Florida Gators 2021 Baseball Recruiting Class

With the 2021 MLB Draft completed, the Florida Gators 2021 recruiting class has been finalized. Florida originally had 23 signees in their recruiting class but lost seven including both JUCO commits to the MLB Draft.

The Gators will keep 16 prospects from their 2021 recruiting class which including three Perfect Game All-Americans. Florida also grabbed one player from the Transfer Portal making it a total of 17 newcomers for Kevin O'sullivan's club.

Rene Lastres is a 6’3” 205-pound infielder out of Calvary Christian Academy in Hialeah, Florida. On Perfect Game, Lastres is the 31st ranked prospect and the fourth-ranked catcher in the country. He’s also the fifth-ranked prospect and top-ranked catcher in Florida.

Lastres is Florida’s highest-ranked signee that went undrafted even though he had some interest early in the second day of the draft. Lastres will provide some much-needed depth behind the plate as Nathan Hickey signed with the Boston Red Sox.

Lastres is an outstanding defensive catcher with one of the best arms in the country. He’s extremely polished behind the plate and already might be Florida’s best defensive catcher. At the plate, there’s plenty of upside. He has lots of power but does have some swing and miss. Lastres could be one of the best catchers in the country with time and development.

Jac Caglianone is a 6’5” 210-pound left-handed pitcher out of Plant High School in Tampa, Florida. On Perfect Game, Caglianone is the 33rd ranked prospect and the fourth-ranked left-handed pitcher in the country. He’s also the sixth-ranked prospect and the top-ranked LHP in Florida.

Caglianone is another Florida signee that played in the Perfect Game All-American Classic. The Tampa native was widely considered to be a top 100 prospect in the 2021 MLB Draft but fell off a lot of team’s boards when reports came out that Caglianone tore his UCL in his left elbow and needed to get Tommy John surgery.

Caglianone is not expected to play next season at Florida so he’ll be redshirted as he continues to recover from his Tommy John surgery. However, Caglianone could be one of Florida’s best arms if healthy. He projects to be a bullpen arm now since he really only throws two pitches but he has a mid-90s fastball that was clocked at 98 mph last spring. He also possesses a plus breaking pitch that most scouts call a slurve.

Pierce Coppola is a 6’8” 215-pound left-handed pitcher out of Verona High School in Verona, New Jersey. On Perfect Game, Coppola is the 50th ranked prospect and the ninth-ranked left-handed pitcher in the country. He’s also the fourth-ranked prospect and the second-ranked LHP in New Jersey.

Coppola was a big time flip for the Gators and also played in the Perfect Game All-American Classic. Coppola played the game as a Virginia commit but flipped his commitment to Florida not long after the game.

Coppola should be able to compete for one of the weekend rotation spots entering his freshman season. The Mid-Atlantic southpaw has a plus fastball that touches 97 mph and also has a plus slider and developing changeup. Coppola could have an A.J. Puk effect during his time at Florida.

Philip Abner is a 6’1” 220-pound left-handed pitcher out of Charlotte Christian High School in Charlotte, North Carolina. On Perfect Game, Abner is the 67th ranked prospect and the eleventh-ranked left-handed pitcher in the country. He’s also the third-ranked prospect and second-ranked left-handed pitcher in North Carolina.

Abner was one of the first prospects to commit to Florida’s 2021 recruiting class and stayed committed to Florida for close to three years. On MLB Pipeline, Abner was the 116th ranked draft prospect but went undrafted as he missed most of his senior season due to a turf toe injury.

Abner has a four-pitch mix with a low-90s fastball but that’s not his best pitch. The North Carolina native has a plus changeup similar to Jackson Kowar, a former Gator from North Carolina. Abner also has a slider and curveball with good command. He’ll be another pitch that could be competing for a spot on Florida’s weekend rotation. Abner will also be a 21-year old draft-eligible sophomore in 2023.

Ty Evans is a 6’2” 200-pound outfielder out of Lakeland Christian High School in Lakeland, Florida. On Perfect Game, Evans is the 121st ranked prospect and the 21st ranked outfielder in the country. He’s also the 16th ranked prospect and the third-ranked outfielder in Florida.

Evans is the only Florida that got drafted and decided to honor his commitment to the Gators. Evans was drafted in the 20th round by the Atlanta Braves but probably wasn’t going to sign for a lot of money in the 20th round.

Florida keeping Evans is big because they need to replace Jacob Young who signed with the Washington Nationals. Evans is one of the favorites to be Florida’s starting left fielder due to his plus speed and hit tool.

Brandon Neely is a 6’3” 205-pound right-handed pitcher out of Spruce Creek High School in Seville, Florida. On Perfect Game, Neely is the 137th ranked prospect and the 42nd ranked right-handed pitcher in the country. He’s also the 17th ranked prospect and the fifth-ranked right-handed pitcher in Florida.

Neely is one of two Spruce Creek players that are signed to play college baseball at the University of Florida. On MLB Pipeline, Neely was the 205th ranked draft prospect and was viewed as a potential starting pitcher at the next level.

Neely possesses a four-pitch mix that’s highlighted by his low-90s fastball that tops out at 94 mph. His slider is his best secondary pitch that is very effective against right-handed hitters. Neely does have a feel for a changeup and will also throw a soft curveball to keep hitters off balance and guessing.

Michael Robertson is a 6’1” 170-pound outfielder out of Venice Senior High School in Venice, Florida. On Perfect Game, Robertson is the 139th ranked prospect and the 25th ranked outfielder in the country. He’s also the 18th ranked prospect and fourth-ranked outfielder in Florida.

Robertson was widely considered to be a top five round draft pick but went undrafted which is great for the Gators. On MLB Pipeline, Robertson was a top 100 prospect with some really nice tools.

Robertson’s best tool is his speed. The Central Florida native was arguably the fastest high school prospect in the country and in his draft class. He’s a great glove that covers plenty of ground. At the plate, he’s a contact hitter with very little power. Robertson projects to be an everyday centerfielder at Florida but will have to wait one season before he can be Florida’s new centerfielder as Jud Fabian has returned.

Corey Robinson is a 5’11” 170-pound outfielder out of the Spruce Creek High School in DeLand, Florida. On Perfect Game, Robinson is the 165th ranked prospect and the 27th ranked outfielder in the country. He’s also the 22nd ranked prospect and the fifth-ranked outfielder in Florida.

Robinson is the other Florida commit that spent his senior season at Spruce Creek High School. The Sunshine State outfielder is another prospect that committed to Florida very early in his high school career and never waived from his commitment.

Robinson is another Gator prospect with elite speed as he has been clocked running a 6.32 60 yard dash. He’s a good contact hitter that presented some strength in his senior season. Defensively, Robinson is another player that projects to be an everyday centerfielder in the future. He’ll also be a draft-eligible sophomore in 2023.

Deric Fabian is a 6’3” 180-pound shortstop out of North Marion High School in Ocala, Florida. On Perfect Game, Fabian is the 192nd ranked prospect and the 46th ranked shortstop in the country. He’s also the 26th ranked prospect and the seventh-ranked shortstop in Florida.

Deric Fabian is the younger brother of current Gator Jud Fabian, who recently announced he was coming back to Florida. The younger Fabian also had a monster senior season as he posted a .462 batting average, 43 hits, eight doubles, 13 home runs, and 52 RBIs.

Fabian will be competing for very early playing time as a freshman with third baseman Kirby McMullen gone. Florida could be looking for a third baseman or move Josh Rivera to third and place Deric Fabian at shortstop if he performs well in the fall.

Fisher Jameson is a 6’5” 220 right-handed pitcher out of Park Vista Community High School out of Lake Worth, Florida. On Perfect Game, Jameson is the 196th ranked prospect and the 67th ranked right-handed pitcher in the country. He’s also the 27th ranked prospect and the seventh-ranked right-handed pitcher in Florida.

Jameson was the last high school commit in Florida’s 2021 recruiting class. Right before National Signing Day, Jameson flipped his commitment from Bryant University to the Florida Gators.

Jameson has a four-pitch mix that’s highlight by his low-90s fastball. His fastball sits 90-93 mph and tops out at 94. He also has a slider, curveball, and changeup. During his senior season, Jameson had a 6-2 record with a 0.96 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, and struck out 78 batters in 51 innings pitched.

Anthony Ursitti is a 6’4” 205-pound right-handed pitcher out of Canterbury High School in Fort Myers, Florida. On Perfect Game, Ursitti is the 210th ranked prospect and the 73rd ranked right-handed pitcher in the country. He’s also the 29th ranked prospect and the eighth-ranked right-handed pitcher in Florida.

Ursitti commitment to Florida in the fall of 2019 and always had a strong commitment to the Gators. During his senior season, Ursitti posted a 4-0 record with a 0.70 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, and struck out 48 batters in 30 innings pitched.

On the mound, Ursitti does a good job of mixing his pitches and keeping hitters off-balance. He has a fastball that sits 89-93 mph and was clocked at 94 mph during his senior season. He also has a plus slider that’s in the low-80s, a soft curveball, and a low-80s changeup.

Karl Hartman is a 6’4” 213-pound right-handed pitcher out of Rockledge Senior High School in Merritt Island, Florida. On Perfect Game, Hartman is the 278th ranked prospect and the 97th ranked right-handed pitcher in the country. He’s also the 40th ranked prospect and the 15th ranked right-handed pitcher in Florida.

Hartman had a big senior season that got many media outlets that cover the MLB Draft thinking he could be a day two draft pick and not make it to Florida. However, Hartman went undrafted and will be a Gator. On MLB Pipeline, Hartman was the 163rd ranked draft prospect.

During his senior season, Hartman put up video game like numbers as he made ten starts for his high school. He posted an 8-1 record with a 0.29 ERA and struck out 97 batters in 48 innings pitched.

Matthew Prevesk is a 6’3” 190-pound outfielder out of Apopka High School in Apopka, Florida. On Perfect Game, Prevesk is the 296th ranked prospect and the 49th ranked outfielder in the country. He’s also the 42nd ranked prospect and the eighth-ranked outfielder in Florida.

Prevesk was another prospect that stayed committed to the Florida Gators for a very long time. Prevesk made his verbal commitment to Florida in August of 2018 and signed his NLI to Florida last November.

Prevesk has plus speed as he’s been clocked running a 6.58 60 yard dash at a PBR event. His exit velocity and also been clocked at 101.75 mph which is one of the best in his class. During his senior season, Prevesk batted .435 with 37 hits, five doubles, two triples, three home runs, and also stolen 17 bases.

Jorge De Goti is a 6’1” 180-pound infielder out of Belen Jesuit High School in Miami, Florida. On Perfect Game, De Goti is the 300th ranked prospect and the 61st ranked shortstop in the country. He’s also the 43rd ranked prospect and eighth-ranked shortstop in Florida.

De Goti was another high school prospect that made a very early commitment to the University of Florida. De Goti committed to the Gators in the fall of 2018 making him one of the first commits in their 2021 recruiting class.

The Miami native is a very sound defensive infielder with one of the best arms in the country. He’s been clocked at 92 mph throwing from across the diamond which is in the 96th percentile in his class. He also slashed .386/.455/.568 with 34 hits, ten doubles, two home runs, and a 1.023 OPS.

Samuel Sloan is a 6’3” 200-pound right-handed pitcher out of Lakeland High School in Lakeland, Florida. On Perfect Game, Sloan is the 327th ranked prospect and the 115th ranked right-handed pitcher in the country. He’s also the 48th ranked prospect and the 17th ranked RHP in Florida.

Sloan made his commitment to Florida on September of 2019 and was always a strong commitment to Florida. That commitment even grew strong as the Florida baseball program was willing to help Sloan recover from a very scary head injury in the summer leading up to his senior year.

Sloan was able to overcome that injury and pitched in his final season at Lakeland High School. Sloan made ten starts during his senior season. The Lakeland product posted a 3-3 record with a 3.78 ERA, struck out 46 batters in 33.1 innings pitched, and also had a .221 opponent batting average.

Carsten Finnvold is a 6’1” 172-pound left-handed pitcher out of American Heritage High School in Delray Beach, Florida. On Perfect Game, Finnvold is the 500th ranked prospect and the 145th ranked left-handed pitcher in the country. He’s also the 185th ranked prospect and 14th ranked LHP in Florida.

Finnvold was one of the last prospects to commit to Florida after having a very productive summer in 2019. The southpaw had a 5-0 record with a 0.70 ERA, 0.79 WHIP and struck out 49 batters in 29 innings pitched over the summer.

During his senior season. Finnvold had a great season for the Patriots. Finnvold was named an All-American on the High School Baseball Network after posting a 7-3 record with a 1.06 ERA. He also had a 0.96 WHIP and struck out 81 batters in 59.1 innings pitched.

Bradley “BT” Riopelle is a 6’0” 205-pound catcher out of Coastal Carolina University but is originally from Marietta, Georgia. Riopelle is the only player Florida has landed in the Transfer Portal and still has two years of eligibility left.

Riopelle was a two-year starter at Coastal Carolina before putting his name in the Transfer Portal. During his time at CCU, Riopelle was a career .267 hitter with solid power but is also a very solid defensive catcher.

During the 2021 season, Riopelle slashed .270/.354/.459 with 50 hits, eleven doubles, eight home runs, 27 RBIs, and a .814 OPS. He also had 302 putouts, 35 assists, and threw out 18 runners trying to steal which was second in the Sun Belt Conference. Riopelle was also voted to the All-Sun Belt Second Team.