Player Intro: Christian Rodriguez

Right-handed pitcher Christian Rodriguez is a player who’s had to overcome no small amount of adversity in his career: he enters 2025 coming off a Tommy John surgery at 18. No matter which way you look at it, he’s a player with ice in his veins. The 5’11 redshirt freshman is coming into the new year ready to take on the college baseball world.

Photo of Christian Rodriguez from Florida Baseball

Coming out of Coral Springs, FL, Rodriguez was a monster on the mound. A two-sport player who was a defensive back in football, he excelled athletically. Even though he’ll only pitch for the Gators, he’s no stranger to batting either: in his senior year, he hit for a great .359 average. His pitching numbers were outstanding in his final year in high school, pitching at a 0.69 ERA and winning every single game he started to end with a 12-0 record. In his last three years of high school, he put up a record of 27-1. 27-1!

Rodriguez received every accolade in the book, being the 2023 MaxPreps Player of the Year, 2023 Florida Dairy Farmers Mr. Baseball, 2023 Perfect Game National Pitcher of the Year, and led his high school to a Class 7A State Championship. In the semifinal game, he pitched a complete game shutout. He was the #98 recruit nationally while being the #5 right-handed pitcher in Florida. By absolutely any number, mean, or measure, Christian Rodriguez was an outstanding pitching get for the Gators.

Unfortunately, Rodriguez had to receive Tommy John surgery before his first season as a Gator, sidelining him for the entire season. He redshirted and will now be ready to play in 2025. Obviously, coming back from Tommy John surgery is never an easy task, and it could take a while for him to get back up to speed. But when he does, Christian Rodriguez will be inarguably one of the best pitchers in College Baseball.