SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – Former Florida Southern College baseball standout Drew Cavanaugh made his Major League Baseball debut for the San Francisco Giants last night, Friday, June 26, 2026, becoming the 13^th Moccasin to reach the Big Leagues.
 
The MLB debut was eventful for Cavanaugh, also recording his first MLB hit, a single through the right side in his second at-bat. He later drew a walk, finishing 1-for-3, 1BB against the Atlanta Braves at Oracle Park. A member of the Moccasin baseball team in 2023, Cavanaugh was selected by the San Francisco Giants in the 17^th round, pick 510 in the 2023 Major League Baseball Draft. The last Moccasin to make an MLB debut was Jake Walsh (2017 member of FSC), who made his big league debut on May 11, 2022, with the St. Louis Cardinals. Cavanaugh will be the first former FSC baseball player to make an MLB debut behind the plate. The journey to the MLB is special for Cavanaugh since his time at Florida Southern. The catcher has spent the last three years logging over 200 games in the minors, ranging from single A to AAA. Cavanaugh has his best season so far in 2026, spending 32 games in AAA for the Sacramento River Cats before getting the call to The Show. He was batting .330 with six homers for the River Cats. He is the only River Cat this season to have multiple multi-home run games (May 20 and May 28), while also leading the team in OBP, SLG, and OPS.
 
Cavanaugh had an incredible 2023 season with the Moccasins after 46 starts on the year, with nearly every start behind the plate. The Rochester Hills, Mass. native finished with a .316 batting average and a team-high 12 home runs, and a .588 slugging percentage. He also led the team in on-base percentage with .441. A member of the All-SSC First Team, All-SSC Defensive team, and ABCA South Region All-Defensive Team, Cavanaugh was incredible at catcher with a .987 fielding percentage and 21 caught stealing (a conference-high). He was also named to the ABCA/Rawlings, NCBWA, and D2CCA All-South First Teams after the 2023 campaign.
 
Cavanaugh was the fifth Moccasin to be drafted by the Giants, including former head coach and MLB star Lance Niekro, who was drafted in 2000. He was the 130^th Moccasin selected in the MLB Draft. The Mocs had 143 draft selections and another 60 athletes signed as an undrafted free agent. A total of 12 Mocs have made it to the Majors, including three who spent time with the San Francisco Giants. Niekro is the only other former Moccasin to be drafted by the Giants and make their MLB debut with the squad.