The Miami Marlins are heading into the 2026 MLB Draft with plenty of uncertainty, and that’s exactly how it usually goes for a club sitting in the middle of the draft order and the bonus-pool pack. With the No. 14 pick and a handful of selections after that, the range of possible outcomes is wide enough to make any prediction feel like a guess.
Still, the latest mock drafts offer a pretty clear theme: the Marlins are being tied mostly to college bats, with a few arms and high-upside prep names mixed in.
Among Fish On First’s own projections, Hector Rodriguez has Miami landing Mississippi State corner bat Ace Reese at No. 14, then following with a run of position players and pitchers: Andrew Williamson, Will Gasparino, Jack Slightom, Peyton Bonds and Deven Sheerin. Sean McCormack’s mock goes a different direction at the top, sending Florida right-hander Liam Peterson to Miami at No. 14, then adding Ethan Bass, Ryan Peterson, Alex Conover and Jake Carbaugh.
The site’s consensus board, compiled by Jamie Cameron, also leans offense early. That version has Virginia outfielder AJ Gracia at No. 14, followed by Auburn second baseman Chris Rembert, North Carolina outfielder Owen Hull, Texas right-hander Ruger Riojas and Miami first/third baseman Daniel Cuvet.
National outlets are circling a similar cluster of names. Baseball America’s Carlos Collazo has Texas A&M second baseman Chris Hacopian going to Miami, while noting that Derek Curiel could be the preferred target if he reaches the Marlins. Collazo also mentioned Ace Reese, AJ Gracia, Sawyer Strosnider and Zion Rose as possible fits.
MLB Pipeline split the difference between bat and arm. Jonathan Mayo mocked LSU outfielder Derek Curiel to Miami, saying the club might not expect him to still be there but could take him over Hacopian or one of the college arms in this range, including Peterson or Tennessee right-hander Tegan Kuhns. Jim Callis went with a major surprise in Gulliver Prep shortstop Jacob Lombard, calling it a coup for the Marlins if it happened.
The Athletic’s Keith Law projected Ole Miss right-hander Taylor Rabe, writing that Rabe has been rising fast and has finished strongly enough to score well in team models. He also said he had heard Miami linked a little with upside players like Justin Lebron and Gio Rojas, but more often with safer college players, either hitters or pitchers. Law added that the Marlins’ model tends to favor defense, which could make Lebron a fit.
FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen had a different local angle, sending Stoneman Douglas left-hander Gio Rojas to Miami. He wrote that the Marlins have recently leaned into big upside, often with power-hitting position players who have had trouble hitting, and said that path could lead them to Alabama shortstop Justin Lebron. He also pointed to high school outfielder Trevor Condon as a prep bat in that mold, while noting that Rojas would be strong value and come with positive optics because he is local.
Just Baseball’s Adrian White rounded out the group with another college bat, Mississippi State’s Ace Reese. White called Reese one of the best college hitters still available and said his left-handed power fits in this part of the round. He added that Reese’s defensive home is still unsettled, but that Miami could let him keep working at third base, with first base possibly the cleaner long-term fit.
In Other News...
Sandy Alcantara Did His Part And Marlins Fans Know The Rest
Sandy Alcantara gave the Marlins exactly what they needed again, even if the result did not match the effort. In Miamis 3-2 loss to the Guardians at loanDepot Park, Alcantara worked seven innings, allowed three runs and struck out eight, adding another quality start to a season that has quietly become a model of consistency for the right-hander. Heriberto Hernndez and Leo Jimnez supplied the only offense with solo homers, but the Marlins could not turn those swings into a bigger inning.
The frustrating part for Miami was familiar enough to sting. The lineup went hitless with runners in scoring position, leaving Alcantara to absorb the loss after doing his part deep into the game. It was also his final start before the All-Star break, and even in defeat, the bigger picture around him remains encouraging as the Marlins continue leaning on a starter who has given them a chance nearly every time out. [Read more 🡒]
Chris Paddacks Next Move Is A Frustrating Reminder For Marlins Fans
Chris Paddacks latest stop is a reminder of how quickly a season can change for a pitcher who was once bouncing through the MLB market and then looking for his next opportunity after being released. For a right-hander with his track record, the overseas route offers a cleaner path than waiting around for a minor league deal, and it gives him a chance to reset his value in a new environment.
For the Marlins, the frustrating part is less about where Paddack landed than what his next move says about the business side of the game. Miami is still carrying the remainder of his salary, and any future MLB minimum contract would only chip away at that obligation, so the club is watching a pitcher it once had on the books head into a different market with a better short-term payoff and, potentially, a stronger case for his next contract. [Read more 🡒]
Marlins Just Made A Franchise Defining Bet On A Prep Shortstop
The Marlins kept their focus on upside in the 2026 MLB Draft, using the 14th overall pick on high school shortstop Jacob Lombard, one of the most intriguing prep bats in the class. MLB Pipeline had him ranked as the No. 5 prospect, a sign of how highly evaluators viewed a player whose blend of right-handed power and speed gave him a chance to become a premium talent at a premium position.
For Miami, the bet is as much about ceiling as it is about timeline, since drafting a prep shortstop always comes with patience and projection. Lombard brings the kind of athletic profile that can reshape a farm system if it develops as hoped, and the Marlins clearly saw enough in his tools to make him a cornerstone-type swing at the top of the board. [Read more 🡒]