Alex Carver

The season is over for Beloit and Jupiter, but there is still plenty to play for at Jacksonville and Pensacola. This week’s Roundup features a few of the highest potential players in the system at the lower levels, and a few others who have performed well all season long. - SS Kahlil Watson, A This Week’s Stats: 7-23, 1 HR, 2 3B, 6/1 K/BB With the Hammerheads season ending, it was vital that Kahlil Watson left a positive impression on the minds of Marlins fans. This has been a rough season for Watson’s stock. He got off to a hot start, but quickly faded and had off the field issues, reported here first, that compounded his problems at the plate. He entered the season as one of the top prospects in the Marlins system, and a near consensus Top 100 prospect throughout the entire league. Since then, he has taken a rapid tumble, and is all the way down at #17 on the Fangraphs Marlins Prospect Rankings. Even when Watson was performing well at the beginning of the season, there were swing and miss issues that were of concern in the peripherals. For the year, he has struck out in 35.5% of his plate appearances, while also posting an unimpressive walk rate. Watson’s approach has been his biggest problem, although there have been signs of life recently. Since returning to the field following the discipline issues, Watson has cut his strikeout rate down by about 10%. Over this past week, he continued striking out about 25% of the time. While that rate is still a bit high, especially for the lower levels, it is not completely detrimental. Most importantly, Watson is doing other things well on the field. He earned Florida State League Player of the Week honors for his performance this past week, because he was doing everything well. Watson has the speed to leg out extra bases, while also possessing the raw power of a future 20-25 home run hitter at the big leagues. He can be an electric player if the Marlins can help him figure the other stuff out. Since he is still only nineteen years old, there will be a lot riding on the mindset Watson comes into camp with next spring. RHP Eli Villalobos, AAA This Week’s Stats: 3.0 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 7/1 K/BB Eli Villalobos could complete for the “Best Marlins Relief Pitcher” award for 2022. Throughout all levels of the system, he has been amongst the most consistently dominant pitchers. Anthony Maldonado and Josh Simpson would certainly have cases of their own, but Villalobos has been right there with them in both Pensacola and Jacksonville. Most impressively, since his promotion he has thrown his best ball of the year. Villalobos has yet to give up a hit at Jacksonville in ten and two thirds innings. In that span, he has struck out sixteen batters while allowing just ten to reach base (5 H, 5 BB). His fastball can peak around 96-97 in many games, but the killer curveball continues to be hitter’s worst nightmare. The pitch is a sharp breaker, that seems to have a ton of late drop. Much like Simpson and Maldonado, Villalobos should be in the mix to join the Miami bullpen immediately next year. Miami’s bullpen ranks 20th in the big leagues in ERA and 27th in WHIP. Villalobos could help in both of those categories, as he has kept his walk rate in check for most of the year while limiting hard contact. Considering the strikeout percentage he put up this past week, Villalobos will be amongst the top guys to watch in Spring Training next year. RHP Marcus Johnson, A This Week’s Stats: 5.0 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 10/2 K/BB With the way that he has pitched in Jupiter, Marcus Johnson may be the 2022 Marlins draft pick most worthy of hype heading into next season. Alright… maybe just on the pitching side, since Jacob Berry has acclimated himself well at the same level. However, much like Barry, Johnson is showing that his college success was no fluke. Johnson pitched out of the bullpen this past week. Against Lakeland, he pitched five innings in relief of the rehabbing starter Eury Perez. Over seven combined innings between the two righties, there were fourteen strikeouts. Amazingly, Johnson is two years Perez’s elder, but both are tall pitchers with intimidating mound presences. Johnson’s advanced repertoire is certainly benefitting him at the lower levels. He has two plus breaking balls, on top of a fastball that tops in the mid-nineties. Johnson is still just twenty-one and considering his size there could still be more in the fastball. His changeup is a workable fourth pitch as well, and Johnson is using them all well to fool younger hitters. He has faced fifty-one hitters in Jupiter and struck out twenty-four of them. That ridiculous strikeout rate is accompanied by far too many walks, so Johnson will have plenty to work on over the winter. C Paul McIntosh and OF Griffin Conine, AA This Week’s Stats: McIntosh- 7/20, 1 HR, 1 2B, 7 R, 3/3 K/BB Conine- 4-18, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 9/8 K/BB With only one week left in the regular season for the Blue Wahoos, this seemed like a great opportunity to highlight two players that have had a big part in the success of Pensacola this year. After winning the Southern League South Division in the first half of the season, the Blue Wahoos are guaranteed a postseason spot. The Double-A playoffs will begin next Tuesday, with McIntosh and Conine in the middle of a lineup that they have helped carry this season. There was not a hotter hitter in the Marlins system to begin the year as Paul McIntosh. He hit .316/.435/.544 in April, furthering the disbelief that McIntosh went undrafted out of West Virginia a year prior. He crushed Jupiter pitching in his professional debut in 2021 and was clearly in need of a bigger challenge. Skipping High-A ended up being the right choice for the big catcher, as he is wrapping up a great full season in Pensacola. With his home run this past week, McIntosh passed the Pensacola record for RBI by a catcher in a single season. His quick bat has served him well all season, whether it be launching homers or smacking balls into the opposite field gap. McIntosh has made contact at an above average rate, while displaying a batting eye nearly as good as Conine’s. The result is a 126 wRC+ for the season. While there remains doubts about McIntosh’s long-term future behind the plate, his bat continues to speak for itself. Similarly, Griffin Conine’s power speaks for itself. Like McIntosh, Conine broke a Pensacola record this season. With two homers this past week, he passed the Pensacola single season home run mark. Over 154 games in Pensacola over the past two seasons, Conine has smashed thirty-seven home runs. The ease in which he drives balls to the opposite field makes be bullish on Conine’s potential to eventually contribute in the big leagues, despite the continued strikeout issues. On a brighter note, after a miserable August, Conine has had a much better month of September. His strikeouts are down, and his overall batting line is much improved. It will take baby steps, but if Conine can get the strikeout rate around 30%, he has the power and plate discipline to be a quality hitter at any level. Next Up (9/13-9/18): AAA Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp at NashvilleAA Pensacola Blue Wahoos vs Biloxi

M.D. Johnson (Photo by MiLB.com)As minor league players develop and grow with the game both personally and professionally, they don’t all always follow the same traditional beaten path. In fact, some players find themselves nowhere near it. The perfect example: Beloit Sky Carp righty M.D. Johnson. Traversing the regular route began early for the Texas native. For all four years of high school, Johnson was among the 3.4% of American children who are homeschooled. While it is not wildly uncommon for homeschooled students to be allowed to join their local public school teams in most states, M.D.’s case was even more distinctive. “The local high school where I’m from in Red Oak is like a 2A school, and the homeschool team is would’ve been like a high 2A maybe 3A school," Johnson said. "My dad was able to convince the coach of the homeschool team to play in 6A tournaments." After lettering in three of his prep seasons and helping his team to a National Championship at the Homeschool World Series in 2015, Johnson was recruited by Dallas Baptist. A durable starter in all four seasons, Johnson really broke out in his senior year in 2019, going 10-2 with a 2.76 ERA and 110/29 K/BB to earn his draft capital. Johnson attributes his impressive senior season to a positive change in leadership and team culture. “My senior year we got a brand new pitching coach, Josh Hopper. He’s now one of the pitching coordinators for the Pittsburgh Pirates,” Johnson said. “He came in and really changed what the program was doing my first three years and really held us accountable for everything we were doing as seniors all the way down to the freshman and really just challenged us day in, day out to get better at one thing.” “It’s this thing that we have at Dallas Baptist: we’re getting better 1% every day,” Johnson said. “Having that mentality going in to practices, to games, getting 1% better is what we strived to achieve every day.” Late in the second day of the 2019 MLB Draft, Johnson received his phone call from DJ Svihlik. After throwing 19 relief innings for Batavia that the missed 2020 season struck. Then, Johnson moved up to A in 2021. With the Jupiter Hammerheads, he posted a 3.19 ERA via a 1.39 WHIP in 42.1 IP. While his control and command was very spotty start to start and at times even inning to inning, Johnson was still able to induce ground ball outs to effectively get out of jams; jams that were most often set up by his 20% walk rate. A midseason call up to Beloit was met with an improvement in Johnson’s control numbers. In 59.1 IP with the Snappers, his walk rate fell to 11%, which was at the time, a career low at the highest level he’d ever pitched at and in his most extensive slate of innings at any single level. “My first full season was interesting. It had its up, had its downs. Everyone knows I had my control issues last year which is not something I’d ever really experienced that drastic before, but I missed a year and something was different when I came back,” Johnson said. “Spending time in Jupiter I met a lot of really great people down there. Our manager Jorge Hernandez is the manager up here so I spent half the season with him and then the staff up here I spent half the season with them as well.” This season, Johnson returned to familiar digs and surroundings in A+. There, he has been one of the most productive pitchers in the Marlins organization and a leader in the Beloit clubhouse. With one start remaining, The Doctor’s ERA sits at 3.17 and his FIP sits at 3.45. His walk rate has fallen from 14.9%, second highest in the Marlins organization a year ago, to 6.1%, the eighth lowest mark posted in a Miami affiliated uniform among pitchers with at least 50 IP. According to Johnson, his positive development was largely made possible due to his support system. “I had worked the COVID year going into spring training, so I didn’t do as much baseball stuff. This past year, I was just like, you know what, I gotta figure something out. So I really didn’t pick up a job or anything in the offseason,” Johnson said. “My wife really picked up the slack and I gotta give all the credit to her for letting me go out there and just do baseball and that’s the only thing I had to focus on.” Not only has M.D.’s partner, Ruth and their puppy Maggie Jo been alongside him during his offseason work, they have been together every step of the way since last season. The trio spends their time together in a camper, currently in nearby Illinois, a living situation they came by out of necessity but one they would not trade for any other alternative. “Due to the COVID situation, they told us, “Hey we know you’re married but she’s not in the bubble, so you can’t stay with your wife unless you have a house,”” Johnson said. “So, three days before I left for spring training 2021, I bought a truck. Two days before I left for spring training, I bought a camper, drove to Jupiter and the rest is history. We’ve been in it full time ever since.” On the field, Johnson has the benefit of a wide arsenal of pitches, anchored by his slider which sits in low-mid 80s and shows good depth from plane to plane. The slider, which Johnson, describes as more of souped-up cutter, has always been his bread and butter. “In college, 66% of the time I was throwing a slider. It’s my best pitch; I knew I could throw it in any count and land it,” Johnson said. “Same thing going into pro ball; my first couple years it was 50-60% sliders. Especially last year whenever I knew I couldn’t throw anything else, I always fell back to the slider.“ This year though, Johnson has been able to throw less sliders, giving him the ability to defy his scouting reports. “This year, with all of the extra command that I’ve gotten back, it’s fallen to about 40-45% or less at times. My last outing, I think I threw 13 of them and it was the season low by about 13,” Johnson said. “It’s the pitch I do lean on the most, I tunnel it really well off my fastball and it’s meant a lot to have that in my back pocket to go along with the other three pitches I have.” On top of his regained command and control, another reason Johnson has become the best version of himself has been his newest pitch, a changeup. “I never threw one in high school, didn’t need it. Didn’t throw one in college, didn’t really need it. I got to pro ball and I needed it,” Johnson said. “I really didn’t have one in spring training of 2020 and then with the shutdown, I went home and pretty much created a changeup.” Johnson’s changeup grip aptly matches his background and personality profile. “I would be comfortable saying there’s not a lot of people who hold it the way that I do. I throw a straight Vulcan so I literally wedge it between (my middle and ring fingers),” Johnson said. “In 2019 in Batavia, I was throwing it like 88-91 and I couldn’t control where it was going because it was straight in the ground. It was the only way I could take enough spin off of it to kill velocity and create movement while maintaining it in the strike zone.” Polishing off an impressive pitch mix, Johnson, 25, sits on the verge of his promotion to the upper minors next season. When the call comes, M.D. plans to continue to stay true to himself and his abilities to garner even more consistency on his way to the big leagues. “I’m gonna try to do what I’ve been doing now which is pound the strike zone, mix my pitches and get weak contact and as many fly balls as I possibly can,” Johnson said. “I’m not going in there trying to punch guys out. I’m going in there trying to get the guy out on 3-4 pitches max and just move on.” In having the mindset and ability to throw less pitches, this year, Johnson has set another main objective for himself every time he toes the rubber. “I’m trying to throw seven innings every single outing. That’s something that I’ve never really tried to do but it’s something this year that I’ve implemented that, hey, we’re not trying to strike guys out on 0-0 counts,” Johnson said. “I don’t need to throw this pitch to strike a guy out with one strike. It’s let’s make a quality pitch here, I’m gonna beat a guy to a spot, make them get themselves out and pitch deeper into ballgames.” At 6’5”, Johnson has the size, repeatability, stuff, command, and levelheaded mindset to become a very solid mid-back end rotation piece. His one-of-kind and literal road to the show will continue next season when he and his wife drive first to Jupiter then presumably to Pensacola.

The theme to this part of the season is the challenge that comes with promotions. Four of the five players in this week’s Roundup were recently promoted, and embraced the challenge with a great performance, while the fifth put together a start that should earn him a callup back to the Majors in short order. _ SS Nasim Nunez, AA This Week’s Stats: 10-22, 3 2B, 4 R, 4 SB, 3/1 K/BB Few players in the Marlins system have had their stock rise as much as Nasim Nunez’s has this season. The Marlins have several of their top position player prospects at shortstop, so Nunez was getting a bit lost in the mix. Moreover, he was playing at the lower levels, with Jose Salas and Khalil Watson hot on his tail. Nunez has responded to that pressure with a promising season that has cemented some of his tools as truly elite. It is impossible to open a discussion about Nunez without noting his speed. Over three seasons of minor league action, Nunez has 121 stolen bases over 210 games. He has only been caught stealing twenty five times; that success rate of 83% is certainly worth the risk of taking an extra base. Since being promoted to Pensacola, Nunez is still above 80% (11 SB/ 2 CS). Continuing that rate, with that level of frequency, as Nunez advances levels is boosting his stock considerably. For fans of 1980’s baseball, Nunez has some of the most exciting tools of any minor leaguer. He can steal bases, and Nunez also plays exceptional defense. He will be a shortstop long-term. But, can he hit? That is the question that will decide Nasim Nunez’s future. It will be the difference between a utility infielder and an everyday player with surprising value. Nunez started slow after being promoted to Pensacola, but has really come on in the past few weeks. Nunez finished this week with ten hits, while stealing four bases as well. His plate discipline remains impressive, and his contact rate has gone up while with the Blue Wahoos. Getting the ball in play is vital; Nunez has the speed to post BABIP’s well over .300, as he is right now. LHP Josh Simpson, AAA This Week’s Stats: 3.0 IP, 1 R, 0 H, 7/3 K/BB In a season that has seen some incredibly promising relief work out of Marlins minor leaguers, Josh Simpson has arguably been the most electric of them all. After earning a callup to Jacksonville a few weeks ago, Simpson has continued to show a unique ability to generate swings and misses. He has faced nineteen batters in that time; eight of them (42.1%) have struck out. Of more concern, however, is that Simpson has also walked four batters out of those nineteen. Two others have been hit by pitches. Control has been an issue for the lefty all season, as he has posted a career worst walk rate. A double digit walk rate is not untenable for a relief pitcher, but Simpson needs to reign it in to keep his ERA low. Walks aside, Simpson remains filthy on the mound. Along with that career work walk rate comes a career best strikeout rate. Against Bowie this week, he showed just how effective his curveball is. In the encounter against Gunnar Henderson, shown in the video above, Simpson threw three consecutive breaking balls in the zone, and Henderson still did not stand a chance. He is one of the best prospects in baseball, and slugging over .500 this season, yet Simpson is that filthy and deceptive. Lefties in particular cannot touch Simpson. In 22.1 innings against left handers this season, he has struck out thirty eight and limited them to a .143 batting average. LHP Trevor Rogers, AAA This Week’s Stats: 6.0 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 12/1 K/BB When Trevor Rogers is having success on the mound, his profile is not overly complicated. Rogers relies on a heavy fastball-changeup combo, with the occasional slider thrown in to keep hitters honest. He rode those three pitches to a superb rookie season that nearly culminated in National League Rookie of the Year honors. Rogers came into the season with high expectations after that impressive first act as a big leaguer. Unfortunately, just about everything that could go wrong this season has gone wrong for the big lefty. His command has not been nearly as sharp, while the release points on his fastball and changeup have not been consistent. These mechanical issues are fixable, however, and there should be trust in the Marlins pitching development system to improve upon that. Neither the fastball or changeup have been commanded as well as last season, but the fastball has been hit the hardest. After being the most effective pitch Rogers threw last season (based on Fangraphs pitch values), it has been his worst pitch in 2022. However, when it comes to Rogers, the fastball and changeup go hand in hand. While the velocity on the two pitches has been close to what we saw last year, both pitches must be commanded well to work off of each other. Against Bowie this past week, Rogers showed much more promise when it comes to that two-pitch combo. His fastball was consistently at the top of the zone. Rogers struck out twelve batters in six innings, with nine of those being finished with a strikeout. Those pitches consistently came at the top of the zone, allowing Rogers to throw that changeup at the bottom of the zone to throw off hitters. Most swings and misses in the big leagues come as a result of location, not timing. By showing hitters different looks, Rogers looks far more prepared to get his next start in the big leagues. 1B Zach Zubia, A+ This Week’s Stats: 4-21, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 4/4 K/BB As most teams do in the weeks following the amateur draft, as the second half drifts onward, the Marlins have been promoting players rapidly over the past few weeks. One of the players to earn a trip to another level was Zach Zubia. He truly did earn the call-up; Zubia slashed .232/.404/.380 at Jupiter, good enough for a 135 wRC+. His 21.5% walk rate at that level was eleventh best of all Single-A hitters with at least one hundred plate appearances. Zubia came out of Texas as a hitter with an impressive college track record. While lacking a clear defensive home, Zubia put up impressive strikeout-to-walk rates while hitting for power. This season, his power has slowly creeped back to the levels that draft experts expected him to show. Since the promotion to Beloit, Zubia has hit four homers; Zubia now has eleven for the season between the two levels. His first home run for Beloit came a few weeks ago. The 460 foot bomb showed the prolific ability that Zubia has to slug if he can make consistent contact and stays aggressive. He added two more homers to the ledger this week, including a walk off bomb on Thursday to break a 1-1 tie. Zubia certainly possesses a bit of an upper cut swing that is too long, but his patient approach and raw power make for a solid offensive floor. So far, the move to Beloit has not proved to be too challenging for the tall first baseman. RHP Marcus Johnson, A This Week’s Stats: 4.0 IP, 2 R, 2 H, 8/2 K/BB After taking two pitchers out of high school with plus-fastballs, the Marlins selected a much different profile in Marcus Johnson. The tall righthander stands 6'6 and comes with a plus slider that has a ton of movement. The pitch helped Johnson become one of the best relief pitchers in college baseball in 2021, as he helped Duke win the ACC Championship. Hoping to get more out of the righty, Duke moved Johnson into the rotation last season. The results were mixed, but Johnson possesses a three-pitch repertoire that could work in the future as a starter. Johnson's control was adequate last season as a starter, with a walk rate just below 8%. However, scouts noted the lack of command he shows. His large frame does not make locating the fastball easy, and it is a pitch with a ton of downward movement. This makes it hittable, especially since Johnson sits more in the low-nineties. So, while Johnson is able to get his pitches near the zone, he is not executing them well within that area. Johnson has already walked six in eight minor league innings, so he will definitely have to clean that area of his game up. Johnson is a quality athlete, which should help him develop better control moving forward. Cleaning up his delivery will also be easier as Johnson matures. Johnson posted a 5.61 ERA last season for Duke, but the Marlins can help him make some adjustments that will help him reach his full potential. Most importantly, Johnson already possesses a decent changeup, which the Marlins are sure to utilize more frequently. His slider was his most effective pitch in his debut for Jupiter. The pitch has a quick drop, and is especially effective against left handed hitters as it bears in on them. With eight strikeouts in his Jupiter debut, Johnson showed just how promising his entire repertoire is. Next Up (8/30-9/4) Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp at GwinnettPensacola Blue Wahoos at ChattanoogaBeloit Sky Carp vs Quad CitiesJupiter Hammerheads at St Lucie

The Roundup returns this week, with an interesting balance of prospects. Two journey men, organizational arms put up great starts and pitched deep into games. On the other hand, two of the highest ceiling prospects in the system had big weeks and are deserving of a feature. Finally, MD Johnson puts up yet another start worthy of recognition. - LHP Josh Rogers, AAA This Week's Stats: 7.0 IP, 1 R, 6 H, 7/0 K/BB In a fairly under the radar move, the Marlins signed Josh Rogers to a minor league contract a few weeks ago. Miami has seen Rogers a bit recently, as he has thrown sixty-one innings over the past two seasons with the Washington Nationals. Rogers has struggled in the big leagues, but the Marlins pitching development system must have seen something in the left hander to make it worth taking a flier on him. The twenty-eight year old was drafted in 2015 by the New York Yankees, and had immediate success at the lower levels of the minor leagues. Rogers came out of Louisville, a program that the Marlins have drafted several players from. While pitching in High-A for the Yankees in 2016, he registered a 2.53 ERA over 113 innings pitched. Rogers continued to pitch well in the Yankees system, although he did not gain much traction as a prospect. Rogers has long posted low walk rates, but without the high strikeout rates to match it. Instead, New York used him as trade bait; Rogers was included in the deal that brought Zach Britton from Baltimore to New York. Rogers did not pitch well in the Orioles system though, with an elbow injury complicating the matter. He eventually caught on with the Nationals, and has now thrown his fair share of big league innings. Rogers has mainly pitched in a relief/swing role in the big leagues, but his background is as a starting pitcher. Rogers throws a bit of a kitchen sink at hitters, with a fastball, two-seamer, slider, and changeup. None of them get many swings and misses, but Rogers mixes it up well. He commands his fastball well, which makes it his most consistently effective pitch. In his dominant start against Nashville last week, he was locating it particularly well. However, Rogers also got his share of strikeouts, with his slider being particularly effective. Added pitching depth is never a bad thing, and Josh Rogers is showing that he could be a worthwhile addition. RHP MD Johnson, A+ This Week's Stats: 6.0 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 8/1 K/BB MD Johnson has definitively put up one of the best pitching performances in the entirety of the Marlins organization this season. He averages nearly six innings per start, a decent figure at any level of baseball nowadays. His 112 strikeouts far outpace the 71 hits and 23 walks surrendered over 97 innings. Since last season, when Johnson showed how effective he could be at Beloit, Johnson has only managed to increase his strikeout rate by over four percent and decrease his walk rate by five percent. His ERA even slipped below 3.00 this past week with a dominant performance at South Bend. Johnson has led a Beloit team that has crept up the standings after a slow start to the season. When looking at the entirety of the season, they are now a game below .500 (due to a five game losing streak this past week). Still, Johnson and a promising starting rotation have led Beloit back to respectability. They currently place second in the Midwest League’s Southern Division. When watching Johnson pitch, I continue to expect him to produce more groundballs. He has a high release point, and most right handers his size are naturally moving at a very downward angle. However, Johnson has a bit of a twitch in his delivery that results in a lower release than expected. The result is a high spin fastball that works well in the zone, and leads to a plethora of strikeouts. Johnson’s breaking pitches also get swings and misses, but the fastball seems to be the pitch he has the most comfort with. It remains a bit surprising that Johnson has not yet been promoted to Pensacola, but the Marlins seem to be content leaving him pitching dominantly at Beloit. A new challenge is probably needed soon. 3B Jacob Berry, A This Week's Stats: 6-21, 1 HR, 2 2B, 6/4 K/BB Marlins fans have seemed to be justifiably anxious about the progress of Jacob Berry. Taken in the first round of last month’s amateur draft, Berry faces high expectations immediately as a college bat playing in the lower levels of the minor leagues. The nature of this season, with the major league team struggling to live up to expectations, has only compounded the pressure on the young third baseman to perform immediately. Moreover, the relatively quiet trade deadline put additional pressure on Kim Ng’s front office to deliver immediately. All of this has put an unfair strain on Jacob Berry to be a positive in the ledger of Ng. Berry does not grade well as a defender, which furthers the need for his bat to play in a big way. There is a general belief that the Marlins could try the LSU product at multiple positions, including first base and the corner outfield, but so far Berry has just played at the hot corner for the Hammerheads. Clubs have their own internal information about minor league defensive performances and there is a lack of data available to the public right now. With the limited information that is available, it is known that Berry has three errors in eleven games, which seems to be less than promising. Berry got off to a particularly slow start at Jupiter; he was 7-39 (.179) until a 3-4 performance last Sunday. Since then, however, there have been some far more positive signs. Berry has shown a bit more patience at the plate, after displaying an overly aggressive approach in his first few professional weeks. This could probably be explained away by Berry simply pressing, although he did not post insanely high walk rates in college. Berry has continued his trend from last season at LSU of posting elite contact rates, striking out only 13% of the time at Jupiter. Scouts did express concerns about Berry’s lack of elite exit velocities in college, which did concern me when evaluating him as a draft prospect. Considering Berry’s advanced age, he needs to start displaying better contact quality consistently. This past week, Berry hit his first amateur home run and added a few extra base hits as well. That is a good sign and should be monitored going forward; Berry’s status as a potentially top-tier prospect depends on him showing an elite ability to hit at the lower levels quickly. SS Jordan Groshans, AAA This Week's Stats: 9-19, 1 HR, 1 2B, 2/4 K/BB We will use this week as an exciting opportunity to showcase the newest top prospect in the Marlins system. Most prospect rankings seem to have Groshans ranked around tenth in his new team’s organization. Drafted 12th overall in the 2018 draft, Groshans was regarded as one of the players with the highest potential in that draft. He came out of high school, in Texas, but scouts thought he had a potentially plus hit tool and glove. The results in the minor leagues have been a bit rocky, but keep in mind that Groshans is still just twenty-two years old. I was more fond of the trade made at the deadline that brought Groshans to Miami than most seemed to be. Anthony Bass was having an excellent season, while Zach Pop had pitched surprisingly well. However, relief pitching is notably volatile. Pop is under control for a long time, but does not get many swings and misses. Bass has a club option for next season, but also is nearly thirty-five years old. Ultimately, to get a prospect with the ceiling of Groshans is well worth that price. Since joining the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, Groshans has walked more than he has struck out. His minor league strikeout rates have stayed fairly low, showing that he still should be projected for a plus hit tool. The question remains whether Groshans can hit for enough power to carry an average big league bat. Hitting his first home run in the Marlins organization last week, Groshans showed a quick bat that can get to balls up in the zone. He will need to try and lift the ball off the ground more, but a line drive approach should result in some homers. Groshans is slugging .500 in sixty two appearances since the trade; continuing that extra base power into the future will determine if Groshans is a future utility player or a high level starter. RHP AJ Ladwig, AA This Week's Stats: 7.0 IP, 1 R, 7 H, 4/0 K/BB AJ Ladwig has had the sort of chaotic year that everyone should sympathize with. He started the season in the Detroit Tigers organization. He had been with the team since being drafted in 2014 out of Wichita State. The twenty-nine year old was released shortly after the start of the season. The right hander served as useful organizational depth, but had struggled when pitching above the Double-A level. The Marlins signed Ladwig in May, and he has been brilliant at Pensacola since then. Ladwig has always had elite control, but he has been at another level with the Blue Wahoos this year. Over 72 innings pitched, Ladwig has walked just four batters; that has translated to a miniscule 1.3% walk rate. The Marlins saw that, and called him up to pitch as relief depth last week. Against Atlanta, he showed that nerves would not impact him in his big league debut. While Ladwig gave up four runs over 3.1 innings, he was consistently around the strike zone and did not walk anyone. Unfortunately, Ladwig was rewarded for eating innings by being designed for assignment. Back with Pensacola this week, Ladwig showed that he has not missed a beat. Over seven innings against Mississippi, Ladwig did not walk any hitters, struck out four, and allowed just one run. The right hander has a fastball that sits in the low-nineties, and has the classic groundball pitcher approach. He rotates between fastball-slider-changeup well, which is a repertoire straight out of the 90s. Ladwig has done a great job this season of limiting walks and getting ground balls. While that profile probably translates to just organizational depth, Ladwig can at least be depended on to eat innings because he does not beat himself. Next Up (8/23-8/28) AAA Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp vs NorfolkAA Pensacola Blue Wahoos vs MontgomeryA+ Beloit Sky Carp vs PeoriaA Jupiter Hammerheads vs Daytona

Eury Perez (Photo by Pensacola Blue Wahoos)The injury bug that has been sweeping through the Marlins big league clubhouse since early late in the first half, costing players such as Jazz Chisholm Jr, Brian Anderson, Jon Berti, Max Meyer, Trevor Rogers and others playing time has made its way to the minor leagues. The latest squad to get bitten badly: the Pensacola Blue Wahoos. Over the course of the last week, the Wahoos have placed several of their players on the IL. Among them is the enigmatic Eury Perez. Perez, 19, joined the Marlins in 2019, signing out of the DR for $200,000. In under two seasons, he has risen to the rank of Marlins top prospect and according to many outlets including BaseballAmerica, the top pitching prospect in all of baseball. Playing against guys nearly six years older than him on average, Perez was holding down a 3.52 ERA, a 2.94 FIP, via a 29.1 K/BB%, 1.05 WHIP and semi-hard-luck .321 BABIP before he uncharacteristically struggled this past Monday night. Missing both his command and his velocity, Perez allowed six earned runs on two homers and four walks. It marked the first time in his young career that Perez had allowed more than five earned runs. Last season, Perez was placed on a strict 80 innings limit. He would wind up throwing 78. This season, that limit was boosted slightly up to 110. Usually, that would equate with around 75 pitches per start, but Perez isn’t the usual pitcher. Perez’s dominance has allowed the Marlins to push his pitch limit up near the 90 mark. He’s been as high as 87 this season. The latest on Perez is about as encouraging as it can be: he is experiencing simple arm fatigue and nothing further has been discovered in testing. So far, Eury has thrown 73 innings this year. While no specific timetable has been set, there is room for him to return and pitch again this season for the playoff-bound Wahoos, potentially after a few rehab outings with Jupiter. Perez remains on track to attend spring training with the Marlins in 2023 before assignment, likely to AAA, in the days surrounding his 20th birthday. IF Troy Johnston, who was placed on the IL on August 7th, is in concussion protocol as a precaution. Johnston is expected to return to Pensacola’s active roster when initially eligible early next week. Johnston has been one of Pensacola’s most consistent bats, hitting .292/.360/.450 over 85 games. C Paul McIntosh is dealing with a minor injury after his latest of many rough battles behind the plate this year. He is getting a week to breathe and recoup but is expected to rejoin the Wahoos when eligible this weekend. McIntosh, who signed as a UDFA, has been a diamond in the rough find for the Marlins. He’s hitting .252/.375/.453 this season in his first AA showing. IF Cody Morissette who broke bone in his foot suffered on July 3rd, the result of a foul ball, has shedded his crutches and walking boot. He has been at the Marlins’ facility in Jupiter since July 10th and will begin a rehab assignment with the FCL team today. IF Jorge Caballero is dealing with a groin issue. Caballero, who has had a very disjointed career due to his health, was hitting well with Jupiter before this most recent injury. He was a .297/.361/.397 hitter in July for the Hammerheads. OF Osiris Johnson is on the IL with a wrist injury he suffered on a hit by pitch. Per reports, Johnson was dealing with some general soreness before the HBP on July 23rd. Johnson, who learned how to play OF in the GCL in 2021, had played just five games with the Sky Carp before going down. His best tool, explosive bat speed, has been inhibited by recent events. He is at the Marlins’ facility in Jupiter.

In the first full week since the All-Star break, several Marlins pitching prospects showed continued development. For a few of these young players, that means progressing from injuries and working their way back to the big leagues. OF Victor Mesa Jr, A+ This Week's Stats: 8-23, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 1 3B, 3 SB Victor Mesa Jr. has quietly had a solid season this year at Beloit. Perhaps due to his brother's status as a likely prospect bust, Mesa Jr. has never gotten much praise in his own right. Undeniably, he does not have the talent to place too high on prospect lists. However, Mesa also does not have many holes in his game despite lacking any exceptional individual traits. For instance, Mesa has struck out in a reasonable 18% of his plate appearances this season, while walking in 10% of them. That is a solid, low strikeout rate, but not low enough for his hit tool to be considered elite. Go up and down Mesa's skillset and much of the same will be true. He has shown some raw power, but struggles to get to it in games and does not have a large frame. He is a decent athlete, but not likely to be a major base stealer or anything more than an average center fielder. Still, to have more of a glass half full approach, it is important to remember that average is valuable in the big leagues. If Mesa continues to do all of these things fairly well, he could develop into a useful player. Mesa Jr. is still just twenty years old, so there is time for the young outfielder. He has improved as the year has gone on, which is a good sign for his future. July was Mesa's highest month by slugging percentage this season. In-game power remains Mesa's most obvious crux, so continuing to grow on that will be vital. The lefty has a long, but smooth, swing that should result in line drives. The next month or so will be fascinating, and should determine whether Mesa starts next year in Pensacola. RHP Edward Cabrera, AAA This Week's Stats: 5.0 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 7/0 K/BB Edward Cabrera has made starts at four different levels this season, in what has been a frustrating, up-and-down campaign. Battling through an injury to start the season was the initial delay, and that was followed up by a June trip to the IL with right elbow tendinitis. Cabrera has been unlucky on the injury front, but when on the mound he has continued to show why he has been so highly regarded as a prospect. In 38.2 minor league innings this year, Cabrera has struck out 36% of opposing hitters while allowing only two homeruns. After seeing Cabrera struggle with control issues in his major league cup of coffee last season, it felt like the tall righty was starting to turn the corner in his second stint with the Marlins. While his walk rate was still far too high for a starter, Cabrera had decent command of his changeup and fastball in his three starts in June. Against Colorado, specifically, Cabrera's repertoire was so filthy that it did not matter where he threw the ball as Rockies hitters would still be flailing after it. Nothing shows the potential of Cabrera more than that; when on, his changeup and slider are major swing and miss pitches, because hitters also have to keep the upper-nineties velocity in the back of their minds. Pitching against Gwinnett last Thursday, Cabrera showcased how he can look when everything is going right. He walked nobody over five shutout innings, while striking out seven batters. Seeing Cabrera develop that level of comfort with his arsenal is immensely important. Over eleven innings in the minors since returning from the injury, Cabrera has walked just one batter. Perhaps the elbow issues were preventing him from commanding the ball with ease, which would make sense considering it was an injury to his throwing arm. Either way, Edward Cabrera is showing how filthy he can be, and will be doing it soon again in Miami. RHP Gabe Bierman, A This Week's Stats: 7.0 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 8/1 K/BB Along with Luis Palacios, Gabe Bierman has been one of the most consistent and durable starting pitchers in the Jupiter rotation this season. The tall right hander has consistently put the Hammerheads in a good position to win, while also pitching fairly deep into ballgames (especially considering the level). For the first time this season, Bierman managed to throw seven complete innings when he pitched a gem against Daytona on Saturday. That superb outing capped off a more-than stellar month of July for Bierman. Opposing batters hit just .191/.273/.281 against him, while Bierman registered a 3:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio for the month. As Bierman has developed, he continues to show a plus fastball that can be used up in the zone. The pitch has clocked in the mid-nineties this season, and he seems to be comfortable sitting with it in the low-nineties. Bierman also features a slider and a curveball, both of which can flash plus at times but need to be fine tuned going forward. His other plus offering is the changeup, which combines with the fastball to get a lot of groundballs. For now, Bierman has earned a spot in the Jupiter rotation, and should be well on the way to an appearance in Beloit. Selected last year in the 7th Round out of Indiana University, Bierman has shown enough signs that the Marlins should keep seeing him as a starter. While many expect him to eventually be moved into a relief role, Bierman has displayed the ability to get outs as a starter and pitch deeper into games. The key going forward will be harnessing his control a bit, as he has a walk rate above 10% at the moment. On the bright side, Bierman has showed excellent command in certain starts this season and does seem to have a good feel for his fastball/changeup combo. SS Jose Devers, AA This Week's Stats: 8-21, 4 2B, 4 RBI, 4/1 K/BB One of my favorite player archetypes is the slick fielding, light hitting middle infielder. Straight out of that 1980's, National League style game that featured so many of those sorts of players is Jose Devers. Following a lengthy struggle with injuries to start this season, Devers has struggled too much at the plate in Pensacola. While he made his major league debut last season, Devers will have to hit more if he wants to reach that level again anytime soon. Over the past few weeks, the middle infielder seems to be finding a bit more rhythm at the plate. Acquired via the Giancarlo Stanton trade with the Yankees prior to the 2018 season, Devers came with the reputation of a speedy, glove first player. His power has yet to develop in any substantial way; Devers has not hit a home run as a member of the Miami Marlins organization. It is with good reason that Fangraphs has a 20 FV on his in in-game power. While he has shown the ability to at least hit the ball hard, Devers is certainly limited to being more of a singles hitter. If he can play shortstop well, than that profile can be doable. Devers will need to cut his strikeout rate down a bit from it's current rate of 19%, and probably put the ball on the ground more. His .264 BABIP this season is likely somewhat due to bad luck, but he has also not hit enough grounders and line drives. Considering Devers' plus speed, beating out balls on the ground may be his best bet. Using all parts of the field more will also help. While this is atypical device for most young hitters nowadays, Devers' future will depend on him continuing to show a plus glove and hitting just enough. Over the past week, he did exactly that, while also showing some doubles power that could raise his ceiling eventually. RHP Eli Villalobos, AA This Week's Stats: 4.0 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 5/0 K/BB Another week, and another Pensacola Blue Wahoos relief pitcher worth highlighting. After a bit of a rough start to July, Eli Villalobos put together his best week of the month and thoroughly dominated opposing hitters. The former 14th round pick in 2018 out of Long Beach State has really settled into a relief role over the past few seasons after Miami initially tried to use him as a starter in 2019. Like most other relief pitchers in the system, the Marlins have been aggressive in their using Villalobos for more than one inning this season. Villalobos averages about four-five outs per appearance, while still maintaining a high strikeout rate. Villalobos has a fastball that sits in the mid-nineties, while featuring a wipeout curveball for swings and misses. This combination locks him into a relief role going forward, although Villalobos also features a changeup that can be useful against lefties. His relative lack of control would also seem to indicate that he is set as a reliever. However, Villalobos has improved upon his walk rate as the season has gone on. While it stands above 10% at the moment, since June 1st he has walked just 7% of batters after struggling at the start of the year. The most intriguing part of Villalobos' profile remains his revere splits. Lefties have hit just .153/.229/.245 against the lengthy right hander, which is considerably worse than same-sided batters have fared against him. The off speed pitches have clearly proven vital in these situations, as well as a little bit of deception in his delivery. Either way, this sort of unique trait could carry Villalobos far, as hitter will not be used to this sort of profile. Next Up (8/2-8/7) AAA Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp vs MemphisAA Pensacola Blue Wahoos at MontgomeryA+ Beloit Sky Carp at Cedar RapidsA Jupiter Hammerheads at Palm Beach

The big league Marlins limp into the break several games out of a playoff spot. However, there is exciting new talent about to enter the system following Sunday's amateur draft. Moreover, there are a few prospects worth highlighting this week, led by a few dominant relief pitchers and some talented hitters at the upper levels of the minors. LHP Luis Palacios, A This Week's Stats: 6.0 IP, 2 R, 6 H, 7/0 K/BB Luis Palacios has been one of the pitchers featured most on the weekly roundups this season, and for good reason. Every week, he seems to deliver a quality start that gives the Hammerheads a great chance to win the game. His success stems from one particularly noteworthy trait: exceptional command. In 88.2 innings pitched this season, Palacios has worked just five batters. That ridiculous statistic is augmented by the fact that he has thrown just two wild pitches, and has yet to hit a batter. Palacios knows where the ball is going, and is not afraid to challenge hitters. His 1.5 BB% is amongst the best figures for any pitcher at any level, which gives me hope that Palacios could eventually slot at the back end of a big league rotation. What gives me doubt that he ever reaches that level is the lack of big league velocity. Palacios is only twenty-two years old, but his fastball speed has gone up very little since signing with the Marlins back in 2016. If this is the highest velocity that his fastball will reach, than it is unlikely that Palacios will ever make it all the way to the Bigs. Sitting in the mid-to-high eighties, he is crafty enough to get hitters out at A-ball. Challenging hitters at the upper level will be another story, and it will be telling for the future of this lefty. Palacios still does get a relatively high amount of strikeouts due to a decent slider and a plus changeup. He has been a bit unlucky with a BABIP of .321, considering Palacios limits hard contact well as hitters struggle to barrel him up. Right handers have struggled against him even more than left handers, showing just how valuable that changeup can be. Palacios has pitched almost two full seasons at Jupiter, so I would be surprised if he is not promoted to Beloit shortly. It is time to see whether his exceptional command and deceptive delivery can lead to success at a higher level. LHP Jefry Yan, AA This Week's Stats: 3.2 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 9/1 K/BB The Pensacola Blue Wahoos have had some truly dominant relief pitchers come through their bullpen this season, yet Jefry Yan may have the nastiest stuff of all of them. His deceptive delivery makes a mid-nineties fastball look even faster, while his curveball has a sharp bite to it that often leaves hitters guessing. Yan's biggest problem remains that he often has just as little of a clue as to where the ball is going as the hitters do. In several minor league stops, Yan has yet to register a single digit walk rate at any point. That lack of control does not usually translate to a big league future, but Yan has the sort of stuff where it is hard not to dream. Initially signed by the Angels in 2013 out of the Dominican Republic, Yan was released after a few seasons in which he showed little ability to throw strikes. Yan also had issues with tipping pitches, resulting in few swings and misses. After getting hurt several times, Yan finally resurfaced with the Marlins last season a minor league deal. Since then, he has shown major improvements in harnessing his stuff to get swings and misses. Yet, the control problems remain. In brief stretches, such as this past week, Yan has shown an ability to put it all together. He walked just one hitter in thirteen plate appearances, while striking out nine. That ridiculous K-rate is a glimpse of what Yan could be if he can just throw strikes a little more often. Hitters have to fear that he can get the ball over the plate, otherwise they will not even try swinging against his nasty offerings. The first pitcher that comes to mind when watching Yan pitch out of the windup is Aroldis Chapman. The lengthy lefty has the same kind of presence on the mound, and it is almost impossible for left handed batters to see the pitch out of his hand. It is a worthwhile storyline for the rest of the season to see if Dave Eiland and the coaches at Pensacola can get Yan to limit the based on balls so we can see how dominant he truly can be. OF Jerar Encarnacion, AAA This Week's Stats: 9-24, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 5/3 K/BB Before the season, I noted that 2022 would be a pivotal season for Jerar Encarnacion. While he has all of the physical tools to be a plus hitter with bigtime power and a cannon in the outfield, Encarnacion had yet to put it all together in real games. He had shown some power, but his in-game power was still a distance apart from his raw power output. Moreover, a concerning amount of swings and misses emerged in his stint at Pensacola last season, making it essential that more power begin to show. Encarnacion also entered this season at twenty-four years old. While that is an age where there is still plenty of room for improvement and maturity, Encarnacion was getting to the point where he needed to start showing that he could truly hit. Within the first month or so of the season playing for the Blue Wahoos, it was clear that the switch had been flipped for Encarnacion. The big outfielder already has hit a career high seventeen homers between three levels, including the one in the majors in a huge victory over the first place Mets. While his performance in Jacksonville has not equaled the elite statistics in Pensacola, Encarnacion is starting to get comfortable at the Triple-A level as well. He smashed two homers this week, while also getting on base at a high rate. He has shown plus power at Jacksonville, which is the most important thing considering his ceiling as a big leaguer is as a corner outfielder with 30-40 home run pop. Through three months this season, I am far more confident that Encarnacion can reach that potential than I was a year ago. He has made more contact this season, gotten on base more, and maximized the quality of his contact far more often. RHP Tyler Mitzel, A+ This Week's Stats: 3.2 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 5/1 K/BB The Marlins have truly had a bevy of elite relief pitchers in the minor leagues this season, and Mitzel is a guy who has been deserving of a shoutout at many points this season. Mitzel went undrafted out of Augustana University in South Dakota in 2018, despite a fairly dominant season working as a starter and out of the bullpen occasionally. The Marlins took a chance on Mitzel as a bullpen arm at the lower levels, and he has consistently improved since then. Now twenty six years old, Mitzel is having his best professional season while pitching in Beloit. He has maintained a WHIP below 1.00, which can be fluky but is usually a good sign of very effective relief work. Most importantly, Mitzel has made hitters earn their way on base. He has walked only six batters over 42.1 innings pitched, while striking out fifty eight. His 3.5% walk rate would easily be a career best, as would his 34.1% strikeout rate. As is the case with many Marlins relievers this year, Mitzel has also consistently thrown multiple innings. As a former starter, this has proven to be an effective way to get a high amount of innings while maintaining his best stuff out of the bullpen. Having a bunch of guys who can perform in that swing-man role should prove beneficial for the big league team within the next year or so. Mitzel's repertoire, which is fastball-changeup heavy, also makes him more unique because he serves as a reverse-platoon pitcher. Lefties have batted just .139/.162/.215 against him this season, while striking out in about a third of their plate appearances. With a fastball that sits in the mid-nineties, Mitzel is an exciting prospect with the potential to throw some effective bulk relief innings. 3B Charles Leblanc, AAA This Week's Stats: 10-25, 2 HR, 2 2B, 11/1 K/BB As the major league season heads into the All-Star break, the Marlins will be stuck on an eight game span without hitting a home run. That drought, the third longest in team history, played a large part in the Marlins wasted homestand against Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. While many fans were optimistic about an improved offense this season, the additions that the Marlins made have not moved the needle far enough. Miami currently ranks 24th in the majors in runs scored, after finishing 29th in 2021. While their team wRC+ is up over ten points, they still possess a below average offense by just about any standard. Considering how solid the Marlins pitching has been this year, it is a shame that they have not scored enough runs to give support to their starters. While improvements from outside of the organization will be needed to seriously turn the offense around, it remains a bit of a mystery as to why the team has been so hesitant to promote and play some of their best Triple-A hitters. Charles Leblanc is the first hitter who comes to mind who would be deserving of a chance at the next level. He has consistently hit the ball well all season long, and has been featured many times in these weekly roundups as a result. This past week was nothing new from Leblanc. He hit several extra base knocks while getting on base consistently. Leblanc is slugging over .500 for the season, and has arguably been Jacksonville's best hitter. One potential area of concern for Leblanc is the swing and miss in his game, and if I had to guess it is probably what's preventing his promotion (along with not being on the 40-man roster). Leblanc has struck out 28.7% of the time this season, which is high but not to an unplayable extent. His power has more than made up for it, and the strikeouts may just be a manifestation of Leblanc maximizing his contact. More importantly, Leblanc can play all over the infield and provides a much higher ceiling than Willians Astudillo or Erik Gonzalez. Next Up (7/22-7/24) AAA Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp vs CharlotteAA Pensacola Blue Wahoos at BiloxiA+ Beloit Sky Carp at WisconsinA Jupiter Hammerheads vs St. Lucie

Controversy continues to swirl around one of the most talented prospects in the Marlins system, Kahlil Watson, but other players have stepped up in the mean time. A few under the radar prospects who put together their best weeks of the season are featured in this edition of the roundup. - 1B Lewin Diaz, AAA This Week's Stats: 5-16, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 3/3 K/BB With the lack of high quality play that the Marlins position players have demonstrated, it remains a bit of a mystery why the big league team has not turned to Jacksonville for reinforcements. The AAA team's two most productive hitters this season, Diaz and Charles Leblanc, have seen a combined ten major league plate appearances. Veteran ballplayers, like Willians Astudillo and Erik Gonzalez, have seen far more time in Miami despite possessing lower ceilings and not performing as well at Jacksonville. Diaz, now twenty-five years old, is just about at the point where the Marlins have to decide his future in the organization. For a while, it has seemed like the team has not valued Diaz in the same way as many prospect analysts have. Considering his elite glove and plus raw power, and the Marlins status as a below- .500 team over the past few seasons, the Marlins would be wise to see what they have in Diaz. Over the past two seasons in Jacksonville, the big lefty has hit thirty eight home runs in 148 games; he does not have much more to prove at this level. Diaz has done an impressive job over the past few seasons to maximize his power output. His swing is designed to do in-air damage, with a slight upper cut that is still quick through the zone. He sees breaking pitches through the zone well, and hammers pitches on the lower half of the zone. Keeping his contact rate as low as it is (hovering around 20% in AAA) will be key to his future as a big leaguer, considering his strong but not elite power. Diaz's glove remains his calling card though, and could be useful in Miami very soon. Garrett Cooper and Jesus Aguilar are both known as bat-first first basemen, and have combined for a -3 DRS at first this season. In an admittedly small sample size, Diaz has been an exceptional +12 DRS in just fifty seven MLB games. SS Nasim Nunez, A+ This Week's Stats: 11-22, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 5 SB, 3/6 K/BB The forward leaps that Nasim Nunez has made over the past month have been amongst the most exciting Marlins prospect developments going. As the season has gone on, Nunez has hit for more power, struck out less, and continued stealing bases at an astounding rate. It has culminated in Nunez being amongst the most productive hitters in the Marlins system. Ranked fourteenth in the recent Fangraphs Marlins Prospect List, it is fair to expect that Nunez will keep climbing up the rankings. During his slow start to the season at Beloit, the lack of contact that Nunez was making was probably the most concerning aspect of his game. Nunez was never projected for more than an average hit tool, but it is vital that he reaches that potential as a glove-first, low power middle infielder. Since April, when Nunez was striking out in nearly every other plate appearance, he has gradually brought that rate way down. From June 1st onward, Nunez is striking out in 18.7% of his plate appearances, which is an above average rate. Things have clearly clicked for Nunez, who augmented that contact with more power as well. The last time that Nunez was featured in the roundup he was fresh off of his first minor league home run. This week he hit his second long ball, while posting another week where he walked more than he struck out. Scouts would certainly say that they would like to see Nunez be a bit more aggressive at the plate, and he does seem to be hunting mistakes by the pitcher more. On the other hand, getting on base at a high rate provides Nunez with a decent floor even if his power never develops much. Continuing to make contact is the most important thing, as Nunez's speed is a constant threat on the base paths. RHP Huascar Brazoban, AAA This Week's Stats: 3.0 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 5/1 K/BB Huascar Brazoban stood out in Spring Training, as he was consistently throwing fastballs in the high-nineties and generating swings and misses. Having spent the past few seasons playing in different countries and in independent leagues, Brazoban was given a chance on a minor league deal over the winter. With the way he pitched in the spring, Brazoban deserved a chance in full season ball. The thirty two year old right hander has backed up his opportunity with his best season yet in professional ball. One of the more intriguing aspects of Brazoban's season has been how the Jumbo Shrimp, and manager Daren Brown, have utilized him. He has been one of the team's best relief pitchers, but has also thrown the fourth most innings of anyone on the team. As the season has gone on, Brazoban has gone deeper into games on a per-outing basis. Since the start of June, every one of Brazonban's outings have generated at least five outs. Most of those appearances have between two-three innings, giving Brown a valuable swing man to use in the middle innings of close games. Not only has Brazoban given the Jumbo Shrimp that sort of length in his appearances, but he has also pitched very well. His 32% K-rate is well above average, while he has kept his walk rate in the single digits. Considering Brazoban's past minor league status, when he was consistently walking 12-16% of batters, that is an important improvement. His heavy fastball seems well geared to generating ground balls when hitters do make contact, while the slider will get swings and misses. The Marlins have gone through many relief pitchers this season, but Brazoban has pitched well enough to be knocking on the door. RHP Zach McCambley, AA This Week's Stats: 6.0 IP, 1 R, 0 H, 6/3 K/BB This has not been an easy year for the development of Zach McCambley. After entering the season as one of the Marlins more electric pitching prospects, McCambley has struggled with control and pitching with runners on base. However, there have still been moments like his start last week against Mississippi, where McCambley shows his potential as a guy who it is very difficult to make quality contact against. The key to McCambley's start against the Mississippi Braves was command of his curveball. It is by far his best pitch, and the one most likely to give hitters problems. McCambley consistently commands the pitch better than his other pitches, and can execute it well on the outside corner against lefties. The lack of a quality, high velocity fastball to match that breaking ball is what has slowed his development. His changeup has showed flashes of being a useful offering as well, but it is not as easy to set it up when the fastball is not particularly dangerous in the first place. Due to the strangeness of that repertoire, McCambley's future is most likely as a reliever who frequently pitches backwards. Setting guys up with the curveball for a strike, then throwing a fastball or changeup, before finishing with the curveball could be a recipe for success. That's what his plan seemed to be against the Braves, and he clearly had hitters out of rhythm. McCambley must also continue to clean up the issues with runners on base; his 57.2% left on base rate is concerning, but also likely too low to continue. Commanding his fastball is the first step towards McCambley cleaning that up and lowering his ERA. Last weeks start against the Braves was certainly a positive sign. 1B Zach Zubia, A This Week's Stats: 6-14, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 3 2B, 3/6 K/BB Most of the recent news surrounding the Jupiter Hammerheads has regarded two of the top Marlins prospects. Jose Salas was promoted to Beloit a few weeks ago, and has continued to hit. Back in Jupiter, Kahlil Watson has had a brutal last few months that have culminated in him not playing at all last week due to disciplinary issues stemming from a conflict with an umpire. Unfortunately, it is not the first controversy surrounding Watson this year, but last year's first round pick has plenty of time to mature. While the Marlins need to focus on that, Zach Zubia has kept on raking in the middle of the Hammerheads lineup. Zubia came out of the draft last year as a big bodied, athletic first baseman with some serious raw power. He hit over thirty homers in his college career at Texas, while posting impressive strikeout-to-walk ratios. A twentieth round pick in the draft, Zubia did not come with much hype as an older prospect without a clear defensive home. After some struggles last year in his professional debut, in which he failed to hit a home run in eighty five plate appearances, Zubia is looking much more confident at the plate this season and should be in line for a promotion. The most striking statistic when examining Zubia's profile remains his strikeouts compared to his walks. He has struck out sixty eight times this season, but walked fifty nine times. His walk rate is over 20%, demonstrating a particularly disciplined approach. However, if Zubia is going to reach his potential, he will have to start being a bit more aggressive and hunt pitches to do damage against. Despite all the walks, Zubia does still swing and miss quite a bit. He has also not hit the ball in the air frequently enough. This past week was a great sign, though, as he hit for extra base power. Zubia's slugging percentage now stands at exactly .400 for the season, and will need to keep climbing before he earns a promotion to Beloit. Next Up (7/12-7/17) AAA Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp at Syracuse AA Pensacola Blue Wahoos vs ChattanoogaA+ Beloit Sky Carp vs Cedar RapidsA Jupiter Hammerheads at Bradenton

Fresh off a sweep of the Washington Nationals, things are beginning to look up again for the Marlins. Some quality pitching performances from top prospects at the lower levels should extend that optimism for Miami fans, as the second half of the season continues in the minors. - RHP Max Meyer, AAA This Week's Stats: 9.2 IP (2 GS), 1 R, 4 H, 9/1 K/BB Prior to being sidelined with right ulnar nerve irritation, Max Meyer had been experiencing his first difficulties of the 2022 season. This forearm injury may have contributed to Meyer's struggles, as he gave up fourteen runs in his two starts before landing on the injured list. Meyer had exactly a month off between outings, and he has looked much better since his return to action. Since coming back from the injury, Meyer has a 14/1 K/BB ratio through three starts and has given up just two runs. He has been the electric pitcher that fans were getting excited about in April, and is again knocking on the door of the big leagues. Perhaps the best sign that Meyer has shown over the past few starts has been improved command. After walking close to 10% of the batters he faced last year in Pensacola, Meyer has lowered that walk rate a few ticks this season. He seems to be a bit more consistent with his delivery, which has helped him throw pitches exactly where he wants them. Meyer's changeup continues to need work to avoid leaving it in dangerous spots, but it is clearly becoming more of a weapon against left handed hitters because of the way it tunnels with his fastball. The changeup is not the out pitch that his slider is, but Meyer can still get some uncomfortable looking swings on it when the pitch is well executed. Meyer got a few strikeouts on the changeup in his win versus Memphis on Sunday, and was featuring it frequently against lefties. Meyer's fastball continues to be an effective, ground ball generating pitch, although his velocity has not yet returned to the upper nineties consistently. His velocity was down right before he went on the injured list, so the forearm injury could have led to a slight decrease in miles per hour. Still, it is worth monitoring as Meyer continues to pitch his way closer to the Major Leagues with each successful start. OF Osiris Johnson, A This Week's Stats: 8-20, 1 HR, 2 2B, 1 SB Osiris Johnson has developed a bit slower than many may have hoped. However, it is important to keep in mind that the former second round pick is still only twenty one years old. If he had decided to play college baseball instead of signing with the Marlins, Johnson could be eligible for the upcoming draft. So, while Johnson is still trying to find his footing in Jupiter, it is important just to see his tools starting to translate to on-field success. That was the case this past week, as the quick Johnson showed some extra base power against St. Lucie. Johnson's development was further hindered by a tibia injury; he had fewer than 200 career professional plate appearances prior to missing the 2020 season due to the pandemic. Finally back seeing live pitching last year, Johnson struggled with an overly aggressive approach. While his right handed swing is smooth through the zone, Johnson tended to make poor swing choices that limited how often he was maximizing his contact. Johnson drew the unenviable task of batting leadoff against the Mets' Jacob DeGrom in his rehab start on Sunday afternoon. Johnson struck out against the Cy Young Award winning right hander, but that did not sour his performance for the rest of the week. He has shown plus bat speed throughout his minor league career; this spring Johnson hit a home run with a 103 mph exit velocity. That is a trait that can continue progressing as Johnson matures and gets stronger, but it is vitally important that he already possesses such a talent. Johnson still needs to work on his approach and get on base more, but he is also making more contact than he was a year ago. I would be surprised if Miami moves him up to Beloit anytime soon, but Osiris Johnson is showing some encouraging signs in recent weeks. C Ryan Lavarnway, AAA This Week's Stats: 4-16, 2 HR, 1 2B, 4 RBI I will admit that I was a bit excited when the Marlins acquired Ryan Lavarnway a few weeks ago from the Tigers, in exchange for cash considerations. With Payton Henry still on the minor league injured list, Jacksonville needed another catcher for depth, so the move made sense. Lavarnway has been around for a long time, and I can remember his days as a top prospect in the Boston Red Sox system. Lavarnway came up to the Majors in 2011 to some fanfare, and almost saved the Red Sox from a late season collapse with a few timely homers. Lavarnway never panned out for Boston, or in the big leagues in general unfortunately. His career line of .217/.272/.345 is not out of place for a backup catcher, but his defense behind the plate has never been of a high enough quality to latch on to a team. Lavarnway is the perfect example of the "Quadruple A" hitter as a guy who can hit AAA pitching consistently well, but struggles against major leaguers. With a .274/.366/.457 career minor league batting line, Lavarnway has never struggled to produce at the lower levels. He has also belted 141 minor league homers and 213 doubles. Lavarnway put a few of those homers onto his career line this week against Memphis. With a swing generated to do pull side damage through elevation, Lavarnway crushed a 443 foot homer on Friday night. He does not hit for the same kind of power that he did as a younger top prospect. Lavarnway hit 32 homers in 2011 between two levels (not including the two he hit in Boston), but has not come close to matching that total since then. Still, it was great to see this kind of power this week, to show that Lavarnway is still capable of adding to his résumé as one of the best minor league players of the past decade. The leadership he can provide for some of the Marlins young hitters should go a long way. RHP Eury Perez, AA This Week's Stats: 5.0 IP, 1 R, 4 H, 8/3 K/BB Eury Perez belongs to the Zach King and MD Johnson Club of guys who could be included in these roundups pretty much every week. Perez has been similarly dominant as those two Beloit pitchers, but he has done it a bit differently. As a guy who just turned nineteen years old to pitch this well at an upper level of the minor leagues, a spot in this list really could be guaranteed. The Marlins have been careful about Perez pitching too many innings at such a young age, but that has not limited his value to the Blue Wahoos this year. Manager Kevin "Smoke" Randel told us in April that Perez would be limited to about seventy five pitches per start, and that has largely proven to be the case. Perez has not thrown more than eighty four pitches in any given start, and has also yet to give up more than three earned runs in a start this year. With a 77/14 K/BB ratio through fifty six innings now, Perez has been everything Marlins fans could have possibly hoped for before entering the year. The numbers do not do Eury Perez justice though, as his composure and Major League quality stuff have been more of the story. Fangraphs, who now rates Perez among the top pitching prospects in the game, gave Eury a 70 future grade on his command. They already have a 50 on his current command, meaning that they think he already has big league average command. That is an incredible accomplishment for a nineteen year old, an age where most guys are just being drafted or are beginning their college careers. While he did walk three batters in his start last week, Perez still has a 6.3% BB rate on the season. That figure is solid for a starter at any level, and is a testament to how comfortable he is with a four pitch arsenal. As long as he keeps pitching like this, Eury Perez will be on the top of many prospects list going into 2023. RHP Evan Fitterer, A+ This Week's Stats: 6.0 IP, 2 R, 5 H, 5/2 K/BB It has been a rocky year to this point for Evan Fitterer, a prospect who I was hoping to see more out of this year. His strikeout rate sits at a below average 17.2%, while a double digit walk rate has contributed to a high ERA. Fitterer intrigues me as a prospect due to two plus off speed pitches that contribute to a plethora of ground balls. Pitchers with that background have had success out of the bullpen for big league teams in swing roles, as they tend to effectively give hitters a different look compared to a fastball heavy starter. Fitterer has not had the necessary command to utilize that sort of repertoire this year though. Fitterer continues to sit in the low nineties with his fastball, which also has a lot of movement. The pitch seems to cut more than anything else, and can be deceptive at times against hitters. Unfortunately, his delivery has not been consistent enough to deliver the pitch where he always wants to. Against South Bend last week, Fitterer did seem to clean things up a bit and put together one of his better performances of the season as a result. With only two walks, he now has five walks total over his last eighteen innings. That is nothing special, but is a step in the right direction. Over that same stretch, however, Fitterer has only eleven strikeouts. He needs to put the two together to locate pitches within the zone, but where it will be more difficult for batters to make contact against it. Giving me optimism going forward is Fitterer's ground ball rate, which is just below 60% right now. If he can just keep pitches near the zone, Fitterer can get outs on the ground and limit serious damage through the air. This past week's start was a step in the right direction. Up Next (7/4-7/10) AAA Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp vs NorfolkAA Pensacola Blue Wahoos at MississippiA+ Beloit Sky Carp at PeoriaA Jupiter Hammerheads vs Palm Beach

Gary Denbo (AP Photo)Following Derek Jeter’s departure from the Marlins organization this offseason, one of his original and appointees has been relieved. On Wednesday afternoon, Craig Mish of SportsGrid broke the news that the team has parted ways with Vice President of Player Development and Scouting Gary Denbo. Denbo was a Jeter guy even before the start. One of the new regime’s first hires, Denbo joined the Marlins’ organization in 2017, replacing Mark DelPiano. In a controversial move, Jeter had asked then outgoing team president David Samson to inform DelPiano and three others of their releases before Jeter officially took over the team. Denbo and Jeter were well acquainted friends and colleagues as a result of spending seven seasons together in the organization. With the Yankees, Denbo first served as a hitting coach in 2001 before returning to the organization in 2009 as a player development executive. In 2011, Jeter attributed improvements in his swing made while he was on the IL to Denbo’s teachings. But that was far from Denbo’s only qualification. Beginning in 2015, Denbo completely overhauled the Yankees’ farm system. He remodeled the organization’s image from the perennial mortgagers of young talent to a club that can effectively build from within. In Denbo’s years, the Yankees developed positional prospects such as Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez, Miguel Andujar, Gleyber Torres and others to become a much more prominent minor league system. In his tenure with the Marlins, the organization experienced a similar rise up farm system rankings. In 2016, Miami ranked as the second worst farm system in baseball. Today, most major outlets concur that the system is amongst the top five. While pitching development flourished, Denbo’s major crux with the Marlins was getting the most out of his positional talent. Though Denbo has used similar tactics he used with the Yankees such as bringing his preseason tutelage and education program for top prospects Captain’s Camp to Miami and while pitching development has flourished, heavily invested in prospects such as JJ Bleday, Victor Victor Mesa, Connor Scott, Jordan McCants, Kahlil Watson and others have so far struggled to live up to their believed potential. Denbo also drew ire for not advocating for pay for minor league players in extended spring training and providing players with their own bedrooms at every MiLB affiliate. The Marlins are one of just three organizations in baseball who do not provide at least one of those accommodations. Furthermore, Denbo was at times unpopular for other HR related decisions and treatment of employees he managed. With Denbo moving on, the Marlins have several in house options who could fill his position. Highly-heralded for his work in the last few MLB Drafts, Senior Director of Amateur Scouting DJ Svihlik is an obvious option. It would seem Svihlik will take on increased responsibility in the meanwhile as the MLB Draft approaches. Director of Pro Scouting Hadi Raad, Director of Player Development Geoff DeGroot and Director of Minor League Operations Hector Crespo are other qualified candidates. While all of those names are deserving, like Denbo, they all have ties to the Yankees. It will be very interesting to see the direction the organization goes as they continue to operate sans Jeter.

Most of the Marlins' minor league affiliates were finishing up the first halves of their seasons last week. Congratulations are in order for the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, who won their division and have secured a spot in the playoffs in a few months. Moreover, all four minor league teams are now at .500 or better on the season, which underlies the development we have seen from many players this season. - LHP Andrew Nardi, AAA This Week's Stats: 3.0 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 5/1 K/BB The Marlins may rank 21st in the Major Leagues in bullpen ERA, but they have a host of exciting relievers in the system that should be valuable reinforcements within the next year or so. Nardi is one of the guys closest to contributing at the highest level of professional baseball. Since his promotion to Jacksonville about a month ago, Nardi has continued to display a repertoire that can gets swings and misses and limit base runners. He has posted a WHIP below 1.00 at both Pensacola and Jacksonville this year, while posting a strikeout rate of 38% between the two levels. This has been Nardi's most promising season since being drafted in 2019, and the twenty-three year old is still young enough that more development can be expected. Nardi worked primarily as a starting pitcher in college, albeit with limited success. He posted a 6.75 ERA in seventeen games (fourteen starts) while at Arizona in 2018. Still, the Marlins saw enough promise to take the big lefty in the sixteenth round of the 2019 draft. Nardi has worked only as a reliever since joining Miami's pipeline, but has shown an ability to pitch multiple innings. These types of hybrid roles can be incredibly valuable for a manager, as we have seen progressive teams utilize pitchers like Nardi one to two times a week for multiple innings. Nardi has made twenty five appearances, between the two levels, this season; in over half of them he has gotten four outs or more. Nardi's three pitch arsenal makes this sort of multi-inning role plausible in the Major Leagues. His fastball sits in the low-to-mid nineties, while his slider misses bats. Nardi's third pitch, a changeup, neutralizes opposite handed batters well when he is able to locate the pitch. Lefties have not been able to touch Nardi this season, with a .105/.191/.105 line against him, while righties have had greater success. Developing the changeup will be crucial to Nardi's big league future, as just being a lefty specialist would provide value but would also limit Nardi's ceiling. Still, as that .000 ISO against lefties indicates, Nardi has not even given up an XBH against them this season. Based on the way he has pitched, even if Nardi does not get a call up before the end of the season, he will have earned a spot on the 40 man roster this winter instead of being exposed to the Rule 5 Draft. OF Victor Mesa Jr., A+ This Week's Stats: 8-23, 4 2B, 6 R, 2/7 K/BB It is hard to believe Victor Mesa Jr. is only twenty years old still (he turns twenty-one in September). After signing with the Marlins as the second wheel to his brother in a much publicized pursuit of the Cuban outfielders, the younger Mesa brother has slowly developed into the more intriguing prospect. While neither of the Mesa brothers is a sure thing to ever even reach the big leagues, Victor Jr. has shown enough this season to retain some hope that he could end up contributing at the highest level. Much like the rest of the Beloit lineup, Mesa's performance has gotten better as the season has gone on. His OPS has trended upwards on a monthly basis, while he is walking more and striking out less. With a .253/.343/.380 line, Mesa has performed 3% better than league average. Interestingly, the lefty swinging Mesa has performed far better against left handed pitchers than righties. His .855 OPS versus lefties, as opposed to a .676 OPS against righties, may just be a case of a small sample size. Still, two of his three home runs this season came against lefties, and his strikeout rate is also lower against southpaws. Mesa struggled mightily against lefties last year, so he has made some important adjustments to counteract that with his approach. Scouts still raise concerns, and justifiably so, about the lack of a standout tool from Mesa. An argument could be made that his hit tool could end up being that trait. Looking at his last week, Mesa was on base fifteen times while striking out only twice. His K% for the season sits at an impressive, if not necessarily elite, 18%. For the month of June, that strikeout rate is at an exceptional 11.9%. Hope needs to remain that Mesa can come into some more power considering his age and athletic frame. Unfortunately, not much power has emerged in games, with an ISO of .122 this season. The doubles we saw this week are a good sign, and Mesa's future path to the big leagues may be as a contact hitter who can pick up some steals, doubles, and get on base enough to be a fringe starter/fourth outfielder type. SS Nasim Nunez, A+ This Week's Stats: 9-19, 1 HR, 2 2B, 2 3B, 1/6 K/BB The defense that Nasim Nunez consistently plays is not usually discernible in the minor league box scores, but provides a value that is hard to quantify at the lower levels. The major scouting publications all seem to agree that Nunez's calling card is his glove though, and it has the potential to be a ticket to the majors eventually. Unfortunately, up until the last few weeks, the glove and speed were about all there was to be excited about when it came to Nunez. To say he had not hit in professional ball would be an understatement; Nunez had never hit a home run in the minors and most of his hits were a result of great speed. Nunez snapped that homerless drought this past week with not just a homer, but a no doubt bomb to center field. Nothing demonstrates how toolsy Nunez is better than that long ball. The switch hitting shortstop is still growing into his frame and tacking on muscle that will help him reach more power. Nunez has also definitely made some adjustments this year with his swing to try and get to some more of that raw power. His ground ball rate of 52% is still high, but certainly not unreasonable for a speedy, glove-first player. The glove will provide so much value that all Nunez needs to do is be a somewhat productive hitter to be a useful player at the upper levels. One concern that remains with Nunez is his ability to hit from the right side of the plate. He is striking out more, walking less, and hitting for less power as a right handed hitter. The swing from the left side, which you see on his home run cut, also looks more fluid and geared toward maximizing his contact. On the whole, Nunez is making more contact as the season progresses though. In June, he has eighteen strikeouts to seventeen walks, an impressive ratio at any level. While Nunez will probably need to be more aggressive eventually, that approach is working to make him a league average hitter at High-A and restoring some belief amongst Marlins fans that he could be an eventual contributor. LHP Zach King, A+ This Week's Stats: 7.0 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 11/1 K/BB I try to avoid including the same player in the Roundup in consecutive weeks, but Zach King followed a great performance up with an even better one. His eleven strikeouts cement King's status as the strikeout leader in the organization, which is quite the accomplishment considering King's initial sting in High-A last year. He labored towards an ERA a few ticks below 6.00, while giving up fourteen home runs in seventy-eight innings. This season, on the other hand, King has avoided the long ball and gotten more strikeouts. After this most recent outing, his ERA sits at 2.77 and has helped spur a Beloit revival to the .500 mark for the season (34-34). Unlike some of his peers on this list, King has not needed to get continuously better this season to earn a spot in the Roundup. He has pitched well throughout the year, as him and MD Johnson managed to keep the Sky Carp in many games earlier this season when the offense was as cold as the weather. King has done it by consistently pitching deep into games; only two of his twelve starts have been shorter than five innings long. He has done it with a fastball-cutter combo that can get groundballs, a slider that misses plenty of bats, and a changeup that neutralizes righties well. Considering King was a reliever at Vanderbilt, his transition into a starter has been an impressive bit of development from both the player and the Marlins pitching development program. Fangraphs recently speculated King could be used as a "bulk reliever" in their Marlins Prospects List, but I am optimistic that he could end up being a back end starter. The four pitch mix that has emerged this season is promising, as is King's improved control. He has walked just 5.6% of opposing hitters this month, after posting walk rates over 12% in both April and May. Keeping that walk rate low will be the best way for King to remain a starter, as his more fluid delivery and deep repertoire indicate that he can stay in a starting role going forward. SS Jose Salas, A This Week's Stats: 6-23, 2 HR, 2 2B, 6 R In that aforementioned Fangraphs prospects list, Fangraphs' Eric Longenhagen stirred up a fair bit of discussion amongst Marlins fans by ranking Jose Salas the third best prospect in the Miami system. Most other rankings have had the shortstop on the back half of the top ten in the system, but Longenhagen even had Salas ranked above his teammate in Jupiter, Khalil Watson. While I have tended to regard Watson as the higher ceiling prospect with the potential for more power, the two are probably closer than people imagine. Salas, being a well-known international free agent signing in 2019, has certainly shown more at Jupiter this season than Watson, who was also a well regarded amateur taken in the first round last season. Nasim Nunez is more known for his speed than Salas, and has doubled his stolen base output compared to the younger Salas this season. However, Salas has been caught only once this season, while he has successfully stolen fifteen bags. Nunez has thirty steals, but has been caught ten times. I mention this, along with Salas' plus power, to demonstrate that he may be the most complete shortstop prospect in the system. While it remains to be seen if Salas stays at short, his athleticism and arm should make him adequate at second or third base as well. Ultimately, there is not any one glaring weakness in Salas' game right now. As with Nunez, Salas and the Marlins will have to decide if they want him to remain a switch hitter going forward. There is plenty of time to decide, as Salas is still just nineteen years old. Moreover, he has had success from both sides of the plate this year. The sample size from the right handed side is small (46 plate appearances), but he has just five strikeouts from that side and has hit a homer. It was not long ago that the right side was not even mentioned as a concern, but Salas has made so much progress from the left side that it naturally leads people to wonder. For now, the Marlins will sit back and watch him continue to develop. Salas' two homers this week both came from the left side, and contributed to an impressive 126 wRC+ for the season. The Marlins will take it slowly with the youngster, but his star level potential remains. Up Next (6/28-7/3) AAA Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp at MemphisAA Pensacola Blue Wahoos vs MontgomeryA+ Beloit Sky Carp vs South BendA Jupiter Hammerheads at St. Lucie