Marlins Take Optimistic View Of Trevor Rogers

The Marlins first scouted high school lefthander Trevor Rogers in the summer of 2016 at the Area Code Games.

“When I saw him,” said Marlins scouting director Stan Meek, “I said, ‘He could be our first-round pick.’ “

One year later, he was just that. Miami selected him with the 13th overall pick in the draft.

Rogers, a 6-foot-6, 190-pound southpaw from Carlsbad (N.M.) High, pitched three no-hitters this season, including a perfect game. He went 11-0, o.33 with 134 strikeouts in 63 innings.

However, there are different viewpoints on Rogers, who turns 20 in November.

If you are a Marlins pessimist, the case against Rogers is that he is old for his class, played against inferior competition in New Mexico and has a fastball that at times has dipped to the 88-90 mph range. Baseball America ranked him the 30th-best draft prospect, making him a reach at No. 13.

If you are a Marlins optimist, take Meek’s word that the team has clocked him at 90-93 mph and as high as 97. Meek also likes that Rogers, who throws from a low three-quarters arm slot that gives him deception, has been a “strike-thrower” and healthy, which is a huge factor.

The Marlins are confident they can sign Rogers at the slot value of $3.9 million, which should be more than enough to get him to bypass his college career at Texas Tech.

Miami needs to hit on this pick because its farm system has consistently ranked among the shallowest in the game. Additionally, two recent first-round picks—Tyler Kolek and Braxton Garrett—have battled arm injuries.

The Marlins took Rogers instead of college pitchers who are presumably closer to the majors, such as North Carolina’s J.B. Bukauskas, Florida’s Alex Faedo or Oregon’s David Peterson.

By taking him, the Marlins saved Rogers a shopping trip on his father’s birthday.

“This is just as big a moment for him as it is for me,” Rogers said on the MLB Network telecast. “This will be pretty hard to top (as a birthday gift). He will never forget this.”