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Marlins draft all college players with three picks from Florida State on Day 2
Twenty-one picks. Twenty-one college players.
The Miami Marlins followed their four selections in the first three rounds of the MLB draft Sunday with 17 more in Rounds 4 through 20 on Monday.
And for the first time in franchise history, none of their draft picks were high schoolers.
'It's funny sometimes the coincidences of a draft board,' Marlins' director of amateur scouting Frankie Piliere said in a Zoom call after the draft. 'Last year, we had a lot of different scenarios that we thought were going to play out — a lot of them college-oriented. It played out kind of the opposite.
'We had a lot of situations [this year] where we thought we were going to get a lot of high school players here. It ended up being a lot of college players. The board really does work that way for us.'
The result, Piliere said, was 'a lot of players we're really excited about, with a wide range of interesting and diverse skill sets.'
They picked up Monday right where they left off Sunday — focused on Florida State University talent.
After selecting outfielder Max Williams in the third round (No. 78 overall), the Marlins took second baseman Drew Faurot, drafting him as a shortstop at No. 108, in the fourth round.
Faurot, a switch hitter who could see time defensively at 'a lot of different spots,' Piliere said, slashed .307/.388/.564 with 51 runs, 16 home runs and 51 RBI in 58 games as a junior this past season, earning First-Team All-ACC honors.
'There were some stretches this year where [Faurot] was as hot as anyone in the country, and that's what he's capable of,' Piliere said. 'We think he's capable of those flashes over longer periods of time.'
Then in the sixth, the Marlins added a third Seminole: left-handed pitcher Joey Volini, at No. 168.
The 6-foot-4, 247-pound southpaw earned Second-Team All-ACC honors this past season, going 8-5 with a 3.50 ERA, 105 strikeouts and 25 walks over a team-high 87 1/3 innings in 16 appearances (15 starts). A Dick Howser Trophy semifinalist, he threw two complete games and logged three outings with double-digit strikeouts.
Of taking three guys from Tallahassee, Piliere noted, 'They just tend to have a lot of hitters that we like. I've made the comment a number of times — they do a great job there.'
He added, 'And we tend to be scouting there a lot because they have deep lineups and they have guys who perform, good athletes.'
Both fifth-round pick Chris Arroyo, a first baseman from the University of Virginia, and seventh-round pick Jake Clemente, a right-handed pitcher from the University of Florida, attended Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.
In the 10th round, the Marlins selected Missouri State second baseman Jake McCutcheon, an impressive athlete who can 'play all over the field.' In the 11th, they picked pitcher Jadon Williamson from Lewis-Clark State College (Idaho), a potential steal in their eyes.
'He was pretty under the radar, not a lot of data on him,' Piliere said of the 6-foot-5, 215-pound right-hander.
'We got a good look at him. Our scout up there has done a great job staying on him and digging,' he added. 'We think there's deception, a lot of unique action on his pitches. Just a really interesting project and projection piece that we think we can work with.'
In the 12th round, the Marlins selected Oregon State catcher Wilson Weber — a teammate of their first-round pick, Aiva Arquette.
In all, they drafted 11 pitchers (including four left-handers), three outfielders, three shortstops, and one each of the following: first baseman, second baseman, third baseman and catcher.
'You try to get the college bats early because they do tend to go fast,' Piliere said. 'History would tell you that if you draft those players early, you can put yourself in position for pitchers later.
'If you look up and down our list right now, It does particularly skew that way. And yeah, we did look to do that.'
