With the 13th pick in the 2017 Major League draft, the Miami Marlins select ………………
What position should the Marlins be targeting? I am more inclined to say that the position does not matter, rather they should seek the best available player. Seems like common sense but sometimes front offices like to outthink themselves. Then, the debate comes down to high school player or college player, both have advantages but the whole key is making the 13th pick count! It is worth noting that the Marlins 1st round picks in 2016, 2015, and 2014 have all been from high school: Garret, Naylor, Anderson, and Kolek. Also, it’s good to point out that Christian Yelich (2010) and Jose Fernandez (2011) were selected in the 1st round out of high school giving even more clout to the first pick being a high school talent. With that in mind I have pulled 15 names out of my magic prospect hat. They are all high school players and I do feel that one of these 15 will be a Miami Marlins selection at pick 13.
1. Hunter Greene SS/RHP Notre Dame HS
2. Royce Lewis SS/OF J Serra HS
3. DL Hall LHP Valdosta HS
4. Hans Crouse RHP Dana Hiss HS
5. Jordon Adell OF Ballard HS
6. Trevor Rogers LHP Carlsbad HS
7. Mark Vientos SS/3B Charles W. Flanagan HS
8. Shane Baz RHP/3B Concordia Lutheran
9. Nick Pratto 1B/LHP Huntington Beach HS
10. Sam Carlson RHP Burnsville HS
11. Mackenzie Gore LHP Whitesville HS
12. Tanner Burns RHP Decatur HS
13. Jake Eder LHP Delray Beach
14. Bubba Thompson OF McGill-Toolen HS
15. Austin Beck OF North Davidson HS
The MLB draft is the hardest draft to project and sign ability issues are of huge concern to MLB clubs causing teams to sometimes pass on the better player to draft a player that they are certain will sign. Looking at my list I think it would be a huge win for the organization if they could select DL Hall. He is a commit to FSU but whoever selects Hall will get a stud athlete excelling in more than one sport and a left handed pitcher hurling 94 MPH fastballs with a plus curveball. Depending on whose particular mock draft you look at he is either a top 5 pick or a first round pick at the very least. The team could benefit from having another impact arm in the minors, to pair along with last year’s pick Braxton Garrett. If the team can secure a top notch pitching prospect the future will be just a little brighter for your Miami Marlins. There is a slight chance, fine maybe a 50% chance that it could be a college player selected and my money would be that the Marlins would select University of Florida pitcher Alex Faedo (RHP). He had surgery to repair his knees but he seems to have rebounded nicely to finish the year and could offer a big reward for the drafting team.
Who is Trevor Richards? He is a RHP pitching for the Jupiter Hammerheads. He is leading the entire Marlins minor league organization in earned run average, wins, strikeouts, and opposing batting average. He is also second to Kickham in WHIP. With 59.2 innings pitched this year he has 69 strikeouts to only 11 walks. His ERA is sitting at 2.41 and his WHIP is 0.97. Let’s see how the former Gateway Grizzly performs the rest of the season but it appears so far that the Marlins have found a diamond in the rough.
Prospect number 34 on my initial top 50 list is showing signs of life and I do believe he is doing this just to prove me wrong. Greensboro Grasshoppers James Nelson is leading all Marlins minor leaguers in average, hitting a whopping .353 this year while getting his OBP to .420. In 153 at bats he has 54 hits, 17 for extra bases, 5 steals and 24 RBI’s. Nelson needs to cut down on his strikeouts, 45 SO in 153 at bats. The round 15 pick is making a strong case to move up the prospect rankings.
That is all I have for you at this time. Enjoy the MLB Draft on June 12th. This is where the fate of MLB organizations can change forever!
As always, if there is any prospect you would like to see highlighted please comment in the comment section or let me know on Twitter! (@stoffer81)
Article featured image of James Nelson, Greensboro Grasshoppers – courtesy Andrew Krech/Greensboro News & Record
Stoffer is an avid baseball fan who grew up in the heart of Braves country, but felt he never really fit in until the Marlins came along and then it was game over. He has been playing in deep dynasty keeper leagues for 20+ years and only plays in leagues where there is a prospect component. He currently resides in Jacksonville, Florida, which is the perfect place for him because it's home to the Jumbo Shrimp, the Marlins' Triple-A affiliate.
-
Stoffer Cochranhttps://www.prospects1500.com/author/marlins001/
-
Stoffer Cochranhttps://www.prospects1500.com/author/marlins001/
-
Stoffer Cochranhttps://www.prospects1500.com/author/marlins001/
-
Stoffer Cochranhttps://www.prospects1500.com/author/marlins001/
Leave a Reply