Florida Gators to Return Starting Pitchers Tommy Mace, Jack Leftwich
After going unselected in the 2020 MLB Draft, the Florida Gators will return starting pitchers Tommy Mace and Jack Leftwich for the 2021 season.
The 2020 selection ceremony was drastically modified in response to the coronavirus pandemic, shortened from 40 rounds to five with the 2021 MLB Draft set to last 20 rounds. Given the change to the structure of the event, it was expected that Florida would see one if not both pitchers return unless they were selected in a good spot.
The NCAA passed a blanket waiver to grant spring student-athletes eligibility to make up for the lost season, which was cut short on March 12th. The waiver was officially passed for baseball on June 9th.
Mace, 6-foot-6, has been a key member of Florida's pitching rotation since he was a freshman, and headlined the group entering the 2020 season before it was canceled due to the pandemic. In 2020, Mace made four appearances, finishing 3-0 with a 1.67 ERA and 26 strikeouts over 27 innings.
In his three year career at Florida, Mace compiled a 16-5 record with a 4.39 ERA and 145 strikeouts over 179.1 innings pitched. The 21-year old starter was previously selected in the 12th round of the 2017 MLB Draft by the Cincinnati Reds, and after going unselected this year, a full season in 2021 as Florida's No. 1 pitcher should elevate his stock further.
Mace was reportedly offered a contract by an MLB team during the draft, but declined, according to Nick de la Torre of GatorCountry.
Leftwich, a fellow member of the class of 2017 who was previously drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 39th round that year, pitched in 24 games with 12 starts as a freshman in 2018. That year, Leftwich posted a 4.20 ERA over 81.1 innings which was the highest by a freshman at Florida since 2014.
During his sophomore season, Leftwich suffered a blister injury, shortening his season and making only 13 appearances. In that span, Leftwich posted a 5.31 ERA over 62.2 innings, the second-most on the team. Over his final three starts, Leftwich allowed four runs in 20.1 innings with 21 strikeouts and five walks, posting a 1.77 ERA over that same span.
In severely truncated 2020 season, Leftwich made four appearances posting a 4.15 ERA and 23 strikeouts over 21.2 innings. He took a perfect game into the seventh inning against South Florida on March 7 before exiting with three runs and three hits against him in a win.
Leftwich will resume his spot as the No. 2 pitcher in Florida's rotation, behind Mace, in 2021. Their experience will lead a group of others filled with potential, including Hunter Barco, Christian Scott, Nick Pogue, and others plus several high-profile incoming freshmen.