Jan. 20, 2026, 6:16 p.m. ET
Baseball America ranked the Florida Gators No. 22 on its preseason list Monday.
While BA’s rankings have the Orange and Blue nine spots lower than D1Baseball coming into the season, there remains plenty of optimism regarding the program. Baseball America tends to lean on results, and a hot start to the 2026 campaign should lead to an appropriate bump.
“Pure talent has never been Florida’s issue under Kevin O’Sullivan, and entering his 19th season, the roster again stacks up with the nation’s best,” said Jacob Rudner. “… On paper, it is another elite group in Gainesville. Context complicates that picture. Florida lost pieces to the draft and navigated a turbulent offseason that extended beyond personnel. Those factors softened preseason expectations, but they did not materially thin the talent pool.”
Florida returns two-thirds of its starting rotation in junior Liam Peterson and sophomore Aidan King. Both are considered “players who will open the season on short lists for the top pick in future drafts.” Standout first baseman Brendan Lawson also could vie for the top pick in the 2027 draft, alongside King, and center fielder Kyle Jones, who missed all of 2025, as early-round potential.
Beyond those names, returning second baseman Cade Kurland and reliever Luke McNeillie are names to monitor. Kurland has been away from practice early in the spring, but he’s expected back after missing most of 2025 with an injury. Two-way player Caden McDonald and reliever Christian Rodriguez had strong summers and are now fully healthy after using most of last season to bounce back from Tommy John surgery in 2024.
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A host of transfer additions are also set to burst onto the scene in Gaiensville, including catcher Karson Bowen (TCU), first baseman Ethan Surowiec (Ole Miss) and right-hander Russell Sandefer (UCF).
Off-the-field issues remain a concern for the program, but it’s not the players that are the focus. Head coach Kevin O’Sullivan was away from the team on a leave of absence for personal reasons, and he’ll start the season suspended for a public outburst during the Conway Regional last season.
Starting the season off hot, particularly in SEC play, remains a key for this club to get back to its national championship contender status. Florida has spent the last two seasons looking for late surges to get into the playoffs.
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