Cam Cannarella’s Marlins Selection Sparks Debate About MLB Scouting originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

Cam Cannarella did everything right in college. He hit for average, defended at a high level, showed up in the postseason, and anchored a Clemson lineup from day one — all while learning the outfield on the fly. Yet despite a career .360 average, 262 hits, and a long list of accolades, he didn’t hear his name called until the final pick of the first round of the 2025 MLB Draft.

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The Miami Marlins made Cannarella the No. 43 overall selection, a pick with a $2.2 million slot value. But for many watching the draft broadcast, the takeaway wasn’t that he was a first-rounder — it was that he nearly wasn’t.

Two years ago, some analysts said Cannarella would’ve been a top-10 pick. But concerns about his power ceiling and limited stolen base totals led to hesitation. He hit .353 in 2025 but stole just six bases and homered five times. Evaluators praised his polish but questioned his upside.

What that line of thinking ignores, however, is just how consistent and valuable Cannarella was — especially in big moments. He hit .455 with five home runs in 11 career home postseason games, and posted an .841 slugging percentage in NCAA Tournament play. His .989 career fielding percentage in center, a position he only started playing as a freshman, makes him one of the best defenders in Clemson history.

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He became the first Tiger since Seth Beer to earn All-America honors in multiple seasons, and just the second Clemson player to be a three-time All-ACC selection since the 1970s.

Yes, the tools may not jump off the page in a showcase setting. But Cannarella was the heartbeat of a program that returned to national relevance, and in many ways, his college résumé is more impressive than players picked well ahead of him.

The slide wasn’t dramatic enough to push him out of the first round — but it’s a reminder of how quickly production can be overshadowed by projection. The Marlins may have gotten a steal not just in a player — but in a culture-setter.

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Time will tell whether the scouts were right about Cannarella’s ceiling. But there’s no question about his floor — it’s already built on a rock-solid foundation of results.

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 14, 2025, where it first appeared.