MIAMI -- The Marlins have the third overall pick in tonight’s MLB Draft, and who they should take remains open for debate.
Will it be, as many mock Drafts predict, Texas A&M left-hander Asa Lacy? Or what about an impactful hitter? If still on the board, could the choice be Arizona State first baseman Spencer Torkelson, Vanderbilt University third baseman/outfielder Austin Martin or New Mexico State University second baseman Nick Gonzales?
Fans can get a clearer picture of the team's intentions by tuning into the Marlins' Draft preview show. The #305OnTheRise: 2020 Draft Show will air tonight at 6:30 p.m. ET on the club's YouTube channel. It will feature interviews with team executives and former first-round picks.
The half-hour show leads into Day 1 of the MLB Draft tonight at 7 p.m. ET on MLB Network and ESPN.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic the MLB Draft has been reduced from 40 rounds in past years to five. The Marlins will have six total picks, with five of them coming on Day 2 on Thursday.
On Draft-related matters, fans are encouraged to use the #305OnTheRise hashtag on social media platforms.
Special guests on the preview show will be president of baseball operations Michael Hill, vice president of player development and scouting Gary Denbo and director of amateur scouting DJ Svihlik.
Additionally, the show will include interviews with former Miami first-round picks -- outfielder JJ Bleday (2019), outfielder Connor Scott (2018), left-hander Trevor Rogers (2017), and others.
Along with the third overall pick, the Marlins' other picks are: second round (40th overall), Competitive Balance Round B (61st), third round (75th), fourth round (104th) and fifth round (134).
Svihlik is credited with compiling an impressive 2019 class that sports five of the organization’s Top 18 players on the Marlins’ Top 30 Prospects list, according to MLB Pipeline.
Svihlik will be featured remotely on the MLB Network/ESPN Draft broadcasts.
During a Zoom conference call with South Florida media last week, Svihlik discussed the challenges of evaluating the 2020 Class because much of the college and high school seasons were cancelled.
“Upwards of 75 to 80 percent of the work is done in the summer and the fall,” Svihlik said. “Then, you polish some things up in the spring. Obviously, there are some challenges. It was a very challenging environment. I'm just about done with all these Zoom calls that we're on. It's more enjoyable to sit and talk about players in person. But it's the environment that we have to navigate.”