The Marlins turned their attention to big league-ready (or close to it) college talent on Monday, hitting the ground running for the second day of the 2024 Draft. Over rounds 3-10, the club added six college bats, a college right-hander and a high school arm to bolster its farm system. The previous night, Miami’s focus had been on younger, below-slot talent, as they selected a pair of high school position players and a college arm on Day 1.
"It was really how the board played out," Director of Amateur Scouting Frankie Piliere said via Zoom. "Our approach is always to get the best player available, but it just so happened that, [what] we thought all along, this was one of the strengths of this class -- that we felt it was pretty deep on the college bats, and [we're] really excited about the result."
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Here’s a look at the Marlins’ selections from Day 2:
Third round (92nd overall): Gage Miller, INF, University of Alabama
Notable Skill: Miller, who MLB Pipeline ranked as the No. 68 Draft prospect and who many expected to be a first-rounder, is a versatile infielder with strong zone control and 20-homer potential. Miller spent two years at Bishop State (Ala.) CC before transferring to Alabama, where he broke out at the plate and led the Crimson Tide in nearly all offensive categories.
Fun Fact: Miller was one of two Dick Howser Trophy semifinalists this year from Alabama. The award is given to the top player in college baseball as voted by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.
Quotable: “What really got me to where I’m at is the weight room,” Miller said in an interview with LebTown.com. “Getting bigger, getting stronger, being able to hit with power more. I just thought it was the best thing to do.”
Fourth round (122nd overall): Fenwick Trimble, OF, James Madison University
Notable Skill: Trimble was a key part of JMU’s offense in 2024, leading regular starters with a .369 average, 71 runs scored, 90 hits and 65 RBIs in 61 games. His 14 homers ranked fourth for the Dukes, and while his arm strength and run speed have room for improvement, he has solid bat speed.
Fun Fact: Trimble was named a 2024 Second Team All-American by the NCBWA. If that doesn’t impress you, Trimble -- ever the athlete -- lettered in high school in football, basketball and, of course, baseball.
Fifth round (155th overall): Grant Shepardson, RHP, Mountain Vista (Colo.) High School
Notable Skill: Ranked by MLB Pipeline as the No. 141 Draft prospect, Shepardson -- a San Francisco commit -- boasts two pitches that could have plus potential as he develops. His fastball ranges from 91-95 mph with high spin, while his slider -- his go-to offering -- averages 81-85 mph with high break. While command has been an issue, he showed decent growth in 2024 -- enough to earn the fifth-round pick.
Fun Fact: Shepardson is just the third Colorado high school arm taken in the top five rounds over the past decade (joining Case Williams in 2021 and Brock Burke in ‘14).
Quotable: “I think one of my strong suits is when I face some adversity in games, I don’t let it get to me,” Shepardson said to Baseball Prospect Journal earlier this year. “I’m good at keeping my composure and keeping my focus even if an inning isn’t going my way. Staying mature and controlling what I can control on the mound is my biggest asset right now.”
Sixth round (184th overall): Payton Green, SS, Georgia Tech
Notable Skill: Green, who MLB Pipeline ranked the No. 169 Draft prospect, roamed the infield at NC State before he transferred to Georgia Tech, where he began specializing at shortstop. With solid arm strength but average range, he has good potential to be a power-based utility player. At the plate, Green is aggressive (a .308 average and .577 slugging percentage) but has a tendency to chase out of the zone.
Fun Fact: Green was selected in the 15th round of the 2021 Draft by Boston, but he opted not to sign and instead continue developing his skills at NC State.
Seventh round (214th overall): Nick Brink, RHP, Portland
Notable Skill: The No. 166 Draft prospect, per MLB Pipeline, Brink has developed into a starter at Portland over the past two years after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2022. Brink’s stuff is more about a complete arsenal, with four solid pitches including a fastball that reaches 95 mph with impressive command.
Fun Fact: Brink threw two complete games in 2024, the only West Coast Conference pitcher to do so. He also led the WCC with 130 strikeouts, the sixth-most in the nation and the second-most in a single season in Pilots history.
Quotable: “He’s really built like a pitcher -- he’s tall [6’2”] and his hips start really high,” Coach Geoff Loomis said to Baseball America. “He looks like a pitcher. He had some good stuff in high school, but he didn’t know what he was doing a whole lot. Then [he] became a strike thrower and that’s when it took off for him.”
Eighth round (244th overall): Jacob Jenkins-Cowart, OF, East Carolina
Notable Skill: At 6-foot-6, Jenkins-Cowart is reminiscent of Hunter Pence -- but not quite with the same level of athleticism. Ranked the No. 228 Draft prospect, Jenkins-Cowart has a penchant for putting the bat on the ball -- though it can lead to almost too much contact -- and he boasts immense raw power.
Fun Fact: Jenkins-Cowart was a five-time ECU Director of Athletics Honor Roll member and was named to the AAC All-Academic Team twice.
Ninth round (274th overall): Dub Gleed, 3B, UC-Irvine
Notable Skill: Gleed, ranked the No. 198 Draft prospect, produced some impressive offense in 2024, despite missing three stretches dealing with a pulled hamstring. It is Gleed’s bat-to-ball ability, not power, that stands out, as he boasts stellar contact skills from the right side and solid control of the strike zone, posting a .351 average with a 1.019 OPS in 2024.
Fun Fact: Gleed’s given first name is William, but he goes by “Dub.” He grew up in Hawai’i, though he was born in American Fork, Utah.
Tenth round (304th overall): Michael Snyder, 3B, Oklahoma
Notable Skill: Snyder has some solid power in his 6-foot-4 frame, hitting .354 with a 1.103 OPS, 59 RBIs, three triples and a team-leading 26 doubles and 16 stolen bases.
Fun Fact: Snyder played four seasons at the University of Washington before transferring to Oklahoma for graduate studies. A Los Angeles native, Snyder brought some “zen” to the Sooners, teaching the team the practice of grounding.
Quotable: “He adds a little bit of calmness, like a veteran type,” Oklahoma coach Skip Johnson said to The Oklahoman. “He's brought some weird things that I've never really known about in my life. I'm 58 years old and don't really know what grounding is yet or eating liver and stuff like that. So it's been unique.”