Link to my full rankings: 2026 Preseason Top 25

D1Baseball Ranking: 13

Baseball America Ranking: 22

Perfect Game Ranking: 12

#7) Florida

Despite an Omaha appearance in 2024, Florida has not exactly lived up to the preseason hype during the regular season. Coming off a 2025 campaign that saw a late-season surge to finish 15-15 in SEC play, the Gators hope to put it all together in 2026. Kevin O’Sullivan is headed into his 19th season with one of the best rosters in the country as Florida returns multiple future first round talents. O’Sullivan took a leave of absence during the fall season, but he has returned locked in on the goal of returning to Omaha.

Returning Hitters:

The lineup will need to replace Colby Shelton, Bobby Boser, Brody Donay, and Luke Heyman

• Brendon Lawson: Potential #1 overall pick in the 2027 draft. Hit .317/.417/.522 with 10 HRs as a freshman.
• Cade Kurland: Veteran leader at 2B that battled injuries the last 2 seasons. He was first team All SEC as a freshman. The talent is there if he can stay healthy.
• Blake Cyr: Former ACC Freshman of the Year at Miami that returns to the Gator lineup for his senior year. He struggled last season with a .254 average but has the tools. Cyr was ranked 36th in PG’s top 100 Seniors.

• Kyle Jones: Was hitting .313 before suffering an early season-ending injury last year. Jones was previously the ASUN Freshman of the Year and should be a staple at the top of Florida’s lineup.
• Hayden Yost: Experienced OF that has good plate discipline and finished 2nd on the team in SBs last season. Hit 6th in both of Florida’s fall scrimmages.

Transfers & Freshmen

• Karson Bowen (TCU): Experienced Catcher that slashed .333/.425/.516 with a 120 wRC+ last season. Ranked #6 in PG’s top 100 Seniors.

• Ethan Surowiec (Ole Miss): Won MVP in the Northwoods League this summer and carried his success into the fall. A big time bat that will complement Lawson in the middle of the order.
• Sam Miller (Columbia): Hit .338/.407/.606 with 16 HRs last season. He will start at SS and likely hit in the middle of the order.
• Russell Sanderfer (UCF): Produced a 3.37 ERA across 50.2 innings for UCF last season. Throws a mid 90s fastball with a wipeout slider. Potential Sunday starter.
• Cooper Walls (Hawaii): 2025 Big West Freshman of the Year. Posted a 3.73 ERA across 60.1 innings last season. Featured good command.

Returning Pitchers:

Florida will have the luxury of retaining the #1, #2, and multiple bullpen arms. This staff is super talented and has massive upside. The only concern is that it doesn’t really feature a LHP.

• Liam Peterson: Experienced Friday starter that has potential to be the first college arm selected in the 2026 draft. Features a full arsenal that includes an upper 90s fastball.
• Aidan King: Fresh off a breakout freshman campaign where he posted a 7-2 record, 2.58 ERA, and 3.17 FIP.
• Luke McNeillie: Reliable bullpen arm that has potential to crack the starting rotation. He posted a 31.2 K% last season and features one of the best fastballs in the country.

I am much higher on this roster than the consensus rankings. While the last two seasons have been rollercoasters, Kevin O’Sullivan is one of the all-time greats and knows how to win. Injuries plagued his team last season so staying healthy is a priority this year. Florida has already received bad news in Jaden Bastian will miss the season after suffering a fractured leg during the fall. He was projected to be an everyday player, but Florida had the depth to replace. I love the setup of this roster and have already invested in a futures ticket.