Vanderbilt right fielder J.J. Bleday was selected by Miami with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2019 Major League Baseball Draft.

Bleday was the Southeastern Conference Player of the Year as well as the SEC Tournament Most Valuable Player. The lefty leads the NCAA with 26 home runs and has hit .353/.452/.739 this season, with 68 RBIs and 75 runs scored.

The junior has led VU to a 52-10 record, a SEC regular-season title, and an upcoming series with Duke in the NCAA Tournament's Nashville Super Regional.

"I love the kid," MLB Network's Dan O'Dowd, the former Colorado Rockies general manager, said. "He's a multi-talented athlete. He's just starting to fill his body. I think there's actually more [coming] there. He's another guy who's got exceptional control of the strike zone. He really recognizes pitches.

"He's a hitter that has power. He's not a power guy that can hit. And when he's really going good, he uses the entire ballpark, and he gets to the power easily. Profiles well in either corner position of the outfield. He's exceptionally instinctive defensively and for me, he's only going to continue to get better."

Bleday, who bats left handed, hit .368/.494/.511 last season, was selected the Outstanding Pro Prospect in the Cape Cod League last summer.

The Padres picked Bleday, who played at Florida's A. Crawford Mosley High School, in Round 39 of the 2016 MLB Draft, but didn't sign him.

Marlins owner Derek Jeter and special advisor Jorge Posada were on hand to watch Bleday in the SEC Tournament two weeks ago against Auburn. Bleday had five hits in that game, including several off left-handers.