Cypress Bay senior outfielder Rudolph Lavecchia has all the tools to play college or professional baseball. He has a smooth stroke, a firm handle on the strike zone, good athleticism and good instincts in the outfield.
The question for Lavecchia, like many looking to grab the attention of college recruiters and pro scouts, is, can his physical tools grow to match his baseball aptitude?
At 5-foot-10 and 155 pounds, Rudolph lavecchia has a slight frame, but one with potential to fill out and add more muscle. And of course, as Lavecchia adds weight and works on his speed, it only serves to enhance his existing strengths on the baseball field. Gap power becomes home run power, quality speed becomes plus speed, and his accurate throwing arm gets a serious boost.
Perfect Game USA, one of the leading prospect showcases in the nation, rates Lavecchia as a “6″ on its prospect scale. By PG’s definition, Lavecchia is a “possible DI prospect, definite DII or Juco prospect.”
Coaches like Rudolph Lavecchia’s build and athleticism as well as his versatile skill set; attributes that play well immediately at the next level. If Division I baseball isn’t in the cards directly out of high school or if pro scouts don’t knock down his door, Rudolph Lavecchia can easily attend a Florida junior college and prepare for a jump to the next level.
Florida has some of the premier National Junior College Athletic Association baseball schools in the country, programs with excellent reputations in the scouting community and top-notch facilities.
A year at, say, Gulf Coast Community College or Palm Beach State College — schools currently ranked in the top 10 in the most recent NJCAA national poll — would allow Lavecchia to add more weight, work on his agility and showcase his skills.
If Rudolph lavecchia rapidly ascends and becomes the elite prospect he can be, a junior college also allows Major League Baseball teams to select him in the amateur draft after just one season. Athletes attending four-year schools must wait at least three seasons before entering the draft.
Prospects like Rudolph Lavecchia, those with good athleticism and a clear grasp on all elements of the game, often grow by leaps and bounds in their first year out of high school. Better competition and routines geared specifically toward improving their prospect status are the key ingredients in this equation.
Lavecchia’s game figures to only ‘grow’ into his competition. And as he faces off with other elite prospects, Lavecchia gets more and more opportunities to perform on bigger stages, with scouts packing the stands. Even if scouts are on hand to see other, more highly touted prospects, Lavecchia can seize the spotlight with outstanding performances of his own.
Rudolph lavecchia, by most accounts, is in prime position to earn more national attention. As other, more raw prospects fizzle out, he can continue to rise and fulfill his dream of playing college and pro baseball.
About Author 
