Marlins 2017 top draft pick Trevor Rogers getting his feet wet

Trevor Rogers, the 20-year-old prep product from Carlsbad, New Mexico made his pro debut last Tuesday for the Low-A Greensboro Grasshoppers. The 6-6 left-handed pitcher was the 13th overall pick from the 2017 draft.

This was the second straight draft where the Marlins picked a high school lefty pitcher with their first-round pick, which is a testament to the organization taking the long view on development/rebuilding. MLB Pipeline projects him making the majors in 2021.

Unlike 2016 first-rounder Braxton Garrett (currently recovering from Tommy John surgery), Rogers didn’t pitch at all in the instructional league following the draft.

Per MLB Pipeline:

Rogers features an impressive fastball, one capable of reaching of the mid-90s but typically sits more in the low 90s. His heater plays up because of his long arms, deception and very good command of the pitch. The southpaw’s secondary stuff is well behind his fastball, as Rogers will throw a slider and a curveball that tend to bleed together, with the former currently ahead of the latter.

Already plenty athletic with clean arm action and a repeatable delivery, the Marlins believe Rogers is just scratching the surface of his physical potential. He’s been brought along slowly to begin his career, but Rogers has the profile to move relatively quickly as he attempts to achieve his ceiling of a mid-rotation starter.

Here’s extended video from his pro debut via Baseball America, which reinforces the scouting report:

Rogers worked again for the Grasshoppers on May 27. Both outings looked fairly similar in the box score.

• First start: 3.0 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 5 K
• Second start: 3.0 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 4 K

He’s gotten hit pretty hard so far, but such a small sample after a long layoff from competitive situations amounts to getting your feet wet. It’s refreshing to actually have a healthy first-round Marlins pick to follow, given the recent history of Garrett and Tyler Kolek.