For Florida, Z came first Monday.
The Seattle Mariners selected catcher Mike Zunino with the third overall pick in the 2012 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft. The Boston Red Sox made starter/designated hitter Brian Johnson the last pick (31st) in the first round.
Zunino who is hitting .316 this season, leads the Gators with 18 home runs. He also paces Florida in RBI (60), doubles (27) and slugging percentage (.667).
Johnson has been a productive dual-threat player for the Gators in 2012. As a pitcher, he is 8-4 with a 3.56 ERA and 68 strikeouts. As the cleanup hitter in Florida's lineup, Johnson has a .310 batting average with five home runs and 40 RBI.
Zunino and Johnson are the first pair of Gators to be selected in the first round since Robby Thompson and Rich Rice were taken in the first round of the MLB secondary draft in 1983.
While Zunino and Johnson were the only current Florida players taken on the first night of the draft, three UF commits were also selected.
Lewis Brinson, an outfielder from Coral Springs, was taken 29th overall by the Texas Rangers.
Next was Lance McCullers, a pitcher from Tampa, who was taken 41st overall by the Houston Astros. McCullers was named the 2012 Gatorade National Baseball Player of the Year. He earned the honor after posting a 13-0 record with a 0.18 ERA and 140 strikeouts in 77.1 innings.
The final Gator commit taken on the first day was Jesse Winker, an outfielder prospect from Orlando. Pinker was selected 49th overall by the Cincinnati Reds.
The MLB Draft resumes Tuesday.
