The Gator duo represents the fifth and six Florida players taken on day two of the 2021 MLB Draft.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Day two of the 2021 MLB Draft continues to feature a surplus of Gators, as outfielder Jacob Young and right-handed pitcher Jack Leftwich were each selected in the seventh round on Monday. The Washington Nationals drafted Young with the 203rd overall pick and the Cleveland Indians chose Leftwich with the 216th selection.
Young and Leftwich stand as the fifth and sixth Florida players to be drafted on day two, following second rounders Jud Fabian and Tommy Mace in addition to fifth rounders Nathan Hickey and Christian Scott. Leftwich joins Mace as a 2021 Cleveland draftee, meaning the pair of Gators hurlers may have the opportunity to continue pitching alongside one another after college.
As a third-year player in 2021, Young led the Gators in a handful of categories including hits (80), doubles (16), runs (56), stolen bases (13) and outfield assists (seven). While being one of two Gators to play in and start all 60 games for Florida, the 2020 Second Team All-American slashed .315/.385/.461 with five home runs, three triples, 41 RBI and 27 walks. He finished the season tied for fifth in the SEC in doubles, tied-eighth in steals, ninth in at-bats, tied-10th in hits and tied-10th in runs.
En route to collecting 2021 SEC All-Tournament Team honors, Young registered the highest batting average (.474) of any player at the event while slugging .882 with two home runs, one double, five RBI and four runs scored. Also an excellent defender, Young posted a .984 fielding percentage this past season while his seven outfield assists ranked second in the SEC.
Across three seasons with the Gators, Young batted .330/.400/.447 with eight home runs, three triples, 28 doubles, 110 runs, 76 RBI, 51 walks and 26 stolen bases. Young’s Gators career also saw him named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll on three occasions, as he graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in marketing this past spring.
Shifting gears to Leftwich, the right-hander is the 211th individual Gator to be drafted and the 94th draft pick under O’Sullivan. Today’s selection marks the second time Leftwich been drafted by an MLB team, as he was previously chosen out of high school by the Detroit Tigers in the 39th round of the 2017 MLB Draft.
Seeing work as both a starter and a high-leverage reliver in 2021, Leftwich paced the Gators with a 3.36 ERA and .208 batting average against, totals which ranked tied-ninth and seventh in the SEC, respectively. The fourth-year right-hander appeared in 24 games including six starts, totaling 69.2 innings and finishing with a 7-4 record. Leftwich recorded five saves and 78 strikeouts, translating to 10.1 strikeouts-per-nine innings.
Collectively, Leftwich posted a 4.25 ERA across 235.1 innings pitched in Orange and Blue. With 65 career appearances on his resume, the Orlando, Fla. native delivered a 20-14 record and 247 strikeouts from 2018-21.
Leftwich was named to the NCAA Lubbock All-Regional Team in 2019 and also earned SEC Pitcher of the Week honors on May 20 of that same year. Off the field, Leftwich was named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll in each of his four years in Gainesville.
Running List of Florida’s 2021 MLB Draft Picks (6)
OF Jud Fabian<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_roster.aspx-3Frp-5Fid-3D14217&d=DwIF-g&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=VKElFfcjm3zxxpR5L8u2irwPqXX3lMcipWqqX75gzyY&s=Taa9zcSxF4XMYFHl2ry8RXOTJ-6kxwTdgkWazzFmiFg&e= > – Round 2, Pick 40 (Boston Red Sox)
RHP Tommy Mace<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_roster.aspx-3Frp-5Fid-3D14223&d=DwIF-g&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=VKElFfcjm3zxxpR5L8u2irwPqXX3lMcipWqqX75gzyY&s=vyY6SyrNeH4FQUWoJCrfuPHXnXFDfJ1CAwP-UgeL-dA&e= > – Round 2, Pick 69 (Cleveland Indians)
C Nathan Hickey<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_roster.aspx-3Frp-5Fid-3D14220&d=DwIF-g&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=VKElFfcjm3zxxpR5L8u2irwPqXX3lMcipWqqX75gzyY&s=X5bjsaGSBHb55XnFL2V9IoKGmbZ8E2Y56xOUB-fr1Bg&e= > – Round 5, Pick 136 (Boston Red Sox)
RHP Christian Scott<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_roster.aspx-3Frp-5Fid-3D14231&d=DwIF-g&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=VKElFfcjm3zxxpR5L8u2irwPqXX3lMcipWqqX75gzyY&s=HxrbqCOktzyEnV6hhsX2UrUh4uwzHilRfe-VsHuPH5c&e= > – Round 5, Pick 142 (New York Mets)
OF Jacob Young – Round 7, Pick 203 (Washington Nationals)
RHP Jack Leftwich – Round 7, Pick 216 (Cleveland Indians)
What They’re Saying About Young
Baseball America
“…As it stands, Young is an above-average runner who patrols left field for the Gators and has quietly been a .330/.400/.447 hitter over his three-year career in Gainesville. Standing at 6 feet, 175 pounds, Young certainly doesn’t look like a corner outfielder, but it would make all the sense in the world for a team to draft him and give him a chance to prove he can’t play in the middle of the outfield at the next level. He has the speed and has shown solid route running and athleticism in left field, though his arm might make right field a tougher sell. Young is a contact bat offensively, with below-average raw power, but he led the Gators in hits (80), doubles (16), runs (56) and stolen bases (13) this spring…”
What They’re Saying About Leftwich
MLB.com
“…The 6-foot-2 right-hander has largely been a two-pitch guy, though those two pitches have been very good. He’ll crank his fastball up to 96 mph regularly, sitting around 94 mph, though it can be a bit true at times. He’ll miss bats with his slider, which flashes plus, but he does struggle landing it within the strike zone. He does have a changeup, but it’s not nearly as good as his other offerings. Because of the two-pitch mix, the spotty command and the bulldog mentality on the mound, many scouts feel Leftwich is better suited to a relief role at the next level. A team taking him in the top five rounds could send him out as a starter to see how his stuff develops, knowing that shortening him up and letting him rely on that fastball-slider combination could get him to the big leagues quickly.”
Baseball America
“…Leftwich stepped into a full-time starting role for the Gators in 2019 and seemed poised to keep that role this spring but made just six starts and 18 separate appearances out of the bullpen. At 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, Leftwich has a solid pitcher’s frame and a three-pitch mix including a fastball that sits in the 92-94 mph range but has been into the upper 90s at its best, as well as a slider and changeup. The slider is Leftwich’s go-to secondary in the low 80s and will flash average potential, but scouts note that it comes in well below-average at times as well. He throws a low-to-mid-80s changeup but has used it only sparingly this spring, perhaps because of a larger role out of the bullpen.”
Florida’s MLB Draft History
All Draft Picks Under Kevin O’Sullivan (94)
2021: OF Jud Fabian<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_roster.aspx-3Frp-5Fid-3D14217&d=DwIF-g&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=VKElFfcjm3zxxpR5L8u2irwPqXX3lMcipWqqX75gzyY&s=Taa9zcSxF4XMYFHl2ry8RXOTJ-6kxwTdgkWazzFmiFg&e= > – Round 2, Pick 40 (Boston Red Sox)
2021: RHP Tommy Mace<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_roster.aspx-3Frp-5Fid-3D14223&d=DwIF-g&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=VKElFfcjm3zxxpR5L8u2irwPqXX3lMcipWqqX75gzyY&s=vyY6SyrNeH4FQUWoJCrfuPHXnXFDfJ1CAwP-UgeL-dA&e= > – Round 2, Pick 69 (Cleveland Indians)
2021: C Nathan Hickey<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_roster.aspx-3Frp-5Fid-3D14220&d=DwIF-g&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=VKElFfcjm3zxxpR5L8u2irwPqXX3lMcipWqqX75gzyY&s=X5bjsaGSBHb55XnFL2V9IoKGmbZ8E2Y56xOUB-fr1Bg&e= > – Round 5, Pick 136 (Boston Red Sox)
2021: RHP Christian Scott<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_roster.aspx-3Frp-5Fid-3D14231&d=DwIF-g&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=VKElFfcjm3zxxpR5L8u2irwPqXX3lMcipWqqX75gzyY&s=HxrbqCOktzyEnV6hhsX2UrUh4uwzHilRfe-VsHuPH5c&e= > – Round 5, Pick 142 (New York Mets)
2021: OF Jacob Young – Round 7, Pick 203 (Washington Nationals)
2021: RHP Jack Leftwich – Round 7, Pick 216 (Cleveland Indians)
2019: SS Brady McConnell – Round 2, Pick 44 (Kansas City Royals)
2019: RHP Tyler Dyson – Round 5, Pick 153 (Washington Nationals)
2019: OF Wil Dalton – Round 8, Pick 257 (Boston Red Sox)
2019: OF Nelson Maldonado – Round 21, Pick 642 (Chicago Cubs)
2018: 3B Jonathan India – Round 1, Pick 5 (Cincinnati Reds)
2018: RHP Brady Singer – Round 1, Pick 18 (Kansas City Royals)
2018: RHP Jackson Kowar – Round 1, Pick 33 (Kansas City Royals)
2018: C JJ Schwarz – Round 8, Pick 233 (Oakland Athletics)
2018: SS Deacon Liput – Round 10, Pick 314 (Los Angeles Dodgers)
2018: RHP Michael Byrne – Round 14, Pick 409 (Cincinnati Reds)
2018: OF/LHP Nick Horvath – Round 25, Pick 745 (Baltimore Orioles)
2017: RHP Alex Faedo – Round 1, Pick 18 (Detroit Tigers)
2017: SS Dalton Guthrie – Round 6, Pick 173 (Philadelphia Phillies)
2017: C Mike Rivera – Round 6, Pick 192 (Cleveland Indians)
2017: C Mark Kolozsvary – Round 7, Pick 197 (Cincinnati Reds)
2017: RHP David Lee – Round 27, Pick 808 (Pittsburgh Pirates)
2017: RHP Frank Rubio – Round 29, Pick 876 (San Francisco Giants)
2017: 2B Deacon Liput – Round 29, Pick 880 (Los Angeles Dodgers)
2017: C JJ Schwarz – Round 38, Pick 1129 (Tampa Bay Rays)
2016: LHP A.J. Puk – Round 1, Pick 6 (Oakland Athletics)
2016: RHP Dane Dunning – Round 1, Pick 29 (Washington Nationals)
2016: RHP Logan Shore – Round 2, Pick 47 (Oakland Athletics)
2016: OF Buddy Reed – Round 2, Pick 48 (San Diego Padres)
2016: 1B Pete Alonso – Round 2, Pick 64 (New York Mets)
2016: RHP Shaun Anderson – Round 3, Pick 88 (Boston Red Sox)
2016: LHP Scott Moss – Round 4, Pick 108 (Cincinnati Reds)
2016: LHP Kirby Snead – Round 10, Pick 312 (Toronto Blue Jays)
2015: SS Richie Martin – Round 1, Pick 20 (Oakland Athletics)
2015: OF Harrison Bader – Round 3, Pick 100 (St. Louis Cardinals)
2015: RHP Eric Hanhold – Round 6, Pick 181 (Milwaukee Brewers)
2015: LHP Danny Young – Round 8, Pick 242 (Toronto Blue Jays)
2015: RHP Taylor Lewis – Round 9, Pick 270 (Atlanta Braves)
2015: 3B Josh Tobias – Round 10, Pick 294 (Philadelphia Phillies)
2015: LHP Bobby Poyner – Round 14, Pick 411 (Boston Red Sox)
2015: RHP Mike Vinson – Round 24, Pick 730 (Detroit Tigers)
2015: RHP Aaron Rhodes – Round 28, Pick 855 (Los Angeles Angels)
2014: C Taylor Gushue – Round 4, Pick 131 (Pittsburgh Pirates)
2014: RHP Justin Shafer – Round 8, Pick 234 (Toronto Blue Jays)
2014: RHP Karsten Whitson – Round 11, Pick 344 (Boston Red Sox)
2014: 2B Casey Turgeon – Round 24, Pick 735 (St. Louis Cardinals)
2014: RHP Ryan Harris – Round 26, Pick 794 (Boston Red Sox)
2014: RHP Keenan Kish – Round 34, Pick 1025 (Cincinnati Reds)
2013: RHP Jonathon Crawford – Round 1, Pick 20 (Detroit Tigers)
2013: LHP Daniel Gibson – Round 7, Pick 210 (Arizona Diamondbacks)
2013: OF Taylor Ratliff – Round 13, Pick 390 (Arizona Diamondbacks)
2013: RHP Johnny Magliozzi – Round 17, Pick 506 (New York Mets)
2013: SS Cody Dent – Round 22, Pick 676 (Washington Nationals)
2013: OF Jeff Driskel – Round 29, Pick 863 (Boston Red Sox)
2013: RHP Karsten Whitson – Round 37, Pick 1126 (Washington Nationals)
2012: C Mike Zunino – Round 1, Pick 3 (Seattle Mariners)
2012: LHP/1B Brian Johnson – Round 1, Pick 31 (Boston Red Sox)
2012: SS Nolan Fontana – Round 2, Pick 61 (Houston Astros)
2012: LHP Steven (Paco) Rodriguez – Round 2, Pick 82 (Los Angeles Dodgers)
2012: RHP Austin Maddox – Round 3, Pick 118 (Boston Red Sox)
2012: OF Preston Tucker – Round 7, Pick 219 (Houston Astros)
2012: RHP Hudson Randall – Round 7, Pick 244 (Detroit Tigers)
2012: OF Daniel Pigott – Round 9, Pick 292 (Cincinnati Reds)
2012: RHP Greg Larson – Round 20, Pick 631 (Boston Red Sox)
2011: LHP Nick Maronde – Round 3, Pick 104 (Los Angeles Angels)
2011: RHP Anthony DeSclafani – Round 6, Pick 199 (Toronto Blue Jays)
2011: RHP Alex Panteliodis – Round 9, Pick 282 (New York Mets)
2011: RHP Tommy Toledo – Round 11, Pick 341 (Milwaukee Brewers)
2011: 2B Josh Adams – Round 13, Pick 403 (Florida Marlins)
2011: 1B/OF Preston Tucker – Round 16, Pick 498 (Colorado Rockies)
2011: C Ben McMahan – Round 23, Pick 701 (Milwaukee Brewers)
2011: RHP Matt Campbell – Round 24, Pick 751 (Philadelphia Phillies)
2011: RHP Greg Larson – Round 29, Pick 885 (Los Angeles Angels)
2011: OF Bryson Smith – Round 34, Pick 1045 (Cincinnati Reds)
2011: OF Tyler Thompson – Round 46, Pick 1387 (Washington Nationals)
2010: LHP Kevin Chapman – Round 4, Pick 119 (Kansas City Royals)
2010: OF Matt den Dekker – Round 5, Pick 152 (New York Mets)
2010: RHP Tommy Toledo – Round 32, Pick 975 (Minnesota Twins)
2010: C Hampton Tignor – Round 36, Pick 1104 (Los Angeles Angels)
2010: RHP Justin Poovey – Round 41, Pick 1254 (Los Angeles Angels)
2010: RHP Matt Campbell – Round 43, Pick 1297 (Cincinnati Reds)
2009: RHP Billy Bullock – Round 2, Pick 70 (Minnesota Twins)
2009: OF Avery Barnes – Round 11, Pick 331 (Colorado Rockies)
2009: LHP Tony Davis – Round 12, Pick 372 (Minnesota Twins)
2009: OF Matt den Dekker – Round 16, Pick 475 (Pittsburgh Pirates)
2009: RHP Patrick Keating – Round 20, Pick 602 (Kansas City Royals)
2009: C Buddy Munroe – Round 22, Pick 672 (Minnesota Twins)
2009: LHP Stephen Locke – Round 22, Pick 681 (Los Angeles Angels)
2009: SS Mike Mooney – Round 23, Pick 686 (Baltimore Orioles)
2009: OF Riley Cooper – Round 25, Pick 754 (Texas Rangers)
2009: LHP Kevin Chapman – Round 50, Pick 1513 (Chicago White Sox)
2008: SS Cole Figueroa – Round 6, Pick 195 (San Diego Padres)
2008: OF Avery Barnes – Round 40, Pick 1201 (Washington Nationals)
2008: RHP Josh Edmondson – Round 41, Pick 1249 (Los Angeles Angels)
