Fish On First Prospects Report: Brandon Compton's extreme profile; Kemp Alderman call-up coming soon?

[Kevin Barral]

For the 2026 season, Fish On First will provide weekly reports on the Miami Marlins farm system, covering all levels. The busiest stretch of the minor league calendar is behind us now that the Florida Complex League season has ended. However, we are on the verge of seeing new draftees take the field and it is increasingly likely that the Marlins will add more prospects from outside the organization in trade deadline deals.

This report covers the games played from July 21-27.

 

Triple-A Jacksonville

The Marlins recently set a franchise record for most consecutive losses at 12. Amazingly, at the exact same time, the Jumbo Shrimp lost 12 straight games themselves, most recently being swept in Worcester.

Since arriving to the Triple-A level, outfielder Cam Cannarella continues to hit, slashing .290/.405/.516/.922 with one home run, two RBI and a 146 wRC+. Cannarella, who started the 2026 season in High-A Beloit, played 19 games at that level before a promotion to Double-A, then after a 34-game stint (posting a 1.060 OPS), he received the promotion to Jacksonville.

The most impressive part of his game so far has been the power, hitting 13 home runs this season; last year in 83 total games between college and the minors, he hit only five. The majority of them have been to the opposite field. Cannarella should be playing Major League Baseball come 2027, and it shouldn't take very long into next season for that to happen.

One name to keep an eye out for in terms of potentially receiving an opportunity in the second half of this season is Kemp Alderman. He is slashing .289/.366/.498/.864 with 14 home runs, 41 RBI and a 127 wRC+. The main concern with Alderman continues to be the high strikeout rate, now at 30.8%. That is seven percent higher than 2025, where it was down to 23.1% across Double-A and Triple-A.

Mainly an outfielder, Alderman has played a lot of first base in 2026, where he can help the team if they end up parting with Liam Hicks at the trade deadline.

 

Former first-round pick Jacob Berry has been placed on the development list. Berry has played in 72 games this season, posting a 103 wRC+. He has homered only twice in 50 games since the beginning of May.

Struggling since reaching Triple-A is Karson Milbrandt. In eight games (seven starts), he has posted a 6.39 ERA, 5.40 FIP, 7.55 K/9 and 7.84 BB/9. After such a strong performance in Double-A, where he was striking out opposing hitters left and right, the jump to a new level has certainly hurt him.

Braxton Garrett may be seeing his final week of action as a member of the Marlins organization. Per Craig Mish, the Marlins are "getting a ton of calls and interest on him." In 15 appearances (14 starts), Garrett has a 2.32 ERA, 3.87 FIP, 9.77 K/9 and 3.42 BB/9. The downside is that in his most recent start, he allowed seven runs on eight hits in 2 ⅔ innings pitched against Worcester.

A good reference point for a potential Garrett trade can be what the Pittsburgh Pirates got in return for José Urquidy, who like Garrett, was in Triple-A as depth.

 

Double-A Pensacola

The Wahoos continued to slug their way to success against the Columbus Clingstones this past week en route to winning five of six games. They hit six home runs, bringing their season total to 127, tops in the Southern League. Pensacola also received quality production from their pitching staff as they held the opposition to just nine total runs. All around, this was one of their best series of the season so far.

The rocket emoji was created in this man’s likeness. Brandon Compton’s incredible power surge continued as he pumped out another three home runs against Columbus. In his first 20 games with Pensacola, the 22-year-old has hit 11 home runs. Since the start of June, Compton has hit 21 homers. That is not only the most in Minor League Baseball, it is the most in all of professional baseball. Compton is the first Marlins draft pick to hit 20 homers in their first full season in the organization since Peyton Burdick in 2021.

This is exactly what the Marlins hoped they were getting when they drafted Compton shortly after he set MLB Draft Combine records for exit velocities. Always his calling card since his collegiate days at Arizona State, it isn’t surprising that Compton is clearing fences, but it is staggering the pace at which he is doing it and under the circumstances in which he is doing it. Famously, the jump to the Double-A level is the hardest for a young player to make, much less one participating in their first full pro season. Compton has handled it with ease, not skipping a beat. If anything, he’s been even better in Pensacola where he is slashing .342/.407/.822 over the 20-game sample.

Another recent change for Compton has been the switch to a different bat handle, an axe-handle grip, which is evidently working to his advantage. As is common for this style of hitter, Compton will need to find a way to make his K rates more manageable as he fully matures. Thus far in his MiLB career, he strikes out 36% of the time. His selectivity will be a primary focus as he rounds out the season with the Wahoos.

Defensively, Compton owns a strong arm even after undergoing Tommy John before his freshman year of college. His ability to stick in the outfield will be reliant on his ability to improve as a route runner. Overall, this 6’1”, 225-pounder is reminiscent of the aforementioned former top prospect Burdick and current Marlins outfielder Griffin Conine. The Marlins would be very pleased with Compton winding up on the positive side of that equation. He will likely finish the year at Double-A before a probable spring training invite in 2027 (CBA permitting).

There’s no sugar-coating it: it’s been a rough year overall for Nigel Belgrave, part of the Marlins’ 2023 draft class. Coming off a spectacular 2025 campaign in which he dominated Double-A competition and even had a cup of coffee at the Triple-A level, the 24-year-old righty has seen his ERA balloon up to an uncharacteristic 5.24 through 28 appearances. The hope is, though, that he has started to have been cured of what ailed him. July has been much kinder to Belgrave. Including two appearances in this series against the Clingstones, he has allowed just three runs in 12 innings. Belgrave’s most recent appearance really stood out—tossing a career high 3 ⅓ innings, he struck out five and didn’t allow a baserunner.

Belgrave’s struggles this season were certainly surprising from an arm which consistently held down an ERA under 3 for two straight seasons and who was among candidates to make his MLB debut at some point this season. Through 44.2 IP, he’s already allowed a career-high in hits (48) and is eight walks shy of his career high in that department. The possible culprit for Belgrave’s struggles is some tinkering he did with pitch shapes that have limited his command and the movement he had over his fastball a slider which forced him to be in the zone more. Previously a two-pitch guy, Belgrave now has four usable pitches (both varieties of fastball, cutter, sweeper and mix-in change), so there is room for optimism. Hopefully back to his roots, Belgrave will look to build on his recent strong performance and get back on track as a possible late inning relief option that can also go multiple innings if needed as early as next season.

 

High-A Beloit

The Sky Carp returned home after a road series and a half on the road and despite losing the run differential battle to Cedar Rapids, were able to take five of six games to get back to within one game of .500 on the season. Solid starting pitching was present for Beloit during half of the series: three Carp starters threw five or more innings while allowing just one run or less. Offensively, the Sky Carp did enough in this series and look to improve in that regard in pretty short order.

The Marlins are expected to assign their 2026 draft class to affiliates shortly, a few of which may head straight to Beloit. Most picks will go to Jupiter. In corresponding roster moves, prospects that have been performing well for the Hammerheads (Andrés Valor and Max Williams, among others) may receive promotions to High-A.

Quietly, Aiden May has consistently improved as the season has gone on. Now it seems as though he may be ready to start really garnering attention and boosting his stock as a prospect. Participating in his first full MiLB season after appearing in just nine games in 2025 due to arthroscopic surgery, May parlayed some early season growing pains into a great June in which he held down a 1.93 ERA. Building up to pitching deeper into games more often, he has lasted into the the 6th inning in four of his last five starts, including this week in which the righty tossed a career-high 6 ⅔ innings. He allowed just four hits and one walk while striking out four.

The biggest catalyst for May as he’s navigated the season has been the improvement of his command and ability to limit damage. When too far in the zone as he was frequently earlier this season, May struggled particularly later in counts putting hitters away and keeping the ball out of play. Finding more corners and having a better frame of mind for his still-evolving pitch mix, May has solved for that gap while keeping his walk rate under control. He is now only allowing hits at a .239 clip and his BABIP against has normalized to .293.

A zone-pounding righty with a deep arsenal, May is honing his craft advantageously. Because there is little room for error in his game and because he doesn’t have wipeout or blow-it-by-you stuff, there’s reliever risk to him, but with the ability to work multiple innings and put up zeroes, he has a high floor as a future bullpen option. If everything works out for him, he will be a back-end rotational option. May could be a candidate to get the call to Double-A before this season is over. There, we will learn a bit more about how close he can get to his ceiling.

After a great first month at the High-A level, the league adjusted a bit to Emilio Barreras. Although opponents still were unable to get him to whiff much, Barreras went just 7-for-33 to start July. In this series against Quad Cities, though, the 22-year-old infielder was able to adjust back to his new competition level advantageously. Appearing in five games, Barreras went 5-for-15 with an RBI and two walks. He boosted his yearly batting average back up to .280 and his overall OPS rose to .733. With Beloit, Barreras is slashing .246/.340/.358.

Any new level is going to present challenges to players who are going through their development. Handling the mental side of the game is an integral part of the growth process for young athletes. Barreras is beginning to show he can handle the ups and downs of failure and success that baseball throws at players in a positive manner. While his exit velocities don’t jump off the screen nor has his ability to record extra bases, his penchant for getting on base has even admits his start-of-July dip in production. Back on the positive side of the bounces against the River Bandits, he’s a pesky at-bat who shows great plate discipline and knowledge of the strike zone. The one thing that has fallen off for Barreras as he’s matriculated to Beloit is his ability to use the entire field. He is going to his opposite field just 23.5% of the time. Without much power, regaining the ability to cover the entire plate will be paramount for Barreras as he continues to develop. The ability for the mostly-singles bat to become more of a base-stealing threat would also be a major plus. Expect Barreras to remain with Beloit for the remainder of the season.

 

Low-A Jupiter

After a dreadful start to the season, Andrés Valor is finally a league-average hitter player per wRC+ at exactly 100. He is slashing .217/.345/.384/.729 with 10 home runs, 36 RBI and 44 stolen bases (by far the most in the Marlins org). Still only 20 years old, there is still time to bounce back and begin looking like the prospect that he did before.

Max Williams has been torching the Low-A level since returning from shoulder surgery. In 12 games, he is slashing .390/.519/.585/1.105 with one home run, six RBI and a 198 wRC+. It is still early in Williams' career and these numbers should be taken with a grain of salt, but they're still impressive nonetheless. He is currently being used only as a designated hitter while his shoulder returns to full strength.

Left-hander Dameivi Tineo threw five hitless innings in his start on Saturday. He became just the fourth Marlins minor league pitcher this season to reach the 100-strikeout mark.

Right-hander Eiver Mosquera has been suspended 80 games for violating Minor League Baseball’s drug program after testing positive for the performance-enhancing substance boldenone.

 

FCL Marlins

The FCL Marlins had their share of ups and downs this season, finishing last in the Florida Complex League East with a 20-32 record and a run differential of -94. While the record wasn't pretty, the offense wasn't necessarily the problem. The club hit .260 as a team, fifth-best among the 15 FCL teams, while also ranking fifth in slugging percentage, sixth in OPS, and finishing in the top third of the league with 42 home runs.

The biggest issue all season long was the pitching staff. The FCL Marlins finished last in the league with a 7.57 ERA, while the next closest club posted a 7.01 ERA. Despite allowing just a .244 batting average against—the fifth-lowest mark in the league—they surrendered a league-high 337 walks while finishing in the middle of the pack with 438 strikeouts. The stuff was there all season, but the command simply wasn't.

The command issues showed up in just about every category. The Marlins led the FCL with 115 wild pitches and tied for the league lead with 39 balks. What's surprising is they also finished second in the league in GO/AO, meaning they were one of the more ground-ball-heavy staffs in the league. Even with that, they turned just 10 double plays all season, the fewest in the FCL. The next-lowest team turned 20.

Offensively, the Marlins showed flashes throughout the year but lacked consistent extra-base production. They finished 12th in doubles with 68 and second-to-last in triples with just nine. The FCL season is only 52 games, so the sample size is small, but when looking back at the year, many of these numbers line up with what was visible on the field.

 

DSL Marlins & DSL Miami

José Camacho has quietly put together a solid season for DSL Miami. In July, he is hitting .258 (16-for-62) with two home runs, including one on Monday afternoon. Camacho has struck out just 18.5% of the time this season, but his .270 BABIP suggests he has been on the wrong side of some poor luck. He has also hit too many balls on the ground, posting a 1.21 GO/AO ratio, but with two home runs over the last few days, maybe some of that luck is finally starting to turn.

José Rosal put together a statement outing on Monday after struggling over the last few weeks. In three innings, he struck out eight while walking three. The walks continue to be the biggest issue, but when Rosal is around the strike zone, his stuff can be nearly unhittable. Opponents hit just .184 against him in June before that number climbed to .304 in July. Monday's outing was another reminder of what Rosal is capable of when he throws strikes consistently. 

Carlos Martinez has been back from a two-week absence for about three weeks now. While the numbers don't necessarily jump off the page, he continues to show some of the best bat-to-ball skills in the organization. In just 38 at-bats, he has struck out only three times, good for an 8% strikeout rate, while walking at an incredible 37% clip. Despite having more than 50 fewer at-bats than he did last season, he has already surpassed his walk total from 2025. Martinez has primarily caught this season but has also logged six innings in right field, showing some defensive versatility.

The DSL Marlins currently sit at 21-18 with a plus-52 run differential, largely because of what has arguably become the best top three in the entire DSL. Johan Machado, Raunny Figueredo, and Santiago Solarte have fueled the offense all season long. Even more impressive is that Figueredo and Solarte are in their first professional seasons, while Machado is in just his second. Since Solarte moved to third base after struggling defensively at shortstop, Machado has become the club's primary shortstop. Johan Machado Machado has been the DSL Marlins' leadoff hitter in 33 of the team's 36 games this season, and he has done exactly what you want from a leadoff hitter. On the year, he is hitting .302 with a .400 OBP while stealing 25 bases. He has also shown much more power this season, with all five of his career home runs coming this year. He has been even better in July, batting .358 (24-for-67) with three home runs, 20 RBIs, and 10 stolen bases. During this hot stretch, he has struck out at a lower rate than his season average (19% vs. 23%).

Pitchers don't get much of a break after Machado reaches base. Raunny Figueredo, who turned just 17 three months ago, has exceeded expectations. Since June 18, he is hitting .306 with four home runs and 22 RBIs. During this stretch, he has also struck out less frequently than he has throughout the season. In July, he owns matching 15% walk and strikeout rates, an impressive combination for someone his age. Defensively, he has spent most of the season in right field, recording two assists in 230 innings. Considering he turned 17 only three months ago, what Figueredo has done this season has been impressive.

The Marlins have had their share of disappointing high-profile international signings over the years, so seeing Santiago Solarte produce right away is something the organization has been waiting on for quite some time. Since moving from shortstop to third base, everything has seemed to click. In July, Solarte is hitting .364 (20-for-55) with four home runs, 17 RBIs, more walks than strikeouts, and 17 stolen bases. On the season, he is batting .315 with six home runs, 31 RBIs, and 33 stolen bases, ranking fourth in the DSL. He also owns an outstanding .441 OBP and a .973 OPS. The move off shortstop has allowed Solarte to settle in, and the offensive production has followed. For a player making his professional debut, he couldn't have asked for a much better start to his career.

 

This week's schedule

• Triple-A Jacksonville vs. Memphis
• Double-A Pensacola at Knoxville
• High-A Beloit at West Michigan
• Low-A Jupiter vs. Clearwater
• DSL Marlins and DSL Miami against various opponents

 

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