Florida top-ranked signee selected in Round 4 of MLB draft

The Baltimore Orioles selected Florida signee Kevin Roberts Jr. with the 110th overall pick in the fourth round of the 2026 MLB draft.

Roberts, UF’s top-ranked signee, is expected to forgo his college career and is the only member of Florida’s signing class to not enroll for the summer. A slot value of $711,800 is a bit low for a highly touted high school recruit, but it would be a big whiff by the Orioles if they don’t get him signed.

Perfect Game ranks Roberts No. 19 overall and No. 8 among shortstops nationally. Most of that is because he is incredibly projectable at 6-foot-5-inch and 220 pounds with good speed. There’s good bat speed and solid pop in his bat, showing exit velocities in the mid-90s as a 16-year-old. Roberts is also very young. He won’t turn 18 for another two weeks, giving pro teams extra time to develop him.

The power is there, but he’ll need to refine the contact tool a bit. Still, with plus speed and a strong arm — he clocked fastballs at 94 mph when pitching — Roberts figures to make an easy transition to center field.

Of course, it would have been nice for Florida to get Roberts on campus, but Florida has plenty of options in the outfield, and Brendan Lawson is returning at shortstop next season. If this is the only loss from Florida’s 2026 signing class, it’s a big win for Kevin O’Sullivan and the Gators.

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