We are less than a month away from Florida baseball as the Gators are set to open the 2024 season against St. John’s in a three-game series starting on February 16th.
You can find Florida baseball’s updated 2024 roster here: https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster
Predicting Florida’s Weekend Rotation
Friday: RHP Brandon Neely
Saturday: LHP Cade Fisher
Sunday: LHP Jac Caglianone
ANALYSIS
Junior RHP Brandon Neely
Florida has a number of options they could turn to for the weekend rotation, but these are the three arms I think make the most sense heading into the 2024 season.
Junior Brandon Neely served as the Gators’ closer in 2023, where he recorded 13 saves in 14 opportunities, which led the SEC and tied for 6th nationally. His 3.58 ERA a season ago ranked 3rd on the Gators amongst players with more than 25.0 innings pitched. Neely waved 72 batters across 53.1 innings in 2023, equating to a strikeouts per nine of 11.7, which ranked T-41st in all of college baseball. The 6’3, 210-pound RHP held opposing teams to a batting average of .223 while allowing just 43 hits in 55.1 innings. Neely’s accolades from 2023 include Second Team All-American (NCBWA) and First Team All-SEC.
Neely also has experience in the weekend rotation, logging 10 starts for the Gators (all on weekend) during his freshman campaign in 2022. The Seville, Florida native worked to a 3-3 record with a 3.76 ERA and a .205 batting average across 22 appearances and 69.1 innings pitched two seasons ago. Neely was named to the 2022 Freshman All-SEC Team.
There’s always the chance Neely remains in the closer role where he was highly effective for the Gators a year ago. Head Coach Kevin O’Sullivan has preached the importance of having a quality arm in the backend of your bullpen, but Neely enters the 2024 season as one of the more talented arms on the roster, which is why I have him slated for Friday night.
Neely has been selected as a 2024 Preseason Third Team All-American, according to Perfect Game.
Sophomore LHP Cade Fisher
LHP Cade Fisher made an immediate impact in Orange and Blue after a productive high school career where the Northwest Whitfield County product posted a Georgia state record for career ERA (0.71), while going 17-1 with 300 strikeouts in 157.1 innings (17.2 K/9).
The transition into the SEC felt almost seamless for the 6’4, 210-pound Southpaw as Fisher posted a team low ERA of 3.10 across 27 appearances and two starts. Fisher struck out 48 batters while walking just 13 in 49.1 innings pitched, earning a 2023 Freshman All-American selection (PG) in the process. While Fisher might not have the swing and miss stuff Neely and Caglianone bring to the table, he has elite command of his pitches and will not allow many free passes.
Fisher’s mindset on the bump is what stood out to me the most during his freshman season. Fisher is not going to let his emotions get the best of him on the mound, even in high pressured situations. The moment was never too big for the left-handed freshman, who was tasked with getting out of difficult jams a number of times during Florida’s 2023 season.
Junior LHP Jac Caglianone
Florida’s star two-way player had quite the roller coaster season on the mound in 2023. ‘Hit or miss’ is likely the best way to describe Caglianone’s pitching performances a season ago. Diving a little deeper than that, Caglianone struggled mightily on the road or in a neutral site, not making it out of the 4th inning in six starts away from Gainesville in 2023. The 6’5, 250-pound southpaw walked 34 batters across 26.1 innings in road or neutral site appearances. Caglianone walked just 21 batters in 49.1 innings inside Condron Ballpark in 2023.
Despite the high walk numbers, Caglianone posted a respectable 4.34 ERA in his first-year pitching at the collegiate level and just one season removed from Tommy John’s surgery on his throwing arm.
Caglianone struck out 87 batters across 74.2 innings pitched while posting a batting average against of .190, one of the lowest marks in all of college baseball.
If Caglianone does make the weekend rotation, the Sunday spot makes the most sense for him so he can play first base on Friday and DH on Saturday so he is well rested for his Sunday start.
The 2024 Preseason Two-Way Player of the Year (PG) is certainly talented enough to pitch at the next level, he just needs to find better command of his pitches, which is certainly possible given he is now over two seasons from his tommy john surgery.
NAMES TO KEEP AN EYE ON
Florida was one of the only teams in the SEC to keep their weekend rotation fluid throughout the course of the 2023 season, so it’s not uncommon to see several pitchers enter the weekend rotation, whether that be due to injuries or poor performance. It’s important we keep tabs on a few names that could find themselves in a starting role on the weekend this season.
Freshman RHP Liam Peterson
True freshman Liam Peterson is as good as advertised. The 6’5, 205-pound RHP sits in the mid to upper 90’s with his fastball and has pro level off-speed already. The Calvary Christian product earned 2023 Class 3A Player of the Year honors by going 5-2 with a 1.78 ERA, .162 opposing batting average and 73 strikeouts in 39.1 innings. This is a name to keep an eye on as I would not be surprised to see his name enter the weekend rotation discussion at some point during the season, if not from the jump. Peterson put together a very impressive fall camp for the Gators, receiving the win against Stetson in the second game of their scrimmage, blanking the Hatters across one perfect inning while fanning two. Peterson also tossed consecutive scoreless frames in Florida’s win over Georgia. On top of those two outings, Peterson impressed in intrasquad scrimmages throughout Florida’s fall season.
Redshirt Sophomore LHP Piece Coppola
The 6’8 southpaw hasn’t pitched for the Orange and Blue since making his one start for Florida on the first Sunday of the season back in 2022, battling several injuries that have sidelined him since. However, Coppola is easily one of the more talented pitchers Florida has on their roster. Prior to injury, Coppola’s name was on many future MLB draft boards. Coppola didn’t pitch in fall ball as he was going through a throwing program. If Coppola does return and is fully healthy, he is talented enough to crack Florida’s weekend rotation. However, this is a move that would likely happen closer to the end of the season as he’s still looking to get back on his feet after missing two years of baseball.