawler | Dallas Jesuit (Dallas) | 6-2 | 185
He's taken over as the top prospect in the Class of 2021 and is a
potential Top 10 draft pick. As a sophomore, he batted .385 with 25 RBI
and four home runs.
IF — Brady House | Winder-Barrow (Winder, Ga.) | 6-3 | 210
At one time, he was considered the top prospect in the Class of 2021 by
Perfect Game. He's still considered a potential high draft pick after
hitting .653 with four home runs and 20 RBI last spring.
IF — Marcelo Mayer | Eastlake (Chula Vista, Calif.) | 6-3 | 188
In 2019, the Titans had a first-round draft pick in Keoni Cavaco and
they could have another one in Mayer, one of the nation's top
shortstops. He was batting .294 with three home runs last spring in
seven games.
IF — Kahlil Watson | Wake Forest (N.C.) | 5-11 | 168
A football and baseball standout, Watson dominated as a sophomore batting .578 with six home runs and 23 RBI. He ranks as one of the
nation's top shortstops.
IF — Alex Mooney | St. Mary Prep (Orchard Lake, Mich.) | 6-1 | 175
The infielder made the state coaches association all-state team as a
sophomore after hitting .444 with 15 doubles and seven home runs.
IF — Tommy White | IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) | 6-1 | 220
Previously
at Calvary Christian, White transferred to IMG Academy for his senior
year. He batted .444 with 18 RBI and four home runs for the Warriors in
11 games last year.
OF — James Wood | IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) | 6-6 | 230
Wood
played in nine game as a junior with the Ascenders and batted .348 with
a home run. He's expected to be one of the top power hitters in the
nation in 2021.
OF — Josh Baez | Dexter Southfield (Brookline, Mass.) | 6-3 | 220
Although he didn't play an inning last year, Baez was named the Gatorade
State Player of the Year in 2020. He has become one of the top two-way
players in the New England complete with long home runs and 90-mph
fastballs.
OF — Ben Montgomery | Red Land (Lewisberry, Pa.) | 6-4 | 200
He didn't play last year, but has consistently ranked among the Top
10 players heading into the 2021 MLB draft. He's regarded as the top
overall outfielder in the nation by Perfect Game.
OF — Malakhi Knight | Archbishop Murphy (Everett, Wash.) | 6-3 | 187
A two-sport star, Knight excelled on the hardwood for the Chargers
while also emerging as the state's top baseball prospect as an
outfielder in the Class of 2021.
OF — Tyree Reed | American Canyon (Calif.) | 6-3 | 197
As
a sophomore, Reed batted .481 with 19 RBI and 20 runs scored. He played
four games as a junior, but hit .462 with a home run.
OF — Braden Montgomery | Madison Central (Madison, Miss.) | 6-2 | 201
The Stanford-bound outfielder has developed into one of the top players
in the country. He played in the Perfect Game All-American Classic.
AP — Luke Leto | Portage Central (Portage, Mich.) | 6-2 | 190
Regarded
as one of the top players in the nation as a freshman and sophomore by
Perfect Game, Leto was All-Kalamazoo Dream Team as a sophomore, batting
.371 with 10 triples and 21 RBI.
AP — Carter Holton | Benedictine (Savannah, Ga.) | 5-11 | 195
Holton
excels at the plate and on the mound. He has a 22-4 record with 326
career strikeouts as a pitcher and his career batting average is .426
with 15 home runs. He has committed to play at Vanderbilt.
AP — Elijah Green | IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) | 6-3 | 215
Picked by Perfect Game as the No. 1 prospect in the Class of
2022, Green previously played at TNXL Academy, but coming to play for the Ascenders.
Tommy White, IMG Academy
Photo by Robbie Rakestraw