Five Florida Gators hear names called in the 2024 MLB Draft

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida Gators right-handed pitcher Ryan Slater and shortstop Colby Shelton put a bow on Florida’s 2024 Major League Baseball Draft as the team’s fourth and fifth players selected, as they were taken by San Francisco (Round 18, Pick 538) and Washington (Round 20, Pick 590), respectively, on Tuesday afternoon.

The five Florida Gators drafted across the previous three days by MLB organizations were: first baseman/left-handed pitcher Jac Caglianone (Round 1, Pick 6 – Kansas City Royals), right-handed pitcher Brandon Neely (Round 3, Pick 86 – Boston Red Sox), right-hander Fisher Jameson (Round 10, Pick 288 – Colorado Rockies) Slater (Round 18, Pick 538 – San Francisco Giants) and Shelton (Round 20, Pick 590 – Washington Nationals).

Florida now boasts 225 unique draft picks in program history featuring an impressive 110 in the Kevin O’Sullivan era alone. Since O’Sullivan’s 2008 arrival in Gainesville, Florida’s 14 first-round selections rank second in the country. During that time, the Orange & Blue has seen 23 pitchers chosen in the first five rounds. In all, 62 Gator pitchers have been drafted in 17 seasons under O’Sullivan, equating to 3.6 per year. 

The Gators produced at least four players in the MLB Draft for the fourth-straight season, as well as the 14th time in the last 15 drafts dating back to 2009.

Complete List of Florida’s 2024 MLB Draft Picks (5)
Jac Caglianone – 1B/LHP – Round 1, Pick 6 (Kansas City Royals)
Brandon Neely – RHP – Round 3, Pick 86 (Boston Red Sox)
Fisher Jameson – RHP – Round 10, Pick 288 (Colorado Rockies)
Ryan Slater – RHP – Round 18, Pick 538 (San Francisco Giants)
Colby Shelton – SS – Round 20, Pick 590 (Washington Nationals)

Jac Caglianone | Round 1, Pick 6 | Kansas City Royals

The two-way playing Caglianone did not wait long to have his name called on MLB Draft night, tying as the fourth-highest player taken in team history as the Kansas City Royals selected him with the sixth overall pick of the first round on Sunday evening.

In going sixth overall, Caglianone ties former Gators John Burke (1991) and A.J. Puk (2016) as the fourth-highest Gator to be drafted. The power-hitting hurler also became the highest-drafted first baseman in program history, besting Matt LaPorta’s selection at seventh overall in 2007.

Additionally, Caglianone becomes the 20th first-round pick all-time out of Florida (26th including the post-draft secondary phase) and 14th since head coach Kevin O’Sullivan’s 2008 arrival. That total ranks second nationally. Florida has now had a first-round selection in each of the last-three seasons.

Caglianone now holds status as the 221st individual draft selection in UF baseball history and the 106th of the O’Sullivan era. He was notably announced by commissioner Rob Manfred as a two-way player.

Caglianone capped off one of the most impressive collegiate baseball careers of all-time this past season. Slashing .419/.544/.875 with a program-record 35 home runs, Caglianone made a team-high 16 starts for a 5-2 record, 4.76 ERA, .225 BAA and 83 strikeouts in 73 2/3 innings. He now owns each of the two-most-prolific home run seasons in Gators history with 35 and 33 the last two years.

His 2024 campaign was highlighted by three extraordinary feats, beginning by homering in an NCAA-record nine-straight games from April 6-19. Caglianone followed the act by going 66-consecutive plate appearances without a strikeout from April 7-27. The slugger then proceeded to post a 30-game hitting streak from March 23 through May 12 to tie the all-time program mark, finishing with hits in 62 of 66 games overall.

On top of that, Caglianone reached safely in 65 of 66 games while finishing the campaign with an active 52-game on-base streak. He even drew 32 more walks (58) than strikeouts (26), ranking as the 66th-most-difficult hitter to strikeout in the nation. By finishing with 104 hits, Caglianone tied the single-season program record and set a new career home run record at 75 homers – the third-highest total in SEC history. He also became the first SEC play ever to blast 30 big flies multiple times.

The Tampa, Fla. native concludes his career as a .355/.447/.760 hitter over 634 at bats, owning 225 hits, 189 RBI, 176 runs, eight stolen bases and the highest slugging percentage in team history. He made 34 starts on the bump from 2023-24, never missing a start and going 12-6 with a 4.55 ERA, .208 batting average against and 170 strikeouts in 148 1/3 frames.

What They’re Saying About Caglianone

MLB Pipeline
“Caglianone is the best two-way player in the nation, an easy early choice for the John Olerud Award given to college baseball’s best hitter/pitcher. He has some standout tools both on the mound and at the plate, though big steps forward as a hitter this spring have led most scouts to prefer his left-handed bat over his left-handed arm. A 6-foot-5 physical beast, Caglianone has top of the class left-handed raw power, and he gets to it, as evidenced by his Division I-leading 33 home runs in 2023. He’s cut his miss and chase rates in 2024 and has a miniscule strikeout rate this spring. He’s solid defensively at first base as well.”

Baseball America
“In terms of pure talent, it will be hard for any player in the 2024 class to match what Caglianone brings to the table. He’s a massive presence with a 6-foot-5, 250-pound frame and is one of the better college two-way players since Louisville’s Brendan McKay. Caglianone led the country with 33 home runs as a sophomore in 2023, then put together a second straight 30-plus homer season in 2024, when he also drastically improved his strikeout and walk rates. After striking out 18% of the time in his first two seasons, Caglianone cut that mark to 8.1% in 2024, while tripling his walk rate up to 16.8%. He has astounding raw power and some of the best top-end exit velocities in the country.”

Brandon Neely | Round 3, Pick 86 | Boston Red Sox

Neely, UF’s All-American closer, was selected 86th overall snagged with the 86th overall selection of the 2024 MLB Draft’s third round by the Boston Red Sox on Monday afternoon.

The flame-throwing Neely is the 222nd individual draft selection in UF baseball history and the 107th of the Kevin O’Sullivan era. As the first Florida hurler off the board in 2024, Neely marks the 23rd pitcher to be selected in the top-five rounds under O’Sullivan (2008-present).

Across seven postseason appearances in 2024, Neely was lights out with a 1.88 ERA, three saves, a .185 batting average against and 38 strikeouts vs. six walks in 24 innings. Five of Neely’s seven NCAA Tournament outings were scoreless appearances while all seven were two-plus innings in length. The right-hander fired 5 2/3 one-hit, shutout innings to earn the win over Oklahoma State in Regionals and pitched four one-hit, scoreless frames to record the save vs. Clemson in Super Regionals.

As a result, the Seville, Fla. native finished the season with a 5.13 ERA and five saves in 28 appearances including six starts. He totaled 108 strikeouts against 28 walks in 79 innings, the latter of which led the roster. Batters hit just .237 against Neely in 2024.

The 2023 All-American and First Team All-SEC standout pitched in 83 games (16 starts) across three campaigns in Orange and Blue, owning a 4.24 ERA, .225 BAA and 254 strikeouts in 203 2/3 frames. His 19 saves rank sixth all-time at Florida. Most notably, Neely was a staple in a pair of back-to-back College World Series runs from 2023-24, as well as the Gators’ 2023 SEC Championship.

What They’re Saying About Neely

MLB Pipeline
“While most of his collegiate work has come out of the bullpen, many scouts think his best chance at the next level might be as a back-end starter. His bulldog mentality and toughness on the mound stand out more than any of his individual offerings, but he could have a complete starter’s repertoire. While his fastball has been up to 96-97 mph, it’s averaged around 93 mph but misses bats with it thanks to its ride, especially when it’s up in the zone. His slider is his go-to secondary pitch, and the mid-80s breaker can be a tight out pitch with power. He has a curve he doesn’t use, though some think it could be very effective and he mixes in a solid average upper-80s changeup… He does tend to step up in bigger moments, something teams considering him on Day 2 of the Draft might be banking on regardless of what role he has.”

Baseball America
“Neely split time as a starter and reliever during his 2022 freshman season but has been a reliable reliever for the most part in both of the 2023 and 2024 seasons. This spring he posted a 5.13 ERA over 79 innings with a 31.4% strikeout rate and 8.1% walk rate. His best pitch is a 92-94 mph fastball that gets up to 97 and features solid riding life and armside run from a lower release point that allows it to generate lots of whiffs for a fastball. He mostly paired the heater with a mid-80s slider, but will also mix in a mid-80s changeup and has thrown a slower mid-70s curveball in the past—though not as often this spring. He’s been a fair strike-thrower in college, which could create an opportunity to start in pro ball, though a bullpen role is his most likely outcome.”

Fisher Jameson | Round 10, Pick 288 | Colorado Rockies

Jameson became the third Florida player to be taken in the 2024 MLB Draft, as the Colorado Rockies selected him with the 288th overall pick of the 10th round on Monday.

The Lake Worth, Fla. native represents the 223rd individual draft selection in UF baseball history and the 108th in head coach Kevin O’Sullivan’s 17-year tenure. Jameson is the 61st pitcher to be drafted under O’Sullivan.

As the biggest breakout performer on the UF pitching staff, Jameson led the squad with a 3.99 ERA and 1.15 WHIP this past season while posting a perfect 5-0 record across a team-high 34 appearances. Jameson’s .237 batting average against ranked second on the Gators and his 67 2/3 innings were good for third. He also struck out 79 batters against just 18 walks.

Across the team’s final 31 games, Jameson led Florida with 17 appearances, a 3.35 ERA and .226 BAA over 40 1/3 frames. In that span, he delivered a 3-0 record, three saves and 47 strikeouts while issuing only nine free passes. Jameson played a vital role in each of the Gators’ College World Series trips from 2023-24.

Ryan Slater | Round 18, Pick 538 | San Francisco Giants

The Palm Harbor, Fla. product is the 224th individual draft selection in UF baseball history and the 109th in head coach Kevin O’Sullivan’s 17-year tenure. Florida has now had at least four players selected in four-straight drafts as well as 14 of the last 15 dating back to 2009. Slater is the 62nd pitcher to be drafted under O’Sullivan.

As a primary weapon out of the UF bullpen each of the past three seasons, Slater has made 83 career appearances (nine starts) while compiling a strong 21-7 record and 10 saves. The righty worked to a 5.35 ERA and .260 batting average against in 166 2/3 innings, striking out 140 batters against 61 walks.

Slater’s best season came in 2023, when he finished with a 10-1 record, 4.22 ERA and .240 BAA across 59 2/3 frames. His relief work helped the Gators to College World Series appearances each of the last two years, as well as a 2023 SEC Championship.

In 2024, Slater went 5-2 over 30 appearances including three starts. He fanned 44 and issued 17 free passes in 49 2/3 innings.

Colby Shelton | Round 20, Pick 590 | Washington Nationals

The power-hitting infielder is the second Gators shortstop to be drafted in as many seasons, following third-rounder Josh Rivera from one year ago. The Lexington, S.C. native represents the 225th individual draft selection in UF baseball history and the 110th of the O’Sullivan era.

In his first campaign in Orange & Blue after transferring in from Alabama, Shelton finished second on the team with 20 home runs while slashing .254/.374/.551 for a robust .925 OPS. The sophomore slugger totaled 35 extra-base hits, 14 doubles, 65 runs, 56 RBI, and six stolen bases while starting all 66 games at shortstop as the Gators advanced to the College World Series for the second straight season.

Transitioning to shortstop after spending his freshman year in Tuscaloosa at the hot corner, Shelton performed admirably on the dirt. Across 234 defensive chances, he committed just six errors for a .974 fielding percentage. Shelton also produced 163 assists, 65 putouts, and 26 double plays.

Shelton is a combined .275/.394/.639 hitter over his first two collegiate campaigns, owning 45 long balls and 24 doubles to go along with 109 runs and 107 RBI in 125 games.