This article was originally published on www.si.com/onsi/minor-league-baseball as On Board: Tampa Bay Rays' Top Draft Pick Daniel Pierce Signs First Pro Contract. Daniel Pierce, selected by the Tampa Bay Rays in the first round of the 2025 MLB Draft, has signed with the team.

The sixth and final Gator off the board in the 2025 MLB draft was catcher/designated hitter Brody Donay, who hit 32 home runs with Florida.

Daniel Pierce, an 18-year-old shortstop from the Atlanta metro area, became the Rays’ highest draft pick since 2017. “It’s exactly what I wanted,” Pierce said on a conference call.