Florida emerged as one of the biggest winners of the 2026 MLB Draft, as just one of its 12 high school signees was drafted and several key draft-eligible players remained on track to return to Gainesville.
Let’s start with the high school class. Four Florida signees — INF Kevin Roberts, OF Brady Harris, RHP Brady Snow and LHP Colin White — participated in the MLB Draft Combine, a showcase featuring 335 players, including the top 300 draft-eligible prospects identified by MLB clubs and up to 50 supplemental invitees. Of the 335 invitees, 140 were high school players.
Roberts Jr., the No. 19 overall prospect and No. 8 shortstop in the class, was the only Florida signee selected in the draft. He was taken by the Baltimore Orioles in the fourth round and is expected to sign.
Harris, Snow and White all went undrafted and are expected to enroll at Florida this fall barring an unexpected undrafted free agent signing. Their arrivals will be significant for the Gators, as Harris ranked as the No. 30 overall prospect in the class, while Snow and White checked in at No. 59 and No. 88, respectively. Snow and White also ranked as the No. 10 RHP and LHP prospects, respectively.
The script could have easily been flipped. I actually predicted three of the four signees would sign professionally, with Roberts Jr. being the one who made it to campus. But that’s the thing about the MLB Draft — you never really know what to expect.
Florida will also get Braylen Montgomery to campus, the No. 91 overall prospect and No. 18 outfielder in the class. The Gators flipped Montgomery from Oklahoma late in the recruiting cycle. INF Keaton Neal, the No. 96 overall prospect and No. 33 shortstop in the class, also went undrafted.
The Gators are expected to bring five of their six top-100 signees to campus, a significant win for Florida’s recruiting efforts.
Six Gators drafted, one surprise
Florida saw six players selected: RHP Liam Peterson, OF Kyle Jones, RHP Russell Sandefer, RHP Luke McNeillie, OF Hayden Yost, and OF Blake Cyr.
Yost was the surprise of the draft, getting selected in the fifth round by the Seattle Mariners. The Tampa, Florida, native was not invited to the MLB Draft Combine and was not ranked among Baseball America’s top 500 prospects. Yost’s expected departure would be a loss for the Gators, who likely viewed him as the starter in a corner outfield spot in 2027.
However, Florida will welcome two top-100 freshmen outfielders to campus, helping ease the loss of Yost. The Gators also return Cash Strayer, Jacob Kendall and Jaden Bastian, while adding Oklahoma transfer Drew Dickerson through the portal. It is a position where Florida can absorb the loss of a bat to the draft.
Ethan Surowiec
Perhaps the most significant news of the day for Florida’s 2027 squad was Ethan Surowiec announcing his return for his junior season. Surowiec was draft eligible after a sophomore campaign in which he led the Gators with a .317 batting average while hitting 12 home runs and 14 doubles. He was invited to the MLB Draft Combine and ranked as a top-250 prospect, according to MLB.com.
The Gators get a middle-of-the-lineup impact bat back in Gainesville with 20-plus home run potential.
Other key players who went undrafted
Luckily for Florida, there were no more surprises after Hayden Yost. The Gators had several draft-eligible players go undrafted, all of whom are expected to play key roles in 2027.
Among the biggest returners is Caden McDonald, a two-way player who hit .319 with nine home runs and nine doubles in just 94 at-bats while also posting a 3.42 ERA across 47.1 innings on the mound.
JUCO transfer first baseman Caden Davidson, who was draft eligible after his freshman campaign due to JUCO rules, went unselected after hitting .500 with 23 home runs and 18 doubles in 2026. He earned 2026 NJCAA First Team All-American honors.
Other notable names who were draft eligible: Outfielder Jaden Bastian and Utah Tech transfer infielder Kyle McDaniel.
Recap
Florida got 11 of its 12 high school signees to campus, including every pitcher. Ethan Surowiec returns after being one of the Gators’ most consistent producers last season. Florida also had its entire transfer class make it to campus while returning key pieces such as Caden McDonald.