What the Marlins are excited about from Days 2 and 3 of 2023 Draft

While the Marlins entered the 2023 MLB Draft hoping to capitalize on a deep pool of hitting prospects, they pivoted when the top two prep arms were available to them in Noble Meyer (No. 10 overall) and Thomas White (Competitive Balance Round A) on Day 1.

By the end of the three-day, 20-round Draft, Miami had chosen collegiate prospects with 17 of its final 18 picks. Fifteen of the Marlins' 21 selections were pitchers. Senior director of amateur scouting DJ Svihlik was pleased with how the organization executed a different strategy than in previous years, which allowed them to maximize their budget on prospects.

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"On the surface, it looks like it may have hamstrung us, but it did not," Svihlik said. "That was managed extremely well. Extremely, extremely well, and it allowed us to have ultimate flexibility over the next two to five rounds. And I would throw [second-round pick Kemp] Alderman in there as well. The way those first three picks were managed really gave us a lot of freedom through the 10th round."

Here are three less-heralded names from Days 2-3 that Svihlik was excited about:

1B Brock Vradenburg (Michigan State)
Round: Third (78th overall)
MLB Pipeline ranking: No. 117

Svihlik compared the late bloomer to All-Star Garrett Cooper in terms of build and potential. According to MLB Pipeline's scouting report, the 21-year-old Vradenburg rarely chases pitches or strikes out, delivering hard contact to all fields with a sweet left-handed stroke. That falls in line with the Marlins' philosophy of hit over power. Plus, he's a 6-foot-7, 230-pound first baseman, a position the organization is lacking in depth in the system.

In 55 games during his junior season, Vradenburg posted a slash line of .400/.492/.721 with 22 doubles, four triples, 13 homers and 69 RBIs. He walked (36) more than he struck out (34).

"Sometimes you get these big, long limber guys, it takes them a little bit," Svihlik said. "This guy really controlled the strike zone well, uses the field, and we think we have an opportunity to make some adjustments with him, where we can get the ball elevated a little bit more and take advantage of his athleticism, the ease with which he swings the bat."

LHP Justin Storm
Round: Seventh (203rd overall)
MLB Pipeline ranking: No. 185

Following the decision to take Meyer and White, Miami focused on securing polished collegiate players from big schools who could move relatively quickly through the Minors. Collegiate relievers usually aren't picked until this range of the Draft, because most Major League bullpen arms were once starters -- not relievers -- in college.

The 21-year-old Storm checked a lot of boxes. As one of the top left-handed relievers in the country, he was an imposing 6-foot-7 figure on the mound, with a 95 mph fastball and a plus slider. Storm compiled a 2.36 ERA with a 14.2 K/9 rate and eight saves in 29 appearances for Southern Mississippi in 2023.

"[He] captures everything," Svihlik said. "Captures size and strength, captures performance, captures all the analytics and the TrackMan stuff, captures scout grades. On and on and on. His magnet was really, really green, and when you see a magnet like that, especially around the sixth round, other teams aren't much different. So we're pretty happy to get Storm right there."

TWP Ryan Ignoffo
Round: 20th (593rd overall)
MLB Pipeline ranking: NR

The 22-year-old Ignoffo is a two-way player from Eastern Illinois University who has been on the Marlins' radar for a few years. Miami is still deciding whether he will continue to hit and pitch during his pro career.

In 2023, Ignoffo slashed .335/.434/.598 with 13 doubles, two triples, 15 homers and 60 RBIs in 59 games, also fitting Miami's profile for batters. Like Vradenburg, he walked (36) more than he struck out (24). On the mound, Ignoffo recorded a 4.91 ERA with four saves in 19 outings. He has been doing both while competing in the MLB Draft League this summer.

"Really good fastball movement profile, pitches at 93-94 [mph], also a very good hitter, high contact guy, utility player," Svihlik said. "So there's a lot of different things we can do with Ignoffo. Super good makeup guy, really nice 20th-round pick."