Quick hits on the Miami Marlins’ picks from Day 2 of the 2024 MLB Draft

The Miami Marlins started the 2024 MLB Draft by selecting a pair of prep hitters in outfielder PJ Morlando and shortstop Carter Johnson along with a college pitcher in Aiden May on Sunday.

On Monday, they added eight more players: six college hitters, one college pitcher and one high school pitcher.

The draft ends with Rounds 11-20 on Tuesday.

Here are quick hits on the eight players the Marlins selected on Day 2.

3 (92) Alabama infielder Gage Miller

Miller was a second-team All-American in his lone season at Alabama, hitting .381 with 19 home runs, 58 RBI and a 1.182 OPS in 56 games with the Crimson Tide. MLB Pipeline’s scouting report says Miller “consistently puts the barrel on the ball from the right side of the plate and can handle velocity as well as breaking balls, with a tendency to get fooled by changeups his lone weakness at the plate. An intelligent hitter, he controls the strike zone and understands how pitchers will try to work him. His strength and bat speed give him 20-homer potential, mostly to his pull side, and he also will lace line drives to the opposite field.”

Defensively, Miller played third base at Alabama but the Marlins are listing him as a second baseman.

4 (122) James Madison outfielder Fenwick Trimble

Trimble hit .369 with 21 doubles, one triple, 14 home runs, 65 RBI, 71 runs scored, 29 walks and 16 stolen bases in 61 games as a junior en route to being named a second-team All-American by NCBWA. Over his three-year career at James Madison, Fenwick hit .332 with 34 home runs and 156 RBI over 169 games.

5 (155) Highlands Ranch (Colo.) Mountain Vista High right-handed pitcher Grant Shepardson

The 18-year-old and San Francisco University commit posted a 3.10 ERA with 86 strikeouts against 21 walks in 44 2/3 innings pitched over nine games started.

According to MLB Pipeline’s scouting report, Shepardson’s fastball sits between 91-95 mph with a high spin rate, but his slider that hits up to 85 mph is his go-to pitch. He also has a changeup that’s a work in progress and overall has to improve his command.

6 (184) Georgia Tech shortstop Payton Green

Green hit .309 with 14 doubles, two triples, 12 home runs, and 42 RBI in 55 games last season in his lone year at Georgia Tech. He spent his first two college seasons at NC State.

According to MLB Pipeline, Green “has 20-homer shortstop upside, though both his hitting ability and defense draw mixed reviews. While Green has made more consistent contact as a junior, he still has an aggressive, pull-heavy mindset and chases too many pitches out of the strike zone. His right-handed swing can get long and features fairly ordinary bat speed. … He does have solid raw power and can drive the ball out of the park to the opposite field, though his approach means most of his homers carry to his pull side.”

7 (214) Portland right-handed pitcher Nick Brink

Brink went 10-4 with a 3.61 ERA (40 ER/99.2 IP), and 130 strikeouts against just 23 walks in 15 games started last season. It was his first full season as a starter after sparingly pitching out of the bullpen as a freshman in 2021, missing all of 2022 due to Tommy John surgery and not moving into the rotation until midway through his junior season in 2023.

Brink’s fastball only averaged about 92 mph last season but he is able to command it to all parts of the zone. He complements it with a circle changeup, a slider that can miss bats and a curveball.

8 (244) East Carolina outfielder Jacob Jenkins-Cowart

Jenkins-Cowart was the preseason pick for AAC Player of the Year each of the past two seasons. While he never got the honor, he was a first-team all-conference selection both years and a third-team All-American in 2023. He hit .323 with 35 home runs, 189 RBI, 138 runs scored and a .905 OPS over three seasons at East Carolina. MLB Pipeline’s scouting report noted the following: “While the left-handed hitter can drive the ball out of the park to his pull side as well as the opposite field, he’s very spread out at the plate and scouts think he needs to stand more upright and generate more leverage to provide enough pop in pro ball. He puts the bat on the ball almost too easily, generating too much suboptimal contact. ... Jenkins-Cowart will have to generate more offense to profile as a regular at the next level. He has good instincts in the outfield, but his below-average speed limits him to the corners. He’s capable in right field, though his average arm strength may be a bit less than desired.

9 (274) University of California Irvine third baseman Dub Gleed

Gleed missed time this season with hamstring injuries but managed to still hit .351 with eight doubles, six home runs, 35 RBI and 23 runs scored in 34 games while splitting time between third base and designated hitter.

“Even while not 100 percent, Gleed has shown very impressive contact skills from the right side of the plate,” reads MLB Pipeline’s scouting report. “He doesn’t swing and miss or chase much and really punishes fastballs. There is some extra-base pop for him to tap into, mostly showing up to his pull side so far, but power isn’t likely going to be a huge part of his game. ... His offensive profile would be better if he could stay up the middle at second base, but his lack of agility makes him better suited for third. He has the arm strength for the left side, but the lack of power makes him a little more of a tweener.”

10 (304) Oklahoma third baseman Michael Snyder

In his lone season at Oklahoma after transferring in from Washington, Snyder hit .354 with 26 doubles, three triples, 11 home runs and 59 RBI in 61 games and was first-team All-Big 12.