Marlins Continue To Be Mystery in Upcoming MLB Draft Projections
The Miami Marlins have multiple needs on their major league roster.
The team currently projects to be without a starter at shortstop next season, with this season’s incumbent starter Tim Anderson playing on an expiring contract and not a lot of true shortstops in the upper levels of the minors. They’ve also struggled to get offense out of their catchers, an issue that dates back to the trade of J.T. Realmuto after the 2019 season. There’s also a general lack of power, with the team logging just 44 homers (placing them last in the National League and 28th in baseball) on the year.
ESPN’s newest mock draft doesn’t fix any of those issues, with analyst Kiley McDaniel sending University of Tennessee second baseman Christian Moore to the Marlins with pick #16. Here’s what McDaniel wrote about the selection of Moore:
Moore was perceived to be behind teammate Billy Amick in the draft a month ago but has now overtaken him with a blazing-hot finish. Miami is tied to ACC/SEC position players, which also is what the board is giving them at this point. This is also the first spot preps SS Carter Johnson and RF P.J. Morlando come up, though they likely land later.
Moore has hit for some power this season with twenty-eight homers on the year, but there’s doubts that he can recreate that type of production in the majors due to his “overly long” swing and tendency to chase outside of the zone.
Additionally, he doesn’t help some of the team’s long-term issues at shortstop or third base, restricted to the right side of the infield due to a below-average arm. There’s belief that his lack of defensive consistency might make it hard for him to even stick on the dirt at all, with MLB Pipeline’s scouting report speculating he may end up as a centerfielder at the next level and placing him 52nd on their 2024 board.
It’s yet another mock where a national analyst seemingly goes against the team’s obvious preferences. The team’s last two first-round position player picks, corner infielder Jacob Berry (2022) and shortstop Kahlil Watson (2021) are both considered to be busts, with Watson already traded to Cleveland after some off-field issues and Berry batting only .155 in Double-A Pensacola and with a career .626 OPS. The slugger has hit only 14 homers in 187 career minor-league games and has shown himself to be incapable of playing to an acceptable major-league level at third base, having committed 32 errors in his first 123 minor-league contests.
Other strange selections to be sent to Miami include likely second baseman Kalen Culpepper of Kansas State and an offensively-flawed catcher in Cal's Caleb Lomavita.
Miami’s seen the most draft success from the pitching prospects they’ve added to the organization, with last year’s duo of first-round pitchers already being promoted to High-A Beloit and most of their already-realized major league WAR coming from various arms they’ve taken in recent years.
Managing Editor for Blackerby Media, covering the Atlanta Braves and Miami Marlins Also: Senior Baseball Writer for Auburn Daily, member of both the National College Baseball Writers Association and Internet Baseball Writers Association of America (where he won the 2023 Prospects, Minors, & College Writer of the Year award)