Florida Baseball sees five Gators selected in 2024 MLB Draft

Florida tied for 20th best in the country with five players taken in this years' draft. Superstar Jac Caglianone and postseason hero Brandon Neely were the first two off the board from UF, going to Kansas City and Boston respectively. Here's a breakdown of every Gator selected this year.

1. Jac Caglianone (Pick 6, Kansas City Royals)

Caglianone fell further down the draft board than many imagined, as Nick Kurtz and Hagen Smith were selected before the Gators' first baseman. Caglianone falls into a good situation in Kansas City, where the Royals are building a solid team for the future headlined by superstar SS Bobby Witt Jr. Caglianone will likely end up just being a hitter/position player but the Royals are open to letting him try to pitch. I think Kansas City got a steal here, as Cags' upside is as good as anyone's in this draft with his insane power, ability to get on base and stellar defense.

2. Brandon Neely (Pick 86, Boston Red Sox)

The Red Sox got a workhorse with pick No. 86. Neely struggled at times throughout the regular season, bouncing around between starter and the bullpen. But he shined in the postseason for the second consecutive year, being named to the Stillwater Regional All-Tournament Team and coming in clutch again in the Clemson Super Regional and yet again in Omaha. The former First Team All-SEC pitcher features an upper-90s fastball and a nasty slider, and he mows through lineups when he's on. He also has the ability to throw far more pitches than traditional closers do, which will give him the ability to throw anywhere in the rotation in the future.

3. Fisher Jameson (Pick 288, Colorado Rockies)

Jameson finished the season with the best ERA on the entire Florida staff, posting a 3.99 across 67.2 innings pitched. Jameson improved throughout the year, and aside from Neely, was the Gators' best pitcher in the postseason. If he performs well, he could get called up the Rockies' ranks pretty quickly, as their bullpen production has been terrible.

4. Ryan Slater (Pick 538, San Fransisco Giants)

Slater regressed a bit this year, but has shown flashes for the Gators and was one of the team's most reliable arms last season. He has been primarily used as a bullpen guy, but has started before and has the ability to be a long reliever at the next level. Slater's numbers dipped a bit this year but he leaves Gainesville with solid stats and many important postseason performances.

5. Colby Shelton (Pick 580, Washington Nationals)

This was a "Hail Mary" type of pick by the Nats. Shelton is expected to come back to Gainesville to join a loaded roster in 2025.