Braxton Garrett

Garrett was called upon to make a pair of starts for the Marlins last season despite having previously logged a single appearance above High-A ball. He fared well in his debut, allowing one run and striking out six over five innings, but was far less effective his next time out, yielding four earned runs in 2.2 frames. The southpaw doesn't throw hard -- he averaged less than 90 mph on his fastball in his two big-league appearances -- but has registered over a strikeout per inning over the course of his brief professional career thanks to a standout curveball and mature pitching acumen. Those skills could allow Garrett to ascend to a role as a solid mid-rotation starter, especially if he is able to bump up his velocity. He is likely to open 2021 at Triple-A but should be among the first in line for a big-league rotation spot should the opportunity become available.

Tommy John surgery delayed Garrett's professional development, but the No. 7 overall pick in 2016 finally logged his first full season and looked like a future No. 3 starter. A 22-year-old lefty with an excellent frame (6-foot-3, 190 pounds), Garrett features a low-90s fastball that can touch 95 mph, a plus curveball that has long been his calling card and an average changeup. He is still pretty projectable, so we could see his fastball add some juice and his changeup could be at least an above-average offering by the time he reaches the majors. He has an easy delivery that portends above-average command, and he showed last year (52.7 GB%) that he is already adept at inducing weak contact. This should be his final full season in the minors, opening at Double-A and finishing at Triple-A, with a 2021 MLB debut on tap if he stays healthy.

Garrett, who the Marlins selected with the No. 7 pick in the 2016 draft, only logged 15.1 innings in 2017 before eventually needing Tommy John surgery in late June. This, after he didn't pitch at all the year he was drafted as the Marlins attempted to exercise caution with his workload. Even though Garrett won't return to game action until July or August of this year, at the earliest, he is still one of the top prospects in a system that was essentially bare before this offseason's rebuild. A lefty with the potential for a plus fastball, plus curveball and above-average command, Garrett could top out as a No. 2 starter if his recovery goes perfectly and his changeup develops. The more likely outcome is that he develops into a No. 3 or No. 4 starter. Given how much his development is delayed, Garrett is unlikely to reach the majors until 2021 or 2022.

Garrett might be the safest of the high school arms from the 2016 draft class, which is an odd statement considering he is the only pitcher who was selected in the first 30 picks who has not yet pitched in a game. The Marlins opted to let Garrett take his time in his recovery from Tommy John surgery rather than rush him to an affiliate. He fell to the Marlins with the seventh pick, but his $4.15 million bonus ranks third in the class, reflecting his pre-draft pedigree. Unfortunately that pedigree does not quite translate over to fantasy. Garrett, a 6-foot-3, 190-pound southpaw, should be owned in leagues that roster 125-plus prospects, but he lacks frontline upside. A low-90s fastball and plus curveball lead a three-pitch mix, and if everything goes well, he will develop into a No. 3 starter. Jason Groome, Forrest Whitley, Riley Pint and Matt Manning are preferable investments among the prep arms from his draft class.