Who had the best baseball career from Brevard County? The debate is on.
As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary this summer, USA TODAY Sports will celebrate the 250 greatest American sports figures of all time. To accompany the national honors, the USA TODAY Network is also recognizing the athletes and sports figures who shaped communities and defined their states, including right here on the Space Coast.
These baseball honors will form part of a series, selected by a statewide panel of USA TODAY Network experts, to roll out through 2026.
This time, the USA TODAY Network is honoring Brevard County’s baseball stars. Here are our selections for 5 players and/or coaches who have stood out over time.
The poll is located at the bottom of ther story.
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Tim Wakefield, Eau Gallie High alum
Wakefield pitched for 19 years in the Major Leagues, his first two with the Pittsburgh Pirates, and the next 17 with the Boston Red Sox. He won two World Series rings in Boston in 2004 and 2007. Wakefield was born in Melbourne, attended Eau Gallie High School, then pitched in college at Florida Tech. Wakefield, known for his signature knuckleball, amassed a career record of 200-180 with 2,156 strikeouts. He retired at age 45 in 2011.
Clint Hurdle, Merritt Island High alum
Hurdle came to Florida from Michigan in 1961 as a 4-year-old when his father took a job with the burgeoning space program. Hurdle attended Merritt Island High School, then turned down offers from Miami and Harvard to pursue a professional career. He was chosen with the 9th overall pick in the 1975 MLB Draft. As a player, Hurdle lasted 10 years, for the Royals, Red, Mets, Cardinals then the Mets again. He had a career batting average of .259 with 32 homers and 193 RBI. He played for the Royals in the 1980 World Series, won by the Phillies. Hurdle’s playing career ended in 1987, but his coaching career soon began. He was named manager of the Port. St. Lucie Mets in 1988, working his way up to his Major League managerial debut with the Colorado Rockies in 2002. He was manager of the Rockies for eight seasons from 2002-09, including the franchise’s only World Series appearance, in 2007. The Rockies were swept by the Red Sox. Hurdle’s next managerial stop was in Pittsburgh, where he coached the Pirates for nine years from 2011-19. He was 534-625 with the Rockies and 735-720 with the Pirates, good for an overall record of 1,269-1,345.
Prince Fielder, Eau Gallie High alum
Fielder, son of 1990s home run sensation Cecil Fielder, came to Melbourne to play high school baseball at Florida Air Academy beginning in 1999. Fielder transferred to Eau Gallie High to play his senior year in 2002. Fielder was the No. 7 overall pick in the 2002 MLB Draft. He made his Major League debut in 2005, then played his first full season in 2006. He hit 28 home runs with 81 RBI. The following season, he hit a career-high 50 home runs. He had a career-high 141 RBI in 2009. Along the way, he played on two World Series teams, both losses, with the Texas Rangers in 2010 and 2011. His career ended in 2016 with a career average of .283 with 319 home runs and 1,028 RBI. He had 1,645 hits. By comparison, his father had the same eact home run tally with 319, but 20 fewer RBI with 1,008. Cecil hit .255 with 1,313 hits.
Bruce Bochy, Melbourne High alum
Bochy, born in France, moved around a lot as a child, moving with his family to the Panama Canal Zone, South Carolina, and Virginia, before settling in Melbourne. He attended Melbourne High School, where he graduated in 1973. He was a baseball teammate of Darrell Hammond of Saturday Night Live fame. Bochy then pitched at Brevard Community College, winning a state championship in 1975. Bochy’s Major League playing career began in 1978 with the Houston Astros, followed by the Mets and Padres. He retired in 1987 after 9 seasons, collecting a .239 career batting average with 26 home runs and 93 RBI. Bochy began his coaching career in 1989, working his way up to his managerial debut with the San Diego Padres in 1995. He managed the Padres for 12 years through 2006, leading the team into the World Series in 1998, where they lost to the Yankees. He had a 951-975 record. His next stop was San Francisco, where he managed for 13 seasons from 2007-2019. He won World Series titles in 2010, 2012 and 2014. He ended with a record of 1,052-1,054. His next stop was with the Texas Rangers, a three-year stint from 2023-2025, collecting a 249-237 record. He led the Rangers to their only franchise World Series title in 2023. Bochy is one of just six Major League managers to win four or more World Series titles.
Ryan Ludwick, Satellite Beach native
Ludick was born in Brevard County in 1978. His family moved out west and he graduated from Durango High School in Las Vegas. Ludwick was chosen in the second-round (60th overall) of the 1999 MLB Draft by the Oakland Athletics. He was traded to Texas before the 2002 season, making his debut with the Rangers later that season. Ludwick had a 12-year Major League career, ending in 2014. He bounced around after the Rangers, playing for the Cardinals, Reds, Cleveland, San Diego and Pittsburgh. He amassed 154 home runs and 587 RBI with a .260 batting average. Ludwick in 2025 began his coaching career with the Cardinals as an outfield coordinator within the player development department.
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This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Who had Brevard’s all-time best baseball career? Vote now
Reporting by Tim Walters, Florida Today / Florida Today
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
