How are former Florida Gators doing in the MLB?
By Will Thomas
The Florida Gators baseball team is one of the best in the country and has some of the best players in the nation on their roster.
Jac Caglianone is doing an exceptional Shohei Ohtani impression, and he’s just one of the multiple Gators that have a future in the MLB.
But don’t get caught up in the MLB potential of this year’s team and forget about all the current MLB players that came out of Gainesville.
There were 10 former Florida Gators on opening day rosters this season, tied for the most in the country with the Vanderbilt Commodores.
Let’s take a look at how these former Gators are playing so far this season.
Florida Gators in the MLB: Pete Alonso
Alonso is probably the most recognizable name on this list. A power hitter in Gainesville, Alonso is still one of the premier long ball hitters in the pros and is probably the best hitter on the Mets currently.
We’ll have to wait for the Home Run Derby to see his full form, but thus far in the season, he’s hitting .257 with an OBP of .328, and a slugging percentage of .562.
He’s in second place in the majors with 10 home runs and has an impressive 25 RBI already.
Alonso will continue being one of the strongest hitters in the league for years to come.
Florida Gators in the MLB: Jonathan India
Jonathan India has the unfortunate luck of playing for the Cincinnati Reds but is still putting up solid numbers through the first month.
He’s hitting .287 with a .400 OBP and slugging .404. He isn’t much of a power hitter with just one long ball so far, but his ability to get on base is what makes him so valuable.
India is a great defender as well, only committing two errors and a 97.6% fielding percentage.
Hopefully, we get to see India on a contender sooner rather than later.
Florida Gators in the MLB: Brady Singer
Brady Singer was one of the Royal’s best prospects in the past few years but has struggled a bit to begin the 2023 season.
He’s 2-2 with a 6.67 ERA and a WHIP of 1.37. Singer has rung up 24 strikeouts over 27 innings pitched.
When Brady is able to get back to his full potential, Kansas City will be thankful. A rocky start won’t define his season, and Singer will be back to one of the Royal’s best options before the year ends.
Florida Gators in the MLB: Harrison Bader
Harrison Bader hasn’t been able to suit up for the Yankees yet with an oblique strain keeping him in the dugout. But New York will be happy to have him back when he’s healthy.
For his career, he has a modest .245 BA, but his speed is his defining characteristic. He can flag down almost any ball in the outfield and has the ability to steal a base or turn singled into doubles whenever he feels like it.
Bader will be ready to get his name back in MLB circles when he returns from injury
Florida Gators in the MLB: Mike Zunino
Zunino has had a solid start to the year catching for the Cleveland Guardians.
He’s hitting .245 with two homers and an OBP of .385. His OPS+ of 147 shows how much of a quality hitter he is, well above the MLB average of 100.
In 18 games behind the plate, he hasn’t committed any throwing errors and has caught three men stealing.
Florida Gators in the MLB: Dalton Guthrie
Guthrie is currently down in the minors for the Phillies but is still on the 40-man roster awaiting his turn.
On the season Dalton is hitting .333 with a homer and a .500 on-base percentage. He has an OPS of .970 and an OPS+ of 180.
Guthrie hopes to have his shot in the pros soon to show Philly what he can bring to their squad.
Florida Gators in the MLB: A.J. Puk
Puk has been elite for the Marlins out of the bullpen this year and hopes to continue dominating as we enter summer.
Over 11 innings he has an ERA of 0.82, a WHIP of 0.91, and four saves. He’s struck out 12 hitters over those 11 innings of work.
A.J. is certainly a bright spot on a Marlins team looking for a spark.
Florida Gators in the MLB: Dane Dunning
Dunning, like Puk, has been a good part of a bad team’s bullpen.
For the Texas Rangers, he’s appeared in eight games covering 20.1 innings. With an ERA of 1.77 and a WHIP of 0.84, he’s been very effective out west.
This is Dane’s best year of his career, and he hopes to sustain that success as time passes.
Florida Gators in the MLB: Anthony Desclafani
Desclafani has had a superb start to the season as a San Francisco Giants starter.
In five outings he’s pitched 30 innings with an ERA of 2.70, a WHIP of 0.93, and 27 strikeouts. He carries a 2-1 record into the month of May.
If Desclafani keeps up his performance, the Giants could make some noise in the NL West.
Florida Gators in the MLB: Kirby Snead
Finally, we have Kirby Snead, who hasn’t made an appearance yet due to injury for the Oakland Athletics.
In his career out of the bullpen, he has a 5.33 ERA and a WHIP of 1.66, both of which are numbers he’ll want to get down.
Hopefully, Snead heals quickly and he can get back on he mound soon.
Keep up with the Florida Gators at Hail Florida Hail.