TEAM: Miami Marlins
PICK: 13 (Slot: $4,038,200)
POOL: $8,658,400
SCOUTING DIRECTOR: Stan Meek

PREVIOUS TOP PICKS
2017: Trevor Rogers, LHP, Carlsbad HS, NM (13th overall)
2016: Braxton Garrett, LHP, Florence HS, AL (7th overall)
2015: Josh Naylor, 1B, St. Joan of Arc SS, ON (12th overall)
2014: Tyler Kolek, RHP, Shepherd HS, TX (2nd overall)
2013: Colin Moran, 3B, North Carolina (6th overall)

HISTORY: The Marlins are not averse to high-risk picks—taking high school southpaws in the first round the last two years, a high school first baseman in 2015 and high school righty in 2014. Miami has taken a lot from the college ranks in recent years, but they primarily come after the first round. Stan Meek is still the scouting director, but the only question is whether or not the new ownership and management staff will instill any changes in philosophy.

FORECAST: The Marlins have one extra pick on the first day so they could go for a discount and see who falls to them at 69 in Competitive Balance Round B. The best available prep prospects on the PBR Draft Board at their first pick would likely be RHPs Mason Denaburg (Merritt Island HS, FL), Kumar Rocker (North Oconee HS, GA) and Cole Winn (Orange Lutheran HS, CA) and SS Brice Turang (Santiago HS, CA). Denaburg and Rocker would represent higher risk given their missed time with injuries this spring and Turang because of a lackluster year at the plate, but they aren’t in the bargain bin. Reports have tied Miami to 3B Nolan Gorman (O’Connor HS, AZ), who would certainly represent an off-the-board selection. RHPs Adam Kloffenstein (Magnolia HS, TX) and RHP Grayson Rodriguez (Central Heights HS, TX) aren’t ranked quite this high, but worthy of being first-round selections. If there is a shift in philosophy, look at the college group that includes OFs Travis Swaggerty (South Alabama), Jameson Hannah (Dallas Baptist) and Trevor Larnach (Oregon State), RHPs Sean Hjelle (Kentucky) and RHP Jackson Kowar (Florida), or SS Nico Hoerner (Stanford).

Mason Denaburg, RHP, Merritt Island HS, FL
PBR Draft Board: 9
FB: 60/70            SL: 55/70            CH: 50/60
Denaburg is an athlete-turned-baseball-player and a legitimate two-way prospect. He has put his focus on the mound and it has shown in the results. The mechanics have simplified and are compact and sound. The arm is very quick and works with little effort. He flashes big velo early, but is still learning to harness it. He shows the ability to adjust and pitch at 91-93, touching 94 when needed. The breaking ball continues to flash plus with hard, late break. (Doug Freeman)

Find Denaburg's full report in the Draft HQ.

Kumar Rocker, RHP, North Oconee HS, GA
PBR Draft Board: 10
FB: 60/70            CB: 60/70            CH: 20/50
Rocker looks like a defensive end, standing about 6-foot-4 or 6-foot-5 and 240-250 pounds. He pitches with tremendous ease and the plus fastball just explodes out of his hand with downhill plane and excellent life from a high-3/4 slot. He commanded the pitch down in the zone for most of the night, quickly adjusting if one got away from him. To make matters worse for hitters, his curveball was on point. It’s a power pitch, sitting 82-85 with hard downer break and depth. A couple opponents somehow made contact with it, but it’s a swing-and-miss, 70-grade offering. (Nathan Rode)

Find Rocker's full report in the Draft HQ.

Brice Turang, SS, Santiago HS, CA
PBR Draft Board: 16
HIT: 30/50            POWER: 30/40            SPEED: 60/70            DEFENSE: 55/60            ARM: 50/60

Turang has wiry strength with room to fill out his 6-foot, 160-pound frame. The son of a big leaguer, he has always shown excellent instincts in the game. He routinely puts the bat on the ball and can drive it to all fields. He is a plus runner and uses his speed and instincts to be a menace on the base paths. That speed also plays defensively, giving him above average range at shortstop. He is a very good athlete, seemingly able to make any play and throw on the move. (Nathan Rode)

Find Turang's full report in the Draft HQ.

Travis Swaggerty, OF, South Alabama
PBR Draft Board: 12
HIT: 40/55            POWER: 30/45            SPEED: 60/60            DEFENSE: 50/60            ARM: 60/60
Swaggerty has a Brett Gardner frame and is an athletic center fielder with tools, baseball skills and instincts. Despite hitting off balance—a result of a narrow base and long stride—he keeps his hands back and connected to his hips. He has explosive, strong hands and uses his hips well. He swings easy and whistles the bat through the zone. He is smooth defensively, consistently running strong routes to go with his easy, plus speed. (David Seifert)

Find Swaggerty's full report in the Draft HQ.

Sean Hjelle, RHP, Kentucky
PBR Draft Board: 19
FB: 55/60            CB: 55/60            SL: 45/55            CH: 55/60
Hjelle has an extra tall, long-bodied and long-limbed frame at 6-foot-11, 225 pounds. He’s surprisingly athletic and repeats his delivery, leveraging the ball from a high-3/4 slot with a loose arm swing and good arm speed. Hjelle’s two-seam fastball sits 91-93, peaking at 94 early, and shows tail and sink in addition to steep downplane. His knuckle-curveball flashes plus at 80-83 and he throws it to both sides of the plate. He also showed an 85-87 slider and 83-86 power changeup. (David Seifert)

Find Hjelle's full report in the Draft HQ.

Jackson Kowar, RHP, Florida
PBR Draft Board: 21
FB: 60/60            SL: 50/55            CH: 60/70
Kowar is wiry at 6-foot-6, 185 pounds. He has a very simple, low-effort delivery and throws from a 3/4 slot. The arm works free and easy with whip, as the ball comes out his hand very well. The fastball worked 92-94 mph, touching 97 with late, riding life. Despite a plus fastball, he seemingly pitched backwards early, working off of a plus changeup at 83-86. He threw the pitch in any count to any hitter. He showed impressive ability to control the pitch to right-handed hitters on the inner half. He also showed a feel for an above-average slider with late sweeping action at 75-78. (Doug Freeman)

Find Kowar's full report in the Draft HQ.

Jameson Hannah, OF, Dallas Baptist
PBR Draft Board: 22

HIT: 50/60            POWER: 45/50            SPEED: 60/60            DEFENSE: 50/55            ARM: 30/40
Hannah has a lean, athletic and fast-twitch frame at 5-foot-11, 190 pounds. He has quick, strong hands and a balanced swing. His demeanor at the plate is confident and he has elite hand-eye coordination. He takes pitches with easy rhythm, seemingly picking the ball up early out of the hand. He has above-average range in the outfield and runs easily with long strides. (Toby Bicknell)

Find Hannah's full report in the Draft HQ.

Nico Hoerner, SS, Stanford
PBR Draft Board: 23
HIT: 40/55            POWER: 30/40            SPEED: 55/60            DEFENSE: 45/50            ARM: 55/55

Hoerner is an athletic, medium-frame infielder with good bounce and energy. Offensively, he showed a mostly balanced approach with a loose swing. He’s more of a doubles or gap power type with the chance to hit 10-12 home runs a year in pro ball. He has contact and pitch recognition skills that should allow him to also hit for average, as well as take his share of walks. His above-average to plus speed plays in the game. He showed above-average arm strength with a quick release and solid carry to his target. Although not a silky smooth defender, Hoerner has good hands and is aggressive and confident in the dirt. (David Seifert)

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Trevor Larnach, OF, Oregon State
PBR Draft Board: 24
HIT: 40/50            POWER: 40/60            SPEED: 40/40            DEFENSE: 40/45            ARM: 40/45
Larnach’s frame immediately stands out in the box and though he has some strength, it still looks like has room to add more. He has always had the ability to drive balls in the opposite gap, but looks to have added more pull-side power. He has a quiet approach with quick hands and strong wrists with the ability to make adjustments. (Shooter Hunt)

Find Larnach's full report in the Draft HQ.

Adam Kloffenstein, RHP, Magnolia HS, TX
PBR Draft Board: 30
FB: 50/60            CB: 50/60            SL: 50/60            CH: 50/60
Kloffenstein works from a high-3/4 slot with a quick arm stroke. His fastball got up to 95 a couple of times but was mostly 92-94 through the first three innings. He had great command of four pitches with all of them coming from the same window. He features a changeup that he throws with fastball arm speed, heavy depth, and some fade. He used his changeup more the first time through the order, but did flash a couple of sliders with 11/5 shape at 84 mph. He also works in the occasional curveballl with more 12/6 shape at 79-80. (Toby Bicknell)

Find Kloffenstein's full report in the Draft HQ.

Grayson Rodriguez, RHP, Central Heights HS, TX
PBR Draft Board: 32
FB: 50/60            CB: 55/60            SL: 50/60            CH: 40/45
At 6-foot-5, 210-pounds, Rodriguez has a strong, long-limbed frame. He works from a high-3/4 slot with a low-effort delivery and a long, clean arm swing. His fastball sat at 96 in the first inning, touching 98 mph once. In the second inning his fastball ranged from 94-97. He locates well to his glove side, occasionally coming in to right-handed hitters. He used a big breaking curveball with 11/5 shape and good depth early in the game at 74-78 mph. His slider was his third best pitch for the first three innings with flat, inconsistent spin at 81-83 mph. But the pitch got better from the fourth inning on, and he went to it more often for swings and misses with sharp spin, and late, short 10/4 bite. (Toby Bicknell)

Find Rodriguez's full report in the Draft HQ. 

Nolan Gorman, 3B, O’Connor HS, AZ
PBR Draft Board: 41
HIT: 30/40            POWER: 50/60            SPEED: 40/40            DEFENSE: 40/40            ARM: 40/50
Gorman is a high-risk prep hitter with big ceiling due to his elite raw power. It’s generated more from strength than elite bat speed. He can miss balls and still have them leave the yard. The body has gotten thicker, especially in lower half which has made it questionable whether or not he can stick at third base. His ceiling as a pro will be dictated almost entirely by whether or not his hit tool allows him to get to the high-end raw power and where he ends up defensively. The arm strength is at least a tick above average and the hands work fine. (Jordon Banfield)

Find Gorman's full report in the Draft HQ.

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