Miami Marlins Select CF PJ Morlando With 16th Overall Selection,SS Carter Johnson With 56th Overall Selection, And RHP Aiden May With 70th Overall Selection In The 2024 MLB First-year Player Draft
MIAMI ¨C The Miami Marlins tonight selected CF PJ Morlando with the 16th overall selection, SS Carter Johnson with the 56th overall selection, and RHP Aiden May with the 70th overall selection in the 2024 MLB First-Year Player Draft.
Morlando, 19, is ranked as the 33rd-best prospect by FanGraphs after a standout senior season with Summerville High School (S.C.) that saw him earn South Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year honors. He led the team with a .403 batting average (31x77), along with 26 runs, seven doubles, two home runs, 10 RBI, a .602 OBP, and a 1.173 OPS in 32 games last season. Morlando also recorded a perfect fielding percentage after not committing an error in 47 total chances during the past campaign. The six-foot-three-inch, left-handed batter was named Most Valuable Player at last year¡¯s High School All-American Game and was crowned the High School Home Run Derby champion.
Johnson, 18, is ranked as the 29th-best prospect by FanGraphs after finishing his senior season with Oxford High School (AL). The University of Alabama commit was also named the 40th-best prospect in the Class of 2024 by MLB Pipeline. With a six-foot-two-inch frame and a left-handed swing, Johnson played shortstop in high school and was a member of the United States 18-and-under team.
May, 21, is ranked as the 61st-best prospect by FanGraphs after finishing his junior season with a 7-1 record and a 3.05 ERA (25 ER/73.2 IP) in 14 starts for the Beavers. The six-foot-two-inch, right-handed pitcher last season was named Third-Team All-American and All-Pac-12 First Team, with his slider earning a 60-grade per MLB Pipeline. May was also recognized as the NCBWA National Pitcher of the Month for the month of May, going 4-0 with a 1.86 ERA (6 ER/29.0 IP) and 34 strikeouts against 10 walks over five starts.
The 2024 MLB First-Year Player Draft resumes tomorrow with Rounds 3-10, beginning at 2 p.m. ET on MLB Network, and concludes on Tuesday, July 16, with Rounds 11-20, beginning at 2 p.m. on MLB Network. For additional information on the 2024 Miami Marlins, visit Marlins.com