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Florida’s Jac Caglianone wins John Olerud Award as nation’s best 2-way player
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Florida star Jac Caglianone officially won the John Olerud Award on Friday morning.
That honor goes to the nation’s top 2-way player each season. Caglianone was arguably the best hitter in the country this season and was also a key starting pitcher for a Florida team that reached the semifinals of the College World Series.
John Olerud 2-Way PoY
https://t.co/cmxMPbhRPy | #GoGators pic.twitter.com/hBTszp6G91
— Florida Gators Baseball (@GatorsBB) June 21, 2024
Other finalists for this year’s award were Louisiana Tech’s Ethan Bates, Oklahoma State’s Carson Benge, Georgia Tech’s Cameron Jones and San Diego’s Austin Smith.
Caglianone had a record-breaking season for the Gators, particularly at the plate. He slashed .419/.544/.875 and hit a program-record 35 home runs. He became just the 2nd Division I player ever to hit 30+ home runs in multiple seasons.
As a pitcher, Caglianone threw 73 2/3 innings and had an ERA of 4.76. He served as Florida’s No. 2 starter throughout the postseason and helped the Gators make a deep run in Omaha before their season ultimately came to an end.
Previous winners of the Olerud Award include big-leaguers like Paul Skenes and Spencer Schwellenbach. Clemson’s Caden Grice took home the top honor in 2023.
Caglianone is the first player from Florida to win the award since Brian Johnson did so in 2012. Florida is the first school to produce multiple winners of the John Olerud Award, although Louisville’s Brendan McKay won it 3 times from 2015-17. The award was established in 2010.
The Golden Spikes Award, which goes to the nation’s top overall player, will be announced on Saturday night. Oregon State’s Travis Bazzana, Georgia’s Charlie Condon and Arkansas’ Hagen Smith are the finalists for that honor.
Caglianone will now turn his attention to preparing for the 2024 MLB Draft. Caglianone is viewed as a top prospect in this class and is widely expected to be picked in the top-5. At this point, it’s unclear if he will continue to develop as a hitter and a pitcher in the professional ranks or if he will have to pick a path in the coming months.
Day 1 of the 2024 MLB Draft is set for July 14.
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
