Evan Edwards, first baseman, fourth round (111th overall) to the Miami Marlins
Edwards was one of the most prolific hitters for the Pack last season. Edwards finished his Pack career with a .330/.455/.604 line in his senior year, and had an OPS of 1.059.
Whereas Wilson, taken 15th overall in last night’s first round, led the Pack with 16 home runs, Edwards was not far behind finishing with 14 of his own.
Originally, Edwards played at Spartanburg Methodist College before transferring to NC State for his junior season. His first season at NC State saw him record 48 runs, which ranked third on the team, along with four multi-home run games, and even more multi-hit and multi-RBI games, at 13 and 12, respectively.
Edwards also finished his junior season with seven home runs in conference games, which ranked tied for sixth most in the conference.
Edwards continued this dominance into his senior season, as evidenced by his batting line, and recorded another multi-home run game. He was walked 51 times on the season, which led the Wolfpack and showcased a patient approach at the plate that surely appealed to MLB teams. Edwards also finished with the second most hits on the teamwith 76, four behind freshman Tyler McDonough.
His efficiency at the plate carried over onto the defensive side of the field, where he recorded a 1.000 fielding percentage and zero errors all season as the Pack’s starting first baseman. He also recorded 482 putouts and 30 assists.
All of this efficiency was consistent, as he appeared in all 61 games for the Wolfpack in 2019.
Edwards was not in the top 200 prospect list for MLB.com, but the list did not deter the Marlins from selecting Edwards 111th overall. Edwards should be considered a steal, as his stats are similar to the ones that Wilson put up in his senior season, and he is one of the most efficient fielders in the ACC.
The first baseman will join shortstop Nasim Nunez as the only infielders selected by the Marlins in the first few rounds of the draft, as the Marlins have focused on outfield depth to this point, emphasized by the selection of J.J. Bleday with the fourth overall pick in the draft.
All of Miami’s draftees will begin their careers at various stages of minor leagues, joining teams in the Marlins organization. Edwards will play for a spot in Marlins spring training next season, although this will be difficult with the immense young talent available to the Marlins. However, the Marlins have been noted to need infield help, as much of their youth comes from the outfield.
Senior infielder Evan Edwards rounds the bases after hitting a home run in his last at-bat for the Wolfpack on Sunday, June 2 at Clark-LeClair Stadium in Greenville. Edwards went 1-3 with one home run and one walk as the Wolfpack’s season was ended 9-2 by ECU.
