Major League Baseball is back and no college team has more players on opening day rosters than the 19 players the Florida Gators have.
The 2020 rosters are a little different than in past years, with clubs allowed to keep 60-man rosters during the shortened season. With a maximum of 1,800 roster spots, 806 of those players went to college.
After a three-month delay Major League Baseball returned on July 23 with the reigning World Series Champion Washington Nationals against the New York Yankees, followed up by the Los Angeles Dodgers against the San Francisco Giants. Shaun Anderson is on the Giants’ roster but didn’t get on the mound during an 8-1 opening day loss to the Dodgers.
The reigning National League Rookie of the Year and Home Run Derby Champion, Pete Alonso, leads the list. The Mets’ first baseman will kick the season off Friday against the Atlanta Braves, who have former Gator Anthony DeSclafani on the roster.
Brady Singer also finds his way not only on to an opening day roster but into the starting rotation for the Kansas City Royals. Singer, who climbed as high as AA ball in 2019, was invited to Big League camp prior to the season being postponed. He was brought back when the team resumed training in Kansas City and will make his Major League debut on Saturday, pitching in the Royals’ No. 2 spot. Singer was a second-round pick in 2015 but balked at the Toronto Blue Jays offer, instead choosing to come to Florida. While at Florida, Singer became one of the best pitchers in school history before being the 18th overall selection by the Royals in 2018. Just over 24 months later he’s now in the starting rotation.
Other notable guys on rosters include Harrison Bader (Cardinals), Mike Zunino (Rays), and Richie Martin (Orioles). A complete list of all of the former Gators on Major League rosters is below.
1. Pete Alonso – New York Mets
2. Shaun Anderson – San Francisco Giants
3. Harrison Bader – St. Louis Cardinals
4. Darren O’Day – Atlanta Braves
5. Mike Zunino – Tampa Bay Rays
6. Brady Singer – Kansas City Royals
7. Anthony DeSclafani – Cincinnati Reds
8. Dane Dunning – Chicago White Sox
9. Alex Faedo – Detroit Tigers
10. Eric Hanhold – Baltimore Orioles
11. Jonathan India – Cincinnati Reds
12. Brian Johnson – Boston Red Sox
13. Jackson Kowar – Kansas City Royals
14. Richie Martin – Baltimore Orioles
15. Scott Moss – Cleveland Indians
16. A.J. Puk – Oakland A’s
17. Buddy Reed – Oakland A’s
18. Justin Shafer – Cincinnati Reds
19. Mark Kolozsvary – Cincinnatti Reds