Fall baseball is just about to begin, and the folks at D1Baseball.com are getting the ball rolling with an early ranking of the top 100 college prospects for the upcoming MLB draft. Four Gators made the cut.
First baseman and left-handed pitcher Jac Caglianone sits at No. 1 and figures to be one of the most interesting players in the country to follow over the next 10 months. Caglianone put up record power numbers at Florida as a sophomore. He led the nation with 33 home runs and finished the season with a 1.122 on-base-plus-slugging percentage.
On the mound, things didn’t go as well for Cags, but there’s no denying he has some of the best stuff in the country when he’s on. His fastball can touch triple digits, but he’s more likely to throw it for a strike around 96 mph. The slider is devastating against lefties, and the changeup showed a ton of promise a season ago.
If Caglianone can live up to the lofty expectations set for him, he’ll easily hang on to that No. 1 spot.
Alabama transfer Colby Shelton was the biggest offseason addition to Florida’s roster, and he should man either third base or shortstop for the Gators this season. As a freshman with the Crimson Tide, Shelton hit 25 homers and put up a 1.143 OPS (higher than Caglianone).
Despite being a sophomore, Shelton will be draft-eligible by age in July. D1Baseball has him at No. 50 on its list.
Right-handed pitcher Brandon Neely is the next Gator on the list at No. 67 overall. He transitioned to the bullpen and thrived as a closer last year, but Neely could revert back to a starter with Brandon Sproat and Hurston Waldrep gone.
Rounding out the group is catcher Luke Heyman, who is another draft-eligible sophomore. Heyman took a while to catch fire, but he has a ton of power in his bat. He hit 12 homers in 55 games as a freshman, but that number could jump up to 20 with ease this year.
The Florida Gators usually have a few names go in the first few rounds of the draft each season, and it looks like that trend isn’t going to break anytime soon.
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