Marlins Predicted to Add Top Outfield Prospect in MLB Draft

The Miami Marlins need to hit on a draft pick. 

The organization’s strength has always been developing pitching, and recent first-rounders Thomas White and Noble Meyer both look to be the real deal. But the team’s had less success with hitters in the draft, with the selection of 2022 first-rounder Jacob Berry being questioned after the slugger’s struggled to translate his power game to professional baseball. Despite hitting 32 collegiate homers with a .655 slugging percentage across two seasons, the corner infielder has put up a .369 slug with only 14 homers in 167 minor league games. 

MLB Pipeline’s latest mock draft has the Marlins trying again to fortify their position player group, with them being mocked to take Florida State outfielder James Tibbs at pick #16. 

Tibbs, the #22 talent on MLB Pipeline’s draft rankings, has batted .393/.493/.828 this season with 18 homers while spending all of his time in right field. In previous seasons, he’s also played left field and first base, with some time in the Cape Cod League in centerfield. 

MLB Pipeline’s write-up in their mock draft specifically mentions his plate discipline, noting that Tibbs has “twice as many walks as strikeouts this spring”. 

And for an organization that could use more impact from its outfielders, the selection of Tibbs would be welcomed as a potential difference-making one in the future. Miami’s outfielders have batted .231/.288/.359 this season, hitting only eleven homeruns as a group across the first 33 games of the season. 

Miami’s Top 30 prospects list from MLB Pipeline includes seven outfielders, but the only two inside the top ten are AAA’s Victor Mesa Jr. and Single-A’s Kemp Alderman, a high draft pick from last season. Mesa has an average power grade (50 on the 20-80 scouting scale), while Alderman’s plus power (60) is mitigated somewhat by his below-average hit tool (45).