Gators Aidan King Makes History with SEC Pitcher of the Year Award

The Florida Gators right-hander is the first to win the award in nearly a decade, but he also achieved a first

Florida Gators pitcher Aidan King made history with his award | Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Florida Gators right-handed pitcher Aidan King added a notable award to his collection, being voted the 2026 SEC Pitcher of the Year, the SEC announced on Monday.

One true KING of the SEC! 👑🏆 pic.twitter.com/tfX0LalVdJ

— Florida Gators Baseball (@GatorsBB) May 18, 2026

He is the first Gator to be awarded this honor as an underclassman. The sophomore is also the fourth Gator to earn the award and the first since Brady Singer in 2018. With King's selection, Florida is now tied with the LSU Tigers for the most SEC Pitcher of the Year winners since its inception in 2003. 

The Jacksonville, Fla., native began the year as the No. 2 behind fellow starting pitcher Liam Peterson, but moved into the Friday night role shortly into conference play. His elevation to the team's ace did not faze him either, as he finished the season with an 8-2 record in 14 appearances. He also posted a 2.50 ERA across 79 1/3 innings pitched and recorded an 84-to-16 strikeout-to-walk ratio. 

King led the conference in WHIP (0.93) and was second in the SEC in ERA. Moreover, his 2.50 ERA is the lowest by a Florida pitcher since Michael Byrne in 2017, when Byrne finished with a 1.67. 

These are not the only numbers that helped him win the esteemed award. He placed third in the SEC in walks per nine (1.82) and held opponents to a .199 batting average. King also ranked fifth in wins (eight), fifth in innings pitched (79 1/3), fifth in hits allowed per nine (6.58) and seventh in strikeout-to-walk ratio (5.25).

King's numbers against conference opponents were even better, too. He led all SEC starting pitchers in WHIP (0.89) and tied for first in wins (six) while limiting opponents to a .184 batting average against and finishing 6-1 in 10 SEC starts. 

The stretch that put him in the driver's seat for this award came from the beginning of April through the beginning of May. Tasked with pitching against Ole Miss, No. 3 Georgia, No. 13 Auburn, No. 7 Texas A&M and No. 15 Oklahoma, King went 4-0 and recorded a 1.51 ERA over 35 2/3 innings, logging 7.1 innings per outing. He also set a new career high in strikeouts during this span, fanning 10 against the Sooners on May 1.

King and the Gators begin their postseason on Wednesday in the SEC Tournament. They will face the winner of the Vanderbilt Commodores and the Kentucky Wildcats. 

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