Florida left-handed pitcher Philip Abner was the second and final Gator drafted on Day 2 of the 2023 MLB draft Monday, going to the Arizona Diamondbacks with the 165th overall pick in the sixth round.
Abner, a 21-year-old draft-eligible sophomore, started the season off as Florida’s top left-handed relief arm and remained one of the team’s best pitchers through the postseason. He was unavailable in Omaha because of a reported illness, but the Diamondbacks still liked what they saw from him in 2023.
A lefty reliever with a strikeout rate of 36.2% is enticing to most scouts, and a walk rate that dropped from 19.1% to 13.5% shows that Abner’s on the right path. His 3.16 ERA, 3.87 FIP and 2.59 SIERA are all excellent.
Abner’s best pitch is his fastball, which looks a lot fast than 93 mph. His curveball shows promise, coming in around 80 mph and show some promise.
Although he could come back for another year and lose zero leverage, Abner is viewed as likely to sign with Arizona.
[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=1369]
Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.