The Florida Gators added to their 2025 class, as Trinity Christian (Fla.) High School right-handed pitcher Aaron Watson committed to the program on Friday, he announced on X. He was previously committed to Virginia before their head coach departed for Mississippi State.
Watson is one of the top overall arms in his class and is one of the top 2025 MLB Draft prospects as well. According to MLB.com’s Top 200, he ranks as the No. 42 overall draft prospect.
“Because of his feel for pitching, the 6-foot-5 Watson has a pretty high floor and it's not difficult to imagine a higher ceiling as he adds strength to that frame,” it said of Watson on MLB.com’s scouting report of him.
He is a 6-foot-5, 205-pound righty equipped with a quality three-pitch mix. Watson commands a fastball that sits low to mid-90s and has some sink to it. Then, he backs that up with a slider and mid-80s split changeup.
All of his pitches are graded at 50 or above, according to MLB.com, with the highest being his fastball (55). They also graded his command of these pitches at 50.
“Watson's stuff all plays up because he can really command all three offerings in the zone, repeating his delivery well despite his size,” MLB.com said on the scouting report.
Given his high ranking on draft boards, it’s unclear whether he’ll make it to campus or not. With NIL, though, it will be interesting to see if the Gators can sway him to honor his commitment depending on where he is drafted.
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