Meet the Miami Marlins 21 selections from the 2021 MLB Draft
And just like that, the 2021 MLB Draft is over. Three days and 20 rounds have come and gone.
Here’s a quick look at each of their 21 draft picks.
1 (16): Wake Forest (North Carolina) High shortstop Kahlil Watson
Arguably the steal of the draft, a consensus top-seven prospect falling to the second half of the draft. Watson averaged .477 across his high school career with 16 home runs and 61 stolen bases in 66 games. Marlins director of amateur scouting DJ Svihlik compared his skill set to that of Jimmy Rollins.
CBA (31): Williamsville East (New York) High School catcher Joe Mack
Mack is a bat-first catcher who had a .500 batting average in 21 games as a senior with eight home runs, 22 RBI and 26 stolen bases. He provides needed depth at the position in the Marlins’ organization
2 (52): Boston College shortstop Cody Morissette
Morissette, another left-handed hitter, hit .337 in 114 games at Boston College with 85 RBI, 70 runs scored and a .907 OPS.
Collegiate Baseball News named Morissette a first-team All-American in the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season after he hit .448 with a 1.177 OPS in 15 games. A thumb injury hampered him as a junior in 2021.
He can play second, shortstop and third base defensively.
MLB Pipeline ranks him as the No. 59 player this draft cycle. Baseball America had him at No. 46.
3 (88): Pensacola Catholic High shortstop Jordan McCants
McCants hit .450 with 10 doubles, 24 RBI, 31 runs scored and 13 stolen bases (in 18 attempts) in 108 plate appearances as a senior at Pensacola Catholic and provides adds another athletic, left-handed hitter to the organization.
4 (118): Mississippi State outfielder Tanner Allen
Allen, the 2021 Southeastern Conference Player of the Year, had a .621 slugging with 11 HR, 66 RBI and 72 runs scored in 2021 for the College World Series champion Bulldogs.
MLB Network’s Jim Callis called Allen the draft’s “top discount hitter.”
Allen played first base as a freshman and sophomore and then moved to right field the last two seasons.
5 (149): South Carolina outfielder Brady Allen
A career .255 hitter with 23 home runs, 80 RBI and 98 runs scored in 129 games with the Gamecocks. Set career-best marks in home runs (13), RBI (42), doubles (13) and runs scored (50) as a junior.
Allen bats right-handed but throws left-handed.
6 (179): Alabama catcher Sam Praytor
Third consecutive SEC player the Marlins drafted and the second catcher among their first seven selections. Praytor hit .285 in 126 games over four seasons at Alabama with 25 home runs, 19 doubles, 85 RBI and 78 runs scored.
He had a .906 OPS over 58 games as a redshirt junior in 2021 with career-best marks in doubles (12), home runs (14), RBI (48) and runs scored (35) en route to being named first-team All-SEC as a catcher.
Praytor played just six games as a sophomore in 2019 before undergoing Tommy John surgery.
7 (209): Indiana right-handed pitcher Gabe Bierman
Bierman posted a 2.94 career ERA over 36 games (21 starts) with 150 strikeouts against 57 walks in 144 innings. In 2021, as a junior, Bierman went 5-4 in 12 starts with a 2.68 ERA while tallying 80 strikeouts over 74 innings. Opponents hit .179 against Bierman in his final season.
His fastball sits around 89-91 mph and touches 94 and he has a plus changeup that plays off his fastball as well.
8 (239): Texas Tech left-handed pitcher Patrick Monteverde
Monteverde is a fifth-year senior, pointing toward an underslot with the signing bonus.
The 6-2, 190-pounder started 16 games in 2021 for Texas Tech, striking out 101 batters and putting up a 3.75 ERA in 86 1/3 innings.
He missed two years at Seton Hall due to Tommy John surgery before transferring to Texas Tech for his final year of eligibility.
His fastball sits around 87-91 mph and he also has a changeup and low 80s slider. Succeeds more because of control than pure stuff.
9 (269): Wright State University right-handed pitcher Jake Schrand
Schrand should be a bullpen arm at the professional level but was in the starting rotation for Wright State in 2021. He made 14 starts and compiling a 4.61 ERA with 92 strikeouts against 20 walks over 68 1/3 innings.
In the two years prior to that, Schrand allowed just three earned runs over 25 1/3 innings in 18 relief appearances.
His fastball sits in the low 90s. Needs to improve his secondary pitches.
10 (299): Florida State right-handed pitcher Hunter Perdue
Perdue made 20 appearances out of the bullpen with a 3.27 ERA and 28 strikeouts against 10 walks over 22 innings.
His fastball tops out at 98 mph
11 (329): UCLA right-handed pitcher Jesse Bergin
Three-year starter with the Bruins who had a three-to-one strikeout-to-walk ratio, but the 6-4, 205-pound righty potentially profiles best as a reliever unless he can get an effective third pitch. His fastball sits 90-92 mph. His low 80s slider is his best pitch.
12 (359): Washington State RHP Brandon White
White struck out 119 batters while walking 67 in 131 1/3 innings over three years at Washington State. He had a 5.69 ERA in 30 appearances (29 starts). He has size (6-8, 230 pounds) and his fastball tops out around 97. His changeup is his top secondary pitch.
13 (389): Texas A&M left-handed pitcher Chandler Jozwiak
The 6-0, 195-pound senior was mostly a reliever in college. He struck out 216 batters while walking 64 in 180 innings. Played in 80 games with 17 starts. He recorded eight saves in 2021, a year in which he posted a 3.48 ERA with 79 strikeouts against 18 walks over 62 innings in 28 relief appearances.
14 (419): Kentucky right-handed pitcher Holt Jones
Jones, 6-8 and 235 pounds, was primarily used as a reliever in college, with 48 of his 53 career appearances coming out of the bullpen. He threw 82 2/3 total innings over his time at Clemson (2018-2020) and Kentucky (2021), posting a 4.57 ERA with 89 strikeouts against 47 walks.
15 (449): Connecticut left-handed pitcher Caleb Wurster
Wurster made 67 career appearances for the Huskies, all out of the bullpen. The 5-11, 182-pounder had a career 2.45 ERA in 95 1/3 innings with 100 strikeouts against 32 walks with 12 saves (including nine as a senior).
16 (479): Texas third baseman Ivan Melendez
Melendez hit .319 with 13 doubles, 13 home runs, 51 RBI and 38 runs scored in 59 games for the Longhorns last season as a redshirt sophomore. He played at Odessa College in 2019 and 2020 and was an NJCAA All-American as a freshman in 2019.
17 (509): Arizona State left-handed pitcher Justin Fall
Fall (6-6, 240 pounds) played two years at Arizona State after starting at the junior college ranks. Made 22 appearances (18 starts) for the Sun Devils, posting a 4.41 ERA with 64 strikeouts against 50 walks with a .253 batting average against. Fall was Baseball America’s No. 270 prospect for this draft cycle. Fastball sits around 90 mph with sink and his slider is in the low 80s.
18 (539): North Dakota State shortstop Bennett Hostetler
Fifth-year senior with a career .286 hitter who had a monster 2021 season (.394 average, .513 OBP, .606 slugging, 58 RBI, 52 runs, 19 stolen bases in 61 games). Baseball America had Hostetler as its No. 489 prospect this draft cycle.
“He’s a versatile player who could continue to find success at the next level,” Baseball America wrote in its scouting report
19 (569): Everett Community College (Washington) outfielder Noah Williamson
He’s a 6-4 outfielder who played in just four games for Everett Community College last year. He got a hit in his lone at-bat, a double.
20 (599): Texas first baseman Zach Zubia
A redshirt junior, Zubia was a career .274 hitter at Texas with 30 home runs, 162 RBI and 45 runs scored in 201 games (186 starts). He set career best marks in RBI (61), slugging (.502), walks (49) and on-base percentage (.412) in 2021.
This story was originally published July 13, 2021 at 11:30 AM.
.JPG)