As Florida prepares to face Florida State in the NCAA Super Regionals this weekend, one large distraction looms today: the MLB Draft.
Several UF players are projected to be drafted, highlighted by potential No. 1 pick A.J. Puk. Here’s a breakdown of six Florida players that will likely land on an MLB club fairly early on in the draft.
A.J. Puk, LHP
Puk has been projected to be the No. 1 overall pick since January, and the Philadelphia Phillies, who own the first pick, likely won’t stray from the experts.
Plenty of reasons make Puk the deserving No. 1 pick — he’s a 6-foot-7 lefty who can throw in the upper 90s, a combination that makes every professional team salivate.
When he’s having a good day on the mound, he’s clearly the best pitcher in the county. His career high in strikeouts is 12, which came against then-No. 6-ranked Vanderbilt on the road in a pivotal series win just before the 2015 postseason.
The week before, he struck out 11 batters in six innings against Georgia on the road.
When Puk is on, he’s been nearly unhittable.
Buddy Reed, OF
Reed may also be selected in the first round, and would give the Gators two first-round selections in the same year for the first time since 2012.
While Reed isn’t a very polished hitter — he’s batting .255 this year, lowest among UF players with at least 57 games played — he more than makes up for it in physical gifts.
The switch hitter is an ultra athletic outfielder, frequently leaping and diving for outs in centerfield over his three years at UF.
He’s also one of the fastest base runners in the SEC — he was clocked at 3.9 seconds running from home plate to first base at last year’s SEC Championship.
Usually a reliable defender, he’ll provide highlight plays and base-running quickness in the pros. And if he can develop his hitting, Reed will find a home in majors.
Logan Shore, RHP
Shore may have to wait until after the first round to hear his name called, in part because he doesn’t have the physical traits of Puk or an upper-90 mph fastball.
But in three years at Florida, he has been one of the most reliable starting pitchers in the nation, and teams are enamored with his consistency.
Shore’s teammates and coaches rave about his competitiveness, and while he may not have a slider that makes your head spin, he performs his best when the pressure is the highest.
In the first game of last year’s Super Regional against Florida State, Shore threw 5.2 scoreless innings and struck out five batters in a 13-5 win.
A couple weeks prior, he struck out seven batters in Game 2 of the SEC Tournament against Auburn, saving Florida from elimination.
Peter Alonso, 1B
If any teams were doing some last minute scouting prior to the draft, there’s no doubt Alonso’s name came up in their meetings.
Before the start of NCAA Regionals last week, Alonso had been sidelined with a fracture in his left hand after being hit with a fastball against Vanderbilt on May 13.
Three weeks later, he made his debut for Florida in the Gainesville Regional.
The result: three home runs, 8-for-14 batting and eight RBIs. Alonso was named the Gainesville Regional Most Outstanding Player.
It’s clear what the junior will bring to the pros: power. He leads the nation’s No. 2-ranked team with a .368 batting average, 55 RBIs and 12 home runs.
His only downside is his below-average speed. Florida placed him at first base and Alonso has been solid at the bag, only collecting four errors this season while ranking third on UF with a .992 fielding percentage.
The 6-foot-2, 225-pound right-handed hitter will have time to develop in the minors before he’s called up to contribute.
Shaun Anderson, RHP
Anderson has the lowest ERA on the team at 1.05 and has given up the least amount of hits (30) among players with at least 30 innings pitched.
He also rarely walks batters, with just six in 43 innings.
Anderson is first in the SEC with 13 saves and has 54 strikeouts.
Dane Dunning, RHP
Dunning has arguably been Kevin O’Sullivan’s most reliable weekday starter.
The junior is usually effective when he takes the mound, striking out 78 batters in 68.1 innings while compiling a 2.50 ERA.
He has also shown versatility in his time at Florida, relieving starters to finish out games, like in Florida’s 15-3 win over Miami in the 2015 CWS.
The righty pitched the final inning to seal the win.
Contact Ian Cohen at icohen@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @icohenb.
Peter Alonso celebrates with teammates after hitting a home run during Florida's win against Texas A&M on April 1, 2016, at McKethan Stadium.
