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LAKE MARY, Fla.- The Florida Collegiate Summer League saw 22 of its alumni selected in the 2023 Major League Baseball Draft, which concluded Tuesday. The 22 players selected marked an increase from the 2022 Draft, a testament to the strength of the Florida League. The League also boasted its highest selection in FCSL history.

The following players, all of whom signed an FCSL contract at some point, were drafted by Major League organizations this week:

Dylan Crews became the highest selection ever for a Florida League alumni, going second overall to the Nationals. The All-American got his first taste of college baseball with the 2020 Sanford River Rats, helping Sanford to a Florida League title and earning Second Team All-Florida League honors. Crews returned to Sanford for a spell in 2021 before finishing off his historic career at LSU.

Gavin Dugas never got to Sanford in 2021, but became the league's second draft pick of 2023. Dugas will join his college teammate, Crews, in the Nationals organization as Washington's sixth round selection. Dugas hit 12 home runs and drove in 46 for the 2023 national champions, and finished his career No. 10 on the LSU all-time list for homers with 44.

Braden Barry played for the Seminole County Loggerheads in 2020, one of the teams added to the Florida League due to the pandemic. Playing for current Winter Garden head coach Mike McDaniel, Barry, who was selected in the eighth round by the Blue Jays was a Florida Leaguer following his high school career, playing 17 games for the 2020 Loggerheads.

Ben McCabe made a major impact in his short time with the Sanford River Rats in 2021, driving in seven runs in just seven games on a loaded Sanford team. McCabe, who went in the ninth round to the Colorado Rockies, went on to become the most prolific power hitter in the history of UCF baseball, hitting a school record 49 home runs during his career and earning All-American honors.

Christian Pregent started his collegiate journey with the league runner-up DeLand Suns in 2019, returning to the franchise for the 2020 season. One of the best defensive catchers in the league in both of his seasons, the 2020 Second Team All-FCSL selection was the final FCSL alum taken on the second day, with the Stetson Hatter going to the New York Mets in the tenth round.

Nelson Taylor was the first Florida Leaguer taken on the third day, and became the first current player selected, going to the Red Sox in the eleventh round. A 2022 Seminole County Snapper and a 2023 Sanford River Rat, Taylor was a two-year member of the FCSL's Prospect Games team, and represented the Florida League against the Savannah Bananas just last week.

Carson Montgomery was the third member of the Florida State trio, all of whom have been drafted, to terrorize opposing hitters for Terry Abbott's Winter Garden Squeeze in 2020. The eleventh round selection of the San Diego Padres struck out eight hitters over four appearances for Winter Garden, and went on to log 143 strikeouts in 127 innings in his three seasons with the Seminoles of Florida State.

Blake Money was a late addition to the Sanford River Rats in 2021, making three July starts for head coach Josh Montero. The 12th round selection to the Baltimore Orioles, who would go on to win a national championship at LSU, did not allow an earned run in his first two Sanford starts, and struck out 13 hitters in his 9.1 innings of work.

Chay Yeager did it all for the 2022 Sanford River Rats, making 79 plate appearances and appearing on the mound in five games. Yeager was drafted as a pitcher by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 12th round, and flashed dominant stuff in his time with the River Rats. The Pasco Hernando State product struck out 14 hitters in his 9.2 innings on the mound, recording a 0.93 earned run average.

Brayden Jobert, a 12th round selection of the Cardinals, was another major piece of Sanford's 2020 Florida League championship team, driving in nine runs during his 17 games in a Sanford uniform. Jobert played for the River Rats following his freshman season at Nicholls State, and would wind up as LSU as an everyday starter with 14 home runs for the Tigers' 2023 national championship team.

William Sullivan played for the Winter Park Diamond Dawgs in 2020, suiting up in the Florida League following his first season at Troy. Sullivan played 21 games in red and blue, scoring ten runs and reaching base at a .438 clip. Sullivan would go on to an accomplished career over four years at Troy, and was selected in the 13th round by the St. Louis Cardinals.

Grayson Moore became the second member of the current Sanford River Rats to be selected, heading to the Chicago Cubs in the 14th round. Moore started his FCSL career in 2020, earning Championship Series MVP and Second Team All-Florida League honors for Sanford as an incoming freshman. Moore showed dominant stuff at Vanderbilt, striking out 81 hitters over 59 innings.

Jackson Nezuh climbed the mound for the vaunted Orlando Scorpions in 2020, getting his first taste of college baseball as an incoming freshman. Nezuh, who was committed at the time to Florida State, made three appearances that summer for the Scorpions. The 14th round selection of the Houston Astros had a breakout spring at Louisiana, striking out 100 batters across 90 innings of work.

Dylan Simmons' selection in the 15th round by the Cincinnati Reds marked another major success story for the FCSL. After throwing just 18.2 innings in three years at Florida State, Simmons was perhaps the most dominant arm in the Florida League for Winter Park in 2022, allowing just 12 hits in 27 innings. He went on to an excellent season this spring at Pittsburgh, where he struck out 60 batters in 39.1 innings.

Austin Amaral never got the chance to pitch for the Sanford River Rats in 2020, but blossomed into the ace for the Stetson Hatters over his three years on campus. Amaral's success at Stetson, which included 82 strikeouts in 76.1 innings this spring, led to his selection in the 16th round by the Nationals, marking the third Florida Leaguer to head to the Washington organization. 

Austin Emener was the ace of staff for the 2021 Winter Park Diamond Dawgs, and was a major reason why the Dawgs nearly became the first five-seed to win the Florida League title. The 2021 All-Star and Prospect Showcase selection struck out 45 hitters in 29 innings in Winter Park. Emener, who played at North Alabama and East Tennessee State during his career, went to the Rockies in the 16th round.

Weston Eberly was the lone former Snapper to hear his name called this week, as the 2020 Seminole County catcher was picked up in the 16th round by the Chicago White Sox. A two-time All-Ivy League selection at Columbia, Eberly played 12 games for the Snappers in 2020, recording an on base percentage of .379.

Wooyeoul Shin, a native of South Korea, played 12 games for the 2021 Winter Park Diamond dawgs, scoring seven runs and driving in five more. The 16th round selection of the Tampa Bay Rays had a monster 2023 at Miami Dade College, hitting .407 with 15 home runs and 47 runs batted in, production that was good for First Team All-State honors.

Caleb Cali, one of six members of Sanford's 2020 roster to find a professional home this week, was selected in the 16th round by the Seattle Mariners. Cali p;ayed 14 games for the River Rats during the Covid season, scoring three runs and recording a .333 on base percentage. Cali played at Arkansas this past season, slashing .308/.412/.512 for the Razorbacks.

Colby Halter was one of the youngest players on the vaunted Orlando Scorpions in 2020, but impressed on a roster surrounded by fellow draft picks, hitting .303 with a .465 on base percentage across 18 games. the 17th round selection of the A's would have an excellent three-year career with Florida, scoring more than 100 runs and playing a starting role on the 2023 team that got to the College World Series finals.

Drew Cavanaugh was the last of the three current Florida League players to be selected, going in the 17th round to the San Francisco Giants. The two-year Leesburg player, who played his first season at Florida Southern this spring, played a major role in getting Leesburg back to the Florida League Championship Series last year, and returned to the Leesburg roster this summer before getting the call.

A.J. Shaver played for another Florida League expansion team in 2020, suiting up for the Leesburg Storm as incoming freshman. Shaver, who played two seasons at Florida State before spending 2023 at Florida SouthWestern, logged 12 hits for the Storm and stole nine bases. Shaver was the FCSL's final draft pick of 2023, going in the 17th round to the Philadelphia Phillies.

Additionally, three Florida League alumni signed free agent contracts in the week following the Draft. 

Carlos Lequerica, a free agent signing by the Detroit Tigers, pitched in the Florida League following the second of his two seasons at Bethune-Cookman. Lequerica, who would go on to play one season each at FIU and Miami, struck out ten hitters in his 9.1 innings for the Winter Park Diamond Dawgs, and flashed excellent control with just three walks allowed.

Zack Austin, who signed with the Atlanta Braves following the draft, had a truly meteoric summer in the Florida League. After throwing just 7.1 innings this spring at UCF, the DeLand Sun allowed just three hits in eleven innings while playing in DeLand for head coach Matt Swiderski. He impressed at the Prospect Games, topping out at 98 mph with a slider north of 2800 rpm. 

Doug Kirkland was yet another arm that played a major role for the 2020 Florida League champion Sanford River Rats. Kirkland was used heavily at the back end of Josh Montero's bullpen, finishing four of his six games and striking out eleven hitters. Kirkland impressed in his first full season this spring at Florida State, putting up 48 strikeouts in 39.1 innings.

The Florida League congratulates all 25 of these players on their achievements, and wish them all the best of luck on the start of their professional journeys.