Marlins Linked to SEC Slugger in First MLB Mock Draft After Falling in Order
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The Miami Marlins didn’t get much done during the MLB winter meetings, which wrapped up on Wednesday in Orlando.
During Tuesday’s MLB draft lottery, the Marlins learned they would draft No. 14 overall in the first round. Miami dropped a few slots after two teams leapt up into the Top 6 that weren’t supposed to, based on the odds going into the lottery.
Now, president of baseball operations Peter Bendix, general manager Gabe Kapler and the rest of the front office have seven months to figure out who the Marlins should take with that pick. MLB Pipeline got a head start by publishing its first 2026 mock draft on Wednesday. In that draft, the Marlins ended up with Texas A&M shortstop Chris Hacopian.
Who is Chris Hacopian?
MLB Pipeline’s Jim Callis wrote that “Hacopian might be the best pure hitter in the college ranks, exhibiting advanced feel for the barrel and control of the strike zone.” The site ranks Hacopian as the No. 16 overall player on the board.
Hacopian hasn’t played a game for Texas A&M yet. He was one of the top transfers over the summer as he played his first two seasons of college baseball with the University of Maryland. That kept him close to home, as he played his prep ball at Winston Churchill High School in Potomac, Md.
Snagging Hacopian was quite the coup for the Aggies, who slipped to a 30-26 record under first-year coach Michael Earley, who replaced Jim Schlossnagle after he departed for Texas after the 2024 season. The Aggies were eliminated from the SEC Tournament by LSU after winning their first two games.
In 2024 as a freshman for the Terrapins he was named a Perfect Game freshman all-American after he batted .323 with 15 home runs and 42 RBI. That landed him a coveted spot in the New England Collegiate Baseball League. He improved during his sophomore season, as he batted .375 with 14 home runs and 61 RBI. That was a gateway to get him into the prestigious Cape Cod Baseball League.
The Marlins have a solid answer at shortstop at the Major League level with Otto Lopez. In addition, Xavier Edwards, plays second base and can move to short when needed. If Hacopian can make a quick run to the Majors, he may have to move to another position. A former Terrapin, Matt Shaw, moved from shortstop to third base after the Chicago Cubs drafted him in the first round in 2023. He now plays third base for the Cubs.
