Vote on Treasure Coast's all-time best from baseball

World Series champions, Gold Glove winners and Florida state champions have written an extensive baseball history for the Treasure Coast.

USA TODAY Sports will celebrate the 250 greatest American sports figures of all time in conjunction with the United States' 250th anniversary.

Additionally, the USA TODAY Network will highlight the roots of the country’s sports culture: the high school athletes and sports figures who shaped communities and defined their states. This will include trailblazers and trendsetters whose influence reaches beyond championships and statistics. First, we are going to take a look at athletes in their individual sports.

This week, we're honoring the stars of baseball. It was no easy task to narrow this list down with so many impactful figures hailing from the Treasure Coast.

Listed in alphabetical order, these players were all standouts at the high school level before moving on to even greater heights in college and the pros.

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Rick Ankiel

St. Louis Cardinals right fielder (24) Rick Ankiel against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field in 2007.

Ankiel is one of the most fascinating players in modern baseball history and his story began on the Treasure Coast at Port St. Lucie High School. He dominated as a pitcher during his senior varsity season, earning USA Today High School Player of the Year after an 11-1 campaign with a 0.47 ERA. He was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the second round of the 1997 MLB Draft and rose to the big leagues at age 20. A promising start to his Cardinals career devolved into staggering control issues in 2000 as Ankiel was suddenly unable to throw strikes. He was sent down to the minors, where he lingered for years before changing positions to the outfield and returning to the Cardinals in 2007. He put together six solid professional seasons as a hard-hitting outfielder, penning one of baseball's great comeback stories.

Michael Brantley

Michael Brantley #23 of the Houston Astros looks on from the dugout prior to Game Three of the American League Championship Series against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on October 18, 2023 in Arlington, Texas.

Brantley, a Fort Pierce Central graduate, was a five-time All-Star selection across a 15-year MLB career with the Cleveland Indians and Houston Astros. He was one of baseball's most consistent hitters across his career, posting a .298 average and winning a Silver Slugger in 2014, the year he finished Top 5 in American League MVP voting. Brantley won a World Series in 2022 with the Astros. His exploits at Fort Pierce Central included a gaudy .595 batting average and 32 stolen bases as a senior, catching the attention of the Milwaukee Brewers, who selected him in the seventh round of the 2005 MLB Draft.

Alex Cobb

Starting pitcher Alex Cobb #38 of the San Francisco Giants pitches against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the first inning of the MLB game at Chase Field on September 19, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona.

Cobb launched his 13-year MLB career at Vero Beach High School, where he starred for the school's baseball team and played quarterback on the football team. He was selected by the Tampa Bay Rays in the fourth round of the 2006 MLB Draft and made his pro debut in 2011. Cobb enjoyed his best professional season in 2023, when he was named a National League All-Star with the San Francisco Giants. He owns a career record of 79-76 with a 3.84 ERA and 1,108 strikeouts.

Mike Easom

Mike Easom

Easom was the heart and soul of Indian River State College baseball across a 31-year career as head coach. He won 1,036 games, nine conference titles and four state titles and produced 160 professional baseball players, including 14 big leaguers, during his tenure. The school retired Easom's No. 4 jersey number and named its baseball field after the coach in 2022. After retiring from IRSC in 2006, Easom coached high school baseball at John Carroll Catholic.

Mike Harper

Harper holds special distinction on the Treasure Coast after building a juggernaut at South Fork. He led the Bulldogs to back-to-back FHSAA state finals in 2008 and 2009, one of only two Treasure Coast baseball coaches to do so, winning the title in the latter. It's the only FHSAA state title by a Treasure Coast program in the 21st century. An electrician by trade, Harper posted a 169-99 career record in 10 seasons at South Fork.

Ed Hearn

Hearn enjoyed a three-year MLB career and was famously a member of the 1986 World Series champion New York Mets. He was the backup to Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter before he was traded to the Kansas City Royals in exchange for David Cone. Though he struggled with injuries during his career, Hearn saw the heights of professional baseball after getting his start as football and baseball star at Fort Pierce Central High School.

Scott Proctor

New York Yankees relief pitcher (43) Scott Proctor delivers a pitch during the sixth inning at US Cellular Field in Chicago, IL in 2007.

Proctor, a Martin County High School graduate, pitched eight seasons in the MLB, including a notable stint with Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera in the New York Yankees' bullpen. In 2006, Proctor led the American League with 83 relief appearances, often setting the table for Rivera. Prior to his professional career, Proctor pitched at Florida State under legendary head coach Mike Martin.

Charles Johnson Jr.

Catcher Charles Johnson #23 of the Florida Marlins smiles in the dugout with his equipment on during the MLB game against the San Francisco Giants at Pacific Bell Park in San Francisco, California on May 15, 2002. The Marlins won 4-2.

Johnson developed a reputation as one of the best defensive catchers in the MLB across a 12-year professional career. He was a two-time All-Star and won four gold gloves, shining brightest in 1997 when he set a record by playing 123 games without an error as the Florida Marlins won the 1997 World Series. Johnson played under his father, Charles Sr., at Fort Pierce Westwood, hitting better than .400 across his high school career. He was selected in the first round of the 1989 MLB Draft but elected to play college baseball at the University of Miami. He was again drafted in the first round of the 1992 MLB Draft.

Bryan Rahal

Vero Beach High baseball coach Bryan Rahal gives instructions in Game 2 of the best-of-3 series against Harmony High in the Class 7A-Region 3 semifinals Saturday at Vero Beach High.

Rahal is setting the pace among current Treasure Coast high school baseball coaches with 295 wins in 14 seasons at Vero Beach High. Rahal's Indians have reached the FHSAA state semifinals in two of the last three seasons. With his teams averaging better than 20 wins per season and Rahal still shy of age 50, he'll have a chance to challenge for the Treasure Coast's all-time wins record, which was set by Jeff Steinman, his Vero predecessor, at 462.

Rick Dixon

Dixon's decorated sporting career encompassed accomplishments as a player, coach and administrator. He hit leadoff on John Carroll's Class 1A state championship team in 1973. He later won 430 games as a baseball coach at Fort Pierce Central, John Carroll and Lincoln Park Academy, long holding the area's all-time wins record. Dixon also spent 13 years as an athletic director at John Carroll and St. Lucie West Centennial.

Clyde Russell

Russell was a fixture of John Carroll Catholic both as a baseball coach and administrator. He is the only high school baseball coach from the Treasure Coast to win multiple FHSAA state titles after winning titles with John Carroll in 1973 and 1979. Russell posted a 192-53 record in eigth seasons as head coach. He later moved into administration as principal at John Carroll Catholic. He was inducted into the St. Lucie County Sports Hall of Fame

Eric J. Wallace is deputy sports editor for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at ejwallace@usatodayco.com.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Vote on Treasure Coast's all-time best from baseball