Just under a month from the start of the Florida Gators 2025 baseball season, D1Baseball has released its projected starting nine for the team. The projected order is by position and not reflective of an actual batting order.
- Catcher Luke Heyman (junior)
- First baseman Brendan Lawson (freshman)
- Second baseman Cade Kurland (junior)
- Third baseman Bobby Boser
- Shortstop Colby Shelton
- Left field Blake Cyr (junior transfer from Miami)
- Center field Kyle Jones (sophomore transfer from Stetson)
- Right field Ty Evans (senior)
- Designated hitter Brody Donay (junior)
Coming in ranked No.10 in D1Baseball’s preseason rankings, The Gators have lower expectations than usual. After a regular season filled with ups and downs, followed by a strong playoff push, Florida looks for consistency coming into the year.
Though there may be lower expectations than Florida has become accustomed to, the lineup brings back lots of experience and production.
Of the nine projected starters, eight were full-time starters last year, five are returning starters for the Gators and only one has yet to put up a college season OPS of over .900, first-year Brendan Lawson.
Lawson, the No. 1 player out of Canada In Perfect Games High School rankings, is the stand-alone freshman in the projected lineup and only one of two lefty hitters. Though being listed at shortstop and third base out of high school, D1Baseball projects him at first base, filling in the gigantic (literally) shoes of Jac Caglianone.
While Lawson cannot be expected to fill in perfectly for Florida’s all-time home run leader, His bat will add a lot of potential. MLB Pipeline rated Lawson’s bat at a 55 in his prospect profile, meaning it is expected to be above average at the MLB level. As well, during his time at Perfect Game’s showcase, his max barrel speed ranked in the 90% percentile. He hit .344 in the MLB Draft League, with more walks than strikeouts in 45 plate appearances.
Despite having plenty of experience already up and down the lineup, the Gators have more seasoned options if the young Lawson isn’t ready just yet. Texas Tech transfer Landon Stripling spent some of his Freshman year playing first base for the Raiders, finishing with a fielding percentage of .975. Another transfer, Jacksonville’s Justin Nadeau, saw two appearances at 1B in his time with the Dolphins while holding a career .332 batting average.
Coach Kevin O’Sullivan can also get creative with the lineup. Though D1Baseball projects Brody Donay to DH and Luke Heyman to be behind the plate, both have experience at first as well. Moving Donay out of the designated hitter spot can create an opening for lots of versatility. Also, don’t be surprised to see utility player Ashton Wilson, a playoff standout for Florida, get a shot at the job. Wilson earned the Stillwater Regional MVP for his strong performance in the series.
The Gators have lots of options for different lineups coming into the year, with almost every starter having the ability to play multiple positions in both the infield and outfield. While most starting spots seemed to be locked up, don’t be surprised to see players’ positions shuffled often.
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