Florida LHP Philip Abner selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2023 MLB Draft

Another Gator is leaving the swamp. On Monday, the Arizona Diamondbacks selected Florida LHP Philip Abner with the No. 175 overall pick in the sixth round of the 2023 MLB Draft.

Abner boasted a 3.16 ERA through 31.1 innings pitched this season. The sophomore pitcher dealed 51 strikeouts while allowing just two home runs all year. Abner was pivotal in Florida’s run to the College World Series Championship.

Abner had a standout freshman season, as well. In his debut campaign, Abner held opponents to a .253 batting average. Abner finished the season with 26 appearances including one start as a true freshman.

Abner has always garnered professional attention. The 6-foot-1 cannon exited high school as the No. 67 prospect in the Class of 2021 nationwide, according to Perfect Game. Furthermore, Abner was the second-best left-handed pitcher out of North Carolina.

More on the 2023 MLB Draft

The 2023 Major League Baseball Draft will begin during All-Star week, with the first two rounds getting underway at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 9. Rounds 3-10 will then begin at 2 p.m. ET on Monday, July 10, with rounds 11-20 starting at 2 p.m. ET on Tuesday, July 11.

This year’s MLB Draft is a historic one, as a draft lottery was used to determine the order for the first time. The Washington Nationals, Pittsburgh Pirates and Oakland Athletics each had a 16.5% chance to receive the No. 1 overall pick. Ultimately, Pittsburgh won the right to have the first selection, with Washington finishing right behind them at No. 2. Oakland, however, fell all the way down to No. 6 overall.

While the MLB Draft is always unpredictable, the consensus is that this year’s top prospects both hail from LSU, who won the 2023 College World Series. Pitcher Paul Skenes and outfielder Dylan Crews headline this year’s class, which is considered a deep one.

Within the first ten rounds of the draft, each slot is assigned a certain value. Each team has a bonus pool that they are able to spend on these picks, and players will sign at, above or below their assigned slot value.

In rounds 11-20, there is no assigned slot value and MLB teams are free to spend up to $150,000 to sign their picks from the second half of the draft. If they exceed the $150,000 mark, that added amount will be deducted from their bonus pool.

Following the final day of the 2023 MLB Draft, selected players will have until August 1 to sign a contract.