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After a stellar freshman season, Florida State sophomore first baseman Myles Bailey was on pace to surpass his career-high in home runs this season before suffering a season-ending right ankle injury against Duke University on March 28. Bailey underwent surgery on March 29 and will miss the remainder of the 2026 season.
“It’s just an emotional disarray of thoughts when you watch an athlete and a person like that go through it. The character, the work ethic, and the way he applies it in-game, it’s as good as I’ve seen,” head coach Link Jarrett said in the postgame press conference on March 29.
During his freshman campaign with the Seminoles, Bailey appeared in every game for FSU, finishing with 56 runs batted in (RBI). He recorded the second-highest RBI total and slugging percentage in 2025, trailing only former ’Nole Alex Lodise. With 33 RBI’s through 26 games this season, Bailey was on pace to elevate his production to another level.
More: 'Nole of the week: FSU first baseman Myles Bailey
“To stick him on a Major League field at first base right now is not far-fetched. He could do that defensively, and we know the offense is just going to continue to grow,” Jarrett said.
Bailey’s injury leaves a major gap in the lineup and forces the Garnet and Gold to adjust as they head into the bulk of their season. Defensively, Bailey started every game at first base this season. His absence raises significant questions about the infield moving forward.
“I’m going to have to feel it out. We try to get guys reps at third, short, and second so they’re comfortable moving around, and I think most of our guys can play anywhere,” Jarrett said. “Then it becomes about seeing who looks most comfortable in-game at a specific position and whether the offense benefits from someone being in a certain spot, what feels right to them.”
Florida State shifts its focus to an upcoming top-ten matchup against the No. 10 University of Virginia Cavaliers beginning April 3. The series will be the first major test for the Seminoles’ new infield alignment.
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In the two games since Bailey’s injury, redshirt senior infielder Eli Putnam has filled in for Bailey at first base. Putnam started 48 games at first base in 2024 for Davidson College.
“When Myles is out, then you know that there’s something drastic that has to change in the infield, just to equip the team to have a new first baseman, because he did such a good job there,” Jarrett said to the FSView in a press conference on April 2. “Eli [Putnam] is very good at first; he’s played first, he’s very comfortable there.”
Although Bailey will not be able to contribute on the field for the remainder of the season, he is still expected to support the team from the sidelines once he is further along in his recovery.
FSU baseball looks to adjust and search for consistency as it enters a crucial stretch of the season. The ’Noles travel to Charlottesville, Va., to take on the Cavaliers before returning to Dick Howser Stadium on April 7 for a showdown against the University of Florida.
Gia Ciaccio is a Staff Writer for the FSView & Florida Flambeau, the student-run, independent online news service for the FSU community. Email our staff at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on FSU News: 'Going to have to feel it out': Seminoles gearing up for 2026 without Bailey
Continue reading...
“It’s just an emotional disarray of thoughts when you watch an athlete and a person like that go through it. The character, the work ethic, and the way he applies it in-game, it’s as good as I’ve seen,” head coach Link Jarrett said in the postgame press conference on March 29.
During his freshman campaign with the Seminoles, Bailey appeared in every game for FSU, finishing with 56 runs batted in (RBI). He recorded the second-highest RBI total and slugging percentage in 2025, trailing only former ’Nole Alex Lodise. With 33 RBI’s through 26 games this season, Bailey was on pace to elevate his production to another level.
More: 'Nole of the week: FSU first baseman Myles Bailey
“To stick him on a Major League field at first base right now is not far-fetched. He could do that defensively, and we know the offense is just going to continue to grow,” Jarrett said.
Bailey’s injury leaves a major gap in the lineup and forces the Garnet and Gold to adjust as they head into the bulk of their season. Defensively, Bailey started every game at first base this season. His absence raises significant questions about the infield moving forward.
“I’m going to have to feel it out. We try to get guys reps at third, short, and second so they’re comfortable moving around, and I think most of our guys can play anywhere,” Jarrett said. “Then it becomes about seeing who looks most comfortable in-game at a specific position and whether the offense benefits from someone being in a certain spot, what feels right to them.”
Florida State shifts its focus to an upcoming top-ten matchup against the No. 10 University of Virginia Cavaliers beginning April 3. The series will be the first major test for the Seminoles’ new infield alignment.
Want to follow FSU athletics? Sign up for the FSView newsletter today
In the two games since Bailey’s injury, redshirt senior infielder Eli Putnam has filled in for Bailey at first base. Putnam started 48 games at first base in 2024 for Davidson College.
“When Myles is out, then you know that there’s something drastic that has to change in the infield, just to equip the team to have a new first baseman, because he did such a good job there,” Jarrett said to the FSView in a press conference on April 2. “Eli [Putnam] is very good at first; he’s played first, he’s very comfortable there.”
Although Bailey will not be able to contribute on the field for the remainder of the season, he is still expected to support the team from the sidelines once he is further along in his recovery.
FSU baseball looks to adjust and search for consistency as it enters a crucial stretch of the season. The ’Noles travel to Charlottesville, Va., to take on the Cavaliers before returning to Dick Howser Stadium on April 7 for a showdown against the University of Florida.
Gia Ciaccio is a Staff Writer for the FSView & Florida Flambeau, the student-run, independent online news service for the FSU community. Email our staff at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on FSU News: 'Going to have to feel it out': Seminoles gearing up for 2026 without Bailey
Continue reading...
