Miami Marlins 2022 MLB Mock Draft 1.0

The 2022 MLB Draft is less than two months away as it will kick off on Sunday, July 17. The Miami Marlins will have one of the earliest picks in each round due to their poor performance during the 2021 season which they finished with a 67-95 record (fourth in the NL East). They hold the sixth overall pick and will have the sixth pick in each subsequent round minus the compensation and competitive balance rounds.

For the first mock draft, we’ll only simulate three rounds—the 6th, 46th, and 85th overall selections—but will continue to expand the exercise as the draft date approaches.

Here is the Miami Marlins 2022 MLB Mock Draft 1.0.

First Round (6th overall)- Termarr Johnson 2B, Mays H.S. (GA)

With the sixth pick of the 2022 MLB Draft, the Miami Marlins select middle infielder Termarr Johnson. The Marlins grab the best pure hitting prospect in recent years with their first-rounder.

On MLB Pipeline, Termarr Johnson is the third-ranked prospect in the 2022 class. Johnson stands at 5’10” and 175 pounds with an elite hit tool and other plus offensive and defensive tools.

Johnson is a left-handed hitting prospect who can spray the ball to all fields with authority. He also has plus power due to his quick bat speed and compact swing. Johnson is a solid defensive prospect that currently plays shortstop in high school but likely moves to second base at the next level.

The Marlins farm system has struggled when it comes to developing bats. However, there aren’t many better pure hitters in baseball than the recent Arizona State commit. If the Marlins have the opportunity to select Johnson with their top pick, they should not hesitate.

Second Round (46th overall)- Jonathan Cannon RHP, Georgia

With the 46th pick of the 2022 MLB Draft, the Miami Marlins select right-handed pitcher Jonathan Cannon. The Georgia Bulldogs ace pitcher would be another excellent addition to the Marlins farm system.

The 6’6” 215-pound right-handed pitcher was expected to be selected in the first round during the 2021 MLB Draft. However, Cannon had some injuries and wasn’t the same pitcher when he came back.

Cannon returned to Athens for his junior season with the Bulldogs and he’s starting to look like the old Jonathan Cannon. During the 2022 season, Cannon has made twelve starts with a 9-3 record, 3.62 ERA, and a 0.94 WHIP.

Cannon possesses a four-pitch mix that includes a fastball, slider, cutter, and changeup. Cannon’s fastball usually sits in the low-90s and touches 96 mph. His best pitch is his cutter which sits in the upper 80s and gets tons of swing-and-miss. Cannon has a solid slider but is starting to lose his feel on the changeup.

In recent drafts, the Marlins have selected pitchers with plus fastballs and breaking pitches while helping them develop their changeup. I could see Cannon being the latest newcomer with this profile.

Third Round (85th pick)- Colby Thomas OF, Mercer

With the 85th pick of the 2022 MLB Draft, the Miami Marlins select outfielder Colby Thomas. The junior outfielder out of Mercer is having an incredible season.

Thomas is a 6’0” 190-pound Georgia native who was a highly touted prospect out of high school. The Baltimore Orioles selected him in the 37th round of the 2019 MLB Draft, understanding that he’d be close to unsignable at the time.

A three-year starter at Mercer, Thomas is slashing .325/.451/.734 as a junior with 55 hits, fourteen doubles, seventeen home runs, 45 RBIs, eleven stolen bases, and a 1.184 OPS.

Thomas is also a plus defensive outfielder with good range and speed. On the base paths, he has swiped 26 bags in NCAA competition and has only been caught three times. With his glove, Thomas reads the ball very well in the outfield and has plus arm strength. According to MLB Pipeline, some scouts think he can play center field at the next level (he has always been a right fielder at Mercer).

While Colby Thomas has had some swing-and-miss issues in the past, the Valdosta product has done a better job of cutting down his strikeouts and drawing more walks. Thomas has 34 walks compared to 32 strikeouts this season.