Where Gators Prospects Rank Ahead of the 2026 MLB Draft

By Cam Parker Sports Illustrated

Updated July 10, 2026 2:56 PM

The 2026 MLB Draft begins on Saturday, during which multiple members of the Florida Gators expect to hear their names called.

Ahead of the draft, Florida Gators on SI lists where each prospect is ranked on various outlets and the likelihood they return to Florida for the 2027 season. The 2026 MLB Draft beings with Rounds 1-4 on Saturday at 1 p.m. (NBC, MLB Network, MLB.com, MLB.TV, Peacock) and continues on Sunday with Rounds 5-20 at 11:30 a.m. (MLB.com, MLB.TV).

The deadline for drafted players to return to or enroll in college is July 27 at 5 p.m.

RHP Luke McNeillie

MLB Pipeline Top 200: No. 185
Baseball America Top 500: No. 207
D1Baseball Top 250 (College Only): No. 86

McNeillie is a strong candidate to be drafted within the first 10 rounds, making it unlikely he returns to campus if that happens. Should he somehow be drafted later, a return to Florida for a final season is likely. A fastball that tops at 99 miles-per-hour and an effective slider that tops at 88 miles-per-hour are key reasons for his standing as a prospect.

"McNeillie's command in and out of the zone has been spotty at Florida and that, along with a lack of extension or deception, makes it tougher to project what he might be at the next level," MLB.com's scouting report of McNeillie read. "He can get caught between trying to be a complete pitcher and attacking with his power stuff. There will be teams interested in his arm strength, with one good at pitching development perhaps working with him on starting long-term."

Should McNeillie return, he would have two years of eligibility remaining due to the NCAA's recent eligibility rule changes. He has a 5.24 ERA over the last three seasons - headlined by a career-low 3.97 ERA in 2026 - with a 12-8 record (3-0 in 2026), 163 strikeouts and just 62 walks.

RHP Liam Peterson

MLB Pipeline Top 200: No. 20
Baseball America Top 500: No. 20
D1Baseball Top 250 (College Only): No. 14

A surefire first-round pick, Peterson is all but guaranteed to be the first Gator selected in this year's draft and is highly unlikely to return for his senior season. Yahoo! Sports' Mark Powell has him going ninth overall to the Atlanta Braves, while ESPN's Kiley McDaniel has him mocked at No. 16 to the Texas Rangers.

A big aspect of Peterson as a prospect has been his inconsistency at Florida. At his best, he is one of the top pitchers in the country, but at his worst, he fails to make it past the third inning and struggles with command and location. Peterson recently addressed those inconsistencies during an interview with Dan O'Dowd on the MLB Network.

"I don't want to sound cocky or anything coming off of this, but I think I really have the potential to be a Cy Young top-end starter in MLB," he said. "And I don't mean that in a cocky way. I just think that you've got to be confident in yourself. I know what I have, and I know that I haven't necessarily shown that in my performances so far, but I really do think I'm close to getting where I want to be."

Peterson likely finishes his UF career with a 5.03 ERA and 14-16 record with 284 strikeouts against 112 walks over the last three seasons.

RHP Russell Sandefer

MLB Pipeline Top 200: No. 177
Baseball America Top 500: No. 182
D1Baseball Top 250 (College Only): No. 71

Like McNeillie, Sandefer is a likely candidate to depart from Florida due to his standing as a prospect and likelihood to be drafted within the first 10 rounds. His journey from Division II St. Leo to UCF and then to Florida has him on a strong upward trajectory, and his 93-98 mile-per-hour fastball and low-80s slider and low-80s changeup are strengths in his game.

MLB.com praised those but noted inconsistencies in SEC play as a negative.

"All of Sandefer's repertoire comes from a really whippy arm and a low slot, with movement to everything he throws, and he's generally around the plate," his scouting report read. "His inconsistencies in conference play might have halted his helium a bit, but a team taking him in the top several rounds could send him out as a starter with the option to shorten him up for a life in the bullpen if that role doesn't stick."

In one season at Florida, in which he went from a bullpen contributor to Sunday/Game Three weekend starter, Sandefer recorded a 4.42 ERA (3-2 record) with 60 strikeouts against 22 walks in 57 innings. He will have two years of eligibility should he elect to return to Florida.

RHP/DH Caden McDonald

MLB Pipeline Top 200: NR
Baseball America Top 500: No. 429
D1Baseball Top 250 (College Only): No. 200

McDonald's standing as a prospect comes after one of the strongest finishes in college baseball last season, but a lack of production for a full season is likely enough to keep him from being drafted high enough to leave Florida. With a high ranking of No. 429 across all prospects, he would be selected in the 14th round.

A return to Florida is the likeliest of the two options considering he will enter the 2027 season as arguably Florida's top bullpen arm and its designated hitter. On the mound, he finished the season with a 3.42 ERA across 20 apperances (47.1 innings) with a 5-1 record, 48 strikeouts and just eight walks. At the plate, he batted .319 with a .702 slugging percentage, 30 hits and nine home runs in just 94 at-bats.

He has two years of eligibility remaining.

INF Ethan Surowiec

MLB Pipeline Top 200: No. 249
Baseball America Top 500: No. 247
D1Baseball Top 250 (College Only): No. 75

Surowiec already announced he had re-signed with Florida Victorious, but that does not guarantee a return to Florida. Surowiec's ranking has him just inside the top 10 rounds, meaning there is a chance he exits college early to start his professional career, especially as scouts rave over his ability at the plate. MLB.com's scouting report praised him for his "plus raw power," adding that as he works to find consistency in the infield, his bat will be the reason he gets drafted.

"While Surowiec isn't a runner, he's more athletic than you might think. That, and a strong arm, could give him a chance to play third, at least at the start of his career," it read. "Many scouts think he'll eventually have to slide over to first, where the 6-foot-1 right-right profile isn't as attractive, but it will be his ability to do damage in the box that could get him drafted on Day 2.

That being said, a return seems likely as Surowiec will have an opportunity to tighten up his ability as an infielder while solidifying his standing as one of the nation's top hitters. He hit .317 with 12 home runs and 63 RBIs in 2026.

Anything can happen, though, and Surowiec will be a key prospect to watch as anything is on the table.

OF Jaden Bastian

MLB Pipeline Top 200: NR
Baseball America Top 500: No. 417
D1Baseball Top 250 (College Only): NR

Bastian is all but guaranteed to return after missing all of 2026 due to a leg injury, and with Blake Cyr graduating and Kyle Jones potentially leaving via the draft, he is all but guaranteed to start once he is fully cleared.

The Jacksonville transfer was slated to start and bat near the top of the order before a preseason injury saw him sidelined. He will have two years of eligibility remaining after receiving a redshirt from last season.

OF Blake Cyr

MLB Pipeline Top 200: NR
Baseball America Top 500: NR
Baseball America Top-75 College Seniors: No. 60
D1Baseball Top 250 (College Only): NR

A graduating senior, Cyr's career at Florida is over. All that is left is to see where he will end up in his post-college career. He is the lone graduating senior on Florida's roster to be listed on any of the draft prospect rankings after hitting .316 with 14 home runs and 58 RBIs last season.

OF Kyle Jones

MLB Pipeline Top 200: No. 135
Baseball America Top 500: No. 72
D1Baseball Top 250 (College Only): No. 124

A good 2026 campaign had Jones rise up draft boards. Now, it seems likely his UF career is over. Jones is UF's highest-ranked prospect behind Peterson in the MLB Pipeline Top 200 and Baseball America Top 500 and could see his name called near the end of Day One or very early on Day Two of the draft.

His plate presence and athleticism in the outfield are strengths.

"He has a solid approach at the plate with good bat-to-ball skills, walking nearly as often as striking out in his college career," his MLB.com scouting report read. "While he hasn't been driving the ball, being more of a gap-to-gap guy, there is some projection in his frame, and some think he could get to power, at least to his pull side, if he can learn to get behind the ball better."

Should Jones elect to return, he will have two years of eligibility remaining. He batted .317 with six home runs, 16 doubles and 46 RBIs in 2026, while drawing 33 walks and 10 hit-by-pitches.

OF Hayden Yost

MLB Pipeline Top 200: NR
Baseball America Top 500: NR
D1Baseball Top 250 (College Only): No. 196

Yost, similar to McDonald, is benefitting from a strong end to 2026 but is extremely likely to return to Florida for his fourth season. Last season, he hit .262 with 10 home runs and 23 RBIs. Seven of his home runs came in May alone.

With Cyr gone, Jones likely gone and Bastian getting re-acclimated, Yost provides stability and a veteran presence in the outfield for 2027 if he can continue to build upon his strong end to the season.

HS Prospects of Note

High school prospects are generally impossible to predict on if they will get drafted or not, and from there, if they will make it to campus. That being said here are some UF signees to keep an eye on this weekend.

In MLB.com's prospect rankings, infielder Kevin Roberts Jr. comes in at No. 136, outfielder Brady Harris comes in at No. 163 and right-handed pitcher Brady Snow comes in at No. 169. Additionally, Florida saw unranked left-handed pitcher Colin White impress at this year's combine, although he remains unranked. Additionally, the Gators' need for lefty arms make him a likely candidate to make it to campus and play early.

Newly-committed outfielder Braylen Montgomery, who recently flipped to UF from Oklahoma, is also someone to keep an eye on. He is unranked by MLB.com but is a top-100 high school prospect.

Again, high school prospects are near-impossible to predict in the draft, and Florida appears to be in a strong spot to get all of its signees onto campus. Then again, anything is possible.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/florida as Where Gators Prospects Rank Ahead of the 2026 MLB Draft.

This story was originally published July 10, 2026 at 2:40 PM.