Sports

Rye native Moran chosen sixth by Marlins

If Colin Moran has dreams of a quick path to the major leagues, he couldn’t have been drafted by a better team.

The Marlins, who own the majors’ worst record, selected the Rye native and North Carolina star third baseman with the sixth overall pick in last night’s Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, making his the highest selection of a local player since Seton Hall pitcher Jason Grilli went fourth overall to the Pirates in 1994. The No. 1 pick in the draft — selected by the Astros — was Mark Appel, Stanford’s hard-throwing right-hander.

“I’m pumped, I couldn’t be more excited,” Moran said. “I was a little surprised, to be honest with you. Just from what I heard, it wasn’t exactly a team I heard much about. I was extremely excited to be picked by them.

“Just hearing my name was surreal. It’s a dream come true.”

Moran has pro baseball in his blood. His uncle, B.J. Surhoff, was the No. 1 overall pick of the Brewers in 1985 and played 18 seasons in the majors for four teams. Moran’s older brother Brian, another North Carolina graduate, was a seventh-round pick of the Mariners in 2009 and is currently at Triple-A Tacoma.

The 6-foot-4, 205-pound Moran is considered by many the best pure hitter in the draft, a gap-to-gap run producer who sprays the ball to all fields. Moran also is revered for his patience and plate discipline — he has drawn more than twice as many walks (60) as strikeouts (22) in 253 at-bats. He has driven in an NCAA-leading 86 RBIs — to go with a robust .348 batting average — was the ACC Player of the Year for the Tar Heels, who will play host to South Carolina this weekend in the Super Regionals, college baseball’s version of the Sweet 16.

“He might be the best hitter in the draft,” former Cleveland Indians and Texas Rangers general manager John Hart said on the MLB Network’s draft telecast.

Moran, the national freshman of the year two years ago, is one of three finalists for the Golden Spikes award — college baseball’s version of the Heisman Trophy — along with Vanderbilt pitcher Tyler Beede and San Diego third baseman Kris Bryant, who was taken by the Cubs with the second pick last night.

Moran was linked to the Indians, who chose high school outfielder Clint Frazier of Georgia with the fifth pick, and there were whispers the Astros considered taking him No. 1 overall.

Instead, Moran is the newest Marlin — and he could find himself in the big leagues before too long.

“That’s the goal,” he said.