2022 MLB Draft: Meet Miami Marlins second-round draft pick Jacob Miller

July 18, 2022 Admin

With their second pick in the 2022 MLB Draft (No. 46 overall), the Marlins selected Jacob Miller, a right-handed pitcher from Liberty Union High School in Baltimore, Ohio.

“Miller has shown impressive feel to spin the baseball for years and his fastball velocity has steadily trended in the right direction. In the fall of 2020, Miller was sitting in the 89-93 mph range, then during the showcase circuit in 2021, pitched in the low 90s and ran the pitch up to 94-95 mph at peak. This spring, Miller has continued to find more velocity and has been up to 96-97 mph. He throws two breaking balls, both of which have drawn plus grades and show impressive spin rates in the 2,300-2,400 rpm range. The first is a curveball in the 76-80 mph range that features sharp bite and tight spin with depth and power. The second is a slider in the low 80s that also has hard spin and break. While the pitches can blend at times, they show distinct enough separation for the most part, and regardless of the pitch classification are potential plus offerings. Miller has shown some feel for a mid-80s changeup, but it is currently a distinct fourth pitch used infrequently. Miller doesn’t have a ton of physical projection, but he is a polished strike thrower with a deliberate delivery he repeats well. There’s some stabbing action in the back of his arm stroke and a spinoff in his finish, but he shows the ability to spot up and change speeds well.” —Baseball America (ranked No. 39 overall prospect)

“While Miller isn’t very physical and doesn’t have the prettiest delivery, he’s loose and athletic, and his arm works well. He attacks hitters and throws strikes, displaying aptitude for landing his curve where he wants. He uses a high three-quarters slot to create angle and stay on top of his breaking pitches, and his competitive makeup is another point in his favor.” —MLB Pipeline (ranked No. 37 overall prospect)

“A powerful, tightly-wound righty from the Midwest, Miller has among the best present arm strength/breaking stuff combination of the draft’s high school pitchers. The length and consistency of his arm action changed a couple of times during the last 18 months of his prospectdom, but was dialed into a compact, repeatable stroke during his senior year. His fastball velocity has been enough for him to pave over high school hitters, but Miller’s fastball shape has more sink and tail than ride, which tends to miss fewer bats in pro ball. Some of his fastballs are so nasty, though, that they look like they’re going to miss to the glove side of the plate, then run back over the outside corner…Miller didn’t throw many changeups on the showcase circuit, but a few of the ones he did had sink and tail. The pitch shows enough promise that Miller could end up with four average-or-better offerings (depending on how his fastball plays in pro ball), with the two breaking balls near locks to be impact pitches.” —FanGraphs (ranked No. 63 overall prospect)

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#Marlins senior director of amateur scouting DJ Svihlik said he views Jacob Miller as a “mid-rotation starter down the road.”

Also noted the Marlins saw “a lot of his starts with our entire scouting staff this spring” and that Miller was a target for “multiple, multiple months.”

— Jordan McPherson (@J_McPherson1126) July 18, 2022

Miller attended the draft in person with friends and family members. His brief post-pick interview on MLB Network showed both his humility and sense of humor.

Welcome to Miami, Jacob!