Florida baseball has arguably emerged as the biggest offseason winner.
The reasons for that are the upgrades to the coaching staff, additions via the transfer portal, and the preservation of its signing class and several draft-eligible players.
The MLB Draft claimed only one of its 12 high school signees. The lone pick was Kevin Roberts Jr., who was taken in the fourth round.
The current Gator roster featured six players drafted, but only one was a major surprise. Outfielder Hayden Yost, who did not receive an invite to the MLB Draft or was not considered a top prospect, was unexpectedly taken in the fifth round by the Seattle Mariners. Despite his loss, Florida has a fair amount of depth in the outfield and will be able to compensate for his loss. Otherwise, the Gators kept slugger Ethan Surowiec and two-way star Caden McDonald.
Here’s a breakdown of what next year’s starting lineup, batting order and pitching rotation could look like.
Weekend rotation
Under the direction of newly hired pitching coach Rich Dorman, Florida’s starting rotation has a chance to take a jump in the right direction.
SEC Pitcher of the Year Aidan King will start as the Friday ace. The other two roles will likely be Jackson Barberi and incoming left-handed All-American Trey Morris, who was part of Oregon State’s rotation this past season.
Morris logged a 1.98 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, 67 strikeouts and 15 walks in over 59 innings.
Barberi was considered for a weekend rotation role midway through last season, but his month-long oblique injury derailed that move.
Center field – Jaden Bastian
The Gators expectedly lost Kyle Jones to the draft, but his replacement seems to be an obvious choice.
Jadian Bastian, who missed the season due to a leg injury in the fall, was likely the favorite to earn the job at center. Assuming he is fully healthy, Bastian’s speed and contact also make him the likely leadoff hitter for next year’s team.
For context, in 2025 at Jacksonville, he held a .302 average with 11 home runs and 36 stolen bases.
Shortstop – Brendan Lawson
Brendan Lawson is back and is projected to be at least a top 10 pick in next year’s MLB Draft – some mock drafts have him going No. 1 overall.
With a full season at shortstop under his belt, it’s safe to assume that he should take the next step as a fielder and be a key piece for next season.
In 56 games, he held a .312 batting average with 11 doubles, 19 home runs and 48 RBI.
Catcher Jon Embury
The starting catcher job easily belongs to Jon Embury, who comes in as the ASUN Player of the Year. Embury will replace last season’s starter, Karson Bowen. At Florida Gulf Coast last season, Embury hit .364 and batted 13 doubles and 17 home runs while driving in 60 runs.
Other options are returner AJ Malzone and Samford transfer Eddie Marshall.
Third base Ethan Surowiec
The MLB Draft graciously stayed away from the Gators’ cleanup hitter. He’ll need to improve defensively, but his bat will be one of the most feared in the SEC next season.
Surowiec started all 62 games for Florida as he swapped between first and third base. In his lone season at Florida, he batted .317, with 14 doubles, 12 homers and drove in 63 runs.
Designated hitter Caden McDonald
It’ll be interesting to see the two-way star get a full season at the plate. The trio of Surowiec, McDonald and Lawson all have the potential to hit 20 home runs each.
In only 21 games as a designated hitter, he held a .319 average and posted nine doubles and nine home runs.
On the mound, he’ll be even more vital for next season as he recorded a 3.42 ERA, 48 strikeouts and eight walks in 47.1 innings.
Right field Cash Strayer
Florida’s outfield will have the most significant turnover after Jones, Hayden Yost and Blake Cyr, who was a senior, were all drafted.
However, Cash Strayer showed that he’ll be a mainstay in Florida’s lineup despite a hand injury derailing his season. It’s likely that Strayer would have stayed in the lineup had Yost’s bat not heated up at the same time as his injury. Regardless, Strayer brings back experience and adds some speed to Florida’s lineup.
Left field Drew Dickerson
The Gators’ most unexpected loss to the draft was Hayden Yost, who was likely a starter in the corner outfield next season. Yet the addition of Oklahoma transfer Drew Dickerson becomes even more valuable.
Dickerson primarily saw action as the Sooners’ designated hitter last season. In 35 games at Oklahoma, he hit .281 with four home runs and 21 RBI.
Yet left field could also be won by any of the incoming freshmen or sophomore Jacob Kendall, who showed glimpses of the power behind his bat last year.
First base Landon Stripling
Stripling’s was one of the several bats that progressively got better as the season went on. He started 34 games and batted a career-high .289 with six home runs, seven doubles and 17 RBI. His glove also quickly improved as he finished with a .983 fielding percentage.
In the final month of the season, Stripling hit .318 and had only three hitless games in the month of May.
Stripling has been Florida’s main first baseman for the last two seasons, and given his experience, it’s safe to assume that it’s his job to lose.
Yet incoming junior college transfer Caden Davidson, who batted .500 his freshman season, will challenge for the position.
Second base Kyle McDaniel
This is another position that is wide open after Cade Kurland opted to transfer to LSU this offseason.
Utah Tech transfer Kyle McDaniel should be the favorite for the job. Last year, he hit .340, 10 doubles, seven home runs, and drove in 52 runs while drawing 43 walks.
Yet second base could also go to Florida Atlantic transfer John Martinez or returning sophomore Colton Schwarz.
Florida baseball projected 2027 roster
Reach Florida Gators writer Andrew Abadie at AAbadie@usatodayco.com or on X (formerly Twitter) at @AndrewAbadie. You can also find him on Facebook at Andrew Abadie Sports Reporter or on Instagram @andrewabadie_sports.
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Early projection of Florida baseball’s 2027 starting lineup after MLB Draft
Reporting by Andrew Abadie, Gainesville Sun / The Gainesville Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Andrew Abadie, Gainesville Sun | USA TODAY Network
