Which 2026 MLB Deadline candidate was drafted fourth overall by Miami out of Vanderbilt in 2019? The answer is JJ Bleday.
The Miami Marlins selected Bleday with the fourth overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft after his standout junior season at Vanderbilt. He was one of college baseball’s premier power hitters, leading NCAA Division I with 26 home runs during the regular season and helping Vanderbilt remain a national contender.
Bleday signed with Miami and became one of the organization’s most prominent hitting prospects. He made his major-league debut with the Marlins in 2022 before later moving to the Oakland Athletics. His path is sometimes confused with that of Dansby Swanson, another Vanderbilt star, but Swanson was the first overall pick in 2015 and went to Arizona.
Bleday’s selection was also notable because Miami chose him ahead of several other highly regarded 2019 prospects. The pick reflected the Marlins’ desire to add a polished left-handed bat with middle-of-the-order potential.