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With the 2026 MLB draft taking place over the weekend, Florida baseball once again has a handful of players set to begin their professional careers.
At the top of the list is right-hander Liam Peterson, who has been a first-round projection all year long. Despite some rough outings, the stuff plays well when Peterson is on, and he's mocked to go around the top-20.
The Gainesville Sun's Andrew Abadie spoke with an MLB scout recently who confirmed Peterson's placement in the first round.
“I think he has settled into an area of the draft that’s still going to be in the first round," the scout told Abadie.
The exact landing spot depends on how confident a team is in their ability to develop his fastball. The velocity has always been there, but it's still a hittable pitch in the upper-90s. His size and four-pitch ability are big pros, though.
Kyle Jones is next on the list, but there's some variance in his draft projections. MLB Pipeline has him at No. 135, but Baseball America puts Jones as high as No. 72 overall.
The injury Jones suffered as a sophomore is a blessing and a curse. As a redshirt sophomore, he maintains the kind of leverage that gets him good money and a higher spot on the draft board. However, some teams are going to be wary of taking a player who has an injury history and was better in non-conference play than in SEC play.
"Jones has been a bit of an enigma," the scout said. “The old school scouting mantra is if you’ve seen it once, it’s in there. I think the teams that believe in that still pull him off the board relatively early on Day 1."
Another high-leverage name is infielder Ethan Surowiec, who broke out as the Northwoods League MVP last summer and was one of Florida's most consistent hitters. Although he played in each of his first two seasons, the five-for-five rule means he has three more years of eligibility. Being an older sophomore makes him draft-eligible and gives him the most leverage possible.
This one is likely going to depend on where he's picked, and an overslot deal might be necessary. If he gets the money, Surowiec has a tough decision to make. Gambling on himself could pay off, but he could also be ready to start his professional career.
Then there are the two questionable arms, Luke McNeillie and Russell Sandefer. Like Peterson, both have questionable fastballs, and the scout told Abadie that "reliever risk" could keep some teams from taking the chance. Reliever risk is the idea that a pitcher has more upside out of the bullpen than as a starter, and more innings usually require more money/higher picks.
Sandefer has answered the question more than McNeillie, slotting into the Sunday role for Florida this season. McNeillie has thrown multiple innings several times, but he's really a two-pitch arm who hasn't shown the ability to get through the order three times.
"I think somewhere in the middle rounds, they are both going to have an opportunity to sign," said the scout.
Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Where Florida baseball players might go in the 2026 MLB draft
Continue reading...
At the top of the list is right-hander Liam Peterson, who has been a first-round projection all year long. Despite some rough outings, the stuff plays well when Peterson is on, and he's mocked to go around the top-20.
The Gainesville Sun's Andrew Abadie spoke with an MLB scout recently who confirmed Peterson's placement in the first round.
“I think he has settled into an area of the draft that’s still going to be in the first round," the scout told Abadie.
The exact landing spot depends on how confident a team is in their ability to develop his fastball. The velocity has always been there, but it's still a hittable pitch in the upper-90s. His size and four-pitch ability are big pros, though.
Kyle Jones is next on the list, but there's some variance in his draft projections. MLB Pipeline has him at No. 135, but Baseball America puts Jones as high as No. 72 overall.
The injury Jones suffered as a sophomore is a blessing and a curse. As a redshirt sophomore, he maintains the kind of leverage that gets him good money and a higher spot on the draft board. However, some teams are going to be wary of taking a player who has an injury history and was better in non-conference play than in SEC play.
"Jones has been a bit of an enigma," the scout said. “The old school scouting mantra is if you’ve seen it once, it’s in there. I think the teams that believe in that still pull him off the board relatively early on Day 1."
Another high-leverage name is infielder Ethan Surowiec, who broke out as the Northwoods League MVP last summer and was one of Florida's most consistent hitters. Although he played in each of his first two seasons, the five-for-five rule means he has three more years of eligibility. Being an older sophomore makes him draft-eligible and gives him the most leverage possible.
This one is likely going to depend on where he's picked, and an overslot deal might be necessary. If he gets the money, Surowiec has a tough decision to make. Gambling on himself could pay off, but he could also be ready to start his professional career.
Then there are the two questionable arms, Luke McNeillie and Russell Sandefer. Like Peterson, both have questionable fastballs, and the scout told Abadie that "reliever risk" could keep some teams from taking the chance. Reliever risk is the idea that a pitcher has more upside out of the bullpen than as a starter, and more innings usually require more money/higher picks.
Sandefer has answered the question more than McNeillie, slotting into the Sunday role for Florida this season. McNeillie has thrown multiple innings several times, but he's really a two-pitch arm who hasn't shown the ability to get through the order three times.
"I think somewhere in the middle rounds, they are both going to have an opportunity to sign," said the scout.
Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Where Florida baseball players might go in the 2026 MLB draft
Continue reading...
