MLB opening day 2026 is here. The Florida Gators have 12 former players on MLB opening day rosters, some of whom find themselves in new homes this season compared to where they were last year.
First baseman Pete Alonso might be facing the biggest difference. For the first time since 2016, he will put on a different jersey than the one he was drafted into as he takes the field for the start of his tenure with the Baltimore Orioles. After nine seasons in the Mets organization, Alonso was signed as a free agent by the Orioles and will take the field as an Oriole on Thursday.
Last season Alonso batted .272/.347/.524, with a .871 OPS in his final season as a Met. He hit 41 doubles, one triple, and 38 home runs, the fourth most in the national league. He drove in 126 RBIs and 87 runs scored, the 22nd most in the National League.
Alonso has already been welcomed well by bird fans in Baltimore and will look to start his first season with a new team well.
Florida Gators with 12 players on MLB Opening Day rosters
Harrison Bader is another player who started his season with a different team. After one season with the Philadelphia Phillies, Bader was signed by the San Francisco Giants as a free agent this offseason. The Giants kicked off their season with the first opening night game on Wednesday night in which they were shut out by the New York Yankees 7-0 in a dominant performance by the team from the Bronx.
On Wednesday night Bader was 0-for-3 with two strikeouts.
Over the course of 2025, Bader hit .277/.347/.449, with a .796 OPS. That included 24 doubles, one triple, and 17 home runs. He drove in 54 RBIs and 61 runs scored.
Hunter Garco is entering his second season with the Pittsburgh Pirates. The left-handed pitcher made his MLB debut last year. In two games, he was 1-0, threw three shutout innings, giving up just three hits, and struck out three. He had a WHIP of 1.00.
The Kansas City Royals' top prospect and former Gator standout, Jac Caglianone, is headed into his first full regular season. He also made his big league debut in 2025 and quickly made a big name for himself, and was selected to play for Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic, in which he hit a huge statement home run in the game against the United States.
Last season, Caglianone hit .157/.237/.295, with a .532 OPS. Though his average doesn’t show it, Caglianone picked up the pace after getting the first game jitters out. He went on to hit six doubles, one triple, and seven home runs, was walked 18 times, driving in 18 RBIs and 19 runs scored. He’ll look to continue that momentum into this season.
A teammate of Caglianone’s, the veteran Jonathan India will suit up for his sixth big league season, and his second with the Royals.
Last season, India batted .233/.323/.346, with a .669 OPS. He had 29 doubles, nine home runs, drove in 45 RBIs, and 63 runs scored.
Wyatt Langford is next up for the Gators on big league opening day rosters. Langford is heading into his third big league season. After being drafted by the Rangers with No. 4 overall pick in 2023, Langford quickly worked his way to the big leagues by 2024 and is now in his third season.
Langford in 2025  hit .241/.344/.431, with a .775 OPS. He had 25 doubles, one triple, 22 home runs, driving in 62 RBIs, and 73 runs scored. He also ranked 17th in the American League for stolen bases with 22.
Left-handed pitcher A.J. Puk is a veteran in the game.  Puk is currently starting the season on the 60-day injured list after recovering from left ulnar collateral ligament surgery that could force him to miss the season. Â
He pitched just eight innings in 2025, going 0-for-0 with a 3.38 ERA. Over the course of eight innings, he gave up three earned runs on eight hits and struck out 12.
For right-handed pitcher Brady Singer, this is his seventh season with the major leagues and third with the Reds after the Royals traded him to Cincinnati after the trading him for India.
Last season he was 14-12 with a 4.03 ERA. He gave up 76 earned runs on 150 hits. He struck out 163.
Brandon Sproat enters 2026 with a new team as well. The 23-year old righty from Florida pitched in four big league games in 2025 and enters this season with the Brewers after being traded over for Devin Williams.
In 2025 with the Mets he was 0-2 with a 4.79 ERA.. Over the course of 20 2/3 innings, he gave up 11 earned runs on 18 hits. He struck out 17.
Teammates Hurston Waldrep and Danny Young are next. Waldrep, the right-handed pitcher from Georgia threw in 10 regular-season games last year, going 6-1 with a 2.88 ERA, including throwing in the Speedway Classic. Over the course of 56 1/3 innings, he gave up just 18 earned runs on 45 hits. He struck out 55.
Young, the left-handed pitcher also from Florida, will be throwing his fifth big league season. In 2025, he was 0-0 with a 4.32 ERA over the course of 10 appearances. He pitched eight and a third innings in relief, giving up four earned runs on nine hits, and struck out 13.
Finally, last but not least for former Gators in the big leagues is Jacob Young.
Young is a 26-year old right=handed pitcher from Ponte Vedra, FL. He is entering his fourth major league season.
In 2025 the right-hander batted .231/.396/.287, with a .583 OPS. He hit 10 doubles, one triple, two home runs, driving in 31 RBIs, and 34 runs scored.
While the Giants and Yankees kicked things off Wednesday night , the rest of the league opens their seasons on Thursday.