Three Florida Gators named All-Americans by Baseball America

USA Today

23-06-2025

Baseball America named three Florida Gators to its All-America teams on Friday.
Third baseman Bobby Boser made the Third Team, while right-handed pitcher Aidan King and first baseman Brendan Lawson made the Freshman First Team. Lawson is listed as a designated hitter despite spending most of the year at first base.
Before taking a closer look at why those three made the cut, let's explore why Florida's best player, shortstop Colby Shelton, didn't receive any All-America recognition. Shelton went down with a Hamate bone injury during the Arkansas series at the end of April.
While Shelton met the 2 plate appearances per game requirement to qualify for the leaderboards, he only played in 45 of the 46 required games. If Florida's season goes one game shorter, Shelton makes the cut. It's a tough break for Florida's offensive leader, but Gator Nation won't forget how well he played — and neither will the scouts interested in him.
3B/SS Bobby Boser — All-America Third Team
Boser led the team in batting average, hitting .336 with a 1.050 on-base plus slugging percentage. He finished the 2025 season tied with Brody Donay for the team lead in home runs with 18 and drove in a team-high 67 runs. Boser was also the Gators' best baserunner, stealing 19 bags.
"A strong, right-handed hitter, Boser has always shown a propensity for doing damage," reads MLB.com, which lists Boser as the No. 183 prospect in the 2025 draft. "There's strength and bat speed with good balance at the plate. There's also plenty of power for him to tap into, and he's shown the ability to drive the ball for extra bases and out of the park to all fields.
"Whether he can get to that pop at the next level is the question as he does swing and miss quite a good amount, and his miss rate did go up as the Gators got into conference play. Boser gets very high marks for his makeup, and he worked hard to improve his athleticism, running speed and defensive ability to make him a more viable all-around prospect."
Boser showed off his defensive versatility, moving to shortstop at the end of the season for Florida after Colby Shelton went down with an injury. He could play anywhere in the infield at the next level, though.
1B Brendan Lawson — Freshman All-America First Team
While Boser is leaving the program after one year, King and Lawson are just getting started in Gainesville. A First Team All-Freshman nod means that they are among the best young players in the sport, not just the conference.
Lawson came out of high school as Canada's top shortstop and spent most of his freshman year at first base to get his bat in the lineup. He led all SEC freshmen with 61 RBIs, and his .939 OPS ranks third with the same qualifications. Only Vanderbilt's Brodie Johnston (15) hit more home runs (10) among freshmen in the conference.
Perhaps most impressive is Lawson's approach at the plate. He ranks inside the top 10 among SEC freshmen with a 20.7% strikeout rate and 12.2% walk rate. Those numbers were even better before conference play and the postseason took its toll, so expect an even more mature approach in those situations next year from Lawson.
"Lawson parlayed a breakout showing in the MLB Draft League into an outstanding freshman season at Florida, batting .317/.417/.522 with 10 homers, 14 doubles, 61 RBIs and eight stolen bases while splitting his time between first, second and third base. Lawson recorded 23 multi-hit games and paced the Gators in free passes drawn (33)."
He figures to be a staple of the Florida lineup until he's draft eligible in 2027. It's easy to see why the St. Louis Cardinals took a flier on him in the 19th round last summer. The only question is whether or not he'll move to the left side of the infield.
RHP Aidan King — Freshman All-America First Team
Something similar can be said for King, who broke into the starting rotation within the first month of the season.
"King was initially tabbed as one of the Gators' go-to relievers but forced his way into their rotation after a handful of stellar performances and injuries. He never relinquished his rotation spot and finished the year with a 2.58 ERA and 79 strikeouts to 23 walks over 73.1 innings and 17 appearances (12 starts)."
Aidan King finished the year with the lowest ERA among qualified pitchers in the SEC, surrendering just 21 earned runs (28 total) over 73 1/3 innings. His 56 hits allowed ranks sixth in the conference, and his .213 batting average against ranks eighth. King's command was special. He walked just 23 batters (T-7th) and hit four (T-3rd). A plus fastball and developing secondary arsenal has King at the top of his draft class, but Florida gets him for at least two more years.
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