After a fantastic season at FAU, Gabriel Rincones Jr. was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies with the No. 93 overall pick in the third round of the 2022 MLB Draft on Monday. 

Rincones Jr., a native of Glenrothes, Scotland, transferred to FAU after playing his first two seasons at St. Petersburg College. In his sophomore season at St. Petersburg, he hit .415 with six home runs and 43 RBI, earning the honor of FCSAA Region 8 Player of the Year, the top player among Florida junior colleges.

Following two amazing seasons at St. Petersburg, Rincones Jr. was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 19th round of the 2021 MLB Draft. However, he declined to sign with the organization before ultimately deciding to transfer to FAU. 

In his lone season with the Owls, Rincones Jr. posted a batting average of .346, leading FAU with 19 home runs and 69 RBIs, both of which ranked fourth in Conference USA. 

His performance in 2021 earned him First Team All-C-USA honors, as well as the C-USA Newcomer of the Year Award. 

Former third baseman BJ Murray and pitcher Javi Rivera, who were selected in the 15th and 20th rounds of the 2021 Draft, were the last Owls to be picked into the MLB. Rincones Jr. will be the first former Owl to play for the Phillies’ organization since pitcher Seth McGarry played for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, Philadelphia’s Triple-A affiliate, in 2019.

Cameron Priester is the Sports Editor for the University Press. For information regarding this or other stories, email [email protected] or tweet him @PriesterCameron