Top Rule 5 draft candidates for the Miami Marlins

Through the years, the Miami Marlins have been aggressive and pretty successful at picking up unprotected prospects from other MLB organizations via the Rule 5 draft. Last offseason, the first under president of baseball operations Peter Bendix, the Marlins declined to select anybody in the major league phase of the Rule 5. However, they are No. 3 in the draft order this time around and just opened up a roster spot earlier this week, so we are expecting them to participate.

Players picked in the major league phase must spend the entire 2025 season on their new team's 26-man active roster (or MLB injured list), or else be offered back to their original team.

Let's take a look through six eligible players who were left unprotected for the Rule 5 and could make sense for the Marlins to select on Wednesday.

LHP Ryan Webb, Cleveland Guardians

If Webb were to fall to the third pick, it would be surprising. The 6'1," 202-pound lefty was selected in the fourth round of the 2021 MLB Draft and made it to Triple-A this past season. With AAA Columbus, Webb found success quickly, posting a 2.60 ERA, 4.09 FIP, 8.57 K/9 and 3.38 BB/9 through 34 ⅔ innings pitched. Between AA and AAA, he posted a 2.80 ERA, 3.25 FIP, 9.6 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 through 141 ⅓ innings pitched.

Based off his time in AAA, Webb's arsenal consists of a four-seamer, changeup, slider and curveball. His fastball sits in the low 90s, but it's his changeup that truly stands out. It generated a 49.4 chase% and generated a 38.8 whiff%.

RHP Brandon Young, Baltimore Orioles

Somewhat like Webb, Young was also utilized as a starter in 2024 where we was effective against upper-minors competition and showed good command. With that said, below-average fastball velocity (92.5 mph from the right side) could limit his ceiling.

Young pitched 89 innings of this past season at AAA, posting a 3.44 ERA, 3.61 FIP, 9.71 K/9 and 3.34 BB/9. His secondary pitches are a curveball, slider and changeup. The 55-grade curve stands out (27.6 chase% and 31.5 whiff%).

Despite his name, Young is relatively old for a Rule 5 candidate. He turns 27 in August.

INF Blaze Jordan, Boston Red Sox

On the other hand, Blaze Jordan will be only 21 on Rule 5 day (turning 22 next week).

Famous as a high school prospect, Jordan was selected in the third round of the 2020 MLB Draft. After being a consistently productive hitter in the lower minors, he has disappointed in AA. Jordan slashed .261/.305/.388/.693 with seven home runs, 61 RBI and a 98 wRC+ in the 89 games he played in 2024. The right-handed hitter put up a 1.130 OPS vs. lefties, but only a .595 OPS vs. righties. He missed a portion of the season to take care of his mental health.

The excellent raw power that Jordan was known for has not fully translated to pro ball. His bat-to-ball ability actually stands out more (career 15.3 K%). On the defensive side of things, it seems as if his days at third base are numbered, limiting him to first base and designated hitter moving forward.

Picking Jordan would be a long-term investment, understanding that adjusting to MLB pitching would be a struggle in 2025.

LHP Bryan Magdaleno, Texas Rangers

After the Marlins offloaded Tanner Scott and A.J. Puk at the 2024 trade deadline, they were short on left-handed bullpen talent the rest of the season. Andrew Nardi was the only established lefty the Marlins could call upon in late-game situations.

Bryan Magdaleno would immediately solve that situational issue, so long as he continues improving the way he did throughout the minors. 

Magdaleno, 23, has a fastball that sits in the mid-90s along with a sweeper/slider and a sinker. The left-handed reliever started 2024 in Low-A in the Texas Rangers organization and moved his way up to Double-A by the end of the year, pitching four scoreless innings. Across all levels, he allowed six earned runs over 42 ⅔ innings and had a 0.94 WHIP. 

RHP Jack Hartman, Tampa Bay Rays

It wouldn’t be a proper Marlins offseason without taking a player away from the Tampa Bay Rays. Jack Hartman is a right-handed reliever with a wipeout slider that induces a lot of swing-and-miss, with a 40 whiff% in 2024. His fastball isn’t his strongest pitch, although it does sit in the mid-to-upper 90s and touches 98 mph.

Hartman looked solid when he began the 2024 season in High-A with a 3.08 ERA in 26 ⅓ innings. He was called up to Double-A after the All-Star break. While his ERA ballooned to 3.78 in 16 ⅓ innings, hitters only mustered a .213 batting average against him.

The 26-year-old has good stuff on his pitches, along with good command, making him a solid target if the Marlins want to bolster their bullpen for cheap.

RHP Evan Reifert, Tampa Bay Rays

Another current Ray, Evan Reifert entered professional baseball as an undrafted free agent. He dominated as a Milwaukee Brewers minor league reliever in 2021. Shortly after the season ended, the Brewers dealt him to the Rays for Mike Brosseau and he's been in their farm system ever since, making his way up to their Double-A affiliate.

What Reifert brings to the table is an elite slider and a great sinker to pair alongside. The 6’4”, 190-pound right-hander had a 1.96 ERA and a 2.12 xFIP this season. He put up a 40.4 K% and 45.6 whiff%. He lowered his walk rate to 9%, which is a vast improvement from previous seasons. Control used to be the biggest weakness in Reifert's game.

Reifert's ability to generate strikeouts and keep the ball in the yard would combine well with any major league club. Perhaps Peter Bendix’s familiarity with Reifert could make him an attractive Rule 5 pick for the Marlins.

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!