Florida baseball’s most recent transfer portal addition is their biggest one yet, Jacksonville outfielder Jaden Bastian. The sophomore was one of the top names in the portal after hitting .302 with 11 home runs and 36 stolen bases last season, which ranked T-17th in all of college baseball. According to Joe Doyle, a senior analyst for FSS Plus, Bastian is a top 100 prospect in the 2026 MLB Draft.
Bastian logged 10 doubles, five triples, 33 RBI, and an impressive 60 runs scored in 55 games last year.
One of the biggest question marks when dealing with a player moving up a level is whether their skills will translate. Moving from the Atlantic Sun Conference to the SEC is a huge jump, but the 5-10, 190-pound outfielder has the tools that could make for a smooth transition.
First, let’s take a look at what Bastian was able to do against some of the best competition he faced all season. Against Florida earlier in the season, Bastian went 2-4 at the plate with a triple and two runs scored. In three games against a top ranked Florida State squad, Bastian went 4-11 (.363) with two RBI, three runs scored, three walks, and three stolen bases. Against a West Virginia squad that made the NCAA Tournament, Bastian went 2-8 (.250) with a double, three walks, and two runs scored. While the sample size vs high level teams is small, Bastian has produced.
Diving deeper into the analytics, one of the things that jumps out at you is his 93.1 MPH average exit velocity, according to 64 Analytics. That number means that Bastian is consistently hitting the baseball hard, displaying great bat speed and the ability hunt pitches in the zone. Bastian is a great fastball hitter, posting a .822 slugging percentage against fastballs in the strike zone last year. He also held an expected slugging percentage of 1.346 vs fastballs thrown 93MPH or higher, meaning Bastian has no problems with high velocity. Bastian also holds a respectable chase rate of 22.3%, so he isn’t swinging at very many pitches out of the zone. While there’s some swing and miss in his bat, particularly with sliders, if you make a mistake with an off-speed pitch Bastian will make you pay. Bastian walked 39 times last year and struck out 49 times in 212 at bats.
We already know about Bastian’s 36 stolen bases last season. What’s more impressive is he needed just 40 attempts to accomplish that. Not only is Bastian lighting fast, but he’s an elite base runner as well. That speed shows up on defense too, where Bastian can cover a lot of ground in the gaps.
Bastian’s blend of power, speed, and contact should make him a major contributor for Florida baseball next season. Pairing his skillset with Kyle Jones, the Gators could have one of the more dynamic outfields in all of college baseball next year, and most certainly the fastest.