{"id":337396,"date":"2026-07-12T02:10:28","date_gmt":"2026-07-12T02:10:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/337396\/"},"modified":"2026-07-12T02:10:28","modified_gmt":"2026-07-12T02:10:28","slug":"jones-taken-in-third-round-of-mlb-draft-by-milwaukee","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/337396\/","title":{"rendered":"Jones Taken in Third Round of MLB Draft by Milwaukee"},"content":{"rendered":"

GAINESVILLE, Fla. \u2013 Florida center fielder Kyle Jones<\/a> was the second Gator to come off the board at the 2026 MLB Draft, as the Milwaukee Brewers selected him with the 102nd overall pick in the third round on Saturday evening.
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\nJones follows UF right-handed pitcher Liam Peterson<\/a> (Round 1, Pick 19 \u2013 Cleveland Guardians) in having his name called at the MLB Draft in Philadelphia, Penn. Jones’ selection as the 102nd pick makes him the ninth-highest UF outfielder to be drafted in team history including the highest across the past three seasons.
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\nAdditionally, Jones represents the 233rd individual draft choice in program history and the 118th of the Kevin O’Sullivan era (2008-present). Excluding the COVID-shortened 2020 MLB Draft, Florida has produced multiple draft picks every year since 1998.
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\nPlaying his first-full season in Orange & Blue in 2026, Jones started 58 games while making 56 of his 57 starts in center field. The Athens, Ga. native paced Florida in batting average (.317), doubles (16), stolen bases (17), sacrifice flies (six) and multi-hit games (22) across 224 at bats, which ranked second on the team. Slugging .478 with a .418 on-base percentage, Jones belted a career-high six homers on top of 71 hits, 58 runs, 46 RBI, 33 walks and 14 multi-RBI efforts.
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\nAs the catalyst of the offense, Jones reached base 42 times in 111 plate appearances leading off innings for a .382 OBP. He also fielded to a perfect 1.000 clip over 113 defensive chances in center field.
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\nAcross his three-year college career at Stetson (2024) and Florida (2025-26), Jones slashed .336\/.437\/.473 in 124 games. The 2024 Freshman All-American totaled 11 homers, one triple, 32 doubles, 114 runs, 80 RBI and 40 steals over 488 at bats while posting a .997 fielding percentage.
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\nRunning List of Florida’s 2026 MLB Draft Picks (2)
\nRHP Liam Peterson<\/a> \u2013 Round 1, Pick 19 (Cleveland Guardians)
\nOF Kyle Jones<\/a> \u2013 Round 3, Pick 102 (Milwaukee Brewers)
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\nWhat They’re Saying About Jones
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\nMLB Pipeline
\n“Jones was the 2024 Atlantic Sun freshman of the year after he hit .355\/.460\/.476 with 15 doubles and 23 stolen bases for Stetson. After the season, he transferred to Florida. His 2025 season was cut short because of a shoulder surgery that was required after a diving catch in just his fourth game of the season. Back on the field and healthy in 2026, Jones was the leadoff hitter and center fielder for the Gators. He hit .317\/.418\/.478 with 16 doubles and 27 stolen bases. Jones is a lean righthanded hitter with a 6-foot-3, 190-pound frame that could allow him to add more strength and power in the future. He’s a contact-oriented hitter with below-average bat speed and raw power now, but he has standout bat-to-ball skills on pitches inside the strike zone. Jones had a 90% in-zone contact rate in 2026 and profiles as at least an average pure hitter at the next level thanks to his feel for the barrel. Jones is a plus runner who consistently gets out of the batter’s box well, while also getting the most out of his speed on the bases and in center field He stole 40 bases in 49 tries (82% success rate) in his career and has the range and athleticism to profile as an above-average center fielder with solid arm strength.”
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\nBaseball America
\n“Jones was the 2024 Atlantic Sun freshman of the year after he hit .355\/.460\/.476 with 15 doubles and 23 stolen bases for Stetson. After the season, he transferred to Florida. His 2025 season was cut short because of a shoulder surgery that was required after a diving catch in just his fourth game of the season. Back on the field and healthy in 2026, Jones was the leadoff hitter and center fielder for the Gators. He hit .317\/.418\/.478 with 16 doubles and 27 stolen bases. Jones is a lean righthanded hitter with a 6-foot-3, 190-pound frame that could allow him to add more strength and power in the future. He’s a contact-oriented hitter with below-average bat speed and raw power now, but he has standout bat-to-ball skills on pitches inside the strike zone. Jones had a 90% in-zone contact rate in 2026 and profiles as at least an average pure hitter at the next level thanks to his feel for the barrel. Jones is a plus runner who consistently gets out of the batter’s box well, while also getting the most out of his speed on the bases and in center field He stole 40 bases in 49 tries (82% success rate) in his career and has the range and athleticism to profile as an above-average center fielder with solid arm strength.”
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\nFlorida’s MLB Draft History
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\nHighest Drafted Outfielders in Program History
\n1. 2023: OF Wyatt Langford \u2013 Round 1, Pick 4 (Texas Rangers)
\n2.\u00a02022: OF Sterlin Thompson \u2013 Round 1, Pick 31 (Colorado Rockies)
\n3. 1998: 1B\/OF\/LHP Brad Wilkerson \u2013 Round 1, Pick 33 (Montreal Expos)
\n4. 2021: OF\u00a0Jud Fabian<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 Round 2, Pick 40 (Boston Red Sox)
\n5.\u00a02016: OF Buddy Reed \u2013 Round 2, Pick 48 (San Diego Padres)
\n6. 2022: OF Jud Fabian \u2013 Round 2, Pick 67 (Baltimore Orioles)
\n7.\u00a01984: OF\/LHP Scott Ruskin \u2013 Round 4, Pick 92 (Texas Rangers)
\n8.\u00a02015: OF Harrison Bader \u2013 Round 3, Pick 100 (St. Louis Cardinals)
\n9. 2026: OF Kyle Jones<\/a> \u2013 Round 3, Pick 102 (Milwaukee Brewers)
\n10.\u00a02003: OF Ben Harrison \u2013 Round 4, Pick 108 (Cleveland Indians)
\n1970: OF\/C Guy McTheeny \u2013 Round 3, Pick 51 (Milwaukee Brewers) *January regular phase*
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\nAll Draft Picks Under Kevin O’Sullivan (118)
\n2026: RHP Liam Peterson<\/a> \u2013 Round 1, Pick 19 (Cleveland Guardians)
\n2026: OF Kyle Jones<\/a> \u2013 Round, Pick 102 (Milwaukee Brewers)
\n2025: SS Colby Shelton<\/a> \u2013 Round 6, Pick 166 (Chicago White Sox)
\n2025: RHP Jake Clemente<\/a> \u2013 Round 7 \u2013 Pick 198 (Miami Marlins)
\n2025: LHP Pierce Coppola<\/a> \u2013 Round 7 \u2013 Pick 211 (Chicago Cubs)
\n2025: 3B Bobby Boser<\/a> \u2013 Round 11, Pick 320 (Athletics)
\n2025: C Luke Heyman<\/a> \u2013 Round 14, Pick 422 (Seattle Mariners)
\n2025: C Brody Donay<\/a> \u2013 Round 17, Pick 507 (Tampa Bay Rays)
\n2024: 1B\/LHP Jac Caglianone \u2013 Round 1, Pick 6 (Kansas City Royals)
\n2024: RHP Brandon Neely \u2013 Round 3, Pick 86 (Boston Red Sox)
\n2024: RHP Fisher Jameson \u2013 Round 10, Pick 288 (Colorado Rockies)
\n2024: RHP Ryan Slater \u2013 Round 18, Pick 538 (San Francisco Giants)
\n2024: SS Colby Shelton<\/a> \u2013 Round 20, Pick 590 (Washington Nationals)
\n2023: INF Colby Halter \u2013 Round 17, Pick 496 (Oakland Athletics)
\n2023: LHP Philip Abner \u2013 Round 6, Pick 175 (Arizona Diamondbacks)
\n2023: SS Josh Rivera \u2013 Round 3, Pick 81 (Chicago Cubs)
\n2023: RHP Brandon Sproat \u2013 Round 2, Pick 56 (New York Mets)
\n2023: RHP Hurston Waldrep \u2013 Round 1, Pick 24 (Atlanta Braves)
\n2023: OF Wyatt Langford \u2013 Round 1, Pick 4 (Texas Rangers)
\n2023: OF Wyatt Langford \u2013 Round 1, Pick 4 (Texas Rangers)
\n2022: OF Sterlin Thompson \u2013 Round 1, Pick 31 (Colorado Rockies)
\n2022: LHP Hunter Barco \u2013 Round 2, Pick 44 (Pittsburgh Pirates)
\n2022: OF Jud Fabian \u2013 Round 2, Pick 67 (Baltimore Orioles)
\n2022: RHP Brandon Sproat \u2013 Round 3, Pick 90 (New York Mets)
\n2021: OF\u00a0Jud Fabian\u00a0\u2013 Round 2, Pick 40 (Boston Red Sox)
\n2021: RHP\u00a0Tommy Mace\u00a0\u2013 Round 2, Pick 69 (Cleveland Indians)
\n2021: C\u00a0Nathan Hickey\u00a0\u2013 Round 5, Pick 136 (Boston Red Sox)
\n2021: RHP\u00a0Christian Scott\u00a0\u2013 Round 5, Pick 142 (New York Mets)
\n2021:\u00a0OF\u00a0Jacob Young\u00a0\u2013 Round 7, Pick 203 (Washington Nationals)
\n2021: RHP\u00a0Jack Leftwich\u00a0\u2013 Round 7, Pick 216 (Cleveland Indians)
\n2021: RHP\u00a0Franco Aleman\u00a0\u2013 Round 10, Pick 306 (Cleveland Indians)
\n2019: SS Brady McConnell \u2013 Round 2, Pick 44 (Kansas City Royals)
\n2019: RHP Tyler Dyson \u2013 Round 5, Pick 153 (Washington Nationals)
\n2019: OF Wil Dalton \u2013 Round 8, Pick 257 (Boston Red Sox)
\n2019: OF Nelson Maldonado \u2013 Round 21, Pick 642 (Chicago Cubs)
\n2018: 3B Jonathan India \u2013 Round 1, Pick 5 (Cincinnati Reds)
\n2018: RHP Brady Singer \u2013 Round 1, Pick 18 (Kansas City Royals)
\n2018: RHP Jackson Kowar \u2013 Round 1, Pick 33 (Kansas City Royals)
\n2018: C JJ Schwarz \u2013 Round 8, Pick 233 (Oakland Athletics)
\n2018: SS Deacon Liput \u2013 Round 10, Pick 314 (Los Angeles Dodgers)
\n2018: RHP Michael Byrne \u2013 Round 14, Pick 409 (Cincinnati Reds)
\n2018: OF\/LHP Nick Horvath \u2013 Round 25, Pick 745 (Baltimore Orioles)
\n2017: RHP Alex Faedo \u2013 Round 1, Pick 18 (Detroit Tigers)
\n2017: SS Dalton Guthrie \u2013 Round 6, Pick 173 (Philadelphia Phillies)
\n2017: C Mike Rivera \u2013 Round 6, Pick 192 (Cleveland Indians)
\n2017: C Mark Kolozsvary \u2013 Round 7, Pick 197 (Cincinnati Reds)
\n2017: RHP David Lee \u2013 Round 27, Pick 808 (Pittsburgh Pirates)
\n2017: RHP Frank Rubio \u2013 Round 29, Pick 876 (San Francisco Giants)
\n2017: 2B Deacon Liput \u2013 Round 29, Pick 880 (Los Angeles Dodgers)
\n2017: C JJ Schwarz \u2013 Round 38, Pick 1129 (Tampa Bay Rays)
\n2016: LHP A.J. Puk \u2013 Round 1, Pick 6 (Oakland Athletics)
\n2016: RHP Dane Dunning \u2013 Round 1, Pick 29 (Washington Nationals)
\n2016: RHP Logan Shore \u2013 Round 2, Pick 47 (Oakland Athletics)
\n2016: OF Buddy Reed \u2013 Round 2, Pick 48 (San Diego Padres)
\n2016: 1B Pete Alonso \u2013 Round 2, Pick 64 (New York Mets)
\n2016: RHP Shaun Anderson \u2013 Round 3, Pick 88 (Boston Red Sox)
\n2016: LHP Scott Moss \u2013 Round 4, Pick 108 (Cincinnati Reds)
\n2016: LHP Kirby Snead \u2013 Round 10, Pick 312 (Toronto Blue Jays)
\n2015: SS Richie Martin \u2013 Round 1, Pick 20 (Oakland Athletics)
\n2015: OF Harrison Bader \u2013 Round 3, Pick 100 (St. Louis Cardinals)
\n2015: RHP Eric Hanhold \u2013 Round 6, Pick 181 (Milwaukee Brewers)
\n2015: LHP Danny Young \u2013 Round 8, Pick 242 (Toronto Blue Jays)
\n2015: RHP Taylor Lewis \u2013 Round 9, Pick 270 (Atlanta Braves)
\n2015: 3B Josh Tobias \u2013 Round 10, Pick 294 (Philadelphia Phillies)
\n2015: LHP Bobby Poyner \u2013 Round 14, Pick 411 (Boston Red Sox)
\n2015: RHP Mike Vinson \u2013 Round 24, Pick 730 (Detroit Tigers)
\n2015: RHP Aaron Rhodes \u2013 Round 28, Pick 855 (Los Angeles Angels)
\n2014: C Taylor Gushue \u2013 Round 4, Pick 131 (Pittsburgh Pirates)
\n2014: RHP Justin Shafer \u2013 Round 8, Pick 234 (Toronto Blue Jays)
\n2014: RHP Karsten Whitson \u2013 Round 11, Pick 344 (Boston Red Sox)
\n2014: 2B Casey Turgeon \u2013 Round 24, Pick 735 (St. Louis Cardinals)
\n2014: RHP Ryan Harris \u2013 Round 26, Pick 794 (Boston Red Sox)
\n2014: RHP Keenan Kish \u2013 Round 34, Pick 1025 (Cincinnati Reds)
\n2013: RHP Jonathon Crawford \u2013 Round 1, Pick 20 (Detroit Tigers)
\n2013: LHP Daniel Gibson \u2013 Round 7, Pick 210 (Arizona Diamondbacks)
\n2013: OF Taylor Ratliff \u2013 Round 13, Pick 390 (Arizona Diamondbacks)
\n2013: RHP Johnny Magliozzi \u2013 Round 17, Pick 506 (New York Mets)
\n2013: SS Cody Dent \u2013 Round 22, Pick 676 (Washington Nationals)
\n2013: OF Jeff Driskel \u2013 Round 29, Pick 863 (Boston Red Sox)
\n2013: RHP Karsten Whitson \u2013 Round 37, Pick 1126 (Washington Nationals)
\n2012: C Mike Zunino \u2013 Round 1, Pick 3 (Seattle Mariners)
\n2012: LHP\/1B Brian Johnson \u2013 Round 1, Pick 31 (Boston Red Sox)
\n2012: SS Nolan Fontana \u2013 Round 2, Pick 61 (Houston Astros)
\n2012: LHP Steven (Paco) Rodriguez \u2013 Round 2, Pick 82 (Los Angeles Dodgers)
\n2012: RHP Austin Maddox \u2013 Round 3, Pick 118 (Boston Red Sox)
\n2012: OF Preston Tucker \u2013 Round 7, Pick 219 (Houston Astros)
\n2012: RHP Hudson Randall \u2013 Round 7, Pick 244 (Detroit Tigers)
\n2012: OF Daniel Pigott \u2013 Round 9, Pick 292 (Cincinnati Reds)
\n2012: RHP Greg Larson \u2013 Round 20, Pick 631 (Boston Red Sox)
\n2011: LHP Nick Maronde \u2013 Round 3, Pick 104 (Los Angeles Angels)
\n2011: RHP Anthony DeSclafani \u2013 Round 6, Pick 199 (Toronto Blue Jays)
\n2011: RHP Alex Panteliodis \u2013 Round 9, Pick 282 (New York Mets)
\n2011: RHP Tommy Toledo \u2013 Round 11, Pick 341 (Milwaukee Brewers)
\n2011: 2B Josh Adams \u2013 Round 13, Pick 403 (Florida Marlins)
\n2011: 1B\/OF Preston Tucker \u2013 Round 16, Pick 498 (Colorado Rockies)
\n2011: C Ben McMahan \u2013 Round 23, Pick 701 (Milwaukee Brewers)
\n2011: RHP Matt Campbell \u2013 Round 24, Pick 751 (Philadelphia Phillies)
\n2011: RHP Greg Larson \u2013 Round 29, Pick 885 (Los Angeles Angels)
\n2011: OF Bryson Smith \u2013 Round 34, Pick 1045 (Cincinnati Reds)
\n2011: OF Tyler Thompson \u2013 Round 46, Pick 1387 (Washington Nationals)
\n2010: LHP Kevin Chapman \u2013 Round 4, Pick 119 (Kansas City Royals)
\n2010: OF Matt den Dekker \u2013 Round 5, Pick 152 (New York Mets)
\n2010: RHP Tommy Toledo \u2013 Round 32, Pick 975 (Minnesota Twins)
\n2010: C Hampton Tignor \u2013 Round 36, Pick 1104 (Los Angeles Angels)
\n2010: RHP Justin Poovey \u2013 Round 41, Pick 1254 (Los Angeles Angels)
\n2010: RHP Matt Campbell \u2013 Round 43, Pick 1297 (Cincinnati Reds)
\n2009: RHP Billy Bullock \u2013 Round 2, Pick 70 (Minnesota Twins)
\n2009: OF Avery Barnes \u2013 Round 11, Pick 331 (Colorado Rockies)
\n2009: LHP Tony Davis \u2013 Round 12, Pick 372 (Minnesota Twins)
\n2009: OF Matt den Dekker \u2013 Round 16, Pick 475 (Pittsburgh Pirates)
\n2009: RHP Patrick Keating \u2013 Round 20, Pick 602 (Kansas City Royals)
\n2009: C Buddy Munroe \u2013 Round 22, Pick 672 (Minnesota Twins)
\n2009: LHP Stephen Locke \u2013 Round 22, Pick 681 (Los Angeles Angels)
\n2009: SS Mike Mooney \u2013 Round 23, Pick 686 (Baltimore Orioles)
\n2009: OF Riley Cooper \u2013 Round 25, Pick 754 (Texas Rangers)
\n2009: LHP Kevin Chapman \u2013 Round 50, Pick 1513 (Chicago White Sox)
\n2008: SS Cole Figueroa \u2013 Round 6, Pick 195 (San Diego Padres)
\n2008: OF Avery Barnes \u2013 Round 40, Pick 1201 (Washington Nationals)
\n2008: RHP Josh Edmondson \u2013 Round 41, Pick 1249 (Los Angeles Angels)
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