2020 Draft

[rmc523]

Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald is reporting we're limiting ourselves to 10 undrafted signings?

[fauowls44]

MLB.com has ranked the Marlins draft #2 overall.

2. Marlins

Miami took the exact opposite approach to Detroit by selecting six straight pitchers, all with intriguing upside. The Marlins started with Minnesota right-hander Max Meyer (No. 3 overall), who pairs the best pitch in the Draft (a wipeout slider) with a fastball that reaches triple digits, and Oklahoma high school left-hander Dax Fulton (second round), the top prep southpaw available and the owner of a projectable 90-93 mph fastball and a nasty curveball. Ball State righty Kyle Nicolas (supplemental second) is one of the hardest-throwing starters (up to 100 mph) in the college ranks, while Coastal Carolina righty Zach McCambley (third) generates high spin rates on his low-90s fastball and power curveball. Vanderbilt lefty Jake Eder (fourth) and Southern California righty Kyle Hurt (fifth) lack consistency but can reach 97 mph with their fastballs and back them up with solid secondary pitches.

[sports24/7]

Kieth Law's review of the Marlins' draft:

Miami Marlins
This is the most I’ve liked a Marlins draft in 10 years — since the 2010 class that led off with Christian Yelich, at least — and it signals a very new, coherent approach to the draft from the new regime. They led off with Max Meyer (1), the top right-handed pitching prospect in the class, a starter for the University of Minnesota who’s been up to 99 mph with a plus-plus slider up to 93. He’s just 6 feet tall but has a great delivery and is an elite athlete and competitor. He could pitch in a major-league bullpen now or very soon, but his long-term outlook is at or near the top of a rotation. They came back with Dax Fulton (2), a high school left-hander from Oklahoma who is recovering from Tommy John surgery and was a probable first-rounder had he been healthy. Fulton is 6-6 and already in the low 90s with a future-plus curveball, but his delivery puts a lot of stress on his arm and the Marlins will have work to do to try to avoid further injury.

Right-hander Kyle Nicolas (2A) never threw strikes until this spring — he had 95 walks in his first two years at Ball State, in 112 innings, then walked 21 in 24 innings in the Cape Cod League — and that came in four starts against mediocre competition. He has a big fastball with a high spin rate but a massive head whack on release that you rarely see with starting pitchers. Right-hander Zach McCambley (3) has a 70 curveball, with high spin rates on that pitch and his fastball, and pitched very well as a starter in Cape Cod last summer, so even with effort in his delivery and the need for a better third pitch, he projects as a potential mid-rotation starter.

Lefty Jake Eder (4) didn’t get better in three years at Vanderbilt, with a passel of average pitches and below-average command. He looks like a starter in body and delivery and, in the fourth round, is a decent gamble; the Marlins can either improve one of his pitches from a 50 to a 60 or help him improve his command. Right-hander Kyle Hurt (5), like Eder, was a highly regarded prospect who priced himself out of the 2017 draft, heading instead to USC, where he also did not improve. He’s up to 96 mph with an above-average changeup and average 12/6 curveball, the last of which has gone backward since high school, and he hasn’t thrown enough strikes. That said, there’s size and enough stuff here to see a back-end starter, and a different developmental environment might unlock what USC couldn’t.

[tjfla]

Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald is reporting we're limiting ourselves to 10 undrafted signings?

16 guys and 10-15 IFA seems about right given the fact we didnt release anyone and likely Lo A is gone. Like put above-no real spots open other than C/1B/3B

16 Guys in the "Draft" and around 20 guys are sitting in the DSL so u got 35-40 NEW guys coming into the system. We actually got some talent in the DSL however most of them are P too while the bats are in GCL but need time

Gonna be interesting to see the guys we sign today because alot of solid names they were looking at are still out there. Few from FL and some pitchers

[Nick]

First signing is guess what? Another pitcher. Antonio Velez from Florida State. Left-handed had an 0.52 ERA in 17 1/3 innings in the truncated season this year.

[tjfla]

KC has already won the UDFA. They pretty much have had a 10 Rd draft

Miami has offers out to guys just waiting to get answers back. Remember these guys can go back to school and sign for 125K in a 20 Rd draft next week

Boston stealing tons of Florida guys and the NYM just signed McIllwain who we drafted LY

[tjfla]

Hearing we have a few guys signed but won't announce till physicals done. They trying to get a few HS guys and may already got 1

[fauowls44]

Marlins add a hitter!

Mason Bar chart
@mason_mcrae
VCU 3B Brett Norwood is signing with the Marlins for 20k, per sources.

Plus defender at 3B, injury riddled senior year shot his draft stock. But he’s a solid hitter with above average speed and natural instincts.
2:38 PM · Jun 16, 2020·Twitter for iPhone

[Lee Stone]

Haven't seen many comments about the draft. A pitcher I was watching was Mason Hickman, who had incredible results at Vandy the last two years. From a results perspective, he was even better than Rocker and Leiter, who are seen by many as the top two draft picks next year. The knock on Hickman is his lack of velocity, which concerns me a lot less than a lack of control from a fireballer. He didn't go until late in round 5, well after the Marlins had made six picks. The Indians, wonder workers with drafting pitchers, picked Hickman. Ironically, the Marlins did grab a Vandy starter in round 4, but it was LHP Jake Eder, who never really got it together as a collegian.

Overall, I'm crossing my fingers with Max Meyer, but preferred the concensus guy in Lacy. The high schooler Fulton is an obvious gamble. Interesting to note that the Marlins had the options of taking Lacy first and also JT Ginn in the second round. A couple posters saw that as the ideal scenario for the Marlins. I'll be pleasantly surprised if any of the other four Marlin picks pan out.

I like the $20K signing of LHP Velez from Florida State very, very much. He improved greatly over the last couple years and was FSU's best arm in the abbreviated 2020 season - significantly better than CJ VanEyk, drafted 42. In fact, I see another Vesia in Velez ... great stuff!

[tjfla]

Baltimore saved 2.5 million with Kjerstad. If Miami does get #3/4 in 2021 they need to do something like this-get that extra cash for later

JT Ginn signed for 2.9 million

Marlins have signed Meyer announcement likely tommorrow

[fauowls44]

Jim Callis
@jimcallisMLB
Supplemental 2nd-rder Kyle Nicolas signs with [MENTION=217]marlins[/MENTION]
for $1,129,700 (full slot 61 value). Ball State RHP, mid-90s fastball as a starter and up to 100 mph in shorter stints, also has a power slider, did a better job of throwing strikes this spring.
@MLBDraft
#WearAMask

[tjfla]

Callis says the reason Miami hasnt signed 4 guys yet is they are trying to sign them to 2021 contracts. Pretty smart idea as NO baseball this year for them and gets them another year for Rule 5

[Nick]

Callis says the reason Miami hasnt signed 4 guys yet is they are trying to sign them to 2021 contracts. Pretty smart idea as NO baseball this year for them and gets them another year for Rule 5

It also seems like a ridiculously cheap move. Yeah good move for the future of this organization. Draft guys, then immediately piss them off with your penny-pinching ways.

[fauowls44]

Dax Fulton posted a picture from Marlins Park today, so I assume he is close to finalizing a contract.

[fauowls44]

And now Mish is reporting that both Fulton and McCambley have signed. Could be announced tomorrow or Wednesday.