Ely Sussman

The 21-year-old enjoyed his best month as a pro in June, slashing .297/.373/.681 with 10 home runs in 25 Double-A games. View full video

Big Fish Small Pod for Monday, July 1 Ely Sussman shares recent stats and observations about prospects from each full-season level of the Miami Marlins farm system: Triple-A Jacksonville 1B Troy Johnston, Double-A Pensacola OF/INF Jacob Berry, High-A Beloit LHP Emmett Olson and INF José Devers, who's rehabbing with Low-A Jupiter. Find Big Fish Small Pod on the Fish On First YouTube channel, our new-look Apple Podcasts channel and wherever else you get your pods. FOF's audio programming also includes The Offishial Show, Fish Unfiltered, Swimming Upstream and more. The Fish On First podcast is now being presented by MPT College Consulting! They pride themselves on helping clients navigate the college application process. This includes preparation for standardized testing, guidance through high school, assistance with essays and applications, and choosing the right college. Visit them today at mptcollegeconsulting.com to learn more about their services and schedule a free consultation. Johnston tied for the Marlins organizational lead with 33 hits during the month of June while also going 5-for-5 on stolen base attempts. Berry has reached base safely in 18 of 20 games since returning from a two-week absence. He homered on both Saturday and Sunday. Deploying him at third base continues to go poorly, though. Through 12 starts this season, Olson has a 2.34 ERA with only one home run allowed. He has limited left-handed batters to a .221 slugging percentage. His slider is his most effective pitch. Devers' extended rehab from a head injury seems to be finally nearing its conclusion. He joined the Hammerheads over the weekend and should be back with Jacksonville a week from now. The longtime Marlins prospect is a pending minor league free agent. Follow Ely (@RealEly) and Fish On First (@FishOnFirst) on Twitter. Join the Marlins Discord server! Complete Miami Marlins coverage here at FishOnFirst.com. View full article

Player status updates, insightful stats and more information to fully equip you for today's Marlins game. Here are the latest Miami Marlins game notes, produced by the Marlins communications department and relayed to our loyal SuperSubs. These notes apply to the fourth and final game of Miami's road series against the Philadelphia Phillies. View full article

It would be very amusing if the only four-game series win they've gotten all season came against the team that's arguably baseball's best.

Player status updates, insightful stats and more information to fully equip you for today's Marlins game. Here are the latest Miami Marlins game notes, produced by the Marlins communications department and relayed to our loyal SuperSubs. These notes apply to the third game of Miami's road series against the Philadelphia Phillies. View full article

Wouldn't have expected to see "Bucknell" and "high probability big leaguer" in the same paragraph, but Keys' production makes it hard to dispute. A staple of the Rays when it comes to pitcher acquisition at all levels has been to roll the dice on oft-injured pitchers when they're sufficiently discounted, so the Dohm fit makes a lot of sense.

These prospects deserve serious consideration thanks to their combination of 2024 production and long-term potential. MLB All-Star discourse is usually peaking at this juncture of the season. Not so much around here or any other Miami Marlins community, though. At the major league level, closer Tanner Scott is the only Marlin who's had an excellent individual first half. There's no drama: Scott will be Miami's lone representative at the Midsummer Classic in Arlington, Texas. Thankfully, there have been a lot more bright spots down on the farm. On July 13, three days before the All-Star Game, top prospects will take over Globe Life Field for the Futures Game. A handful of Marlins are genuinely deserving of participating this year. There will inevitably be snubs as the powers that be narrow it down to two or three reps. The Futures Game is not solely about rewarding minor league production. With all due respect to the strong statistical first halves that Griffin Conine, Jake Brooks, Josh Zamora and Ryan Ignoffo have had, their perceived upside as prospects is not high enough to get them into this conversation. Selections are usually young relative to their current level of competition. Another complicating factor is that MLB organizations themselves have a say in the process. Some have ulterior motives beyond simply sending their top-rated prospects. With that being said, I'm fairly confident that the Marlins delegation for the 2024 Futures Game will be a combination of the following names. Honorable Mentions RHP Noble Meyer—Miami's top pick from last year's draft class is ranked second on our Fish On First Top 30 list. Through 11 starts this season, Meyer has an encouraging 3.13 ERA, but a middling 4.54 FIP, in large part due to his elevated walk rate. A minor injury caused him to miss two scheduled starts for High-A Beloit earlier this month, weakening his case relative to the players below. OF Andrés Valor—The 18-year-old Venezuelan has excelled as the everyday center fielder for the Florida Complex League Marlins, slashing .282/.356/.435 (113 wRC+) with 21 stolen bases in 37 games. It's rare for rookie ball prospects to be Futures Game participants, but Valor is rapidly establishing himself as one of this organization's best position player talents. LHP Thomas White FOF's No. 1 prospect is the safest bet for a Futures Game nod. Through 52 innings pitched (12 starts), White has posted a 2.94 ERA and 2.58 FIP without allowing a single home run. He's been remarkably consistent for a 19-year-old. His fastball velocity has climbed since the draft, routinely sitting in the mid-90s and topping out at 99 mph. He's also throwing his breaking ball harder, turning it into a traditional slider. White has held left-handed batters to a .150 BAA with a 35.2 K%. C Joe Mack Mack is Miami's most improved minor leaguer from 2023 to 2024. On this date last year, the talented catcher was homerless in 64 games at High-A! Entering Saturday, he's got 14 long balls while being the youngest guy on Double-A Pensacola's roster. Beyond just the power, he has been the best overall hitter on the Blue Wahoos, slashing .250/.321/.486 since his promotion. Moreover, Mack is solid enough defensively to stick behind the plate for the foreseeable future. INF/OF Javier Sanoja This figures to be Sanoja's last chance for a Futures Game selection considering he's already made it to Triple-A and done so well there. A September call-up is entirely possible. Even including his Pensacola struggles, Sanoja has accrued far more walks (27) than strikeouts (17). In 24 June games, he has struck out only once?! That is truly mind-boggling coming from a 21-year-old competing at the highest MiLB level. The Marlins continue to get Sanoja regular reps at second base, center field and shortstop. Perhaps that versatility works in his favor during the NL Futures roster construction process. RHP Jacob Miller Like the previous three candidates, Miller is being challenged against more experienced opponents this season and thriving. He's had one "bad" outing all season at High-A, allowing three runs or fewer in 11 of 12 starts (2.72 ERA in 59.2 IP). His command has gone up a grade in 2024. A move to Double-A likely awaits the right-hander on the other side of the All-Star break. OF Victor Mesa Jr. Mesa began his age-22 campaign on a hot streak and he's in the midst of another one as the first half winds down. Overall, he has a 102 wRC+ with 13 homers and four steals in 65 Triple-A contests. He's been used mainly in center field. FOF's top-ranked hitting prospect, VMJ may lack an elite individual tool, but he's a well-rounded potential everyday player at the next level. His continued success in left-on-left matchups this season (.323/.418/.585, 4 HR in 79 PA) bodes well for his future. View full article

Player status updates, insightful stats and more information to fully equip you for today's Marlins game. Here are the latest Miami Marlins game notes, produced by the Marlins communications department and relayed to our loyal SuperSubs. Got thoughts about this matchup? Head over to Fish On First's Marlins game thread. View full article

Offishial News for 6/28/24 On Thursday, the Marlins improbably lit up the vaunted Philadelphia Phillies bullpen. Bryan De La Cruz had the most consequential hit, a two-out, bases-clearing double against Matt Strahm that erased a 3-0 deficit. Jake Burger's solo home run off of Jeff Hoffman in the eighth inning put the Fish ahead for good. Kyle Schwarber (groin) and Bryce Harper (hamstring) both suffered late-game injuries. The Marlins won, 7-4. Down on the farm, Triple-A Jacksonville won, 10-0. RHP Evan Fitterer (5.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 7 K, 97 pitches/49 strikes) had a successful Jumbo Shrimp debut despite struggling with his control. C Will Banfield homered for the third straight game and INF Tristan Gray drove in four runs. Double-A Pensacola lost, 3-2. C Joe Mack crushed a fly ball 400-plus feet to center field and celebrated as if it was a home run. When it stayed in the ballpark, his lack of hustle limited him to a long single. He was subsequently removed from the game, seemingly as a disciplinary measure. In relief, RHP Zach McCambley set season highs in innings pitched (three) and strikeouts (six). High-A Beloit lost, 4-1. Pitching for the first time since June 8, RHP Noble Meyer was rusty (2.2 IP, 1 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 57 pitches/26 strikes). Low-A Jupiter lost, 10-3. OF Colby Shade hasn't played since June 20. FCL Marlins lost, 6-1. INF José Devers played in his second straight rehab game as he inches closer to returning from an April injury. DSL Marlins won, 16-1 and 4-3. DSL Miami lost, 3-2. Here's more Marlins news and content: 🔷 The FishOnFirst.com front page layout has been updated for both mobile and desktop users! We hope these changes make it more convenient to find what you're looking for. As a reminder, our Teal SuperSubs enjoy ad-free browsing for only $6 per month/$60 per year, and those subscriptions go a long way toward helping us make further upgrades. 🔷 We've reached the exact midpoint of the 2024 Marlins season. The team is on pace for: a 58-104 record, which would be third-worst in franchise history; a minus-248 run differential (second-worst); and a record-low .282 on-base percentage. Tanner Scott is on pace for 12 wins, but he's a lock to get traded in July. Nobody else on the pitching staff is on pace for more than six! 🔷 Check out the midseason edition of the Fish On First roundtable, featuring eight different perspectives on the state of the Marlins. 🔷 I applauded Valente Bellozo for his scoreless major league debut, while also explaining why his next scheduled start against the Red Sox should be a much tougher test. 🔷 Davy Andrews of FanGraphs is stunned by the Marlins' collective inability to draw walks. "Their roster is packed from stem to stern with players with absolutely no discipline at the plate," he writes. Relative to the league average, their walk rate is among the lowest single-season marks in the modern era. 🔷 MLB.com's Christina De Nicola went inside the recording studio with Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Nick Gordon. They plan to release an album together in the future. 🔷 Elsewhere around baseball, Jordan Montgomery (2.2 IP, 9 H, 8 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 1 K) continues to be a huge disappointment for the Diamondbacks. The White Sox—patching things together with a bullpen game—upset Chris Sale and the Braves, 1-0. Aaron Judge and Bryce Harper were the leading vote-getters in the American League and National League, respectively, during Phase 1 of All-Star balloting. Phase 2 begins Sunday to determine the other starting position players for the Midsummer Classic. 🔷 Today's MLB game: the Marlins (probable starter RHP Kyle Tyler) continue their series against the Phillies (LHP Cristopher Sánchez). I doubt you'll see Harper in the lineup as he undergoes further testing on his hamstring. The Marlins have a 29.7% chance to win, per FanGraphs. First pitch at 6:20 p.m. ET. 🔷 Today's MiLB schedule: Triple-A Jacksonville vs. Nashville, 7:05 p.m. ET Double-A Pensacola at Biloxi, 7:35 p.m. ET High-A Beloit at Cedar Rapids, 7:35 p.m. ET Low-A Jupiter at Daytona, 6:35 p.m. ET DSL Marlins vs. DSL Rangers Blue, 11:00 a.m. ET DSL Miami at DSL Rangers Red, 11:00 a.m. ET FCL Marlins vs. FCL Astros, 12:00 p.m. ET Marlins podcast episodes View full article

Player status updates, insightful stats and more information to fully equip you for today's Marlins game. Here are the latest Miami Marlins game notes, produced by the Marlins communications department and relayed to our loyal SuperSubs. Got thoughts about this matchup? Head over to Fish On First's Marlins game thread. View full article

I don't find The Athletic's Jim Bowden to be particularly reliable on these sort of things, but for what it's worth: I surveyed more than 35 executives — including presidents of baseball operations, general managers and assistant GMs — and asked them to name the best starting pitcher, reliever and position player they think will be traded. The execs were granted anonymity so they could answer candidly. Their responses were illuminating — and in some cases surprising. 1. Jazz Chisholm Jr., INF/OF, Marlins I thought Luis Robert Jr. of the White Sox would be leading this part of the poll, but he wasn’t even close. Based on the responses, the industry believes Chisholm is the position player most likely to be traded between now and July 30. Chisholm, 26, is starting his prime years and has a special combination of speed and power that many evaluators think will result in him someday joining the 30-home run/30-stolen base club. This year, he’s reached base at a .330 clip with 10 homers and 14 steals. He has a 113 OPS+. Some teams are interested in him as a center fielder and others view him as a middle infielder, where he played before a position switch last year. Either way, it sounds like he’ll be traded if Miami gets the right offer over the next five weeks. He would fit nicely with the Phillies or Giants. View full rumor

Offishial News for 6/27/24 On Wednesday, RHP Valente Bellozo (5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 72 pitches/46 strikes) exceeded all expectations in his major league debut. Bellozo had not made a scoreless start in the minors all season! However, the BABIP gods finally got their revenge against Huascar Brazoban. Entering the day allowing a .184 batting average on balls in play this season, Brazoban surrendered five consecutive hits with two outs in the eighth inning. The Marlins lost, 5-1. Down on the farm, Triple-A Jacksonville lost, 12-11. RHP Max Meyer pitched into the fifth inning for the first time since his demotion, though the results were unremarkable. Double-A Pensacola won, 7-6. RHP M.D. Johnson exited in the first inning after getting hit on the arm by a comebacker. RHP Austin Roberts recorded his farm system-leading 12th save. High-A Beloit lost, 8-6. Three-hit games for INF Carlos Santiago and INF Josh Zamora. Low-A Jupiter won, 5-4. LHP Justin Storm is looking like the Hammerheads' latest bullpen success story with a 1.21 ERA and strikeouts in 13 of his 14 relief appearances (36.0 K% overall). FCL Marlins won, 5-3. OF Andrés Valor has 13 stolen bases in his last 13 games without being caught, Business as usual for RHP Juan De La Cruz (5.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K). Here's more Marlins news and content: 🔷 Christian Bethancourt cleared waivers and has been outrighted to Jacksonville. Now we wait to see whether he'll elect free agency or stick around as organizational depth. 🔷 According to Jim Bowden's survey of more than 35 baseball executives, Jazz Chisholm Jr. is the (non-rental) position player most likely to be traded by the July 30 trade deadline. Several survey respondents also remain hopeful that Jesús Luzardo (lumbar stress reaction) could still be dealt "if the medicals are eventually cleared with little risk." I find that highly implausible, though—the Marlins are better served giving Luzardo the chance to restore some value by pitching for them over the final quarter of the season. 🔷 Cool news for out-of-market Marlins game viewers like me: MLB.TV is now showing live Bally Sports Florida pregame and postgame covering. Every other Bally-affiliated team already had this included on their MLB.TV streams entering the season, but better late than never. 🔷 Through 26 Marlins series, here's an updated look at the Prediction Time leaderboard. Make series predictions with us all season long when you become a Fish On First SuperSub. 🔷 Elsewhere around baseball, Dodgers rookie Gavin Stone pitched a shutout against the White Sox. Aaron Judge blasted his 30th home run. Former Marlins prospect Nasim Nuñez recorded his first major league hit with the Nationals 🔷 Today's MLB game: the Marlins (probable starter LHP Trevor Rogers) begin a four-game set against the Phillies (RHP Zack Wheeler). The first-place Phils own MLB's best home record at 31-12. The Marlins have a 32.0% chance to win the series opener, per FanGraphs. First pitch at 6:20 p.m. ET. 🔷 Join us for a new episode of Fish On First LIVE tonight from 5:00-6:00 p.m. ET on YouTube/Twitter/Facebook. Special guest: Locked On Marlins stud Peter Pratt. FOF LIVE is presented by Berger & Hicks. If you’ve been injured as a result of somebody else’s negligence, give them a call at (305) 670-7050. 🔷 Today's MiLB schedule: Triple-A Jacksonville vs. Nashville, 7:05 p.m. ET Double-A Pensacola at Biloxi, 7:35 p.m. ET High-A Beloit at Cedar Rapids, 7:35 p.m. ET Low-A Jupiter at Daytona, 6:35 p.m. ET FCL Marlins at FCL Astros, 12:00 p.m. ET DSL Marlins vs. DSL Tigers 1, 10:00 a.m. ET (resumption of suspended game followed by regularly scheduled game) DSL Miami at DSL Tigers 2, 11:00 a.m. ET Marlins podcast episodes View full article

Player status updates, insightful stats and more information to fully equip you for today's Marlins game. Here are the latest Miami Marlins game notes, produced by the Marlins communications department and relayed to our loyal SuperSubs. Got thoughts about this matchup? Head over to Fish On First's Marlins game thread. View full article