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The 2018 MLB Draft begins on June 4 and the Miami Marlins will have some work to do. Their farm system still lacks the high-upside talent required to form the core of a sustainable contender. Selecting at No. 13 overall, the Fish must choose wisely.
One prospect who could land in Miami is outfielder Trevor Larnach, a junior coming out of Oregon State. The 21-year old is currently listed at 6-4, 205 pounds.
Prior to attending Oregon State, Larnach was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 40th round of the 2015 draft, but he did not sign with them and decided to attend OSU instead. He has added about 55 pounds to his frame since then and developed into a far more desirable player.
Trevor Larnach's two-run got Goss on their feet to score the @OpusBank #12Best Moment.#Pac12BSB pic.twitter.com/Dawu2l9Nbr
— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) May 12, 2018
According to MLB Pipeline, the outfielder ranks No. 27 on the top 100 prospects heading into this year’s draft.
In his first year in Oregon, Larnach struggled and was mostly relegated to bench duty. He slashed .157/.271/.176 with just one extra-base hit and three RBI. He progressed the next season, where he started to get on base a lot more and really start to show the potential for some serious pop in his bat.
However, 2018 would be his real showcase. Larnach slashed .328/.449/.652 with 17 home runs and 64 RBI in just 53 games played. In their April draft rankings, Eric Longenhagen and Kiley McDaniel of FanGraphs noted that “Larnach has hit a bunch of balls in excess of 100 mph this spring and is getting to his power without taking high-effort swings.”
Despite the obvious hitting ability, he is a poor baserunner with limited speed. Larnach also uses most of his power to hit to the opposite field, which raising concerns as to whether he’s doing so purposefully or reacting too slowly to pull the ball. Defensively, he would be limited to a corner outfield spot at the professional level, but does possess “above-average” arm strength.
Regardless, Larnach is a prospect that the Marlins should consider simply because his bat is too impressive to miss. Based on the most recent mock drafts, he would likely be available at No. 13. It will certainly be intriguing to see where this left-handed slugger eventually lands.