Hector Rodriguez

Overview Position: OF/C Height: 6’2″ Weight: 201 pounds School: Auburn Ike Irish is a 6’2”, 201-pound outfielder/catcher who plays for the Auburn University Tigers. Irish has been one of the biggest risers in this draft class after a monster junior season. He a well-rounded hitter and could be an option for the Marlins with the seventh pick. Irish was a blue-chip prospect and Perfect Game All-American coming out of Orchard Lake St. Mary's Prep in Hudsonville, Michigan. On Perfect Game, he was the 39th-ranked prospect and the third-ranked catcher in the Class of 2022. He was also the second-ranked prospect in the state of Michigan. Irish went undrafted and signed with the Auburn Tigers. During his freshman season, Irish earned a starting role for the Tigers and made an instant impact on their offense. Irish was one of two players to start in all 58 games for Auburn in 2023. He slashed .361/.429/.546 with 86 hits, 24 doubles, six home runs, 50 RBIs, a .419 BABIP, and a .975 OPS on his way to being named a Freshman All-American. In his sophomore season, Irish continued to produce for the Tigers and started to tap into his raw power. In 47 games, he slashed .319/.403/.627 with 58 hits, eleven doubles, two triples, fourteen home runs, 59 RBIs, and a 1.030 OPS. After the season, Irish was named First Team All-SEC. Irish raised the bar even higher as a junior, showcasing his ability to hit for average and with even more power. During the 2025 season, Irish slashed .364/.469/.710 with 78 hits, thirteen doubles, nineteen home runs, 58 RBIs, eleven stolen bases, 165 wRC+, and a 1.179 OPS. He was named First Team All-SEC for the second season in a row and First Team All-American by the ABCA. Irish is a left-handed hitter with quick hands and plus bat-to-ball skills. He has a gap-to-gap approach with most of his power to his pull side. He showed the ability to hit against high velocity with an 84% contact rate on pitches 92 mph or more. He also handles secondary pitches well and looks comfortable in the batter’s box against left-handed pitchers. While Irish’s hit tool and raw power make him an intriguing prospect, he does need to improve on his approach and lift. A lot of his grounders (47.2 GB%) are the result of offering at pitches that he'd be better off taking. If Irish can be a bit more patient at the plate, he could get himself into better counts and avoid cheap outs. On defense, Irish played the outfield for most of the 2025 season after fracturing his scapula early in the season. Irish isn’t great defensively behind the plate, but has improved on his receiving skills and mechanics. The Michigan native does have a great arm, which makes scouts believe he’s more suited to play right field. On Just Baseball, Irish is the tenth-ranked draft prospect. He is the thirteenth-ranked prospect on Baseball America. Strengths Plus hit tool Plus raw power Can drive the ball to all fields with authority Hits well against high velocity Plus arm strength Weaknesses Doesn’t project as a catcher High ground ball rate Needs to be more patient at the plate Pro Comparison: Ryan O’Hearn Projection: Top 15 pick Bottom Line Ike Irish has produced at a high level for the Auburn Tigers this season to secure himself of a first-round selection. Irish could be an underslot option for the Marlins with the seventh overall pick if their top choices have already been taken. More 2025 Draft Profiles LHP Jamie Arnold RHP Kyson Witherspoon RHP Riley Quick 3B Gavin Fien RHP Tyler Bremner 2B Gavin Kilen SS Joseph "JoJo" Parker INF Aiva Arquette SS Billy Carlson OF Jace LaViolette LHP Liam Doyle INF Kayson Cunningham SS Eli Willits SS Marek Houston RHP Seth Hernandez 3B Xavier Neyens OF Brendan Summerhill View full article

Overview Position: LHP Height: 6’1″ Weight: 190 pounds School: Florida State FOF Big Board Rank: third Jamie Arnold is a 6’1”, 190-pound left-handed pitcher who plays for the Florida State University Seminoles. Arnold is arguably the most polished pitching prospect in the 2025 MLB Draft class. He has been dominant over the past two seasons and should be a very early draft pick. Arnold was a blue-chip prospect coming out of high school at Jesuit High School in Tampa, Florida. On Perfect Game, Arnold was the 259th-ranked prospect and the 34th-ranked left-handed pitcher in the Class of 2022. Arnold went undrafted and honored his commitment to Florida State. In his freshman season, Arnold was mostly used as a bullpen arm but would also get some midweek starts. Arnold made 24 appearances and eight starts. He posted a 2-5 record with a 6.34 ERA, a .269 opponent batting average, and 49 strikeouts in 44 innings pitched. In his sophomore season, Arnold had a major breakout. He helped lead a very talented Florida State roster to the College World Series semifinals. During the 2024 season, Arnold made nineteen appearances and eighteen starts in their weekend rotation. He posted an 11-3 record with a 2.98 ERA, 3.22 FIP, a .224 opponent batting average, 2.2 BB/9, and 159 strikeouts in 105 ⅔ innings pitched. He was named a First Team All-American on D1 Baseball, Perfect Game, NCBWA, and ABCA. During this past season, Arnold continued to dominate on the mound. The Sunshine State native made fifteen starts and appearances for the Seminoles. Arnold posted an 8-2 record with a 2.98 ERA, 3.98 FIP, 1.06 WHIP, 2.9 BB/9, a .208 opponent batting average, and 119 strikeouts in 84 ⅔ innings pitched. He was named First Team All-ACC for the second consecutive season. Arnold possesses a three-pitch mix including his fastball, slider, and changeup. His fastball sits in the mid-90s and tops out at 98 mph with 18-20 inches of run and gets plenty of swing-and-miss. Arnold’s slider is arguably his best pitch. Due to his low arm slot, it has a ton of sweeping motion and generates whiffs from both sides of the plate. He locates his slider very well and likes to use it as his putaway pitch. Arnold didn’t use a lot of his changeup at Florida State. He has some feel for the pitch and it gives right-handed batters something else to think about. While Arnold isn’t likely to be the #1 pick, there is an expectation that he'll come off the board early. He is the fourth-ranked draft prospect on MLB Pipeline and the fifth-ranked prospect on Baseball America. Strengths Polished pitcher on fast track to MLB Excellent movement on all pitches Generates plenty of swing-and-miss Power fastball Above-average command Weaknesses Needs to develop his changeup Fastball command wavers later in outings Pro Comparison: Ricky Tiedemann Projection: Top 10 pick Bottom Line Jamie Arnold has a proven track record against talent-rich teams and seems very polished compared to the rest of the pitchers in this draft class. The southpaw pitcher could be a great option for the Marlins with their first-round pick, but it would be a surprise if he's available by the time they're on the clock. More 2025 Draft Profiles RHP Kyson Witherspoon RHP Riley Quick 3B Gavin Fien RHP Tyler Bremner 2B Gavin Kilen SS Joseph "JoJo" Parker INF Aiva Arquette SS Billy Carlson OF Jace LaViolette LHP Liam Doyle INF Kayson Cunningham SS Eli Willits SS Marek Houston RHP Seth Hernandez 3B Xavier Neyens OF Brendan Summerhill View full article

Overview Position: RHP Height: 6’2″ Weight: 205 pounds School: Oklahoma FOF Big Board Rank: 27th Kyson Witherspoon is a 6’2”, 205-pound right-handed pitcher who plays for the Oklahoma Sooners. Witherspoon is one of the top pitching prospects in the 2025 MLB Draft and arguably the best right-handed collegiate pitching prospect in this class. Witherspoon was not highly-touted coming out of Fletcher High School in Jacksonville, Florida. Perfect Game viewed him as a shortstop prospect instead of a pitching prospect. Witherspoon went undrafted and signed with Northwest Florida State College. In his freshman season, Witherspoon dominated in the JUCO ranks. Witherspoon made seventeen appearances and thirteen starts. He posted a 6-2 record with a 3.10 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, and struck out 72 batters in 69 ⅔ innings pitched. After his freshman season, Witherspoon signed with the Oklahoma Sooners and enrolled on campus. In his first season at Oklahoma, Witherspoon earned a spot in their weekend rotation and had a great sophomore season. Witherspoon made seventeen appearances and eleven starts. He posted an 8-3 record with a 3.71 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, one save, a .228 opponent batting average, and 90 strikeouts in 80 innings pitched. After the season, he was selected to play for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team. During the 2025 season, Witherspoon continued his dominance on the mound for the Sooners. He emerged as their ace and made sixteen appearances (all as a starter). Witherspoon posted a 10-4 record with a 2.65 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, a .208 opponent batting average, 31.8 K%, and struck out 124 batters in 95 innings pitched. He was named First Team All-SEC. Witherspoon possesses a five-pitch mix—fastball, curveball, slider, cutter, and changeup. His fastball sits in the mid-90s and tops out at 99 mph. His fastball holds its plane well and jumps out of his hand. His slider and cutter both live in the upper-80s, but feature horizontal action and depth. Witherspoon’s curveball has great break, but he struggles with command. He hardly throws his changeup. Witherspoon has a clean, repeatable delivery with an over-the-top arm slot. He uses his lower half very well and holds his velocity throughout his outings. While he is a reliable strike-thrower with a 5.9% walk rate, he does need to improve his command. However, he mixes his pitches well and is comfortable throwing most of his pitches in any count. On Baseball America, Witherspoon is the seventh-ranked prospect in the 2025 MLB Draft. The Sunshine State native is the eighth-ranked draft prospect on MLB Pipeline and the ninth-ranked draft prospect on Just Baseball. Strengths Power fastball 60-grade slider 60-grade cutter Good control Starter build Frontline starter potential Maintains velocity later in outings Weaknesses Needs to develop his changeup Needs to improve on his command Pro Comparison: Drew Rasmussen Projection: Top 15 pick Bottom Line Kyson Witherspoon was dominant in all three years of his collegiate career. He has lots of potential and is already one of the more polished pitchers in this draft class. Witherspoon will likely be available for the Marlins with the seventh overall pick. More 2025 Draft Profiles RHP Riley Quick 3B Gavin Fien RHP Tyler Bremner 2B Gavin Kilen SS Joseph "JoJo" Parker INF Aiva Arquette SS Billy Carlson OF Jace LaViolette LHP Liam Doyle INF Kayson Cunningham SS Eli Willits SS Marek Houston RHP Seth Hernandez 3B Xavier Neyens OF Brendan Summerhill View full article

MIAMI—The Colorado Rockies have already had four separate eight-game losing streaks on their way to one of the worst seasons in MLB history, but never nine games. That is still the case after upsetting the Miami Marlins in their series opener on Monday. The Marlins jumped out to a 4-1 lead, but ultimately fell by a score of 6-4. This was only the Rockies' tenth win overall and their fourth win on the road. Right-handed pitcher Max Meyer got the start for the Marlins and had a rough outing. The 2020 first-round pick threw five innings, allowing ten hits, five runs (four earned), one walk, and five strikeouts. He also allowed three home runs, including two to catcher Hunter Goodman. Meyer became the first starting pitcher to allow ten hits in a start versus the Rockies this season. Even though Meyer has made only one quality start in his last seven tries, Marlins manager Clayton McCullough still gave him a vote of confidence. “My level of concern is not high at all for Max,” McCullough said after the game. “He’s doing a lot of good things within each of these outings. He’s trying to mitigate either an inning or a succession of at-bats. After Meyer’s rocking performance, the Marlins handed the ball to right-handed relief pitcher Jesús Tinoco. The Venezuelan native threw a clean sixth inning, recording Miami’s first 1-2-3 inning of the ballgame. After Tinoco’s inning of work, the Marlins handed the ball to righty Valente Bellozo. The 25-year-old right-hander threw two perfect innings before allowing one run in the top of the ninth. “The guy just gets out,” McCullough said about Bellozo. “He’s done a good job of going multiple innings and keeping us in ball games by holding opponents down and throwing strikes.” On offense, the Marlins were off to an excellent start, scoring four runs in the first two innings off of Germán Márquez. However, they struggled to hit with runners in scoring position and stranded almost a dozen runners on base. In the series-opening loss to Colorado, the Marlins went 3-for-16 (.187 batting average) with RISP. That left the door open enough for even a struggling team like the Rockies to make a comeback. Right fielder Jesús Sánchez was one of the bright spots for the Marlins. Sánchez went 3-for-4 at the plate with two doubles, an RBI, and a walk. Shortstop Otto Lopez went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI single through the left side. With poor weather conditions surrounding loanDepot park and few recognizable stars on the opposing team, the Marlins drew their smallest home crowd of the season. A team source tells Fish On First that only approximately 2,700 tickets were scanned. What’s next? The Miami Marlins will look to even the series and force a rubber match in the series finale. Former Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara will be on the mound for the Marlins. Alcantara has struggled mightily in his first season back from Tommy John surgery. He has posted a 2-7 record with an 8.47 ERA, 1.67 WHIP, a .249 opponent batting average, and 40 strikeouts in 51 innings pitched. Right-handed pitcher Tanner Gordon will get the start for the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday night. Gordon has posted a 1-2 record with a 4.24 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, and ten strikeouts in his first three starts of the season. The Rockies are looking to clinch their first series win of 2025. The first pitch for Tuesday’s game is at 6:40 pm EST. View full article

The Marlins will have the seventh overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft and should be able to grab one of the top prospects in this class. Riley Quick will very likely be available for them. Overview Position: RHP Height: 6’5″ Weight: 255 pounds School: Alabama FOF Big Board Rank: 11th Riley Quick is a 6’5”, 255-pound right-handed pitcher who plays for the Alabama Crimson Tide. A draft-eligible sophomore, Quick is one of the top power pitching prospects in the 2025 MLB Draft class. Quick was a blue-chip prospect from Hewitt-Trussville High School in Trussville, Alabama. On Perfect Game, Quick was the 227th-ranked prospect and the 70th-ranked right-handed pitcher in the Class of 2022. He was also the second-ranked prospect and #1 right-handed pitcher from Alabama. He went undrafted out of high school and signed to pitch for the University of Alabama. In his freshman season, Quick was strictly a relief pitcher and made sixteen appearances. Quick posted a 1-1 record with a 3.68 ERA, 1.91 WHIP, two saves, 21 walks, a .244 opponent batting average, and 26 strikeouts in 22 innings pitched. In the 2024 season, Quick was set to pitch in Alabama’s weekend rotation. However, he suffered an elbow injury in his first start, which required Tommy John surgery. He received a medical redshirt due to the season-ending injury. In his redshirt sophomore season, Quick returned and had a monster season. He made fourteen appearances, all as a starter. He posted an 8-3 record with a 3.92 ERA, a .263 opponent batting average, 3.5 BB/9, and 70 strikeouts in 62 innings pitched. Quick was named to the All-SEC second team. On the mound, Quick possesses a three-pitch mix including his fastball, slider, and changeup. Quick has one of the best fastballs in the 2025 MLB Draft, sitting 95-97 mph and topping out at 99 mph. He can also manipulate it and make it into a heavy sinker. His slider is his best secondary pitch, which generates some swing-and-miss and sits in the upper 80s. He’ll throw his changeup at times, but it’s a work in progress. Quick also needs to work on getting more consistent with his delivery. His arm will drag at times, which makes his pitches flat and very hittable. However, Quick has improved his control and can locate well at the bottom of the zone. In the 2025 season, Quick had a 50.9 GB% and his walk rate dropped from 18.9% to 8.9%. Baseball America and MLB Pipeline are not as high on Quick as Fish On First, ranking him #19 and #35 among their top draft prospects, respectively. Strengths Power fastball 60-grade slider Good control High GB rate Starter build Frontline starter potential Weaknesses Underdeveloped changeup Inconsistent delivery Reliever risk Pro Comparison: Hunter Gaddis Projection: Top 25 pick Bottom Line There should be some arms available with Miami’s first pick who are currently better than Riley Quick, but he still has room for improvement if developed correctly. With two years of NCAA eligibility remaining, Quick has leverage to pitch another season of college ball if the fit isn't right. He could be a candidate to slip to the Marlins in Competitive Balance Round A (43rd overall pick), though it would take a significantly overslot bonus to sign him there. More 2025 Draft Profiles 3B Gavin Fien RHP Tyler Bremner 2B Gavin Kilen SS Joseph "JoJo" Parker INF Aiva Arquette SS Billy Carlson OF Jace LaViolette LHP Liam Doyle INF Kayson Cunningham SS Eli Willits SS Marek Houston RHP Seth Hernandez 3B Xavier Neyens OF Brendan Summerhill View full article

The Miami Marlins have been linked to high school hitting prospects with their first-round pick heading into the 2025 MLB Draft. Gavin Fien is another candidate for the Fish to consider with the seventh overall pick. Overview Position: 3B Height: 6’3″ Weight: 200 pounds School: Great Oak HS (CA) Commitment: Texas FOF Big Board Rank: 10th Gavin Fien is a 6’3”, 200-pound third baseman who plays at Great Oaks High School in Temecula, California. Fien is a well-rounded prospect with plus hitting and defensive tools. Fien also had a huge summer—playing for Team USA and winning Game MVP at the MLB High School All-American Game—but he struggled during his senior season. On Perfect Game, Fien is an elite high school recruit in one of the most talent-rich areas in the country. Fien is the ninth-ranked prospect and #1 third baseman in the country. He’s the third-ranked prospect out of the Golden State. He was also selected to play in the Perfect Game All-American Classic. Fien is a right-handed hitter with an unorthodox batting stance. That didn’t affect his timing at the plate in the fall. The issues with timing that showed up in the spring should be correctable. Fien has a fluid swing with nice raw power potential. He still has some room to fill in his frame and should be able to add more power as he physically matures. Defensively, Fien is a very sound third baseman with good mechanics and one of the top arms at the hot corner. Fien is also a good athlete and could play some right field with his plus arm strength. According to Perfect Game, he ran a 6.86 60-yard dash and threw 94 mph from the infield and 98 mph from the outfield. Strengths Plus hit tool Raw power potential Good athlete Plus arm strength Defensive versatility Has hit well with a wood bat against tough competition Weaknesses Struggled a bit in his senior season Needs to improve timing with his stance Pro Comparison: Ian Stewart Projection: Top 20 pick Bottom Line Gavin Fien is a well-rounded prospect who could develop into one of the best hitters in this draft class. Fien isn’t a finished product, but his hitting ability and arm strength are very intriguing. The Marlins could be the team to draft him if they have confidence in their minor league coaching staff to help him with fixing his timing issues and filling in his large frame. More 2025 Draft Profiles RHP Tyler Bremner 2B Gavin Kilen SS Joseph "JoJo" Parker INF Aiva Arquette SS Billy Carlson OF Jace LaViolette LHP Liam Doyle INF Kayson Cunningham SS Eli Willits SS Marek Houston RHP Seth Hernandez 3B Xavier Neyens OF Brendan Summerhill View full article

UC Santa Barbara RHP Tyler Bremner is one of the most polished pitching prospects in the 2025 MLB Draft. Bremner could be in play with the Marlins' first pick if they value the flexibility of an underslot deal. UC Santa Barbara RHP Tyler Bremner is one of the most polished pitching prospects in the 2025 MLB Draft. Bremner could be in play with the Marlins' first pick if they value the flexibility of an underslot deal. Overview Position: RHP Height: 6’2″ Weight: 190 pounds School: UC Santa Barbara FOF Big Board Rank: 13th Tyler Bremner is a 6’2”, 190-pound right-handed pitcher who plays for the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos. Bremner is one of the top pitching prospects in the 2025 MLB Draft class. He’s also one of the most polished pitching prospects in this class. Bremner was a blue-chip prospect coming out of Scripps Ranch High School in San Diego, California. On Perfect Game, he was the 201st-ranked prospect and the 59th-ranked right-handed pitcher in the Class of 2022. He was also the 24th-ranked prospect and ninth-ranked right-hander from California. Bremner went undrafted and signed with UC Santa Barbara. In his freshman season, Bremner made seventeen appearances and eight starts. He posted a 5-4 record with a 5.37 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, four saves, seventeen walks, and 80 strikeouts in 55 ⅓ innings pitched. He was named a All-Big West honorable mention and finished tenth in the country in 12.9 K/9. Bremner had a breakout season as a sophomore and was one of the top pitchers in college baseball. In nineteen appearances and nine starts, he posted an 11-1 record with a 2.54 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, a .182 opponent batting average, and 104 strikeouts in 88 ⅔ innings pitched. He was named to the All-Big West first team and All-American second time on Perfect Game. Coming into his junior season, Bremner was viewed as one of the top pitching prospects in the 2025 MLB Draft. He is still viewed that way despite taking a slight step back statistically. In the 2025 season, Bremner made fourteen appearances (all starts). He posted a 5-4 record with a 3.49 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, a .215 opponent batting average, 3.15 FIP, nineteen walks, and 111 strikeouts in 77 ⅓ innings pitched. Bremner possesses a three-pitch mix including his fastball, slider, and changeup. Bremner’s fastball sits in the mid-90s and was clocked at 98 mph this spring. His best secondary pitch is his changeup. Some scouts have evaluated it as a 70-grade pitch. He’s comfortable throwing it on any count and locates it very well. Bremner’s slider is a work in progress, but whichever team drafts him could develop that third pitch. Fish On First has the Golden State native as the 13th-ranked prospect in the 2025 MLB Draft. Bremner is also ranked #14 on Baseball America and #17 on MLB Pipeline. Strengths Best changeup in 2025 draft class Plus fastball Plus command Career 32.7 K% Limits baserunners Low-effort throwing motion Weaknesses Needs to develop slider Questions about durability as a starter Pro Comparison: Dylan Lesko Projection: Top 20 pick Bottom Line The Marlins are more likely to draft a position player over a pitcher with their first-round pick. However, Tyler Bremner was once viewed as a future top-five pick and could now be an underslot option for them. Selecting and signing Bremner would save bonus pool money to be used in later rounds of the draft. More 2025 Draft Profiles 2B Gavin Kilen SS Joseph "JoJo" Parker INF Aiva Arquette SS Billy Carlson OF Jace LaViolette LHP Liam Doyle INF Kayson Cunningham SS Eli Willits SS Marek Houston RHP Seth Hernandez 3B Xavier Neyens OF Brendan Summerhill View full article

First Team All-SEC infielder Gavin Kilen is having a huge junior season in his first year with the Tennessee Volunteers. Could this talented pure hitter be on Miami's radar with the seventh overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft? First Team All-SEC infielder Gavin Kilen is having a huge junior season in his first year with the Tennessee Volunteers. Could this talented pure hitter be on Miami's radar with the seventh overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft? Overview Position: 2B Height: 5’11″ Weight: 185 pounds School: Tennessee FOF Big Board Rank: 15th Gavin Kilen is a 5’11”, 185-pound second baseman who plays for the University of Tennessee Volunteers. Kilen is one of the best pure-hitting collegiate bats in the 2025 MLB Draft class. He’s having a very successful year in his first season playing for the Volunteers. Kilen was a blue-chip prospect coming out of Milton High School in Milton, Wisconsin. Kilen was a Perfect Game All-American and the #1 prospect in Wisconsin. He was also the 55th-ranked prospect and ninth-ranked shortstop in the Class of 2022. Kilen was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 13th round of the 2022 MLB Draft. However, Kilen decided to honor his commitment to the University of Louisville. In his freshman season, Kilen played in 46 games and started in 38 of them (30 at second base and 8 at shortstop). Kilen slashed .265/.321/.338 with 40 hits, nine doubles, one triple, 18 RBIs, and ten walks. In his sophomore season, Kilen had a breakout season as Louisville’s everyday shortstop. Kilen slashed .330/.361/.591 with 71 hits, 23 doubles, nine home runs, 41 RBIs, and a .952 OPS. He was also named to the All-ACC Third Team. After the 2024 season, Kilen entered the Transfer Portal and signed with the Tennessee Volunteers. In his first season at Tennessee, Kilen had another breakout season, showing his power potential against some of the best pitchers in the country. On the season, Kilen is slashing .355/.437/.694 with 65 hits, eleven doubles, three triples, fifteen home runs, 43 RBIs, 25 walks, and a 1.131 OPS. He was also named First Team All-SEC. At the plate, Kilen has a short, compact swing that consistently makes quality contact at pitches in the zone. Earlier this season, Kilen had a 93% in-zone contact percentage, and it improved to 95% for in-zone fastball contact percentage. While Kilen added more power to his game, his skillset is more suited for a hit-over-power profile. He has hit for average in the Cape Cod League, but hasn’t shown much power with a wood bat. On defense, Kilen is a quality defensive second baseman who has the skillset to play shortstop at the next level. He’s a great hands and quick instincts, but doesn’t possess great arm strength. Kilen likely profiles as a second baseman at the next level. Similar to Fish On First, the Wisconsin native is ranked #16 on MLB Pipeline and #18 on Baseball America. Strengths 60-grade hit tool Clean swing mechanics Improved BB% Career 9.8 K% Adjusted his swing to lift the ball more consistently Weakness Below-average power tool Limited defensively Pro Comparison: Gavin Lux Projection: Top 20 pick Bottom Line The Marlins will have the seventh overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft and should be able to grab one of the top prospects in this draft class. Kilen is one of the best hitters in college baseball this season. The Louisville transfer had a huge season for the Volunteers and should be an early-to-mid first round draft pick. The Marlins have taken high school prospects with their first pick in the past two drafts. However, if Miami decides to go in a different direction or their top options are off the board, Kilen might be an underslot value option for the Fish. More 2025 Draft Profiles SS Joseph "JoJo" Parker INF Aiva Arquette SS Billy Carlson OF Jace LaViolette LHP Liam Doyle INF Kayson Cunningham SS Eli Willits SS Marek Houston RHP Seth Hernandez 3B Xavier Neyens OF Brendan Summerhill View full article

Mississippi native Joseph "JoJo" Parker has been one of the biggest climbers in the 2025 MLB Draft class. Do the Marlins like Parker enough to take him with the seventh overall pick? Mississippi native Joseph "JoJo" Parker has been one of the biggest climbers in the 2025 MLB Draft class. Do the Marlins like Parker enough to take him with the seventh overall pick? Overview Position: SS Height: 6’2″ Weight: 195 pounds School: Purvis HS (MS) Commitment: Mississippi State FOF Big Board Rank: 14th Joseph “JoJo” Parker is a 6’2”, 190-pound shortstop who plays at Purvis High School in Purvis, Mississippi. Parker is potentially the best pure hitter in the 2025 MLB Draft class. He has excellent hitting tools with some room for growth and could play shortstop at the next level. On Perfect Game, Parker is an elite high school prospect who was selected to the Perfect Game All-American Classic with his twin brother, Jacob Parker. Both brothers are signed to play college baseball for the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Parker is a left-handed hitter with incredible bat-to-ball skills. He has added more power to his frame, though there is still room to fill out more. His in-zone contact rate is well above the 90th percentile and he has a 14% chase rate in recorded games. Parker has a gap-to-gap approach and can put the ball in the air to all fields with ease. Defensively, Parker has the tools and instincts to be a quality shortstop at the next level. He has above-average arm strength and the range to stick at short. He might have to change positions eventually, but Parker has the arm strength and skills to be a good defensive third baseman. Parker rose 72 spots (from 86th to 14th) on MLB Pipeline's updated ranking of draft prospects. He made a similar leap on the Fish On First big board (from 82nd to 14th). Strengths Plus hit tool Advanced approach at the plate Excellent bat-to-ball skills Elite in-zone contact rate and low chase rate Great defensive instincts Plus arm strength Weaknesses Lacks power Might not be able to stick at SS Pro Comparison: Ketel Marte Projection: Top 15 pick Bottom Line Joseph “JoJo” Parker is one of the best pure hitters in the 2025 MLB Draft. He has tools that grab scouts’ attention and impressive batted ball/plate discipline data that should be very appealing to teams who are analytically driven. Parker isn’t a finished product, but he has the makings of being a quality big leaguer. More 2025 Draft Profiles INF Aiva Arquette SS Billy Carlson OF Jace LaViolette LHP Liam Doyle INF Kayson Cunningham SS Eli Willits SS Marek Houston RHP Seth Hernandez 3B Xavier Neyens OF Brendan Summerhill View full article

Oregon State's Aiva Arquette is arguably the top collegiate bat in this draft class. If he's still on the board when the Miami Marlins are on the clock, should they take him? Oregon State's Aiva Arquette is arguably the top collegiate bat in this draft class. If he's still on the board when the Miami Marlins are on the clock, should they take him? Overview Position: SS Height: 6’5″ Weight: 220 pounds School: Oregon State FOF Big Board Rank: 4th Aiva Arquette is a 6’5”, 220-pound infielder who plays for the Oregon State University Beavers. Arquette is a tall, athletic infielder who could play up the middle at the next level and has easy power with more to come. Arquette was a blue-chip prospect coming out of high school at the Saint Louis School in Honolulu, Hawaii. Drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 18th round of the 2022 MLB Draft, he decided to honor his commitment to the University of Washington Huskies. After playing sparingly in his freshman season, Arquette had a breakout season for the Huskies in 2024. He slashed .325/.384/.574 as a sophomore with 68 hits, fourteen doubles, twelve home runs, 36 RBIs, and a .959 OPS. Arquette was named to the All-Pac-12 and All-Pac-12 Defensive Team. He would enter the transfer portal and sign with Oregon State. In his first season at Oregon State, Arquette has been one of the best hitters in college baseball. On the season, Arquette is slashing .342/.475/.684 with 64 hits, eleven doubles, seventeen home runs, 59 RBIs, and a 1.159 OPS. He has also posted a 161 wRC+, a .353 BABIP, and improved his walk rate from 7.4% to 15.4% this season. At the plate, Arquette has good swing mechanics and can tap into his power without getting pull-happy or over-swinging. He consistently makes loud contact and has made adjustments to put the ball in the air more often instead of hitting hard grounders. Arquette has improved his fly ball percentage from 38.6% to 45.9%. His ground ball percentage has gone down from 44.6% to 38.4%. He has become a dangerous home run threat and can hit for power to all fields. On defense, Arquette has mostly played second base or shortstop in his collegiate career. However, most scouts project that he'll be a future third baseman if he can add more strength to his large frame. He has plus arm strength and soft hands to be a quality defender there in the pros. The native Hawaiian is arguably the top collegiate bat in the 2025 MLB Draft class. Baseball America has him ranked #4 in the Top 400 2025 MLB Draft Prospects list and the #1 collegiate hitter in the draft class. Fish on Fish also has him ranked fourth, and MLB Pipeline has Arquette ranked fifth in their top draft prospects list. Strengths Plus power tool Clean swinging mechanics Can drive the ball to all fields with authority Improved BB% and K% Adjusted his swing to lift the ball more consistently Plus arm strength Defensive versatility Weaknesses Slightly below-average hit tool Might outgrow the shortstop position Pro Comparison: Sebastian Walcott Projection: Top 10 pick Bottom Line Aiva Arquette is arguably the best hitter in college baseball this season. The west coast infielder could be a huge addition for the Marlins if he’s available with the seventh pick in the 2025 MLB Draft. However, if Arquette does fall that far, signing him would likely require an overslot deal. More 2025 Draft Profiles SS Billy Carlson OF Jace LaViolette LHP Liam Doyle INF Kayson Cunningham SS Eli Willits SS Marek Houston RHP Seth Hernandez 3B Xavier Neyens OF Brendan Summerhill View full article

Corona High School has some of the most talented prospects in the 2025 MLB Draft. Could their star shortstop be the Miami Marlins' first-round selection this year? Corona High School has some of the most talented prospects in the 2025 MLB Draft. Could their star shortstop be the Miami Marlins' first-round selection this year? Overview Position: SS Height: 6’1″ Weight: 165 pounds School: Corona HS (CA) Commitment: Tennessee FOF Big Board Rank: 2nd Billy Carlson is a 6’1”, 165-pound shortstop who plays at Corona High School in Corona, California. Carlson is one of the top-ranked prospects in the 2025 MLB Draft class. He’s a primary shortstop, but could also have a future on the mound. Carlson comes from one of the best high school baseball programs in the country. He’s teammates with other potential day one draft picks like Seth Hernandez and Brady Ebel. On Perfect Game, Carlson is the third-ranked prospect and second-ranked shortstop in the country. At the plate, Carlson is a line-drive hitter with a patient approach. His bat-to-ball skills are some of the best in this draft class, and he possesses good power for his size. Carlson has adjusted his swing to lift the ball more often, but has a high in-zone contact rate and low chase rate. He drives the ball to all fields and will add more power as he continues to physically mature. Defensively, Carlson is an excellent defensive shortstop with probably the best arm in this draft class. Both MLB Pipeline and Baseball America grade his defensive tools a 60 or better. He’s very smooth defensively with elite arm strength and likely plays better defense than most top college shortstops. As mentioned before, Carlson could be considered a two-way prospect. On the mound, he has a power fastball that sits 92-95 mph and tops out at 97. Carlson also has confidence throwing his curveball and changeup for strikes. However, most organizations view him as a shortstop with five-tool potential if he’s able to add more power to his game. Strengths Plus hit tool Polished hitting mechanics Elite defensive skills Low chase rate and high in-zone contact rate Impressive bat speed Weaknesses Needs to fill in his frame to add more power Needs to prove he can continue to put the ball in the air Pro Comparison: Dansby Swanson Projection: Top 10 pick Bottom Line A very skilled defensive shortstop who can hit for average, Billy Carlson has the potential to be one of the best overall players coming out of this draft class. The power should come once he adds 15-20 solid pounds to his frame. If the Marlins are prioritizing upside in the first round, Carlson would be an excellent get with the seventh pick. More 2025 Draft Profiles OF Jace LaViolette LHP Liam Doyle INF Kayson Cunningham SS Eli Willits SS Marek Houston RHP Seth Hernandez 3B Xavier Neyens OF Brendan Summerhill View full article

The Miami Marlins battled for ten innings against the defending World Series champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers. They came out on top with clutch pitching from the back end of their bullpen and hitting from one of their veterans. MIAMI—The Miami Marlins picked up a massive win over the Los Angeles Dodgers Tuesday night. After losing each of their first four head-to-head matchups this season, they defeated the defending World Series champions 5-4 thanks to a walk-off single by Jesús Sánchez in the bottom of the tenth inning. Veteran right-handed pitcher Cal Quantrill got the start for the Marlins. Quantrill had his best performance of the season against the always dangerous Dodgers lineup. He pitched five innings, allowing four hits, one run, one walk, and a season-best six strikeouts. Marlins skipper Clayton McCullough pulled Quantrill from the game after only 79 pitches and two trips through the batting order. "There's been a lot of work to get back to where I'd like to think I was closer to my normal self," Quantrill said after his performance. "There's still some stuff I would like to get ironed out, but I was much more competitive today, and I was able to pitch well from start to finish." McCullough handed the ball to left-handed relief pitcher Anthony Veneziano, and it ended up being a costly decision. Three-time MVP Shohei Ohtani jumped on the first pitch and blasted a towering leadoff homer to right field to tie the game 2-2. Veneziano would surrender another solo home run to Freddie Freeman, giving the Dodgers a 3-2 lead. Freeman made history with that home run, as it was his 42nd against the Marlins. He passed former Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman and former Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard to become the all-time home run leader against the Marlins. Right-handed relief pitcher Lake Bachar came in relief for Veneziano and helped him escape the sixth inning. After the Marlins regained the lead, Bachar came back out for the seventh. He walked James Outman and retired Hyeseong Kim on a force out before McCullough made another call to the bullpen. Calvin Faucher came in relief for Bachar to face the top of Los Angeles' lineup. Ohtani greeted Faucher with an RBI double down the RF line that tied the game 4-4. Faucher had some bad luck in that at-bat with two missed strike three calls by home plate umpire Erich Bacchus. Faucher would get Pages and Freeman out to keep the game tied heading into the bottom of the seventh. Heading into the top of the eighth, the Marlins handed the ball to right-hander Anthony Bender. The 30-year-old reliever had a scoreless eighth inning after walking Muncy and allowing a stolen base. Bender got Michael Conforto to ground out and Mookie Betts to fly out to LF. In the top of the ninth, right-hander Jesús Tinoco was tasked with keeping the game tied. Tinoco pitched a perfect ninth inning. He punched out the first two batters he faced and got Ohtani to roll over on a backdoor slider down and out of the zone. Tinoco went back out for the tenth and had another clean inning, which earned him his second win of the season. The Marlins' offense had an excellent night at the plate. The Fish scored five runs on eleven hits against one of the toughest pitching staffs in the league. Jesús Sánchez, the most-tenured position player on Miami's roster, was the hero. Sánchez went 2-for-5 with two base knocks, including the walk-off single in extras. 7c15f5ba-d6685177-938eec63-csvm-diamondgcp-asset_1280x720_59_4000K.mp4 "I know the fastball has beaten me a lot lately, so I was ready for it," Sánchez said about his approach in his last at-bat. "I'm still making that adjustment with being on time with the fastball, and I know if I'm on time with the fastball, I'm still good with a breaking pitch." Another outfielder who had a huge game in Miami's win over the Dodgers was Dane Myers. The 29-year-old went 2-for-4 with an RBI, raising his batting average to .361. Rookie catcher Liam Hicks went 1-for-2 and drove in the first two runs of the ballgame for Miami. After getting robbed a home run by Andy Pages in his first at-bat, Hicks responded with a no-doubt two-run blast to right field over Pages' head. Agustín Ramírez has started to heat up after going cold since April 28. Ramírez went 2-for-4 with a double to right center and singles through the right side to load the bases for Sánchez in the tenth. Three of Ramírez's last four hits have been opposite-field knocks. It's a very encouraging sign to see a young player like Ramírez start to adjust to how the league has been attacking him after his incredible start to his career. What's next? The Marlins will host the Dodgers for the final time this season on Wednesday afternoon. Right-handed pitcher Landon Knack will get the start for the Dodgers. Knack has struggled in his first three appearances (two starts) to begin the season. The 27-year-old right-hander has posted a 1-0 record with a 7.27 ERA, 1.73 WHIP, six walks, and seven strikeouts in 8 ⅔ innings pitched. The Marlins will hand the ball to right-handed pitcher Valente Bellozo, looking to clinch their first series win since the Reds series. The Mexican-born pitcher has made three starts for the Fish this season. Bellozo has posted a 0-2 record with a 4.97 ERA, 1.66 WHIP, eight walks, and seven strikeouts in 12 ⅔ innings pitched. The first pitch of the rubber match is at 4:40 pm EST. View full article