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Florida Gators Baseball Players Fare Well In the MLB Draft

Writer: Buddy Martin
Buddy Martin
Jul 16, 2021
2 min read

Seven Florida Gator baseball player’s dreams came true this week as they heard their names called in the 2021 MLB Draft. The Gator baseball program had three top signees selected in the first round, then seven from last season’s roster on Monday. Despite having no selections on the final day of the three-day event, it was a successful outing for the program.


Led by outfielder Jud Fabian, Florida’s seven draftees on day two tied for the most of any NCAA program heading into Tuesday.


A Look at the Gator Draft Picks


Round Two

  • Pick No. 40 Jud Fabian, OF: Boston Red Sox

  • No. 69 Tommy Mace, RHP: Cleveland Indians

Round Five

  • No. 136 Nathan Hickey, C: Boston Red Sox

  • No. 142 Christian Scott, C: New York Mets

Round Seven

  • No. 203 Jacob Young, OF: Washington Nationals

  • No. 216 Jack Leftwich, RHP: Cleveland Indians

Round Ten

  • No. 306 Franco Aleman, RHP: Cleveland Indians

Signees

The three Gator signees selected in the opening round were: Andrew Painter, Chase Petty and Jay Allen. UF became the only school with multiple signees selected in the first round of the 2021 draft.


Florida Draft Facts

  • Three Gator pitchers from the 2021 draft class are now in the Indians program.

  • Only three Gator catchers have ever been drafted higher than Hickey.

  • Mace is the 17th Gator pitcher to get drafted in the first five rounds since 2008.

  • Florida now has 212 players selected since the draft began in 1965.

    • Cincinnati Reds third baseman Jonathan India is the last Gator to be taken in the first round (2018).


The Gators’ Top Pick of 2021: Jud Fabian

The third-year standout, Jud Fabian, is the second highest Florida outfielder to ever get drafted. Gator great Brad Wilkerson was selected 33rd overall in 1998 by the Montreal Expos. Fabian is also the 12th highest pick under Florida head coach Kevin O’Sullivan.

2021 season:

  • 20 Home runs

    • Second best in SEC

  • First team All-SEC

  • 10 doubles

  • 51 runs

  • 46 RBI

  • 40 walks

  • .984 fielding percentage

  • Batting .249


Biggest positives: age, power, speed and defensive profile

Biggest negatives: swing and miss, strikeouts early this season (79 strikeouts in 269 plate appearances)

Fabian homered twice off the No. 2 pick Jack Leiter this past season.


Despite losing quite a bit of talent to the big leagues, the future is bright in Gainesville, Florida.



 
 
 

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