Graham Pauley

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Miami Marlins #15 prospect in 2025
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/High.
  
  Track Record: Pauley was an unheralded 13th-round pick in 2022. He quickly made that look like a bargain, putting together a monstrous .308/.393/.539 line across three levels in his first full pro season in 2023. Pauley came crashing back down to earth in 2024, and was traded midseason to the Marlins in a deal for relievers Tanner Scott and Bryan Hoeing. He did make his MLB debut with the Padres, but struggled mightily in the 13-game sample.
  
  Scouting Report: Pauley has an excellent approach at the plate. His pitch recognition is a plus, and he also makes tons of contact, so he should always boast strong strikeout-to-walk ratios. Pauley does a good job producing line drives and low fly balls, allowing his average raw power to play up. He’s a fringe-average runner. Defensively, he split time at third base, second base, first base, and the outfield with the Padres, but he played exclusively at third base after the trade. Third base is probably his best position long term. He is a fundamental defender with solid receiving skills and average arm strength that’s a tick light but does have good accuracy. His lack of arm strength hurts him when he has to dive or range to his right, and it will likely prevent him from being a plus overall defender there.
  
  The Future: Pauley has a chance to develop into an everyday third baseman who provides most of his value with his bat. He could break camp with the team in 2025.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 50 | Run: 45 | Field: 50 | Arm: 50.
• 
  Ranked San Diego Padres #11 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 50/High
  
  Track Record: Covid barred Pauley from the field entirely at Duke in 2020, and the backlog of players going to college when the majors shortened the draft limited his playing time his sophomore season. Rather than transferring, Pauley used that as fuel in seizing a starting job as a junior, and the limited exposure may have landed the Padres a steal in the 13th round in 2022. His first summer in pro ball was halted just before the California League playoffs as Pauley returned to Duke to finish his economics degree, but he breezed through three levels in 2023 as the organization’s hitter of the year, finishing the regular season in Double-A San Antonio.
  
  Scouting Report: A slightly open stance allows Pauley to get a longer look at pitches, and his strike-zone discipline is a strength. He also tapped into more power than even the Padres expected. He led the system with 23 home runs, including 16 in 45 games after a promotion to High-A Fort Wayne. He uses a short lefthanded swing with some loft. He made a point of keeping his front shoulder closed in 2023, and the change allowed him to hit lefthanders better than he had at any point in his career. His aptitude for picking out pitches to damage has also improved as a professional. He’s an average defender with the ability to move around the diamond. He saw time at third base, second base and both corner outfield spots in 2023. He’s athletic and smart enough to steal some bases, but first-step quickness and agility are points of emphasis moving forward in the field. He is a natural leader with an exemplary work ethic, one the Padres highlighted for Pauley’s younger teammates to mirror at each of his stops.
  
  The Future: At first glance, Pauley profiles as a utilityman in the majors, but off-the-charts makeup will allow him to squeeze every ounce out of his ability--and then some.
  
  Scouting Grades Hit: 55 | Power: 45 | Run: 45 | Field: 50 | Arm: 50