Alex Carver

Every winter, prospects from across baseball continue their seasons in exhibition form during MLB’s Arizona Fall League. Selections to the league are vastly comprised of prospects who have missed time due to injuries as well as guys that organizations just want an extended look at following regular season play. On Tuesday, the league announced which Miami Marlins prospects will be headed out west for the 2026 AFL season, beginning October 3. Miami’s prospects will be affiliated with the Glendale Desert Dogs. Keep in mind, the group is subject to change in the event of injuries that may occur down the stretch of the minor league season. Here are scouting and performance notes on each of the eight Marlins participants. RHP Samuel Carpio Current MiLB level: Low-A Samuel Carpio is a 23-year-old right-handed reliever who spent the 2026 regular season with Low-A Jupiter. Carpio repeated the level after spending all of 2025 there and threw to a 5.10 ERA in 60 innings. Carpio has been durable in terms of his health, having not missed time on the IL yet in his professional career. What he has done is struggled with limiting walks. This season, he walked a batter an inning leading to a 21.1% overall walk rate. The 6’2”, 200-pounder has a fantastic 70-grade fastball, sitting 95 mph. However, Carpio’s 43% zone rate ranked in the lowly 18th percentile league-wide this year. That inability to locate led him to be heavily dependent on his changeup, which he tossed a whopping 49% of the time this season. Past the fastball and changeup, he has a cutter and slider, but both are in the nascent stages of development. Carpio will have the chance to continue refining his craft with Glendale. LHP Brayan Mendoza Current MiLB level: High-A Lefty Brayan Mendoza also repeated a level in 2026. A product of the trade that sent Jake Burger to the Texas Rangers, Mendoza has been healthy but mostly ineffective with the Beloit Sky Carp. After spending all of 2025 at High-A, the 22-year-old spent the year back with Beloit in a swing-man capacity. In 94 ⅔ innings, he threw to a 5.89 ERA with a 99/47 K/BB. Overall at the High-A level, Mendoza owns a 5.45 ERA over 185 innings. Mendoza is a control over command guy as reflected by his manageable walk rate, but hitters do not expand the zone against him, leading to deeper counts and higher pitch counts particularly after the first time through the order. With just average overall stuff, Mendoza doesn’t profile as a swing-and-miss guy and needs to rely on ground ball contact to succeed. To his credit, he ranked in the 78th percentile in ground ball rate this season. If Mendoza can refine command to live in the lower half more often, he could reach the ceiling of a backend starter. For now, though, it is much more likely he will wind up being a bullpen option long term. LHP Emmett Olson Current MiLB level: Double-A The Marlins’ fourth-round draft pick in 2023, Emmett Olson showed solid initial results as he enjoyed a solid 2024 campaign at Low-and-High-A. Not long into the next season at Beloit, injury struck as Olson required full Tommy John surgery. He returned to the mound late this season, first in rehab capacity with Jupiter, then for four outings in Beloit and finally for an outing with Double-A Pensacola. Understandably, there’s rust on Olson (9.50 ERA and 20.4 BB% in 18.0 IP). He will head to Arizona for more much-needed innings. Olson is the epitome of the Marlins’ pitching archetype: size (6’4”, 230) and stuff. Planing downhill, he features two plus breaking pitches—a 12-6 curve and a low-mid 80s slider with late action that he can front-door to both sides when it’s at its best, leading to off-balance swings. Olson doesn’t feature much in the way of velocity, averaging just 92 mph with his heater. He will need to maintain each bit of that and try to improve upon it as he returns from surgery, which could be a task. Because of his advanced breakers, Olson won’t need to be a fireballer to stay effective; but a further interval between speeds will benefit him. Bottom line is Olson just needs to pitch and get back in shape before we or the Marlins can determine his long term future. Arizona will afford him that opportunity. If he comes back well, he could be pushed pretty quickly through what remains of his MiLB career as lefty starters are in short supply within the Miami organization. A larger, physical version of Braxton Garrett is his ceiling. RHP Tristan Stevens Current MiLB level: Double-A Tristan Stevens was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2022. A four-year college player, Stevens was pushed quickly in his pro career pitching at three levels as early as his second full year. As a swing man in 2024, he topped at 95 innings, which was by far the most pitching he’d ever done in a single season. wear and tear took its toll on Stevens arm as just 4 ⅔ innings into 2025, he was shut down with an elbow injury that required Tommy John. Stevens returned late this season first in a rehab capacity then with Double-A Pensacola. He’s pitched well in the limited sample, holding down a 2.30 ERA and 11/4 K/BB in 15.2 IP. An average-sized 6’, 200, Stevens features a sinker, cutter and slider and comes by outs economically due to his penchant for keeping the ball on the infield, primarily with heavy ground ball rates. He posted a 50.5% ground ball rate his last full season in 2024. Without much of a four-seam, he will top at 94 and usually sits at 92. Turning 29 in December, Stevens may turn out to be the oldest player in the entire AFL this year. Of all Marlins pitchers going to the desert, he is the likeliest to make his MLB debut in 2027. RHP Alex Williams Current MiLB level: Double-A Alex Williams is a 26-year-old righty who has also been with the Marlins since 2022, having come out of the draft in the 11th round. Initially a starter, Williams transitioned to mostly relief work in 2024. This past season, though, he was a regular fixture in the Pensacola rotation, minus a month of missed action from late July to late August. The results at Double-A were tepid: 20 games (18 starts), 85.2 IP, 5.78 ERA, (5.11 FIP), 87/40 K/BB. He heads to Glendale to make up for that lost month and with hopes that he can stick as a rotational option. The 6’3”, 220-pounder has historically held his walk rates in check while garnering solid ground ball rates. This season, the ground ball contact maintained, but his walk rate ticked up to 10.6%, a career-high mark. The culprit was more times through the lineup and command waning deeper in his outings, particularly the third time through an order. In 16 post-fourth innings, Williams allowed 17 earned runs (9.56 ERA). Improving his command will be the main focus for Williams as he competes as a Desert Dog. A healthy Williams can be a solid middle relief or long relief option. INF Carter Johnson Current MiLB level: High-A Carter Johnson was Miami’s 2024 second-round pick. At the time of his selection, the Marlins were so high on the prep infielder as their second round target that they used money saved by selecting PJ Morlando in the first round to make his deal a sure thing, taking him away from his commitment to Alabama. Out of the draft, Johnson got his feet wet in Jupiter with expectations that he would be assigned to the FCL at the turn of the season. Surprisingly, the Marlins chose to return Johnson to the full-season Low-A level. Johnson struggled mightily in 2025, slashing just .177/.274/.261 with a 134/47 K/BB. Clearly overmatched, Johnson was sent back to Jupiter to begin 2026. Things went much better for the 20-year-old this season, particularly in terms of his selectiveness. He hit .243/.355/.426 with the Hammerheads, prompting a midseason call to High-A. His walk rate shrunk a bit with the Sky Carp, but his twitchy power persisted. On the season, he hit 14 homers and 25 doubles while manning multiple defensive positions. Johnson embarks to Arizona for more looks against more advanced pitching. He will be one of the younger players on the circuit and the youngest of the Marlins’ representatives. The improvement Johnson was able to show after such a disastrous 2025 season was definitely encouraging in terms of his ability to stay the course, trust his process and accept failure. Definitive improvements were made by Johnson across the board but most strikingly in terms of his swing length and ability to get his lower half involved in his approach. Defensively, Johnson has gradually dipped in production, particularly with arm accuracy and arm strength. A full time move to second base makes the most sense in many ways including in-house traffic at shortstop and taking pressure off to allow him to focus on rounding out offensively. That is the likely course of action Miami will take in 2027 and beyond. The jury is still very much out on Johnson’s ceiling as he continues to be exposed to better pitching, but he still has a lot of time on his side. More reps in a less competitive and more offensive friendly environment are a definitively good route for the Marlins to go for his growth and ability to build confidence. OF Dillon Lewis Current MiLB level: Double-A Dillon Lewis is one of the Marlins’ most physically gifted and toolsy prospects which he proved in the first half of his first season in the organization. After coming over from the Yankees as the main return in the Ryan Weathers trade, Lewis flexed his power against Southern League competition in his first trip to the Double-A level, smashing 16 homers in his first 64 games. He also showed well on the basepaths, swiping 14 bags. As with any pure power hitter, the strikeout was prevalent for Lewis, leading to a limited .319 first-half OBP. However, because of his exit velos and the frequency at which he was finding fences, that figure was excusable. Lewis’ season as a whole took a turn though on June 27 when he suffered an injury to his hand. Further observation and imaging revealed a broken hamate bone that put the slugger on the shelf just days after his 23rd birthday. In early July, Lewis underwent excision surgery to remove the broken fragments of bone from his hand. He recovered from the procedure and returned to play in Pensacola in just over seven weeks without a rehab assignment. Life in a post-injury world was unfortunately difficult for Lewis as his full power potential didn’t return to him for the rest of the year. At one point on pace to hit 30+ homers on the season, Lewis went on a dry spell that lasted 22 games without a long ball. He will head to Arizona with the hopes of getting fully back to 100%. Lewis is a sight to behold on the field at 6’3”, 205. Similarly, his exit velocities are the stuff of things you don’t hear very often; the ball just sounds different when this man finds a barrel. In addition to his special power, Lewis’ above average speed and great athleticism give him the ability to hold down all three outfield spots, including center field where he shows good first reads and a solid arm. It’s simply a matter of time before Lewis makes a big league impact. The organization is rightfully so very high on true potential ceiling of Lewis, that of a pure slugging center fielder who can also do damage on the bases. If he gets back to his first half self during the Arizona Fall League season, he could lead the circuit in home runs. Triple-A is a likely calling for Lewis when MiLB full season ball resumes. OF Max Williams Current MiLB level: Double-A The 2025 draft class did the Marlins brass proud during their first full season pro. Among those producing great results in the days following the signing of their first pro contracts was third round pick Max Williams, a corner outfielder out of Florida State. Across three levels, the 22-year-old slashed .326/.399/.620. The only caveats for Williams was that his season lasted just 48 games and he was held out of playing defense for much of the season due to a shoulder injury suffered during spring training. Williams has been made a Desert Dog simply to get him more reps to build off what was an incredible offensive showing at the full-season levels. Similarly sized as his Blue Wahoos teammate Lewis at 6’2”, 207, Williams is another physically gifted athlete with an explosive lefty swing. In a limited sample, he’s shown a knack to select pitches well, including plus velo and breaking stuff as high as the Double-A level. His lack of defensive opportunities at the pro level make his defensive ceiling unfair to judge just yet, but he's shown sufficient range in the past to profile as a capable corner outfielder. At the very least, Williams’ power potential carries him to a fairly high floor. Long story short, we need to see more from Williams and allow a league to adjust to him and gauge his ability to adjust back before making any serious contentions. We should get a better idea on how for real his showing this season was when full-season ball resumes next year. In the meantime, he could continue to pop off in the hitter paradise that is the Valley of the Sun. View full article

This podcast is brought to you by Jet Ski Rentals of South Florida—offering Miami’s best jet ski and boat adventures. With six jet ski locations and over 120 boats, there’s something for every style and every budget. They’re reservation-based only. To inquire, call 305-990-2192, or check them out online at SFJetskiRentals.com. Make sure to use promo code FISHONFIRST to receive 10% off your next booking. Brandon Compton has been one of the biggest risers on the Fish On First Top 30 prospects list during the 2026 season. Particularly over the last three months, he's been on a heater unlike anything we've seen in our careers covering the Miami Marlins farm system. Compton speaks with Ely Sussman and Alex Carver about how his baseball career changed coming off elbow surgery, developing with help from Marlins coaches and the competitive environment at Driveline Baseball, why he wasn't hitting for power early in the season and the adjustments he's made since then. You can find Fish Unfiltered and Fish On First LIVE on the Fish On First YouTube channel, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever else you get your pods. Compton already leads Double-A Pensacola with 18 home runs this season, even though he was promoted there less than two months ago! Overall in 101 minor league games this season, Compton is slashing .277/.426/.596 with 30 homers, 18 stolen bases and a 164 wRC+ (best among all qualified Marlins MiLB hitters). Used exclusively in the corner outfield spots to this point, Compton tells Fish Unfiltered that he's been taking ground balls at first base before games in an attempt to add more defensive versatility. It would not be surprising if the 22-year-old gets a taste of Triple-A Jacksonville next month. Health permitting, Compton is on track to make his major league debut in 2027. View full article

This podcast is brought to you by Jet Ski Rentals of South Florida—offering Miami’s best jet ski and boat adventures. With six jet ski locations and over 120 boats, there’s something for every style and every budget. They’re reservation-based only. To inquire, call 305-990-2192, or check them out online at SFJetskiRentals.com. Make sure to use promo code FISHONFIRST to receive 10% off your next booking. Fish On First staffers react to the latest Miami Marlins series and prepare you for what lies ahead. Sunday's show was hosted by Alex Carver and featured panelists Ely Sussman, Kevin Barral, Sean Millerick, Nate Karzmer and Alex Krutchik. The following topics were covered: Another sweep sets Marlins franchise record for consecutive losses Clayton McCullough on the hot seat Eury Pérez showing continued growth as a pitcher Contract extension candidate Joe Mack? Jakob Marsee still making physical, mental errors Previewing and predicting the next series against the Philadelphia Phillies You can find Fish Unfiltered and Fish On First LIVE on the Fish On First YouTube channel, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever else you get your pods. Our next FOF LIVE episode will be on Wednesday at approximately 4:00 p.m. ET following the Marlins-Phillies series finale. View full article

From spring training through last month's promotion to Double-A, Marlins outfielder Cam Cannarella takes us inside his first full season as a professional baseball player. View full video

This podcast is brought to you by Jet Ski Rentals of South Florida—offering Miami’s best jet ski and boat adventures. With six jet ski locations and over 120 boats, there’s something for every style and every budget. They’re reservation-based only. To inquire, call 305-990-2192, or check them out online at SFJetskiRentals.com. Make sure to use promo code FISHONFIRST to receive 10% off your next booking. A year into his professional baseball career, Miami Marlins outfielder Cam Cannarella has crushed even the most optimistic projections. Now starring for Double-A Pensacola, Cannarella sits down with Alex Carver and Isaac Azout to discuss the MLB Draft process, overcoming injuries, how he has developed into an elite all-around hitter in 2026 and more. You can find Fish Unfiltered and Fish On First LIVE on the Fish On First YouTube channel, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever else you get your pods. Cannarella's offensive numbers this season are positively eye-popping. Through 52 games entering Sunday (mostly at the Double-A level), he is slashing .365/.443/.599 with 12 home runs, nine stolen bases and a 170 wRC+. He's the fourth-most productive hitter across all of Minor League Baseball (min. 200 PA) in terms of wRC+. He has reached base safely in 23 of his last 25 games. Oh yeah, and Cannarella is also a long-term center fielder. The culmination of those abilities has bumped him up to fifth on our Fish On First Top 30 prospects list. Even assuming that Cannarella comes down to earth a bit in terms of his batting average on balls in play and over-the-fence power, the 22-year-old should get a cup of coffee with Triple-A Jacksonville before season's end. He'll be in the mix for a big league job early next year. View full article

This podcast is brought to you by Jet Ski Rentals of South Florida—offering Miami’s best jet ski and boat adventures. With six jet ski locations and over 120 boats, there’s something for every style and every budget. They’re reservation-based only. To inquire, call 305-990-2192, or check them out online at SFJetskiRentals.com. Make sure to use promo code FISHONFIRST to receive 10% off your next booking. Fish On First staffers react to who the Miami Marlins selected with the 14th overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft. Saturday's show was hosted by Alex Carver and featured panelists Ely Sussman, Hector Rodriguez, Sean McCormack, Kevin Barral, Nate Karzmer and Jeremiah Geiger. You can find Fish Unfiltered and Fish On First LIVE on the Fish On First YouTube channel, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever else you get your pods. Widely projected to be taken within the draft's first 10 picks, Lombard is an extremely toolsy shortstop who just so happens to be a South Florida native. He's likely to require an overslot deal from the Fish (slot value is $5,444,900). View full article

This podcast is brought to you by Jet Ski Rentals of South Florida—offering Miami’s best jet ski and boat adventures. With six jet ski locations and over 120 boats, there’s something for every style and every budget. They’re reservation-based only. To inquire, call 305-990-2192, or check them out online at SFJetskiRentals.com. Make sure to use promo code FISHONFIRST to receive 10% off your next booking. Fish On First staffers react to the latest Miami Marlins series and prepare you for what lies ahead. Sunday's show was hosted by Alex Carver and featured panelists Ely Sussman, Kevin Barral, Isaac Azout, Jeremiah Geiger and Nate Karzmer. The following topics were covered: The decision to take out Eury Pérez after seven perfect innings Postgame comments from Pérez and manager Clayton McCullough Otto Lopez and Max Meyer selected to the NL All-Star roster Joe Mack emerging as a leading contract extension candidate Jakob Marsee's injury scare Previewing and predicting the next series against the Seattle Mariners You can find Fish Unfiltered and Fish On First LIVE on the Fish On First YouTube channel, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever else you get your pods. Despite the stressful ending to Sunday's contest, the Marlins swept the Athletics to improve to a season-best seven games over .500. To conclude the first half of their regular season, they'll begin a six-game homestand on Tuesday against the Seattle Mariners and Cleveland Guardians. View full article

Fish On First LIVE discusses Owen Caissie's nice production in recent weeks. The Marlins outfielder has posted a .930 OPS over his last 12 games and he drove in two more runs in Monday's win. View full video