Swimming Upstream: "Competitor" with Special Guest Will Banfield

Enjoying the best year of his minor league career so far, Marlins prospect Will Banfield joins Alex for an in-depth interview.

Homegrown Miami Marlins catcher Will Banfield joins Alex Carver on Swimming Upstream. Banfield describes how the Marlins organization has changed through the years, the adjustments that have made him a more productive hitter, the importance of playing with selfless teammates and more.

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Banfield joined the Marlins organization after being selected with the 69th overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft (the first draft class of the Bruce Sherman era). The Georgia native enters Sunday with a .216/.264/.356 slash line in 365 career minor league games and he's twice been a non-roster invitee at big league spring training. He has played all of his defensive innings behind the plate.

Currently with Double-A Pensacola, Banfield is hitting better than ever in 2023 with a .260/.278/.462 slash line (91 wRC+). He has already matched his career high with 11 home runs.

Banfield was a key piece of the 2022 Blue Wahoos team that won the Southern League championship. The team boasts a league-best 43-29 record so far this season.

"We have such good guys in the clubhouse and in the dugout that wanna win," Banfield says. "Also, we all hang out outside of the field and we're all friends. That's the coolest thing about it—we can turn it on when we're on the field and make sure we're locked in and also get onto each other when we need to, but when we're off the field, we're able to have fun.

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Photo courtesy of Pensacola Blue Wahoos

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