Breaking down Marlins' Day 2 Draft picks

The Marlins had a strong first day of the 2021 MLB Draft, selecting prep shortstop Kahlil Watson (No. 16 overall) and catcher Joe Mack (No. 31). The last time the organization chose high schoolers with its first two picks was 2018.

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After taking pitchers with every pick in the 2020 MLB Draft, the Marlins turned to position players with their first six in '21. Three of the first four were shortstops, while the final four selections from Rounds 7-10 were collegiate arms.

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The Draft will conclude with rounds 11-20 on Tuesday, starting at noon. MLB.com will simulcast MLB Network’s broadcast and provide live coverage. To view when teams pick, the Top 200 Prospects list, scouting video and more, visit MLB.com/Draft. Follow @MLBDraft and @MLBDraftTracker on Twitter to see what Draft hopefuls, clubs and experts are saying and to get each pick as it’s made.

Round 2, 52nd overall: Cody Morissette, SS, Boston College

Notable Skill: MLB Pipeline, which ranked Morissette as its No. 59 Draft prospect, gives the 21-year-old a ceiling of developing into a Chase Utley-type player. In 2021, the left-handed batter hit .321 with six home runs and 33 RBIs in 41 games, earning first-team All-ACC honors. The hit tool grades highest (55) for the 6-foot, 175-pounder, who is more than willing to draw walks and has shown excellent contact skills in the past.

Fun Fact: Both of Morissette's parents played college basketball. Morissette was teammates with center fielder Sal Frelick, who was chosen 15th overall by the Brewers.

Quotable: "That glove works at a couple of different positions if they really wanted him to," MLB Pipeline's Jonathan Mayo said. "He's played second, he's played some third. Boston College had a really good shortstop [in Brian Dempsey], so they kind of deferred to him. I might send him out as a shortstop. This is a real good pick in the second round. He entered the spring as a guy we thought might be one of those college bats in the first round, but had a bit of a rough spring, came on late. I think he didn't quite get to first-round territory because of the rough spring he had."

Round 3, 88th overall: Jordan McCants, SS, Pensacola Catholic High School (Pensacola, Fla.)

Notable Skill: The 19-year-old flashes a 60-grade run tool, which gives him a table-setting profile (.450, 24 RBIs, 13 stolen bases in 2021). Listed at 6-foot-1 and 165 pounds, the left-handed hitter consistently has professional at-bats and uses a slash approach that leaves him without much power. Ranked as MLB Pipeline's No. 133 overall Draft prospect, McCants attended the 2020 MLB Draft Prospect Development Pipeline. He is committed to College World Series champion Mississippi State.

Fun Fact: McCants' older brother, TJ, made the SEC All-Freshman team at Ole Miss in 2021. Jordan began playing drums in third grade.

Quotable: "When you get guys with super high-contact bats, that's very desirable when you attach it to a whole bunch of speed, when you attach it to the middle of the field," Marlins director of amateur scouting DJ Svihlik said. "We're talking about a player like an Orlando Hudson type of guy."

Round 4, 118th overall: Tanner Allen, OF, Mississippi State

Notable Skill: The 23-year-old Allen was one of the best hitters on a U.S. collegiate national team that featured four of the first 14 picks in the 2020 MLB Draft. In '21, he won the SEC batting title (.383) and Player of the Year honors with 11 homers and 66 RBIs in 67 games. Listed at 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds, MLB Pipeline's Jim Callis called him the top discount hitter. Allen, a lefty bat, had multi-hit games in both of the Bulldogs' wins against Vanderbilt to capture the College World Series championship.

Fun Fact: Allen, MLB Pipeline's No. 136 overall Draft prospect, became the first college player to sell autographed trading cards. He had previously been drafted twice.

Quotable: "Always known for his hitting ability from the left side of the plate," Callis said. "During the pandemic layoff, he got stronger, he got quicker. He's hitting the ball with more authority. He was kind of a fringy runner and athlete in the past, and he's really improved in both facets of the game."

Round 5, 149th overall: Brady Allen, OF, South Carolina

Notable Skill: The rare combination of bats righty, throws lefty. The 21-year-old Allen could have average tools across the board to go along with instincts and hustle. Listed at 6-foot-1 and 218 pounds, he reached double digits in homers and stolen bases by mid-May, and led the Gamecocks with 17 multihit games and 12 multi-RBI games in 2021. Ranked as MLB Pipeline's No. 193 overall Draft prospect, Allen projects as a platoon player or a fourth outfielder, but his makeup could allow him to exceed expectations.

Fun Fact: From Lakeland, Fla., Allen led George Jenkins High School to a FHSAA Class 8A state semifinal and the No. 7 ranking in Baseball America’s High School Top 25.

Quotable: "When you talk about gut feel, when you sit in a ballpark as much as we do, you really want to feel drawn to a player," said Svihlik, who gave a Jason Michaels comparison. "Once you get through his tools and his talents, that's what gets you into the ballpark. Once you start watching him play, you start meeting with the coaches, talking about what he's like behind the scenes. And then of course, keep watching him play. He will do things that draw you a player. He plays the game extremely hard. It's very admirable in today's day and age especially."

Round 6, 179th overall: Sam Praytor, C, Alabama

Notable Skill: Praytor, 22, was a First Team All-SEC and a Third Team All-American selection. The 5-foot-10, 205-pounder batted .277 with a team-leading 14 home runs. In 2019, he underwent Tommy John surgery, but his arm strength and accuracy returned.

Fun Fact: As a child, Praytor once told Hall of Fame quarterback Ken Stabler that he was going to play baseball -- not football -- for the Crimson Tide one day.

Quotable: "Hitters in general, we like to get guys that can hit it hard and make a lot of contact," Svihlik said. "He's a unique guy not just for catching, but he's a unique guy that hits it really hard, and makes a lot of contact regardless of position. So when you attach it to catching, you get really excited about that."

Round 7, 209th overall: Gabe Bierman, RHP, Indiana

Notable Skill: Bierman, whose fastball ranges from 89-91 mph and touches 94 mph, has a plus changeup. The 21-year-old started his collegiate career as a reliever and finished it as the Hoosiers' Sunday starter. He was named to the Second Team All-Big Ten by posting a 2.68 ERA with 80 strikeouts in 74 innings.

Fun Fact: Bierman wears a silver necklace with his late father Douglas' ashes inside a small silver baseball.

Quotable: "There were a lot of people watching me, and they were saying that I didn't look like me, that I was trying to pitch like someone else," Bierman told Tom Brew on April 22. "I can't pitch like somebody else, I need to pitch my game. I feel confident with the person I am now, and I'm just going to keep letting that happen. I'm at my best when I'm pounding the zone and keeping guys off balance. I've been able to do that much better these past couple of games just by being me."

Round 8, 239th overall: Pat Monteverde, LHP, Texas Tech

Notable Skill: Monteverde made just four starts from 2019-20 due to Tommy John surgery and the COVID-19 pandemic. In '21, he struck out 101 batters in 86 1/3 innings en route to an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention. According to MLB Pipeline, the lefty mixes a two-seamer and a four-seamer (87-91 mph), with tumbling action on his changeup and a low-80s slider and cutter.

Fun Fact: Monteverde, a fifth-year senior, went from Division III to II to I during his collegiate career. After spending his freshman year at Virginia Wesleyan University and transferring to Seton Hill University, he chose the Red Raiders over Miami, Alabama, Auburn, Indiana and UCF, among other baseball programs.

Quotable: "It would mean the world to me just to show every kid out there, just go do it,” Monteverde told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “Nobody can say you can’t. I was throwing 81 in high school, but I said I was going to do it. You just have to keep working at it."

Round 9, 269th overall: Jake Schrand, RHP, Wright State

Notable Skill: Schrand has all the makings of being a professional reliever -- a role he served in his first three collegiate seasons. In 2021 as the ace of the Raiders' staff, he struck out 92 batters in 68 1/3 innings, but he recorded a 4.61 ERA in 14 starts. According to MLB Pipeline's analysis, Schrand's velocity sits in the low 90s but can touch 96-97 mph in shorter outings. He throws strikes and has fringy secondary stuff.

Fun Fact: Schrand hails from the same program as Marlins prospects Peyton Burdick and J.D. Orr.

Quotable: “Schrand, our Friday night guy, is a power pitcher, so he gets a lot of swings and misses with his fastball,” Wright State coach Alex Sogard told The Dayton Daily News.

Round 10, 299th overall: Hunter Perdue, RHP, Florida State

Notable Skill: Perdue, who didn't pitch in 2020 due to Tommy John surgery, is a power reliever. A junior college transfer, he has a fastball that reaches 98 mph but lacks a consistent secondary pitch, according to MLB Pipeline. Perdue fanned 28 batters in 22 innings. He opened his Seminoles career without allowing an earned run in nine consecutive outings.

Fun Fact: Played for the Evoshield Canes in the 2016 Perfect Game WWBA World Championship.

Quotable: “It was pretty difficult," Perdue told Tomahawk Nation. "It has always been a dream of mine to come here and play. When I finally got the opportunity, I was really excited, and then when I got hurt, it bummed me out.”