During the 2021 season, numerous Florida League alumni excelled in Minor League Baseball, continuing their climb in the professional baseball. This includes those that began their professional careers in 2021, as well as those that took the field for the first time since 2019. The Florida League spotlights just a few of the many League alumni that had stellar years in the minors.

Vaun Brown, San Francisco Giants org. (2021 Leesburg Lightning)
After being drafted in the tenth round of this year's draft, Brown made an immediate impact in the Arizona Complex League. In 25 games, Brown slashed .354/.480/.620, good for an astounding OPS of 1.100. The Florida Southern product hit two home runs and drove in 14 playing for ACL Giants Orange. 

Kerry Carpenter, Detroit Tigers org. (2018 Seminole County Scorpions)
Carpenter spent the entirety of the 2021 season in double-A, where he made an impact for the Erie Seawolves. The 2018 Scorpion drove in 74 runs, slashing .262/.319/.433 over 112 games. Carpenter's efforts came after spending the 2019 season mostly in the Gulf Coast League, where he was the league Most Valuable Player.

Carlos Cortes, New York Mets org. (2016 Sanford River Rats)
In his thirs season of professional baseball, Cortes had arguably his best campaign, especially in the power department. With the double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies, Cortes set new career highs in home runs (14) and slugging percentage (.487). He is currently playing in the Arizona Fall League with the Salt River Rafters.

Yaya Chentouf, Detroit Tigers org. (2016 Altamonte Springs Boom)
The former Pitt Panther has been excellent in his three seasons of professional baseball, with an ERA under 4.00 in all three campaigns. In 2021, Chentouf went 7-4 with a 3.22 earned run average, making 34 appearances between the high-A West Michigan Whitecaps and the double-A Erie Seawolves.

Nick Davila, Detroit Tigers org. (2020 Orlando Scorpions)
A member of the vaunted 2020 Scorpions, Davila's first season of professional baseball saw him log 94 innings for the low-A Lakeland Flying Tigers. In 27 appearances, which included 13 starts, Davila posted a 3.54 earned run average and struck out 99 hitters. Those 99 strikeouts came with just 35 walks and only six home runs allowed.

Connor Hoover, Seattle Mariners org. (2015 Altamonte Springs Boom)
Hoover showed expanded power capabilities in his fourth MiLB season, hitting 19 home runs in 363 at-bats after hitting just 14 in his first 528 at-bats over three seasons. Playing with the high-A Everett AquaSox, Hoover had 49 extra-base hits, adding 26 doubles and four triples to his 19 homers. During the month of August, he was named High-A West Player of the Month.

Robert Kwiatkowski, Boston Red Sox org. (2018 Leesburg Lightning)
One of Leesburg's top pitchers from 2018 was a standout reliever for the Salem Red Sox in 2021. Kwiatkowski posted a 6-0 record with a 3.58 earned run average, holding hitters to a .255 batting average. Used mostly in a middle relief role, the righthander allowed just 20 walks in 70 innings, and averaged more than two innings per appearance.

Brian Lavastida, Cleveland Indians org. (2017 Sanford River Rats)
The 2017 River Rat bounced around the Indians organization this year, playing at the high-A, double-A, and triple-A levels. The majority of his time (48 games) was spent with the high-A Lake County Captains, where he slashed .303/.399/.467. He did make seven appearances, with 19 at-bats, for the AAA Columbus Clippers.

Tyler Neslony, Chicago White Sox org. (2013 Leesburg Lightning)
Neslony was traded to the White Sox organization in July, and excelled in his time with the double-A Birmingham Barons. In 38 games with Birmingham, the former Leesburg standout hit .355 with a .444 on base percentage and a .678 slugging percentage, good for a 1.121 OPS. He hit seven home runs and drove in 28 during that time.

JJ Niekro, Atlanta Braves org. (2017 Winter Park Diamond Dawgs)
Niekro signed with the Braves as an undrafted free agent after the 2021 Draft, and made the most of his time with the Braves' team in the Florida Complex League. Niekro made ten appearances for a total of 16.1 innings, where he recorded a 2.76 earned run average and 23 strikeouts. 73 percent of his pitches were for strikes, leading to just nine walks.

Drew Romo, Colorado Rockies org. (2020 Sanford River Rats)
After being drafted 35th overall in the 2020 Draft, the former Sanford signee made his professional debut in 2021. Romo hit .314 with a .345 on base percentage, logging six home runs, 47 runs batted in, and nearly 100 hits for the low-A Fresno Grizzlies. He also made an impact on the base paths with 23 stolen bases

Jacob Teter, Baltimore Orioles org. (2018 Winter Park Diamond Dawgs & 2020 Orlando Scorpions)
The Florida League's 2018 home run champion got his professional career off to a great start after being picked in the 13th round of the 2021 Draft. Teter was promoted to low-A Delmarva after just seven games in the FCL, and hit .316 with a .516 slugging percentage for the Shorebirds. He hit three home runs and drove in 20 over 24 games in Delmarva. 

Jake Walters, Miami Marlins org. (2015 Altamonte Springs Boom)
In his second season of professional baseball, Walters spent most of his time with the high-A Beloit Snappers, where he struck out 54 hitters in 51 innings. The former Altamonte Springs Boom product got two opportunities to pitch for the triple-A Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, where he did not allow an earned run in seven innings of work. 

Additionally, two former Florida Leaguers completed their journey to baseball's pinnacle, making their Major League debuts. 

Zach Reks, Los Angeles Dodgers (2016 DeLand Suns)
Reks became the eighth former member of the DeLand Suns to make the Major Leagues on June 21, making his MLB debut for the reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. Reks appeared in six games for the Dodgers, and scored two runs. He spent most of 2021 with the triple-A Oklahoma City Dodgers, where he hit 19 home runs and drove in 67. 

Justin Lawrence, Colorado Rockies (2014 College Park Freedom)
Lawrence made his Major League debut on April 29, and made 19 appearances throughout 2021 for the Rockies. During his time in Colorado, Lawrence struck out 17 hitters in 16.2 innings of work, and earned his first career win on July 4 against the St. Louis Cardinals. When in triple-A, he was a closer for the Albuquerque Isotopes, logging 13 saves.