Gators Have Surprise Selection in 2026 MLB Draft

The Florida Gators have seen five current players selected in this year's MLB Draft.

The Florida Gators have seen five current players selected in this year's MLB Draft. | Courtesy of UAA Communications

In a surprise fashion, the Seattle Mariners took Florida Gators outfielder Hayden Yost in the Fifth Round (No. 162) of the MLB Draft on Sunday. Yost hit .262 with 10 home runs, 23 RBIs and five doubles. The slot value for pick No. 162 is $429,100. 

Yost was not among the top 250 draft prospects coming into the draft, making this selection from the Mariners a stunning one. 

Pro Toast for Yost 🥂

5th Round Pick ➡️ @Mariners pic.twitter.com/HABV3LIPsT

— Florida Gators Baseball (@GatorsBB) July 12, 2026

However, Yost’s end-of-the-season run showed there are tools to work with for any professional organization. The 6-foot-1, left-handed hitter hit .345 with seven home runs, 18 RBIs and three doubles. That also includes tallying 20 total hits and six multi-hit games. 

Yost’s best performance during this stretch came in the regular season finale against the LSU Tigers. In the win over the Tigers, Yost went 4-for-5 at the plate, launching three homers and driving in five runs. Furthermore, his three homers came in his final three at-bats against the Tigers. Unsurprisingly, as a lefty, Yost pulled all three shots and totaled 1,169 feet. 

As for his career with Florida, the junior outfielder was a .264 hitter, with 14 home runs, 65 RBIs, 23 doubles and 21 stolen bases. 

He marks the sixth Florida Gator player or high school commit to have been taken in the 2026 MLB Draft. He joins righties Liam Peterson, Luke McNeillie and Russell Sandefer, outfielder Kyle Jones and 2026 high school commit Kevin Roberts Jr.

There are still other Gators who could be taken in the draft, as well. Infielder Ethan Surowiec and two-way sensation Caden McDonald are two names to monitor over the rest of Sunday who could hear their names called. 

Some of Florida’s high school commits are still on the board as well. The two names that had teams digging around before the draft are outfielder Brady Harris and right-handed pitcher Brady Snow. Luckily for Florida, both names have passed their draft prospect rankings, which could be a good sign for them making it to campus for next season.  

Still, Florida has a good returning core for next season.

To start, Friday ace Aidan King is back on the mound for the Gators in 2027. Then, trailing him are right-handed relievers Jackson Barberi and Joshua Whritenour. All three have re-signed for next season.

Moreover, Florida has brought in several arms through the transfer portal. The most notable is former Oregon State star southpaw Trey Morris, who looks like he will be taking a weekend rotation spot. Additionally, the Gators have signed Oregon State righty Zach Edwards and Jacksonville State righty Maddox McDougall to help bolster the bullpen. 

As for bats, the Gators return star shortstop Brendan Lawson. They also have outfielder Cash Strayer, infielder Landon Stripling and outfielder Jacob Kendall back in the fold. Then, for portal additions, the Gators most notably signed Gulf Coast catcher Jon Embury III, infielder Kyle McDaniel, FAU infielder John Martinez and JUCO standout Caden Davidson. 

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