Miami Marlins: Top three first round MLB draft picks
With another NFL Draft upon us, what better time to look back on past MLB Drafts, and the top three first-round picks in Miami Marlins history.
When it comes to the first round of the MLB Draft, it has been a rollercoaster ride for the Miami Marlins.
However, the crazy thing about the MLB Draft is that I could have typed the above sentence, accurately, about any franchise in baseball.
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The NFL Draft, which gets underway Thursday night, is the polar opposite. Perhaps not every player picked in their first-round ends up in the Hall of Fame, though all but one (1992) that could have done so to this point did produce at least one Hall of Famer. They might not all be Pro Bowlers either. But, barring injury, every player drafted in the first round will play meaningful minutes for an NFL team in the next two seasons. Most will be starters at some point. Most will have long professional careers.
No draft in professional sports is more of a tossup than the MLB Draft.
A random sampling of famous MLB names? Consider Cal Ripken Jr., a second-round selection. The same round Barry Bonds was picked in. Or how about Nolan Ryan, a pitcher of modest accomplishment, who only warranted a twelfth round pick. How about Albert Pujols? He’s a name. Picked not 13th overall, but in the thirteenth round.
Those stories aren’t exceptions. They’re the rule.
As for the Miami Marlins, out of 34 first-round picks in franchise history to date, 17 have worn a Miami Marlins uniform. Perhaps some of you feel you can name most of them, spouting off past Marlins greats? I’d caution you that making the majors is not the same thing as staying there.
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For perspective, consider the Marlins Franchise Four from 2015: Jeff Conine, Mike Lowell, Gary Sheffield, and Giancarlo Stanton. Only Sheffield was a first-rounder. And only Stanton was actually drafted by the Marlins.
When it comes to first-round picks that were successful for the Marlins, it’s a very shortlist. So short, in fact, that I gave up on the idea of making this a Top 5 ranking. Had I done that…well let’s just say mystery would go out the window. Of those 17 MLB first-rounders, only 10 would even make a list of “Made You Happy We Drafted Them For A Single Afternoon.”
So we’re going with three, the top three first-round picks in Miami Marlins franchise history. Starting with…