A pair of Florida Gators — right-handed closer [autotag]Brandon Neely[/autotag] and shortstop [autotag]Colby Shelton[/autotag] — as well as five incoming high schoolers have been invited to the MLB Draft Combine in Phoenix, Arizona from June 18-23.
An invite does not necessarily mean these players will attend the event, especially if Florida extends its run at the College World Series. Neely, a junior, is a lock to leave in the draft, but Shelton is still a sophomore who is draft-eligible because of his age. If the combine results aren’t to his liking, Shelton could set his price high enough to ensure another season at the college level.
Neely was an instant success in Florida’s bullpen, putting up a 3.76 ERA and a .205 batting average against as a freshman. He was named to the conference All-Freshman Team and then transitioned into the closer role as a sophomore.
[autotag]Kevin O’Sullivan[/autotag] gave Neely a chance to start this season, but he’s always worked best at the end of games. Neely can flip the switch that closers need in high-leverage situations and can throw multiple innings. It’s not unusual to see Neely out of the bullpen for more than six outs.
Shelton transferred to Florida from Alabama as a third baseman with eyes on a vacant shortstop position. Although there’s more swing and miss at the plate than hoped for, Shelton has proven himself as one of the more capable middle infielders in the SEC.
While there are questions about his eye and pitch selection, Shelton’s still answered most of the big questions scouts have. There’s Day 1 potential here.
At least one of the Florida signees out of high school invited to the combine won’t be participating. Right-hander Schuyler Sandford is recovering from Tommy John surgery. That leaves middle infielders Brendan Lawson and Kellon Lindsey and pitchers Jackson Barberi and Joshua Whritenour.
They should get some game action in front of scouts and go through all of the showcase-style workouts typical of a combine — 60 times, exit velocity, etc.
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