The Marlins farm system has improved—but its depth is disappearing

One article produced earlier this year examined how the Marlins' minor league system was on pace to record the highest strikeout rate in franchise history. At the time, the development of swing-and-miss ability across all levels seemed like it would be the prevailing narrative of the 2026 season. However, as the season has progressed, a larger issue has overshadowed that.

The depth that once appeared to be an organizational strength is quickly disappearing. Injuries, promotions, underperformance, and roster turnover have impacted nearly every MiLB roster.

When the Marlins traded Edward Cabrera and Ryan Weathers last offseason, the belief was that the organization had enough pitching depth to absorb those losses. That depth is now being tested.

Thomas White is likely out for the season with a shoulder sprain. Robby Snelling and Adam Mazur have both undergone elbow surgeries. Eury Pérez is sidelined with a gracilis sprain, while Janson Junk is dealing with shin inflammation. Chris Paddack has already been designated for assignment. Braxton Garrett has struggled with command during his return from Tommy John, and Ryan Gusto has posted a 10.80 ERA in his limited MLB exposure.

The concern extends beyond the rotation. Andrew Nardi is expected to miss roughly three months, while Ronny Henriquez underwent Tommy John and will miss the remainder of the season. Josh Ekness is sidelined for six weeks, Calvin Faucher owns an 18% walk rate, and the club's biggest bullpen addition from the offseason, Pete Fairbanks, has struggled to find consistency.

This has had a trickle-down effect to the Marlins farm.

Over their last two series, Triple-A Jacksonville has posted a 4.72 ERA and 1.51 WHIP while issuing 64 walks. Bradley Blalock has cooled off after a strong start, Braxton Garrett is still working his way back, and Brandon White has struggled since being promoted. The one obvious bright spot has been introducing Karson Milbrandt to their rotation. Now being recognized as a Top 100 MLB prospect, Milbrandt tossed six innings of scoreless ball in his AAA debut.

Double-A Pensacola has managed a respectable 4.23 ERA, but much of the credit goes to Eliazar Dishmey, who was nearly flawless in his outing on Thursday (6.0 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 9 K).

High-A Beloit has arguably been hit the hardest. The Sky Carp own a staggering 7.74 ERA during that span. Compounding their inability to throw strikes, they've been surrendering nearly two home runs per game. The Beloit active roster includes Jaydenn Estanista and Jesús Rios, who were not even employed by the Marlins org when the season began. Unsurprisingly, they have a 2-10 record over their last 12 games.

It looks like a typo at first glance, but no: Low-A Jupiter has issued more than a walk per inning (106 BB in 101.2 IP) over this two-week span, contributing to a 5.40 ERA. Walin Castillo, Dameivi Tineo, and Julio Mendez have all performed well in the rotation, but the bullpen has struggled.

What about the offense?

The offensive side of the organization presents a different challenge. While overall production throughout the system has been strong, much of it is concentrated among a relatively small group of players.

Triple-A Jacksonville currently features Agustín Ramírez and Graham Pauley, both of whom struggled during their time with the major league club earlier this season. Jacob Berry appeared close to a call-up before cooling off over the last few weeks—he has not homered since April. Kemp Alderman is expected to miss at least another week with a right elbow sprain, while Deyvison De Los Santos has not produced at the level the organization hoped.

Double-A Pensacola has become the center of the organization's offensive talent. Aiva Arquette, Cam Cannarella, Juan Matheus, and Connor Caskenette have all arrived from Beloit and continued their strong seasons. Dillon Lewis leads the organization with 12 home runs and Fenwick Trimble leads with 56 hits, while Brendan Jones has paired 22 stolen bases with six homers.

Those aforementioned promotions have left Beloit's lineup much thinner than it was a few weeks ago. Brandon Compton has struggled, Dillon Head has yet to find consistency, and Emilio Barreras and Esmil Valencia have gotten off to slow starts at the High-A level. Adding to the talent drain, Starlyn Caba was recently placed on the injured list.

Jupiter recently received reinforcements with the arrivals of Luis Arana and Luis Cova from the FCL, and both have started well. Abraham Ramírez opened the year as one of the hottest hitters in the organization before cooling off significantly. Carter Johnson has put together a solid bounce-back season, but there is still development ahead.

The biggest concern remains 2024 first-round pick PJ Morlando, who is hitting under .200 with a strikeout rate above 34%. Andrew Salas was recently demoted to the FCL after hitting .170.

For an organization that plans to build its next contender through player development, maintaining depth is just as important as developing stars. The Marlins have made progress since Peter Bendix took over in November 2023, but the first half of 2026 has shown how quickly injuries and underperformance can reshape not only a farm system but an entire organization. 

The good news is that many of the organization's top prospects are performing and earning promotions. The challenge now is ensuring there is enough depth behind them. As the trade deadline approaches, it would not be surprising to see the Marlins target younger pitching and position-player talent capable of strengthening the lower levels of the system while preserving the development timelines of their current prospects.

Interested in learning more about the Miami Marlins' top prospects? Check out our comprehensive top prospects list that includes up-to-date stats, articles and videos about every prospect, scouting reports, and more!