Miami Marlins Draft Andrew Heaney of Oklahoma State in First Round

The Miami Marlins selected Oklahoma State southpaw Andrew Heaney with the 9th overall selection in the draft. The Marlins opted to go with a lefty college arm, as opposed to the usual prep pitchers they take. The Marlins were actually just one pick away from striking gold, as the projected number 1 overall pick by many analysts, fell to number eight to the Pirates.

Marlins fans, like Keith Law should not be surprised by this Marlins pick, as they have a long history of picking players from Oklahoma, most notably, Josh Johnson and Chad James:

Here is what Baseball America had to say about Andrew Heaney:

“Scouts have raved about Heaney’s quick arm and clean, effortless delivery since he was at Putnam City (Okla.) High. He beat Marlins first-rounder Chad James in a head-to-head matchup as a senior in 2009 and would have gone higher than the 24th round to the Rays had he not been intent on attending Oklahoma State. Heaney has led the Cowboys in wins in each of his three college seasons and has seen his stuff improve as a junior this spring. The 6-foot-2, 174-pounder has added 2-3 mph and touches 95 mph. He’s not afraid to pitch inside with his heater and can spot it to both sides of the plate. Heaney’s three-quarters breaking ball and his changeup are both solid pitches that play up because of his plus command. He not only throws strikes but also generates swings and misses, and in mid-May he trailed only projected Duke first-rounder Marcus Stroman in the NCAA Division I strikeout race. In a down year for left-handed pitching, Heaney is clearly the best college southpaw available and should go off the board in the middle of the first round.”

Heaney was outstanding in his final season with the Oklahoma State Cowboys, making 15 starts and throwing 118 1/3 innings with a 1.60 ERA. His other seasons were, at best, mediocre. Heaney does not seem like a pitcher that could move fast through the Marlins minor leagues.

The more I think about it, the less happy I am with this pick. It is not a bad pick at all, but it was a safe pick and the Marlins passed on some better talent, including Marcus Stroman and Courtney Hawkins still available. Time will only tell whether this was a good pick for the Marlins or not.

Check out Heaney in this video here:

I will have more on this Marlins pick later tonight.