Wyatt Langford, Gators could make school history in MLB Draft
Only one baseball player in Florida Gators history has been a top-three pick in the MLB Draft. Wyatt Langford is positioned to become the second on Sunday.
The first two rounds of the 2023 MLB Draft begin at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN and MLB Network, and Langford is one of three potential day-one draftees for the Gators.
The two-time All-American outfielder is unanimously projected as one of the top-three overall players on the board. If Langford goes third overall to Detroit as expected, he’ll tie Mike Zunino (2012 to Seattle) as the highest draft pick in program history.
Right-handed pitchers Hurston Waldrep and Brandon Sproat are also day-one prospects in the draft, with Waldrep projected as a first-round pick. If Langford and Waldrep are selected in the first 17 picks, it would mark the earliest two Gators have ever come off the board in the MLB Draft, topping Jonathan India and Brady Singer in 2018 (first 18 picks).
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Langford and Waldrep are also set to become the 18th and 19th first-round picks in program history (25 including secondary phase) and 13 of those will belong to coach Kevin O’Sullivan, who ranks second nationally with 99 draft selections and 11 first-round picks during his tenure.
Sproat is a top-60 overall prospect and could have his name called on Sunday. He’s been drafted twice before (90th in 2022, 205th in 2019) but boosted his stock this past season as Florida’s ace. Josh Rivera is also viewed as a potential late day-one draftee and should become just the fifth shortstop in school history to get selected in the first two rounds or top-100 picks.
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Additional Gators receiving various draft projections include infielder Colby Halter, southpaw Philip Abner, righty Ryan Slater, utilityman Tyler Shelnut and catcher BT Riopelle. Here’s an overview of the UF players earning mentions from MLB Pipeline, Baseball America and Prospects Live.
MLB Draft projections for Gators
MLB Pipeline
No. 3: OF Wyatt Langford
No. 19: RHP Hurston Waldrep
No. 54: RHP Brandon Sproat
No. 87: SS Josh Rivera
Baseball America
No. 3: OF Wyatt Langford
No. 18: RHP Hurston Waldrep
No. 48: RHP Brandon Sproat
No. 60: SS Josh Rivera
No. 456: INF Colby Halter
Prospects Live
No. 3: OF Wyatt Langford
No. 16: RHP Hurston Waldrep
No. 45: RHP Brandon Sproat
No. 213: SS Josh Rivera
No. 256: INF Colby Halter
No. 344: LHP Philip Abner
No. 385: RHP Ryan Slater
