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The Marlins have the No. 13 overall pick in Monday’s 2017 MLB Draft as they look to build up one of the worst farm systems in baseball.
Miami took LHP Braxton Garrett with the No. 7 overall pick last year and went with 1B Josh Naylor in the first round in 2015.
The consensus is that the Fish will look for pitching early in the draft, and almost definitely will take a hurler with the 13th-overall pick. They say you always need pitching, and now is the time to get it.
Here’s a look at who the major baseball outlets are projecting the Marlins to pick Monday night.
SB Nation - LHP DL Hall - Valdosta High School (GA)
Hall is a lefty who is committed to Florida State, but his stuff should be good enough to sign right out of high school. His fastball hangs around 92 mph while he can touch 95 or 96, but his curveball is what has scouts salivating.
Baseball America - RHP Shane Baz - Concordia Lutheran High School (TX)
Baz has been known to throw five different pitches, giving him a more extended arsenal than almost any other pitcher in this year’s draft. His fastball sits in the low 90s, but he also tosses in a cutter that can be very effective. The issue with Baz is that he is seriously considering his commitment to TCU, and may not sign no matter how high he is drafted.
Bleacher Report, CBS Sports, MLB.com - LHP David Peterson - Oregon
Peterson’s fastball is also in the low 90s, but it has good run and sink on it, making him tough to square up. In what was his final year at Oregon, Peterson showed incredible filth and control. The lefty struck out 140 batters in 100.1 innings while walking only 15, which came together as the fourth-best strikeout-to-walk ratio in the country.
The Marlins have a history of going with high school pitchers, so maybe a college arm with a little more experience could bode well for the Fish.
Sporting News - LHP Trevor Rogers - Carlsbad High School (NM)
Of all the lefties the Marlins are scouting, Rogers may have the most juice on his fastball, a pitch that can reach 95 mph regularly. Rogers adds a sweeping breaking ball to the fiery fastball, but his slider still needs some work and isn’t yet the strikeout pitch that it could be. The New Mexico native seems to be more of a high risk, high reward prospect in the first round.