The Tampa Bay Rays selected Florida catcher Brody Donay with the No. 508 pick in the 17th round of the 2025 MLB Draft.
Donay is the sixth Gator to be drafted in the 2025 MLB Draft, and the 116th draftee under Kevin O’Sullivan’s tenure. He is the second Florida catcher taken following the selection of Luke Heyman in the 14th round.
Donay spent two seasons with the Gators and has one year of eligibility remaining.
As a sophomore in 2024, Donay started 44 of his 49 appearances split between catcher and designated hitter. He logged 41 hits, 14 home runs and 32 RBI while batting .246. In addition, he registered a .980 fielding percentage on 151 defensive chances.
In his junior year, Donay started 53 of his 57 appearances, splitting time as catcher, designated hitter and first base. He set career highs with 60 hits, 18 home runs and 41 RBI with a .303 batting average. He also fielded at a .966 clip over 237 defensive chances.
Before attending Florida, Donay spent his freshman campaign with Virginia Tech. He posted a .260 batting average with 12 home runs and 38 RBI in his sole season with the team before transferring.
Donay joins a Rays team that stands fourth in the American League East Division at 50-47. Tampa Bay ranks as the No. 2 farm system according to the MLB farming system rankings.
Contact Adrian Carmona at acarmona@alligator.org. Follow him on Twitter @abcarmona04.
Adrian Carmona is a third-year journalism major and the Summer 2025 baseball reporter. In his spare time, he enjoys completing Sporcle quizzes and ranting about Miami sports.
