Former UF Baseball’s Faedo Returns Home To Tampa

Alex Faedo, former pitcher for the Florida Gators, receives a surprising call: He is coming back home to play for the Tampa Bay Rays. The news is both unexpected and exciting for Faedo and his family.

“[When I hear] the Rays, it kind of freezes time for a second,” Faedo said. “I am more happy for my family, my friends, my loved ones—to be able to be close to them, be close to home, and put on the jersey of the team I grew up rooting for.”

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Warm Welcome Home

Faedo’s family and friends greet the news with overwhelming joy. His mother, Kristie, who works as a teacher, can’t hold back her emotions. She leaves the classroom with tears of joy in her eyes after receiving the call.

Faedo’s wife also gets emotional when she hears the news. “I can see a little tear in her eye,” Faedo said, adding that the move back home will be much easier on his kids.

Flashback to Florida

Before getting drafted by the Detroit Tigers at the end of his junior year, Faedo made a name for himself pitching for the University of Florida.

During his three seasons with the Gators, he shattered records, going 28-6 and finishing with 349 strikeouts. His performance was a major reason why Florida won their first National Championship in 2017.

During the same year, he earned multiple titles, further proving to be one of the top pitchers in the country. This includes First-Team All-American honors and SEC Pitcher of the Year. These titles allowed him to stand out and be drafted as a first-round pick in the 2017 MLB Draft.

While he doesn’t start off at Tropicana Field—his childhood home for baseball games — Faedo still has a connection to the mound he plays on.

Instead of starting at Tropicana Field, Faedo pitches at Steinbrenner Field. Steinbrenner is not only the home of the New York Yankees for spring training, but also a place where Faedo has previously played. He creates a strong bond with the stadium both in high school and during spring training with Detroit.

“Hopefully, I can stick around long enough until we get back into the Trop,” Faedo said, looking ahead to the possibility of staying with the Rays for the long run.

Up Next

While there haven’t been any official conversations, yet, on how the Rays plan to utilize Faedo, he has already started practicing with the team in preparation for spring training.

The Rays face the New York Yankees at Steinbrenner Field for their spring training opener on Friday.

First pitch is at 1:05 p.m. EST., and is available to watch on MLB Network.