JUCO catcher AJ Malzone talks about his commitment to Florida
Hector
The Florida Gators and their coaching staff have not wasted any time this offseason. The Gators have landed multiple players out of the Transfer Portal. They have also signed one of the top junior college catchers in the country.
Sophomore catcher AJ Malzone announced his commitment to the Florida Gators earlier this week. “It feels like a dream come true,” Malzone said about committing to Florida. “It’s validation of years of work, and motivation to keep pushing.”
AJ Malzone is a 5’11” 195-pound catcher who attended Wabash Valley College in Mount Carmel, Illinois. Malzone was one of the most productive hitters for the Warriors in the past two seasons.
During his freshman season, Malzone played in 55 games. Malzone slashed .372/.505/.583 with 58 hits, nine doubles, eight home runs, 42 RBIs, 47 runs scored, 33 walks, and a 1.088 OPS.
In his sophomore season, Malzone continued to produce at a high level and played in 58 games. Malzone slashed .347/.496/.602 with 68 hits, sixteen doubles, ten home runs, 58 RBIs, thirteen stolen bases, and a 1.098 OPS. He also walked more times and he struck out (36:35). After the season, Malzone was named All-Conference, All-Region, and Region 24 Gold Glove winner for catchers.
During the recruiting process, Malzone decided to play the long game and bet on himself by not committing in the fall. “My recruiting process felt long & stressful,” Malzone said. “I had to prove my ability to play at a high level every time I stepped on the field. My recruitment started to pick up again about a month and a half before the season ended.”
The Gators got involved in Malzone’s recruitment about a month before he committed to them. “They started recruiting me on May 3rd, and Coach [Kevin] O’Sullivan ended up contacting me by calling me that evening,” said Malzone.
Malzone talked about his conversations with Florida’s head coach. “It was overall a great conversation,” Malzone said about his first conversation with Kevin O’Sullivan. “He spoke very highly of the program and what they’ve done in the past, and the standard they hold their players.”
Florida had to compete with some top-tier college baseball programs to land the Illinois native. Malzone was also getting heavily recruited by Oklahoma, Kansas State, Virginia Tech, South Carolina, Pitt, and Louisville.
However, the Gators were able to land one of the top uncommitted JUCO players in the country. “Florida stood out to me because of its consistent national success and year-round player development,” Malzone said. “The coaching staff is very competitive and knows how to develop their players to get them to the next level.”
The Gators have a major need for catchers heading into next season. Luke Heyman will likely get selected in the 2025 MLB Draft. Junior catcher Brody Donay is also draft-eligible and could hear his name get called. Malzone is only JUCO commit in Florida’s 2025 recruiting class.
Hector
The Florida Gators and their coaching staff have not wasted any time this offseason. The Gators have landed multiple players out of the Transfer Portal. They have also signed one of the top junior college catchers in the country.
Sophomore catcher AJ Malzone announced his commitment to the Florida Gators earlier this week. “It feels like a dream come true,” Malzone said about committing to Florida. “It’s validation of years of work, and motivation to keep pushing.”
AJ Malzone is a 5’11” 195-pound catcher who attended Wabash Valley College in Mount Carmel, Illinois. Malzone was one of the most productive hitters for the Warriors in the past two seasons.
During his freshman season, Malzone played in 55 games. Malzone slashed .372/.505/.583 with 58 hits, nine doubles, eight home runs, 42 RBIs, 47 runs scored, 33 walks, and a 1.088 OPS.
In his sophomore season, Malzone continued to produce at a high level and played in 58 games. Malzone slashed .347/.496/.602 with 68 hits, sixteen doubles, ten home runs, 58 RBIs, thirteen stolen bases, and a 1.098 OPS. He also walked more times and he struck out (36:35). After the season, Malzone was named All-Conference, All-Region, and Region 24 Gold Glove winner for catchers.
During the recruiting process, Malzone decided to play the long game and bet on himself by not committing in the fall. “My recruiting process felt long & stressful,” Malzone said. “I had to prove my ability to play at a high level every time I stepped on the field. My recruitment started to pick up again about a month and a half before the season ended.”
The Gators got involved in Malzone’s recruitment about a month before he committed to them. “They started recruiting me on May 3rd, and Coach [Kevin] O’Sullivan ended up contacting me by calling me that evening,” said Malzone.
Malzone talked about his conversations with Florida’s head coach. “It was overall a great conversation,” Malzone said about his first conversation with Kevin O’Sullivan. “He spoke very highly of the program and what they’ve done in the past, and the standard they hold their players.”
Florida had to compete with some top-tier college baseball programs to land the Illinois native. Malzone was also getting heavily recruited by Oklahoma, Kansas State, Virginia Tech, South Carolina, Pitt, and Louisville.
However, the Gators were able to land one of the top uncommitted JUCO players in the country. “Florida stood out to me because of its consistent national success and year-round player development,” Malzone said. “The coaching staff is very competitive and knows how to develop their players to get them to the next level.”
The Gators have a major need for catchers heading into next season. Luke Heyman will likely get selected in the 2025 MLB Draft. Junior catcher Brody Donay is also draft-eligible and could hear his name get called. Malzone is only JUCO commit in Florida’s 2025 recruiting class.
