Should the Marlins select Lesko if he’s available with their first-round draft pick?
Dylan Lesko is a right-handed pitching prospect that plays for the Buford Wolves. In a hitter-heavy 2022 draft class, this prep arm stands out as one of the top prospects on the mound. Lesko has already signed his NLI with the Vanderbilt Commodores.
At 6’2”, 195 pounds, Lesko is a tall, athletic pitching prospect who presents some upper body strength with long arms and legs.
Lesko has a quality three-pitch mix that’s highlighted by his fastball. Lesko’s fastball usually sits 92-95 mph but has been clocked at 97mph with lots of arm-side run and sink. The Georgia native also has one of the best changeups in this draft class. His breaking ball will need work—he doesn’t really use his curveball much because he can dominate high school competition with his heater and cambio alone.
Strengths
- Plus-plus changeup
- Mid-90s live fastball
- Strike thrower
- Good size
- High pitching IQ
- Frontline starter potential
Weaknesses
- Needs to work on his curveball
- Needs to improve on command
- Will need to fill out his long frame
Pro Comparison: Luis Castillo
Projection: Top 10 pick
Bottom Line
Dylan Lesko is a top prospect in the 2022 MLB Draft and might be the best prep pitcher since Hunter Greene or MacKenzie Gore. Lesko was also the first-ever junior to win the Gatorade National Player of the Year.
Recently, the Marlins included their Competitive Balance Round B draft pick in a trade for bullpen help. That shrinks their 2022 bonus pool and seemingly makes it more likely that they’ll use their first-rounder on a prep player who can be had at underslot value. If they decide to make additional win-now trades in the coming months involving top pitching prospects, Lesko would become an even more logical target.