Fish On First Prospects Report: Was dev list stint a wake-up call for Cody Schrier?

For the 2026 season, Fish On First will provide weekly reports on the Miami Marlins farm system, covering all levels. Multiple national outlets have six Marlins on their updated MLB Top 100 prospects lists, but as usual, we also shine the light on lesser-known players in the organization who could eventually have significant roles with the big league club.

This report covers the games played from August 18-24.

Triple-A Jacksonville

It was a 4-2 week for the Jumbo Shrimp against the Memphis Red Birds (St. Louis Cardinals affiliate).

In the series finale against the Red Birds, Jonathon Long hit his first home run since being acquired by the Marlins. The ball left the bat at 109.4 mph and went 447 feet to left field. It was his 13th home run of the season overall. He is now slashing .244/.452/.378/.830 as a member of the org.

It has been a strong year for Kemp Alderman, who hit his 18th home run last week. However, his development is not quite finished as he continues to have issues making contact. In August, Alderman has been striking out nearly 40% of the time. He could still be a potential September call-up option, but the elevated K rate combined with the effects of the impending MLB lockout complicate the decision. Keeping him off the 40-man roster would keep the line of communication with Marlins coaches open during the lockout and ensure he is eligible to participate in a full spring training and minor league season in 2027.

Brandan Bidois, acquired in the Lake Bachar trade, made his organizational debut this past week. Bidois couldn't get out of the seventh inning, though he struck out three of the five batters he faced. Bidois' fastball averaged 95.5 mph and topped out at 96.5 mph. He also threw his slider and changeup. 

A pleasant surprise during the first half of the season, infielder Gage Miller is coming back down to earth. He has only two hits in his last 28 at-bats. Even so, he's been performing nicely overall with a .272/.391/.465/.856 slash line and 131 wRC+ through 69 games.

Double-A Pensacola

The Wahoos put a throw-away game at the start of their series against Knoxville behind them, responding with four straight victories. With contributions from all over their lineup, the team looks primed for the Southern League playoffs. They are currently five and a half games ahead of the Columbus Clingstones for the second-half division SOU South title.

What more can we say about Brandon Compton? The guy just hits. In this series, the lefty went 7-for-19 with two more home runs. He is the first Marlins prospect to hit 30+ home runs in a minor league season since 2021. Compton is riding a 14-game hit streak and putting together one of the more impressive MiLB seasons we’ve been privileged to witness in quite some time.

If there’s been one downside at all to Compton’s season, it has been the fact that virtually all of his damage has been done against opposite-handed pitching. During an exclusive Fish Unfiltered interview, Compton explained how he is working to solve for that behind the scenes, including hitting BP off Mason Sherrill, a former left-handed pitching prospect.

Compton made his pro debut as a first baseman on Sunday. He stated in our interview that he is open to becoming more versatile despite not having played the position since his days in wood bat summer leagues. If things go well for Compton at first base, MLB opportunities could come in pretty short order, with that being a position where they've lacked stability.

At the very least, Compton has already earned himself an MLB camp invite in 2027.

Fish On First has learned that right-hander Holt Jones is being promoted from Pensacola to Jacksonville. A 27-year-old reliever, Jones' season was not noteworthy until about a month ago. He's been nearly flawless since then, particularly dominant against right-handed batters.

Drafted by the Fish way back in 2021 out of the University of Kentucky, Jones' arsenal is comprised of a four-seam fastball, slider and cutter. He uses his extra-large 6'7" frame to get good extension down the mound. His mid-90s heater plays up as a result.

Expect Jones to continue to be used in a multi-inning relief role with the Shrimp.

High-A Beloit

Beloit inched closer to a playoff spot this week, winning five very meaningful games against the Cedar Rapids Kernals. Pitching was the star of the show: the Carp staff limited their opponents to just 16 runs total over 54 innings. Beloit now sits in a tie with Quad Cities atop the Midwest League West division in the second half.

To say Cody Schrier has had an up-and-down season would be putting it lightly. After struggling with offensive consistency in the first half, the 23-year-old first baseman was placed on the development list. Since returning, Schrier has found a new side and improved version of himself. In the first half, he slashed just .198/.338/.371. In the second half, .318/.370/.618. That includes a 9-for-23 performance in this week’s series.

Schrier was one of the most advanced high school bats in his class, ranking as the second-best prep shortstop in California. He played in parts of three collegiate seasons at UCLA and showed flashes, but missed most of 2023 due to injury and his production cratered in 2024. The Marlins challenged him quickly in his pro career, sending Schrier to Beloit last year despite spending just 47 games at Low-A in which he slashed .237/.295/.335.

Underlying stats overall this year for Schrier are solid; he’s right around league average in terms of walks and just above league average in limiting strikeouts. The swing isn’t bad at all, either. With a good pedigree and solid tools, it could be that Schrier just needed proper time to develop while under less stress. Schrier could turn into a steal as a 13th-round pick who has defensive versatility at multiple positions, though we will need to see a bit more of a sample size to make that determination.

Cody Schrier with his second home run of the game. Since coming off the development list in mid-July, he’s hit seven.#Marlins pic.twitter.com/KhY0W3qM18

— Fish On First Prospects (@FOFProspects) August 23, 2026

Nate Payne had been on a good trajectory in each of his previous two outings, limiting damage and showing swing-and-miss stuff. The only thing not there for Payne was the innings as he lasted just a combined 8 ⅔ frames. Payne solved for that by being more economical with his pitches and limiting walks as he completed six innings for the first time since June 26. He allowed one run and struck out eight.

Payne’s overall numbers are above average on the year. He has a 3.58 ERA in 100.2 IP. His recent limitation had been in working too deep into counts and elevating his pitch count early in games. Having to come further into the zone in longer at-bats had also allowed opposing hitters to get the better of him. His BAA in July was .265. In these last three starts, though, Payne has been able to work ahead earlier in at-bats and mix more to his liking, leading to a much more efficient .224 BAA in his last 14.2 IP.

Payne doesn’t have blow-it-by-you velocity; when he's at his best, he’s a strike-thrower who is able to limit contact early in counts, induce ground balls and utilize two very good breakers to get whiffs. The command is still the biggest question mark for Payne, but when it is on, he has the potential of a mid-rotation starter. At the very least, he could be a viable multiple-inning reliever at the next level.

Low-A Jupiter

It was a 2-3 week for the Hammerheads against the Bradenton Marauders.

Eric Guevera recently made his pro debut and in eight games, he has slashed .292/.414/.542/.955 with two home runs, six RBI and a 151 wRC+. The Marlins selected Guevera in the seventh round of the 2026 MLB Draft.

Struggles for PJ Morlando continue. In 82 games, he is slashing .199/.325/.318/.643 with eight home runs, 33 RBI and a 79 wRC+. After a month of July where he had a .779 OPS, the best mark for him in the minors, August has seen his numbers dip back down to the season norm, a .660 OPS. It's tough to deny at this point that the Marlins regret making him a first-round pick.

After struggling in July, Luis Arana is back to looking like himself. In 15 games this month, he is slashing .283/.377/.415/.792 with one home run and three RBI. On the season, he also has 37 stolen bases with a 109 wRC+ between the FCL and Low-A levels.

Jacob Lombard is slashing .241/.382/.407/.790 with three home runs, 12 RBI and a 116 wRC+. The only concern is the 36.8% strikeout rate, but is walking 14.7% of the time. Lombard continues to look comfortable at the plate and defensively, he looks like a serious candidate to stick at shortstop.

This week's schedule

• Triple-A Jacksonville vs. Nashville
• Double-A Pensacola at Montgomery
• High-A Beloit at Quad Cities
• Low-A Jupiter vs. Tampa

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!