The 2026 MLB Draft once again showcased the depth of Florida baseball, with six Gators and one signee selected over the course of the two-day event. After three Florida players and a signee heard their names called on Day 1, three more Gators were selected on Day 2, upholding the program’s reputation for producing professional talent.
Junior right-handed pitcher Luke McNeillie was the first Gator selected on Day 2, taken in the fifth round by the New York Mets with the No. 152 overall pick.
McNeillie entered the season surrounded with high expectations after being named a 2026 Baseball America Second Team Preseason All-American and a 2026 Preseason First Team All-SEC selection. While mainly working out of the bullpen during his final season in Gainesville, McNeillie posted a career-best 3.97 ERA with 48 strikeouts in 34 innings.
Across 122 career innings with the Gators, the Milton, Georgia, native recorded a 5.24 ERA while striking out 163 batters, averaging 12 strikeouts per nine innings.The Mets’ selection of McNeillie adds another arm to an organization looking for reliable relief pitching, giving the right-hander an opportunity to move quickly through the team’s farm system.
Shortly after McNeillie came off the board, junior outfielder Hayden Yost became the second Gator selected on Day 2. The Seattle Mariners drafted Yost in the fifth round with the No. 162 overall pick.
Yost finished his final season in Gainesville batting .262 with 10 home runs and a .369 on-base percentage. After missing time due to injury, the Tampa native caught fire late in the season, with all 10 of his home runs coming over the final 24 games.
His biggest offensive performance came in Florida’s final regular season game against LSU, when he became the only Gator to record a three-home-run game that season. Yost went 4-for-5 with three home runs and five RBIs in the 15-11 win.
While his power stands out, Yost’s plate discipline is one of his defining traits. The Sickles High School product finished his Florida career with a .381 on-base percentage across 134 games.
Yost also continued a family connection to professional baseball, as his brother Jordan, a Florida commit, was selected in the first round of the 2025 MLB Draft by the Detroit Tigers.
Senior outfielder Blake Cyr was the final Gator selected on Day 2,drafted by the New York Yankees in the 18th round with the No. 548 overall pick.
Cyr’s final season in Gainesville was his best, as the Orlando native hit .316 with 15 doubles, 14 home runs and a .988 OPS across 56 games. After posting a .788 OPS in his first season with Florida, Cyr made a significant jump during his second year with the program.
Before joining the Gators, Cyr spent his freshman and sophomore seasons at the University of Miami, where he hit 34 home runs and earned consensus Freshman All-America honors in 2023.
As the season progressed, Cyr became one of Florida’s most consistent offensive threats, anchoring the lineup from the leadoff spot. He finished his college career with 208 hits and 47 home runs. Now, the Yankees’ selection gives him an opportunity to continue developing his game at the professional level.
While the selections of the Gators’ top players were expected, the program’s ability to maintain many of its top high school commits stood out. Kevin Roberts Jr. was the only Florida commit selected in the draft, preserving much of the future talent expected to continue the program’s success in Gainesville.
Contact Colton Veres at cveres@alligator.org. Follow him on X at @colton_veres.
Colton Veres is a senior sports journalism student in his first semester at The Alligator. He is currently the Summer 2026 baseball reporter. In his free time he enjoys watching the Red Sox and spending times with friends and loved ones.
