The Miami Hurricanes have landed one of the most intriguing prospects in the transfer portal, securing the commitment of left-handed pitcher Frank Menendez from UF.
The lefty reliever made five appearances last season for UF before an elbow injury in March ended his season.
Menendez was expected to be a key part of the Gators 2025 season after showing promise as a freshman during their 2024 CWS run.
In those five appearances Menendez posted a 1.29 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, .185 BAA, and 12 strikeouts which included striking out the side against Miami.
He entered the portal last week, and Miami became the immediate favorites to land him with his connection to South Florida as a Doral Academy alum.
Menendez has a three pitch mix, with two of them being legit plus pitches: a 96 mph fastball that's been up to 98, and a power curve that generates plenty of swing and miss.
What's intriguing about Menendez is how he will factor into Miami’s 2026 plans. Elbow injuries are always tricky, with the earliest Menendez could return being in mid-April.
It’s unclear how much he can add for the upcoming season, but if he can it will be absolutely huge for the Hurricanes postseason aspirations, a true SEC talent arm.
The beauty of this transfer is that in addition to this year, if Miami can return him for the upcoming year, they’ve secured a top talent who could become a weekend starter.
As I’ve continued to shout from the mountains, adding talent like this only raises a floor to your team. Secure the talent and figure it out when they’re here.
After losing key portal additions and targets to the draft (Easton Marks, Danny Macchiarola, etc), the staff has been on a mission to secure pitching talent.
Over the past few weeks Miami has added the likes of Menendez, ***** Bradley-Cooney, Lyndon Glidewell, and TJ Coats; completely reshaping the bullpen.
I expect this to be the end of Miami’s portal efforts this summer bar maybe one more addition, but the hard work this summer has truly raised the floor of this team going into J.D Arteaga’s third season at head coach.
