Gators C Karson Bowen Signs UDFA Deal
After spending his final collegiate season with the Florida Gators, catcher Karson Bowen's next stop has been revealed. Bowen, who went undrafted in the 2026 MLB Draft, signed with the Texas Rangers on Friday, according to DLLS Sports' Jeff Wilson.
Bowen returns to Texas after beginning his collegiate career at TCU.
The #Rangers have signed Florida catcher Karson Bowen as an undrafted free agent. He started his college career at TCU.
- Jeff Wilson (@JeffWilsonTXR) July 18, 2026
Bowen provided instant stability and leadership for Florida in 2026, starting in 47 games at catcher and another eight between designated hitter and first base. He slashed .261/.353/.431 with a .784 OPS, hitting a career-high seven home runs with 33 RBIs. He also provided excellent defense behind the plate with a .994 fielding percentage and an SEC Tournament-best 9-for-10 finish on ABS challenges.
In addition to his one-year stint with the Gators, which included being named to the Gainesville Regional All-Regional team, he appeared in one College World Series during his time at TCU.
After Florida's loss to Troy to end the season, Bowen reflected on his decision to become a Gator.
"I think for me in the portal, that spoke for itself. Like, if you want to come to a place with a winning pedigree, then this is the place to come, and then I realized exactly why it is that way," he said. "Because the standard here is to win, and obviously we fell short of our ultimate goal, but even on a daily basis, we wake up and are ready to win.
"Everything here is about winning. It starts in the classroom, and then at the weight room, and then at the field, so I think everything here is just eat, sleep, breathe, and win."
Bowen is one of five Gators to officially ink professional deals after the draft and the first undrafted Gator to do so.
Pitcher Russell Sandefer (Los Angeles Dodgers), outfielder Blake Cyr (New York Yankees), outfielder Kyle Jones (Milwaukee Brewers) and outfielder Hayden Yost (Seattle Mariners) each signed professional contracts on Friday, ending their time with the Gators, while drafted players such as pitcher Liam Peterson (Cleveland Guardians), pitcher Luke McNeillie (New York Mets) and infielder signee Kevin Roberts Jr. (Baltimore Orioles) have yet to sign with their teams at the time of publish.
Undrafted seniors remaining for the Gators include pitchers Billy Barlow, Ricky Reeth and Ernesto Lugo-Canchola; catcher Cole Stanford; infielders Sam Miller and Justin Nadeau; and outfielder Ashton Wilson.
The deadline for drafted players with college eligibility to return to or enroll at a school is July 27 at 5 p.m.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/florida as Gators C Karson Bowen Signs UDFA Deal.
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This story was originally published July 18, 2026 at 10:00 AM.