Florida right-handed pitcher Luke McNeillie was selected by the New York Mets with 152nd overall pick in the fifth round of the 2026 MLB Draft.
Despite having his innings limited by injury, McNeillie put together a career year as a junior in 2026, posting a 3.97 ERA with 48 strikeouts to 17 walks across 34 innings pitched, good for a 12.7 K/9 and a 2.82 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
One of McNeillie’s strengths last season was his ability to limit the long ball, as the right-hander allowed just three home runs all year, translating to a rate of 0.8 home runs allowed per nine innings.
As a sophomore in 2025, McNeillie appeared in a team-high 28 games, highlighted by two SEC starts for the Gators. He posted a 5-2 record with one save while recording a .230 batting average against, a 4.82 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP. The Milton, Georgia, native struck out a career-high 72 batters and walked just 24 across 52.1 innings pitched.
McNeillie didn’t receive a warm welcome to collegiate baseball as a freshman in 2024, allowing 16 earned runs across his first 8.1 innings. However, he emerged as a pivotal piece of Florida’s run to the College World Series, posting a 3.95 ERA and .193 batting average against over 21 appearances spanning 27.1 innings across the final 52 games of the season. He was the only UF pitcher to throw multiple innings with an ERA below 4.00 during that stretch.
The 6-foot-3, 200-pound right-hander features a lively fastball that can reach 97 mph and a sharp slider that generates plenty of swings and misses.