Player development has become a year-round process. If you check out after the MLB/MiLB season ends, you may be confused by what you find when familiar faces report to spring training. Easy fix: stay updated with our annual Miami Marlins fall/winter ball tracker!
This is where you’ll find stats and highlights for Marlins players participating in the Arizona Fall League and various international professional leagues, plus reporting on what specifically they’re doing to polish their game.
LIDOM (Dominican Republic)
OF/IF Vidal Bruján (Estrellas Orientales)
Stats: 140 PA, .273/.403/.336, 0 HR, 14 RBI, 16 SB
Bruján was acquired by the Marlins on November 17. He’s seen action at second base and all three outfield positions while ranking second in the league in walks. Despite a recent slump, this is his best LIDOM season offensively (sub-.700 OPS in each of his four previous seasons with Toros del Este).
OF Dane Myers (Gigantes del Cibao)
Stats: 89 PA, .266/.337/.329, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 9 SB
Myers has played all three outfield positions, getting the largest share of his playing time in right. He’s been raking against left-handed pitching in particular.
Myers’ team is well on their way toward qualifying for the LIDOM postseason, which begins in late December. He tells Fish On First that he’ll probably return to the U.S. “a couple weeks” before that.
Marlins bench coach Luis Urueta is the Gigantes general manager and Marlins bullpen coach Wellington Cepeda is their manager.
RHP Josan Méndez (Gigantes del Cibao)
Stats: 2 G/0 GS, 13.50 ERA, 2.25 WHIP, 0 K in 1.1 IP
LVBP (Venezuela)
OF/IF Javier Sanoja (Cardenales de Lara)
Stats: 39 PA, .270/.308/.351, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 1 SB
The 21-year-old Sanoja finally got his winter ball season started on November 21 after completing the Marlins’ offseason strength and conditioning program. He’s being utilized as a corner outfielder.
Making contact continues to be Sanoja’s forte—he has struck out only once!
LHP Luis Palacios (Leones del Caracas)
Stats: 4 G/0 GS, 4.91 ERA, 2.45 WHIP, 0 K in 3.2 IP
OF Renny Hidalgo and RHP Luis Espinoza (Navegantes del Magallanes)
LBPRC (Puerto Rico)
C Jan Mercado (RA12)
Stats: 54 PA, .104/.189/.229, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 SB
It’s Mercado’s fourth straight winter playing in his native Puerto Rico. His career progress continues to be stunted by a very high strikeout rate.
AFL
All Marlins players who participated in the AFL were assigned to the Peoria Javelinas
IF Jacob Berry (Fall Stars Game selection)
Stats: 76 PA, .265/.329/.441, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 0 SB
Berry’s slash line was roughly league average by AFL standards. Continuing a trend from the regular season, he was significantly better batting righty (.868) than he was lefty (.712).
Berry exclusively played third base for Peoria, starting 16 games at the position. He committed three errors on Oct. 7, but only one in his final 12 starts.
RHP Gabe Bierman
Stats: 5 G/3 GS, 6.75 ERA, 1.81 WHIP, 18 K in 16.0 IP
Bierman completed multiple innings and allowed multiple runs in each of his outings, reaching a maximum pitch count of 76.
RHP Ike Buxton (Fall Stars Game selection)
Stats: 5 G/3 GS, 6.11 ERA, 1.75 WHIP, 19 K in 17.2 IP
Buxton made a pitch mix change from the regular season to the AFL, per Just Baseball’s Aram Leighton, “phasing out the slider in favor of his sinker, changeup and four seam fastball.”
RHP Zach McCambley
Stats: 8 G/0 GS, 5.00 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 12 K in 9.0 IP
McCambley allowed just one-extra base hit and struck out 29.3% of total batters faced.
Stats: 57 PA, .229/.351/.375, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 3 SB
IF Nasim Nuñez (Fall Stars Game selection)
Stats: 94 PA, .253/.362/.291, 0 HR, 15 RBI, 14 SB
Nuñez’s fall slash line was almost precisely aligned with his overall minor league career, which isn’t a good thing. The lack of slug continues to suppress his ceiling as a player. He went a perfect 14-for-14 on stolen base attempts.
In the AFL championship game, Nuñez went 2-for-3 with two walks and a steal.
LHP Dale Stanavich
Stats: 8 G/0 GS, 8.22 ERA, 1.83 WHIP, 6 K in 7.2 IP
LHP Evan Taylor
Stats: 6 G/0 GS, 10.80 ERA, 2.40 WHIP, 8 K in 5.0 IP
Notable Old Friends
In this section, I’ll include details about the performances of players who used to be in the Marlins organization. The featured players may change from week to week.
- LHP Jefry Yan (LIDOM, Estrellas Orientales) elected minor league free agency on Nov. 6. He’s made 16 outstanding relief appearances, punctuated by 24 flamboyant strikeout celebrations.
Photo courtesy of Arizona Fall League
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