In the seventeenth round of the 2023 MLB Draft, Florida infielder Colby Halter became the sixth Gator selected as the Oakland Athletics called his name. Halter was the No. 496 overall pick. The A’s selected a Gator for the first time since 2018 when they took JJ Schwarz in the eighth round.
17 (496): @Athletics select Florida (FL) 2B Colby Halter https://t.co/G5twKhtHoR #MLBDraft
— MLB Draft Tracker (@MLBDraftTracker) July 11, 2023
In 2023, Halter hit .247 with three home runs, four triples, nine doubles while driving in thirty RBI over 59 contests. While spending the entire year manning third base, Halter made just seven errors, a .948 fielding percentage.
Halter spent the summer of ’22 in Cape Cod where he hit .307 with seven homers and 19 RBI in 39 games. He also stole 12 bases with Falmouth.
Halter will have the option to return to Florida for one more year to improve his draft position, but that is a decision for another day at this point.
The Jacksonville, FL native becomes the 220th draft pick in program history and the 105th since head coach Kevin O’Sullivan took over in 2008.