FSU baseball tied a record with 11 players selected in the 2025 MLB Draft. ACC Player and Defensive Player of the Year Alex Lodise was the second FSU player to come off the board when the Atlanta Braves selected him with the No. 60 overall pick.
He signed rather quickly for around 1.3 million (which was slightly below his slot value) and placed in high Class-A ball with the Rome Emperors.
Lodise made his professional debut on Friday night, nearly hitting for the cycle and driving in three runs. If you'll recall, Lodise became the first player to hit for the cycle earlier this year to walk-off the rival Florida Gators, with the home run being a grand slam to complete it.
After winning ACC Player of the Year this spring, Alex Lodise (@FSUBaseball) delivers a three-hit outing in his pro debut for High-A @GoEmperors!
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) August 2, 2025
Read about the @Braves' 2nd-rounder and his bond with his cousin Kyle, a 3rd-round pick of the White Sox: https://t.co/5VwUEenN9V pic.twitter.com/EwZgT1h6SE
Lodise won the Dick Howser Trophy as college baseball's best player, but got robbed of the Golden Spikes Award (best amateur player) at the end of the season. His performance in the postseason wasn't the best, but it looks like he has rectified his issues at the plate.
The swings we see in the video from Friday night are the adjustments he needed to make in the post season. When Lodise drives the ball up the middle and to right centerfield, he was one of the most dangerous hitters in college baseball.
His defense is superb, and I expect him to rise through the minors quickly, as long as he continues to hit the ball like this. He's already in high Class-A ball.
He is a testament to the player development with FSU baseball since Link Jarrett took over the program three years ago. Lodise was a Freshman All-American at North Florida before transferring to FSU. However, the difference in his production there and at FSU is night and day.
He'll be someone you'll want to track through the minors if you're an FSU fan.