Drew Steckenrider was drafted out of the University of Tennessee by the Marlins in the eighth round of the 2012 MLB Amateur Entry Draft. The six-foot-five right-handed Atlanta, GA native joined the Jamestown Jammers in the Short-season-A New York-Penn League to close out the season. In 10 appearances, including eight starts, he struck out 38 in 36 1/3 innings, with a 3.72 ERA and a not-quite elite 1.459 WHIP.
Steckenrider missed most of the 2013 and 2014 seasons on the injured list, totaling five appearances between the Single-A Greensboro Grasshoppers in the South Atlantic League and the GCL Marlins in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League.