Elite South Carolina baseball commitment selected in 1st round of MLB Draft

South Carolina baseball fans celebrated in a major way when top national high school prospect PJ Morlando committed to USC in 2023. Most understood, though, that getting a talent like him to come to school was a tall order and that his next steps in baseball would be at the professional level.

As a first baseman and corner outfielder, Morlando spent his senior year dominating at Summerville High School in the Palmetto State. He was so feared by opposing pitchers and coaches that he walked in over one-third of his trips to the plate, helping him reach an on-base percentage number greater than .600.

The strong finish to his high school career put him firmly in the 1st round of most MLB Draft projections, and passing up that type of money to go to college isn't very feasible, even in the NIL era.

On Sunday night, PJ Morlando, indeed, was selected in the 1st round of the 2024 MLB Draft by the Miami Marlins. He was chosen with the 16th pick of the draft, even higher than most mock drafts had him projected. While he could still enroll at the University of South Carolina this summer or fall and join the Gamecocks, it seems like a foregone conclusion that he will begin his time as a professional.

The Marlins added one of, if not the, best high school bats in the draft, and he has plenty of upside in the rest of his game. As a prospect, Morlando has just about everything scouts could want from an offensive standpoint. He has prodigious power from the left side of the plate, good bat-to-ball skills, and he can run. He has solid athleticism, as well, so there is a belief that he can develop into a pretty good outfielder at the next level.

South Carolina baseball is expected to have several other commitments and players from the current roster selected in the 2024 MLB Draft.