Miami Marlins follow up big bat first-round pick by drafting nine consecutive pitchers

The Miami Marlins began their 2022 MLB Draft by selected who they believed was the best hitter in the draft in LSU’s Jacob Berry at No. 6 overall.

The Marlins then proceeded to select nine consecutive pitchers to wrap up the first half of the draft.

The run on pitchers began when Miami selected Liberty Union (Ohio) High School righty Jacob Miller with the No. 46 pick on Sunday before going with eight more pitchers on Day 2, which consisted of Rounds 3-10. The final day of the draft, which will include Rounds 11-20, begins at 2 p.m. Tuesday.

After drafting another high school pitcher in Round 3, Liberty (Missouri) right-hander Karson Milbrandt, Miami’s final seven selections Monday were all college arms.

Marlins senior director of amateur scouting DJ Svihlik said Monday there was a “concerted effort” to take pitchers in the second and third rounds.

As for Rounds 4-10?

“We just played the board straight up,” Svihlik said. “The next two picks — [Duke right-handed pitcher] Marcus Johnson and [Cal right-handed pitcher] Josh White — were pretty straight up. And then at that point, some of the position players that we really wanted weren’t available, so we took the next tier of pitching that we really liked.”

Here’s what you need to know about each of the Marlins’ selections on Monday.

Round 3: Liberty (Missouri) High RHP Karson Milbrandt

The 6-2, 190-pound righty was Missouri’s Gatorade Player of the year after going 7-1 with a 1.66 ERA and 91 strikeouts as a senior.

Milbrandt, 18, has a fastball that hits 96 mph and has a high spin rate. He also has good feel for his curveball and slider and is developing a changeup that he didn’t have to use often in high school.

Milbrandt, like second-round pick Miller, will most likely begin at the rookie-level Florida Complex league after they sign while some of the college pitchers will have the chance to begin at Single A Jupiter.

Round 4: Duke RHP Marcus Johnson

Johnson thrived as a reliever for Duke as a sophomore (3.05 ERA with 59 strikeouts in 56 innings) before moving to the starting rotation as a junior where he had his struggles (5.61 ERA, 76 strikeouts against 25 walks in 69 innings).

His fastball velocity ranges from 92-97 mph. His best pitch is his slider (82-85 mph) and he also has a mid-80s changeup.

“We almost view Marcus as a young high school player that’s just touching his ability,” Svihlik said.

Round 5: Cal RHP Josh White

Ranked as the No. 188 prospect in the draft by MLB Pipeline, White had a 4.14 ERA over 36 games (15 starts) with 183 strikeouts in 141 1/3 innings pitched over three years at Cal. His fastball hits 97 mph but sat in low 90s as a starter. He also has a slider, curveball and changeup.

Round 6: Louisville RHP Jared Poland

Poland, originally a two-way player, posted a 4.04 ERA over 43 games (17 starts) with Louisville. He moved into the Cardinals’ rotation in 2022 and had a 3.46 ERA with 103 strikeouts against 32 walks in 83.1 innings. His fastball sits between 91-93 mph and touches 96.

The Marlins view Johnson, White and Poland all as starters.

Round 7: Louisiana Tech RHP Kyle Crigger

A fifth-year senior, Crigger is 6-2 and 180 pounds and pitched almost exclusively as a reliever for Louisiana Tech. He posted a career 2.68 ERA with 120 strikeouts and 30 walks in 111 innings over 60 appearances. He recorded 16 saves in three seasons with Louisiana Tech, including 10 during his senior season in which he posted a 2.35 ERA with 79 strikeouts in 69 innings.

Svihlik said the Marlins view Crigger as a swingman and will give him the opportunity to be a starting pitcher to begin his pro ball career.

Round 8: Rutgers LHP Dale Stanavich

A redshirt junior, Stanavich has a 2.51 ERA in 39 appearances (all relief) with 15 saves during his two seasons at Rutgers. He logged 81 strikeouts against 18 walks over 57 1/3 total innings in 2021 and 2022 for the Scarlet Knights after beginning his career at Marshall in 2018 before transferring to Herkimer Community College in 2019 and then eventually making his way to Rutgers.

His fastball hits 95 mph and his slider has the potential to be an above-average pitch.

Round 9: Arkansas LHP Evan Taylor

Taylor pitched exclusively out of the bullpen at Arkansas, and that role should continue in pro ball.

After only pitching 14 2/3 innings during his first three seasons with the Razorbacks, Taylor posted a 3.65 ERA over 33 appearances in 2022. That included recording 54 strikeouts against 16 walks over 44 1/3 innings.

His fastball sits between 88 and 92 mph and he has a slider that could be an average pitch.

Svihlik said the Marlins targeted both Stanavich and Taylor as high-potential left-handed relievers early on, similar to how they approached 2019 draft selections Andrew Nardi and Josh Simpson — both of whom are now with Double A Pensacola.

Round 10: Louisiana Tech LHP Cade Gibson

Gibson, a fifth-year senior, pitched 156 2/3 innings in 42 appearances (24 starts) over his two seasons on the mound for Louisiana Tech after transferring in from LSU-Shreveport. He had a 5.57 ERA in that span, striking out 159 batters while walking 38.

“A pitchability starter,” Svihlik said.