Miami Marlins 2024 MLB Draft Report Card

Best Pure Hitter: In a down high school draft class, outfielder PJ Morlando (1) had one of the better combinations of hitting ability and power. He had a lengthy track record of performance throughout his high school career and pairs bat speed with a sound approach at the plate and an ability to use the entire field with authority. Miami has already started to get Morlando more upright in his stance, which could change his offensive profile, but he projects to be an above-average pure hitter.

Best Power Hitter: Morlando (1) has huge raw power and was a consistent home run derby winner throughout his high school career—including winning the 2023 high school home run derby at the All-Star game—with easy plus raw power and a powerfully-built 6-foot-3, 200-pound frame. He’s generated power without fully incorporating his lower half, and that’s an area of focus for him with Miami’s player development. 

Fastest Runner: Outfielder Fenwick Trimble (4) is a plus runner who went 16-for-18 (88.9%) on the bases last spring with James Madison. In a 26-game pro debut with Low-A Jupiter, he went 11-for-17 (64.7%).

Best Defensive Player: The Marlins have a number of position players who will start their pro careers at premium positions but are risks to slide down the defensive spectrum. Shortstop Carter Johnson (2) is a shortstop now who might be able to stick at the position and be a fine defender, but he has the tools to be quite good at second base if he moves to the right side of the infield. 

Best Fastball: The Marlins didn’t draft significant velocity with their top-10 round arms, but  righthander Aiden May (2s) has a fastball that averaged 94 mph last spring with Oregon State and has been up to 98.

Best Secondary Pitch: May’s (2s) slider is a potential plus pitch that has a ton of horizontal movement and generated a 14% miss rate in college with Oregon State last spring. He averaged about 18 inches of glove-side break with it. Righthander Grant Shepardson (5) does a nice job spinning a slider around 80 mph that shows the pure spin and late-biting action that gives the pitch above-average potential. 

Best Pro Debut: First baseman Eric Rataczak (16) played 20 games with Low-A Jupiter and hit .284/.377/.328 with three doubles in his pro debut. In college, his underlying batted ball data was quite good, including an 84.6% contact rate, 92.3% in-zone contact rate and 110.7 mph 90-percentile exit velocity. 

Best Athlete: Trimble (4) has a well-rounded toolset with plus speed, solid arm strength, solid defense at all three outfield positions and the potential to grow into above-average power. 

Most Intriguing Background: Second baseman Gage Miller (3) was an offensive wrecking ball with Bishop State (Ala.) for two seasons when he led the program in most offensive categories and hit nearly .400. He then transferred to Alabama for the 2024 season where he made the Golden Spikes midseason watch list and slashed .381/.474/.702 with 18 home runs.  

Closest To The Majors: Both Morlando (1) and Miller (3) could be fast moving bats, but a dark horse candidate here is outfielder Jacob Jenkins-Cowart (8), who has three years of solid production with ECU on top of a well-rounded solid-average toolset and a big league body at 6-foot-6, 212 pounds. 

Best Day Three Pick (Or NDFA): Shortstop Cody Schrier (13) ranked as the No. 130 prospect in the class, and the Marlins signed him for $150,000 in the 13th round. He has solid bat speed, strength and pull-side power but will need to make more contact and get his barrel in the zone longer with solid secondary tools and well-respected baseball instincts.