The American Baseball Coaches Association and Rawlings named Florida two-way superstar [autotag]Jac Caglianone[/autotag] as the Division I National Position Player of the Year on Monday.
LSU‘s Paul Skenes took home Pitcher of the Year honors, but it’s still a big win for Caglianone, who finished as one of three finalists for the Golden Spikes Award (won by LSU’s Dylan Crews).
Caglianone was a terror against opposing pitchers in 2023. He slashed .323/.389/.758, which includes an extended slump through the playoffs, and broke the BBCO era record for most home runs in a season with 33 long balls. The final two homers came during Florida’s record-setting Game 2 win over LSU in the College World Series Finals.
Cags also served as Florida’s Sunday pitcher all year long, but this award is for his work at the plate. When he wasn’t pitching, Caglinaone typically manned first base for the Gators. Although he spent some time as a designated hitter, his defense is good enough to keep him in the field and most teams prefer a left-hander at first base.
The best part about Caglianone is that he will be back for the 2024 season, as he is not yet draft eligible. Could he win the award in back-to-back years?
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