Tag: MLB Draft Combine

LSU’s Jared Jones is turning heads at the MLB draft combine

There is always a chance Jones decides to return to LSU for another season, but right now, he has the MLB’s eyes on him.

Ever since [autotag]Jared Jones[/autotag] arrived on campus at Baton Rouge, he has been putting on shows during batting practice and in games. His light tower power has resulted in 14 homers during his freshman season and 28 homers this season.

Jones has taken his talents to the [autotag]MLB draft combine[/autotag] and he took batting practice today at Chase Field in Arizona and he was hitting tanks left and right. He had the highest exit velocity of any hitter who participated. One of his hits had an exit velocity of 113 MPH.

The show he put on had MLB analysts raving about his power. [autotag]Lance Brozdowski[/autotag] and [autotag]Jim Callis[/autotag] of [autotag]MLB Network[/autotag] broke down some of his workout in the video below.

His power has never been the issue. The question at the next level will be, where will he play on defense? He has been working out as a catcher at the combine although he did not play much catcher at LSU. He could also be used as a first baseman or a designated hitter.

There is always a chance Jones decides to return to LSU for another season but right now he has the MLB’s eyes on him.

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Several current, future Gators invited to 2024 MLB Draft Combine

The 2024 MLB draft takes place in about a month, and several current and future Gators will be in Arizona this month for the combine.

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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