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Marlins Prospects Report: Opening Week

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Although a prolonged offseason lockout threatened the start of the season, the 2022 baseball schedule started last week. The Miami Marlins enter the season with postseason aspirations following offseason improvements, and the club’s minor league affiliates stand stocked with talented prospects.

The Marlins’ farm system checked in sixth-best in baseball according to MLB.com’s preseason rankings. Bleacher Report is higher on Miami’s minor league clubs, ranking them third-best in baseball. ESPN, meanwhile, has them fourth.

“The Marlins farm system has improved over the years and they have learned that you have to develop from within to be competitive year after year,” said Stoffer Cochran of Prospects1500.com. “They are turning heads with pitching development and have a wealth of middle infielders that will be fun to watch over the coming years.”

With Miami’s top-30 prospects per MLB Pipeline spread throughout the system, the Marlins look to their farm system as a legitimate strength, both for developmental purposes and for organizational depth. The team remains unlikely to pull the trigger on a blockbuster trade headlined by their top prospects unless the return holds a transformational star.

The Marlins feel they have stars in their system, especially among their top-10. Miami’s one of just three teams with six players among MLB’s top-100: Kahlil Watson (No. 25), Edward Cabrera (No. 34), Max Meyer (No. 35), Eury Perez (No. 41), Sixto Sánchez (No. 58), and JJ Bleday (No. 69). Perhaps most exciting about that, three of those six stand on the cusp of joining the big club, though two of them are working their way back from injury.

Marlins Prospects in Jacksonville Impress

The Marlins got their season started in San Francisco, while their Triple-A affiliate, the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, started their 2022 slate at home, versus the Worcester Red Sox. The Fish got a good look at some of their top prospects against talented competition during the first week of the minor league season.

The Marlins prospect seemingly closest to the Majors made the start for Jacksonville during opening week. The 23-year-old 6-foot, 190-lb righty impressed with his work this spring, including pitching four perfect frames with five strikeouts in his lone Grapefruit League outing.

Meyer finished his first start with five strikeouts, allowing two runs on two hits, with a hit batsman and a walk. He consistently hit the upper 90s with his fastball and settled around 92 with his slider. Meyer threw 69 pitches, 43 for strikes, including 16 swing-and-misses.

Meyer posted a more impressive performance in his second start of the season. On the road against the Durham Bulls, the Tampa Bay Rays Triple-A affiliate and team that won the championship last season, Meyer sported no-hit stuff. He pitched five perfect frames before leaving in the sixth with a calf cramp.

Meyer struck out three of the first four batters he faced and struck out the side in the fourth. He k’d eight overall, inducing 12 whiffs along the way. Durham didn’t have a radar gun in use yesterday, but Meyer located his fastball well. His changeup and slider were very effective, too.

For the season, Meyer now has 13 strikeouts in 9.0 innings pitched, having allowed just two hits, two runs, a walk, and a hits batsman. He’s not on Miami’s 40-man roster, so a move will have to be made prior to the Marlins calling up this top prospect.

Marlins Outfield Prospects Coming Along in Triple-A

The Marlins other top prospects in Jacksonville, JJ Bleday and Peyton Burdick, had slower starts to their seasons but they’ve played well of late. Bleday’s just 3-for-23 so far this season, but he had his best game of the season yesterday in Durham. Bleday went 1-for-4 with a 2-RBI single, a walk and a run scored. Bleday would’ve notched his first home run of the season in the ninth, if not for an amazing catch by Bulls’ centerfielder Cal Stevenson robbing Bleday of a 3-run bomb.

Burdick also played well yesterday, connecting on his second homer of the season, a no-doubter in the first inning. Burdick is 7-for-26 with a pair of homers and four RBI so far this season. He has four walks, but nine strikeouts. Following a 0-for-5, 4-K performance last week, Burdick’s gone 3-for-8 with a homer, two RBI, a walk and only one strikeout.

Both Bleday and Burdick stand among the Marlins top-10 prospects and both have seen time in centerfield this season. Bleday’s made three starts in center, while Burdick’s made one. Both players have looked comfortable, especially Bleday, who’s reps have come in the spacious centerfield at 121 Financial Ballpark in Jacksonville.

Other Marlins 40-man Prospects in Jacksonville

Seven of the Marlins top-30 prospects remain on the Triple-A roster early on. Lewin Diaz has been one of Jacksonville’s most consistent hitters early this season, going 9-for-28 so far, with a homer, double, and a team-leading seven RBI. His K-rate early on is a manageable 22.5 percent.

The Jumbo Shrimp pitching staff features four active hurlers currently on Miami’s 40-man roster. Of those, Braxton Garrett is off to the best start. He went 4.0 innings in his season debut last week, allowing two runs on four hits and two walks. He struck out three, including two of the top Boston Red Sox prospects, Triston Casas and Jeter Downs. He’s scheduled to pitch for Jacksonville on Wednesday.

Jordan Holloway’s first start went well, other than the third inning. He pitched four, allowing four runs on three hits and three walks. Holloway ran into trouble against the Worcester Red Sox in the third, when after securing two outs, he walked a batter, allowed a single, walked another, then surrendered a grand slam.

Zach Pop has seen the most action with the Jumbo Shrimp of those on the 40-man. He’s made three appearances, tossing 4.2 innings total. Pop’s allowed seven hits, though, with three walks, allowing inherited runners to score twice. Batters are hitting .368 off him early on.

The worst of the bunch so far has been Paul Campbell. He’s pitched in two games, with one start, and over eight total innings so far, Campbell’s allowed 10 earned runs, with nine hits, five walks and a hits batsman. He’s surrendered two homers, though he does have nine strikeouts.

Jacksonville’s gone with a 6-man rotation early on, keeping close tabs on the development and stress on these young arms.

Double-A with a Surprise

Miami’s Double-A affiliate, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, sports seven of the Marlins’ top-30 prospects, including one from the top-5. Soon-to-be 19-year-old Eury Perez made the leap to Double-A this year and continues his rocket ascent among prospect rankings.

Perez toss 4.1 innings in his season debut last week, allowing three hits and two walks, with five strikeouts. Four of the first eight outs he registered came via the K and he didn’t allow a hit until the fourth inning. He ran into trouble in the fifth following a hits batsman and a single. His replacement, Will Stewart, allowed both of those inherited runners to score, giving Perez three earned runs on the night.

The only Blue Wahoo on Miami’s 40-man roster is 24-year-old outfielder Jerar Encarnacion, who’s getting work at first base defensively this season. Encarnacion’s off to a slow start at the plate, hitting just .111 with a .158 on-base percentage. He has 10 strikeouts over 18 at-bats and zero RBI.

The big surprise among Marlins prospects in Pensacola has been the play of Paul McIntosh. The 24-year-old catcher started the season 8-for-12 with two homers, a double, triple, and four RBI. He has two walks as well and leads the Southern League with a 1.417 OPS.

Some of the other notable names in Pensacola include Hayden Cantrelle, Griffin Conine, and Victor Victor Mesa. None have impressed as of yet, and Conine’s off to a particularly slow start. He’s 3-for-20 with a homer but nine strikeouts and no walks through four games.

Single-A Sees a Star

Miami has two Single-A affiliates, High-A Beliot Sky Carp and Low-A Jupiter Hammerheads. Six of the Marlins top-30 prospects started the season in High-A, with left-handed pitcher Dax Fulton being the highest-rated (No. 9). Fulton tossed 3.2 innings in his first start, allowing six runs on four hits and four walks. He struck out four.

The Marlins top hitting prospects in Wisconsin include Victor Mesa Jr. (No. 14), Cody Morissette (No. 16), and Nasim Nunez (No. 18). These players are a combined 5-for-44 to start with just one RBI and 21 strike outs between them.

But in Low-A Jupiter, as star has been born. Atop the Marlins prospects list stands shortstop Kahlil Watson. He’s 5-for-15 with two homers, two doubles, five RBI and five runs scored to start 2022. He sports a 1.242 OPS early on and figures to fly through Miami’s system.

Jose Salas, the No. 8 prospect for the Fish, has started 3-for-15 with a double, a homer, and RBI and two walks early on.

The surprise here among Marlins prospects has been 20-year-old starting pitcher Sandro Bargallo, who tossed five scoreless innings in his season debut, allowing just two hits and one walk while striking out eight.

Here’s More on the Marlins Top Prospects

Marlins on the road? Check out prospects in Jupiter

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Since the ownership of the Miami Marlins exchanged hands, another rebuilding project was quickly sprung into action. Through the draft and controversial trades, the farm system has been restocked and now there’s depth.

According to MLB Pipeline, about a third of the Marlins top 30 prospects are only a 90 minute drive north on 1-95. The Jupiter Hammerheads play in the Single-A Advanced Florida State League in the Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals spring training complex. Here’s a look at the top prospects on the team.

Victor Victor Mesa (No. 2 prospect) was the Marlins big free agent splash this offseason and has the speed and defense to be a big-league outfielder right now. Scouts grade him as an above-average runner who would steal a bounty of bases and he chases down fly balls all over center field. If he can hit, he would be quickly called up and bat leadoff for the Marlins faster than you can say Victor Victor.

With the seventh pick of the 2016 MLB Draft, the Marlins made Braxton Garrett (No. 7) the highest-drafted Alabama high school player since Condredge Holloway went fourth overall in 1971. His minor league career consists of four starts in Greensboro before undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2017 and missing all of the 2018 season. A healthy season in Jupiter can establish him as one of the best pitcher in the farm system. Garrett slings a 94 mph fastball and his curveball garners the highest scout grade of 65 on a 20-80 scale.

An instant fan favorite, as demonstrated on the above photo, Jose Devers (No. 12) is the cousin of Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers and is on a similar path. The Marlins spared us all of the potential of both cousins being on opposite sides of the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry by including him in the trade package in return for Giancarlo Stanton. He’s a classic shortstop with above average fielding and speed grades. He is also considered as one of the system’s top contact hitters at age 19, so look for him to slap some hits and steal some bases.

Jordan Holloway (No. 13) is in the same situation as Garrett. He’s got the potential to be one of the best arms in the system but after Tommy John surgery, needs stable health and establish consistency. His best asset is his fastball, which ranges from 95-99 mph. Unlike most of these prospects, Holloway was drafted in the 20th round. If he can turn in a full season, he’ll be a major draft steal.

Trevor Rogers (No. 15) was another high school arm taken by taken by the Fish in the first round of the draft. The cousin of former Marlins outfielder Cody Ross stands as one of the tallest prospects in the farm system at 6-foot-6 with a fastball that touched as high as 96 mph. Rogers posted an impressive 85/27 K/BB ratio in 72 2/3 innings in Single-A Greensboro, but he also had a 5.82 ERA. If this were to continue in Jupiter, there’s potential to pivot from the rotation to the bullpen and mold the 21-year-old as a future closer.

The Marlins top four picks in last year’s draft are among their top 30 prospects and outfielder Tristan Pompey (No. 16) is one of them. Pompey climbed up the ranks in his first minor league season, ending with 24 games in Jupiter, while slashing .299/.408/.397 in 52 games. Pompey is a switch-hitter who has played all over the outfield and could potentially be a first base in the future.

After ranking second in the Single-A South Atlantic League in ERA (2.06) and WHIP (0.98) in 2018, the Philadelphia Phillies were so impressed with Will Stewart (No. 21) that they packed him with top prospect Sixto Sanchez and catcher Jorge Alfaro in a trade with the Marlins for JT Realmuto just before Fan Fest. His fastball/slider combo receives his highest scout grades. His low-three-quarters delivery makes his 89-94 mph fastball look like a sinker and leads to a lot of weak contact. His 2.4 groundout/flyout ratio ranked fifth in the Minors last year.

Two other prospects (that I didn’t have photos of) are third baseman James Nelson (No. 20) and starting pitcher Edward Cabrera (No. 8). Nelson is the nephew of former Colorado Rockies infielder Chris Nelson earned Minor League Player of the Year honors in 2017, his first full season, after batting .309 in Greensboro. Cabrera has a fastball grade of 70 and while handled with care by the Marlins in his first two short seasons, recorded 93 strikeouts in 100.1 innings in his first full season last year.

The Hammerheads also has Alejandro Mateo, the team’s lone local product. The Hialeah native has 218 career strikeouts in 206.2 innings since 2016 and is on a fast start this season with five strikeouts in games.

This team is worth a watch this season and you might see some of them in Marlins Park in a few years.