Meet the Miami Marlins’ 2022 MLB Draft class
.JPG "Jacob Berry is selected by the Miami Marlins with the sixth pick of the 2022 MLB baseball draft, Sunday, July 17, 2022, in Los Angeles")
The 2022 MLB Draft has come to an end, and the Miami Marlins’ draft class is 20 players strong.
It features 14 pitchers and six position players, with 17 of their selections coming from the college ranks.
Here’s a look at all 20 of the Marlins’ picks.
1 (6): LSU third baseman/outfielder Jacob Berry
Berry had a career .360 batting average and .655 slugging mark in two college seasons — his freshman year at Arizona and then at LSU as a sophomore — with 32 home runs, 118 RBI and 101 runs scored in 116 games. He’s a switch hitter who has success from both sides of the plate. He was drafted for the bat, but if he can manage to stay at third base defensively, that would be a major plus as well.
2 (46) Liberty Union (Ohio) High RHP Jacob Miller
He was Gatorade’s Ohio baseball player of the year after pitching to a 0.35 ERA with 94 strikeouts against six walks over 40 innings last season. Over his high school career, he recorded 382 strikeouts over 172 innings pitched in 27 starts.
The 6-2 righty primarily relies on a fastball that sits between 91-95 mph but has touched 97, a 78-82 mph curveball and a 83-87 mph slider. He is also developing a mid-80s changeup.
3 (85): Liberty (Missouri) High RHP Karson Milbrandt
The 6-2, 190-pound righty was Missouri’s Gatorade Player of the year after going 7-1 with a 1.66 ERA and 91 strikeouts as a senior.
Milbrandt, 18, has a fastball that hits 96 mph and has a high spin rate. He also has good feel for his curveball and slider and is developing a changeup that he didn’t have to use often in high school.
4 (112): Duke RHP Marcus Johnson
Johnson thrived as a reliever for Duke as a sophomore (3.05 ERA with 59 strikeouts in 56 innings) before moving to the starting rotation as a junior where he had his struggles (5.61 ERA, 76 strikeouts against 25 walks in 69 innings).
His fastball velocity ranges from 92-97 mph. His best pitch is his slider (82-85 mph) and he also has a mid-80s changeup.
5 (142): Cal RHP Josh White
Ranked as the No. 188 prospect in the draft by MLB Pipeline, White had a 4.14 ERA over 36 games (15 starts) with 183 strikeouts in 141 1/3 innings pitched over three years at Cal. His fastball hits 97 mph but sat in low 90s as a starter. He also has a slider, curveball and changeup.
6 (172): Louisville RHP Jared Poland
Poland, originally a two-way player, posted a 4.04 ERA over 43 games (17 starts) with Louisville. He moved into the Cardinals’ rotation in 2022 and had a 3.46 ERA with 103 strikeouts against 32 walks in 83.1 innings. His fastball sits between 91-93 mph and touches 96.
7 (202): Louisiana Tech RHP Kyle Crigger
A fifth-year senior, Crigger is 6-2 and 180 pounds and pitched almost exclusively as a reliever for Louisiana Tech. He posted a career 2.68 ERA with 120 strikeouts and 30 walks in 111 innings over 60 appearances. He recorded 16 saves in three seasons with Louisiana Tech, including 10 during his senior season in which he posted a 2.35 ERA with 79 strikeouts in 69 innings.
8 (232): Rutgers LHP Dale Stanavich
A redshirt junior, Stanavich has a 2.51 ERA in 39 appearances (all relief) with 15 saves during his two seasons at Rutgers. He logged 81 strikeouts against 18 walks over 57 1/3 total innings in 2021 and 2022 for the Scarlet Knights after beginning his career at Marshall in 2018 before transferring to Herkimer Community College in 2019 and then eventually making his way to Rutgers.
His fastball hits 95 mph and his slider has the potential to be an above-average pitch.
9 (262): Arkansas LHP Evan Taylor
Taylor pitched exclusively out of the bullpen at Arkansas, and that role should continue in pro ball.
After only pitching 14 2/3 innings during his first three seasons with the Razorbacks, Taylor posted a 3.65 ERA over 33 appearances in 2022. That included recording 54 strikeouts against 16 walks over 44 1/3 innings.
His fastball sits between 88 and 92 mph and he has a slider that could be an average pitch.
10 (292): Louisiana Tech LHP Cade Gibson
Gibson, a fifth-year senior, pitched 156 2/3 innings in 42 appearances (24 starts) over his two seasons on the mound for Louisiana Tech after transferring in from LSU-Shreveport. He had a 5.57 ERA in that span, striking out 159 batters while walking 38.
11 (322): Stanford RHP Alex Williams
Williams, a senior, compiled a 2.88 ERA over 47 apperances (42 starts) with 211 strikeouts against 54 walks over 237 2/3 innings.
He was a freshman All-American in 2019 and threw four complete games, including a pair of complete-game shutouts, in his college career.
He is the No. 310 overall prospect in the draft according to Baseball America. His fastball sits 87-91 mph and his changeup is arguably his best pitch.
12 (352): Illinois LHP Cole Kirschsieper
The lanky lefty (5-11, 170 pounds) compiled a 3.64 ERA over 35 appearances (20 starts). He moved into the rotation full time in 2022 as a redshirt sophomore, going 7-2 with a 3.17 ERA and 85 strikeouts vs 27 walks in 82 1/3 innings over 14 starts.
According to Baseball America, his fastball sits between 86-91 mph and he complements it with a plus changeup and a sweeping slider.
13 (382): Long Beach State outfielder Chase Luttrell
He had a career .294/.346/.464 slash line over four seasons and hit .312 with 9 home runs, 46 RBI, 17 doubles and 33 runs scored as a senior.
Luttrell, a left-handed hitter, has played all three outfield spots as well as first base, although a corner outfield spot is his most likely position in pro ball.
14 (412): Missouri 1B Torin Montgomery
Fun fact: The Marlins had previously drafted Montgomery in the 35th round of the 2019 draft out of Lake Washington High in Kirkland, Washington. He didn’t sign that year, instead going to college at Boise State before transferring to Missouri before the 2021 season.
Montgomery had a breakout junior season, hitting .362 with 11 doubles, 7 HR, 47 RBI and 43 runs scored in 48 games.
15 (442): Lipscomb RHP Ike Buxton
The 6-3, 208-pound redshirt sophomore posted a 3.86 ERA this season with 66 strikeouts against 39 walks over 74 2/3 innings. Command appears to be an issue, with 22 hit by pitches and 20 wild pitches over his two seasons at Lipscomb after transferring in from Boise State.
16 (472): Florida State second baseman Brett Roberts
Roberts has a career .317/.373/.480 slash line over three college baseball seasons (2020 and 2021 with Tennessee Tech, 2022 at FSU). He also impressed in the Cape Cod League last summer with a .300/.373/.461 slash line that included five home runs and 18 doubles.
He ranked as the No. 201 prospect in the draft according to Baseball America, which noted that Roberts “is a contact-oriented hitter who has a knack for driving the ball the opposite way to the right-center gap. Roberts doesn’t swing and miss at a high rate, but he could improve his swing decisions and stay more disciplined within the zone. He makes a lot of contact against fastballs but did struggle against 93-plus mph velocity this spring.”
17 (502): Tampa Wharton High RHP Evan Chrest
He’s on the small side at 5-11, 170 pounds, but Chrest had a strong senior season with a 1.79 ERA and 89 strikeouts vs 13 walks over 62 2/3 innings.
Baseball America has him as the No. 300 overall prospect and notes his fastball is in the low 90s and that his slider is his top secondary pitch.
Chrest is a Jacksonville University commit.
18 (532): Colorado Mesa University catcher Spencer Bramwell
Bramwell had a career .360/.427/.655 slash line over five seasons at Colorado Mesa. This included hitting .371 with 23 home runs, 65 RBI, 15 doubles and 73 runs scored as a senior.
19 (562): USF catcher Carmine Lane
Lane, a Lake Worth native who played high school ball at Delray American Heritage, had a .309/.365/.491 slash line with 22 home runs, 105 RBI, 86 runs over 135 games at USF — the majority of which he played as a third basemen despite the Marlins announcing him as a catcher.
20 (592): Georgia RHP Jack Gowen
Gowen compiled a 3.16 ERA with 11 saves in 61 relief appearances for UGA. He had 106 strikeouts against 54 walks over 77 innings.
This story was originally published July 19, 2022 at 1:45 PM.
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