FTB Spotlight – Blaze Alexander

High School – Bishop Verot

Grad year – 2018

FTB – He is entering his 3rd season with FTB

 

You get texts and calls all the time about prospects from all over the place.  It’s not often that you get multiple texts, from multiple people, about a player from a high school that a lot of former players attended.  That’s what happened in the Winter of 2014.  After a showcase in South Florida I received a text about a kid that was undersized but had all the actions to stay at short stop a long time.  A few days later I received a similar text from a former player (Daniel Vogelbach), who was one of the best FTB players of all time.  Both of them raved about his feet and his “bazooka” of an arm, as it was described to me.  That Spring I went and watched Blaze Alexander play.  It was a couple weeks into the high school season and Bishop Verot came to Central Florida, right away I saw what was texted.  In the first couple innings Blaze ranged to his left and quickly transferred and threw across this infield.  At that time Blaze could not have been more than 5’7 or so and had not started filling his body out.  It was easy to see what could happen when he started to grow and fill out.  His dad and brother are both over 6’3 so it was really just a matter of time. 

 

Fast forward one year from those texts and Blaze is almost 6’0 (though still filling out his frame), everything is playing a tick up.  His range and hands are still well above average, his arm is now plus-plus (95 MPH across the infield at a recent showcase) and his bat is now projecting just like everyone thought it would with his added strength/size.  I know up until this point in the spotlight I have talked about the physical tools, but that isn’t the half of it.  Blaze has an older brother that plays D1 baseball and a Dad that played as well.  The entire family does not shy away from hard work or high expectations.  Some of the areas that Blaze continues to improve, strength and speed, are just a product of a relentless work ethic! 

 

For a kid that has not played an inning of his sophomore year, Blaze is battled tested making a deep run in his high school playoffs, the Perfect Game 16U WWBA National Championship last summer, and a National Championship in the PG Underclass this Fall.  The recent South Carolina commit has big goals.  More importantly, he has the drive to achieve those goals!  Talent, plus, work ethic, equals a limitless ceiling for Blaze!