Florida Gators baseball freshmen class ranked No. 10 in the country
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The college baseball season continues inching closer and the Florida Gators baseball team will begin practice next week in preparation for the 2024 campaign. Over the last week the guys at D1Baseball.com have counted down the top-25 freshmen classes and on Sunday, the Gators came in at No. 10.
The Gators added 16 freshmen to the roster in the 2023 signing class. Here is what D1 Baseball writer Joe Healy had to say about the group.
More on the freshmen on the Florida Gators baseball team
HEADLINERS: Liam Peterson was a highly-regarded prospect coming out of high school, but his performances in the fall for the Gators only served to further ramp up excitement about his potential. A long-limbed righthander who stands 6-foot-6 and weighs 207 pounds, he showed a fastball up to 98 mph in the fall and put himself in position to be a member of the weekend rotation right away. Righthander Luke McNeilie is somewhat slighter in build at 6-foot-2 and 175 pounds, but he isn’t far behind Peterson in terms of his stuff. He was up to 97 in the fall with his heater with a mid-80s slider and a high-80s changeup.
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CONTRIBUTORS: Righthander Christian Rodriguez isn’t the biggest guy on the staff (5-11, 213) and he doesn’t have the best stuff, as his fastball sits in the low 90s, but the Florida coaching staff loves that he’s been a winner everywhere he’s pitched. Righthander Reilly Witmer could be a stopper candidate for the Gators. He has a low-90s fastball that touched 95 in the fall with a slider and changeup that both induce whiffs at a high rate. Lefthander Frank Menendez has a fastball that was up to 97 in the fall but mostly settles into the low 90s with plenty of arm side run. His low-80s changeup had a 44% whiff rate in the fall. Righthander Grayson Smith has a projectable frame at 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds, a low-90s fastball, a low-80s slider, a mid-80s changeup, and there’s optimism that his stuff will tick up as he continues to mature. Alex Philpott is a lanky righthander who may be more impactful in 2025 and beyond, but his stuff is tantalizing already, including a low-90s fastball that spins at around 2,500 rpm. Lefthander Robert Satin doesn’t have big-time stuff, but funk in his delivery helps his stuff play up and he could be a valuable situational reliever if he can induce soft contact. Outfielder Hayden Yost may have trouble getting on the field early in a crowded UF outfield picture, but with a mature lefthanded approach and gap-to-gap power, he has a chance to hit when he does get opportunities.
— Joe Healy from D1Baseball.com
Collegiate Baseball Recruiting Class Ranking by Year
2023: No. 4
2022: No. 21
2021: No. 2
2020: No. 5
2019: No. 2
2018: No. 5
2017: No. 2
2016: No. 6
2015: No. 1
2014: No. 3
2013: No. 1
2012: No. 7
2011: No. 8
2010: No. 5
2009: No. 1
2008: No. 18
