Last year, the Marlins gave Oregon prep pitcher Noble Meyer about a million dollars below slot value with their first pick, then handed Massachusetts prep pitcher Thomas White over $1.5 million above slot value to sign with their second. Miami did something very similar this year with a pair of prep bats, handing PJ Morlando more than a million below slot value with their first pick and Carter Johnson more than a million above slot value with their second. If you go by bonuses versus slot value, they essentially traded their #16 and #56 picks for the #25 and #33 picks instead. Clearly, they saw less separation between the top prospects in both draft classes and wanted two shots at big names versus one at a premium name. This year, they targeted mostly bats overall, mostly looking at guys with either strong bat to ball or strong plate discipline. I'm personally pretty interested in the names they pulled together, and I think eighth rounder Jacob Jenkins-Cowart has a chance to be a real steal if they can get his development right.
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Note that the number before a player's name indicates their draft position. "2-50" would indicate that a player was drafted in the second round with the fiftieth overall pick.
1-16: OF PJ Morlando, Summerville HS [SC] {video}
Slot value: $4.7 million. Signing bonus: $3.4 million ($1.3 million below slot value).
My rank: #38. MLB Pipeline: #43. Baseball America: #52.
The Marlins started this draft off with a bit of a surprising pick, grabbing PJ Morlando for a massive under slot bonus that paid him just under the slot value for the #25 pick here at pick #16, signing him away from a South Carolina commitment in the process. Morlando has long been a famous name in this class, having earned first round buzz for his exploits on the summer showcase circuits for years now. He entered the spring jockeying with Konnor Griffin for the title of the best prep bat in the country, ranking as high as #10 on my pre-season boards. His spring turned out to be fairly unremarkable, though, and his stock dropped accordingly with some outlets letting him fall out of the top fifty. The Marlins still believe in Morlando's bat, and boy does he give them good reason. He has massive raw power and puts on arguably the most impressive batting practice of any high schooler in the country. It comes from a very strong, mature 6'3" frame that effortlessly generates great leverage. However, he hasn't always tapped that power consistently in games and may have improvements to make in terms of barrel accuracy. Meanwhile, he has an extremely disciplined approach at the plate that has helped him handle all kinds of high level pitching, especially premium velocity. Morlando uses the entire field effectively and should be one of the most pro-ready bats in the prep class. How much of his prodigious raw power the Marlins can unlock in games will determine how far he goes as a hitter. Meanwhile, the Charleston-area product has played all over the field, but his fringy speed likely limits him to a corner outfield spot or first base, which would put more pressure on the power to show up. He's extremely old for the class, having turned 19 in May, but he seems to have a great head on his shoulders and brings maturity beyond his years to the game. It may be tempting to compare this pick to Jacob Berry, whom the Marlins drafted sixth overall in 2022 and which has not looked good in hindsight, but I'd caution against that. Berry, like Morlando, was a below average athlete with a great combination of power, contact, and discipline. But Berry's power came from excellent feel for the barrel and the ability to loft the ball with authority, which masked his more ordinary raw exit velocities and caused his power to play down with wood. Morlando, meanwhile, shows much better raw exit velocities but has had issues making that optimal contact in games. You weren't going to get Berry hitting the ball harder, but you might be able to tweak Morlando's approach to access the power he already has. He grounded out in his first at bat at Low A Jupiter but shortly after with a lumbar stress reaction.
2-56: SS Carter Johnson, Oxford HS [AL] {video}
Slot value: $1.6 million. Signing bonus: $2.8 million ($1.2 million above slot value).
My rank: #43. MLB Pipeline: #40. Baseball America: #37.
After saving $1.3 million on PJ Morlando, the Marlins spent nearly all of their savings on pulling second rounder Carter Johnson away from an Alabama commitment, with his $2.8 million bonus representing just over the slot value for the #33 pick here at #56. While there isn't a true carrying tool here with Johnson, you'd be hard pressed to find any weaknesses in his profile either. He has a long track record of hitting against top showcase competition with a natural, whippy left handed swing that produces hard line drives to all fields. Meanwhile, scouts are split on his future power projection but the Marlins would appear to be bullish. Johnson is skinny at 6'2", with twitchy hands, nice leverage, and strong feel for the barrel to help him produce fringe-average power for now. I see him growing into average power, but the frame is fairly skinny and I think he'll always be hit over power. The Alabama native is also a smooth defender at shortstop that gets rid of the ball quickly and accurately, giving him a chance to stick there long term. He's more of an average runner, though, so there is a chance he gets pushed off to second or third by a springier, more explosive defender. Johnson's well-rounded profile could have him moving quickly through the minors, and once in the majors he could project for 15-20 home runs per season with high on-base percentages at peak. The Marlins assigned him aggressively to Low A Jupiter, where he is hitting .237/.283/.301 with one home run and a 34/5 strikeout to walk ratio through 23 games against much older competition.
CBB-70: RHP Aiden May, Oregon State {video}
Slot value: $1.14 million. Signing bonus: $900,000 ($239,100 below slot value).
My rank: #73. MLB Pipeline: #82. Baseball America: #116.
This pick may seem a bit inconspicuous after two highly touted preps, but Aiden May is a very interesting prospect in his own right. He began his career at Pima JC in Arizona, transferred to Arizona for his sophomore season, then jumped to Oregon State for his junior year and pitched extremely well. The fastball sits in the low to mid 90's, touching 97 at peak, with running action. The overall ordinary life makes the pitch play down, making it a fringe-average pitch for now. He can sink or cut it when needed, though those variations are just average as well. His slider, though, steals the show. He leaned heavily on it in 2024, throwing it more than his fastball, getting tremendous sweep on it to create some ugly swings and miss a ton of bats. That pitch alone could make him a major leaguer. He's working his changeup in more to good results, giving him a second solid offspeed offering. May is a good athlete with a loose delivery and a low three quarters slot that helps him create a low release point, adding some intrigue to the east-west profile here. He also repeats his delivery well and throws a lot of strikes, both with his fastball and with his slider, giving him at least average command going forward. The Marlins are buying into the show-stopping slider, but how far he goes as a starter will depend on finding more success with his fastball. The Marlins may toy with the shape and/or location to keep it off more barrels, looking to better neutralize left handed hitters. At minimum, the sweeper is so effective that he'll have a bullpen spot waiting for him in Miami should starting not work out.
3-92: 2B Gage Miller, Alabama {video}
Slot value: $800,800. Signing bonus: $800,800.
My rank: #93. MLB Pipeline: #68. Baseball America: #111.
Though he started his career as an unheralded recruit at Bishop State JC in Mobile, Gage Miller came out of nowhere upon transferring to Alabama in 2024 to put up one of the best seasons in the SEC, even finding his name on the Golden Spikes Midseason Watch List. For good reason, too – he finished with 21 home runs and a .382/.470/.721 line in 58 games for the Tide. I mentioned that the PJ Morlando pick was very different from the Jacob Berry pick, but this one is much more similar. Given that it's a third round pick and not a sixth overall pick, it's much more reasonable. Miller, like Berry, produces more game power than raw power. The raw power, in fact, is fringy at best, but he is so adept at finding the barrel and driving the ball in the air that it plays to above average power in games. It's a lightning quick right handed swing with zero wasted movement, helping him make plenty of contact both inside and outside the zone and walk (10.1%) more than he struck out (9.0%) in 2024. There's some chase in the profile, especially against changeups, but it's not a lot and the overall approach is pretty strong. Miller played third base at Alabama but the Marlins drafted him as a second baseman, where his fringy defensive tools might be better hidden. There's a good chance he gets pushed further down the defensive spectrum to first base or left field, where the pressure would really mount on his bat, but the upside is a bat-first second baseman who can hit close to 20 home runs per season with relatively high batting averages. He's moving quickly already, slashing .264/.337/.322 with a 19/7 strikeout to walk ratio over 22 games between Low A Jupiter and High A Beloit.
4-122: SS Fenwick Trimble, James Madison {video}
Slot value: $589,000. Signing bonus: $550,000 ($39,000 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: #201.
The Marlins got an interesting data darling in Fenwick Trimble, who also has a tremendous baseball name. He's a three year starter and performer at JMU, including having hit .356/.452/.633 with 27 home runs in 117 games over the past two seasons combined. Perhaps his most impressive swing came in his very first at bat of the 2024 season when he knocked a three run home run off eventual White Sox fifth overall pick Hagen Smith, who would allow just one more run in his next five starts combined. Trimble indeed has a very heavy barrel that produces above average raw power, mostly translating into doubles (he has 43 of them over the past two seasons) because his approach is geared towards hard line drives to all fields. He also makes a ton of contact and walked (10.2%) more than he struck out (8.1%) in 2024, owing to a very accurate barrel. In fact, out of 145 college hitters on the Baseball America 500, only one was able to best both his 107.1 MPH 90th percentile exit velocity and his 85.5% contact rate – Lehigh's Rafe Perich, now a Ranger. Now Trimble does have a bit of a tendency to chase, which may hurt him as he makes the jump from Sun Belt to pro pitching. He hit just .231/.279/.347 in 46 games on the Cape last summer, salvaged a bit by a hot run through the playoffs. This may be a case where the Virginia Beach product will have to choose between a power-oriented or contact-oriented approach. Interestingly, the Marlins drafted Trimble as a shortstop despite the fact that he played exclusively outfield at JMU – first the corners, then center field in 2024. Trimble has some speed and has refined his glove out there, so even if he moves back to a corner, he'll be a solid defender and likely net-positive. To this point, he has also not appeared on the infield in the minors. It will be interesting to see how the Marlins develop him as a hitter, and so far he's slashing .255/.300/.340 with eight stolen bases and a 15/5 strikeout to walk ratio over 23 games at Low A Jupiter.
5-155: RHP Grant Shepardson, Mountain Vista HS [CO] {video}
Slot value: $427,000. Signing bonus: $897,500 ($470,500 above slot value).
My rank: #101. MLB Pipeline: #141. Baseball America: #193.
The Marlins doubled the slot value here in the fifth round to give Grant Shepardson third round money, just over the slot value for the #85 pick, to sign away from a San Francisco commitment. Personally, I'm a big fan of Shepardson. He already sits in the low to mid 90's with his fastball and can touch 98 with riding action, and more is likely coming. He flashes plus with his slider, though the pitch is inconsistent and he can get around it at times, causing it to flatten out, or overcorrect and get too vertical on the pitch. For now, those two pitches are the main show, as the changeup is more of a distant third right now. The 6'1" righty is very athletic on the mound with nice lower half extension and a quick arm, helping him project for additional velocity while also making his stuff jump on hitters. The command is improving, too, giving him a really well-rounded profile. If Shepardson can bring his changeup along and get a little more consistent with his slider, he has a chance to be a real impact starting pitcher in Miami. Between the velocity, ability to spin, athleticism, and trajectory, I'm personally bought in.
6-184: SS Payton Green, Georgia Tech {video}
Slot value: $331,300. Signing bonus: $328,800 ($2,500 below slot value).
My rank: #170. MLB Pipeline: #169. Baseball America: #196.
Payton Green has been on scouts' radars for a while now. A top prep prospect out of Pro5 Academy in the Raleigh-Durham area, he stayed home to attend NC State and held down a starting role for two years. In 2024, he hopped over to Georgia Tech and took a small step forward, hitting .308/.407/.577 with twelve home runs in 55 games. Green, like second rounder Carter Johnson, does a lot well on the diamond and lacks a standout tool, though unlike Johnson he's probably a tad more power over hit. Standing 6'3", he shows average power in games with a smooth right handed swing. He'll chase power at times, getting aggressive and trying to turn on the ball and unraveling his at bats in the process, but he's at his best when he lets that power come naturally. Green is an aggressive hitter who can chase out of the zone but makes pretty solid contact overall, so if the Marlins can refine his approach a little bit, there's sneaky offensive upside here. There's projection remaining on his frame as well, which could help him grow into above average power in time. He has played all over the infield and while he probably doesn't profile as a shortstop in pro ball, he can be adequate there if needed and should make a solid third baseman in the long run. Green hasn't found his footing at the plate yet, slashing .150/.314/.150 with a 13/9 strikeout to walk ratio through 15 games at Low A Jupiter.
7-214: RHP Nick Brink, Portland {video}
Slot value: $259,600. Signing bonus: $195,000 ($64,600 below slot value).
My rank: #211. MLB Pipeline: #166. Baseball America: #204.
It was a down year for high-end senior signs, but the Marlins picked up one of the better ones in Nick Brink. He spent four years at the University of Portland, missing the 2022 season with Tommy John surgery but turning into a true ace for the Pilots over the past two seasons. The fastball sits in the low 90's and touches 96 with sink, making for an average pitch, and he brings a full arsenal of secondaries. His changeup is his best pitch, tumbling out of his hand to confound hitters. He throws both a curveball and a slider, showing more depth than power as they project more as strike stealers than true bat missers in pro ball. Everything plays up because Brink has plus command and shows great feel to sequence and execute all four pitches, continually keeping hitters off balance and putting each pitch in competitive locations to help them play at their best. That polish will come in handy given his age, as he's set to turn 23 before the end of the pro season, and he'll look to move quickly through the system. He has the upside of a back-end starter with a fallback as a long reliever whose stuff could tick up in shorter stints. He's also a strong student who had interest from Ivy League schools out of high school but turned them down to stay home in Portland, a decision that has certainly paid off in numerous ways.
8-244: 1B Jacob Jenkins-Cowart, East Carolina {video}
Slot value: $211,600. Signing bonus: $211,600.
My rank: #113. MLB Pipeline: #228. Baseball America: #113.
To me, this is one of the single best value picks of the draft. I had Jacob Jenkins-Cowart ranked in the fourth round range, and they got him here in the eighth without going above slot value. Sure, the profile is far from perfect, but there is enough in there for me to be very interested. Jenkins-Cowart hit the ground running at ECU in 2022, where he was named a Freshman All-American by D1Baseball after hitting .330/.367/.549 with 13 home runs and starting nearly every game. He failed to build on that in 2023, then his power took some time to show up in 2024 until the ran into a bit of a home run binge late in the season. The Greensboro native is a a lanky 6'6" and stands out for that long, projectable frame. Those long arms give him above average power for now, though tweaks to his approach could help him tap that power more in games as he learns to select better pitches he can turn on and elevate. Jenkins-Cowart is an aggressive hitter who has never walked more than 7.5% of the time in any season, leading to more weak contact than you'd like. However, I'm intrigued by his strong bat to ball ability, running roughly an 80% contact rate despite the propensity to chase bad pitches, and it's even more impressive given his long levers that cause many lanky hitters to swing through hittable pitches. That body control could help him really pull things together with more refinement to his approach, though unfortunately the Marlins are not known for strong hitting development. Meanwhile, JJC is a fringy runner who played corner outfield at ECU, and while the Marlins drafted him as a first baseman, he's stuck in right field so far as a pro. I see him continuing as a corner outfielder long term but if he slows down further as he fills out and ages, he could be forced to first base. Either way, the bat is the draw here with the potential for 15-20 home runs per season, perhaps more if they get the development right, alongside average on-base percentages. So far, he's slashing .221/.284/.326 with one home run and a 28/7 strikeout to walk ratio over 23 games for Low A Jupiter.
13-394: SS Cody Schrier, UCLA {video}
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $150,000.
My rank: #217. MLB Pipeline: #138. Baseball America: #130.
Cody Schrier is a bit of a post-hype prospect whom the Marlins are hoping to buy into at the right time. He was among the best prep prospects in California in 2021, ranking #55 on my overall draft board that year but reaching campus at UCLA instead. There he made an immediate impact, earning first team freshman all-American honors at numerous publications and was one of 55 players nationally selected to the pre-season Golden Spikes watchlist before his sophomore year. Unfortunately, Schrier plateaued from there and has seen his batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage all drop in each year in Westwood, beginning at .298/.383/.492 as a freshman and ending at .242/.320/.354 as a junior. Schrier, like a few other infielders in this Marlins draft class, is a jack of all trades, master of none. He has a quick right handed swing and nice strength in his 6'1" frame, giving him average power to the pull side when he does look to turn on the ball. That power plays down a bit in games though and he had just ten extra base hits in 2024, a career-low. Schrier shows controlled aggression at the plate, chasing at a very high rate but still recognizing pitches well and showing the ability to handle premium offspeed stuff. Still, he does swing and miss more than you'd like and projects as a fringe-average hitter. The Marlins hope they can use his pitch recognition ability to tweak his approach and get him hunting better pitches to hit. Meanwhile, the Southern California native does show very strong feel for the infield can handle shortstop in a pinch, though his average speed and arm will likely push him to second base or third base, where he could be above average. Schrier is a heady, accomplished ballplayer with a high baseball IQ who projects as a utility infielder at best.
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