Halos take OF Marsh at No. 60 to close Day 1
After also playing football in high school, 18-year-old excited about focusing on baseball
ANAHEIM -- Brandon Marsh, an athletic high school outfielder who became the Angels' second-round Draft pick on Thursday night, is committed to Kennesaw State University and boasts a distinguished track record as a wide receiver.
But he left no doubt about his intention to join the Angels.
"Yes sir," Marsh, 18, said when asked if he's certain he will sign out of the Draft. "Yes sir."
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"Good answer," Ric Wilson, the Angels' longtime scouting director, responded.
The Angels took Marsh with the 60th overall pick, after selecting University of Virginia catcher Matt Thaiss -- who is expected to eventually switch positions -- with the 16th pick. It's a similar path to their 2015 Draft, when they took collegiate catcher Taylor Ward in the first round and high school outfielder Jahmai Jones, another Georgia product, in the second.
Marsh played out of Buford High School and is considered a raw, toolsy player with high upside. Listed at 6-foot-2, 190 pounds, Marsh helped lead Buford High School -- located just outside Atlanta -- to the Georgia 4A state title in 2015 and was also a wide receiver for a football program that claimed state championships in '13 and '14.
MLBPipeline.com ranked Marsh 48th among amateurs heading into the Draft.
"He can run, he can throw, he hits the ball to all fields, he's going to develop into some power," Wilson said. "Just the raw tools that he has is really exciting, and the ceiling that he has is really high for us. That's what appealed to us most."
The Draft continues on Friday with Rounds 3-10. The MLB.com preview show begins at 9:30 a.m. PT, with exclusive coverage of Rounds 3-10 beginning at 10 a.m. PT.
Marsh bats left-handed and throws right-handed. Scouts believe he has good bat speed, strength and speed, but he needs to be more consistent with his swing. He played right field in high school, but he has the ability to play center, and the Angels would like him to play all three outfield spots.
Marsh focused solely on baseball for his senior year of high school and wound up hitting .559, ultimately being named Region 8-AAAA Player of the Year in Georgia.
"I can't wait to see what the future holds when I just focus on baseball only," Marsh said, "because I think it's really going to be something special."