Florida Baseball 2024 Position Preview: Starting Pitchers

Baseball season is just two weeks away, so it’s time for Gator Nation to reacquaint itself with the boys who will take the diamond in Orange and Blue this spring.

First up are the starting pitchers. The weekend rotation appears to be settled with two returning lefties and a standout freshman who is up to 98 mph, but there are weekday spots to fill as well. Two freshmen are in line to fill those spots, too, with Brandon Neely staying in the closer role.

Florida fans have to be patient with this staff, though. Replacing Brandon Sproat and Hurston Waldrep is not easy.

Let’s take a look at each of Florida’s starting pitchers for the 2024 season.

Friday Starter: No. 3 LHP Cade Fisher

Stats:

Cade Fisher is set to take over the No. 1 spot in the rotation that Brandon Sproat held down since Hunter Barco’s 2022 campaign ended early. It’s the ace spot, and Fisher earned it with a masterful 2023.

Fisher only started two of the 27 games he played last year, but he was easily the most impactful freshman out of the bullpen. A sub-4.00 FIP validates the 3.10 ERA, and he strikes batters out nearly four times as much as he walks them.

He features a three-pitch mix with a low-80s slider as his breaking ball. The changeup plays well off a low-90s fastball with plenty of run.

Saturday Starter: No. 12 RHP Liam Peterson

Freshman right-hander Liam Peterson is in line to be the Saturday starter for Florida this year. Peterson had draft offers, but the money wasn’t right and the Gators should benefit as a result.

Peterson was already lights out when Gators Wire saw him in May at the FHSAA State Championships, but he’s now reportedly up to 97-98 with good command. Expect him to live more in the mid-90s, but there aren’t many freshman arms in the country that are going to strike more fear in the hearts of opposing lineups.

Peterson also has a changeup and wipeout curveball, but it’s the fastball that has people most excited.

Sunday Starter: No. 14 LHP Jac Caglianone

Stats:

It’s a bit weird that the arm with the most hype on the staff is going on Sunday, but it works best for two-way star Jac Caglianone to round out the rotation rather than take over the Friday night role.

Caglianone can hit triple digits with his fastball, and his slider can be devastating against other lefties. The use of the word “can” there is intentional, though. Caglianone struggled with command, leaving the game before the end of the second inning on three different occasions.

Lowering that walk rate while maintaining his velocity will be key this year, but remember that Caglianone was coming off Tommy John surgery in 2023. Reports indicate that his command is improving. If that happens and he puts up similar power numbers at the plate, he’s the unquestioned first pick in the draft this summer.

Injured: No. 18 LHP Pierce Coppola

Stats:

Pierce Coppola looked like he’d be a staple in Florida’s weekend rotation when he debuted against Liberty to kick off the 2022 season, but injuries kept him off the mound for the rest of the year and 2023. He still won’t be ready until SEC play, but the expectation is for him to slip into the rotation somewhere when he does return.

If one of the weekend guys struggles early, Coppola would be most likely to step into that role, but they still have to ease him back. Coppola is draft-eligible this year.

Before he had surgery, Coppola was in the low-90s with his fastball, but his long arms made it seem even quicker. His slurve also looked nice, but things could be different two years later.

Freshmen Midweek Starters: No. 9 RHP Luke McNeille and No. 31 LHP Frank Menendez

The two most likely candidates to start the midweek games for Florida early on are freshmen Luke McNeillie and Frank Menendez. McNeillie should get more innings between the two, but Menendez looked solid during the fall games and spring scrimmages.

McNeillie features a solid three-pitch mix with a slider as his breaking ball. His changeup might be his best pitch, but he’ll have to locate a low-90s fastball to set up those secondary pitches.

Menendez worked with four pitches in high school, but he’s more likely to go to the slider instead the curveball when he needs a breaking pitch. Last spring, he was up to 94-95 mph, but his high school season ended with him on the bench nursing an injury.

Now healthy, Mendez could be the sleeper starter of this freshman class.

Read more

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Florida baseball projected to win SEC East, Caglianone Preseason POTY

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Story originally appeared on Gators Wire