The 2024 MLB draft was hosted in Fort Worth, Texas, during the MLB All-Star break and a handful of Fort Myers natives were taken off the board.
The first to fly off the board was former Florida Southwestern pitcher Brian Holiday after he was taken in the third round by the St. Louis Cardinals.
Holiday was taken with the 80th overall pick out of Oklahoma State University. After making the move to OSU as a junior, Holiday led the Big 12 conference with 128 strikeouts over 113 innings of work,
The righty's fastball touches 93 mph consistently, but it plays better than its velocity because of his command.
With a curveball, slider and changeup also stashed in his arsenal, Holiday can fool batters, which he proved when he finished sixth overall in NCAA Division I baseball with a 6.7 K/BB (strikeouts per walk) ratio.
At just 21 years old, Holiday has plenty of time to polish his tools in the Cardinals' organization.
Second off the board was Naples High School senior Johnny King, who got the call from the Toronto Blue Jay in the third round.
King, a left-handed pitcher, was selected with the 95th overall pick. MLB draft rankings had King ranked as the 124 overall prospect.
The Naples High School alum stands 6 feet, 3 inches tall, 210 pounds, and is just 17 years old and committed to the University of Miami. He is the first Collier County high school draftee in nine years and the highest selection since 1985.
The Southpaw can miss bats with a high-octane fastball that touches 94-95 regularly. Given his build, King should have no problem adding some serious velocity to this arm with professional development.
King will have a decision to make on whether or not he wants to sign with the Blue Jays and progress in his professional career, or remain committed to the Hurricanes and develop through college in the hopes of being selected higher in a future draft.
With the 308th overall pick in the 10th round, the Minnesota Twins selected Fort Myers High School alum Peyton Carr.
Carr played his collegiate career at High Point University as an infielder. The Fort Myers native saw action in 127 games over four years.
The right-handed hitter posted a .339 average with 25 doubles, 25 home runs and 96 RBI over his career.
If Carr decides to sign with the Twins, he will more than likely start his professional career back in his hometown with the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels.
Florida Gulf Coast University standout pitcher Davian Garcia was selected by the Washington Nationals in the sixth round with the 170th overall pick.
Garcia hails from Oceanside, California, but he transferred to FGCU after spending a season in Junior College at Pasco Hernando State.
In his only season with the Eagles, Garcia posted a 3.10 earned run average over 16 appearances. The righty shoved the rock over 61 innings, striking out 71 batters and limiting opponents to just 21 earned runs.
It was an impressive 6-3 record over his eight starts in the Green and Blue, as he also collected one save in the 2024 season.
Much like King, Garcia will have the decision to sign with the Nationals or return to Fort Myers and play another season at the collegiate level in hopes of bolstering his draft stock.
The Blue Jays selected former Florida Southwestern Buccaneer, Carter Cunningham, with the 307th pick in the 10th round.
Cunningham only spent one season with FSW.
Cunningham transferred to East Carolina University to finish his collegiate career where he played three seasons.
The 6-foot-4, 211-pound utility man posted a .326 average with 32 doubles, 28 home runs and 121 RBI during his time with ECU.
All draftees mentioned either hail from Southwest Florida or spent time in the area and will now begin their journey at the professional level.
It's no small accomplishment to hear your name called in any round of a professional draft, and Southwest Florida has plenty to be proud of with a handful of representatives.
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