FSU SS Lodise drafted by Braves in Round 2; Leiter, Williams also selected on first night
Coming into 2025, Florida State shortstop Alex Lodise probably wasn’t all that high on many Major League Baseball scouts’ radars.
Then the games started, and Lodise blossomed into one of the best players in the country. And on Sunday night, he became a second-round Major League Baseball draft pick.
The Atlanta Braves selected Lodise with the 60th overall pick of the 2025 MLB Draft, making him the highest-drafted Florida State infielder since Stephen Drew went in the first round of the 2004 draft.
And it was absolutely earned.
Lodise had one of the best regular seasons in Florida State history in 2025 on his way to being named the ACC Player of the Year and the Dick Howser Award winner. Not only did he play high-level defense at shortstop, but he became one of the best hitters in the country.
Before a dip in the postseason, Lodise was hitting over .400 for virtually the entire year for the Seminoles. He finished with a .394 batting average with 17 homers and 68 RBIs.
Not only did he lead the team in both average and runs batted in, but he also led the Seminoles in doubles (18), triples (3), on-base percentage (.462) and slugging percentage (.705). He led the ACC in hitting and was third in the conference in slugging.
Combine those numbers with nearly flawless defense at shortstop, and the Braves got themselves one of the best college position players in the country in the second round of the draft.
At No. 60 overall, Lodise is slated to receive slot money of $1.52 million. He was the second Seminole selected after pitcher Jamie Arnold went in the first round to the Athletics.
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Five selections later, teammate Cam Leiter was drafted with the 65th pick by the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Leiter was the Friday night starter for the Seminoles for the early portion of the 2024 season before injuring his arm and being lost for the year. He never was able to get back on the mound for Florida State, but what he showed in those seven starts two seasons ago — along with the way he was throwing in front of scouts late this year — made him a second-round pick on Sunday night.
Leiter struck out 56 batters in his 35 innings for Florida State, finishing the 2024 season with a 4.63 ERA.
Florida State outfielder Max Williams went early in Round 3 to the Florida Marlins. He was the 78th pick overall. His signing bonus is slotted to be $1.04 million.
Williams hit .321 as a junior in 2025, with a team-high 19 home runs and 53 RBIs. In his two years with the Seminoles after transferring from Alabama, Williams hit 33 homers and drove in 99 runs.
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