Miami Marlins draft spotlight: Bryce Howe, 18th round

With their 18th round selection of the 2017 MLB Draft, the Miami Marlins selected a right-hander out of Oral Roberts University.

The Miami Marlins went heavy with pitchers in the 2017 MLB Draft. Knowing it is their greatest need in the minor leagues, they sought to address their issues with volume. For the fourth straight selection, Miami went with a pitcher.

Bryce Howe is a big-bodied right-hander that strays from the Miami Marlins profile. Standing at 6-foot-2 inches, and weighing in at 250-pounds, he’s stockier than most of the tall, lean power pitchers the team his historically favored.

Built like a tank, the organization has high hopes for the Oklahoma native.

Howe was used primarily as a starter while at Oral Roberts. In 55 career appearances, 32 appearances were as the starting pitcher. However, he made a successful transition into the bullpen in his junior year.

While he saw his ERA tick up significantly, so did his K/9. Able to use max effort more often, Howe showed flashes of ability that have the Marlins believing he can be effective out of the pen.

Howe is the first player the Miami Marlins drafted that accepted a bonus of less than $100,000 to join the team. With a check for $80K, he was convinced to forgo his last year of school and sign with the team.

He put pen to paper on July 23rd and was optioned to the GCL Marlins. He’s pitched surprisingly well since joining the club. In 14.1 innings, he’s allowed only three earned runs. His ERA sits at an impossibly low 1.88.

But it hasn’t been all smooth sailing out of the blocks. Howe has struggled to command the zone early on. While he’s racked up 10 strikeouts, he’s also issued 9 walks. His 1.60 WHIP will have to come down before he is promoted to the next level of the minor leagues.

What is the ceiling?

Howe throws the ball hard, but too often struggles to locate his pitches. The Miami Marlins don’t view him as a starter, and all of his appearances have come out of the bullpen. He’ll need to learn how to locate his pitches and command the zone.

With the pressure of having to throw multiple pitches off of his shoulders, Howe could become a diamond in the rough for the Marlins.

18th round selections typically face a long road to playing Major League Baseball. With little money invested in them, teams typically don’t hesitate to cut ties with players they feel aren’t performing well enough.

Next: Miami Marlins draft spotlight: Dylan Cyphert, 17th round

But so far in his professional career, Howe has bee nothing but a pleasant surprise. While he’s walking batters more than the team would like, he’s stranding them. Walks become runs at some point, though.

If you’re looking for a comparison, think Drew Steckenrider. Hard throwing right-hander with all the raw tools. It remains to be seen how Howe will develop them, though. If he does so successfully, he figures to be a reliable arm in relief.

It could be a number of years before he is wearing a Miami Marlins uniform. At 21-years old, Howe isn’t as far along as you might expect. An appearance by 2021 seems possible. If he is going to arrive, 2022 seems like the latest it should happen.