Kevin O’Sullivan knows it is coming. All he can do is handle what he has until that time comes.
“There’s a thing called the draft June 4, 5, 6, and it’s not an easy thing to manage,” Florida’s coach said.
No college team will be affected by the 2012 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft more than the No. 5 Gators (28-8). ESPN baseball analyst Keith Law released his latest “Future 50” rankings last week, and the list is littered with familiar faces.
Three players who made the cut will take the field for Florida at McKethan Stadium when UF faces Georgia Southern (22-16) at 7 p.m.
Catcher Mike Zunino leads the way as the No. 2 overall draft prospect in the nation behind only Baxley, Ga., high school senior Byron Buxton. According to Law, most major-league scouts don’t see Zunino lasting past the No. 3 pick in the draft, which belongs to the Seattle Mariners.
Following Zunino is left-handed starting pitcher Brian Johnson, who is coming off a big Sunday against Tennessee that helped him earn Southeastern Conference Player of the Week honors. Johnson comes in at No. 24 on the list, described by Law as a “very safe college arm,” who “could reach the majors quickly because of the quality of his off-speed stuff.”
That’s two spots ahead of shortstop Nolan Fontana, who is another player Law believes is on the fast track to the major leagues because of his reliable defensive play and approach at the plate. Fontana showed his worth this past weekend with six hits and five walks in a three-game set against Tennessee.
All three players are juniors, meaning this is the first time they have had to deal with serious draft talk during their UF careers.
“It’s something we talk about, absolutely,” O’Sullivan said. “It’s every kid’s dream to play in the big leagues, and that’s a big day for them. The timing of it is a little tough because it’s right in the middle of our season.”
Aside from losing players it already has, Florida also has to focus on keeping the players it is trying to bring to campus. Two more players in Law’s top 50 are signed to play baseball at Florida.
Tampa Jesuit right-handed pitcher Lance McCullers is projected as a future reliever by Law but comes in at No. 41 because of the possibility some team could view him as a starter and make him a late first-round pick. O’Sullivan has taken a number of trips to Tampa to watch McCullers pitch.
Lewis Brinson, a 6-foot-4, 180-pound Coral Springs High outfielder with tons of raw athleticism, rounds out the list at No. 50. He turned heads when he won the home run derby at the Under Armour Classic but has plenty of development in store, according to Law.
O’Sullivan said he understands that the draft brings added pressure to players but also expects them to handle it with maturity. He’s willing to talk it over with players to make sure it doesn’t affect the clubhouse.
“For some of these guys it is a big year,” he said. “There’s a lot of good players on this team, but we’re going to try to stay together as a group the best we can.”
Florida junior catcher Mike Zunino throws to first during a game against LSU on April 7. Zunino was ranked by ESPN’s Keith Law as the nation’s No. 2 overall prospect for this year’s MLB Draft.
