Miami Marlins draft spotlight: Evan Estes, 25th round

The Miami Marlins believe in what Evan Estes could be in the future. That’s why they drafted the right-handed thrower out of Merced College in the 25th round.

Evan Estes is a good example of the level of scouting that goes on around the country. The Miami Marlins plucked him from a little known college in California in the late rounds. They love his raw tools and upside, but has a lot of fine tuning to do.

He signed for an impressive $75,000 as a 25th round pick, so the Marlins really wanted to bring him into the fold.

They’re hoping his first taste of action is a preview of what is to come.

Estes struggled to make the jump to the professional ranks. While the jump from D-I baseball is a big one, making the jump from a junior college is even more difficult. Estes appeared in 12 games, started two, and struggled to lock down a role.

His most impressive outing of the season was his last of the season. He pitched three scoreless innings against the St. Louis Cardinals rookie ball team, facing the minimum while walking one batter.

Estes was able to put several good outings together in a row, but had a hard time bouncing back after a bad one. Separate strings of four innings and five innings without allowing an earned run hinted at his potential.

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But allowing seven earned runs in 2.2 innings over three appearance suggest a lot of growing pains before he is MLB ready.

Estes will face a long climb to the Major League Baseball club. But he gave the organization enough glimmers of hope in his first stint in pro baseball.

Plenty of time

Estes was drafted out of a junior college after his second season there. As such, he’s a little farther along in terms of his development compared to a prep school player. He will be only 21-years old when next season rolls around.

That’s worth noting because of the steep learning curve he faces. Estes isn’t going to get an unlimited number of chances to prove he has MLB potential. It’s safe to say his youth is his biggest asset right now.

With several seasons of professional coaching, the Marlins are likely keen that they can mold him into the kind of pitcher they want him to be.

Next: Miami Marlins draft spotlight: Montana Parsons, 24th round

Evan Estes is a talented pitcher rich with raw tools. It’s possible he’ll start the season in rookie ball again next year; he is in need of a lot of development before being promoted.

It’s difficult to gauge when a player this far away from being ready will arrive in the Major leagues. Anything sooner than 2024 or 2025 would be a surprise.

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