Grading Every Marlins Pick from Day 1 of the 2026 MLB Draft
In this story:
Day 1 of the 2026 MLB Draft is in the books. The Miami Marlins made five selections on Saturday.
Which of these prospects will make a big splash? It's not easy getting the right draft picks. The Marlins did manage to get a steal with one of their picks. The future is uncertain, and hopefully these prospects can have a long, successful professional career.
Breaking Down New Players Coming to South Florida
No. 14: Jacob Lombard (A-)
It is amazing to see family baseball legacies continue. It started with the father, George Lombard, when he got drafted by the Atlanta Braves in 1994. Now, their sons, George Lombard Jr (26th overall pick by the Yankees in 2023) and Jacob, are the 14th overall pick.
Lombard has received comparisons to Bobby Witt Jr. He's a player who can hit, play outstanding defense for his age at 18, plus speed and raw power. Lombard is from South Florida, and he has committed to the University of Miami. The Marlins got themselves a hometown kid with a lot of talent.
Given the fact that he comes from a background of baseball, Lombard is going to feel confident because of the tremendous support system he has. If you saw the draft, his support system is massive—great selection by the Marlins.
No. 52: Ethan Kleinschmit (B)
The Marlins selected Kleinschmit as the 52nd overall pick in the second round. It's a solid addition for the Marlins. He's a product that came out of Oregon State.
The interesting part is that he and Aiva Arquette attended the same program. The Oregon State connection is real. Kleinschmit went 17-7 over 32 career appearances to go along with 210 strikeouts in 168 innings while holding opponents to a .207 batting average.
The Marlins have some history of selecting former Beavers to come to the organization. Kleinschmit becomes the tenth player from Oregon State to get drafted by the Marlins. This may be another good luck charm for the franchise.
No. 71: Ryan Peterson (B-)
Peterson is a right-handed pitcher who played for Sam Houston. Pterson had an outstanding season, finishing with 105 strikeouts. He's probably one of the top arms in the draft that's being overlooked.
He finished the season posting a 3.38 ERA and a .236 opponent's batting average. His consistency with the team was rewarded when he was mentioned as part of the watch list for National Pitcher of the Year by the College Baseball Foundation.
No. 87: Cam Kozeal (B+)
The Omaha native got selected in the third round. He's a very good player and another prospect that doesn't get mentioned enough.
The Arkansas shortstop batted .318 with 20 home runs, 18 doubles, and two triples this past college season. He's a left-handed hitter who can hit for contact and power. Kozeal can also put the ball in play and hit opposite field.
No. 115: Wessley Robertson (B-)
Robertson was selected in the fourth round by the Marlins. One of the concerns about Robertson is his durability. Hopefully it doesn't hamper his career for the long haul.
Aside from that, the outfielder has a great arm and athleticism. In addition, he has incredible speed. His batting could be better, but there's so much room for growth. The Marlins did a great job with the selections on Day 1. Let's see how Day 2 pans out for them.
Add us as a preferred source on Google
After graduating from City College of New York in 2014, Miguel created his own blog. Since 2021, he has written for FanSided, where he covered the Toronto Blue Jays, College Football and Utah Mammoth hockey team. He also wrote for Miami Heat on SI and Cleveland Sports Talk. Miguel is the creator and host of his podcast, Baseball Heat Podcast with Mike.