When Eli Putnam arrived at Florida State after four seasons at Davidson, he understood immediately that earning a starting role in the ACC would take more than experience — it would take a leap.
Putnam, now FSU’s starting second baseman, knew he had walked into one of the nation’s most competitive lineups. The redshirt senior didn’t crack the starting nine in the Seminoles’ opening games, slowed by defensive inconsistencies and the adjustment to ACC-level pitching.
“I came here because I wanted to get better,” Putnam said. “I knew it wasn’t going to be a cake walk in the lineup because there are a lot of good players.”
FSU coach Link Jarrett said early struggles were tied to timing and trying to force production.
“I think consistency and maybe pitching recognition, and I think at times trying to do a little bit too much,” Jarrett said. “These guys are fighting to be in the lineup and play. Sometimes that leads to doing a little bit too much.”
Eli Putnam reaches a turning point
Instead of sulking, Putnam doubled down on the fundamentals he needed to stay on the field. Though he played infield throughout his Davidson career, second base was still relatively new.
“I’ve been working a lot on my second-base specifics — double-play turns, feeds and throws from there,” he said. “On the offensive side, it was about the pitching selection.”
He got his first start Feb. 28 against The Citadel and delivered, going 2-for-4 with two RBIs. A month later, Putnam led FSU to a walk-off victory over Jacksonville on March 3. Four days later, he launched his first home run as a Seminole — a grand slam at Dick Howser Stadium against Northern Kentucky. He hit several slams at Davidson, where he batted .349 with a .660 slugging percentage, but this one meant more.
“It felt really good,” Putnam said. “I’ve hit a few that could’ve gotten out, so finally seeing one go out of the fence felt really good.”
Eli Putnam a fixture of FSU baseball’s line
Since entering the starting lineup, Putnam has provided steady production. Through 45 starts, he is batting .311 with four home runs, including two in last week’s series against Wake Forest. Jarrett said the results reflect the quality of Putnam’s contact all season.
“He’s hit some balls really hard and had nothing to show for it,” Jarrett said. “So it’s finally good to see some of these things that he is hitting… something positive should eventually happen.”
As No. 11 FSU has surged — winning 13 of its last 14 entering this week’s ACC series against NC State — Putnam has become one of the lineup’s most reliable contributors. The challenge that once kept him out of the lineup has now cemented his place in it.
“When I wasn’t playing at first, I knew I had to prove myself defensively and do a couple things better at the plate,” Putnam said. “I worked really hard in sharpening those skills, and now that I’ve been there, it has paid off. It feels really good.”
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Peter Holland Jr. covers Florida State athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at PHolland@Gannett.com or on X @_Da_pistol.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: How Eli Putnam went from not starting to being a cornerstone for FSU
Reporting by Peter Holland Jr., Tallahassee Democrat / Tallahassee Democrat
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