Marlins Prospect Watch: Checking in With the 2016 Draft Class

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The fruits of the 2016 MLB draft have started to make an impact on some major league rosters.

A total of 69 players selected in 2016 have already made their major league debut, led by the Cleveland Indians Shane Bieber, with 6.0 WAR already to his credit. The group has already totaled 41.5 WAR. The Marlins have seen Zac Gallen and Robert Dugger make their debuts, but neither were chosen by the Marlins, and Gallen is regrettably no longer in the system.

But that’s not to say the Marlins took a swing-and-a-miss in 2016. Without a second round pick in that draft, and prior to the advent of the “Competitive Balance” round, the Marlins chose a total of 39 players that year. Blessed few remain in the soup that is the Marlins minor league affiliate feeder system, but they may yet have a significant impact on the club at the parent level.

First Round LHP Braxton Garrett

Braxton Garrett put up a 10.3 K/BB through his two seasons on the senior varsity at Florence High School, going 12-3 with a 0.65 ERA and a 0.574 WHIP over 22 starts. The Marlins took a chance on him with the seventh overall selection, and gave the Foley, AL native the rest of the season off.

In 2017, Garrett joined the Single-A Greensboro Grasshoppers in the South Atlantic League. Over his first three starts, he surrendered seven hits and six walks in 13 2/3 innings for a sub-1 WHIP, along with a dozen strikeouts and a 0.66 ERA. In his fourth start, he only lasted 1 2/3 innings before first getting shelled for six hits and coming out of the game. Soon after, he went on the injured list, and ended up getting Tommy John Surgery. He missed the entire 2018 campaign in recovery.

In 2019, we finally got a good long look at Garrett with the High-A Jupiter Hammerheads in the Florida State League. In 20 starts, he was 6-6 with a 3.34 ERA, 118 K’s in 105 innings, and a nice 1.229 WHIP.

With his elite strikeout rate and his passable WHIP, the Marlins are set to start Garrett with the Double-A Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp to begin the 2020 season. He’s likely a competitor for the 2021 rotation, but it’s possible he could make his debut this season.

Third Round CF Thomas Jones

Thomas Jones reported to the Rookie-level GCL Marlins in the Gulf Coast League, and went 15-for-64 in 19 contests after the draft. When 2017 came around, he was ranked as the Marlins number seven overall prospect, by the MLB Pipeline.

The 2017 campaign would be disappointing for Jones, who spent the season with the Short-season-A Batavia Muckdogs in the New York-Penn League. He hit just .181/.315/.282 in 68 games, with two home runs.

Jones graduated to the Grasshoppers in 2018 as Miami’s number 26 prospect. In 103 games, he hit .222/.277/.343 with nine home runs and 33 RBI. Staying at the same level in 2019 for the Midwest League Clinton LumberKings, he boosted his slash line to a slightly better .239/.332/.382 in 114 games, with 10 home runs and 54 RBI.

Still listed with Clinton, the now-22-year-old Jones figures to start the 2020 season with the Hammerheads.

Fourth Round RF Sean Reynolds

Sean Reynolds is a six-foot-seven left-handed batter from Redondo Beach, CA. Drafted on the strength of a maybe 80-grade power tool, Reynolds has struggled to make contact through his first four professional seasons.

Split between the GCL club, the Muckdogs, and the LumberKings, Reynolds has played in 265 games and hit .181/.287/.351 with 35 home runs and 132 RBI. He also moves really good for a big guy, with 30 stolen bases in 41 tries.

In 2018, Reynolds led the NYPL in a lot of categories, with 76 games played, 317 plate appearances, 49 runs, 17 homers, 52 RBI, 42 walks, and an incredible 133 strikeouts. He currently strikes out 43.9 percent of the time, in fact. He should begin the season in Clinton, and hopefully has done something to improve his pitch recognition.

Fifth Round RHP Sam Perez

Sam Perez was 20-2 with a 3.31 ERA over 80 appearances in college for Missouri State. After the draft, he played three seasons in the Marlins system, between Batavia, Greensboro, and Jupiter. He was 9-6 with a 3.60 ERA in 56 games, including 30 starts. He was released from the Hammerheads prior to the 2019 season.

Sixth Round RHP Remey Reed

Frisco, TX native Remey Reed was 7-3 with a 2.54 ERA in two seasons of Division I ball for the Oklahoma State Cowboys. He struck out 81 in 85 1/3 innings, with a 1.18 WHIP.

Since turning professional, Reed has gone 12-7 with a 3.42 ERA between GCL, Batavia, Greensboro, and Clinton. He’s struck out 134 in 137 innings and kept a 1.18 WHIP. Currently still with the LumberKings, Reed may start 2020 with Jupiter.

Seventh Round CF Corey Bird

Left-handed outfielder Corey Bird was taken by Miami out of Marshall University. In 149 Division 1 contests, he slashed .301/.374/.342 and stole 58 bases in 73 attempts.

Since joining the Marlins, Bird has hit .249/.318/.307 in 307 minor league contests from GCL through Jacksonville. Last season with the Jumbo Shrimp, Bird appeared in 95 games while hitting .232 with three homers and 15 stolen bases. Still listed in Jacksonville, Bird should begin 2020 back there again.

Eighth Round CF Aaron Knapp

Granite Bay, CA native Aaron Knapp played in 153 games for the University of California. He hit .272 over three seasons before the draft, and joined Batavia for 60 games afterward. He hit .253 with 19 stolen bases.

Knapp later played with the Grasshoppers and Jupiter in 2017 and 2018 before getting released from the Hammerheads. He spent 2019 in the Seattle Mariners system between the Arkansas Travelers and the Tacoma Rainiers.

Ninth Round C Jarett Rindfleisch

Jarett Rindfleisch played three seasons with the Ball State Cardinals, appearing in 152 Division 1 games and slashing .319/.435/.513 with 21 home runs and 111 RBI.

Rindfleisch spent three years in the Marlins system between GCL, Batavia, Jupiter, and Greensboro, hitting .245/.381/.358. He also had a very specific niche skillset of drawing first base via HBP, collecting 36 in 408 career plate apppearances. He retired from the Marlins prior to the 2019 season, but has since signed a minor league deal with the Minnesota Twins.

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10th Round LHP Dylan Lee

Dylan Lee joined the Marlins out of Fresno State. He’s since appeared at every level of the Marlins system. He’s gone 13-20 with a 3.33 ERA in 120 games, including 24 starts. He’s struck out 203 in 246 innings, and put together a 1.17 WHIP.

Lee remains in the system, and will likely begin the 2020 campaign with the Triple-A Wichita Wind Surge, in the Pacific Coast League.

11th Round RHP Chad Smith

McCalla, AL native Chad Smith is a 6-foot-4 right-hander from the University of Mississippi. Chosen after going 4-4 with a 4.22 ERA in 59 2/3 innings, he was first assigned to GCL.

Smith has remained in the Marlins system, going 12-9 with a 4.47 ERA in 116 relief appearances. He’s saved 25 games and struck out 166 in 149 1/3 innings overall, with a 1.46 career WHIP. Currently part of Jacksonville, look for him to begin 2020 with the Shrimp or the Surge.

12th Round RHP Mike King

Mike King is the only person chosen by the Marlins who has already made it to the majors out of the 2016 draft. After the 2017 season, Miami traded him to the New York Yankees for Garrett Cooper and Caleb Smith.

14th Round RHP Michael Mertz

Michael Mertz spent three years in the Marlins system out of Oklahoma State. He was 14-9 with a 3.52 ERA in 95 minor league contests, with a .220 oppBA and a 1.30 career WHIP.

15th Round SS James Nelson

James Nelson was taken by the Marlins out of Cisco Junior College, and spent four seasons in the system between GCL, Greensboro, and Jupiter. Once ranked as high as the number four prospect in the Marlins system, as rated by Baseball America in 2018, Nelson hit .228/.279/.296 last year for the Hammerheads.

On January 15th, the Marlins traded Nelson to the New York Yankees for major league reliever Stephen Tarpley.

22nd Round RHP Alejandro Mateo

Alejandro Mateo, from Hialeah, FL, is a six-foot-two right-handed relief pitcher out of Nova Southeast. Since joining the Marlins system, he’s played from the rookie-level up to Double-A. In 119 games, he’s gone 10-18 with four saves and a 3.98 ERA. He’s struck out 278 in 260 2/3 innings in total, racking up a 1.29 WHIP. He’s still listed as part of the Jumbo Shrimp, but could as easily begin the season in the Wind Surge bullpen.

26th Round C Gunner Pollman

A six-foot-two catcher from West Linn, OR, Gunner Pollman was chosen by Miami out of Sacramento State. Pollman missed the entire 2018 season, and in 2019, went two-for-14 for the Muckdogs. He’s still listed on Batavia’s roster.

More from Marlins Draft

• Miami Marlins draft retrospective: 2003
• Miami Marlins draft retrospective: 2002
• Meet the 2022 Miami Marlins Draft Picks
• Miami Marlins draft preview: Brooks Lee
• Miami Marlins draft preview: Jackson Holliday

27th Round RHP Parker Bugg

Parker Bugg has played at the five highest Marlins minor league affiliates since getting picked in 2016. In 115 games, including only one start, he’s 9-9 with a 4.30 ERA. He’s collected 218 strikeouts in 190 2/3 innings, and held the opposition to a 1.12 WHIP over an adequate sample size. He’s currently listed as part of the Wind Surge bullpen, but could challenge for a spot on the Marlins with a strong Spring Training.

So that’s 11 prospects who remain on the Marlins out of their 2016 draft class. Garrett, Jones, Reynolds, Reed, Bird, Lee, Smith, Beggs, Mateo, Pollman, and Bugg all still hold onto a chance to someday make it to the majors as part of the Miami Marlins. My money is on Garrett for starters, and possibly Beggs and Lee at some point in this campaign.

Thanks for reading. Keep checking back here for all the latest Marlins news.