Day 2 of Major League Baseball’s amateur draft has been a busy one for the Florida baseball program, with a few current Gators already off the board and several more expected to be selected. After catcher Nathan Hickey was taken by the Boston Red Sox in the fifth round at No. 136, his teammate Christian Scott got the call just a half-dozen picks later at No. 142 from the New York Mets.
The early-round call came a bit contrary to his MLB Pipeline rankings entering the draft, tabbed as the No. 228 prospect this year. This might not bode well for those hoping for him to return to Gainesville after getting picked higher than expected with an estimated slot value of $386,600 — though he might be expected to accept less than full value, which could conversely convince him to come back.
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The third-year sophomore had a solid campaign in 2021, appearing in 26 games while maintaining a 3.00 ERA and an impressive 1.02 WHIP over 53 innings, striking out 51 batters while walking just nine. The right-hander notched a 4-2 record while also recording two saves for Kevin O’Sullivan’s squad.
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