South Florida Collegiate League Develops Rising MLB Stars

The South Florida Collegiate League is an excellent opportunity for college players with MLB aspirations.

The road to the majors can vary for aspiring MLB players. For those who take the college route, earning a college degree offers players a contingency in the event that the road falls short of the Major Leagues. Nonetheless, collegiate summer leagues offer additional developmental opportunities for grooming hopeful big leaguers.

Courtesy: Fort Lauderdale Knights

One summer league, in particular, merits attention. It’s the South Florida Collegiate League. Considered one of the top summer collegiate baseball leagues, this reasonably new, yet established, league will enter its 10th season in 2020. Fans will get to see top-flight amateur college baseball players go against each other in a highly competitive environment.

This wood bat league also supports players with exposure to MLB scouts. In the past five years, the league has produced 152 MLB draft selections, 14 of which were called up to the bigs. The league’s reputation is evident based on how many players have transferred to South Florida schools with the goal of playing summer ball in the SFCBL. Many of the league’s alumni credit the SFCBL with helping them develop their game.

Beginning in August–seven months before the season starts–college coaches place players into the SFCBL portal. They know that their players will gain experience, train with elite strength coaches, and gain significantly from position coaches with MLB backgrounds.

Here are SFCBL standout players to watch.

Nikolas Constantakos: Nik was the season strikeout leader last year, racking up 66 K’s at a 16.50 K/9 clip, and finishing third best with an ERA of 1.75. With dominant arm and fastball in the mid-’90s, he excels in his ability to mix-and-match pitches, including having a deceptive breaking ball and a changeup that bottoms out.

Israel Cordero: In 2019, Israel finished a perfect 4-0 season with a league-leading 1.21 ERA. This UNC Greensboro product proved why he’s a rising talent in college baseball.

Derek Cartaya: Cartaya was the league’s batting champion with a .395 average. Diminutive and speedy, this FIU star has plate discipline the Majors are after. He struck out only seven times in 76 at-bats while chipping in 14 stolen bases.

Cameron Krzeminski: Cameron was the league’s stolen base leader with 46. With adept base running skills, he was caught stealing only four times. With a keen eye at the plate, Krzeminski earned a base-on-balls 26 times in 108 at-bats.

Dalton Cobb: Auburn’s Delton Cobb was the league leader in slugging percentage (.578) and had an OPS of 1.010. Cobb showed the ability to get on base (.432) and hit for average (.322).