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The time has come to say goodbye, which also gives us time to reminisce.

Like that time when Florida head coach Kevin O’Sullivan came to a talented slugger late in the 2022 season to gauge his interest in burning his redshirt to hit despite coming off Tommy John surgery to his arm.

Obviously, O’Sullivan saw something special in the kid from Tampa, FL.

A little more than three years later, all of Gator Nation sees something special. Even Gators broadcaster Nick Belmonte, who has called Florida games for 38 years, shared on Friday’s broadcast that he believed Caglianone was the best player in program history.

The list of accolades seem never ending. The fact that he is even close to the program records for career home runs is stunning. Matt LaPorta hit 74 home runs over FOUR years from 2004-07. What Caglianone has accomplished in little less than two and a half years is insane.

Accolades:

2022 SEC All-Tournament Team

2023 Gainesville Regional All-Tournament Team

2023 John Olerud Two-Way Player Award Finalist

2023 Dick Howser Trophy Finalist

2023 Golden Spikes Finalist

2023 Unanimous First Team All-American

(Many more to come this year)

The Cags effect was immediate. Caglianone had just 115 plate appearances after burning his redshirt in late April of 2022 but the real result was in the team’s play. The Gators were 5-10 in league play before Cags, but went 10-5 after inserting the freshman slugger into the lineup. Overall, the Gators went 16-7, made a run to the SEC Tournament title game, and became a regional host.

2023 saw one of the single greatest offensive seasons in college baseball history (he did set the BBCOR-era home run record, after all). In addition to swatting 33 home runs, he recorded 14 doubles, and drove in 90 runs. His OPS was an astounding 1.126. Caglianone also got to pitch for the first time since enrolling at UF. He maintained his status as the Sunday starter the entire season to the tune of an overall record of 7-4 on the mound. All while leading the Gators to a program record 54 wins and to within one win of a national championship.

Despite losing a lot of production around Caglianone entering 2024, expectations were high. While the team hasn’t seen the success they’ve wanted, Caglianone’s star has shown even brighter. His batting average is .417 and his OPS is 1.397. He’s crushed 28 homers. Perhaps the biggest improvement to his game has been his eye. He’s struck out just 18 times all year (58 last year) while being intentionally walked 17 times. Caglianone has’t been just the team’s best hitter, but he’s also been their best pitcher. He’s 5-1 with a 4.39 ERA but has shown flashes of brilliance throughout the year.

Due to the Gators struggles, it’s safe to say we’ve reached the end of Caglianone’s time at Condron Family Ballpark. Fans will have one last opportunity to see, perhaps, the best player in program history.

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