BREAKING: Vanderbilt outfielder JJ Bleday drafted 4th overall by the Miami Marlins

By Max Schneider, Sports Editor

Jun 3, 2019

The wait for JJ Bleday is over. And it was a short one.

On Monday night, Bleday, the Vanderbilt Commodore right fielder, was selected by the Miami Marlins with the 4th pick in the first round of the 2019 Major League Baseball Draft.

The pick comes as no surprise to most, as Derek Jeter, Marlins’ CEO and part owner, as well as Jorge Posada, Marlins’ special advisor to baseball operations, were spotted at Vanderbilt’s 11-1 victory against Auburn in the SEC Tournament. Bleday went 5-5 with two doubles in that matchup.

Bleday is the first Commodore taken in the 2019 MLB Draft, and is the first Top 5 selection since Kyle Wright was drafted by the Atlanta Braves back in 2017.

The 6’3 lefty out of Panama City Beach, Florida is currently hitting .353 with a nation-leading 26 home runs for the #2 seed Commodores, who won the Nashville Regional Sunday night to advance to the final 16. Bleday’s season follows a sophomore campaign in which he hit .368 with 4 home runs, having battled a wrist injury for a majority of the year.

About the Contributor

Max Schneider, Former Sports Editor

Max Schneider (’20) was the Sports Editor for the Vanderbilt Hustler. He has been on staff since the first semester of his freshman year, first as a staff writer and shortly thereafter as the Deputy Sports Editor. Max also serves as the host of VU Sports Wired on Vanderbilt Television and The Hustler Sports 30 on VandyRadio.

He majored in communications studies and political science in the College of Arts and Science. Max has had bylines on NHL.com and has previously worked for The Nashville Predators, The Players’ Tribune and Nashville SC. He has attended several events as credentialed media, including the 2019 College Baseball World Series, the 2019 NBA Draft and the 2018 Texas Bowl.

Max is a native New Yorker and a die-hard Jets fan still holding out hope.

For tips, please reach out to: [email protected] or find him on Twitter or LinkedIn

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