Allen was one of three Florida signees who heard their name called during the first round of the MLB draft on Sunday night.
Another Florida signee appears to be unlikely to make it to campus, as Fort Pierce outfielder Jay Allen was selected at pick No. 30 in the 2021 MLB draft by the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday night. It was the only compensation pick in the first round.
Allen, a 6-foot-3-inch prospect from John Carroll Catholic High School, was the No. 20 player in the nation (and No. 5 outfielder) according to Perfect Game. He was the third-best player overall in the state of Florida.
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Here’s Perfect Game’s scouting breakdown on Allen.
Outstanding athletic build with lots of room to continue to get stronger. Didn’t run the sixty but a plus runner on the field. Loose arm in the outfield with good carry and was consistently on top of the ball, accurate one-hop throws, centerfield potential. Right handed hitter, hits from an wide base with a busy front leg trigger, loose and ultra fast hands create easy barrel whip, occasionally out front too early but there will be few fastballs thrown past him, ball comes off the barrel hard, really squared up the ball well in games against high velocity pitching.
Allen committed to the Gators early in his high school career, pledging to the team the July before his sophomore year. Last April, he told Gators Territory’s Hector Rodriguez that his decision to commit to UF, with which he signed last November, was an easy one.
“My recruitment was an amazing experience, getting to know all the guys I’m going to be future teammates with,” Allen said. “The history of UF is all amazing and I’m just happy with how everything has gone so far.
“The culture and all the history of the school’s baseball program, I grew up watching the Gators, so it was always something about the orange and blue I loved.”
However, with his first-round selection, he will almost certainly sign with Cincinnati and turn pro, ending any hopes of him playing in the Orange and Blue.
Allen was one of three Florida commits who was selected on Sunday night, following right-handed pitchers Andrew Painter and Chase Petty. Painter was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies with the 13th pick, while Petty went 26th to the Minnesota Twins.
Florida center fielder Jud Fabian, who many projected to be a first-round pick, somewhat surprisingly went unselected in the first 36 picks.
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