Two top Marlins draft picks ready to ‘get to work.’ Kahlil Watson key player still unsigned
They wore home white Miami Marlins jerseys and roamed around the field at loanDepot park, a ballpark they hope to play on for real in a few years. They met Don Mattingly and Derek Jeter in the process.
They took in the moment on Friday as their professional baseball careers are about to get underway.
Make no mistake about it: catcher Joe Mack and infielder Cody Morissette, the Marlins’ second and third picks from the 2021 MLB Draft, enjoyed the moment.
But they’re also not hiding the fact that they know a long road is ahead of them and that they’re ready to get started.
“I can’t wait,” Morissette said, “to get to [the Marlins’ training complex in] Jupiter the next day or two and get to work.”
“This is now my life,” Mack added, “and it’s going to be an amazing thing. I love it.”
Mack was ranked as the No. 19 overall prospect in the draft by MLB Pipeline and received a $2.5 million signing bonus, just above the $2.312 million slot value for the No. 31 overall selection.
He had a .500 batting average with eight home runs, 22 RBI and 26 stolen bases in 21 games as a senior for Williamsville East (New York) High, a performance that resulted in him earning All-Western New York Player of the Year honors.
Marlins director of amateur scouting DJ Svihlik called Mack a “bat-first catcher.”
“He’s powerful and he’s explosive and he’s everything you’re looking for in a good dependable, reliable catcher,” Svihlik said.
Mack, who also played basketball and volleyball in high school, started catching when he was 9 years old and said he modeled his technique behind the plate off of MLB veterans Yadier Molina and Mike Zunino.
“I feel that my job behind the plate is to lead the field and help bring as much success as I can,” Mack said, “and just have fun playing.”
As for Morissette, who the Marlins took at No. 52 overall and received a $1,403,200 signing bonus (the full slot value for the No. 52 pick), he was the main player outside of the Marlins’ first two selections that the front office was intrigued to see.
Morissette, a left-handed-hitting infielder, had a .337 batting average in 114 games at Boston College with 85 RBI, 70 runs scored and a .907 OPS. A thumb injury hampered him as a junior in 2021.
“Morissette is going to be an interesting guy from the description that we’ve got of him and the makeup that I heard about him,” general manager Kim Ng said.
Svihlik said the Marlins had Morissette pegged as a player who could have potentially gone off the board on Day 1 and that they felt “fortunate” that he was still on the board when they selected him at No. 52.
“He was a player that we had evaluated much higher,” Svihlik said. “We really liked him a lot and so we’re fortunate just to take that. I share Cody’s example because especially early in the day, you’re just trying to take the players that fit the type of player that you’re trying to acquire and take them as quickly as you can.”
Morissette’s evaluation of himself as a player?
“I can really swing a baseball bat,” Morissette said. “That’s definitely a big chunk of my game. ... I hope I can continue to get stronger and better. I can always improve on every aspect of my game and improve on making myself a complete baseball player.”
Both Mack and Morissette signed, that leaves first-round pick Kahlil Watson as the lone Marlins selection from the top 10 rounds unsigned. Miami has until Aug. 1 to get him under contract and as of earlier this week the organization remained optimistic a deal would get done.
The Marlins have about $4.5 million remaining in their bonus pool to sign draft picks. That $4.5 million figure includes whatever they give Watson and any money beyond $125,000 given to any draft pick taken after the 10th round.
Marlins lose again
Zach Thompson gave up three runs in the first two innings and the Marlins’ comeback attempt fell short in a 5-2 loss to the San Diego Padres. Miami (41-57) is now 16 games under .500 for the first time this season and has lost seven of nine games since returning from the All-Star Break.
Adam Duvall’s 22nd home run of the year in the second and an RBI double from Jesus Aguilar in the third accounted for both of Miami’s runs. Aguilar and Duvall, both potential trade deadline pieces, are first and second in the National League with 69 and 68 RBI, respectively.
This story was originally published July 23, 2021 at 6:38 PM.
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