Three Bold Predictions for Florida Baseball in 2025
It is finally Opening Weekend for the Florida Gators baseball program. The Gators are coming off a rollercoaster of a season. They barely made it into the NCAA Tournament but got hot at the right moment and made a deep run in the College World Series.
Florida's new roster includes some familiar faces, but it also includes some new players who are expected to make an immediate impact. The Gators will also be counting on some players from last season to step up and take a larger role in this season. Here are my three bold predictions for the Florida Gators heading into the 2025 season.
RHP Jake Clemente finished the season as Florida's #1 starter
Redshirt sophomore right-handed pitcher Jake Clemente will open the season as Florida's Saturday or Sunday starter. However, Clemente has looked very good since playing in Cape Cod and might finish this season as Florida's ace pitcher.
Coming out of high school, Clemente was a blue-chip prospect who was targeted by multiple MLB organizations in the draft. Clemente ended up going undrafted after announcing he would be enrolling at the University of Florida.
Clemente was redshirted his freshman year due to a shoulder injury. In his second season on campus, Clemente made nineteen appearances and two starts. He posted a 2-0 record with a 5.34 ERA, 1.61 WHIP, and 12.2 K/9. Clemente has looked good in the spring scrimmages, as he's been able to throw more strikes and mix his pitches well.
Brody Donay leads Florida in 20+ home runs.
In the 2024 season, Brody Donay opened the season as a starter but lost his starting job after struggling at the plate. Donay earned his starting job back after fixing some issues and had some clutch hits for Florida in the postseason.
Heading into this season, Donay has made some improvements with his swing-and-miss and is making more loud contact. Donay has some of the most raw power in college baseball. When he squares up a baseball, the bat makes a different sound and travels further than the average SEC hitter.
I could see Florida had multiple 20-home-run hitters this season. However, Donay's improvements at the plate could make one of the most dangerous bats in the country. The power has always been there, but he needs to be more consistent. I think this is the year Brody Donay breaks out and has a huge offensive season for the Orange and Blue.
Two Gators named to the Freshman All-SEC Team
While Florida's roster is mostly filled with experienced players, I do expect some of Florida's freshmen to have a big impact this season. First baseman Brendan Lawson and right-handed pitcher Aidan King are two freshmen to watch this season.
Brendan Lawson was a blue-chip prospect in the Class of 2024. He was a Perfect Game All-American and the top-ranked prospect out of Canada. Lawson will be Florida's first baseman to begin the season. The Canadian-born infielder has an advantaged approach at the plate and drives the ball to all fields with authority. Lawson was also viewed as a Top 200 prospect in the 2024 MLB Draft but honored his commitment to the Gators.
Aidan King is another freshman who will play a large role for the Gators this season. King was a star high school pitching prospect at Bishop John J. Snyder High School in Jacksonville, Florida. He earned All-First Coast Player of the Year honors and had more strikeouts than any other pitcher in the state of Florida. King has pitched very well in the fall and spring scrimmages. While he won't open the season as a weekend starter, King will be thrown in the mix if one of the starters is injured or underperforming.
The Fight Game!!
Ilia Topuria (16-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) is open to defending his belt in a rematch against Alexander Volkanovski next but would rather move up a division to challenge lightweight champ Islam Makhachev (27-1 MMA, 16-1 UFC). After dethroning Volkanovski to become featherweight champion at UFC 298, Topuria notched his first title defense at UFC 308 by knocking out Max Holloway. What say you? Would you like to see Topuria vs. Makhachev, and would he stand a chance at that weight class?
Canelo Alvarez vs Jake Paul
If you are anything like me, you would have loved to watch Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez beat the snot out of Jake Paul in May. Instead, Alvarez has his sights set on William Scull in Saudi Arabia to unify the super-middleweight titles.
Fact or Fiction:
There is no way that Jake Paul will land a significant blow on 34-year-old Alvarez.
It's not credible to call any of the Jake Paul fights professional minus Tommy Fury - which he lost. Tyson, at 58 years old, give me a break. NBA Players, washed-up MMA fighters, similar to you tubers???
This would have been the easiest payday in the long and storied Alvarez career.
Milestone Reached
Kevin Durant became the ninth player in NBA/ABA history to score 30,000 points, hitting the mark on Tuesday night. Durant joins Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain, Julius Irving, Dirk Nowitzki, Kobe Bryant, Karl Malone, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Lebron James.
Around the Ice with your Division Leaders - Take Your Pick for the Cup
Winnipeg Jets 39-14
Washington Capitals 36-11
Edmonton Oilers 34-17
Florida Panters 34-20
Two more to consider - Non-Division Leaders
Dallas Stars 35-18 2nd place in Western Conference Central behind Winnipeg
Vegas Golden Knights 33-17 2nd place in Western Conference Pacific behind the Oilers
It is finally Opening Weekend for the Florida Gators baseball program. The Gators are coming off a rollercoaster of a season. They barely made it into the NCAA Tournament but got hot at the right moment and made a deep run in the College World Series.
Florida's new roster includes some familiar faces, but it also includes some new players who are expected to make an immediate impact. The Gators will also be counting on some players from last season to step up and take a larger role in this season. Here are my three bold predictions for the Florida Gators heading into the 2025 season.
RHP Jake Clemente finished the season as Florida's #1 starter
Redshirt sophomore right-handed pitcher Jake Clemente will open the season as Florida's Saturday or Sunday starter. However, Clemente has looked very good since playing in Cape Cod and might finish this season as Florida's ace pitcher.
Coming out of high school, Clemente was a blue-chip prospect who was targeted by multiple MLB organizations in the draft. Clemente ended up going undrafted after announcing he would be enrolling at the University of Florida.
Clemente was redshirted his freshman year due to a shoulder injury. In his second season on campus, Clemente made nineteen appearances and two starts. He posted a 2-0 record with a 5.34 ERA, 1.61 WHIP, and 12.2 K/9. Clemente has looked good in the spring scrimmages, as he's been able to throw more strikes and mix his pitches well.
Brody Donay leads Florida in 20+ home runs.
In the 2024 season, Brody Donay opened the season as a starter but lost his starting job after struggling at the plate. Donay earned his starting job back after fixing some issues and had some clutch hits for Florida in the postseason.
Heading into this season, Donay has made some improvements with his swing-and-miss and is making more loud contact. Donay has some of the most raw power in college baseball. When he squares up a baseball, the bat makes a different sound and travels further than the average SEC hitter.
I could see Florida had multiple 20-home-run hitters this season. However, Donay's improvements at the plate could make one of the most dangerous bats in the country. The power has always been there, but he needs to be more consistent. I think this is the year Brody Donay breaks out and has a huge offensive season for the Orange and Blue.
Two Gators named to the Freshman All-SEC Team
While Florida's roster is mostly filled with experienced players, I do expect some of Florida's freshmen to have a big impact this season. First baseman Brendan Lawson and right-handed pitcher Aidan King are two freshmen to watch this season.
Brendan Lawson was a blue-chip prospect in the Class of 2024. He was a Perfect Game All-American and the top-ranked prospect out of Canada. Lawson will be Florida's first baseman to begin the season. The Canadian-born infielder has an advantaged approach at the plate and drives the ball to all fields with authority. Lawson was also viewed as a Top 200 prospect in the 2024 MLB Draft but honored his commitment to the Gators.
Aidan King is another freshman who will play a large role for the Gators this season. King was a star high school pitching prospect at Bishop John J. Snyder High School in Jacksonville, Florida. He earned All-First Coast Player of the Year honors and had more strikeouts than any other pitcher in the state of Florida. King has pitched very well in the fall and spring scrimmages. While he won't open the season as a weekend starter, King will be thrown in the mix if one of the starters is injured or underperforming.
The Fight Game!!
Ilia Topuria (16-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) is open to defending his belt in a rematch against Alexander Volkanovski next but would rather move up a division to challenge lightweight champ Islam Makhachev (27-1 MMA, 16-1 UFC). After dethroning Volkanovski to become featherweight champion at UFC 298, Topuria notched his first title defense at UFC 308 by knocking out Max Holloway. What say you? Would you like to see Topuria vs. Makhachev, and would he stand a chance at that weight class?
Canelo Alvarez vs Jake Paul
If you are anything like me, you would have loved to watch Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez beat the snot out of Jake Paul in May. Instead, Alvarez has his sights set on William Scull in Saudi Arabia to unify the super-middleweight titles.
Fact or Fiction:
There is no way that Jake Paul will land a significant blow on 34-year-old Alvarez.
It's not credible to call any of the Jake Paul fights professional minus Tommy Fury - which he lost. Tyson, at 58 years old, give me a break. NBA Players, washed-up MMA fighters, similar to you tubers???
This would have been the easiest payday in the long and storied Alvarez career.
Milestone Reached
Kevin Durant became the ninth player in NBA/ABA history to score 30,000 points, hitting the mark on Tuesday night. Durant joins Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain, Julius Irving, Dirk Nowitzki, Kobe Bryant, Karl Malone, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Lebron James.
Around the Ice with your Division Leaders - Take Your Pick for the Cup
Winnipeg Jets 39-14
Washington Capitals 36-11
Edmonton Oilers 34-17
Florida Panters 34-20
Two more to consider - Non-Division Leaders
Dallas Stars 35-18 2nd place in Western Conference Central behind Winnipeg
Vegas Golden Knights 33-17 2nd place in Western Conference Pacific behind the Oilers
