Round 1 | Braxton Garrett | LHP | Florence HS (AL)

[emkayseven]

Shocker

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We passed on a guy who was a consensus 1-1 a few months ago at 7

oh well

[Todd]

Hey, tjfla was right about something for once.

[AdamRavs]

I dont hate the pick.

[Ralph]

boring but cool. Don´t hate it like Kolek over Rodon.

[emkayseven]

Just, all indications were that Groome is better than Garrett, so if you're taking a prep LHP why not Groome?

then again everyone else is passing on him so maybe something is up

[dim]

He only throws 88-92 MPH. That makes me

But the comparison seems to be a Jon Lester type. Relies on his curveball since it's his pitch with the best movement since his fastball is pretty stagnant. Probably not going to be a strikeout guy, more of a Nicolino or Heaney type than a Fernandez type.

We'll wait and see. Don't know anything about the guy other than the short videos I saw where from my view he seems pretty lax in his delivery. Mechanics don't seem to lend themselves to too much stress so less risk of injury. Probably didn't go after Groome because of signability, but honestly I'd rather get a guy who can join the team than take Groome and lose the pick until next year.

[AdamRavs]

He has hella good control. Which for us is nice.

[dim]

Just, all indications were that Groome is better than Garrett, so if you're taking a prep LHP why not Groome?

then again everyone else is passing on him so maybe something is up

He's gonna fall until the middle or late first rounds when teams not worried about signability and are in bigger markets take him. There's always a player like Groome who falls every year.

[emkayseven]

I should say that I don't hate the pic of the way that I usually hate early round prep arms. I've read a lot of positive stuff about the guy and this is not an overwhelmingly frontloaded draft where I think there is any kind of no-brainer to go there rather than Garrett.

[emkayseven]

from ESPN:

Garrett has the second-best breaking ball among high school lefties in this draft -- a 12-to-6 hammer in the 76-80 mph range -- and it projects to plus. He'll sit in the upper-80s with his fastball but touch as high as 94, and has significantly improved his delivery over the past year. He repeats it well, throws strikes and is athletic enough to project a solid-average changeup at maturity.

That's a mid-rotation package, and possibly more if he adds velocity and the changeup exceeds most projections. It's a solid selection, especially given that Jason Groome has reportedly been off Miami's board because of makeup issues.

http://espn.go.com/blog/mlb-draft/insider/post?id=2785

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The quest for pitching never ends, so it was no surprise that the Miami Marlins used the seventh pick in the first round of the amatuer draft Thursday to add to their stable of arms.

By selecting left-hander Braxton Garrett from Florence High in Alabama they added the most coveted commodity in baseball.


It is the second time in three years the Marlins have taken a high school pitcher — Tyler Kolek was the second overall choice by Miami in 2014.


Unlike Kolek, who came out of Texas with a 100-mph fastball, Garrett's forte is a curveball that scouts rave about for the way he commands it as an 18-year-old. He had only 15 walks in 65 1/3 innings with a 0.53 ERA and 131 strikeouts as a senior.

His fastball is in the low 90s, which may be a benefit to his arm. Kolek has already undergone Tommy John surgery, setting his development back a year.


Garrett helped the U.S. Under-18 team win the World Cup in Japan last year. But with a commitment to Vanderbilt, he could be difficult and pricey to sign, particularly since he is represented by Scott Boras.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-marlins/fl-marlins-draft-0610-20160609-story.html

Didn't realize he was a Boras guy

[HUGG]

7. Miami Marlins: LHP Braxton Garrett, Florence (Ala.) HS
Callis: Jason Groome was the No. 1 prospect on MLB Pipeline. Puk was a strong favorite to go first overall. But if I could have any left-hander in the draft, I would want Garrett. I think he's going to have the best career of them. He may not just be the safest high school pick, he may be the safest pick in general. What's the flaw in this guy? He's polished. He throws strikes. I think he's a potential No. 2 starter who gets to the big leagues very, very quickly.

http://m.mlb.com/news/article/183086...tions-analysis

[emkayseven]

wow

[Namaste]

So because he's a Boras guy, it's still totally possible we don't sign him, right?

I like this pick a lot. Safe. Likely to be the fastest to a big league rotation among the top draft picks.

Awesome name, too.

[nny]

So it sounds like the Marlins just did a lot of not Marlins things? Expensive and safe?

Maybe those Pirate guys we snagged are paying dividends.

[sports24/7]

This pick was pretty universally praised. Lots of people like this kid and he seems like he has a really high floor and could move quickly. He also seems to have a decent ceiling. Groome has a higher upside, but it sounds like there were serious issues with his character.