The Marlins made the postseason for the second time in four seasons in 2023. While Miami’s roster was shaped by a series of trades and smart signings, Miami did get help from several of their past MLB Draft picks, including Andrew Nardi and Braxton Garrett. But, which MLB Draft picks over the past decade by the Marlins have been the best? Here’s a look at which drat picks have worked out for the Fish.
Best Marlins Draft Picks Over Last 10 Seasons
| Name | Position | Year Drafted | Round | Career bWAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brian Anderson | 2B/3B/OF | 2014 | 2 | 9.8 |
| Stone Garrett | OF | 2014 | 8 | 2.3 |
| Josh Naylor | 1B/OF | 2015 | 1 | 5.7 |
| Chris Paddack | P | 2015 | 8 | 2.1 |
| Braxton Garrett | P | 2016 | 1 | 5.2 |
| Michael King | P | 2016 | 12 | 6.8 |
| Trevor Rogers | P | 2017 | 1 | 3.7 |
| Alex Vesia | P | 2018 | 17 | 2.7 |
| JJ Bleday | OF | 2019 | 1 | 1.8 |
| Andrew Nardi | P | 2019 | 16 | 1.4 |
Per bWAR, the most productive player selected by Miami over the last decade was Brian Anderson. A second-round pick in 2014, Anderson hit .256 (.750 OPS) across six seasons and belted a career-high 20 home runs for the Marlins in 2019.
Miami received good results thus far from Max Meyer, a 2020 first-round pick, but two other pitchers selected in the first round have been valuable, as well.
Trevor Rogers became an All-Star in 2021 for the Marlins. Braxton Garrett, an Alabama prep product who mystified high school hitters with his plus curveball, fine-turned his arsenal in recent years by relying more on his slider. The result? A 3.66 ERA (3.68 FIP) in 2023, 156 strikeouts over 159.1 IP, and helping the Marlins make the postseason in a 162-game season for the first time in 20 years.
It should be noted, though, that many of the players listed here achieved significant success outside of Miami. Josh Naylor, traded in 2016 to the Padres in the maligned Colin Rea deal, turned into a productive power hitter with Cleveland. Chris Paddack — traded for Fernando Rodney in 2016 — and Michael King — moved in 2017 to the Yankees for Garrett Cooper and Caleb Smith — both became quality starters.
And in 2024, JJ Bleday, who hit .167/.227/.309 over 65 games with the Fish, turned into a valuable bat for the A’s after Miami traded him in 2023 for A.J. Puk.
Now, we move from the best Marlins draft picks to those that didn’t work out.
Worst Marlins Draft Picks Over Last 10 Seasons
| Name | Position | Year Drafted | Round | Career bWAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyler Kolek | P | 2014 | 1 | Never played in MLB |
| Blake Anderson | C | 2014 | 1 | Never played in MLB |
| Justin Twine | INF | 2014 | 2 | Never played in MLB |
| Brett Lilek | P | 2015 | 2 | Never played in MLB |
| Connor Scott | OF | 2018 | 1 | Never played in MLB |
| Osiris Johnson | INF | 2018 | 2 | Never played in MLB |
| Kameron Misner | OF | 2019 | 1 | Never played in MLB |
After Houston selected Brady Aiken with the first overall pick in 2014, Miami opted for Tyler Kolek. Kolek was a Texas high school product who jumped up draft boards in 2013 after showcasing a triple-digit fastball in summer ball.
Unfortunately for Kolek, the righty could never find success at the MiLB level. Kolek couldn’t maintain the high velocity, underwent Tommy John surgery in 2016, and struggled mightily with command upon his return. He threw his last MiLB pitch in 2019.
Kolek was part of a tough draft for the Marlins in 2014. While Miami did hit with their top picks the next three seasons, 2018 first-round pick Connor Scott flashed sharpness at times but has struggled since hitting Double-A, where he spent all of 2022 and 2023 in the Pirates organization.
Scott and Osiris Johnson were part of a less-than-stellar 2018 MLB Draft. Miami, though, may get something out of second-round pick Will Banfield, who’s slowly developed into an interesting, defense-first catcher.
These lists do not include players selected but did not sign. bWAR figures as of June 2024.