Category: Gators in MLB

Former Gators India, Singer traded for each other at MLB non-tender deadline

Not one but two former Florida baseball stars were traded at the MLB non-tender deadline, and they were swapped in the same deal!

Former Florida Gators baseball stars [autotag]Jonathan India[/autotag] and [autotag]Brady Singer[/autotag] swapped teams in a trade between the Cincinnati Reds and Kansas City Royals on Friday, MLB’s non-tender deadline.

Both teams could benefit from the trade, according to Keith Law of The Athletic.

India, a middle infielder likely to stay at second base with Kansas City, fell out of favor in Cincinnati thanks to a surplus of talented position players.

He’s a former National League Rookie of the Year drafted fifth overall in 2018 who plays average defense and can get on base more than other infielders on the Royals’ roster. India posted his highest fWAR (2.8) since his rookie year breakout (3.4) and slashed .248/.357/.392 over 151 games.

Singer, the 18th pick in the 2018 draft, has posted steady numbers over hid five-year MLB career. His best season came in 2022 when he finished the season with 3.0 fWAR, a 3.23 ERA and an 8.8 K/9 rate. Similar to India, Singer had his second-best MLB season in 2024 — 2.5 fWAR, 3.71 ERA and a career-high 179 2/3 innings — but Kansas City has a lot of pitching talent in its organization.

With Singer offering the most trade value of any Royal brought up in conversations, it was a no-brainer to deal him at the non-tender deadline, even if it is losing a potential ace who is only 27 years old. The only problem with Singer is that his low arm slot from the right side doesn’t allow him to throw an effective offspeed pitch to attack lefties, who slashed .291/.367/.488 off him in 2024.

India, Singer at Florida

Not only were India and Singer drafted 13 picks apart after spending three years together at Florida and winning a College World Series, they were named the SEC Player of the Year and Pitcher of the Year, respectively.

Singer also won the 2018 Dick Howser Trophy and was named the National Player of the Year by Baseball Americana and D1Baseball. He left Florida with a 23-10 record over 60 appearances (37 starts, 282 innings), a 3.22 ERA, 281 strikeouts (seventh all time), and four complete games.

India was a consensus First Team All-American at third base for Florida and semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy and Golden Spikes Award. He capped off his three-year Gators career with one of the best offensive seasons in program history, slashing .350/.497/.717 with 21 home runs — the most by any Gators third baseman — and 53 RBIs.

Over 194 games (189 starts) as a Gator, India slashed .310/.411/.530 with 31 homers and 126 RBIs. He walked 105 times to 141 strikeouts.

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Former Florida SS Josh Rivera dealt at MLB trade deadline

The end of July means a flurry of trades in Major League Baseball, and former Florida shortstop Josh Rivera was dealt ahead of the deadline.

Former Florida shortstop [autotag]Josh Rivera[/autotag] — who has made it up to Double-A — is swapping organizations after being included in a trade between the Chicago Cubs and Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday.

The Cubs are getting Blue Jays right-handed pitcher Nate Pearson in exchange for Rivera and fellow prospect Yohendrick Pinango, according to the MiLB transaction logs.

The Cubs selected Rivera in the third round of the 2023 draft, sending him to rookie ball for all of three games before a direct promotion to High-A South Bend.

He posted a .250/.320/.402 slash line with two home runs and 12 runs batted in over 25 games in High-A. The Cubs moved him up to Double-A Tennessee to start 2024, but he’s struggled at the plate — .169/.277/.260 slash line with four homers and 16 RBIs over 219 at-bats (68 games).

Fortunately, Rivera’s best tool is his defense, which should keep him afloat at shortstop for a while. Getting above the Mendoza Line (.200) is a must to stay in the everyday lineup in Double-A but he still has time to develop at 23 years old. A change of scenery could do the trick for him.

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Former Florida reliever to make first MLB start with New York Mets

Former Florida right-handed reliever Christian Scott is getting his first taste of the major leagues. The New York Mets called him up Friday.

Former Florida right-hander [autotag]Christian Scott[/autotag] is getting his shot in the majors, according to ESPN prospects insider Kiley McDaniel.

The New York Mets have called him up to make his debut on Saturday. Scott spent three seasons in Gainesville, including the shortened 2020 campaign. As a freshman in 2019, Scott made a team-high 22 appearances, ending the year with a 6-3 record and a 5.19 ERA over 52 innings.

His second year started off well with a 2-0 record and 1.20 ERA over 15 innings out of the bullpen, but the season ended early because of the pandemic. Finally, Scott came into his own as a junior, appearing in an SEC-high 26 games and maintaining a 3.00 ERA and 1.02 WHIP over 54 innings.

The New York Mets selected him with the 142nd overall pick in the fifth round of the 2021 MLB draft.

Coming out of college, Scott was profiled as a sinker-slider arm, but the Mets believed he could become a starter. He began relying on fastballs more than sinkers and has added a changeup and sweeper over the past two years.

That new arsenal and a 6.4% walk rate in Triple-A this year has New York ready to see if Scott can do it in the Show. He’ll take over Adrian Houser’s spot in the rotation.

Scott also played for the prestigious Original Florida Pokers travel organization during his high school years which were spent at Calvary Christian Academy in Fort Lauderdale.

The Mets and Tampa Bay Rays are scheduled to start play at 7:15 p.m. ET Saturday night. Fans can watch on the MLB At Bat app, Fubo, or on local FOX stations.

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Former Florida OF Wyatt Langford hits first MLB home run

Wyatt Langford’s hit a ton of home runs in Gainesville with the Florida Gators, but his first major-league homer was a bit unconventional.

A day after Florida baseball legend Pete Alonso hit his 200th career home run, the most recent Gator to make it to the big leagues — outfielder [autotag]Wyatt Langford[/autotag] — hit the first of his career.

Langford didn’t round the bases leisurely after seeing the ball clear the fence like most rookies do to take in their first big-league bomb. No, he was at a full sprint for the entirety of his first home run as it was an inside-the-parker.

The ball hit about halfway up the wall in right-center before ricocheting past the right fielder. Langford’s most underrated tool is his speed, and he turned on the jets to round the bags and give the Rangers a 4-0 lead.

Langford might be the best player out of Gainesville since Alonso and his first homer being an inside-the-parker could be a popular trivia answer in a few decades if he has the career everyone expects him to.

It’s been an up-and-down season so far for Langford, but he’s doing fine for a 22-year-old rookie playing in the toughest league in the world. Through 27 games (101 at-bats), he is slashing .248/.325/.327 with 11 runs batted in. He’s splitting time between designated hitter and left field at a 2-to-1 ratio.

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Former Florida star Pete Alonso announces 2024 charity initiative

Pete Alonso and the Alonso Foundation are pledging $1,000 to animal shelters for every home run the former Gator hits in 2024.

Former Florida Gator and current New York Mets first baseman [autotag]Pete Alonso[/autotag] has announced a charity initiative ahead of the 2024 MLB season.

On Saturday, he announced the Alonso Foundation would donate $1,000 to animal rescues for each home run he hits this season. The money will go toward the transport of animals, beds, toys and more to help them get out of kill shelters.

“Hopefully there’s a lot of homers and we get to save a lot of animals.”

Donations can be made at alonsofoundation.org.

Alonso has been one of the premiere power hitters in baseball since arriving to MLB in 2019. He’s never hit fewer than 37 home runs in a full season (16 during the COVID-shortened 2020 season). He should push for 40-plus longballs again in 2024.

This isn’t the first time Alonso has used his power for good. He’s used prize money from the Home Run Derby to donate to Wounded Warriors, which is what prompted him and his wife, Hayley, to organize their foundation.

Alonso also donated $50,000 to Tunnels to Towers, a charity that helps families of New York first responders who died on the job.

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Former Florida OF signs free agent deal with New York Mets

Former Florida outfielder Harrison Bader is headed back to New York, but this time he’ll play for the Mets instead of the Yankees.

After playing for both the New York Yankees and Cincinnati Reds in 2023, former Florida Gators outfielder and seven-year MLB veteran Harrison Bader has agreed to a one-year, $10.5 million deal with the New York Mets, according to MLB.com’s Mark Feisand.

The contract is the largest of Bader’s career and a significant pay increase from his arbitration extension with St. Louis in 2022 worth $10.4 million over two years.

Bader joins his former Florida teammate Pete Alonso on the Mets. The two won a College World Series together in 2015, and Alonso welcomed Bader to New York with open arms.

Bader’s best year came in 2021 when he finished with 3.2 wins above replacement (WAR), according to FanGraphs, but that number has dropped to 1.0 since. He’s a career .243/.310/.396 hitter, but it’s the glove that MLB teams are paying for.

Capable centerfielders are some of the hottest commodities at the highest level of the game. There’s no guarantee that Bader finds his way into the starting lineup, but the Mets are banged up enough to have added some outfield depth over the past few weeks.

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Former Gator wins 2023 World Series with Texas Rangers

Former Florida right-hander Dane Dunning finished on top of the baseball mountain this year, winning a World Series with the Texas Rangers.

Texas Rangers fans across the country are celebrating following the team’s World Series run, and there’s reason for Gator Nation to join the party.

Former Florida right-hander Dane Dunning pitched in three of the five World Series games for Texas, helping secure the Commissioner’s Trophy. Dunning didn’t win it all at UF, but he was a member of the 2016 team that finished 52-16 and was eliminated in the College World Series.

As a junior, Dunning appeared in 33 games for Florida, mostly as a reliever. He finished his Florida career with 174 strikeouts, a 3.26 ERA and a .222 batting average against over 163 innings.

The Gators won it all the next year without Dunning, but it’s hard to turn down first-round money from the pros. The Washington Nationals selected Dunning with the 29th overall pick in the 2016 draft and traded him in 2017 for Adam Eaton.

He spent most of 2017 in High-A, starting 22 games for the Winston-Salem Dash. He returned to the Dash for just four starts in 2018 before being called up to Double-A Birmingham, where he finished the season. Dunning missed all of 2019 and half of 2020 after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

The Rangers acquired him in 2021 and now his name is etched in the history books as a World Series champion.

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Pete Alonso makes history with third 40-homer season

Former Florida Gators first baseman Pete Alonso has joined a historic club with his third 40-homer season in five season as big leaguer.

All [autotag]Pete Alonso[/autotag] has done since leaving Gainesville is hit home runs.

On Sunday, the former Gator and current New York Met joined a historic group after homering twice in a 6-3 win over the Seattle Mariners. Alonso has reached 40 home runs in three of his five seasons in the MLB, joining Ralph Kiner, Eddie Mathews, Ryan Howard and Albert Pujols as the fifth player to accomplish the feat in league history, according to ESPN.

Kiner and Mathrews are already Hall of Famers, and Pujols most certainly will be a first-ballot member. Alonso is joining elite company and should go down as one of the best power hitters of his generation. It hasn’t been enough to win an MVP yet, but he finished in the top 10 in 2022 (also in 2019).

“Kind of mind-baffling,” Alonso said. “Impressive names. I had no idea.”

Alonso’s contact tool is what’s holding him back from being a legitimate MVP candidate, and his .225 average this season is the worst of his career. 2024 will be his final arbitration-eligible season with the Mets, meaning he could enter free agency in the summer of 2025. The former Gator is already being paid $14.5 million this year and should get a raise over the offseason.

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Former Gator OF Wyatt Langford called up to Double A

After just 24 games in High-A ball, former Florida outfielder Wyatt Langford is being called up to the Frisco Roughriders in Double-A.

Former Florida outfielder [autotag]Wyatt Langford[/autotag] continued to quickly climb up the Texas Rangers minor league system with a call-up to Double-A Frisco after just 24 games in High-A.

Langford is batting .340 with a 1.120 on-base-plus-slugging percentage over 100 career at-bats. He only spent three games in the Arizona Complex League before skipping Single-A entirely and moving to High-A Hickory. He’s dominated there and his power is showing to all fields, so it’s time to face tougher competition.

Former LSU Tiger Dylan Crews, the No. 2 overall pick in the draft, recently got promoted to Double-A after putting up similar number to Langford and is going through an adjustment period. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Langford struggle as well, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see him pick up where he left off in High-A either.

Langford’s 17.0% walk rate and strikeout rate are both above average, meaning he is seeing the ball well in the pros. But the jump to Double-A is perhaps the most significant in the minors.

With only 12 games left in the regular season and the Roughriders five games back of Armarillo in the Texas League South Division, Langford won’t get much time in Double-A, but the plate appearances will still be significant for a player who was in college less than 10 weeks ago.

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Former Florida outfielder becomes 82nd Gator to play in MLB

Young joins a long list of Gators to crack the highest level of baseball on the planet.

Former Florida Gators standout outfielder [autotag]Jacob Young[/autotag] became the 82nd member of the Orange and Blue to play at the highest level of baseball on Saturday when he debuted for the Washington Nationals. He is now the 30th player that head coach Kevin O’Sullivan has sent to the majors from Gainesville.

The former seventh-round pick of the 2021 MLB draft (203rd overall) has spent the last couple of years working his way up the Nats’ organization, reaching Triple-A Rochester. There, he posted a .294 batting average along with a .471 slugging percentage and a .765 on-base plus slugging percentage, which despite the complete lack of walks earned him a trip to the big leagues.

In his first appearance, Young scored the game-tying run with two outs in the ninth inning in a pinch-running role. Washington went on to win the game, 3-2.

Over the course of his three-year career a the collegiate level, Young produced a slash line of .330 BA/.400 OBP/.447 OPS. He excelled out of the gates in the minors, scoring 118 runs — best in MiLB — in 2022 while batting .262/.360/.331 over 115 games.

The previous former Gator to debut in the big leagues was utility player Dalton Guthrie, who got his first cup of coffee last September with the Philadelphia Phillies after being taken in the sixth round of the 2017 MLB draft.

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