Alex Carver

Much has been made of the focus the Marlins should have on improving their offense if they want to take the next step from promising young team to playoff contender. The seeds of such a plan were laid in 2019, when the Marlins swapped elite pitching prospect Zac Gallen for a similarly highly touted position player in Jazz Chisholm Jr. There is a chance that both teams could end up being satisfied with the results of that trade, which is rare in any scenario. Yet, two seasons later, the Marlins still have a clear organizational strength in pitching. On the MLB Pipeline Marlins Top Prospects List, five of the top seven Marlins prospects are pitchers. That list does not include young pitchers who have already made a notable impact in the Majors, such as Sandy Alcantara, Pablo Lopez, and Trevor Rogers. Compared to the position players, where only Chisholm has emerged as a truly promising young position player, the Marlins have a huge imbalance in their organization. This is not necessarily a problem, as great teams have been and will continue to be built on pitching. However, no Major League team is competing for a title when ranked in the bottom of the league in most offensive categories. That was the case for the 2021 Marlins, who ranked 13th in runs allowed, but 29th in runs scored. Truly, all runs are created equally though. A run saved is just as valuable as a run earned, and a ranking of thirteenth in runs allowed shows that the Marlins do have some room for improvement in that regard. The team ranked seventh in the Majors in Defensive Runs Saved, according to Fangraphs. However, out of those 55 runs saved, 24 came from four prominent Marlins who are no longer on the team (Adam Duvall, Lewis Brinson, Magneuris Sierra, and Sandy Leon). Small sample defensive stats are known for being untrustworthy as well, and it is worth noting that Miami only placed 18th in MLB in Statcast’s Outs Above Average measure. So, while the obvious fix may be to acquire big sluggers who can boost the Marlins offense, finding defensive improvements could be the better bargain. It seems like the Marlins front office could be thinking along these same lines based on their pre-lockout acquisitions. In a trade of organizational pitching depth for a position player, Miami managed to land Pittsburgh’s Jacob Stallings to be their new starting backstop in 2022. The 2021 Gold Glove winner was deserving of the award, with a +21 DRS and +8.8 in framing runs saved. Those are elite defensive statistics, and Marlins pitchers should love throwing to Stallings with all the extra strikes he can get for them. Moreover, Stallings represents a massive upgrade from last season when no Marlins catcher saved over 2.4 runs via framing. Stallings remains under team control for three more seasons, which makes him a valuable and cost-effective piece for the Marlins. A starting catcher who can hold his own with the bat, as shown by Stallings’ .246/.335/.369 and 95 wRC+ in 2021, has not been seen in Miami since JT Realmuto was traded. Don Mattingly should be able to pencil his name into the lineup and not think twice about it. Another defensive improvement was also made in the Avisail Garcia signing. While the acquisition is certainly being made with the hope that Garcia’s big bat will thump in the middle of the Miami lineup, his glove is also nothing to scoff at. Garcia was +8 in right field for Milwaukee last season. Defensive metrics have not always been as kind to Garcia, and he could have benefited from the great range of fellow Brewers Jackie Bradley Jr. and Lorenzo Cain. However, as long as Garcia can hold his own it should prevent the Marlins from playing less worthy outfielders out of position, as they were forced to do with Garrett Cooper and Jorge Alfaro in the past. So, come the end of this lockout, I will be looking to see if the Marlins can continue to make defensive improvements that will benefit the pitching staff. Statcast’s wOBA on contact measures the quality of contact that opponents generate against Marlins pitching. Their .361 wOBA on contact was a respectable ninth in the league, while their expected wOBA on contact of .365 shows that Marlins fielders did an adequate job of turning outs into runs. However, compare it to an elite defensive team in the Cardinals. The Cards defense turned an expected wOBA on contact of .365 into a .332 actual wOBA on contact. So, their pitchers were performing similarly to the Marlins squad, but the defense was making the difference. The Marlins and Cardinals would make a ton of sense as potential trade partners. St. Louis has great defenders all around the diamond, but still lacks starting pitching depth even after signing Steven Matz to a multi-year contract. The framework of a deal could include elite defensive centerfielder Harrison Bader and the recently benched Paul DeJong. Both are under team control for multiple seasons at reasonable rates, making them incredibly valuable. It would take a sizable package in return, but both Bader and DeJong would represent defensive upgrades that would also fortify Miami’s lineup. If a DH is added into the NL, then signing Kyle Schwarber or Nicholas Castellanos would make a ton of sense for Miami. It would provide a much-needed slugger without having to play a poor fielder. Ideally, that ends up being the scenario, and then the Marlins can focus on improving their defense instead of just looking for bats. One potential position to pursue could be up the middle defense. Statcast’s OAA measure did not view Jazz Chisholm or Miguel Rojas favorably, and the measurement factors in range considerably. Both rated better by DRS, which is worth noting, but an improvement could at least be made in finding an adequate backup for those middle infield positions. Isan Diaz cost the team -7 OAA, and was also dreadful with the bat. Miami could hope to let him develop further in AAA, while finding a stopgap to handle the position in 2021. Joey Wendle should be able to help in this area, although he played more at third base last season. All in all, when examining the Marlins roster as currently constructed, it is clear that they have already made some defensive upgrades. Garcia, Stallings, and Wendle will all be able to contribute and turn more balls in play into outs for their pitchers. This will be vital as the Marlins try to develop a run suppression machine through their plethora of elite pitching prospects. More can be done however, beyond just focusing on adding offense for the rest of the offseason. Giving Lewin Diaz more playing time would be another way to further improve the defense, although Mattingly will have to weigh that against keeping the big bats of Jesus Aguilar or Cooper in the lineup. Another area for defensive improvement the team has already considered is center field, where we know the Marlins were in the bidding for bringing back Starling Marte. Clearly a weak spot in the current depth chart, a solution may have to be found on the trade market. However, a monumental move for a star like the Orioles’ Cedric Mullins, or the aforementioned Bader, would be a great way to improve on both offense and defense. The Cardinals were carried by their great defense into the postseason in 2021, showing just how much a great defense can save runs for their pitchers. The Marlins should hope to do the same in 2022. With the highest ground ball percentage allowed in baseball last year, Miami will need infielders who have the range to make those plays.

Photo by A. Messerschmidt/Getty ImagesAfter the major league dream is realized, another takes its place: making it to Cooperstown as a Hall of Famer. Every year, the Baseball Writers Association of America holds those aspirations in their hands when they fill out their ballots. This year, they had their hands very full. Several candidates, specifically those connected to steroid usage, in or nearing their last year of eligibility were joined by a new class of potentially deserving players in their first year on the ballot.How should voting shake out? Who should be part of the class of 2022? Here is our vision.— Barry Bonds There are certain names that just simply synonyms with the game of baseball, names that everyone the world over is aware of whether they are an avid fan or a disinterested party. Names such as Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Ted Williams, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays… and Barry Bonds. But why is Bonds so well known and how many of those reasons are positive cases for him to receive a Cooperstown plaque? In my opinion, many. Bonds’ first known steroid offense was in 1998 which undoubtedly assisted Bonds during the second half of his career. But before his first known offense, Bonds was already on a path to Cooperstown. From 1986 through 1997, Bonds hit .288/.408/.551 with 374 homers, an absurd 1.28 walks to strikeouts ratio and 417 stolen bases along with a 13.3 dWAR. He was already the epitome of a five tool player. Though tainted by his PED use, the moments Bonds took part in during the late 1990s and early 2000s are part of baseball lore. The entire world looked on as he, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa battled to be the first player to break the single season home run record in ‘98 and the whole world was watching and following along as Bonds sent his record breaking 762nd career home run into the night at Oracle Park in 2006. Simply put, in those days, Barry Bonds was baseball. The name Barry Bonds is also synonymous with cheating. The pressing issues are unfortunately also part of baseball lore: his aforementioned steroid usage beginning in that unforgettable 1998 season, the fact that he was on trial for lying under oath as well as a number of other charges and the media tornado he was at the center of for many years. But inasmuch as Bonds’ usage created at least somewhat of an advantage, he played during an age where a good portion of the league was using alongside him, some of which graces the Hall today. For a very long time, both before, during and after the height of the steroid era, from spitballs to trash cans to science, baseball players have been looking for an advantage. In a recent interview, Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Gibson, speaking about steroids, said that if he was in the position in which he recognized the opposition gaining an advantage on him and he noticed a way to get it back, he may have made the same choice. Considering he could have made a case for the Hall if he retired after the 1997 season, those who omit Bonds for his steroid usage seems like punishment for getting caught and furthermore a failure to come forward. The same can be said for others on this exact ballot. It is high time for some of these omissions, Bonds’ included, to come to an end. There are other secondary factors which hurt Bonds’ case for Cooperstown. He was known as a subpar teammate and per David Samson, an equally subpar staff member during his tenure as hitting coach in 2016. But inasmuch as voters are tasked with taking an entire individual’s career into account, both on and off the field, they are also asked to consider an individual’s mark on the history of the game. Simply put, you cannot tell the story of baseball without Barry Bonds. He may not be a stand up guy, but his imprint on this game is just too deep. Barry Bonds needs to be a Hall of Famer. Roger Clemens Not too far removed from the shoes of Bonds is Roger Clemens. The other main culprit in the Mitchell Report and the other most predominant figure in a media and legal frenzy that spanned nearly an entire decade, Clemens’ name holds the same tarnish due to suspected PED usage. Like Bonds though, Clemens was well on his way to a plaque before his first suspected use case in the same year, 1998. After debuting in 1984, Clemens was 213-118. He held down a 2.97 ERA via a 1.147 WHIP and got very close to eclipsing the 3000 strikeout mark within his first 14 seasons. During that time frame, he walked just 924, giving him a strikeouts to walks ratio of 3.12. Accordingly, before ‘98, Clemens won an MVP and four of his seven Cy Young awards. More so than Bonds, Clemens, who last toed the rubber in 2007, was dominant without any known use of steroids for the bulk of his career and very likely would be there had he retired after the 1997 season. But also more than Bonds, Clemens holds some major character issues. His approach to pitching garnered him the moniker of ‘headhunter’. He’s also well known for a complaint about having to carry his own baggage, having a clause in his contract that did not require he join his club (the Yankees) on road trips he wasn’t pitching in later in his career and multiple run ins with media. But, again, a Hall of Fame vote has not and should not and has not required the tag ‘nice guy’. The best storyteller could not possibly depict baseball without Clemens who was Hall of Fame caliber while sober for much of his career. And for that reason, Roger Clemens is a Hall of Famer. Andruw Jones One of the more polarizing figures on the ballot, Jones coupled immense power with absolutely astounding defense. A .254/.337/.486 career hitter, Jones was the equivalent of Giancarlo Stanton (so far) at the plate for 17 seasons but his defense sets him apart. In addition to ranking within the top 40 on the all time career home run list with 434 and the fact that he hit at least 30 in seven of his 16 full seasons, Jones supplanted his lack of batting average with a 24.4 dWAR, a mark which ranks 22nd all time in MLB history. In 2007, Jones won a 10th consecutive Gold Glove tying him with the likes of Al Kaline, Ichiro Suzuki and Ken Griffey Jr. Jones declined very suddenly late in his career which apparently wears heavy on the mind of voters as he only garnered a minuscule percent of the vote during his early years on the ballot but voters were kinder to Jones in 2021 when he garnered 43% of the vote. Based on his prodigal power and wizardry on defense, Andruw Jones is a Hall of Famer. David Ortiz Big Papi is a .286/.380/.552 hitter, Ortiz is responsible for invigorating one of the most iconic teams in baseball and propelling them out of their curse and to three World Series titles. And he did not not stop until the day he retired. In his age 40 season in 2016, Ortiz had one of his best seasons as a pro, leading the MLB in doubles with 48, slugging percentage at .620 and OPS at 1.021. One of the most prolific home run threats in recent history, Ortiz slammed 30+ long balls in five straight seasons from 2002-2007. He hit 20+ homers in 15 straight seasons from ‘02-2016. While some may blame the lefty hitter’s success on Fenway Park, he actually hit more homers away from Boston (319) than at it (222). On top of his on field success, David Ortiz was a leader and a community steward. And he should be a Hall of Famer. Scott Rolen Rolen is one of the best third basemen to ever play baseball. His 70.4 WAR ranks him 10th all time in that category behind all but one player (Adrian Beltre) who is not in the Hall. Included in that is a 21.2 career dWAR which allowed Rolen to do things like this at the hot corner: Rolen was considered one of the best players in baseball for the first eight years of his career, including his rookie season in which he won Rookie of the Year. From 1997-2004, he slashed .287/.379/.524 with 222 homers, a 917/587 K/BB and a 10.8 dWAR. After being derailed by injury in 2005, he was the second best position player on the 2006 St Louis Cardinals. He hit .296/.369/.518, propelling them to the World Series title. He was also still a force up until his age 35 season when he made his sixth of seven All-Star games and hit .285/.358/.497. Off the field and in the clubhouse, Rolen had an overall good rapport and continues to stay involved in it to this day. In 2010, he was awarded the Reds’ Good Guy Award. Despite some friction between he and his first team, the Phillies, his former teammate Curt Schilling has been campaigning for Rolen on social media. In 2018, Rolen became a coach at the University of Indiana, a post he still holds. One of six only third basemen to hit 300+ homers with an OPS+ of at least 120 (four of the other five are in the Hall) and the 10th best guy to ever man the hot corner man per JAWS, Scott Rolen belongs in the Hall of Fame. Curt Schilling Schilling is a very polarizing case. One of the most outspoken figures in the world of baseball and other arenas since his retirement particularly on social media, he enters his last year on the ballot. But he didn’t want to be on it. After coming 16 votes shy of election in 2021, Schilling requested that his name be removed from the ballot this year. However, Schilling’s request was denied and he will be up for election for the 10th and final time in 2022. With 3,116, Schilling ranks 15th on the all time strikeouts leaderboard. Every player ahead of him has a plaque in Cooperstown. Amongst those 15 players, Schilling has the best walks to strikeouts ratio at 4.38. Those command figures rank him second all time amongst players with at least 1,000 IP. Despite somehow never winning a Cy Young award, Schilling placed twice three times. He is one of only six players of all time to post three 300+ strikeout seasons. Since the start of his career in 1988 to the present day, Schilling ranks third all time in complete games with 83 behind only Greg Maddux and Randy Johnson. Furthermore, Schilling was a crutch in the postseason, going 11-2 with a 2.93 ERA and 0.97 WHIP in 19 games. He pitched into the 6th inning in all but two of those games, tossed four complete games and allowed one run or less in 12 of them. Schilling was relied upon in elimination games four times. His squad won each of those contests. He was named the NLCS MVP in 1993 and co-MVP of the 2001 World Series. Schilling’s provocativeness since his retirement has caused some writers to leave his name unchecked in his nine years on the ballot and his recent denouncement of the BBWAA may cause more writers to do the same in his final year of eligibility. He has many character issues that have haunted him since his retirement and his reputation as a teammate was not the greatest. The BBWAA would be risking quite a bit giving Schilling a free microphone at his potential induction ceremony. The question is did Schilling do enough negative off the field to take his vote away? In my opinion, he did not and as one of the best pitchers in baseball for the bulk of two decades, he gets a check mark. Gary Sheffield A shoe in for 20+ homers every season, Sheffield was one of the best power hitters in baseball for much of his 22 year career. The offensive metrics speak for themselves: .292/.393/.514, 509 HR, 1676 RBI. Sheffiled was a 1997 World Series champion with the Marlins, a nine time All-Star and placed within the top three in MVP voting three times. Possibly the most staggering statistic Sheffield posted was his supremely low strikeout rate of 10.7%, rare to find in a pure slugger. Amongst the members of the 500 home run club, Sheffield’s is the third lowest. These numbers are certainly becoming of a Hall of Fame plaque. But there is a lot of evidence which has caused Sheff to fall well short of election his first six years on the ballot. Firstly, he was a defensive liability, posting a -27.7 dWAR. Secondly, he was mentioned in the Mitchell Report and admitted taking part in the BALCO scandal in sworn testimony. And thirdly, Sheffield didn’t make many friends among the media during his career. He was also in legal trouble at a very young age and is known for several negative instances with team management and fans which brought questions regarding his professionalism and character to the surface, questions that swirled around Sheff for much of his career. The ultimatum: do Sheffield’s offensive metrics hold enough weight to propel him to Cooperstown or not? I believe they do. Like Bonds, while he may not have been the best guy, Sheffield was an indomitable offensive force whenever he stepped to the plate for two decades. His signature bat waggle and incredible strength and bat speed was known all around the baseball world and is still often imitated to this day. Sheffield is one of 22 players of all time to hit 500+ home runs and post a 140 OPS+. 15 of those players are current Hall of Fame members. Though Sheffield has trended upward in recent years, it is in doubt that he will make it before his years of eligibility are up, but in our mind, he’s a Hall of Famer. And he’s wearing a Florida Marlins hat. Billy Wagner As a one inning specialist who doesn’t see much action, you need to be pretty special to warrant a Hall of Fame case. Wagner was that good. Wagner debuted in 1995 and took over the Astros’ closer role almost immediately. After posting nine saves in 1996, he posted at least 20 in 10 of his next 11 campaigns, the only omission being an injury hampered 1998 season. Wagner’s control numbers were absolutely ridiculous. His 11.9 K/9 is the highest in major league history for anyone who threw at least 800 IP. He contrasted that with a 2.99 BB/9. In addition, he Wagner was a master at limiting damage. His 0.998 WHIP, the second lowest WHIP in MLB history, proves that he was nearly untouchable and one of the best shutdown arms to ever toe the rubber. Looking at Wagner next to Trevor Hoffman who got his plaque in 2018, the similarities are pretty glaring. StandardRkNameFromToAgeWLW-L%ERAGGSGFCGSHOSVIPHRERHRBBIBBSOHBPBKWPBFERA+FIPWHIPH9HR9BB9SO9SO/W1Trevor Hoffman1993201025-426175.4492.8710350856006011089.1846378347100307581133904943881413.081.0587.00.82.59.43.692Billy Wagner1995201023-384740.5402.31853070300422903.0601262232823002611963314336001872.730.9986.00.83.011.93.99Provided by Stathead.com: View Stathead Tool Used Wagner’s case when compared to Hoffman produces either support or the ability to leave him off depending on which point of view you share. On the plus side for Wagner, he struck out 63 more hitters than Hoffman in less innings while posting a very comparable WAR of 27.81 (Hoffman’s was 28.1). On the other side, is the argument about workload. Hoffman held down a 2.87 ERA in 1089.1 IP while Wagner held down his 2.31 ERA in 903 IP. Did Wagner do enough to warrant the Hall of Fame selection? It seems to be a split vote as Wagner garnered 46.4% of the vote last year. I am of the opinion that as one of the stingiest arms of all time in high leverage situations for nearly two decades, Billy Wagner belongs in Cooperstown. Just Missed Manny Ramirez A lot like Sheffield, Ramirez struggled defensively but he could certainly make it on his offensive metrics alone. Over 19 seasons, he was a .312/.411/.585 hitter with 555 home runs which ranks 15th on the all time list. A triple crown threat in many of his seasons, a 12 time All-Star, a nine time Silver Slugger and a two time World Series champion, Manny is undoubtedly one of the greatest offensive threats the game has ever seen. But there is a big problem: Manny spent too much time being Manny. Ramirez did not appeal or make any sort of public statement; he just left. Before that, there were frequent moments of controversy that tarnish Ramirez’s name beyond repair. In 2008, Ramirez, one of the most beloved figures among Red Sox fans, was traded to the Dodgers after he assaulted a 64-year-old traveling secretary. In 2011, Ramirez arrested charged with domestic battery in an altercation with his wife. Beyond those instances, Manny Ramirez was a selfish player. And it goes past the time he take a coffee break inside the Green Monster during a game or made an inexplicable dive to cut off an outfield relay throw. During his time in Cleveland, he was known for regularly showing up late to team events and he regularly skipped fan friendly events and All-Star Games for unexplained reasons and phantom injuries that miraculously cleared up right afterward. In our opinion, Ramirez just had far too many character issues, which voters are encouraged to take into account. Although you don’t have to be mother Theresa to make Cooperstown, you need to be better than this. I simply cannot in good confidence put his face next to ultimate sportsmen and stewards such as Derek Jeter, Ken Griffey Jr, Cal Ripken Jr and others. Alex Rodriguez A-Rod’s on field merits are the stuff of legend. Over 500 home runs, over 3,000 hits, three MVPs, 14 All-Star selections, a World Series and the 16th best WAR of all time. On the field, he was one of the best baseball players of all time. But every single one of his accomplishments is marked with an asterisk due to his infamous use of steroids. After breaking into the MLB at the height of the steroid era where many of his role models were using, it is doubtful we ever saw who A-Rod, the natural specimen, truly was. Two suspensions, a web of lies and deceit, a hand in spreading the word about South Florida based biogenesis to players around the league and not enough evidence as to who he was without PEDs. A-Rod’s legacy is simply too tarnished to warrant election. Todd Helton When Larry Walker made the Hall last year and broke the barrier of players who called Coors Field home for much of their career, Helton backers hoped it would open the Hall doors for him. While Helton gets very close as a career .316/.414/.539 career hitter, there are some striking differences between he and Walker. Firstly, Walker played in and was good in other home parks. Helton spent his entire career with Colorado, taking advantage of the altitude and small dimensions of the most hitter friendly stadium in baseball. Secondly, Walker was a good defender, posting a plus 2 dWAR in the outfield. Helton, playing the least demanding defensive position on the diamond, first base, was the opposite. He posted a dWAR of -5. Along with the typical Coors-influenced skewed home/road splits, Helton’s BABIP was equally skewed in his favor. He had good fortune wherever he went, BABIPing .342 at home and .319 on the road. Helton’s offensive numbers are impressive but with the Coors factor, good luck and bad defense, he just misses our ballot. Sammy Sosa Sosa was one of three players involved in the baseball spectacle of the 90s, the race to 62 home runs. He is reknowned as one of the greatest power hitters of all time, ranking ninth on the all time home runs list with 609 and the final member of the 600 home run club. But he had a lot of help. Before his first suspected use of steroids in that 1998 season, Sosa was not anywhere close to being on the Hall of Fame track. From 1989 to 1997, Sosa hit .257/.308/.469 with 207 homers. After his first suspected use, he hit .287/.372/.588 with 402 homers over the course of his last nine seasons, including at least 40 in each season between ‘98 and 2003. On top of steroid usage, Sosa had other performance enhancing issues, namely the discovery that he was inserting corks into his bats in 2003. Unlike Bonds, Sheffield and Clemens who were on a Hall of Fame track before their first suspected use case, steroids and other performance enhancing measures made Sosa a completely different specimen. Without them, it is arguable he would have gotten close to the accolades he managed. And for that reason, he is not a Hall of Famer. — Presenting my 2022 mock ballot:

Jacob Stallings (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) Derek Jeter is used to winning. So when the fourth year of his ownership reign of the Miami Marlins ended with 67-95 record, he and Bruce Sherman were determined to become competitive. The club took a big step in that direction pre-lockout, making multiple moves to improve the major league roster for 2022. The biggest of these moves happened last week. Back in 2019, the Marlins believed they had JT Realmuto’s heir apparent in Jorge Alfaro, especially after he hit .262/.312/.425 while tossing out 33% of his runners. But after hitting a combined .240/.282/.343 over the COVID-stricken 2020 season and an injury hampered 2021 while being a bottom of the barrel framer and far and away the league leader in passed balls in his age 27-28 seasons and with no prospects close to a major league ready berth, catcher clearly became the biggest gaping hole on the Marlins’ 40-man roster. In a thin market that is only getting thinner as baseball evolves around the catching position, the Marlins hit a home run by acquiring Jacob Stallings, a 31-year-old Gold Glove winner with three years of control remaining on his contract. Headed to the Pittsburgh Pirates are RHP Zach Thompson, OF Connor Scott (Fish on the Farm’s #13 prospect) and RHP Kyle Nicolas (#18). Stallings comes to the Marlins less than a month away from his 32nd birthday. Drafted by the Pirates in the seventh round in 2012 out of the University of North Carolina where he hit .293/.396/.437 over two seasons, Stallings’ MiLB career was a rags-to-riches story. Never ranked a top 30 prospect by MLB Pipeline, Stallings was still grinding it out in AAA into his age 28 season and he successfully passed through waivers twice. But in 2019, things started clicking for Stallings. Serving as the Pirates backup catcher, he stuck with the MLB team the entire year and performed well above his career MiLB numbers. In 71 games, Stallings hit .262/.325/.382 with six homers and held his K rate under 20%. Above his offense though, the backstop begun proving his defensive prowess at the big league level, posting a 1.4 dWAR. This season, after the shortened 2020, Stallings got the starting nod and played in by far the most baseball games he has ever played in a single season. At the back end of the lineup, Stallings was frustrating for opposing pitchers whom he made earn their outs and stretched their arms out. His 11.5% walk rate ranked 13th among 68 qualified catchers and was a primary factor for his respectable .335 OBP. On defense, Stallings was otherworldly; the best catcher in the NL and one of the best defenders in all of baseball. From behind the plate, Stallings saved a total of 21 runs, second to only Rockies’ infielder Ryan McMahon. In addition, he did not allow a single passed ball , the only catcher that played over 500 innings to accomplish that feat an extending a streak that spans nearly two calendar years. Per Statcast, he ranked 17th out of 59 catchers in pitch framing efficiency. In Stallings, the Marlins get an experienced player who is an absolute wizard behind the plate, who knows how to handle a young pitching staff and who does more at the plate than the league average catcher. He will be under team control until 2026. So, in addition to Zach Thompson who came up in one of the Marlins’ multiple moments of rotational need and impressed, what did a Gold Glove backstop cost in terms of prospects? RHP Kyle Nicolas 2021 Stats (A+-AA): 99 IP, 4.18 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 136/49 K/BB Nicolas, a soon-to-be 23 year old, is a product of the shortened 2020 Draft from Ball State University. After beginning the 2021 season with the A+ Beloit Snappers, the 6’4”, 223 specimen got his call up to AA at a pretty precarious time: right after his worst career start. While he was thought to be joining the Blue Wahoos to fill in for Jake Eder and Max Meyer who were participating in the MLB Futures Game at All-Star Weekend, Nicolas stuck with the AA team for the rest of the season and performed well by overall metrics. In five starts and 25.2 IP with the Wahoos, Nicolas tossed to a 2.10 ERA via a 31/13 K/BB and 50/25 K/BB. Nicolas is prized for his heavy fastball velocity that is capable of triple digits but he also has a nasty primary breaker. He also owns a decent budding changeup. So what still needs to be done? Nicolas and his big frame and levers did show he is prone to losing the zone from start to start. He also showed that his velo can dip as he gets later into innings and the changeup, although usable, has some ground to make up on his other two offerings. Nicolas ended the year on a very strong note, tossing his longest career outing of 6.2 IP on August 24th. With size, heat and a good mix, Nicolas is a few adjustments away from proving he can stick as a big league rotational piece. At the very least, his high floor is that of a dominant high leverage reliever. OF Connor Scott 2021 Stats (A+): .276/.333/.446, 10 HR, 41 XBH, 92/31 K/BB Since being in the organization since 2017 through a down year in 2019 and a lost 2020, people have forgotten the name Connor Scott. In 2021, the Florida native and Plant High School alum proved he is just getting started. Connor Scott is still just a recently turned 22 year old. People forget that. Playing against competition nearly a year and a half older than him on average in the High A ranks, Scott had an impressive season. He began making impressions by showing up to camp quite a bit visibly larger than his 6’3”, 187 listed size. He also looked like he knew how to use the added mass with a stronger swing that had a more straight through line drive inducing action. The improved size and swing were a major catalyst for Scott that he carried through the entire season. Scott began 2021 with the A+ Snappers. After missing two weeks beginning at the end of May with a foot injury, Scott struggled through June and most of July. Starting late in July though, Scott’s numbers began to spike. From July 25th through the end of the season, he hit .322/.356/.557 with a 144 wRC+ while keeping his strikeout rate at a manageable 22%. After playing in just 27 games in 2019 and of course missing all of 2020, Scott is a guy who’s career has been very disjointed. To see him come back in the best physical shape of his career, remain healthy for most of the season and play his best baseball at the highest level he’s ever played at while still facing off against hitters nearly a year and a half older than him on average was very encouraging and a potential turning point in his minor league career. Scott joins a Pirates organization in the midst of a rebuild but also a system that holds a cornerstone center fielder at the big league level in Bryan Reynolds as well as several near major league ready outfield prospects in Travis Swaggerty and Scott clone, Calvin Mitchell. With Scott still at least a year away from the majors, the Pirates have the freedom to take their time was Scott and assure carry over from his strong finish at A+ last year to the upper minors beginning in 2022. If he can, Scott, who holds elite sprint speed and a plus glove, still has the potential for all five tools and could stick as a starting center fielder at the next level. As the old adage goes, you need to give up value to get value and both clubs did both of those things in this trade. The Marlins filled the biggest hole on their roster, not just at the big league level but throughout the entire organization with one of the best backstops in baseball and the rebuilding Pirates bolstered their outfield with a youthful potential five tool prospect. Sometimes, trades are mutually beneficial for both sides. The Pirates and Marlins matched up perfectly and executed a very reciprocal deal.

Photo by Beloit Sky CarpAhead of their first full season in their brand new ballpark, the Beloit baseball club has been renamed to honor long-time residents of the city that have now become the team’s newest and closest neighbors along the Rock River. Introducing the Beloit Sky Carp. On Monday afternoon, the club debuted its new moniker that was selected by fans out of five possible choices. The new name was one of over 1,000 submitted by fans and won the fan vote among five finalists by a small margin. Coming in second by a small margin of less than 50 total votes was the Supper Clubbers. Cheeseballs, Polka Pike and Moo rounded out the fan vote in that order. The on field product features four jerseys and caps designed by Brandiose, the same minds behind the creative branding of clubs such as the Amarillo Sod Poodles, Hartford Yard Goats and Rocket City Trash Pandas. At the unveiling on Monday which was done by elementary school scholars, in place of players modeling the team’s new colors, community leaders were given the honor of being the first individuals to publicly don Sky Carp uniforms. The unveiling this week was the last step in the process. But from the very beginning of the two year long process, Studer assured the team would be remade for the city of Beloit by the city of Beloit. The term sky carp is slang for a goose — but not just any goose. Indigenous to lower Wisconsin, the sky carp, unlike many other breeds of waterfowl, do not migrate from the region during the winter months. Like the good majority of their season ticket holders, sky carp are full-time Beloit residents. Two of the four jerseys that will be worn by the Sky Carp have an uncommon characteristic: they both are emblazoned with the name of the home city. One of these is the traditional road gray; the other is an alternate jersey that can be worn either at home or on the road. Giving the Sky Carp the ability to honor their home city at ABC Supply Stadium was an important inclusion aspect for ownership. Another sign of Quint Studer and his team’s commitment to the city of Beloit appears in the Sky Carp’s primary and third cap logo. One of the most aesthetically striking aspects of the rebrand, the wrench lends itself to the history of Beloit. The logo outlined in ‘Rock River Blue’ features the wrench being both clutched and bitten by the goose, figuratively paying homage to Beloit, a city that was made by blue collar workers and a city that is still building towards a more prosperous future. The wrench is modeled after one made by a local area manufacturer, Fairbanks Morse. Within the Sky Carp’s third cap logo, their underwater goose emblem, the Sky Carp promote inclusion and honor one of the most prolific moments in Beloit history. The goose can be seen wearing aviator style goggles which honor a local icon, Bessica Raiche, the first woman to pilot an airplane on a solo mission in 1907. Raiche’s story is also becoming of the industrial background of Beloit: Raiche and her husband built her craft in their living room, utilizing a piano bench as a workspace. In order to get the craft, made out of bamboo, silk and wire to launch, the couple removed the front of their home. As big as Monday was and as pleased as the team is to adopt a new name, there is still work to do in terms of adopting a new mascot. For that, the Beloit branding team will once turn once again to the same people responsible for bringing the Sky Carp name to Beloit: fans. Over the course of the next several weeks, Rock County schools will be asked to draw their version of the Sky Carp mascot, complete with a new name the club hopes to finalize before Opening Day 2022. Although the club will be replacing a long-time stalwart in the Beloit community, Snappy the Turtle will not be completely gone. As Studer told us at the beginning of the season, the Beloit club will maintain the trademark to the Snappers allowing them to utilize the name on special occasions. As a bonus to their hopeful connection to their home city, the new color scheme for the Sky Carp which was put in motion well before Beloit’s affiliation with the Miami Marlins should allow the club to connect with fans of the parent club’s popular 2019 rebrand. This is a breaking story that will be updated shortly

Sloan Park (Photo by VisitMesa.com) With the return of MiLB in 2021 comes the return of the fall and winter leagues this offseason. The pinnacle of these leagues is the Arizona Fall League where clubs traditionally send older prospects for a longer look after the regular season and for more reps and experience in order to fill holes in different areas of need. After five years of playing for the Salt River Rafters, this season, Marlins’ prospects will once again join the Mesa Solar Sox who play their home games at Sloan Park. They will share the dugout with prospects from Orioles, Cubs, Athletics and Blue Jays systems. Miami’s participants will be: RHP Justin Evans RHP Evan Fitterer LHP Josh Simpson LHP Jefry Yan C Will Banfield INF Troy Johnston OF JJ Bleday OF Kameron Misner Here is a closer look at each of these players and the ‘why’ behind their assignment. RHP Justin Evans 2021 Stats (A-AA) - 34 G, 45 IP, 6.40 ERA, 1.64 WHIP, 53/24 K/BB Evans is a Marlins’ 2018 19th round pick out of Columbus State University. As a collegiate player, Evans both pitched and played the infield. He hit .281/.382/.445 in 474 ABs but Miami took stock in his future as a reliever where he had a 3.27 ERA in 22 IP, including 11.2 IP of one run ball (0.77 ERA) in which he posted a 14/2 K/BB in his junior year. Since his selection, Evans’ pro career has been marred by injury. He did not pitch in the pros in his draft year and did not pitch in 2019. 2021 was the first time he saw an affiliated mound. During his time with Jupiter, he showed some flashes including a heater up to 96 and a curveball with spin above 2600 RPMs. The Marlins are using the AZFL to allow Evans to make up for lost time and to gauge where to assign this victor of three levels going in to 2022. RHP Evan Fitterer 2021 Stats (Rk-A) - 18 G, 53 IP, 3.40 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 52/22 K/BB Fitterer is a 2019 fifth round prep pick out of Aliso Niguel High School in Southern California who broke into pro ball by tossing 22.2 innings worth of 2.38 ERA, 1.41 ERA, 19/12 K/BB ball in the GCL. After the missed 2020 season, Fitterer began the 2021 season on the extended spring training injured list. After two rehab outings, Fitterer received his call up to A Jupiter on July 24th. Appearing in seven games (six starts) for the Hammerheads, the 21-year-old righty tossed 25.2 IP worth of 4.56 ERA, 1.40 ERA ball. His K/BB stood out (27/6) as did his impressive pitch repertoire. A tosser of four pitches, Fitterer showed a fastball up to 96 (sitting 92-94). with a curveball in the high 70s-low 80s capable of a 3000 RPM spin rate. He also showed a usable slider. Fitterer, a 6’3”, 192 pound righty, joins the AZFL as the youngest member of the Marlins’ invitees (21) with the intention of making up for lost reps and the hope of building his arsenal and showing he can compete against older competitors. LHP Josh Simpson 2021 Stats (Rk/A+) - 45.2 IP, 5.91 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 62/19 K/BB Simpson, the Marlins’ final pick of the 2019 draft, impressed in his first showing in pro ball that season. Assigned to short season Batavia after just a single inning in the GCL, the lefty tossed 23 innings worth of six run ball by way of a 1.08 WHIP and 26/6 K/BB, earning himself a spot in the New York Penn League’s postseason All-Star Game. This season, Simpson was assigned to A+ Beloit where he started the season strong out of the Snappers’ pen, giving up just two runs in his first 15.1 IP. After allotting 15 earned runs in four less innings in June though, Simpson was placed on the IL with an injury that would cost him nearly two full months. The 6’2”, 190 pound southpaw made it back up to Beloit after a rehab stint in the FCL and the Snappers put him in the rotation for four starts. On September 14, he finished the season strong by totaling single game career highs in innings pitched with five and strikeouts with nine while allowing three runs. Simpson has a two pitch combo. His mostly straight fastball that sits 93-95 but he can add a bit more to if needed. His overwhelming issue with that pitch has been its command. When placing it on the lower half, it can help contribute to his great 30% K rate and good 54% ground ball rate but it also had its part in his allotment of six homers and 20% line drive rate. Simpson’s best pitch is a mid-80s slider with late tilt that he can use on both sides of the zone and get in on the back foot of opposite side hitters with wipeout dive. He owns a high 70s curveball as well that he uses as a mix in. Simpson, who just turned 24 last month, heads to Arizona to take on the most advanced hitters he’s ever faced in his pro career with the intent of gauging his talent level against upper minors competition and making up for time lost to injury in 2021. His velo and ability to spin the slider from the left side make him an intriguing arm. The lack of a third pitch and his limited size will likely relegate his big league ceiling to the bullpen but he could make a good living there as a guy who can provide multiple innings if needed. LHP Jefry Yan 2021 Stats (A/AA) - 31 IP, 2.61 ERA, 1.58 WHIP, 51/25 K/BB The oldest Marlin invited to Arizona, Yan is a 25-year-old lefty who has had quite the interesting career path. Selected by the Angels as a 17-year-old in 2014, Yan threw in two Dominican Summer League seasons including an impressive 34.2 IP, 1.56 ERA, campaign as an 18 year old in 2015 before getting assigned stateside. According to Francys Romero, Yan suffered an injury in extended spring training that year and was placed on the restricted list when he refused to go back to the DR to rehab. The injury also forced him to miss all of 2017 and he was released a year later. The Marlins took a flier on Yan after watching him throw in semi-pro ball. Already up to the high 80s when he was signed by LA seven years ago, Yan grew advantageously into his then lanky frame and is now able to hit the mid-upper 90s regularly with his moving four seamer which sits 93-95 and can touch 97. He also throws a low 90s two seamer that he uses for tunnel and to change eye levels. Yan’s secondary is a big sweeping slider in the mid-80s that shows spin rates in the upper 2200 RPM range with wipe out action. Yan spent the summer making hitters look silly with that pitch, both in A ball and in his first taste of the upper minors AA. Yan is also quite the showman. A guy who has come a very long way all after missing extended time to start his career, Yan is an intriguing lefty to watch. While he still owns quirky mechanics and an explosive delivery that has levers exploding at hitters, it looks much cleaner when compared to reports when he was signed and he is transformed physically. Yan has a high leverage ceiling. And, going on 25, it may not be that far away. He joins the Solar Sox in a similar capacity as Simpson and Evans: more innings to make up for lost time. Keep an eye on how he performs against these top tier prospects. If he shows well and starts his 2022 season similarly to how 2021 ended, he will be a phone call away. A spring training invite also isn’t out of the question. C Will Banfield 2021 Stats (A+) - .180/.258/.308, 6 HR, 42 RBI, 95 K, 25 BB Unfortunately, Banfield is becoming another prime example of how extremely volatile prep catchers are. The Marlins’ competitive balance round B pick from 2018 came into the league with his MLB Pipeline report reading this way: “Banfield’s signature tool is his well-above-average arm strength—though it has been down a tick at times this year—and he gets the most out of it with a quick transfer and fine accuracy on his throws. His receiving and framing skills are solid, and he’s agile behind the plate. He also exhibits the desired leadership skills for his position. While his defense overshadows his offense and he struggled at times on the showcase circuit last summer when he tried to do too much, Banfield offers some upside with the bat as well. With his strong build, solid bat speed and loft in his right-handed swing, he has at least above-average raw power. He hasn’t shown as much feel for the barrel this spring as he has with the past, so it’s unclear how much he’ll be able to tap into his pop.” Three years (minus the lost season) into his pro career, that same report can be used to describe Banfield now. This season, while he showed off his defensive prowess receiving well and throwing out 30% of potential base stealers, it came at the expense of — there is no getting around it — porous offensive stats. Among all players at the A+ level with at least 250 ABs, Banfield had the seventh lowest batting average, the fifth lowest OBP and the eighth lowest wRC+ (57). Banfield’s only slight saving grace a the plate was his infrequently shown power potential. Though very sporadically, Banfield did show off 55 grade raw strength, managing a .128 ISO, in the 33rd percentile in all of A+ and in the 38th percentile in the A+ Central. In order to tap into that more, Banfield has a lot of simplification to do to in terms of approach and swing path. With just average bat speed, Banfield’s lack of ability to shorten up and get hands to the ball as well as his susceptibility to chase bad pitches makes him, at current, nothing more than a career backup. There is hope, though: Banfield is still just 21 and offensive prowess is always the last thing to come from any catcher, let alone a prep pick. Banfield also missed the final month of the minor league season with a minor injury. While by now, we would have liked to see it come out more, Banfield heads to Arizona as the Marlins’ eighth man. He will start the season on the taxi squad but should be able to be added to the roster at any time and continue to garner needed reps and experience. Based on his defensive prowess, there is a floor big league future here as a backup catcher but, day by day, the ceiling is growing lower. INF Troy Johnston 2021 Stats (A-A+) - .300./.399/.468, 15 HR, 85 RBI, 103 K, 68 BB, 140 wRC+ Earlier this year, during an interview on Swimming Upstream, Johnston self-proclaimed himself a “cage rat” that would spend nearly every available moment of his high school and collegiate days with a bat in his hands. That mindset and hours spent perfecting his craft paid off in full this season. After breaking in to pro ball with a .277/.373/.399 59 game campaign in Batavia in 2019, this season, Johnston was able to add the only missing link to his bat: power. While maintaining the same great patience he showed at Gonzaga and the same simple mechanics which allotted him a great average and OBP both in college and in his that pro showing, the 6’, 210 lefty hitter was the third best slugging player in the Marlins’ system. While playing a full schedule of 120 games, most in the organization between two levels, he led the system in wRC+. Among 984 qualified MiLB players, he ranked 90th in that same metric. From a split stance, Johnston approaches from the back of the box and uses his best tools, vision and bat speed, to get his bat on the baseball. The simplistic, shortened approach which he has held his entire career coupled with his magnificent hitter’s eye gave him the build of a plus average and OBP guy. But how did he come by more power without sacrificing either one of those across two levels this year? Here is what Troy said back in June: “I always had to work against leaking and sliding forward a little bit. That “a-ha” moment for me was when I realized how much I can kind of preset my back hip and just get into my legs a little bit more. And then just have a nice easy swing where I could just explode off of that back hip a little bit more.” Adding power to his already advanced and balanced approach and ability to work at bats has us placing Troy is looking an awful lot like Carlos Gonzalez, a .285/.343/.500 career hitter. Another comparison: former Marlin Cliff Floyd, a .278/.358/.482 career bat while playing both outfield and first base. Like Cliff, Troy started his career as an outfielder before making the shift to first base. Johnston’s invite to the AZFL is for two reasons: allotting him more reps at first while also garnering him looks against upper minors talent for the first time before he likely begins 2022 at the AA level. With a good showing this fall and during his first stint in the upper minors to start next season, Troy’s big league debut is visible on the horizon, especially upon the likely institution of the DH in the National League. OF JJ Bleday 2021 Stats (AA) - .212/.323/.373, 12 HR, 22 2B, 54 RBI, 101/64 K/BB Up until this season, it was pretty good being JJ Bleday. Then 2021 happened. After a .326/.449/.553 collegiate career including 2019 in which he led the Vanderbilt Commodores to the College World Series title, Bleday had a decent .257/.311/.379 38-game showing in A+ Jupiter to begin his career. After the washed out 2020 campaign, this season in AA Pensacola, Bleday hit his first true and extensive bump in the road, one that lasted for most of the season. While there were a few positives to his 2021 tenure including the posting of a walk rate near 14% tied for 15th highest among all qualified AA hitters, and the fact that he looked capable of playing all three outfield spots, Bleday’s overall offensive production was very inconsistent. Per his own admission from back in July, Bleday had been working on his mechanics constantly. “I’ve been trying to overdo it, be someone I’m not. I’m trying to take a step back, relax, and try to put together some good ABs. I’ve been tinkering all year long. Over these past several weeks, I’ve been able to make some adjustments. I’ve got to go back to what’s natural to me as a player.” Though there were pockets of production in which he looked to be putting it all together, it never stuck. Clearly, per his walk rate, the issue does not lie in pitch recognition. About halfway through the year, Bleday was showing a much different setup at the plate in terms of the distance of his arms from his body, the placement of his hands on the bat and the distance in his stance. He was also using much more weight on his back leg, making the stance pre-loaded. The mechanically transformed Bleday was better in the second half of the season (.200/.304/.344, 84 wRC+ vs .223/.340/.401, 108 wRC+). This included a .311/.382/.444 month of September. The changes allowed him to avoid getting jammed while also allowing him to step to the ball and get extended on pitches on the outer half. Bleday heads to Arizona to continue to feel out the new utilization of his levers and to get more reps against upper minors pitching before likely heading to his third spring training and then being assigned presumably to AAA in 2022. OF Kameron Misner 2021 Stats (A+-AA) - .253/.355/.433, 12 HR, 29 2B, 59 RBI, 136/57 K/BB Out of the same draft as Bleday whom he played against in the SEC, Misner has put himself very close to or possibly even past Bleday in terms of prospect pedigree. Misner, 24, started the season in A+ Beloit and, after an overall slow first month and a half of the year, Misner began to find it, going 16 for 55 from June 15th through 30th. A little over a month later, Kam reached base via a single against the Peoria Chiefs. It was the start of what would become a 16 game hit streak and 30 game on base streak. Over that span, he hit .322/.403/.570. The final four games of Kam’s remarkable streak came after his promotion to the AA level. His first taste of the upper minors didn’t seem to phase him. In 14 games with Pensacola, Misner hit .309/.387/.491. Speaking during our interview with him on Swimming Upstream, Misner described the jump in competition level. “It’s not that the pitches are nastier or anything like that; it’s the location. The pitchers are able to spot up whatever pitches they want. In high A, there would be guys with good stuff but not always can they throw where they want. It seems like the last couple weeks I’ve up here, these guys have had good stuff and they’ve been able to place it where they want to place it. That’s one of the biggest changes I’ve seen is the overall control of the pitching staffs. They all put it where they want and you just have to capitalize on their mistakes.” Looking at Misner mechanically, he draws comparisons to a Marlins All-Star mortgaged during the Jeter era rebuild. On top of the capability for 20+ doubles and 20+ homers, Misner is also a threat on the bases. While he doesn’t have the most blazing speed in the world, he has a strategy. “When you’re stealing bases, you don’t steal off the catcher, you steal off the pitcher. I got told that in college and I’ve really honed into it. There’s ways of stealing off the pitcher,” Misner said. “If I get to the 13 foot mark number which is usually around the cutoff, if I get there before the pitcher releases the ball, it’s mathematically impossible for any catcher to throw me out.” Above all, Misner is a scientific player who has a mind made for baseball in every facet. Where Yelich held a .782 OPS at age 23 at the MLB level, Misner held down a .788 OPS in his first full season pro. Kam heads to Arizona for more reps against upper minors pitching. Discussions will be and are being had amongst who from the outfield minor league outfield depth the Marlins will/should trade in exchange for established talent. Misner would be at the bottom of our list because he could become a 4/5 tool big league talent. And soon.

In his second season pro, Peyton Burdick has made it to the top of the minor league ranks. On September 21st, it was announced the 24-year-old outfielder was selected from the Marlins' Double-A affiliate, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, to head east on I-10 to join the Triple-A Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp. This season in Double-A, Burdick made waves by knocking out a total of 23 home runs setting a franchise record for the Blue Wahoos. While in Pensacola, Burdick slashed .231/.376/.472. At first glance he may appear to hold an average line, but his game reveals flashes of greatness-- flashed present even in his budding Triple-A career. As a Blue Wahoo, Burdick made up part of an outfield brigade consisting of JJ Bleday, Griffin Conine, and Kameron Misner. Each of those names garnered plenty of media attention between the MLB Draft and prospect reporting of the past couple years. However, over the course of the 2021 Minor League season Bleday has cooled down offensively (.212/.323/.373). Meanwhile, Misner and Conine have spent this season getting reps in Double-A since both advanced this midseason from High-A Beloit. So what is it that makes Burdick standout? In a recent interview conducted by Fish Stripes, Baseball America editor-in-chief JJ Cooper provided some insights on the up-and-coming outfielder. Cooper candidly admitted to being "a fan" of Burdick since he was drafted in the 3rd round of the 2019 MLB Draft by the Marlins. He continued by commenting, "he's most confident in Burdick['s]" development as a more well-rounded player. There is much to be impressed by with the 24-year old outfielder. His athletic build and composure in play provide him the traits of a quintessential ball player. Burdick has at least one naysayer. In a September 28 article published by the Miami Herald, Barry Jackson interviewed an anonymous baseball scout who offered some dubious observations on various Marlins' prospects. The assertions made by the veteran scout were glib and curt. In regards to Burdick's performance, the comments pointed mostly at the outfielder's strikeout rate (currently averaging around ~30%K) and base running awareness. What should be considered is the source from which these impressions came— exclusively from Double-A games in Pensacola. A week prior to Jackson's report, another article in the Herald by Jordan McPherson offered a more pragmatic analysis of the Marlins' prospects throughout the 2021 Minor League season. McPherson noted how Burdick struggled early in the season "with his batting average dipping to .077 in the first two weeks." Despite the initial slump Burdick was able to turn it around to .249 by the time of his advance to Triple-A. On September 21, Burdick made his Triple-A debut for Jacksonville against the Memphis Redbirds. In his first at bat of his first game, a strikeout swinging; his second at bat, a walk that allowed him to come in and earn a run. He had to ardently wait until his second game to earn his first Triple-A hit— a double to the wall in right-center field. Burdick played eight games splitting his time between left and center field. Overall in his cup of coffee at the AAA level, he went 4-28 with three of those hits being doubles. The 6' outfielder appeared poised ready to field every ball that came his way and attentive in every at bat (though always swinging for power). Burdick may have his doubter(s), but it will be easy for him to block them out with all of the bling he took home on Sunday afternoon at loanDepot park. The .257/.382/.490, 130 wRC+ hitter who led the organization in walks and set a Blue Wahoos' franchise record in homers with 23, was named both the Double-A MVP and Minor League Player of the Year, an award previously won by the likes of JT Realmuto, Brian Anderson and others. According to Marlins’ general manager Kim Ng, the plan is for Burdick to begin 2022 back in Jacksonville. If he continues to develop his tools and persevere as well as he did while playing Double-A with Pensacola, a bright future awaits for him on the horizon, possibly as soon as late next season.

Nick Fortes (Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images)This preseason, manager Don Mattingly said the Miami Marlins are through handing opportunities to players who haven’t earned them. It took the franchise the entire season, but on Thursday, the club made roster moves becoming of that mindset. Before their series opener against the Pirates at loanDepot park, the Marlins officially sent infielder Isan Diaz to AAA, placed catcher (and new left fielder/first baseman) Jorge Alfaro on the IL and promoted catchers Payton Henry and Nick Fortes from Jacksonville. Henry, who was acquired at the deadline for John Curtiss and Fortes, a 2018 fourth round pick, will now both be protected from the rule 5 draft this winter. The additions of Henry and Fortes give the Marlins four catchers on their 28 man roster. After the moves, Mattingly told the media at loanDepot park that Miami will go with a catcher rotation for the rest of the season. That format proved to be true during the Marlins’ most recent series against the Pirates as the team started a different backstop in each game. The first game went to Henry, a Brewers’ 2016 sixth round pick out of Pleasant Grove High School in Utah. He is the second overall player and first position player from that school to make an MLB appearance. He also became the first player ever from the state of Utah to play for the Marlins’ organization. Henry had an interesting upbringing in athletics. While many players grow up within or at least around the game, he grew up in another world: the world of competitive wrestling. Through his upbringing, raw strength was always a foregone conclusion for Henry and it has parlayed into 60 grade raw power, an attribute rarely found in backstops. Henry has put his muscle on display often in his minor league career, slugging 37 homers and 70 doubles in 369 career minor league games. The power potential showed up again on Thursday night in Miami when Henry drilled a pitch off the center field wall for his first MLB hit. In addition to the power, Henry also sees pitching pretty well and works quality at bats. In his tenure with the Shrimp, the batting average was down but he walked at a 12.5% clip. On the year as a whole between AA and two AAA squads, the figure is still in double digits. He also has held slightly high but manageable K rates under 30%, on average. On the other side of the ball, Henry had a lot less raw tools and therefore a lot of growing to do when he began his career. The main focal point was his lack of agility and ability to move laterally and block pitches. In his first four seasons pro, Henry allowed 29 passed balls. However, he’s done a ton of work on that area of his game and the stats this year have proven it. In 61 games, he allowed just four passed balls. His arm has come along as well. After only catching 7 of 34 runners in 2016 and 16 of 58 in 2017, Henry has thrown out 113 of his last 286 potential base stealers (39.5%). " Definitely still have room to grow and room to improve just like anybody, but I've been seeing the ball well," Henry said of his recent production. "Just trying to stay in the middle of the field and keep it simple. I give myself queues like "hit it forward," things like that. Just keep baseball simple. That's been my main focus and my main goal." The kind of thump Henry can provide is not often found at the catcher position. If his receiver skills and pitch blocking can persist while handing big league stuff, Henry is a viable and powerful backup catcher off the bench with the ability to slot in as a DH or, given the Marlins’ front office’s liking for making players multi-faceted, perhaps a first baseman. Also recalled was Friday’s starter at catcher, Nick Fortes. Fortes was a Marlins fourth round pick in 2018 out of Mississippi. Where Henry has been known for his offensive prowess and had to develop his defense, Fortes is the polar opposite. Since his time with the Hammerheads, Fortes’ teammates have raved about his game calling abilities. They were echoed by Edward Cabrera after Cabrera was partnered with Fortes on Saturday night. "He's a good catcher. He managed the game very well," Cabrera said. "I feel very comfortable with him behind the plate." Due to injuries limiting his 2019 season to 76 games and the pandemic wiping out the 2020 MiLB season, 2021 has been Fortes’ first full year of on field participation. During it, Fortes has shown some stark improvement on the offensive side of the ball, particularly in the second month of the season. He started the year in AA Pensacola and after a .224 month of May, broke out for a .299/.365/.442 June. Fortes was promoted to AAA Jacksonville in late July and recorded three hits in his debut with the Jumbo Shrimp. In his MLB debut, Fortes recorded a single for his first pro hit and followed it up by belting his first homer. According to Fortes, he has advantageously transformed his skillset this season. "It's been a lot of work, that's for sure. Looking back to 2018 when I was drafted to now, I'm a completely different player. in my opinion. Different swing, different defensive abilities and mechanics," Fortes said. "Seeing to where I've grown to now from where I've been it's kind of crazy but that's just a credit to all the coaches I've met along the way and anybody who has had an input on my game. It's been a crazy ride so far but I'm just going to keep working hard." It is extremely encouraging to see Fortes handle upper minors pitching with more consistency especially after such an interrupted career in the lower minors. His game calling and receiving skills, the most important trait in a backup catcher, are what set him apart. As he proved on Saturday when he threw out the only runner that challenged him, he also has a strong arm and good vertical pop that should play better as he handles MLB stuff. If the bat can continue to prove prove it is capable of handling major league pitching, he should be able to fill that role very sufficiently. It took them longer to do so than expected, but the Marlins have finally proven they are willing to at least start following a mantra that was set forth in spring training: stop handing out opportunities, move on from experiments and begin to gauge what they have in fringe MLB ready prospects at the back end of the roster. When it comes to the backup catcher position in particular, both Henry and Fortes are in a great position to make a good first impression and give themselves a leg up in what should be a roster battle this coming spring.

In October of 2018, the Miami Marlins struck a deal with two international free agents that sent a jolt of energy throughout the organization. Victor Victor Mesa and Victor Mesa Jr. both agreed to contracts to kick off the Marlins 2018-2019 off-season. These moves were not only a big boost for the farm system, they also showed that new ownership was willing to spend internationally, an area that previous ownership had somewhat neglected. Victor Victor Mesa, age 22 at the time, was the top ranked international free agent in the 2018 class according to MLB Pipeline. He agreed to a deal with Miami worth $5.25 million. His younger brother, Victor Jr., was only 17 at the time of the signing, and agreed to a smaller deal worth $1 million. The Marlins beat out other teams like the Baltimore Orioles for the Mesa brothers, and Victor Victor immediately slotted in as the #1 prospect in their system (although he was bumped to #2 shortly after when Sixto Sanchez was acquired as a part of the JT Realmuto trade). Despite all of the hype surrounding Mesa, his younger brother, Mesa Jr., is now viewed as a better prospect. Victor Victor has failed to live up to expectations, and his struggles began immediately during the 2019 minor league season. He was never expected to be a massive power threat, even when performing at his highest level. MLB Pipeline only gave him a measly 40 power grade on their 20-80 scale in 2018 when he originally signed. Mesa's hit tool in general was always a very average tool, as it only graded out as a 50 by MLB Pipeline in 2018. What Mesa graded out good, or even great in was his speed tool (65), arm tool (65), and fielding tool (60). These three categories combined with a lack of power, caused him to draw comparisons to former Chicago Cub and current New York Met's outfielder, Albert Almora. Because of this, when Mesa finished his first Minor League season between High-A and AA with very minimal power numbers, it was a not a complete shock to the organization or fans. In 464 at-bats, he only slugged .263, with an OPS of .537, and he hit zero home runs with just 10 extra base hits (seven doubles and three triples). While the low power numbers were not a surprise, the area that raised concern was that his batting average was only .235 coupled with the fact that he only stole 18 bags in 116 games. Mesa's best tool offensively is his speed, and he was not able to hit enough to utilize that speed on the base paths. While 18 stolen bases in 116 games is not necessarily a bad number (Jazz Chisolm has 18 in 99 games with the Marlins as of Tuesday's game against the Mets), it is not good enough for a player that has no power and has to rely on his speed and defense in order to make a serious impact. By the end of the 2019 season, Victor Victor Mesa had dropped from being Miami's #2 prospect all the way to number #13. Mesa was one of many Minor League players that lost a full season of games during the COVID shortened 2020 season. Along with the lost games, by the start of the 2021 season he had also lost his status as a top 30 prospect in the Marlins system. While this was partially due to the influx of new talent in the system, it was also because of his lack of performance in 2019. Mesa started out the 2021 season in AA where his struggles continued. In 21 games and 75 at-bats he slashed .093/.231/.109 with zero home runs, one double, and zero stolen bases. This quickly earned him a demotion back down to High-A. After being sent down, Mesa started to show some signs of life. While Victor Victor's days of being a top Marlins prospect are probably gone, he has slowly turned his game around since the demotion. Through Monday, September 6th, Mesa has played in 39 games with 159 at-bats for Miami's High-A affiliation, the Beloit Snappers. He is slashing .327/.379/.472 with four home runs and eight stolen bases. His OPS is up to .851, and he has also produced nine doubles and one triple. The increase in production has come without a massive increase in his strikeout rate as he has just 27 in the 159 at bats (he had 64 in 464 at bats in 2019). One can make a valid argument that because Victor Victor is 25 years old and playing in High-A that he is just tearing up younger competition. While this would be fair, there is one very interesting stat to pay attention to during this recent hot stretch. All but 10 of Mesa's at-bats in AA this year came in the leadoff spot where he only slashed .108/.244/.123. In High-A, he has only had 13 at-bats in the leadoff spot, albeit with some success. Out of those 13 at-bats, he has four hits and his batting average is .308. While he has had a small sample size of success with his average from the leadoff spot in High-A, all four hits were singles, which lead to just a .615 OPS (MLB League Average in 2021 is .725 according to Baseball Reference). The numbers from the top spot in the order during Mesa's career have been, at best, below average. Despite this, Mesa's numbers from the second spot in the batting order have been exceptional this season. In 142 at-bats hitting second for High-A Beloit, Mesa is slashing .331/.389./.493 with an OPS of .882. All four of his home runs in High-A have come from the second spot in the order, as well as all 10 of his extra base hits. He also has 17 RBI's in those 142 at-bats which is a massive improvement from 2019 when he only had 29 in 464 at-bats. Another key stat from this, is that all eight of his stolen bases in the 2021 season have come while batting second. This is important because it shows that Mesa is not losing his most dynamic tool by slotting down one spot in the batting order. Despite the success, Mesa has enjoyed a little bit of luck while in Beloit as his BABIP is .372 compared to his batting average being .327. That being said, a .045 difference in BABIP to batting average is not a reason to get overly concerned. For example, Starling Marte is batting .316 this season with a .380 BABIP (.073 difference). No one is overreacting to that. Yes, it probably means some regression is coming, but it does not indicate that he is bound to return to the awful hitter he was before being optioned to High-A. Sure, Mesa is an older player for the High-A level, but offensive success is not something we have seen him have in the MiLB before, and he has done this for an extended period of time now. Maybe moving to the second spot in the batting order is just a coincidence, but maybe Victor Victor Mesa is starting to turn a corner in his professional career. It is time for him to be promoted to a higher level, and see if this recent success is real.

Photo by Joseph Guzy/Miami MarlinsFair and competitive compensation for Minor League Baseball players has been an issue that has been brooding for quite some time. Now, in 2021, accentuated by a burgeoning housing crisis, the matter is about to boil over. Though wages slightly increased this season (through a class action lawsuit), players are facing new challenges when it comes to finding affordable lodging within many minor league markets, especially those in smaller towns. The severity of the issue has been illustrated in a series of posts by Advocates for Minor Leaguers over the course of the last few months. This week, anonymous Marlins players at three levels of the system communicated their experiences to the source. In AA Pensacola, players are spending all of their income to keep a hotel roof over their heads. “The housing situation this year… was terrible. I say that because I couldn’t find a place to stay within a half hour of the stadium so I was essentially forced to stay in a hotel which cost me thousands of dollars a month (way more than my salary).” In A Jupiter, some players have resorted to even lesser ideal circumstances. “I have had some issues this year with housing with the Marlins. Right after spring training finished, I had to start paying $55 a night to split a hotel room. That’s over $1,700 per month. We don’t make that much after taxes. So I was losing money. I said, “that is ridiculous” so about a month ago, I moved out of the hotel and am now spending 1/3 of my paycheck to sleep on a couch.” In A Beloit, being able to live somewhat comfortably literally came down to the luck of the draw. “Eight guys drew a lucky straw and are saving some money by sharing a three bedroom/one bath house, splitting up a $2,500 monthly fee. Most of the rest of the team is living in expensive apartments, literally making somewhere between $40 to $75 per paycheck after rent.” Things are even more grim for international signees, most of which didn’t garner a lucrative signing bonus. “The worst part is some of our Latin teammates are sleeping four guys to a hotel room to split expenses, rotating between sleeping in the bed and making beds on the ground. The hotel is easiest for them to live in because they don’t have cars and it at least has a shuttle to the field.” How did we get here? One main reason is the erasure of host family programs. In year’s past, most minor league clubs would enlist the assistance of nearby residents that have the capacity to house a player over the course of the minor league season. In return, the family would be formally recognized by the team and would have the chance to make a lasting relationship with the athlete assigned to them. But amidst a global pandemic, these programs have been halted by the league. Another culprit for the lack of available affordable housing has been due to the lack of residents relocating amidst the pandemic. With the bulk of the middle class feeling the financial affects of the pandemic and with a national eviction ban in place for the majority of this season and still active in seven states (and the District of Colombia), a qualifying residence matching the wage of a even several minor league renters has been very hard to come by. Thus, here we are. While these conditions would be unacceptable for full time employees in many lines of work, these young athletes are being subjected to the physical detriments of sleeping on floors and couches and being unable to afford good diets as well as the mental hardship surrounding the uncertainty and frailty of their living situations all while being expected to remain in top physical condition in order to improve in their line of work. The simple situation is, as a great majority of minor league players don’t belong to the Major League Baseball Players’ Association, that the league step in and mandate that owners cover 50-75% of livable expenses during the MiLB season. However, as political economy expert and JustBaseball.com contributor Ron Cox tells us, the owners, not the league are the string pullers that will not allow this to happen in order to continue to line their own pockets. “The owners operate the league as a cartel, and with their anti-trust protection, have unilateral power over the minor league system, which has been extended after the recent MLB consolidation over minor league restructuring, which minor league teams could do nothing to stop. MLB owners are interested in streamlining costs and maximizing control over the minor league structure, not any kind of power sharing, even over wages and working conditions. The only way that happens is for minor league players to come together to make it happen, ideally with the support of MLBPA.” This winter, the “league” and the MLBPA will work to finalize a new collective bargaining agreement. In this instance or any involving owners spending money without an immediate return on investment, MLB, cannot be counted on to stand up for minor league players. So that leaves the Players’ Association which MiLB players do not officially belong to. Can developing players count on Tony Clark and company to stand up for MiLB players this winter? According to Cox, it doesn’t look good. “This is highly unlikely in the short term, because the minor league players are focused on gaining their own individual promotions and are divided by prospect status and bonuses, and the MLBPA already faces divisions in its ranks between veterans and young players, and are not willing to take on additional representation that is perceived as complicating their existing member representation.” The commissioner could stand up for Minor League players and mandate their lodging and cost of living be paid for. It won’t. The MLBPA could stand up for Minor League players and demand the mandate. It probably won’t. And as the two parties squabble over issues such as a salary floor by way of an increased luxury tax threshold and new salary arbitration rules, this very human issue will again very likely be tossed by the wayside. It comes down to a simple fact: Minor League Baseball players need and deserve their own representation group to protect not only their interests but their well being. The old “rite of passage” rhetoric that they need to suffer to earn their way to the big leagues is so tired and has always been wrong, now especially as these young men struggle through poverty. That adage that has already led to the far too early termination of many minor league careers and, in a changed political climate amidst a pandemic, is threatening to do so twofold. So what can be done? In the short term, independent groups have done yeoman’s work in bringing awareness to the hardships minor league players face and have worked to privately fundraise and garner monetary support from independent sources. These include the aforementioned Advocates for Minor Leaguers, a 501©(3) nonprofit organization as well as Adopt A Minor Leaguer, another NPO which seeks out seasonal sponsors that contribute to individual players on a weekly basis. Donating to organizations such as these are the best way fans can get involved in alleviating the effects of a very broken system. If you wish to donate, links can be found at the bottom of this post. Since the initiation of the Derek Jeter and Bruce Sherman era, the Marlins’ organization has vowed to stay committed to developing prospects internally and becoming a feeder system. It has stayed true to that promise by making them very hard to come by in the offseason and the trade deadline. Imagine the condition of that system if the players could afford to house and feed themselves. Other owners are in the same position but they refuse to do the right thing. The MLBPA won’t intervene. Imagine a car on a road with no turns. MLB owners are driving. The league is in the backseat. And this issue remains in the trunk. — Donate to Advocates for Minor Leaguers here and follow them on Twitter at @MiLBadvocates Donate to Adopt a Minor Leaguer here and follow them on Twitter for sponsorship opportunities @adoptaminorleaguer

As August comes to a close, one prospect who had the opportunity to double dip in baseball this month is Jake Fishman. While Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp teammate Eddy Alvarez generated much conversation for his historic double-medaling for Team USA (Baseball, 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics; Speed Skating, 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics), Fishman represented Team Israel in baseball. (Alongside, another familiar name, catcher Ryan Lavarnway who had a brief stint with the Marlins in 2020). Despite Team Israel ending up with a win-loss record of 1-4, they made a respectable efforts as one of the six baseball teams competing for gold. Jake Fishman's Olympic career may not be as splashy, but the 26-year old pitcher has not exactly settled back to quieter waters either. Since his August return, he has a recorded 3.27 ERA with two win decisions for the month. The southpaw has been primarily pitching relief in a bullpen platoon setup. His most recent performance last Thursday (August 26) against the Norfolk Tides showcased his easy and deceptive approach— a style that allows batters to make contact (Norfolk garnered four hits), but not necessarily a contact that is productive. In the three middle-innings pitched by Fishman, outfielders Corey Bird and Dustin Fowler along with first baseman Lewin Diaz provided plenty of defensive support. The Jumbo Shrimp beat the Tides 4-3; Fishman earned the win. The way Fishman creates a sleight of hand with the baseball does not exactly trick a batter. There is no secret. It is possible to hit off him. But again, the contact is not always auspicious. The beauty of his pitching lies in the deception he creates with the motion of his body and with the speed placed on the ball. His movement suggests the 6'3'' pitcher may be hurling off the mound with the ball; the ball's speed (low 80s breaking balls and low 90s fastball) bares witness of the illusion— Fishman's body will not indeed be flying into the batter's box for the strike. If Fishman can master his own magic, the Marlins could add an effective arm to the bullpen in 2022. Currently, Fishman holds an overall 3.72 ERA with a 4-1 record for the 2021 MiLB season.

Edward Cabrera (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) Despite his status as the 30th best prospect in baseball, like every player who grows up with the game, Edward Cabrera was just another kid with a dream. That dream has became reality. “I woke up this morning with a lot of confidence. I had it in my mind, "You're here."", Cabrera said through a translator. "But last night, I was thinking a lot about the dream, of making my MLB debut," On Wednesday night in Miami, just over 700 miles from where it all began in Santiago, Dominican Republic, the 23-year-old fireballing righty made his major league debut. He didn’t disappoint. Cabrera worked 6.1 quality innings on four hits, and three earned runs while striking out two and walking three. Though the big K numbers Cabrera has come to be known for were not there, he pitched much better than his stat line on his way to becoming the first Marlins pitcher to throw a quality start in his debut since Jordan Yamamoto in 2019. According to Cabrera, he hoped his family was as pleased with his outing as he was. "All of this, I do it mostly for my family," Cabrera said. "All of the sacrifices and everything I do is for them." Any jitters Cabrera may have been suffering from in his career defining moment were partially quelled very early when Brian Anderson made a great play and cross-body throw to get leadoff hitter Lane Thomas to ground out. Anderson is making it a trend to back young starters making their debuts with incredible plays. Last season, he provided Braxton Garrett with a play that left Garrett in disbelief. Cabrera was also the beneficiary of the latest jaw-dropping defense from Bryan De La Cruz, this time in center field. A ball that would have been a home run in 11/30 MLB parks was somehow snagged by the Marlins’ trade deadline return piece for Yimi Garcia. Cabrera went on to have an eight pitch inning and did not throw a ball. In the second inning, he recorded his first career strikeout on an 83 mph slider that was left up but still froze the eight hole hitter, Riley Adams. Cabrera followed that up by striking out the opposing pitcher Josiah Gray on a bunt foul out. Those were the only two Ks recorded in the start by Cabrera which is unconventional for him. But in place of the strikeouts, he was extremely economical with his pitches and through six innings, extremely stingy when it came to allowing base runners. Headed into the 7th inning, he was just one batter over the minimum and had thrown just 56 pitches. Twelve of his 18 outs recorded were quick outs. "I was attacking the zone. That's one of the things that was working -- they were swinging at it. I said, if they were swinging, maybe put the ball in the zone," Cabrera said. "That's what you have to do: if they want to get themselves out, you have to let the batters get those outs." Cabrera made few mistakes on the night as a whole but two came in a very short time frame in the 7th inning. He bounced back from a leadoff walk by retiring Juan Soto on a flyout (he retired Soto all three times he faced him) but then had his changeup sail out over the plate. Josh Bell didn’t miss. A batter later, Cabrera showed confidence in the pitch by immediately going back to it but it also stayed flat and was crushed by Yadiel Hernandez. Up until the 7th, Cabrera was twirling a gem, locating all four pitches for strikes with his usual fiery velo. His fastball topped at 99 and his changeup at 93. There were a few bad locations mixed in and he gave up some hard contact but overall, this was a very encouraging start and great building block for Edward. Though the strikeouts weren’t there, it was moving and very encouraging to see Cabrera have the maturity to notice aggressive hitters attacking early, challenging them with supreme confidence in his stuff, saying "here it is, come get it" and get the job done in that capacity, however unorthodox it might have been for him. After he got back to the dugout following his removal, Cabrera could be seen on the bench breaking down the outing with Marlins’ leader (and a very similar pitcher, should Edward reach his ceiling), Sandy Alcantara. The pair carried a conversation for an inning and a half. "He told me congratulations and how good I did. He explained to me that it was great that I attacked the zone, some of the pitches some of the locations," Cabrera said. "Having him there is just a blessing: having him there and chatting the game with him. As we know, Sandy is truly the GOAT." Edward Cabrera is here, he’s mixing well, throwing all of his pitches for strikes, he’s already effective on the mound and he’s beginning to building relationships with Alcantara, Mel Stottlemyre and the rest of his teammates as the Marlins look towards being competitive again in 2022. The floor is very high and the sky is the limit for this young star whom we compare to Zack Wheeler.