Marlins prospects running wild, pacing minor leagues in stolen bases

[Ely Sussman]

From Low-A to Triple-A, Marlins MiLB affiliates are stealing with incredible frequency and efficiency early in 2025.

The Miami Marlins have reloaded their farm system over the last year and a change with the help of nearly a dozen trades that directly swapped big leaguers for prospects. Even so, that talent infusion alone cannot fully explain this. Marlins minor league affiliates are playing a completely different brand of baseball than other organizations so far in 2025—and the early returns are encouraging.

The Triple-A Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp enter Thursday leading the minors in stolen bases. The High-A Beloit Sky Carp rank second. The Low-A Jupiter Hammerheads are tied for third. This is out of 120, mind you.

In 2024, the High-A Aberdeen IronBirds (Baltimore Orioles org) established a new single-season minor league record with 363 steals, averaging 2.75 per game. Marlins affiliates are combining to average 3.34 per game. What?!

The Jumbo Shrimp stole 86 bases in 149 games last season, the second-lowest output among Triple-A teams. Personnel changes have contributed to the base-stealing boost—Troy Johnston is their only active position player who spent the full 2024 season in Jacksonville.

Promoted to the Shrimp late last summer, outfielder Jakob Marsee has racked up 12 steals through 10 games this season. All by himself, he has out-stolen 98 of the 120 MiLB teams.

Emaarion Boyd (Beloit) swiped six bags on Wednesday without recording a hit.

Abrahan Ramírez was an on-base machine in the Florida Complex League last season (.447 OBP), yet stole only six bases. Ramírez got halfway to matching that in a single Hammerheads game on April 6, as you can see here:

Marlins minor league baserunners have the eternal green light. It might stay that way if they keep succeeding at such an outstanding rate. Jacksonville, Beloit, Jupiter and Double-A Pensacola are a combined 87-for-101 on steal attempts (86.1 SB%).

Meanwhile, the big league Marlins are currently below average at base-stealing in terms of both volume and efficiency. Will they be more aggressive once some of these speedsters earn promotions to the majors? Probably to some extent, though the mind-blowing MiLB numbers are undoubtedly being juiced by inferior defense (neglectful pitchers allowing good jumps and catchers with inaccurate arms).

President of baseball operations Peter Bendix has spoken repeatedly about the importance of being innovative to stand a chance of competing with organizations that have more resources than the Marlins do. This appears to be a prime example.

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[1993 fan from start]

hope it keeps up and some of it carry over. learning to do it at a high rate is great . also good read.

[THOMAS JOSEPH]

Bodes well, especially for a team that needs offensive sparks. Accordingly, we should all expect another rather "fluid" roster year.