Jac Caglianone (No. 1), Colby Shelton (No. 49), Brandon Neely (No. 66) and Luke Heyman (No. 99) all made D1Baseball’s top 100.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Four University of Florida baseball standouts were ranked as top-100 college prospects for the 2024 MLB Draft, as recognized by D1Baseball on Monday evening.
Leading the way is two-way All-American Jac Caglianone<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/jac-caglianone/15489>, who ranks as the No. 1 collegiate prospect in the nation entering the fall practice season. Gators infielder Colby Shelton (No. 49), right-handed pitcher Brandon Neely<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/brandon-neely/15499> (No. 66) and catcher Luke Heyman<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/luke-heyman/15522> (No. 99) round out the list for the Orange & Blue.
Florida is one of six NCAA programs with at least four prospects ranked inside the top 100.
No. 1 – Jac Caglianone<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/jac-caglianone/15489>, LHP/1B
No. 49 – Colby Shelton, INF
No. 66 – Brandon Neely<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/brandon-neely/15499>, RHP
No. 99 – Luke Heyman<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/luke-heyman/15522>, C
From D1Baseball: “The top prospects who profile as starting pitchers include two-way talent Jac Caglianone<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/jac-caglianone/15489> (Florida), Chase Burns (Wake Forest) and Brody Brecht (Iowa). Caglianone is the Shohei Otani of college baseball and the lone lefty of the trio. He has touched triple digits on the mound and also profiles as a middle-of-the-order slugger in a Major League lineup.”
Beginning with Caglianone, the Tampa, Fla. native bopped an NCAA-leading and program-record 33 homers as a sophomore last season while posting a .323/.389/.738 slash line. Caglianone also set the team record with 90 RBI and was the lone Gators player to play in and start all 71 games as Florida made a deep run to the College World Series Finals. The southpaw also delivered a 7-4 record, 4.34 ERA, .190 batting average against and 87 strikeouts across 18 starts spanning 74 2/3 frames.
Transferring into Florida from Alabama this past offseason, Shelton figures to make an immediate impact in Orange & Blue after a Freshman All-American campaign that saw him bat .300/.419/.729 with 25 long balls. Shelton led the Crimson tide in homers, slugging and OPS (1.148) while also adding 10 doubles, 51 RBI and 49 runs scored.
Fresh off 2023 All-America honors, Neely falls inside the top 100 thanks to stellar sophomore season in which he transitioned to the team’s full-time closer. The Seville, Fla. product saved 13 games out of 14 chances, finishing with a 3.58 ERA and .223 batting average against over a team-best 34 appearances. The right-hander fanned 72 batters in 55 1/3 innings, equating to 11.7 strikeouts per nine.
Wrapping up the list is Heyman, who collected Freshman All-SEC honors in his debut campaign in Gainesville. All told, he slashed .314/.366/.555 with 12 home runs, two triples, six doubles, 39 RBI and 30 runs. Heyman forced himself into a regular role in the UF lineup with his consistent bat, ultimately playing in 55 games including 51 starts for the Gators.
The Gators return to the diamond<https://admin.floridagators.com/news/2023/9/18/gators-unveil-2023-fall-baseball-slate.aspx> on Sunday, Oct. 8 at 4 p.m. with the first official practice of the fall season. Gates are open to all fans for the duration of fall practice.
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