Miami Marlins draft spotlight: Micah Brown, 19th round

The Miami Marlins decided to draft their second shortstop of the final day of the draft. With their 19th selection, they chose Lewis-Clark product Micah Brown.

The Miami Marlins provided themselves with some flexibility with their 19th overall selection in the 2017 MLB Draft. By making Micah Brown the 569th overall selection, they got a player who can do a little of everything.

One of the toughest parts of projecting college talent into Major League Baseball is that you don’t know how well their skill set will translate. Raw tools are a must, but it’s anyone’s guess if a player will be able to develop the finer points of the game.

Micah Brown is an OBP specialist with great discipline. That’s projectable at any level.

At various points throughout his college career, Micah Brown did a little bit of everything. He played on the infield, recieved First Team all-NAIA honors as an outfielder, and appeared in seven games as a pitcher. Suffice it to say Brown is an impressive athlete.

But the Miami Marlins appear intent on keeping him on the infield. Through his first year of professional baseball, Brown made appearances at second base, third base, and shortstop. He committed a total of five errors across all three positions.

Brown stayed true to what the Miami Marlins thought he was in his first taste of professional ball. He didn’t hit for gaudy numbers the way he did in college, but that was expected. He continued to get on base at every turn though. His OBP at short-A ball was .381, aided largely by 10 walks.

Despite his 16 strikeouts he earned a promotion to Greensboro. His numbers took a significant hit against the next level of competition.

Growing pains

Brown has found success at every level of baseball he’s every played. There is plenty of precedent for young players struggling while they adjust to a new level of competition.

After joining A-level Greensboro, Brown went through expected growing pains. His OBP dipped to .283, and he went down on strikes 18 times in only 54 plate appearances. His speed on the base paths appeared to take a hit as well. He was caught stealing in both of his attempts.

Next: Miami Marlins draft spotlight: Bryce Howe, 18th round

Brown will likely start next season in Greensboro again. He possesses a lot of potential, but will need to get the running game going more in 2018. He rose quickly in his first year of professional baseball which bodes well for his future.