South Carolina prep star PJ Morlando selected in first round of MLB Draft by the Miami Marlins

Summerville High slugger was South Carolina's High School Player of the Year

PJ Morlando of Summerville High is head to the Seattle Mariners' organization after the high school outfielder was taken by the MLB club with its first round pick (No. 16 overall) in the 2024 MLB Draft, Sunday night. / Baseball America

The top high school baseball player in South Carolina – Summerville's PJ Morlando – who rose to national prominence by winning the High School Home Run Derby and MVP Award at the High School All-American Game in 2023 was drafted in the first round of the 2024 MLB Draft by the Miami Marlins, Sunday night.

Morlando, the 2024 Gatorade South Carolina Player of the Year, had seen his stock drop this spring in the eyes of some scouts, but the Marlins got a 6-foot-3, 198-pound slugger who had committed to the University of South Carolina. He is also coming off two strong seasons U.S U-18 national team.

According to his MLB Draft profile, Morland has shown "the willingness to work counts and to make two-strike adjustments. He has bat speed and strength in his 6-foot-3, 198 pound frame, but the pop he displays in batting practice hasn't translated into game power last summer or this spring. He can get pull-happy and his left-handed swing can get uphill on occasion."

Morlando batted .392 in his senior season at Summerville, scoring 26 runs, hitting seven doubles and two home runs, with 26 RBI. He also had a .603 on-base percentage and a 1.202 OPS in 32 games. One of the reason his home run numbers were down this spring is that opposing teams rarely pitched to him. At one point he was intentionally walked eight consecutive times in a pair of games against Fort Dorchester and finished with 44 free passes during the high school season.

In addition to his work in the outfield, Morlando, who bats left and throws right, has caugt and played some third base. Most project him as eight a left-fielder or first-baseman. Just 19, he is considered to have average speed. His overall hitting grade is 55 and he grades as a 50 power hitter. His running is graded at 45, while he grades at 50 for his overall defense and arm.