Kevin Barral

At Marlins Media Day, outfielder Jakob Marsee speaks with Fish On First about his mindset entering his first full major league season and World Baseball Classic debut. View full video

As unveiled on Thursday night, rosters for the 2026 World Baseball Classic include 11 players from the Miami Marlins organization, representing seven different countries. In alphabetical order: Sandy Alcantara (Dominican Republic, second career WBC) Owen Caissie (Canada, second) Yiddi Cappe (Cuba, first) Liam Hicks (Canada, first) Ian Lewis (Great Britain, first) Otto Lopez (Canada, second) Jakob Marsee (Italy, first) Michael Petersen (Great Britain, second) Agustín Ramírez (Dominican Republic, first) Javier Sanoja (Venezuela, first) Jared Serna (Mexico, first) Alcantara is the only Marlins starting pitcher participating this time. He made the Dominican Republic's first start of the tournament in 2023, went 3 ⅔ innings, allowing three runs on five hits, three walks and two strikeouts. The Dominican Republic did not make it past pool play. Ramírez was seemingly on the bubble for the D.R. as they finalized the roster. Although earning a spot on such a talented team at 24 years old is a great accomplishment, he is unlikely to see significant playing time as long as fellow catchers Austin Wells and Yainer Diaz stay healthy. Lopez and Caissie were Canadian teammates in 2023. In their WBC debuts, Lopez slashed .294/.333/.588/.921 with one home run and six RBI in four games. Caissie slashed .231/.286/.462/.748 with one home run and four RBI in three games of action. Canada did not advance in the tournament. Hicks, who was a Rule 5 draft pick last offseason, spent the entire 2025 season on the Marlins major league roster and slashed .247/.346/.346/.693 with six home runs, 45 RBI and a 98 wRC+. Freddie Freeman's decision to withdraw from the tournament made Hicks a easier fit on Canada's roster. He could play a combination of catcher, first base and designated hitter. Cappe, who is 23 years old, played in 62 games last season between High-A Beloit and Double-A Pensacola. He slashed .278/.328/.392/.722 with six home runs, 32 RBI, 29 stolen bases and a 107 wRC+. The Marlins view him mainly as a second baseman, but he does have significant minor league experience at shortstop and third base as well. Marsee in his rookie campaign slashed .292/.363/.478/.842 with five home runs, 33 RBI, 14 stolen bases and a 133 wRC+. He will slot in as the Marlins Opening Day center fielder. Petersen is the only active big leaguer who was born in the United Kingdom. He made one scoreless relief appearance during the 2023 WBC. ZW5MWjZfV0ZRVkV3dEdEUT09X0F3TlRVVjFYQlFRQVdscFVVQUFBQmxWUUFBTUVVQVFBQXdaUlV3SUJBUVVHQlFjRg==.mp4 Bahamians like Lewis are eligible for Great Britain as well. The speedy switch-hitter slashed .278/.357/.431/.788 in 73 MiLB games last season. The very versatile Sanoja finished the 2025 season slashing .243/.287/.396/.683 with six home runs, 38 RBI and an 86 wRC+. His second half of 2025 was encouraging, posting a .777 OPS. Five of his six home runs came in the second half, including a two-homer performance against the New York Yankees. Serna is coming off a very disappointing regular season, but dominated in his native Mexico over the winter. Because their countries are in Pool D, Alcantara, Ramírez and Sanoja won't have to travel far during the WBC—all of their games will be at loanDepot park. View full article

On Tuesday, the Miami Marlins announced that they have claimed right-handed pitcher Garrett Acton off waivers from the Colorado Rockies. To create a spot for him on the 40-man roster, the Marlins designated outfielder Victor Mesa Jr. for assignment. Acton, 27, spent the 2025 season in the Tampa Bay Rays organization. Aside from one scoreless relief appearance at the major league level, he pitched for their Triple-A Durham affiliate. In 58 ⅔ innings pitched against AAA competition, he posted a 3.68 ERA, 4.01 FIP, 10.89 K/9 and 4.14 BB/9. He made 45 appearances (four starts). He also picked up some MLB experience with the 2023 Athletics, where he made six appearances, posting a 12.71 ERA. The Rays designated Acton for assignment at the end of the 2025 season. He was then claimed by the Rockies and remained on their roster until they DFA'd him as well on January 22. The right-hander's arsenal consists of a four-seam fastball, slider and changeup. Knowing the Marlins organization and how they are with pitchers, it wouldn't be shocking if they tried teaching him additional pitches. Perhaps being an additional year removed from Tommy John surgery will benefit Acton, whose average fastball velocity dipped from 95.4 mph in 2023 to 93.7 mph last season. He still has two minor league options left. Mesa, 24, signed with the Marlins organization for $1M as an international free agent in 2018. After several injury setbacks, he made his major league debut in 2025. In 16 games for the Marlins, he slashed .188/.297/.344/.641 with one home run, six RBI and an 81 wRC+. This past season in AAA, he slashed .286/.352/.460/.813 with seven home runs, 33 RBI and a 121 wRC+ in 52 games played. Just two years ago, Mesa was considered one of the top position player prospects in the Marlins system, but a handful of outfielders have surpassed him on the depth chart since then. Even with the ability to play all three outfield spots and a solid hit tool, he was unlikely to crack Miami's Opening Day roster. Now with one minor league option remaining, Mesa will hope to land somewhere with a clearer path to consistent playing time. The Marlins have seven days to negotiate a trade with interested teams. View full article

The Miami Marlins are set to hold their annual FanFest this Saturday from 4:00-8:00 pm. The following tips and event details will help fans enjoy themselves to the fullest. “This event is all about bringing our fans and the South Florida market closer to our brand, through player interactions, exclusive sneak peeks at what’s coming in 2026, and capping it off with a fireworks show,” said Marlins chief brand officer Alex Parker. “We can’t wait to see Marlins fans at the ballpark to mark the start of baseball season.” You can claim free FanFest tickets here (up to six tickets available for each MLB.com account). More than 31,000 tickets have been claimed as of Monday afternoon, according to club sources. Tickets will be delivered to the Ballpark app. A personal suggestion for my fellow iPhone users would be to add them to your digital wallet—that will keep the line moving as fast as possible on Saturday. Parking is complimentary for this event. You will be able to use any of the ballpark's four garages at no additional cost. To ensure that you and your children can participate in all FanFest activities, make sure to fill out this waiver in advance. Who will be there? In addition to president of baseball operations Peter Bendix and manager Clayton McCullough, the vast majority of Marlins major league players are expected to be at FanFest (Sandy Alcantara, Eury Pérez, Xavier Edwards, Jakob Marsee, Agustín Ramírez, etc.). This is your first opportunity to meet players who were acquired this offseason via trade and free agency like reliever Pete Fairbanks, infielder/outfielder Christopher Morel, outfielder Owen Caissie and outfielder Esteury Ruiz. Most spring training non-roster invitees attend, including top prospects Thomas White, Robby Snelling and Kemp Alderman. One notable absence will be 2025 Marlins All-Star representative Kyle Stowers. He and his wife, Emma, are expecting the birth of their first child in the days leading up to FanFest. Activities "Access has been a big thing for us—making sure that there is enough activities for everyone to be occupied the whole time," said Marlins president of business operations Caroline O'Connor in an exclusive interview with Fish On First. Similar to last year, there will be an arcade trailer on the West Plaza, behind-the-scenes tours, a pop-up challenge, speed pitch contest and wiffle ball home run derby. The Marlins Museum, located on the Legends Level behind home plate, will be open. A new addition to FanFest will be the youth clinics. Kids from ages 5-13 will be able to play on the field with current Marlins players in one-hour sessions. The available time slots for this are 5:00 pm, 6:00 pm and 7:00 pm. Weather permitting, the roof will be open for a fireworks show at 8:00 pm. Photo Ops Active players and Marlins alumni will be stationed throughout the ballpark. Fans can take selfies with them in Sections 1, 32 and 205. Only Marlins Members will be able to get autographs from players. For non-members, keep in mind that if you attend spring training in Jupiter, players may be willing to sign for free if approached politely before or after games. The World Series trophies from both 1997 and 2003 will also be on display for photos. Main Stage The FanFest main stage will be located in center field this year. Exclusive to Marlins Members before the rest of the event begins, Peter Bendix and Clayton McCullough will discuss the 2026 team during their annual "State of the Fish" Q&A. The Marlins have a tradition of making announcements at FanFest. That will be the case again with the unveiling of new Sunday alternate uniforms and this year's Marlins Legends Hall of Fame class. The main stage will also have various player and alumni segments and an animal show hosted by Zoo Miami’s Ron Magill. Food & Drink Add-ons For fans 21 years of age or older, you'll have the option to add the Foodie Passport and Beerfest access to your FanFest experience. The Foodie Passport is your ticket to eating and drinking your way around the ballpark, with five separate stops featuring exclusive bites and specialty drinks. Beerfest will take place in the Bullpen Bar and Grill from 4:00-6:00 pm, offering 20 domestic, international and local craft brews. Each add-on costs $25 plus taxes/fees. Dollar hot dogs from Sahlen's will also be available for purchase at FanFest. View full article

Miami Marlins outfielder Jakob Marsee will represent Team Italy in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, a source told Fish On First. Italy's final 30-man roster for the tournament was submitted on Tuesday morning. Expect Marsee to play center field and potentially bat leadoff for manager Francisco Cervelli. His teammates will include fellow major leaguers Vinnie Pasquantino, Aaron Nola, Kyle Teel and Jac Caglianone. Marsee, 24, was one of four players acquired by the Marlins in the trade that sent Luis Arraez to the San Diego Padres. He struggled offensively in 2024, but enjoyed a great 2025 season. In Triple-A, where Marsee played 98 games, he slashed .246/.379/.438/.817 with 14 home runs, 37 RBI, 47 stolen bases and a 126 wRC+. He was even better in 55 games after being called up, slashing .292/.363/.478/.842 with five home runs, 33 RBI, 14 stolen bases and a 133 wRC+. The Central Michigan product was named the National League Rookie of the Month for August. Marsee was born and raised in the United States. However, his great grandparents on both his mother's and father's side are Italian, which granted him eligibility to represent Italy in the WBC. The tournament's eligibility rules are intentionally broad to help grow the game globally. Fellow Marlins Sandy Alcantara (Dominican Republic), Otto Lopez (Canada), Liam Hicks (Canada) and Owen Caissie (Canada) are confirmed to be participating in the WBC, and additional players from the Marlins org are likely to join them. The full rosters will be revealed on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. ET on MLB Network. Italy is in Pool B, which will take place in Houston, Texas, beginning on March 6. The United States, Mexico, Great Britain and Brazil are also in that pool, with the top two teams advancing to the quarterfinals. For Marsee to compete at loanDepot park, Italy would need to reach the semifinals for the first time in WBC history. View full article

For the most part, the players who find themselves on a 26-man Opening Day roster entered spring training as members of the 40-man roster. However, we usually see at least one non-roster invitee rise above the rest to break camp with the big league team, or earn a spot shortly after the season begins. One of the most famous Miami Marlins examples was José Fernández in 2013. A first-time NRI at just 20 years old, he joined the MLB starting rotation in early April and quickly established himself as an elite pitcher. We saw a more traditional example last year with Janson Junk, who signed with the Marlins as a minor league free agent and made a strong impression during spring training. He was initially promoted when long relief help was needed and never went back down, finishing third on the club with 110 innings pitched in 2025. On Thursday, the Marlins announced a list of 31 non-roster invitees who will get the opportunity to prove themselves in Jupiter this spring. The following names are worth watching very closely because of their talent and potential roster fit. Fish On First's number three prospect Robby Snelling will be right at the top of this list with the Marlins recently trading Edward Cabrera (Chicago Cubs) and Ryan Weathers (New York Yankees). Between Double-A and Triple-A last season, Snelling posted a 2.51 ERA, 2.77 FIP, 10.99 K/9 and 2.58 BB/9 in 136 innings pitched. Snelling's AAA stint really set him apart, with a 1.27 ERA, 2.62 FIP, 11.45 K/9 and 2.40 BB/9 in 63 ⅔ innings pitched. The Marlins can gain an extra year of service time with the left-handed starter by delaying his debut until mid-April. On the other hand, there is nothing left for him to prove in the minor leagues. Also, as a consensus Top 100 MLB prospect, he is eligible to earn a Prospect Promotion Incentive draft pick for the organization. A strong spring training could force the hand of president of baseball operations Peter Bendix. Thomas White is the consensus top-ranked prospect in the organization. Across three MiLB levels, he posted a 2.31 ERA, 2.27 FIP, 14.55 K/9 and 5.12 BB/9 in 89 ⅔ innings pitched. White's biggest issue has been command/control. If he can show the Marlins he has addressed that throughout the course of spring training, the 21-year-old could contribute right away. Beyond that, though, his limited workload in the past hasn't prepared him to be a full-season starter in 2026. Expect White to be called up later in the season. Relievers Josh Ekness (FOF #27) and Nigel Belgrave (unranked) have been successful in the minors ever since the Marlins selected both of them with late-round draft picks in 2023. This will mark Ekness' second invite to major league camp while for Belgrave, this will be his first. In 2025, Ekness posted a 4.17 ERA, 3.27 FIP, 11.33 K/9 and 4.33 BB/9 in 54 innings pitched. A main reason for the inflated ERA and FIP are due to his struggles when he got up to AAA, only making three appearances, surrendering nine runs in that span. With Pensacola, he had a 2.73 ERA, 2.50 FIP, 11.28 K/9 and 3.59 BB/9. Ekness' fastball velocity is a major standout along with a slider's ability to miss bats. If injuries come up impacting other bullpen options, there is a chance he can make the trip to Miami on Opening Day before even establishing himself at AAA. Belgrave between AA and AAA posted a 2.51 ERA, 2.62 FIP, 12.18 K/9 and 3.84 BB/9 in 68 innings pitched. His ceiling may be lower than Ekness', but his history of dominating right-handed batters makes it easy to envision him contributing in the big leagues immediately. Switching over to the hitting prospects, Kemp Alderman is knocking on the door. During a breakout campaign in 2025, he slashed .285/.338/.482/.819 with 22 home runs, 70 RBI, 22 stolen bases and a 135 wRC+. Alderman has incredible power to all fields. Being right-handed helps his case given how left-handed-heavy the Marlins outfield is, but consistency will be key with a prospect like this. Jacob Berry slashed .261/.348/.394/.742 with eight home runs, 54 RBI, 27 stolen bases and a 104 wRC+ during a full season in Jacksonville. His offensive production ticked up as the year progressed. Berry was used in the outfield by his Puerto Rican Winter League team, but he is currently listed as an infielder by the Marlins. Ongoing defensive struggles make him unlikely to find a role on the roster. Brendan Jones was acquired from the New York Yankees in the Ryan Weathers trade. Last season between High-A and AA, he slashed .245/.359/.395/.754 with 11 home runs, 69 RBI, 51 stolen bases and a 126 wRC+. His ability to play all three outfield spots, speed, strikeout rate of 19.9% and walk rate of 14.9% make him a strong option for the Marlins if he finds early success in his first taste of AAA. Infielder Jesús Bastidas stands out amongst Miami's minor league free agent signings. Last season at AAA between the Atlanta Braves and Houston Astros orgs, he slashed .262/.352/.440/.792 with 16 home runs, 80 RBI and a 109 wRC+. That momentum carried over to winter ball. Defensively, Bastidas has played primarily second base and shortstop, but has experience at third base as well, so he does provide some versatility, which the Marlins are always searching for. View full article

In the short term, the Miami Marlins could wind up missing left-hander Ryan Weathers. After trading Weathers to the New York Yankees earlier this month, they will have to rely on some inexperienced arms to fill out their 2026 starting rotation. "We got a package of players that we thought was too good to pass up," president of baseball operations Peter Bendix said when justifying the deal. That four-prospect package was highlighted by outfielder Dillon Lewis, who brings a combination of tools that's unlike anybody else in the organization. Per Marlins insider Craig Mish, Lewis was also involved in trade talks that the club previously had with the Yankees regarding Edward Cabrera. Clearly, the Marlins targeted this player. Lewis, 22, ranks fifth on our Fish On First Top 30 list. In 2025, between Low-A and High-A, he slashed .237/.321/.445/.766 with 22 home runs, 79 RBI, 26 stolen bases and a 121 wRC+. A 20 HR/20 SB season in the minor leagues is not as rare as it used to be. The Marlins have had players reach that milestone in three straight years—Troy Johnston (2023), Agustín Ramírez (2024) and Kemp Alderman (2025). However, Lewis pairs that offensive production with the ability to play all three outfield spots and legitimately stick in center field moving forward. Lewis' power should translate to big leagues. Per Lance Brozdowski of Marquee Sports Network, his 90th percentile exit velocity of 107.7 mph was the same as brand-name prospects Bryce Eldridge and Konnor Griffin. He paired that with a whiff rate below 22% on pitches in the strike zone. When Lewis made the jump from Low-A to High-A, his walk rate increased from 9.2% to 10.8%. If he can continue improving his swing decisions, there's the upside for him to be a complete hitter. Baseball America considers Lewis' power and speed to both be 60-grade tools. At this stage of his career, he compares closely to where former Marlins prospect Monte Harrison was entering the 2018 season. Harrison would go on to crack MLB Top 100 prospect lists, earn a Futures Game selection and make his major league debut in 2020. Unfortunately, his hit tool did not develop as hoped. He played just 50 MLB games in his career, striking out in nearly half of his plate appearances. We will know much more about Lewis based on how he adjusts to the Double-A level. The ceiling is extremely high. Even in an org that's stacked with outfield depth, he could move quickly and contribute to the Marlins as soon as the 2027 season. View full article

It is widely known that the Philadelphia Phillies don’t want to continue their professional relationship with Nick Castellanos in 2026. They are actively trying to move him, as the club's president of baseball operations, Dave Dombrowski, has confirmed publicly multiple times. The Miami Marlins actually showed serious interest in Castellanos when he was a free agent four years ago, but the Phillies outbid them with a five-year, $100M deal. A National League All-Star and Silver Slugger at the time, he has declined since then. Last season, Castellanos slashed .250/.294/.400/.694 with 17 home runs, 72 RBIs, and a 90 wRC+. His playing time was reduced as the year went on and his strained relationship with manager Rob Thomson became a storyline. His postseason performance was also unimpressive—he went 2-for-15 at the plate with a .400 OPS in a four-game NLDS loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. On the January 22 episode of Fair Territory, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic mentioned the Marlins as a potential Castellanos destination, given the lack of veteran bats on their roster and his background as a Hialeah native and Archbishop McCarthy alum. Rosenthal adds that the Phillies would be taking responsibility for most of the $20M still owed to the right-handed hitter to facilitate any deal. However, Castellanos doesn’t have a place in Miami where he’d receive regular playing time. A full-time outfielder since 2018, Castellanos’ minus-82 defensive runs saved is the worst in MLB during that span, per Fielding Bible. The next-closest player, Jorge Soler, is 30 runs better at minus-52. With the inconsistency of his bat at this stage of his career—wRC+ below 100 in two of the last four seasons—there's no guarantee of him even performing above replacement level moving forward. It's hard to imagine Castellanos taking playing time away from fellow outfielders Kyle Stowers, Jakob Marsee, Owen Caissie, Griffin Conine or Heriberto Hernández. Even Esteury Ruiz might be ahead of him on the depth chart considering his great Triple-A production in 2025 and elite speed. Castellanos is showing a willingness to make the move to first base and videos have surfaced of him getting work there. He has solid height for the position at 6'3", but due to his inexperience, who knows what that will look like. The Marlins already signed Christopher Morel to a one-year deal and identified him as a candidate to learn first base. Conine is also experimenting at first entering this spring and Liam Hicks recently told the Marlins Radio Network that he is still working at the position after making 23 starts last season. While the Marlins should be open-minded to finding another 1B option, Castellanos does not represent a clear upgrade. The likelihood of Castellanos bouncing back to being an impactful run producer is too low for the Marlins to make room for him. View full article

MIAMI, FL—The Miami Marlins will be relying heavily on Eury Pérez in 2026. Trades of Edward Cabrera and Ryan Weathers earlier this month leave the 22-year-old as the clear number two starter in their rotation. Weeks in advance of spring training, Eury Pérez is already in South Florida. Pérez tells Fish On First that he's been here throughout the entire offseason. Following a bullpen session on Friday, Pérez did an interview in Spanish looking ahead to his third Marlins season, which he hopes will be his first full-length season at the major league level. "I feel super healthy. This offseason has been incredible. I stayed here in Miami all year and I’ve tried to work as hard as possible to arrive ready," Pérez said. Last season, the right-handed pitcher was coming off Tommy John surgery and rejoined the Marlins roster in early June. He posted a 4.25 ERA, 3.67 FIP, 9.91 K/9 and 3.02 BB/9 in 95 ⅓ innings pitched. He made 20 starts, which was a career-high. "After the Tommy John, my arm feels great," Pérez said. "I’m trying to stay that way to start the season with the team, which is what I want most, and to finish healthy as well." Pérez has been focused on adding some weight to his massive 6'8" frame. Currently listed at 220 pounds, he says that he entered the offseason weighing in at 225 and is now up to 240, with the intention to add on more. Pérez added a sweeper to his pitch mix near the end of the 2025 season, which he threw 7.7% of the time overall. In the small sample, he generated a 46.4% whiff rate and 28.9% PutAway rate. "It's a pitch that we begun throwing during the season, but it's still a pitch that we need to keep working on, by trying to keep it in the zone and when I want to throw it outside the zone," Pérez said. The changeup was highly rated while he was climbing up through the minor leagues. That's been another focus for him as he plans to increase its 7.8% usage rate. It generated a 61.1% whiff rate and 15.2% PutAway rate. "It's a pitch that is going to help me a lot in this league," Pérez said. ZiPS projections expect Pérez to work 110 innings, pitching to a 4.02 ERA, 3.99 FIP and finishing second on the team with 112 strikeouts. Pérez threw alongside his teammate and mentor Sandy Alcantara on Friday. Alcantara will once again participate for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic coming up in March, but Pérez was not contacted, so he will remain with the Marlins throughout all of spring training. "I’m waiting for the opportunity in a few years," Pérez said regarding the WBC. Marlins pitchers and catchers are set to report to Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium on February 11. The full-squad report date is February 16. View full article

Following an offseason bullpen session, Marlins right-hander Eury Pérez speaks with Fish On First about filling out his 6'8" frame and continuing to develop as a pitcher. View full video

On Friday, the Miami Marlins claimed right-handed pitcher Osvaldo Bido off waivers from the Tampa Bay Rays (first reported by Daniel Álvarez Montes of El Extrabase). The Marlins 40-man roster was at 39, so no corresponding roster move was required. Throughout most of his career, Bido has been a swingman, with his best season coming in 2024 with the Athletics, pitching to a 3.41 ERA and 3.36 FIP through 63 ⅓ innings pitched. He had much less success in 2025, posting a 5.87 ERA, 6.07 FIP, 7.68 K/9 and 3.95 BB/9 in 26 appearances (10 starts). The A's waived him in December. What stands out about Bido is his deep pitch mix, which consists of a four-seam fastball, slider, sinker, changeup and cutter. In 2025, his four-seam fastball took a huge dip (minus-12 run value) and the sinker remained his best pitch (plus-4). The sinker averages 94.5 mph. His slider and cutter were also strong pitches in 2024, but both were negative run value pitches this past season. Bido, 30, has a history of allowing fly balls. The difference between 2024 and 2025 was how much hard contact there was against him. As a result, his HR/FB rate skyrocketed from 3.8% to 14.7%. It just seems like opposing hitters were seeing him better, or maybe they had a clearer idea of which pitch was coming. Bido continued to do a good job of getting hitters to whiff outside the strike zone. However, they took advantage of him on the first pitch of plate appearances (.487/.500/.872/1.372 slash line against). This offseason, Bido has bounced around from the A's to the Atlanta Braves to the Rays before landing in Miami. That is largely due to him being out of minor league options—either he makes the 2026 Opening Day roster or else the Marlins will have to pass him through waivers like his previous teams did. The recent trade of Ryan Weathers to the New York Yankees gives Bido an improved chance of earning a major league job, but he shouldn't be viewed as a Weathers replacement. With a strong spring, he could take over the long relief role that Valente Bellozo held for much of last season. View full article

On Thursday, the 2026 international signing period opened and the Miami Marlins inked deals with 21 players, highlighted by shortstops Santiago Solarte and Ronny Muñoz. They each received a $1M bonus, per sources. This is the organization's second international signing class since David Hernandez-Beayne was named director of international scouting. The following players officially signed Thursday on their first day of eligibility, with more to follow in the coming days: Santiago Solarte ($1M) Solarte, a 17-year-old out of Caja Seca, Venezuela, is ranked 16th on MLB Pipeline's Top 50 international prospects list. He's a 50-grade prospect overall with 45-hit, 65-power, 55-run, 50-arm and 55-field tools. "Physical specimen type of build with raw explosiveness and top-of-scale strength," said one scout. "Advanced body control and athletic actions for someone that size and age." VIDEO-2026-01-06-22-06-52.mp4 Solarte briefly participated in Venezuela's professional summer league (LMBP), where the average player was more than a decade older than him. In nine games with Samanes de Aragua (mostly off the bench), he slashed .143/.250/.143 with one hit, one walk, two strikeouts and one stolen base. Solarte has been trained at Academia Carlos Guillén. New Marlins outfielder Raunny Figueredo ($350k bonus) trained at that academy as well. Ronny Muñoz ($1M) hkh_A0kSYyaeKTZT.mp4 Muñoz, who ranks as the #27 prospect on MLB Pipeline, is another 50-grade prospect (55-hit, 55-power, 60-run, 60-arm and 45-field). "He's probably the most talented player in this class," said David Hernandez-Beayne. "The way that I would describe him as short as possible would be traits-based prospect. Very tooled up, explosive and athletic. He's very strong within his frame. He's a plus runner, he's got a plus arm, he's got plus impact, plus hand speed. He's one of those guys that, for us, in terms of the raw tool package of having that skill set to be able to progress, improve, get better, become that impactful prospect we think he can, he has it all." Muñoz had already seen action in what are called "committed games," hitting a home run to straightaway center field. Eliezer Peralta ($275k) Eliezer Peralta.mp4 The Marlins view Peralta as this class' top international pitching prospect. The 17-year-old pitcher out of the Dominican Republic throws a fastball which sits 90-92 mph with a spin rate between 2,176-2,220 rpm. His changeup averages 82 mph with a spin rate between 1,601-1,834 rpm. His final pitch, a 77-80 mph slider, has a spin rate between 2,239-2,341 rpm. "We have a lot of things that we look for when it comes to pitching," said Hernandez-Beayne. "Obviously, a big part of it is the size, projection and athleticism. We believe heavily in biomechanics traits that create outliers for pitchers being able to bend pitches and generate future velocity. There's a lot of specific things that we care about, but makeup is also very important." Maikel Acosta ($225k) Maikel Acosta.mp4 One Marlins scout called Acosta the most underrated signing of the class. His exit velocity already averages 90 mph. He has a 40-yard dash time of 4.96 seconds. He possesses a strong arm at shortstop, averaging 90 mph on max-effort throws (the MLB average at the position is 85.7 mph). Ben Badler of Baseball America adds, "The foundation of his right-handed swing works well, and he has a knack for putting the ball in play, so getting stronger will be key to do more damage on contact." Acosta will be making his professional debut as a 16-year-old. Francisco Del Campo ($400k) dxvsov.mp4 Out of the four catchers that the Marlins signed, Del Campo seems to be the best of the bunch. "He recognizes pitches well, has good bat-to-ball skills and strength, though with a flatter path that doesn’t lend itself to much loft yet," Badler writes. "His hands work well behind the plate, he has a clean transfer and his arm strength has ticked up considerably over the past couple years to become at least an average tool." He represented Mexico in the 2024 U-15 World Cup in Colombia. More recently, Del Campo trained with the Mexican League's Leones de Yucatan. He appeared in one game for them last summer. Other standouts Right-hander Batista already spins his fastball above 2,500 rpm. He signed for $100k. "Batista is an interesting case, because very rarely do you find players that are slight frame like he is," said Hernandez-Beayne. "He's 6'0", 130 pounds right now...He's truly a unique case, a real outlier, someone we're incredibly excited about." Onardi Santos, who stands at 6'5" and is a left-handed pitcher, signed for $220k. Right-hander Evan Da Souza, a native out of Nicaragua, is committed to sign for $250k. The deal will become official on Sunday, according to Nicaraguan journalist Fernando Rayo. Da Souza's agent brought him to the Dominican Republic to give him more exposure and that is when the Marlins discovered him at a big showcase in Punta Cana. "Immediately stood out by the guy with elite size, elite frame, high projectability traits, unique outlier pitch characteristics and that ability to really calm the strike zone, and so all those elements made teams really want to get involved within that process," said Hernandez-Beayne. View full article