Alex Carver

Photo by Pensacola Blue WahoosFor their 10th anniversary season, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos went big in a variety of ways. From being voted the best stadium for Minor League Baseball, to zany promotions, to fantastic rain delay entertainment, to fielding some of the top prospects in the Marlins’ organization, there were plenty of reasons to keep your eyes on the club and your backside in a seat at Blue Wahoos Stadium. It all culminated with an exciting successful playoff run that saw Pensacola solely hoist the Southern League championship trophy for the first time in franchise history. The Wahoos entered their second season as a Marlins affiliate after ending their first prematurely. They made up for that missed time by extending their 2022 season. Kevin Randel returned to Pensacola as manager and brought the Wahoos to a 33-34 first half record, allowing the team to qualify for the playoffs. While overall offensive stats weren’t the team’s strength (they were last in the Southern League in many offensive stats including batting average and OPS), the Wahoos relied on timely hitting and great pitching. Bolstered by top pitching prospects such as Eury Perez and Dax Fulton and backed up by an extremely strong bullpen consisting of Josh Simpson, Eli Villalobos, Sean Reynolds (all of whom are now on the Marlins’ 40 man Major League roster) and others, the Wahoos’ pitching staff held down a 4.49 collective ERA and were second in batting average against with a .246 marker and third in WHIP at 1.34. Their 2.83 K/BB ratio led the circuit. According to Reynolds, the group that rose to the top in Pensacola this year created a culture of winning they plan to permeate as they continue to build their careers together. “The group that we had in Beloit early in the season we talked about it. Yeah, we’re all here to develop and get better and get out playing time, but if we’re gonna be here, we might as well win a few games,” Reynolds said. “Once you start to get most of the room if not all 25-26 guys on that same page, that we are showing up to win, that takes the stress off everyone asking what am I doing or what is going on with my swing or my defense. If all your focus is to just win the game, we’re showing up every day like it’s a brand new day and we’re gonna win tonight.” Memorable MomentsDax Fulton strikes out career high 13 in season saving game With the Wahoos facing elimination in the Southern League playoffs, Dax Fulton took the ball for the fifth time in his AA career and for the first time in the postseason. He absolutely dazzled. In six innings, Fulton struck out 13, a new career high. He retired 12 straight to end his night. After a hard-luck start to the season with the Sky Carp in which he had an ERA nearly a run higher than his FIP (4.07 vs 3.08), Fulton’s stats matched his potential against older competition and in a more hitter friendly environment in Pensacola. Living off a tight hammer curveball and a fastball that sits in the 94-96 mph range with spin rates upward of 2,600 as well as a changeup that took the next step this season all coming at hitters from a downhill plane and high arm slot, this 6’7” lefty could contribute to a major league roster as early as 2023. While he is still a bit under the radar, Dax is proving why he is one of the pitching prospects in a Marlins’ system rich in quality arms. Wahoos score three in 9th, walk off despite not recording a hitThere are a lot of ways that baseball games can end. The Blue Wahoos and Biloxi Shuckers exhibited of the more unique ones on this date in early June. Down two runs going into the bottom of the 9th, Pensacola scored three runs without the benefit of a hit. After a throwing error from the Biloxi shortstop allowed Troy Johnston to reach, Griffin Conine walked. From there, Biloxi’s closer plunked four straight batters. Luis Aviles Jr’s plunking loaded the bases. Ray Patrick Didder and Cobie Fletcher-Vance were then hit on back to back pitches. In one of the more exciting series at Blue Wahoos Stadium all season, it marked the third straight time and fourth time in the six game set that Pensacola won via walk off. The main culprit for why Biloxi closer Harold Chirino hit four straight batters and walked another may have been due to the rock he was throwing. Early in the year, the Southern League had been experimenting with pre-tacked baseballs. This series was one of the first in which the league reverted back to its regular model after the experiment was halted “for reasons unclear”. That weekend, the Wahoos averaged more than five total hit batters per game. Reasons aside, fans who attended a Wahoos game that week were treated to quite the show. And players needed ice. Blue Wahoos win Southern League championshipAfter the aforementioned Fulton game, the Wahoos entered the the Southern League championship series against Tennessee with the big mo on their side. It didn’t let them down. In the final game of the series, the Wahoos ran out the Marlins’ top prospect Eury Perez, fresh back from rehab. He struck out nine in three innings of work. Cobie Fletcher-Vance starred on the offensive side of the ball. He went 2-5 and produced the biggest hit of the game, a grand slam. He matched a career high with 5 RBIs. The rule 5 pick produced for the bulk of the postseason for Pensacola, hitting .316 in six games. Following Perez, the Wahoos’ pen consisting of Robinson Martinez, Chandler Jozwiak, Jorge Mercedes and Sean Reynolds dealt six innings of scoreless ball while striking out 10. The 19 total strikeouts by the Wahoos’ staff were a season high and a postseason record. It was also one shy of an all-time team record. In 2017, Pensacola won its first title after they swept Marlins AA prospects with the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp in the division series. Afterwards, the championship series was canceled due to Hurricane Irma and the Wahoos along with the Chattanooga Lookouts were named co-champions. Thus this 2022 title win was the second in Wahoos’ franchise history but the first time in franchise history the team has stood alone atop the Southern League. Top PerformersOF/1B Troy Johnston 85 G, .292/.360/.450, 10 HR, 31 XBH, 49 RBI, 71/32 K/BB The Marlins’ 17th rounder from 2019 just keeps proving himself. After a breakout year in Jupiter and Beloit in 2021, Johnston’s prowess and ability to get on base at an above average level permeated in the upper minors this season. With Pensacola, Johnston slashed .292/.360/.450, marks that ranked first, second and second amongst those who played more than 30 games in Wahoos garb. Coming into 2021, the only thing missing from Johnston’s offensive profile was the ability to hit for consistent power. He responded by hitting 15 home runs in the lower minors. That same power potential permeated with Pensacola this year as he hit another 10. After a late season call to AAA Jacksonville, he hit another four homers. Johnston’s walk rate (8.5%) shrunk amidst his call to AA, but so did his K rate (18.9%). Long story short, Johnston saw better quality stuff but was still able to select advantageously. The scientific hitter at one point in the season had a 12 game hit streak. With that streak included, he reached via a hit in 24 of 26 games. Getting his first taste of AAA, Johnston’s hat to ball fizzled a bit as he fell into an 0-19 slump to start September with the Jumbo Shrimp. However, his patience and selectiveness persisted. With the Shrimp, Johnston had a 24/15 K/BB which proved he can still work counts to his favor at the highest level of MiLB. Johnston was rule 5 eligible at the winter meetings, but wound up going unselected. He will come back to Miami in 2023 likely with an invite to spring training and with an outside chance to make the big league roster. If not, Johnston should report back to AAA Jacksonville. With eligibility at a very thin position for Miami, first base, the avid and persistent worker who has a healthy mindset to steadily challenge himself and improve is a very real candidate to contribute to the Marlins this coming season. C Paul McIntosh 90 G, .258/.379/.465, 13 HR, 39 XBH, 51 RBI, 75/55 K/BB There’s just something about undrafted free agents breaking out that makes us smile. Since spring training, it was clear and evident that Paul McIntosh had the plate presence and raw strength to become a considerable name in the Marlins’ system. After catching most of the system’s top pitching prospects and some major league pitchers during camp, the West Virginia product was assigned to AA Pensacola to begin the year. McIntosh joined the Wahoos and made an instant impact. In his first 16 games, he hit .316/.435/.544 with five homers. While his batting average normalized over the course of the rest of the season as he went through some cold stretches, his patience and power potential permeated all year long. Overall, McIntosh’s 125 wRC+ ranked third in the Marlins organization amongst full season players, earning him organizational All-Star honors. McIntosh’s weakness lies on his ability to produce consistent quality bat-to-ball contact. That said, he is one of the stronger players in the Marlins’ system. McIntosh can suffice at catcher, but his durability behind the plate (he missed the playoffs due to injury and also spent time on the IL in 2021) makes him most likely a long term first baseman. He can also slot in in the outfield. We anticipate him starting 2023 with the AAA Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp. Given the Marlins’ MLB ready depth at both catcher and first base, he could be in line for a big league call this coming season. RHP Eury Perez 75 IP, 4.08 ERA, 3.52 FIP, 1.16 WHIP, 106/25 K/BB Perez is the Marlins’ enigmatic consensus top prospect. He has risen to such a level after being signed as part of the 2019 international class ($200K). From the moment he was signed, Perez had fiery velo. He also had more than a blueprint of three pitches, including an advanced changeup and a curveball. In his first season pro, Perez flashed all three pitches but he also exhibited the need to repeat a bit better and learn his levers to avoid tipping. Fast forward to 2022. After a dominant season in A Jupiter, with his levers well under control, Perez was challenged to the AA level to begin the year. There, he struggled in his first few starts but quickly acclimated to the league and to much older competitors. From May 6th through July 7th, Perez held down a 2.20 ERA while striking out 59 and walking just 9. Once again on a stringent innings limit of 110 entering the season, Perez’s arm showed signs of fatigue during his first August start and he was pulled from it after just 1.1 IP. While tests were negative and only revealed simple arm fatigue, Perez underwent a minor surgery and missed the rest of August. He returned to Pensacola on September 16th after one rehab outing in Jupiter. During Pensacola’s playoff run, he tossed 6 IP and allowed seven runs while striking out 12 and walking three. While the end to his season isn’t exactly what he or the Marlins wanted, in Perez, the Marlins have something very special: a 6’8” righty with three plus plus pitches, good control, the ability to sit at 97, hit triple digits, shrink to the low 80s, hold his cell through his outings, command consistently, and mask his delivery well. As long as Perez can remain healthy with his innings limit removed, he has a very real future as part of the Marlins rotation and very soon. We foresee him being invited to spring training with the Marlins and starting 2023 in AAA. LHP Josh Simpson 55.2 IP, 3.88 ERA, 3.33 FIP, 1.08 WHIP, 89/29 K/BB Simpson is one of many quality arms that contributed to an extremely solid Pensacola bullpen in 2022 and one of a few that the Marlins have since selected to the 40 man roster. He made an immediate impression in his AA debut to begin 2022 as he tossed 18.2 scoreless innings and allowed just three total hits. Over that span, he had a 35/7 K/BB. One rough five run outing aside, Simpson recorded more than respectable numbers in a Wahoos’ uniform before his late season call to AAA. Simpson is an averaged size lefty (6’2” 190 lb), who lives off his ability to deceive hitters via his quick pace and motion and his four plus pitches and three plus pitches. Simpson reaches up to 97 mph with his fastball (sitting 94). His cut fastball sits in the 88-90 mph range and tunnels well of the heat. Simpson’s best pitch is a tight curveball with late downward action that lies in the 80 mph range. In addition, he can also throw a usable changeup. With good stuff, Simpson is a more than competitive southpaw whose control got better as 2022 went on. He will enter spring training with a very real chance of making the Marlins’ Opening Day roster.

Royce Lewis (Photo by Jeff Chiu, AP)Six days away from the MLB trade deadline, the Miami Marlins find themselves in a damning position. The current scope of things: Their franchise player is on the 60-day IL.Their two top and closest to MLB ready pitching prospects are injured.Their third starter and breakout star last year is struggling and is possibly on the verge of a trip to AAA.What has become a power-first offense is hitting .238/.293/.364 since June 1st.The team has glaring holes at shortstop and in center field. Kim Ng and the Marlins need to be honest with themselves: are they ready to compete in 2022 or should they begin planning for 2023 and beyond? It is clear and evident: minus the acquisition of Joey Wendle, Miami’s offseason has produced very negative results, so much so that the Fish faithful are begging for a way out of some of those contracts and to part ways with some of the team’s veteran players. These deals and retentions at many points have delayed the arrival of younger intriguing in-house options. If Jon Heyman’s latest report is any indication, the club has realized their blueprint for 2022 hasn’t worked and will work to rectify it for both the short and long term future. Highlighted by Pablo Lopez but not ending with him, the Marlins have multiple assets on their big league roster and a ton of near-MLB ready pieces in the minors that will be intriguing to competitive teams. But who and what should Miami be targeting? Here are our five top options. — SS/CF Royce Lewis, MIN The Marlins desperately need a shortstop and a center fielder. With Lewis, the Marlins would be able to take their pick regarding which position to place him at. A first overall high school pick in 2017, Lewis just turned 23. Unfortunately, he spent it off the field with a repeat injury to his left knee. Lewis, injured the same ligament he just partially tore again in February of 2021 and opted for a second surgery. While his health is a concern, his skill set and athleticism stand out even more. A .270/.339/.422 career MiLB bat over four seasons, Lewis was hitting .300 with four doubles and two homers in his first 40 MLB ABs, Lewis went down on May 29th while making an all-out hustle play and a fantastic catch against the wall in center field. Still far and away the Twins’ top prospect and a top 10 shortstop prospect in baseball, Lewis will be ready to return in 2023. He owned a very complicated set up and approach before his first ACL injury, but worked to simplify it to take stress off his knee. It worked wonders and allowed Lewis to begin to tap into more of his plus plus raw power. When drafted, Lewis owned ridiculous speed, over 70 grade. While it remains to be seen how he comes back in that regard, he still has the athleticism, instincts and arm to handle either of his defensive positions. Lewis isn’t a right now guy but he is very soon guy that can fill both of Miami’s positions of need and launch them much further into contention next season. When healthy, he is a freak athlete with the potential for all five tools. The epitome of a blue chip prospect, Lewis should be the name *the* Marlins bring up if the Twins, who are in need of pitching and which the Marlins have a surplus of, come calling. SS Oswald Peraza, NYY Anthony Volpe may be the more spoken name, but the Yankees and the farm system they’ve worked hard to revamp over the course of the past handful of years have another intriguing middle infielder. That name is Oswald Peraza, an international signing from 2017. Peraza, who just turned 23, has performed at every level of MiLB he’s spent time at despite being vaulted through New York’s system. A .275/.348/.411 career hitter, Peraza has made it up to AAA in his fifth year pro. After spending two years in rookie ball and 2019 in A ball, Peraza visited three levels in 2021, including a cup of coffee in AAA. This year with Scranton-Wilkes Barre, he is slashing .258/.329/.446 with 13 homers and 24 steals. At the plate, Peraza exhibits good vision and has shown an increased ability to create launch, shrink his ground ball rate and come by more power. On the bases, he shows 60+ grade speed. On top of an already plus offensive skill set that he is still working to polish off by way of laying off pitcher’s pitches and waiting for better quality stuff he can do his most with, Peraza shows perhaps even better tools in the field. There is no question Peraza, who exhibits superb vision, readability and first-step instincts, will stick as a potentially double plus defender at short at the next level. Also in need of pitching, New York probably has Miami on speed dial. Peraza should be inquired about in any deal. CF/RF Andy Pages, LAD If the Marlins are going to turn the page, why not do it with Pages? A 22 year old signed by Los Angeles in 2017 out of Cuba, Pages has put up impressive on base and power numbers as he’s climbed through the Dodgers’ system including last season when he skipped past the A level and hit .265/.394/.539 with 31 home runs which led the high A central. He also led the high A central in wRC+ at 152 ahead of second place finisher Troy Johnston (139). A $300,000 signing, Pages has always exhibited a power-first offensive game but also has recently garnered the ability to read and wait for his pitch. Pages came by the improved discipline last season when his K rate dropped nearly four full points to 24% and his walk rate jumped up five percentage points to 14%. So far this season, his K% is down even further to 22% and his walk rate is a similar 11% while he has made the difficult jump up to AA. Pages has historically favored his pull side but this season, he has begun going to his opposite field a lot more often. So far in 2022, he is hitting balls out to right field at a career high rate of 32%. An aggressive hitter in any count when he gets pitches he likes, Pages crowds the plate and easily gets extended on pitches on the outer half. His positioning in the box has also boosted his OBP by way of 61 career hit by pitches including 11 already this season. Though his speed is just average, Pages gets good jumps from good reads in the outfield and owns a powerful throwing arm. He’s played more right field than center in the last two seasons, but he has the ability to make it stick up the middle as he polishes off his minor league career. A guy who is described as a natural born hitter and who has had his offensive skill set compared to Miguel Cabrera’s, Pages — a La Habana native — would be the perfect guy to bring to Little Havana for his big league debut as early as next season. The Dodgers have shown interest in Garrett Cooper and could make for a solid trade partner. SS Brayan Rocchio, CLE Y’all like guys with three 60+ grade tools? Rocchio is a Guardians international signing from 2017. He began his career at age 17. Yet to turn 22, he is one of the better all around hitters in the AA Eastern League this season. Repeating the level after injury in 2021 and still playing against guys three years older than him on average, Rocchio .270/.353/.443 with a 118 wRC+ and neutralized .299 BABIP. A switch hitter, Rocchio exhibits a repeatable, the first of his 60 grade assets, a hit tool that is equally effective from both sides of the plate. With simple smooth actions and quick hands, Rocchio looks for contact first and lets the rest of his tools go to work from there. When he catches a barrel, he usually catches a gap and can go to all fields. This season, as his body has filled out, he’s caught more fences finding them 11 times, already four away from tying his career high from last year. Last year, in his first full season, Rocchio was getting out in front of stuff particularly in his first showing at AA. However, this season, he’s shown an added propensity for staying back against his elders. It’s led to a 4% decrease in his K rate (which was already good). He strikes out at a minuscule 17.6%. On the bases, Rocchio shows off his second 60+ grade tool, his speed capable of making him a 25+ base stealer and giving him the ability to turn anything into a double. Rocchio has an offensive skill set built for the top of an MLB order. Rocchio is also a smooth defender with soft hands and the same quick wrists he uses at the plate. In addition to shortstop, he has also played second base and third base, giving him the positional flexibility the Marlins love. His arm is capable of handling any of those positions but he should have no issue sticking at his natural shortstop long term. Doing so much at such a young age despite the missed COVID year and injury, Rocchio is the name of another pure athlete that could have a regular home up the middle for Miami for a long time. Scouts have likened his ability to that of Francisco Lindor. The Guardians, another team in need of pitching as the second place team in the AL Central, match up well with the Marlins in a potential deal. CF Colson Montgomery, CWS Montgomery may be the furthest away prospect on this list, but his MLB arrival may be closer than you think. Another first overall pick, Montgomery is a high school shortstop who has gotten off to a flying start in his pro career. After a great first impression in which he hit .287/.396/.362 in the ACL, Montgomery made quick work of the A level this season, posting a 154 wRC+ in his first 45 games. Since then, he has gotten the call up to the A+ level where it has been much of the same song. So for the Winston-Salem Dash, Montgomery is slashing a robust .300/.424/.475. A unique lefty hitter righty thrower, Montgomery won’t turn 21 until next February. A lot like Rocchio, he is playing against guys 2.5 years older than him on average. But that hasn’t stopped him from posting a a wRC+ of near 150 in his first 21 showings against them. Montgomery is doing all of this despite spending a lot less time on the Diamond than your average prospect. Another guy who is has been endowed with the gift of pure athleticism, he also played basketball (as a walk on) and starting quarterback for his high school alma mater before committing to baseball full time in his senior year. He won state honors as Indiana’s 2020-21 Athlete of the Year. At the plate, Montgomery stays high in his 6’4” frame but has so far shown the plate discipline and selectiveness necessary to negate a larger strike zone. A pull heavy hitter coming out of high school, Montgomery begun to go to his opposite side in his initial pro showing in Arizona and that has permeated this season. At A he went oppo 32% of the time and so far in A+, he’s at a 41% clip. With 70 grade raw power and ceiling 50+ grade game power that he’s already begun to tap more into, Montgomery makes great swing decisions and consistent loud contact. Defensively, scouts differ on if a player of Montgomery’s size and stature will stick at shortstop for his entire career. However, Montgomery, who exhibits great lateral movement and a plus arm, appears to be well ahead of his projected arrival date. With continued success in A+ and a positive jump to AA next season, Montgomery could make himself eligible to contribute to a big league squad as early as late 2023 and could bridge the gap to prospects such as Jose Salas, Nasim Nunez and others.