Alex Carver

Enjoying the best year of his minor league career so far, Marlins prospect Will Banfield joins Alex for an in-depth interview.Homegrown Miami Marlins catcher Will Banfield joins Alex Carver on Swimming Upstream. Banfield describes how the Marlins organization has changed through the years, the adjustments that have made him a more productive hitter, the importance of playing with selfless teammates and more. Subscribe to the Fish On First YouTube channel for video versions of every Swimming Upstream episode. Banfield joined the Marlins organization after being selected with the 69th overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft (the first draft class of the Bruce Sherman era). The Georgia native enters Sunday with a .216/.264/.356 slash line in 365 career minor league games and he's twice been a non-roster invitee at big league spring training. He has played all of his defensive innings behind the plate. Currently with Double-A Pensacola, Banfield is hitting better than ever in 2023 with a .260/.278/.462 slash line (91 wRC+). He has already matched his career high with 11 home runs. Banfield was a key piece of the 2022 Blue Wahoos team that won the Southern League championship. The team boasts a league-best 43-29 record so far this season. "We have such good guys in the clubhouse and in the dugout that wanna win," Banfield says. "Also, we all hang out outside of the field and we're all friends. That's the coolest thing about it—we can turn it on when we're on the field and make sure we're locked in and also get onto each other when we need to, but when we're off the field, we're able to have fun. Follow Will (@will_banfield), Alex (@marlinsminors) and Fish On First (@FishOnFirst) on Twitter. Complete Miami Marlins coverage here at FishOnFirst.com. Our Fish On First podcast programming includes The Offishial Show, Fish Unfiltered, Fishology, State of the Fish, Swimming Upstream and What a Relief. All new episodes are posted to FishOnFirst.com/podcasts. You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Podbean, Megaphone or wherever you normally get your pods from. Photo courtesy of Pensacola Blue Wahoos

In minor league baseball, there are times when winning games takes a backseat to overall individual development. In 2022, the members of the Pensacola Blue Wahoos made winning and cultivating a winning culture part of their development. To start the 2023 season, the club will have many of those same faces back by the bay at Blue Wahoos Stadium. Here's a look at what to expect from the Wahoos this season. -- While there are many names on the Wahoos roster that could have easily gotten the promotion to AAA, Kevin “Smoke” Randel will begin the year with many of the players who helped lead Pensacola to the 2022 Southern League title. Randel is excited about bringing players that know how to create a winning culture back into his clubhouse. “It’s a privilege to have a lot of these championship players return. I think we have 15 total and they were the guys going down the stretch,” Randel said. “They came to the park with some energy. They sparked some life in our club that we didn’t really have when they came. The clubhouse was unbelievable and the dugout was unbelievable. Watching these guys compete and win ballgames night in and night out was really impressive. I’m fortunate and grateful they are back with us.” Position PlayersC Paul McIntosh We have said this before and we will stick to it: McIntosh is a mountain of muscle. He puts it all to work for him well at the plate and this spring, he showed the ability to get more of it involved behind the plate. A 6’1”, 220 pound specimen, the undrafted free agent has turned a lot of heads during his first two seasons in the Marlins organization including last year where he hit .258/.379/.465 as the Pensacola Blue Wahoos’ primary catcher. At the plate, McIntosh has exhibited fantastic plate vision and some of the simplest power in the Marlins’ system. With the Wahoos, PMac had a 75/55 K/BB and hit 13 home runs. Behind the plate, McIntosh could be seen working diligently on his lateral movement and blocking ability this spring. It’s been a quick rise for PMac since he was signed by Miami in 2021. He’s played a lot of baseball at the most physically demanding position on the diamond, but he’s been productive and shown fantastic athleticism throughout. His body caught up with him at the end of 2022 when he suffered an intercostal injury, but he has remained healthy throughout the spring. If McIntosh’s offensive consistency continues and he continues to gain polish as a backstop, he could be called upon to contribute to the Marlins sometime this season. When rosters were released, there were questions about how Randel will get both McIntosh and Banfield adequate playing time. According to Randel, McIntosh will also see time in left field once a week. McIntosh has experience at the position due to spending time there in his collegiate years. The positional flexibility will only be to his advantage as he edges closer to his big league future. McIntosh is a high floor hitter who is only getting better and who continues to prove his worth to the franchise that trusted in his abilities. 1B Troy Johnston Johnston is the most scientific hitter in the Marlins’ minor league system. The 2019 draftee out of Gonzaga works to maintain that title by way of good swing decisions and the ability to keep it simple. Johnston takes what he can get at the plate and settles for reaching base, but his ability to make consistent quality contact has started to earn him more extra bases late in his MiLB career. Johnston is an average corner outfielder who started playing first base in 2021. He’s still working to complete his polish at the spot, but he shows enough consistency to be able to man first regularly. Being able to man one of the thinnest positions in the organization, if this new slimmed down version of Johnston continues to hit at Pensacola this year, his big league debut shouldn’t be far away. 2B Jose Devers 3B Cobie Fletcher-Vance SS Nasim Nunez Nunez is hands down the best defensive player in the Marlins’ organization. His 70-grade field tool and 60-grade arm give him a very high floor as there is little doubt he will stick at shortstop for his whole career. How close Nunez will get to his ceiling of a catalytic starting shortstop will depend on the future progression of his bat. This spring, although he only saw limited time in games, Nunez impressed the new Marlins coaching staff with his work ethic, drive and exhibition of on base tools. A 5’9”, 168 pound switch hitter, Nunez showed continued patience and plate vision while also beginning to exhibit higher exit velos up to 107 mph. Per his own words, Nunez is a guy who is starting to understand himself as a player with each rep he gets. He will continue to get those as the every day shortstop for the Wahoos this season. Despite his wiry frame, Nunez also remains confident in his ability to come by consistent plus contact, but even if he doesn’t, Nunez is consistently looking to turn his opportunities on base into more bases. With MLB ready defense right now, blazing speed, and a simple approach, Nunez has a high MLB floor as utility player and the ceiling of a full time starter. He’s also still just 22. With plenty of time to completely fill out, Nunez is a very intriguing follow this year. LF Griffin Conine Conine has had a lot of moments to remember in Pensacola as a member of the Blue Wahoos. Thirty-seven of them relate to his ability to put the ball over the fence. The owner of insane power bordering on 70 grade, Conine went from 13 in 42 AA games last year to 24, a team record, over the course of a full season with Pensacola last season making him a key cog in their Southern League championship run. Over the course of the past three seasons, Conine has slammed 27 homers per season on average. There’s zero question about what Conine can do when he makes quality contact. The question is how often can he do so? Conine’s development has been limited by an extremely high strikeout rate. As hard as it can be to hit on the bay in Pensacola, luck hasn’t played much of a part, either. In fact, Conine was slightly luckier than the league average player in the Southern League this past season, posting a .308 BABIP. The good news for Conine is that he was seeing AA pitching so much better last year, reviving his walk rate from 6.9% in his 42 games with the Wahoos all the way back up to 14.9% in 118 games. Conine’s offensive profile will always include strikeouts, but how respectable can he make his on base figures? How he answers that question as he finishes his minor league career will make the difference between fourth outfielder/bat off the bench and starting outfielder/DH. This is a big year for Conine. CF Victor Mesa Jr Mesa Jr was a highly heralded Marlins international signing that came to the club with his brother and top international class signee Victor Victor Mesa. Five years later, Mesa Jr has made his own name and rose to within the top 10 in the Marlins’ organizational rankings. After a solid 2022 with the Sky Carp, Mesa Jr came to camp this spring with added weight and a more focused purpose. On the backfields, Mesa Jr consistently exhibited arguably the best swings of any non-40 man player. Late in camp, Mesa Jr got into a couple games with the big league team and faced off against mostly AA and AAA talent. On March 19th, he stepped up in the bottom of the 9th in a tie game and ambushed the first pitch he saw for a game winning ace. At the plate, Mesa Jr continues to build on a much quieter approach and a more straight-through swing that he began to fully implement in 2021. As he fills out physically, Mesa Jr is coming by more power via improved bat speed. How he acclimates to pitching at the upper levels of the minors will be the tipping point but judging by how he looked both physically and mechanically this spring, this could be a breakout year for the younger Mesa brother. Still just 21, Mesa Jr is well ahead of schedule which gives him a pretty high floor. Defensively, Mesa has an average arm and makes good reads, giving him the ability to get it done in center field, but as his physical projection continues, he may fit better as a corner outfielder long term. Overall, there’s still a lot of variance and a lot to learn about this prospect. That learning continues this season. RF Victor Victor Mesa BN Will Banfield BN Dane Myers BN Joe Rizzo BN Norel Gonzalez BN JD Orr RotationSP Dax Fulton SP Eury Perez Perez is music to Marlins’ fans ears. Perez is the top pitching prospect in baseball in one of the best pitching development systems. And he had the NL Cy Young award winner at his disposal this spring. Perez didn’t balk on the chance to make the most of Sandy’s tutelage. Minus the time that Sandy spent away competing for the Dominican Republic, Perez wasn’t seen far from Sandy’s side. The pair were part of the same throwing group in early spring and in the clubhouse, even though their lockers were placed on opposite sides, they were usually shoulder to shoulder. Speaking about Perez and the rest of the Marlins’ young pitchers in camp this spring, Alcantara stated he was impressed with how they’ve responded to his leadership. For Perez himself, even in his time in MLB games and on the backfields, it’s clear that opposing teams and hitters are getting to know him. During his time with the Marlins, Perez gave up two long balls as part of the same start and a total of 10 earned runs in his 10.2 IP. On the backfields, Perez could be seen doing a bit of the same especially when he worked himself into deeper counts. The tipping point for Perez as he continues his fast-track development this spring will be the mental side of the game: how does he affect the hitter and throw off timing while continuing to exhibit his plus-plus stuff. With four pitches up to triple digits and down to the low 80s, Perez is still well ahead of his time and still has so much more room to grow into his full potential. While he still has a bit to learn to fully grow into his craft, he will take lessons from Sandy and the rest of his future big league teammates into his third pro season. A 6’8” power arm, Perez is the model candidate for what the Marlins’ front office is targeting in their pitchers of the future. With continued projection, this man will ace the a big league rotation alongside his mentor someday soon. SP M.D. Johnson It finally happened. Johnson has taken the next step. A sixth rounder from 2019, Johnson came to the Marlins after a fantastic senior season at Dallas Baptist consisting of a 2.76 ERA, 1.020 WHIP and 110/29 K/BB in 16 starts. Since arriving in the pros, all Johnson has done is perform. In 232.2 MiLB innings, the 25-year-old has a 3.25 ERA, 1.165 WHIP and 254/102 K/BB. The Doctor is another sizable specimen who tosses from an easy delivery and a high 3/4 arm slot. The velo is average but the array of pitches, stuff, deception, command, and durability are all real. Johnson owns four pitches, a fastball, slider, curveball and changeup that he mixes supremely well. Johnson throws the four-seam within the 92-94 mph range with enough behind it to play off his plus breakers. He works extremely well all around and in the zone with great command (probably his best tool) and the pitcher IQ to make it stick as a starter. Speaking this preseason, Randel stated Johnson impressed him during spring training. “His overall package stood out. He threw strikes,” Randel said. “I know in the past he’s been a tinkerer with mechanics and spin; all that stuff was kind of out the window and he just went out and performed. He had a great spring. He’s earned his spot here in the rotation.” Randel also said part of what set Johnson apart is the addition of a new pitch. “He developed a cutter/slider type pitch to go in his repertoire. He will be filtered into the back end of the rotation here and it’ll be good to see what he has under the lights.” 2023 will welcome a big jump for Johnson as he faces off against upper minors hitting but he is up for this challenge. Going on 26, Johnson is another arm who could be pushed rather quickly into big league action. He has the size, stuff, and background to make it stick at any level. How he responds to the upper minors this year will be well worth keeping tabs on. SP Patrick Monteverde Monteverde is another guy over 6’5” that fits the mold the Marlins have made for pitchers they love to develop perfectly. A guy that was passed on by D I schools out of high school, Monteverde rose up the ranks from D III to Texas Tech. The Marlins selected him in the 8th round of the 2021 draft. So far in his big league career, Monteverde has had a similarly quick rise going from the FCL to AA in under two seasons. The southpaw has performed at every level he’s visited. His current career numbers include a 3.04 ERA and a 149/37 K/BB. And he keeps getting better. This past week in his AA debut, Monteverde struck out a career high 11. Though it has ticked up slightly from his collegiate career and currently sits at 93-94, velocity is not Monteverde’s calling card. What is is his wide arsenal of four pitches including an advanced changeup, a good tunneling slider and a curveball and his ability to exhibit consistent command of the strike zone. From a high arm slot, Monteverde planes downhill well adding a layer of deception to his delivery. While Monteverde will need to show he can maintain those strengths at the toughest level of MiLB as the league adjusts to him, the initial output has continued to be very positive. He has the ceiling of a back end rotational talent. SP Zach King OutlookTo start the year, Pensacola will welcome back many of the guys who led them to the Southern League title last season, especially down the stretch and during the playoffs. Meanwhile, AAA will be housed with older players, many closer to a replacement level ceiling. Looking up and down rosters, it is clear that the Marlins are housing much of their top talent at Pensacola. It is entirely possible the big league team draws straight from this level to contribute to the big league team in 2023. On the forefront though, the defending champs look primed to make another run.

Minor League Baseball is back once again. After a spring campaign that seemed to quickly pass by, players are learning where they will begin the 2023 season and have hit the road for their new temporary destinations. Accordingly, we begin our yearly season preview series. First up: the AAA Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp. --Wednesday afternoon, players and staff reported back to Bragan Field for the team's annual media day. This provided us with our first confirmed look at what the Shrimp roster will look like when they take the field in Gwinett tonight against the Stripers. There are some interesting omissions from the Jumbo Shrimp roster that will apparently head back to the AA level to start the year. Jacksonville will begin the 2023 season with what looks to be a roster not inclusive of many top Marlins prospects. However, with traffic abound and aplenty at the lower levels, they will most certainly house them as the season wears on. For now, here is a look at some of the talent fans can expect to see during the early weeks and months of the year at Bragan Field. Position PlayersC Austin Allen 1B Jerar Encarnacion Encarnacion is a 6’4” 250 huge physical specimen who has arguably the best raw power in the Marlins’ organization. After struggling with injury in 2021, Encarnacion got a full season in with the Blue Wahoos, Shrimp and in his major league debut with Miami in 2022. Leading up to his initial call up to the major leagues in June, Encarnacion was mashing, hitting .313/.385/.518. In his first game with Miami, he did this: Overall in his time with the Marlins though, Jerar proved exactly how much swing and miss there is to his game at the next level. In his 23 games, he struck out at a 39% clip. In his small sample with Miami, he was nearly literally homer or nothing. Another aspect that holds Jerar back is his defensive limitation. He has a good arm in the outfield but his route running is well below average. He began playing first base in 2021 and he has spent time there this spring on the backfields, but he needs a bit more experience to be able to quantify regular big league time at that spot. Encarnacion will look to gain the rest of his polish at the AAA level to begin 2023. Due to the power potential, he will likely see another stint with the Marlins in the near future, but at this point, his reasonable expectation is closer to his floor rather than his ceiling. 2B Xavier Edwards Edwards is a Marlins’ acquisition from this offseason who came over as the main return piece from the Rays for two pitching prospects, Marcus Johnson and Santiago Suarez. This was the second time the 23-year-old Edwards has been traded before making his debut. He was a key piece in the deal that sent Blake Snell to the Padres. The switch hitting Edwards has had a solid minor league career overall, hitting 300/.373/.379 over four seasons, but he didn’t fare well or nearly up to his ceiling projection against AAA pitching last year. With the Durham Bulls, Edwards hit just .246/.328/.350 while posting a career high 18.8% strikeout rate. However, Edwards also recorded five home runs. He entered the 2022 season with just one career home run to his credit. In his 93 games with Durham, he also recorded 19 doubles. It wasn’t luck, either. Edwards’ BABIP was a normalized .300 even. Beginning the season with the Shrimp, Edwards will need to find the balance between swinging harder and getting back to swinging at quality stuff that he can do something with. He’s not a guy who has ever been built for a ton of over-the-fence power. The Marlins, who approached this offseason with the mindset of finding contact over anything else in the offensive players they acquired, understand that. If they can get Edwards back to amplifying his strengths, he’s a piece that plays multiple infield positions and who may be tried out in the outfield. His higher floor gives him a very real chance to contribute to the big league club this season. 3B Jordan Groshans At the start of the offseason, Groshans, who was acquired by the Marlins at the deadline and performed well down the stretch for the Marlins, was looking at potentially beginning the season back with the big league club. But after the acquisition of Jean Segura, Groshans’ chances diminished. The Marlins attempted to work Groshans out at first base for a bit, an experiment that ended rather quickly after the team acquired veteran Yuli Gurriel. Due to the numbers crunch and the fact that his spring wasn’t very impressive overall, Groshans heads back to AAA. That said, Groshans, who is still just 23, progressed through the minors quickly en route to his aforementioned debut last year. After his change of scenery from Toronto to Miami, the bat perked up as he hit .301/.399/.416 for Jacksonville. The first round pick and 6’3”, 200 righty exhibits good plate discipline and the ability to hit to all fields. In his 17 big league games, Groshans struggled against breaking pitches at the next level which limited his quality of contact. That is what he will attempt to work out with Jacksonville before he gets his next chance. With more success at AAA, the positionally flexible Groshans will very likely be back with the Marlins at some point this season. SS Jacob Amaya Amaya is another new face in town after he came over from the Dodgers in the trade that sent Miguel Rojas westward. Much like his new teammate Edwards, Amaya has had similar recent results. Another piece who is at his best when he is focused on working his way on base however possible, Amaya came by some newfound power after bulking up a bit during COVID. Working to understand his new frame better, Amaya came by more power but his on base numbers became a victim. As he rose to AAA in 2022, Amaya posted a 23.6% K rate with the Oklahoma City Dodgers, by far a career high. Prior to 2021, his career high was 17%. Amaya still saw the ball very well though with OKC, allowing a 14%+ walk rate permeate to the highest level of minor league baseball. Amaya’s hit tool is dependent on his best offensive asset, his plate vision and his ability to spit on close pitches and wait for his spot. His recent power surge has been encouraging but it’s come at the expense of consistent barrel contact. With just an average run tool, Amaya is a player who is at a pivotal moment of his career in his age 24 season. At his ceiling, Amaya is a doubles first threat who could definitely stick as a starter at a premium defensive position, shortstop where he is very good and the owner of a 60 grade glove. The question revolving around his ability to make consistent contact will be the main one for him to answer when it comes to him getting higher to that rather than lower to his utility player floor. LF Jake Mangum Mangum is another new Marlins acquisition who came over as part of an in division trade with the Mets. A 27-year-old outfielder who signed for $20K when he was selected in the fourth round of the 2019 draft, he’s a switch hitter who set school records at Mississippi State, including their single season hits record and the all-time hits record for the Southeastern Conference. Looking at Mangum overall, he can make contact from both sides of the plate but he’s another guy who struggles to hit the ball hard. Mangum puts the ball in play to all fields and his run tool is probably the most developed tool that he owns. That said, he hasn’t shown much in the way of stolen bases throughout his pro career as of yet. To carve out a regular role with a big league team, Mangum will need to show better vision of pro stuff and the ability to work his way on base for free more consistently. The 6’1”, 180 pound specimen will be developed as a catalytic type threat that can make it at any of the three outfield spots, but is probably best suited for a corner. He’s a lower floor guy who could become more with proper tutelage. CF Garrett Hampson RF Peyton Burdick I don’t think I’ll ever be low on the potential of Burdick. The 6’, 200 ton of bricks build is without question the most physical player in the Marlins’ system. And this offseason, he got even more built. Before suffering a toe injury, Burdick had some of the best swings in camp. A 2019 third rounder out of Wright State University, Burdick has flown through the Marlins’ minor league system to make it to the majors in just two seasons. Amidst his call to the bigs last year, Burdick’s biggest challenge was balancing his supreme physicality and explosiveness with his bat to ball skills. Burdick put out four homers in his 32 games with the Marlins, but it came at the expense of a 34% K rate. Working with new hitting coach Brant Brown this spring, Burdick improved his lower half mechanics. He ceased getting out on his front foot, allowing him to incorporate more torque into his swings and improve his timing. A guy who only went oppo 29% of the year with Miami last year, Burdick showed he has a newfound ability to cover that area of the field and pitches on the outer half more often. Because of his style of game, there will always be swing and miss to Burdick, but if his plate coverage and contact consistency improvements permeate from this spring into the regular season, he will be back in the Marlins’ outfield shortly, possibly in center field which he learned how to play last year and proved that he can make it stick. BN CJ Hinojosa BN Santiago Chavez BN Charles Leblanc BN Alex De Goti BN Brian Miller There are a lot of questions surrounding prospects in the Marlins’ system this year, but one no one is asking (maybe because they’ve just given up on receiving an answer) is what does Brian Miller have to do to get his full shot in the major leagues? Miller is one of the longest tenured members of the Marlins’ organization. A 2017 pick out of North Carolina, he knows Jacksonville well. Since joining the Shrimp in 2018 when they were the Marlins’ AA affiliate, he’s spent most of his career playing at Bragan Field including 66 games of 2018, all of 2019 and all of 2021 minus the five games he spent with the Marlins. Miller was once again back with the Shrimp in 2022 and he put together a career year. Slashing .292/.349/.434 with 26 steals, Miller proved that he’s worthy of a spot on a team struggling to put runners on base. The hope for Miller, arguably the fastest guy in the organization next to Nasim Nunez and a couple of others, is that the Marlins’ new method of thinking regarding their offense as well as their thinning in center field will allow him to finally break through to some real big league time in 2023. RotationSP Daniel Castano Castano, the 28-year-old lefty, pretty evenly split time between AAA and the majors last year. During that time, Castano fully developed a cutter. He gained complete feel for it pretty quickly and wound up throwing it over 40% of the time, by far his most used offering. The Italian Stallion’s slider tunneled off the cutter nicely. His ground ball rate spiked to right around 46% and his walk rate fell to under 6%. All in all, despite multiple trips back and for there between Jacksonville and Miami, Castano put together a fairly productive year and could be counted on to eat innings. Entering his final option year, Castano had a great spring training, tossing 17.2 innings and allowing just three runs. He stuck around big league camp for its entirety and nearly pitched himself into a bullpen role. Castano isn’t and will never be a dominant ace, but in his role of a guy who will provide length wherever and whenever he is called upon, he’s a solid option. The Marlins will need Castano again at some point this season. SP Devin Smeltzer Smeltzer is a 27-year-old lefty with quite an admirable backstory. As a child, Smeltzer was diagnosed with a form of cancer that required surgery. Smeltzer battled the ailment for three years before entering remission at age 12. He entered full remission in 2012 when he was attending high school. Drafted by the Dodgers as a fifth rounder in 2016, Smeltzer made it through the minors in three seasons. He debuted with the Twins in 2019. After shuttling back and forth multiple times during the COVID year, Smeltzer made the Twins Opening Day lineup in 2021. However, after just one outing, Smeltzer was placed on the IL due to a hernia. He rehabbed from the injury and nearly made it back, but during a bullpen in May, he collapsed and was hospitalized, bringing an end to his season. Smeltzer made it back to the Twins in May of 2022. Healthy, Smeltzer was affective mostly as a starter pitching to a 3.71 ERA in 70.1 IP. He was outrighted to AAA and elected free agency before signing a minor league deal with Miami this offseason. Smeltzer has gone from the proverbial highest of highs to lowest of lows, but he’s never stopped working to improve and get the most out of his potential. On the mound, Smeltzer isn’t the highest velo guy (he will rarely go much higher than 90 mph) but he keeps hitters guessing thanks to a wide variety of pitches. Running down his laundry list of offerings, Smeltzer throws a fastball, cutter, sinker, slider, curveball and changeup. Historically, he’s mostly relied on fastball/changeup but last year showed more confidence in the curveball, going to it 18% of the time. Smeltzer at his core is another depth arm who can provide length in either a bullpen or swing man role. He won’t overpower with velo or strike many guys out, but he relies on weak contact and deception to record quick outs. He can get in trouble when he’s not living on the corners so he is very much reliant on his command. He’s another arm that the Marlins could easily go to this year to eat innings. SP Enmanuel De Jesus SP Chi Chi Gonzalez SP Jeff Lindgren OutlookI was as surprised as many others when I received our first glimpse of this Shrimp roster. This is a much older team than it could have been and there are several of glaring omissions who will be back in AA ball to start the season. But after a much busier offseason and after a spring in which nearly all of their new acquisitions stuck around, Miami needs a place to house them and get them reps. The vision seems to be to continue to get those players regular playing time and to get most of those who performed well at AA last year within the organization the same. Another unexpected surprise is that the team is expected to begin the year with a five man rotation even with six game series being continued. The method here would seem to be that the Marlins want to keep guys who they may need to contribute to their rotation on a five day schedule. Overall, Jacksonville starts out a bit older in the average age category but they prove to get younger as the season goes along

Nasim Nunez knows it: he isn’t and has never been the biggest guy in any locker room he’s been a part of. But he also knows that he has had some of the highest potential of anyone he has played with, including his Marlins organizational mates. This spring, he is proving it. Nunez, a Marlins’ second round pick out of high school in 2019. Miami gave Nunez $2.2 million to take him away from his commitment to attend Clemson University. At that time, Nunez was ranked the third best player in the state of Georgia and the fifth best shortstop in the country. Nunez earned such accolades due to a 6.28 sec 60-yard dash time which is considered elite and allotted him the ability to cover all ground necessary, silky smooth twitchy actions balanced by quick hands and easy transfers, and a 95 mph throwing arm. There was never been a doubt: Nasim Nunez was built to be a top-tier defensive shortstop. He’s reinforced that fact all throughout his minor league by continuing to show the range and the arm. “He’s showcasing what he can do on the defensive end,” Skip Schumaker said. “He’s got one of the better arms in our system across the diamond. There’s no doubt he can play on the left side of the infield.” At the plate, Nunez is an extremely patient hitter who is content working his way on base by any means necessary. From there, his elite speed allows him to turn anything into extra bases. Last season, his .384 OBP between A+ and AA ranked second in the organization amongst full season players. While Nunez worked favorable counts, what has lacked for him is the consistency of quality contact. This has been a huge catalyst for why his career batting average sits at .238. Late last season, against the most advanced competition he’s ever faced, Nunez started to come by a bit more barrels, allowing him to hit his first two career home runs. It has permeated into this spring where Nunez has continued to show improved offensive prowess in both his preparation and against live pitching. Though Nunez has gotten just five at bats so far in games this spring he’s already reached exit velocities as high as 107 mph. Today, Nunez finally got into the game as a starter. He recorded two hits in three ABs. Schumaker has stated he has been pleasantly surprised with what Nunez has shown offensively. “You don’t see much of him; you see him a bit in batting practice and stuff but he’s actually stronger than you think. He’s got wiry strength and I think he’s trending in the right direction. There’s a lot more in his offensive profile than what he’s shown.” In coming by more frequent bat to ball, higher exit velos, and more overall thump beginning late last year, Nunez stated he believes he has always had the ability to do so and that it has been his education of the game and of education and knowledge of himself that has made the difference. “I believe I’ve always been strong despite what everybody says about me being small,” Nunez said. “I believe I’m just learning how to hit now. Understanding who I am as a hitter, understanding what the pitchers are trying to do. Having an approach and plan and trusting my swing; understanding that I’m not going to always get my A swing off but that I still have to go up there and fight.” What will continue to make the difference for Nunez as he polished off his development? Nunez summed it up in one word. “Repetition,” Nunez said. “Repetition is everything. The more reps I get, the more I trust my swing. It’s just work, work, work and repetition.” While Nunez is present in Marlins camp more so for experience and exposure to what it means, sees, and feels like to be a big leaguer, he’s giving the club a glimpse of what his ceiling could possibly be if he continues to advantageously develop in the minors. “He’s asking the right questions, he runs the bases the right way, obviously,” Schumaker said. “I think he could be a really good two way player.” Nunez will likely continue his development back at AA Pensacola to begin 2023.

Photo by MLB.comEarly Friday evening, the Marlins made national headlines when they swung a trade that invoked two of the most coveted trade targets of the offseason: starting pitcher Pablo Lopez and infielder Luis Arraez. As first reported by SportsGrid’s Craig Mish, the Marlins sent Lopez and two prospects, Jose Salas and Byron Chourio, to Minnesota for the services of the 25-year-old Venezuelan who last year won the AL batting title. What is Miami getting and what did they give up?— What they got:INF Luis Arraez 2022 Stats: .316/.375/.420, 8 HR, 40 XBH, 49 RBI, 43/50 K/BB In short, the Marlins got their guy. A 25-year-old who won’t turn 26 for another 100+ days, Arraez is one of the best contact hitters in baseball. Signed as a 17 year old out of Venezuela in the international signing period of 2013, Arraez made a quick impression and progressed quickly through the Minnesota farm system. After progressing a level every season, Arraez made his MLB debut in 2019 at age 22, nearly six years below the league average MLB player, something Arraez had become accustomed to. During his minor league tenure including time spent in the Venezuelan Winter League, he had always faced off against much older competition. A .331/.385/.413, 129/123 K/BB career minor league bat, Arraez’s biggest strength was clear cut: the ability to hit for average and work his way on base. That permeated immediately amidst his midseason call up to the Twins in his rookie season. In his first 92 games, Arraez hit an impressive .334/.399/.439. Following a .294/.357/.376 2021 season, Arraez and took an even larger step forward in 2022, proving there’s even more in the tank. With a .316/.375/.421 slash line, he won the AL batting title in his most extensive pro season (144 games). He was a mainstay at the top of the Twins’ order leading off in 92 of those games. As Minnesota’s leadoff hitter he hit .299/.349/.404 and struck out just 31 times while walking 29 times. As a Marlin, Arraez immediately becomes the best hit-for-average tool on the big league squad and should assume a similar role in the top third of the 2023 ledger. Arraez finished 2022 amongst the best in baseball at avoiding strikeouts. He also was in the 97th percentile in expected batting average. In a league where shifts will be banned and offense is expected to increase, if Arraez’s success permeates, he should come by an even better slash this season. Offensively, he fits exactly what the Marlins are trying to do as proven by the previous signings of Jordan Groshans, Xavier Edwards, Jacob Amaya, Jean Segura, and others: find guys that will get on base more often and allow their sluggers Soler and Garcia to rebound. He also holds three years of the Marlins’ magic words: team control. There’s no question; Arraez was their prize and they won it. But what did it cost? — What they gave up:RHP Pablo Lopez 2022 Stats: 180 IP, 3.75 ERA, 1.167 WHIP, 174/53 K/BB Unfortunately in a trade for a player the caliber of Arraez coming off a career year with multiple years of team control, Pablo, who is in the Marlins’ biggest position of strength, was all but a foregone conclusion. Especially if the Marlins were going to match up with the Minnesota Twins, a team who is looking to get over the hump after falling just short of .500 last season, partially due to their 3.98 team ERA which ranked 19th in baseball. With that being said, in Pablo, the Marlins lose one of the best control pitchers in baseball and a staple amongst the top three in any big league rotation, especially in a league that is expected to get even more hitter friendly. Lopez, 26, came to the Marlins in 2017 via trade with the Seattle Mariners. After mixed results in his first two big league stints, Lopez developed a cutter and drastically improved his changeup. Last season, while his 93-95 fastball stagnated, the changeup grew to a 3.9 runs above average offering. He also gained a ton of downward action on his slow curveball which he dipped down into the low 80s. That pitch grew to be a 2.4 RAA weapon. Long story short, entering his prime years, Pablo Lopez limits walks with the best of them, repeats with the best of them, and shortens his distance to the plate as well as just about anyone (97th percentile in 2022 per Statcast). A one time prospective physician, Lopez also owns one of the highest IQs in MLB overall which he brings to his craft regarding his pitch selection. Oh, and he also happens to be one of the best human beings in professional sports. Lopez, with two years of control remaining, will enter the Minnesota rotation presumably as the second man in line after Joe Ryan. INF Jose Salas 2022 Stats (A-A+): .250/.339/.384, 9 HR, 33 XBH, 41 RBI, 33/1 SB/CS Salas is a 19-year-old shortstop who has made a more than solid impression since being signed by the Marlins in 2019. A switch hitter, Salas was arguably the best and most tooled up offensive prospect in the Marlins’ system. A switch hitter, Jose Salas, from the same family that just allotted Ethan Salas to sign for most of the Padres’ international pool and which has Andrew Salas on deck, personifies the term speed. A 6’2” 191 specimen and still growing, when Salas finds barrel contact, the ball explodes. Regularly reaching 95+ mph exit velocities with both the Hammerheads and Sky Carp last season while selecting swings well, Jose combatted facing mostly older competition as well as playing in pitcher friendly environments. On the season, he hit .250/.339/.384 while menacing the base paths. Via plus speed and a plus plus base runner IQ, he stole 33 bases and was caught just once. For those keeping track, that’s a 97% success rate. Following the minor league season, Salas was assigned to the Arizona Fall League. There, playing against guys over three years his elder on average, he was a bit overmatched. In 18 games, he hit .224/.313/.310. Still, in that small sample, his patience still permeated. He held down a 12/8 K/BB. What Salas proved in 2022 is that he has advanced plate vision as well as fantastic speed that will serve him well both in the field and at the plate. He also has extremely quick hands and bat speed becoming of a home run threat, especially as he fully matured physically. What Salas also proved is that he has continued to be an extremely pull heavy hitter who can struggle to put some pitches in play, especially those on the outer half. Salas hit to his pull side over 48% of the time which was a career best mark but still extremely high. However, if Salas can be developed the use more of the field as he continues to grow, he has the potential ceiling of a starter at several infield positions including shortstop, third base or second base. The Twins will be free to explore where they believe this very toolsy and extremely athletic infielder fits as they continue to nurture him over the course of next two seasons. OF Byron Chourio 2022 Stats: .344/.429/.410, 1 HR, 10 XBH, 23 RBI, 27/25 K/BB, 19/7 SB/CS Chourio is a 17-year-old Venezuelan that was part of last year’s international signing class. Very mature physically for his age — 6’2”, 171 lbs — Chourio put on a show in the DSL in 2022. Spending time at all three outfield positions as well as DH, Chourio was a guy the DSL Marlins’ lineup just couldn’t do without. Playing in 51 of the club’s 57 games, Chourio led the team in BA, OBP, and steals. Organizationally, his .344 BA marker led the Marlins’ organization. His 134 wRC+ ranked third. Chourio is a switch hitter who employs a short approach and an extremely quick swing from both sides. He also recognized pitching well in his first pro season, worked his way aboard and employed plus speed. He also used the field advantageously, showing the ability to go both pull and oppo on a nearly equal level. While still multiple years away with more to prove especially as he comes stateside presumably next season, there is no doubt that Chourio has multiple tools the Twins can nurture to their advantage. This was a good piece for them to bet the over on. Grade: CWhile the Marlins got a piece that will surely enhance the top of their lineup, they will be sacrificing defense for offense as Arraez will reportedly play second base. Arraez has spent less and less time at second base over the years and owns a -1 DRS for his career at the four spot on the infield. With that said, Arraez will step into the Marlins’ lineup and immediately become the best all around on base threat the Marlins have. Due to his offensive acumen, Arraez should be able to hold onto his reputation as a plus multiple WAR player who will push the Marlins closer to competition in a very difficult division for at least the next three years. But he came at a price unsuspecting of many outlets, including this one. The Marlins not only gave up a top three starting pitcher and one of the best control pitchers in baseball who has a burgeoning arsenal as he enters his prime years, they also gave up two very projectable prospects: one for the shorter term and one for the longer term. The Twins positioned themselves for the now, the near-now and the future in this deal and objectively won the trade. But, to get their guy that they believe will make them much more competitive immediately and for the next three years, Miami will honor that price tag.

Photo by MLB.com The inaugural season of the Beloit Sky Carp in the organization’s first full season at ABC Supply Stadium was as educational as it was entertaining. Canada geese or Sky Carp in slang, are geese who don’t migrate long distances but who will change locations during cold weather months to search for food. The 2022 Beloit Sky Carp were the baseball equivalent to their feathered friends and namesake. During the last days of winter, the club did not find much to feed on. In April, the team got off to an 0-7 start and hit .190. In May, they hit .248. On May 31, the Sky Carp were a frigid 12-17. With the change in the weather came a change in production: in June, the thawed out Sky Carp posted a .760 OPS and flipped the script from the start of their season, going 17-8. No matter the weather, we learned quite a bit about how the confines of ABC Supply play. Beloit hit just .224 at home compared to .250 on the road, leading to quite a flip in what long time fans of the Beloit franchise came to expect at the team's old stomping grounds. "It's definitely a pitcher's park; the ball does not fly here," Beloit starter M.D. Johnson told us earlier this summer. "It's so much different than playing at Pohlman where we played half our games last season where it's 350 to dead center and the wind blows straight out every day." Whether they are pitchers or hitters, Beloit's players, including Johnson, wouldn't trade the ambience of ABC Supply for many other places. "It's right on the river. It really has that Camden Yards feel with all the bricks to it. The opening in dead center field runs to the filter all the way through," Johnson said. "The locker room is top notch. We have a chef that cooks all of our meals that is top notch. It's up there on my list of favorite places to play, for sure." The Sky Carp finished the season 62-67. They were in the running for the second half title up until two weeks before closing day. Their team stats further corroborated the difficulty to hit in their home park. As a squad, they slashed .237/.318/.352. On the other side of the ball, they owned a 3.79 ERA, third lowest in the Midwest League and a 1.24 WHIP which led the league. Memorable MomentsCarp stage 8-run 9th to beat Quad Cities June 2nd: One of the few times on the year that Beloit pitching really struggled occurred in this early season matchup. After three Beloit pitchers combined to allow 11 runs on 19 hits, the Carp found themselves going into the 9th inning down six on the road against the River Bandits. But the Beloit offense wasn’t ready to go quietly. Bringing 12 men to the plate, the Carp scored eight runs to take a 13-11 lead. Victor Mesa Jr had two hits in the inning and Nasim Nunez reached base twice. Cody Morissette drove in the eventual winning run with an RBI double. Chandler Jozwiak closed the game out and earned his second A+ win. Hoss SLAM! July 29th: Sky Carp provided one of their larger crowds of the year with plenty to cheer about. Down 3-2 in the 9th, Bennett Hostetler crushed a grand slam to give Beloit the victory, their sixth in a seven game span. It spurred quite possibly the best home plate celebration in MiLB all season. For Hostetler who struggled in the first half of July, the career high 5 RBI effort came in the midst of a 13-game on base streak and a span in which he reached safely in 20 of 22 games. He went on to hit .289/.330/.386 in August. Dax Fulton strikes out first 9 batters July 1st: Facing off against the South Bend Cubs including Pete-Crow Armstrong and Owen Caissie, Dax Fulton ripped through the Cubs lineup on 46 pitches, striking out each member of it. Dax would wind up going 5.1 IP and allowing four runs on five hits, including an infield single that deflected off his first baseman. Three of his other hits were seeing eye singles. His final run came into score on a sac fly after he exited the game. Like the last two innings of this start, Fulton’s tenure with the Sky Carp was unlucky, unforgiving, and any other “un” you can think of. But early in this outing, he took everything else out of the equation, negated his extremely high BABIP, let his left arm do the talking, and proved his dominance on his way up to AA. There, in a more hitter friendly home environment, Fulton’s ERA shrank by way of a similar FIP. His tenure in Beloit was much better than peripheral stats state and he should be considered one of the top pitching prospects in the Marlins’ organization. Notable PerformersINF Nasim Nunez 85 G, .247/.390/.323, 16 XBH, 27 RBI, 49 SB, 103/71 K/BB In his age 21 season, Nasim Nunez took the field to start the season with Beloit and proved his skillset can translate against older competition. Playing in yet another pitcher friendly environment, Nunez’s splits told the story of his tenure in a Sky Carp uniform. Although he hit just .184 at home, Nunez slashed .304/.447/.418 away from ABC Supply Stadium. And that was in an even larger sample of ABs. No matter the park though, two things were consistent for Nasim: 70 grade speed and 70 grade defense. Nunez isn’t expected to ever be much of an over the fence threat. What he is is a disciplined top of the order threat that has the ability to beat out any ball put in play on the infield as well as the ability to turn anything that finds outfield grass into extra bases. After a late season call to AA where he competed against guys nearly three and a half years older than him on average, Nunez’s slash line spiked to .265/.371/.303. Because of his elite defense and speed, Nunez is a high floor infielder who will undoubtedly stick at shortstop. At least a bench piece, with more consistent bat to ball, Nunez will solidify himself as a starter. Perhaps the long term answer at short the Marlins are looking for at short is right under their nose and not too far away. He should begin 2023 back at AA with the Blue Wahoos. An MLB debut shouldn’t be ruled out. OF Davis Bradshaw 70 G, .310/.367/.380, 12 XBH, 24 RBI, 8 SB, 36/16 K/BB Davis Bradshaw is an 11th round pick out of JuCo from 2018 who had some traffic in front of him in the outfield which limited his playing time in Beloit. But when Bradshaw did get his chances, he didn’t waste them. Exhibiting a simple approach and great plate discipline, Bradshaw led the Sky Carp in several offensive categories including batting average. Despite the pitcher friendly nature of ABC Supply Stadium, he was a .280/.331/.332 hitter there and a .342/.403/.408 hitter on the road. After finally getting the call to AA in August, his results permeated against guys closer to his his own age. With the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, Bradshaw hit .286/.394/.357. He also had a big hit and scored a run during the fourth game of the Southern League championship series that kept Pensacola alive. Bradshaw is a 6’3”, 175 pound lefty hitting righty throwing outfielder who exhibits an extremely disciplined approach at the plate, much of the reason why JJ Cooper labeled him as the best pure hit tool in the Marlins’ 2018 draft class. Bradshaw also exhibits plus speed on the base paths. What limits his ceiling is a lack of power and his outfield arm which is average at best. That said, Bradshaw has the makeup of a prototypical fourth outfielder, as long as he is given the opportunity. We project that he will start 2022 at AAA Jacksonville. RHP M.D. Johnson 112 IP, 3.46 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 125/28 K/BB Johnson, who has had quite the unique road to the show thus far, was a Beloit lifer in 2022 and arguably their Most Valuable Player. A 25-year-old righty out of Dallas Baptist, Johnson tossed his way to a 3.46 ERA by way of a 3.58 FIP. His 21.5% K/BB and his 1.04 WHIP led the Midwest League amongst pitchers with at least 100 innings pitched. 6’5”, Johnson uses his size well. While he won’t get up above 95, he has four dancing pitches including a curveball, best pitch slider, and a changeup that took the next step this season. His wide arsenal and improving command somehow didn’t earn him the call to the AA level this year, but provided he is still with Miami after the offseason including the Rule 5 draft, he will report to the upper minors in 2023. Johnson has very real ceiling back-end rotational talent and the floor of a multiple innings reliever out of the pen. And, as long he can succeed in the upper minors, he probably isn’t too far off from making his MLB debut. With the condition of Miami’s staff in 2022, it’s perplexing why he was not challenged a bit more this season. In any event, he could contribute to a big league roster as early next season. LHP Patrick Monteverde 79 IP, 2.51 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 90/26 K/BB Patrick Monteverde is a 6’2” 190 pound lefty who, unlike Johnson, was challenged multiple times in 2022. The bulk of Monteverde’s second season pro was sent with the Sky Carp. During his tenure in the Midwest League, Monteverde led the Beloit squad in ERA among hurlers with at least 50 IP. He also had solid control numbers, including a 20% K/BB ratio. Monteverde’s best tool is his deception from the left side, his 12-6 curveball, and his ability to separate velo. His crux is limited fastball velocity and spotty command. This was on display during his tenure with Pensacola where his numbers inflated. That said, Monteverde will enter his third year pro in arguably the best pitching development system in baseball. After missing 2019 due to elbow surgery and 2020 due to COVID, Monteverde may be behind schedule, but he could become a late blooming rotational piece. He should start 2023 back at AA.

Photo by Jupiter Hammerheads The 25th anniversary season at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium provided plenty of fireworks literally and figuratively. In addition to their weekly pyrotechnic shows as well as their annual 4th of July celebration, there were also plenty of illuminations on the diamond from the Jupiter Hammerheads. Highlighted by recent top draft picks and international signings, the next crop of long-term projection gave Marlins fans plenty to buy in to.-- Record: 63-66 Slash line: .241/.327/.352 Pitching line: 1097.1 IP, 4.08 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 2.44 K/BB Beginning the season with five top 30 organizational prospects including the team’s first round draft pick Kahlil Watson and a rehabbing Edward Cabrera, it was an exciting time to be in Abacoa to begin 2022. As the season wore on, first year manager Angel Espada and his staff were challenged in a multitude of ways. From acclimating new draft picks to the pros to acclimating international prospects to their first taste of stateside action mixed in with major league rehabbers, the Hammerheads fielded 90 different players. At 21 years even, Jupiter was the fourth youngest offensive team in the Florida State League. On the pitching side, the team was 22.3 years of age on average, the third oldest staff in the FSL. The symbiosis of younger position players and older pitching spelled out a 62-66 record. Jupiter’s offense was the second best for-average team in the league but, playing at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium, struggled for power, hitting the least amount of homers in the league and recording the third lowest slugging percentage. Their power numbers were only higher than the Clearwater Threshers and their stadium roommates, the Palm Beach Cardinals. The pitching staff allowed the most earned runs in the FSL via it’s third lowest K/BB ratio (2.44). Still, Jupiter battled its way to a second-place finish in the South Division in the first half. They finished 8.5 games out of a playoff spot in the second half. Memorable MomentsKahlil Watson hits four homers in first six career games; rakes in April To say Kahlil Watson’s first pro season was a roller coaster would be something of an understatement, but the Marlins’ 2021 first round pick definitely started his career on a high note, showcasing the potential the Marlins saw in his ability when they were ecstatic to select him at 16th overall. After going 1-4 with a double in his first career game, Watson teed off for the first time in the 4th inning the next night. A day later, Watson did it again. In the Hammerheads’ first road series against Ft Myers, Watson went 6-20 with two more homers which also came in back-to-back games on April 13th and 14th. Overall, in his first month of work, the tooled-up lefty hitter slashed .294/.338/.603 with hits in 13 of 18 games. Watson also closed his rookie season out strong, slashing .333/.400/.639 in the month of September. The pure talent, skills, and athleticism in Watson are clear, present, and evident. He could see time with the big league team as a non-roster invitee in spring training next season before his assignment. Luis Palacios fans a career high 9 in 8 shutout innings He may not throw above 92, but this 22-year-old lefty has some of the best command in the Miami Marlins’ system. In this late May matchup against the Clearwater Threshers, he proved how much he can do when he has it all working. In a career high eight innings, Palacios, who dominated the Dominican Summer League with video game numbers before coming stateside, struck out a career high nine. Mixing all three of his pitches and working the entire strike zone while changing eye levels, he allowed just four hits. Backed by a three RBI night from Brady Allen and a two-hit game by Cameron Barstad, the Hammerheads cruised to a 6-0 win. In this outing, Palacios not only showed off his ability to locate three pitches with precision, he also showed the ability to bounce back from adversity in the form of a 6.1 IP, 6 ER start his previous time out. It was the start of a streak of four straight quality starts and a run of 48 IP with a 3.37 ERA and 48/3 K/BB which spurred his promotion to high A Beloit. Palacios finished the season by throwing 10 innings of three run ball over two starts, helping the Pensacola Blue Wahoos to a Southern League championship. Jupiter orchestrates late season route of playoff-bound Palm Beach On the second to last day of the season, the Hammerheads, donned in jerseys designed by a local teenager and that benefitted a local charity, got contributions from all over the lineup. Led by Carlos Santiago who hit a grand slam and drove in a total of five runs, Jupiter routed the eventual FSL playoff finalist Cardinals, 14-1. 2022 draftee Jake Thompson contributed a double and his third career homer. Comeback player of the year candidate Jorge Caballero posted three hits including a double. Eury Perez made his final rehab start on the mound, tossing two scoreless innings. He was followed by a second rehabbed, Bryan Mitchell who threw 0.2 scoreless. Yeuris Jimenez then took over, keeping the Cardinals off the board for another 1.1 innings. The Marlins’ 2022 4th round pick Marcus Johnson ended his first pro stint on a high note, finishing a career high five full innings. He allowed just two hits, one earned run and struck out 10, another career mark for the 6’6” righty. Standout PerformersIF Jose Salas - .267/.356/.421, 5 HR, 21 XBH, 24 RBI, 15 SB, 54/23 K/BB Salas ended his 2021 campaign in Jupiter and expectedly reported back to the Hammerheads to begin the 2022 campaign. A 19 year old playing against competition over two years his elder on average in the pitcher friendly Florida State League, Salas posted more than respectable offensive numbers. The fourth youngest player in the FSL that recorded at least 200 ABs, Salas exhibited his plus power even within his still developing frame by slamming five homers and 21 total extra base hits for Jupiter while beginning to use more of the field and cover the plate more advantageously. Salas also showed an advanced approach from both sides of the plate by holding his K rate to a manageable 21% while walking at a 9% clip. Salas’ numbers came by way of an almost neutral .327 BABIP. A catalytic threat, he hit .280/.419/.460 when leading off an inning and worked his way into a regular role at the top of the Hammerheads’ lineup. A midseason call up to Beloit and to another pitcher friendly park, Salas hit .230/.319/.340 via a hard luck .274 BABIP. Despite the jump, Salas still continued to exhibit great plate discipline and even saw his K rate shrink to 18.9% while his walk rate rose to 9.2% against even older competition. His speed on the bases also improved: in 48 games with the Sky Carp, Salas stole another 18 bags giving him 33 on the season. Not turning 20 until next April, Salas is currently competing in the Arizona Fall League. And, guess what, he’s once again playing against guys who are much older than him. Salas is the second youngest player out west this fall. He will enter spring training next season eyeing the possibility of being sent back to Beloit, but the Marlins have not shied away from continuing to challenge him. If he does not begin the season in the upper minors, it will definitely be in the cards during the 2023 season. Well ahead of schedule with many plus tools and the ability to handle multiple infield positions, Salas is one of the most exciting offensive prospects in the pipeline. IF Ian Lewis - .265/.347/.368, 2 HR, 12 XBH, 21 RBI, 16 SB, 45/22 K/BB Ian Lewis is another young middle infield prospect who showed out for the Hammerheads in 2022. After joining Jupiter a little over a month into the season, Lewis had probably the best month of May system wide. A .349/.386/.476 hitter in his first 51 games in the Florida State League, Lewis posted a 106 wRC+ and stole 16 bases, tied with Kahlil Watson for the most on the 2022 Hammerheads squad. Lewis was only caught stealing once, giving him a 94% success rate stealing bases. Riding an 11-game on base streak, Lewis’ first season came to a premature end due to a right hand injury. Lewis suffered the injury on July 16th. It kept him out for the rest of 2022. While his freshman campaign came to a premature end, the second youngest player on the Hammerheads after Salas showed a consistent ability to work his way on base via an extremely advanced approach. From there, Lewis made stolen bases look simple via 70 grade speed, arguably the best in the Marlins’ organization (he and Nasim Nunez would have entertaining foot races). Despite very limited size (5’11”, 177), via fiery bat speed, Lewis also shows the ability to come by some plus pop which should get even better as he physically fills out. One facet of his offensive game that will need to fill out is his ability to cover the entire field. So far, Lewis has been extremely pull heavy and has struggled to get good wood on back door pitches, a weakness that pitchers at the upper levels of the minors will begin to exploit. If that gap is closed, a fully healthy Ian Lewis is a multi-faceted offensive threat with above average defense at second base and the ability to fill in at shortstop and third base. 2023 should include a promotion up to the Beloit Sky Carp. LHP Luis Palacios - 82.2 IP, 4.03 ERA, 5.88 FIP, 1.10 WHIP, 16.4 K/BB Palacios is a finesse lefty who impressed overseas before coming stateside last year where his positive results permeated. This season, beginning with the Hammerheads, Palacios stepped into the full season ball ranks and kept it going. Showing pinpoint command of all four quadrants of the zone and the ability to mix three pitches, Palacios posted a ridiculous 16.40 K/BB ratio for Jupiter, by far the top mark in the FSL among pitchers who tossed at least 60 innings. He also maintained a respectable 4.03 ERA and had an even lower 3.45 FIP. But will a guy of Palacios’ makeup, an average-sized lefty who throws sub-93 with little room for error, be able to succeed as a starter above of the low A ranks? In July, Palacios got the call to A+ Beloit to begin a seven game tenure. Palacios’ ability to work into the back third of games consisted as he threw into the 6th inning in all but two outings. One of his outings that came to a premature end was a three inning, 9 ER event that caused his ERA with the Sky Carp to balloon from to 3.10 to 5.18. After his last outing with in which he tossed 6 innings of shutout ball, Palacios got another challenge up to the AA level to assist the Pensacola Blue Wahoos in their playoff run. He allowed three earned runs in 10 IP. Palacios is a very polarizing prospect. While he doesn’t have room for very much error at all when he is on the mound, he has been able to remain mostly affective through each step he has taken through the system. His command and control may just be that good to allow the soft-tossing lefty to remain as a back-end starter. At the least, Palacios has the floor of a high-IQ change of pace multiple innings reliever and/or spot starter. Already with plus breaking stuff and superb command within an organization known for pitching development, reaching his full ceiling shouldn’t be discounted. Palacios could begin 2022 at the AA level where we should learn quite a bit more about how close to that potential ceiling he is.

And so there were two… just Jacksonville and Pensacola remain in this Marlins minor league season. While Pensacola has faded a bit in the second half, they have a playoff spot locked up for this week. Jacksonville still has work to do but has played well all year long. Featured this week are the players helping their team most during this playoff push. - LHP Patrick Monteverde, AA This Week’s Stats: 5.2 IP, 0 R, 6 H, 7/1 K/BB Pat Monteverde has been on the receiving end of some poor luck since his promotion to Pensacola. He’s surrendered an unseemly .368 BABIP, despite a low line drive rate. This comes in a small sample of just over thirty innings pitched, but has led to Monteverde posting an ERA just a tick below five. He has pitched far better than that number indicates. An eighth-round pick in last year’s amateur draft, Monteverde possesses exceptional control. He posted a 5.8% walk rate in his senior season at Texas Tech after transferring over from Seton Hall. Pitching in a more difficult conference proved to be a challenge that Monteverde was up to, as he also put up a 28% strikeout rate and a 3.75 ERA. Monteverde’s stats in the minors bear a striking resemblance to his college performance. He does not boast an upper nineties fastball, but his changeup neutralizes righties very well and serves as an out pitch when needed. His reverse splits are notable, as Monteverde has allowed a .276 average against left-handed batters compared to a .188 against righties in far more at bats. The result has been a K%-BB% hovering around 20%, which is excellent at any level. Monteverde did not have much better luck with the BABIP gods last week. Pitching against Biloxi, he allowed a .375 BABIP. However, the difference was in Monteverde’s ability to leave runners on base and get strikeouts when needed. The Wahoos gave no run support to the lefty in a tough 1-0 loss, but it was one of his best starts since the promotion. While the Wahoos have other options for their playoff rotation, they should not be hesitant to use Monteverde, especially against right-handed batters. OF Jesus Sanchez, AAA This Week’s Stats: 13-23, 1 HR, 2 2B, 3/4 K/BB The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp have plenty to play for over the next two weeks. As of now, Jacksonville is 2.5 games behind first place Durham, with Scranton also two games up on them. The Jumbo Shrimp finish the season with Charlotte and Norfolk, two teams towards the bottom of the standings. They must win their division to complete for the International League championship. Winning a few gams this week against Nashville was vital, as the Milwaukee affiliate has the best record in the International League. Playing no small part in those victories was Jesus Sanchez, who has had a whirlwind 2022 season. After starting the season as Miami’s center fielder, Sanchez looked mostly overmatched in the big leagues. While the metrics seem to agree that he was O.K. defensively, the bat is supposed to be Sanchez’s calling card. Since the demotion to Jacksonville, Sanchez has made some adjustments that seem to be paying off. He’s a bit more crouched down at the plate, while his swing has been shortened a bit. Ultimately, there seems to be less effort coming from the upper body, and more power being derived through the legs. Considering Sanchez’s raw power and strength, this should be a beneficial change. He does not need to do as much with the upper body to still achieve hard hit balls. Indeed, the results are beginning to come back for the twenty-four-year-old. Sanchez’s strikeout rate is down a bit, while he has an OPS over 1.000 in the month of September. These may be small signs, but Sanchez has also displayed a more patient approach. Chasing bad pitches has been Sanchez’s kryptonite at the plate in the big leagues, so continuing that trend will be beneficial. His shorter stroke has led to an all fields approach and a plethora of base hits (especially last week). As Jacksonville looks to finish this season with a playoff berth, Jesus Sanchez should be right in the middle of it to set himself up well for next spring. RHP Elieser Hernandez, AAA This Week’s Stats: 5.1 IP, 0 R, 4 H, 8/2 K/BB Another former big leaguer has played a substantial role in keeping Jacksonville in the playoff hunt. Elieser Hernandez, much maligned in Miami for his early season struggles, has pitched better in Triple-A. While his trajectory has not always seemed to be moving upwards, Hernandez’s stats speak for themselves in Jacksonville: 10 starts, 4-2 record, 3.63 ERA. The most important thing the veteran righty has been able to do is limit the home run balls. They were his biggest weakness in the majors, with an unheard of thirty-two homers given up since the start of last season. That has come in only 110 innings pitched. Hernandez is a fly-ball pitcher. He consistently works up in the zone with his fastball, while trying to bury the changeup and slider below the zone. Unfortunately, command was his biggest problem this year. Too often, the fastball was not high enough and the off-speed pitches were not low enough. The result was a lot of baseballs in the middle of the zone for hitters to tee off on. In fourty six and two-thirds minor league innings, Hernandez has given up just seven home runs. That is not an exceptional rate, but a huge improvement on how he has pitched in the big leagues. Most Marlins fans will not trust that number to maintain itself if Elieser is brought back up, but there should be some faith in the fact that he has displayed much better command over the past few months. While he surrendered two walks in his last start against Nashville, Hernandez’s breaking pitches were highly effective in getting hitters to chase below the zone. The quality of Elieser’s stuff cannot be denied when he is right, but finding consistent command remains vital. Pensacola Blue Wahoos Offense This Week’s Stats: 1-5 Record, 11 runs in six games For the year, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, as a team, rank last in OPS, batting average, runs scored, walks, and hits among teams in the Double-A Southern League. Conversely, they are on the top half of the league in just about every pitching stat. The Wahoos already won the first half in their division, guaranteeing a spot in this week’s playoffs, but they will need to hit to keep this season going. Last week, we gave a shoutout to two players who have carried the Wahoos lineup all season long. Since then, Paul McIntosh has landed on the IL and Griffin Conine went hitless in fifteen at bats with nine strikeouts. The Wahoos were completely dominated all week long by a Biloxi pitching staff that has not been exceptional at any point this season. With McIntosh’s status unknown for the start of Tuesday’s series against Montgomery, there are serious reasons for concern. The Montgomery Biscuits, the Double-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays, have run away with the South Division in the second half of the season. They boast a pitching staff with the best ERA in the Southern League. On paper, this is a tough matchup for Pensacola. However, this team has gotten to this point, and they have the talent to win this best of three matchup. Nasim Nunez, Will Banfield, and Norel Gonzalez have all swung the bat well in recent weeks. If Eury Perez pitches in the series, along with Dax Fulton, then Pensacola absolutely has a chance to pull this off. Yet, the most important factor may be the status of those two players who have carried Pensacola all year long. Can McIntosh come back from injury sooner rather than later, to give this team the jolt it needs? More importantly, can Conine connect with a few long balls to provide the offense with a few quick runs? Since they won the first half of the season, the Blue Wahoos have known this opportunity would be awaiting them. It is now time for them to pull it off. Next Up (9/20-9/25) AAA Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp vs CharlotteAA Pensacola Blue Wahoos at Montgomery (Game 1 on Tuesday), Home vs Montgomery (Games 2/3 on Thursday/Friday)