Although a handful of players had already made their transfer intentions known, four more Florida baseball players entered the portal on Thursday, according to Gators Online. Infielder Deric Fabian, right-handers Clete Hartzog and Tyler Nesbitt, and outfielder Matt Prevesk are all leaving the program.
Fabian might be the most surprising departure. He played in 46 games as a true freshman, including 43 starts alongside his brother, Jud, who is now with the Baltimore Orioles organization. He slashed .218/.321/.329 with four home runs and 22 runs batted in, but the emergence of Cade Kurland at second base left Fabian without a starting spot on the field.
He only made his way into 22 games for Florida this year, including just 10 starts. He slashed .289/.386/.447 with six of his 11 hits coming against the SEC. With Kurland set to return and Alabama transfer third baseman Colby Shelton coming over to the Swamp, it’s smarter for Fabian to see opportunity elsewhere than risk another year on the bench.
All of Fabian’s metrics point toward a second chance with a competitive school. His wRC+ this year was 106 compared to a league average of 100. His batting average on balls in play (BABIP) is .360 and a walk rate of 11.4% is above average.
Nesbitt is leaving the program after four years, but one of those was the COVID season and another was spent recovering from Tommy John surgery. He made 20 appearances for Florida in 2022, striking out 29 batters over 33 1/3 innings with a 4.59 ERA.
He lowered that number to 2.96 over 11 appearances in 2023, including three starts. His metrics suggest some regression since the surgery, but Nesbitt has enough SEC experience to make him an attractive transfer piece.
Hartzog, on the other hand, could struggle to find another Power Five program to take him after a rough showing in Gainesville. Hartzog only logged 6 1/3 innings over seven appearances and gave up enough runs to finish the season with an 8.53 ERA. Most of the damage came against Florida State, and the rest of his action came during midweek games.
Prevesk is another questionable candidate to stay at a similar level. His .286 batting average doesn’t seem too alarming, but his metrics don’t pain a pretty picture. There’s very little patience at the plate (4.4 % walk rate) and his wRC+ of 76 is well below league average at the plate. Defensively, he’ll likely stay in right field but will eventually turn into a designated hitter.
These four join catchers Salvador Alvarez and Rene Lastres, left-hander Carsten Finnvold and right-handers Yoel Tejeda and Anthony Ursitti in the portal. Florida has earned commitments from UCLA right-hander Kelly Austin, Coastal Carolina catcher Tanner Garrison and Alabama infielder Colby Shelton.
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