Alex Carver

The grandeur and excitement surrounding the return of Marlins baseball dimmed slightly on Thursday morning when the club received its first bad news of the season, just two days into camp. During his morning press conference, Don Mattingly announced that right handed pitcher Edward Cabrera, the club’s fourth best prospect and the 68th best prospect in baseball according to MLB Pipeline, has been shut down with an injury to his throwing arm. Mattingly described the injury as an inflamed nerve in his right biceps. “Obviously, you're always disappointed when anything sets a guy back a little bit," Mattingly said. "But I think from there we just basically take our time and let this thing take care of itself, or us take care of it.” Cabrera is believed to have suffered the injury while training overseas in the Dominican. The Marlins learned about the discomfort earlier this winter. It is said to be completely unrelated to the throwing arm injury that Cabrera suffered last July and sidelined him until September. Again, the Marlins took it slow with Edward and built him back slowly and methodically at the ATS. He didn’t throw off of a mound for more than a month. He was called up to the taxi squad in September for the playoffs but the club erred on the side of caution and did not insert the 22-year-old into any games. How long will Cabrera spend out of action with his new ailment? For comparison’s sake, we look at some some former Fish. The Marlins are no strangers to bicep injuries of this sort at this time of year. At the beginning of spring training in 2017, Jeff Locke suffered a similar ailment and was out of action for four months. The next year, reliever Brian Ellington head dealt with biceps tendinitis. He was ultimately released and signed by the Diamondbacks. After suffering the ailment in May and being signed by Arizona in early June, Ellington did not get back on the field until June 19th. Taking into account that bodies heal differently and Cabrera does have youth on his side, considering his prospect status, Edward is likely looking at at least another three month layoff before returning to MiLB. As concerning as it is for Edward to have already suffered two throwing arm injuries this early in his career especially when you consider how hard he throws and his violent release mechanics, hope for the Marlins is that they caught this injury early, avoiding any more serious damage. With youth still on his side, the club will be able to gradually build him back (again). The best estimated hope is that we see Edward back on an MiLB field (likely on a rehab assignment) by late June or early July. After the lost minor league season and the aforementioned slow build back from his previous injury only to fall victim to another ailment, it has got to be extremely frustrating for Cabrera. However, he is still at spring training, supporting his teammates and gaining psychological knowledge. As tough as the news of this injury is to swallow, you haven’t nearly heard the last of this explosive right hander. See you soon, Eddie.

Countless hours of deliberation, five podcast episodes, many occasions of reshuffling and ultimately eight months' time. That's what it took to put together the deepest and most comprehensive Marlins prospects rankings system. Finally, we have done it. Daniel De Vivo and I have ranked 100 Marlins youngsters and provided their scouting reports on Swimming Upstream. Now, as we enter spring training, we are ready to publish the completed (for now) list. As proud as we are to have completed this tremendous task, the project is far from over. This list will regularly and continuously be updated across our platform. Without any further ado, Daniel and I are proud to reveal to you our inaugural consensus Top 100 Marlins Prospects list. For the most frequent up-to-the-minute updates to our list, be sure to follow us on Twitter @marlinsminors and @danieldevivo.

Every spring, key pieces of the Marlins’ future come to spring training to give a small sneak peak at what is coming for the organization. This year, we will get much more than a small sneak peak. Last Monday, the Marlins announced their 18 non-roster invitees for spring training and by so doing alerted us to the fact that many highly touted prospects will be on the big league roster for the Grapefruit League session. The list includes five of Fish On The Farm’s top 20 prospects, seven of our top 30 and our 31st and 32nd ranked players. There will be a lot to watch in the second half of Marlins’ spring training games beginning later this month. Here are the guys we are most excited to see get their much deserved chance to strut their stuff on the main fields this spring. — OF Peyton Burdick 2019 (A-/A): .308/.407/.542, 11 HR, 35 XBH, 64 RBI, 72/34 K/BB, 7/7 SB/CS Edmund Peyton Burdick is a Marlins’ 2018 third round pick and one of two Miami picks from Wright State University in that draft. All Peyton did in college was hit .349/.465/.585 and propel WSU to two league championships. He also threw in a .252/.351/.435 showing in the wood bat summer leagues. Burdick signed for all of $397,500 well under slot value. The Ohio native, Peyton jumped all over the chance to make his career in South Florida. "We went down there for a workout and their stadium was unbelievable," Burdick said of the region. "The Sunshine State, you can't beat it." All Peyton has done since signing is hit .308/.407/.542 with 11 bombs, four triples, 20 doubles and a 72/34 K/BB. He also stole seven bases in 14 attempts and drove in 64 runs, all mostly as a member of the Clinton LumberKings who made the Midwest League championship. Not long after the completion of the 2019 MiLB season, Burdick was named the Marlins’ low A MVP and invited to take BP with the big league team. He recently talked recently about that experience, labeling it invaluable. "I don’t think there was one moment where I didn't have a smile on my face," Burdick said of big-league BP. "You get to see how the big-leaguers are living and take batting practice with them and hang out. We got to see Juan Soto hit because they were playing the Nationals. You want to play against those guys one day and it just feels good to be in that moment." This spring, Burdick will get to be in that moment on a daily basis. Considering how he made the most of that experience and considering how he hasn’t let the lost MiLB season deter him from getting his work in — he has been adhering to a strict training regimen both in the gym and on the field back home — there is little doubt Burdick is going to reap the benefits of his invite to spring training. Peyton Burdick BP #Marlins pic.twitter.com/QkWoHWSftd — Ian Smith (@FlaSmitty) September 17, 2019Based off his history, Burdick is an ultimate competitor who is used to winning and has the tools to further ensure whatever team he is on be it collegiate or MiLB, does so. He stands just 6’, 205 but with great bat speed, a very advanced approach, good plate vision and the ability to get his entire body involved in his swing that shows fantastic bat control and the ability to stay all the way through the ball on top of plus speed, Burdick, in his second year pro, comps well to Justin Upton, a .264/.345/.474, 147/58 SB/CS, 33.9 WAR similarly built 6’1”, 215 pound righty stick. Upton is a four time All-Star and three time Silver Slugger. With the background and ability to see the ball which has translated well to the affiliated ranks, an absolutely explosive swing when he engages it, plus speed and a good outfield arm all despite the fact he went through Tommy John which cost him a full season in 2017, Peyton could wind up being one of the biggest steals of the 2019 Draft, especially considering the price tag. We fully expect him to put on a show this spring before starting 2021 in A+. With similar results, he should get a quick promotion to AA. Along with JJ Bleday, Kameron Mizner and others, Burdick is a huge piece of the Marlins’ not-too-distant future outfield. There will be many prospects that are part of both the 40 man roster and this NRI group to keep tabs on this spring. But if you were to ask us to pick just one, Peyton Burdick would be our pick. [caption id=attachment_1865" align="aligncenter" width="828] Max Meyer (Photo by Joseph Guzy/Miami Marlins)[/caption]RHP Max Meyer 2018-2020 (NCAA): 46 G, 148 IP, 2.68 ERA, 0.939 WHIP, 187/41 K/BB Meyer is the Marlins’ highly heralded first round pick out the University of Minnesota from the abbreviated 2020 MLB Draft. The third overall pick, Meyer enjoyed a fantastic collegiate career both coming out of the pen in his freshman season (43.2 IP, 2.27 ERA, .870 WHIP16 SV, 54/13 K/BB) and after making the near-full-time move to the rotation in his sophomore year (16 G, 11 GS, 76.2 IP, 2.11 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 87/20 K/BB). He was off to a similarly great start to his junior year (27.2 IP, 1.95 ERA, .083 WHIP, 46/8 K/BB) before COVID wiped out the collegiate season. If not for the pandemic, Meyer may have been in the discussion for first overall. Projected to go eighth overall by Jonathan Mayo, the Marlins took Max at number three. While Asa Lacy, whom the Marlins were favorites to receive with their selection, signed for slightly over slot value, Max signed for slightly under value. With the saved funds, the Marlins signed their second pick, high schooler Daxton Fulton, away from his college commitment. #Marlins select righty Max Meyer out of Minnesota at number three. A surprise pick for sure but it’s hard to argue with a triple digit fastball and this slider.#305OnTheRise | #MLBDraft pic.twitter.com/qNb57lfLMj — Fish On The Farm (@marlinsminors) June 10, 2020Meyer’s stuff is absolutely electric. He’s up as high as 101 with the heat and down to 88-90 with his wipeout power slider. He also has a third pitch changeup that’s on the rise. Numerous scouts say Meyer’s fastball is already 70 grade (with the ability to get even better). The slider has very little vertical movement but thanks to off-the-charts spin rates, has ridiculous late horizontal movement leading to his equally ridiculous whiff rates and the ability to make the opposition look silly fishing for the pitch out of the zone without even having to challenge with it. The third pitch changeup is definitely not anywhere near as advanced as his other two pitches but considering how good those two offerings are, that isn’t a knock on the pitch whatsoever. Considering how he masks each of his pitches with the same exact arm speed, the changeup, which shows good fade back to his arm side, tunnels extremely well off the heat. If he can get the spin rate on the changeup to approach anywhere near where his other two pitches are in that department, Meyer, who was very tough for metal bat Big 10 hitters to barrel up, would be equally tough — if not tougher — for wood bats to damage. The biggest knock on Meyer is the fact that he is not your typical pitcher’s body, just 6’, 196 at age 23. However, considering his collegiate pedigree, his fiery velo, the repeatability in his mechanics including matched arm speed on all three pitches and his ability to hold each of those things throughout his starts, Meyer comes to the Marlins system, including the tutelage of Mel Stottlemyre Jr and Co. this spring not too far from a finished product. If he continues to impress this spring and to start the year in AAA, Meyer could make his Marlins debut in pretty short order. For a comp, look to the similar size and equally fiery arm of Johnny Cueto. OF JJ Bleday 2019 (A+): 38 G, .257/.311/.379, 3 HR, 11 XBH, 29/11 K/BB Another first rounder, Bleday is the Marlins’ 2019 fourth overall pick and one of 17 Vanderbilt College World Series champions to be selected that year. Bleday was the brightest shining star (among many other twinkling ones) among that Commodores team ending his three year collegiate career with a .347/.465/.701, 27 HR, 58/61 K/BB junior season. He also threw in two summer league showings equating to a .286/.375/.484, 7 HR, 37/27 K/BB stat line. Bleday, the SEC’s player of the year who led the circuit in most categories, came to the Fish and was immediately assigned to A+. In a pitchers’ league, he hit .257/.311/.379 in his first 38 pro games. He was invited to spring training for the first time in 2020 where he really impressed. Fans of the #Marlins should get used to seeing this. MLB's No. 29 overall prospect JJ Bleday singles in his first Spring Training at-bat.pic.twitter.com/ZtNYyhZiOw — Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) February 22, 2020The owner of four of five tools, Bleday has some of the simplest and most balanced plate mechanics of anyone in the entire Marlins organization. Approaching from the back of the box and from a straight through stance, Bleday doesn’t exhibit much of (if any) of a timing trigger but rather relies on plus plus plate vision and fantastic bat speed to execute a mostly straight through swing with slight uppercut action that comes by high percentages of barrel contact, regular doubles power and the ability for 20+ homers annually. With the ability to hit for both average and power due to his knowledge of the strike zone and advanced plate discipline, Bleday is a guy who will work counts, force pitchers into mistakes and use his standout approach and swing mechanics to collect extra bases very frequently. He lines up as a guy who will hit for both average and power at the next level while also limiting strikeouts. Bleday definitely has the tools, the pedigree, the work ethic and the will to succeed. We just need to see it show at the next level and his affiliated career is off to a great start based off where he started and what he was able to accomplish. If Bleday can show out in AA Pensacola this coming season, he could be MLB bound to begin 2022. We view the southpaw Bleday, the owner of 55 grade hit, power, arm and field tools with the capability to bump most of those up to 60 as he gains polish, to comp to a physically bigger version of Andrew Bennintendi, a stingy lefty hit-over-power tool threat that smacks regular doubles and is an annual 20/20 threat. Bennintendi has hit .273/.353/.435 so far in his five year career. [caption id=attachment_1877" align="aligncenter" width="830] Kameron Misner (Photo by Joseph Guzy/Miami Marlins)[/caption]OF Kameron Misner 2019 (Rk/A): 42 G, .270/.388/.362, 2 HR, 11 XBH, 24 RBI, 42/30 K/BB Misner is another member of that stellar 2019 draft orchestrated by Michael Hill, DJ Svihlik and company. Kam attended the University of Missouri where he was a .301/.424/.489 bat over three seasons. He also added in an absurd standout performance in the wood bat New England Collegiate Baseball League in 2017 after his freshman season: .378/.479/.652 with eight homers and a 20/28 K/BB. A 2017 Freshman All-American, a 2018 second team All-SEC selection and a member of 2019 Golden Spikes watch list, the highly touted outfielder came to the Fish at number 35 overall. Misner had a very short eight game stint in the GCL before being called up to low A Clinton. In a 34 game stint with the LumberKings, Mizner impressed hitting .276/.380/.373 in 134 ABs. The lefty showed good bat-to-ball skills and good speed, stealing eight bags in eight chances. He also doubled seven times and homered twice. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b87IKmDQDsI?autoplay=0&fs=0&iv_load_policy=3&showinfo=0&rel=0&cc_load_policy=0&start=0&end=0&origin=https://youtubeembedcode.com] Pro scouting reports on Kam are as encouraging as they come. Labeled one of the most toolsy players in the 2019 Draft, Misner is said to have better raw hit, power and fielding than the Marlins’ first round pick from the same draft, Bleday and he adds in plus speed. The major difference between Bleday and Misner though is the current level of development. While the swing is gorgeous, the power is surprisingly predominant for a guy of his lanky 6’4”, 215 build and while his physical mechanics are simple and repeatable from top to bottom, Kam can be a bit too tepid at the plate especially early in counts, letting hittable pitches pass him by and putting him at the mercy of the pitcher. While patience are a good thing, he’s historically been a bit TOO patient and pitchers at the upper levels will exploit that. Kam has the capability for all five tools necessary to be a standout top-tier performer in the big leagues. We don’t say it often about guys at this level of development, but heading into his age 24 season, we want to see Kam be a bit more aggressive at the plate and trust himself. The results should come naturally: he should put more balls in play and his speed and baserunning prowess will be at his disposal more often. The lack of aggression is the only thing holding Misner back from a very high ceiling. If a bump in plate vision and more confidence in his own abilities can be coached out of him, Kam could approach a ceiling reminiscent of Christian Yelich, a similarly built lefty bat who with annual .300/.375/.450, 30/30 HR/SB annual potential. He should start 2021 in A+ Beloit and with success, could rise up to AA by mid season. Regardless, 2021, including spring training, will be a big year for Misner’s development and for the Marlins, a measuring stick of the ceiling he hopes to reach. We will be watching him closely. 3B Joe Dunand 2019 (AA): 130 G, .242/.314/.333, 5 HR, 31 XBH, 42 RBI, 119/38 K/BB Dunand is a Miami native and the nephew of Yankees legend Alex Rodriguez who attended the renowned baseball factory Gulliver Prep as a high schooler where he hit nine home runs in a span of five games in his graduating year. He then attended college at NC State where he had a .268/.334/.476 three year career. He also threw an impressive 34 game 326/.372/.511 Cape Cod Summer League showing in in 2016. Dunand came to the Marlins as their second round pick in the 2017 Draft. Not long after his selection, Dunand suffered an injury and didn’t begin his big league career until August of that same season. Between the GCL and A+, he got in eight games. He started 2018 back in Jupiter where he performed well in the first half, well enough to get the call up to AA. Joe has been playing at that level ever since. The results: pretty average. 191 games, .233/.302/.345, 12 HR, 190/54 K/BB. The reason behind his first invite to Marlins spring training was the way Dunand put on a show in the Dominican Winter League this offseason. Joe Dunand go-ahead HR! 💪 Good week for him in winter ball pic.twitter.com/EYnCFtPohK — Fish Stripes (@fishstripes) November 22, 2020Playing against competition over three years older than him on average, Dunand in 21 games hit .319/.398/.542 with three homers, seven doubles, 12 RBIs and a 25/9 K/BB. He also played some stellar defense at third base. Like his uncle before him, Dunand can also play shortstop but his future is at the hot corner. He’s also doing stuff like this frequently on the other side of the ball. pic.twitter.com/NVdTT1JDQa — Fish On The Farm (@marlinsminors) December 7, 2020It was a small sample size but it was extremely encouraging for the Marlins front office to see Dunand play some great all around innings in wake of the lost MiLB season and his average performance at AA the last time he was on the field stateside. It speaks to the work ethic, athleticism and tools (albeit late to bloom tools) of Dunand and you cannot argue with the pedigree considering he grew up very close with to his uncle. Looking at Dunand in Jacksonville in 2019 vs Dunand in the Dominican this year, there are some noticeable differences. The first thing to notice is that Dunand is setting up lower in his stance. The toe tap trigger he was using in 2019 has been traded for an elevated front foot trigger. His elbows are also slightly higher and away from his body, aiding in his reach. Finally, Dunand appears to have added quite a bit of bulk. Each of these improvements should aid Dunand in continuing to hit for power to his pull side which he’s always favored while also allowing him to reach more more areas of the field and above all, reach base more often. That’s what the Marlins hope to see out of Dunand this spring. He should start the year in AAA, but with a good showing in spring and success back in Jacksonville, now the AAA affiliate, Dunand could join the Marlins as a bat off the bench and much needed current depth at third base. — Continue to follow Fish On The Farm here, on social media (@marlinsminors/@danieldevivo) and via our podcast Swimming Upstream, available via Apple Podcasts and Spotify all spring long and leading into the return of Minor League Baseball.

Yiddi Cappe (Photo by Baseball America)It happened. His day has finally come. After being initially linked to the Marlins as far back as late 2019, Yiddi Cappe was forced to wait another six months to officially make his dream a reality. Today, Cappe, surrounded by his family, finally inked his free agent contract with the Marlins. "It was just more of a dream," Cappe said through an interpreter at his introductory press conference. "As a kid being part of Miami, there in Florida [are] a lot of Cubans. The community is really big. It's just a dream. I always wanted to be a Marlin, and now I am, and it's an honor." The 10th ranked international prospect, Cappe came to America as a 16-year-old in 2018. Cappe began playing against national competition and it didn’t take him long to start garnering the attention of scouts. Cappe could have been selected earlier than today but he originally hit the market at a time when most teams spent most of their pool money. According to reports, it is rumored that the Marlins offered Cappe a $3.5 million bonus to hold out until 2020 when bonus pools reset. Cappe apparently agreed. Since then, Yiddi has been working out at the Marlins’ academy in the Dominican Republic. The film we have seen of him is encouraging: Latest round of BP from Marlins international free agent target Cuban SS Yiddi Cappe (wearing a face covering) pic.twitter.com/bGKCNN4jIa — Fish Stripes (@fishstripes) May 7, 2020The ultimate question on everyone’s mind is how good can Yiddi be? Where do we cap Cappe’s ceiling? Judging by what reports and our eyes while viewing the material we have seen on Yiddi tell us, that ceiling is pretty high. He has a solid straight-through approach, good bat speed, a good feel for the strike zone and can cover the plate in order to hit to all fields. The biggest question surrounding Yiddi for evaluators is can he make that translate to in-game action at the next level? A lanky kid and one of the older signees in this year’s class and a guy who hasn’t seen much in game action recently, some scouts limit their optimism and label Cappe a glove-first player at the next level. On the flip side, there are others who see a good offensive blueprint and plenty of time for Yiddi to grow in to his body, adding a better power element to his game.

After only selecting a total of three players in both 2018 and 2019 combined, the Marlins under new GM Kim Ng were very active at the Rule 5 Draft this year, making a total of four selections and making a trade for a fifth. Who are they and what do they bring? We examine below. — In her second presser as Marlins GM, Ng stated the bullpen would be a priority this offseason. She wasn’t kidding. Kim got started on restructuring the bullpen with the first chance she got, the Rule 5. Four of the five players the Marlins acquired at the winter meetings were arms, including two whom will join the 40 man roster. [caption id=attachment_1817" align="aligncenter" width="830] Paul Campbell (Photo by MLB.com)[/caption] RHP Paul Campbell 2019 (AA-AAA): 144.2 IP, 3.67 ERA, 112 K/37 BB, 1.13 WHIP It’s been a mixed bag for the Marlins when it comes to players acquired directly their in-state rival. On one side, there is Ryne Stanek, Ethan Clark, Braxton Lee and Matt Ramsey but on the other there is Jesus Sanchez, Jesus Aguilar and Derek Dietrich. Ng and the Fish are hoping that Campbell ends up on the right side of that equation. By all intents and purposes and judging by Campbell’s recent history including his breakout 2019 season, he has a very good chance of doing so. Campbell, a Massachusetts native, is a 6’, 210 pound righty out of Clemson University. His stats as a Tigers’ long reliever were subpar but he did get in a good showing in the wood bat New England Collegiate League in the summer of 2016 and caught the eyes of scouts with his advanced mix of velo and spin. After joining the Rays, he finished 2017 pitched to a 2.29 ERA with a 19/6 K/BB and 1.12 WHIP in 19.2 GCL innings. Campbell began 2018 in short season Hudson Valley tossing to a 1.67 ERA via a 0.87 WHIP and 35/5 K/BB in 32.1 IP before receiving his first full season assignment with Bowling Green. He began garnering national attention for his quick rise through the MiLB ranks after he finished the season by holding down a 2.70 ERA via a 22/12 K/BB and 1.17 WHIP in 36.2 IP with the Hot Rods. In 2019, Campbell really popped, solidifying himself as an organizational top 25 prospect in a system known for developing quality arms. In his first full season’s worth of work between A+ and AA, Paul managed a 3.67 ERA by way of a 1.13 WHIP and 112/37 K/BB in 144.2 IP. From May 18 through June 22, Campbell had a run of six straight quality outings. From July 13 until August 18, he held down a 2.25 ERA in 40 IP. If not for a rare rough outing late in the season, his AA ERA would be well under 3. He will join the Marlins’ pen in as a multiple inning reliever and possible long relief option in 2021. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHzummrI-wU?autoplay=0&fs=0&iv_load_policy=3&showinfo=0&rel=0&cc_load_policy=0&start=0&end=0&origin=https://youtubeembedcode.com] The Campbell arsenal consists of a 93-95 MPH heater, a high 80s-mid 90s change and a 76-79 MPH power curve. The change and fastball are both presently plus pitches which Campbell masks with the same arm speed. The curve shows flashes but, unlike the other two offerings, it lacks downward action. Also, Campbell slows down his arm action on the pitch making it easier for hitters to pick up and spit on. The good news is he has some time to put some polish on it while living mostly off the other two pitches during in-game action. While Campbell doesn’t have blow-it-by-you stuff and while he won’t rack up strikeouts, he is an innings eater who just gets outs by commanding the lower half and inducing weak contact. Although he lowered his walk rate to a career low 5.8% last year while making the AA jump, his ground ball rate fell a bit to 34%, another career low. In addition to polishing the curveball, that number needs to come back up if Campbell is going to be successful against big league bats but that should work itself out as he gains more experience against them. With a plus reliever profile and the ability to get even better if he puts the aforementioned polish on his third pitch curveball, Campbell will be a quality multiple inning reliever. He and his pretty high floor should start the season in middle relief. Campbell should be placed among the Marlins top 40 prospects. [caption id=attachment_1819" align="aligncenter" width="830] Zach Pop (Photo by MLB.com)[/caption] RHP Zach Pop 2019 (AA): 10.2 IP, 0.84 ERA, 11/4 K/BB, 1.03 WHIP This must be... Pop! Zach Pop is a 24-year-old righty out of the University of Kentucky. He decided to attend Kentucky despite being drafted out of his Canadian secondary school where he also played volleyball, hockey and golf. At Kentucky, he was teammates with his fellow countryman and eventual Marlins draft pick, Tristan Pompey. Pop now re-joins Pompey as his teammate in pro ball with the Fish. After being named a top 100 collegiate prospect in each his sophomore and junior seasons, Pop was selected by the Dodgers in the seventh round of the 2017 Draft, jumping up the board 16 rounds from three years previous and earning himself a $147,500 payday. Pop lived out the rest of his draft year by throwing five shutout innings in five relief appearances in the short season Arizona League before jumping up to full season ball in 2018. Pop was pushed hard that year and responded extremely well in terms of results, posting a 1.53 ERA in 64.2 IP at three different levels. This included a 27 IP, 0.33 ERA 23/6 K/BB, 0.70 WHIP performance at A+ Rancho Cucamonga and a 21.1 IP, 2.53 ERA, 17/6 K/BB, 0.94 WHIP at the AA level with the Orioles whom he joined as part of the Manny Machado trade. The hitch in Pop’s development hit the next spring. After entering camp with his fastball velo down by 10 MPH, a week into the season, it was revealed he had a shoulder issue which required Tommy John. He missed the rest of the year and hasn’t thrown since. Before the surgery, Pop’s 70 grade fastball approached 100 MPH with good movement and plus plus command, his 60-grade change came in at 88-90 with good masked arm speed and two plane fading break and his 84-87 MPH power slider which was a third pitch for him but which he was beginning to gain a better feel for, garnering swings and misses both in and out of the zone. In addition to his solid three pitch arsenal, Pop promoted deception in his delivery by winding slowly then exploding forward on his downhill before releasing from a low 3/4 slot, really messing with hitter’s timing. We cannot imagine how Zach Pop (@pop_zach)’s day went having been a member of three different organizations in less than a nine hour span, but we are glad he landed in Miami. 🌴 Here’s a taste of Zach changing speeds with both his stuff and wind/release, fooling bats:#Marlins pic.twitter.com/ahSQjq6EcW — Fish On The Farm (@marlinsminors) December 11, 2020 The question will be can Pop come back as the same guy following the surgery and more than a full year off the field? The Orioles were doubtful and left him unprotected. The Diamondbacks thought so and drafted him in the Rule 5 draft only to trade him just hours later. What a roller coaster of a day with a lot of emotions. First, I’d like to thank the @Orioles for all their support especially during the rehab process. Thank you to @Marlins for giving me this opportunity to contribute to the team. Excited for what the future holds. — Zach Pop (@pop_zach) December 11, 2020 After a psychologically exhausting day which saw him as a member of three different organizations in less than nine hours, Pop lands in Miami who are also confident he can return to form as a mid-late inning reliever and setup man. As he gets his feet back under him, he will likely begin his big league career in middle relief. [caption id=attachment_1823" align="aligncenter" width="830] Jake Fishman (Photo by BlueJaysFromAway.com)[/caption] LHP Jake Fishman 2019 (AA): 62.2 IP, 3.45 ERA, 1.261 WHIP, 74/18 K/BB Fish(man) on the farm. A native of Newton, Massachusetts, Fishman is a 6’3”, 195 pound lefty and alumni of Union College in upstate New York. In 66 IP in his senior year, Fishman led all of college baseball with a lowly 0.41 ERA and ranked eighth in D3 ball in both K/9 (11.59) and WHIP (0.89), paving his path to some pretty impressive league accolades including Liberty League Pitcher of the Year and tournament MVP. Fishman was also on the roster for Team Israel in the 2017 World The Toronto Blue Jays recognized Fishman’s exports at the end of the 206 Draft, selecting him in the 30th round, 912th overall. The four-year D3 hurler had a bit of a slow rise through the minors, but he finally reached AA last year at age 24 (save one start at AAA in 2018). Fishman comes to the Marlins in the AAA phase of the Rule 5 and will be spotlighted in Jacksonville this coming season. With success, his MLB debut will be considered. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XC8xApJv4Ps?autoplay=0&fs=0&iv_load_policy=3&showinfo=0&rel=0&cc_load_policy=0&start=0&end=0&origin=https://youtubeembedcode.com] Athletically built, Fishman is a soft tossing southpaw with three pitches. His heat will rarely go above 90 and his two breakers, a slider and changeup sit between 80-83. What sets him apart is his funky stretch, wind and release in which he steps toward the first base side and goes from a high to low sidearm slot before throwing across his body and ending up almost completely off the mound upon landing. The unorthodox look keeps hitters far off balance and allows Fishman to generate both whiffs and weak contact ground ball outs. In his first two full minor league seasons, Fishman posted combined K/9 over 9 and ground ball rates of over 50% including 50.9 in AA last season. The unique mechanics of this 25-year-old and his ability to baffle barrels plays up to middle relief at the big league level. Fishman could possibly win that role out of spring training in 2021. Next chapter!! Beyond thankful for the @Marlins selecting me in the Rule 5 Draft!! Also thank you to the @Rangers for giving me my first opportunity to fulfill my dream! pic.twitter.com/WhNJKxZysd — Dylan Bice (@dylanbice2323) December 10, 2020 RHP Dylan Bice 2019 (A): 20.2 IP, 1.31 ERA, 1.065 WHIP, 29/8 K/BB Bice, a Georgia native and athletic 6’4” 220 pound specimens, was a three sport athlete in his high school tenure juggling pitching with running back and basketball center duties for the Heritage Generals of Ringgold. With a career 2.46 ERA and 85 strikeouts in 85 innings in his prep career including a 1.93 ERA and 47 Ks in 50 innings in his senior year, Dylan was ranked the state of Georgia’s eighth best high school starter and 132nd best pitcher in the country. The Rangers selected and successfully signed Bice out of the 22nd round of the 2016 Draft, taking him away from his collegiate commitment to ETSU. The Rangers used Bice’s first two pro seasons attempting to condition and build up his arm before pushing him harder this past season. After extended spring training, Bice was tasked with full season ball for the first time in his career. However, after just seven appearances, Bice was shut down with an injury in mid May. He didn’t resume throwing until early August. He lived out the rest of 2019 on rehab first in the AZL then in short season Spokane. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWatVpqlzDo?autoplay=0&fs=0&iv_load_policy=3&showinfo=0&rel=0&cc_load_policy=0&start=0&end=0&origin=https://youtubeembedcode.com] At 100% health, Bice brings 94-96 mph velo with a second pitch power slider. He throws with natural downward arc from a high and over the top arm slot and long stride downhill. The mechanics are smooth and his control is above average. If the health can maintain, Bice has the ceiling of a mid-late inning reliever. At 23 and after almost two full missed seasons though, the jury is out on if Bice can approach that apex. Having never pitched above A ball, he has a tall task ahead of him in Jacksonville this coming season. We will see how he responds. [caption id=attachment_1826" align="aligncenter" width="828] Marcus Chiu (Photo by ThinkBluePC.com)[/caption] INF Marcus Chiu 2019 (A+): .215/.341/.383, 14 HR, 44 RBI, 167/53 K/BB Chiu is a 23-year-old infielder drafted out of a Northern California community college by the Dodgers in 2017. Chiu lives on as a Marin Mariners legend having only spent two years there. He hit an overall .349 with 16 homers, including 13 (a school record) in his sophomore season, a year in which he was also named a Second Team All-American and All-Conference Player of the Year. Before that, he hit .397 with a .551 OBP as a high schooler and earned his conference’s Player of the Year award as a senior. Upon being selected by LA in the 15th round, Chiu enjoyed steady growth through the Dodgers system, making it to A+ in 2019 where for the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, he hit .215/.341/.383 with a team leading 14 bombs. Chiu was also third in the California League though with 167 Ks. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPXQ6PM19_Y?autoplay=0&fs=0&iv_load_policy=3&showinfo=0&rel=0&cc_load_policy=0&start=0&end=0&origin=https://youtubeembedcode.com] A stocky 6’2”, 208 pounder, Chiu owns plus plus power and has the ability to play all over the infield. However due to just average speed and taking an injury to his throwing hand in 2018 into account, Chiu probably best profiles as a future first baseman. The Marlins will definitely take that though as it is a position of major need and one of the thinnest spots in the organization right now with not much past Lewin Diaz, Evan Edwards and Nic Ready. Chiu owns unquestionable raw power that grades out at the 60 scale. However it takes a little bit of a dip at the game power level due to his mechanics which also lend themselves to his heightened K rate. On approach, Chiu uses a front heel to back toe tap trigger before executing an absolutely explosive swing. The swing itself is beautiful but he is susceptible to getting out in front for whiffs due to an inactive lower half and little hip action. The extreme pull hitter is also prone to weak contact on outside pitches due to not backloading his swing and not stepping towards the ball. This has severely limited his batting average. When Chiu does barrel though especially on inside pitches, the results are absolutely mesmerizing. Despite the big K%, Chiu is also pretty selective with his swings. In his longest look last year, he posted a BB% near 12%. If Chiu can work out his lower half mechanics, find more wood and cover the field a bit better to bring his average up and the K numbers down, he has the ceiling of a CJ Cron-esque every day first baseman and a guy who could be a perennial 20-20 threat. At the very least, he profiles as a high floor slugger who can contribute at multiple positions or as a DH (if the NL adopts it full time). “I am excited for this new start. I learned a lot from my time with the Dodgers, but I am excited to bring what I learned there to the Marlins organization,” Chiu said recently. “I am always excited to keep learning and it is a good feeling to feel wanted by an organization.” Welcome to the Chiu Chiu train. Next stop: Miami.

With the unprecedented taking place all around them and for a time infiltrating their clubhouse, the 2020 Miami Marlins rose up in the face of every adversity that approached them and accomplished what most of the baseball world thought to be seemingly improbable, making the postseason for the first time in 17 years. A major catalyst in the Marlins’ success this season were the exports of young players, some of which were necessarily called upon to make their MLB debuts ahead of schedule. “I’m so happy for them. I gave them a big hug after the last out,” club leader Miguel Rojas said after the Marlins’ final game of the season. “I’m happy and proud of every guy but especially every guy that wasn’t supposed to be here.” Despite the cancelation of Minor League season, the cancelation of spring training and the closing of facilities due to the COVID-19 and despite trips back and forth between the alternate training site, many Marlins youngsters remained prepared, stayed ready to go and showed marked improvement while participating at the highest level of development. What did we see from whom and what are our impressions of them as we look ahead to 2021? Here are our thoughts. Sixto SanchezRHP Sixto Sanchez 2020: 39 IP, 3.46 ERA, 1.205 WHIP, 33/11 K/BB The prize of the JT Realmuto trade, Sixto brought his wrath to the bigs on August 22nd after building up his arm during spring and shedding weight during the COVID layoff. Summer of Sixto. 🔜#Marlins pic.twitter.com/vUj0ZSKBqm — Fish On The Farm (@marlinsminors) July 7, 2020 A much brisker Sixto took the mound on August 22nd armed with better command over his staple, a spicy 97-101 mph heater and a wipe-out changeup that he showed the ability to locate on both sides of the plate for easy whiffs both in and out of the zone. The Sanchez changeup came to the plate turning at an average rate of 1800 RPMs, 55 above league average and with vertical movement 1.5 inches better than league average competition thus the reason for swings such as this: Sixto with two-plane, drop off the table absolute FILTH to get his second career K. 😧#Marlins | #JuntosMiami pic.twitter.com/t99vx6HbXw — Fish On The Farm (@marlinsminors) August 23, 2020 Sixto’s fastball/changeup combo is downright deadly and provides him with the ability to become a very special talent in the not too distant future. How far Sixto goes will be dependent on two other variables: more consistent command and the development of a third pitch. Here are Sixto’s pitch charts (via Baseball Savant) from his second start in which he struck out 10 and his final start of the season in which he struggled: More consistent command should work itself out naturally as Sixto gains more experience so we should start seeing the corner-painting, whiff-inducing Sixto who got ahead with a first pitch strike around 75% of the time in his first four starts as opposed to the one who only got ahead around 55% of the time in his last three starts more often next season. The question will be how often does that version of Sixto show up? His fiery arm and equally fiery style of play and the fact that he plays with so much emotion make Sanchez a prime candidate to bits of overthrowing. Coaching will play a huge part in keeping Sixto composed going forward. Lucky for the Marlins they have arguably the best developmental staff in all of baseball, so we like Sixto’s chances to mature advantageously and in a hurry. The second hurdle if Sixto is to grow into the bonafide ace the Marlins hope he can become: he will need to further develop one of his third pitches into a plus pitch. Sanchez has good blueprints for two other offerings, a slider and a curveball both of which, like the changeup, hold superior spin rates but he lacks a current overall feel for both the 88-90 mph slide piece and the power 83-86 mph tight hook. Both pitches show flashes: the slider shows late wipe-out action and Sixto has shown he can place it both in the zone and on the back foot for true strikes and chase strikes. The curve shows flashes of good hard bite and downward action, giving it a future for high swing end miss rates coupled up against his heater but again, the consistency will need to arrive. The slider is further ahead than the curve, but Sixto has more often than not caught too much zone or not enough leading to either hard contact or an easy spit by opposing hitters. Hitters are picking the slider up out of Sixto’s hand because he slows down his arm speed leading to more difficulty when it comes to tunneling the pitch with the fastball. Upon release, Sixto is also prone to falling far off to his glove side, leading to lapses in control. h/t Fish StripesPolish Sixto would have received during a full 2020 MiLB season he began receiving against MLb hitters this year. He will start rounding into form during the offseason and spring training. Given his work ethic and determination on top of the fact that the Marlins have the best developmental staff in the game, we have no doubt Sixto will make the 2021 rotation as the best version of himself. Stay tuned, Marlins fans. You’ve only begun to be dazzled. Trevor RogersLHP Trevor Rogers 28 IP, 6.11 ERA, 1.61 WHIP, 39/13 K/BB Rogers is no stranger to having his growth stunted. After being selected by the Marlins in the first round of the 2016 MLB Draft, the high school product out of New Mexico had Tommy John forcing him to miss the entire 2017 season. So when spring training was canceled and when the MiLB season was called off, Rogers knew exactly the course of action to take in order to keep improving. After only having the basic schematics for a third pitch in spring training 1.0, Rogers showed back up to camp in July armed with the same changeup seen here used to K Rays’ breakout star Randy Arozarena: h/t Fish StripesAsked about the quick development and maturity of the pitch after his third career start, a 6 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 10 K, 5 BB quality outing against the Phillies, Rogers credited the improvement to his ability to allow his windup to go through its entire cycle before release. “I think it’s just getting to my top,” Rogers said. “I can kind of drift, kind of rush my delivery and cut across the baseball. So if I can just get to my top and get my legs underneath me with the ball out in front and have that good down action to it, it’s a very effective pitch.” It’s a testament to Rogers’ work ethic and focus that he was able to bring that pitch from barely a mix-in offering to one that flashes plus and has plenty of opportunity to grow into a consistent plus pitch. He also added a couple ticks onto his heater which previously sat between 90-93 and topping at 96 but is now sitting 92-94 and hitting 97. Rogers also has the makings of a cut piece which is still inthe nascent stages given the amount of work he put in with the change up but if his recent past is any indication, he could quickly develop that offering as well. If you look at Rogers’ stats from the 28 innings he threw with the Marlins this year, you’d think he really struggled but he only really got hit hard on one occasion, a 3 IP, 8 ER dousing at the hands of the Phillies. If you take that outing off his ledger, he had a 3.96 ERA in 25 IP. He also showed the mental maturity needed to succeed at the next level by bouncing back from that start with his aforementioned 10 K shutout performance against the AL Champion Tampa Bay Rays. Perfecting one pitch while working on others isn’t easy, but it’s extremely difficult to do when you’re pushed into doing it at the big league level. Overall though, a few command and control woes aside (which, like Sixto, should work themselves out as Rogers fills out and the rest of the way into his frame), Trevor responded extremely well to everything this season threw at him. He will have some competition next spring if he wants to keep a rotation spot but knowing Trevor, he will use that as even more fuel for his fire. We predict Trevor will really impress this March and, armed with four pitches, make the 2021 Marlins rotation as the four/five slot starter. Jazz ChisholmIF Jazz Chisholm 2020: .164/.221/.321, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 19/5 K/BB, 2/2 SB/CS The prize of the oft-criticized Zac Gallen trade last season, Jazz begun to make beautiful music to Marlins’ fans’ ears by hitting .284/.383/.494 in 81 games with the AA Jumbo Shrimp upon his change of scenery last season. The 22-year-old showed up at camp this year as a member of the Marlins’ 40-man and showed out on the field as well as in the clubhouse while beginning to endear himself to Marlins fans. Check out this 🚀 (112 mph exit velocity) off the bat of Jazz Chisholm. Read more about Chisholm on the #Marlins Top 30 Prospects list: https://t.co/o8XYUl1VjS pic.twitter.com/64e8gzapDP— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) March 8, 2020 Despite the impressions made, Jazz was likely headed for AAA Wichita for some final seasoning to begin 2020 but COVID had other plans and Jazz was called upon to make his MLB debut on September 1st. His first at bat came a night later and his first hit came four days later. In his seventh MLB appearance, Jazz did this: Jazz Chisholm has his first MLB homer! pic.twitter.com/tws56xIxxZ— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) September 10, 2020 Overall, in the regular season, Jazz hit .161/.242/.321. The stats don’t necessarily jump off the page but for a kid nearly seven years younger than his league average competition with less than a full season above A ball to jump into the majors and contribute positively in any regard should be commended and should be viewed as encouraging. But wait, there’s more. After making his final regular season appearance on the final day of the regular season, Jazz was included as part of the Marlins’ postseason roster. After being a glorified spectator for 10 days, Don Mattingly recognized Jazz’s ability to be a catalytic energizer and included him in the starting lineup for what would wind up being the Marlins’ final game of the season. Though the Marlins wound up being eliminated from the playoffs on that day, Jazz stepped into the biggest game of his career, reached base twice and nearly homered late. Chisholm, a lefty hitting athletically built 6’, 185 pound specimen, has one of the sweetest swings in the Marlins’ organization. Even though his swing is mostly straight through his lightning quick hands and the ability to stay through the ball with good balance and posture promotes gap and fence power to all fields. He also owns plus speed which he has put on display in his minor league career (49/12 SB/CS) and early in his big league career (4/2 SB/CS this season, including spring training). Jazz’s flighty feet serve him just as well in the field where he shows good range to both sides of the middle infield and an above average glove capable of a plus dWAR. The Marlins began trying Jazz out at second base this season, a spot in which he had only ever played one career inning. Chisholm looked plenty comfortable and plenty capable of manning that spot regularly. With all the Marlins have coming at the shortstop position, it is advantageous to have flexibility with Jazz at a secondary position. As good as Chisholm is on the field, he’s just as good if not better off the field. With an infectious personality and an uncanny ability to stay positive and keep the game fun for both his teammates and fans, Chisholm is a face of the franchise type talent capable of big things both tangible and intangible. “Every game I play, I’m having fun,” Chisholm said. “That’s never going to change. I could be 50 out there, and I’m still going to have fun. Every day is 100-percent fun for me. All smiles.” With the Marlins reportedly in the market for veteran middle infield pieces this offseason, it is possible Chisholm will head to AAA to begin 2021 in order to finish garnering seasoning, namely the one labeled “plate vision and discipline” (career MiLB K rate near 30%), an issue that could be fixed with better pitch recognition and by him allowing the ball to get deeper before swing execution. Wherever Jazz starts though, he will undoubtedly contribute to the Marlins next season. A 20/20 threat at premium positions, Jazz is a key cog in this rebuild and the long term future of the club. A joy to be around and watch play, those who hated the Gallen trade will soon begin hearing and loving the music. Monte HarrisonOF Monte Harrison 2020: 47 AB, .170/.235/.255, HR, 3 RBI, 26/4, K/BB, 6/0 SB/CS A product of the Yelich trade and the Marlins’ third ranked prospect entering this season, Harrison came to the Marlins on August 3rd after the COVID-19 outbreak. The results for the 2014 second round pick? Not great. In his first 37 big league ABs, Harrison went 4-33 with a 21/3 K/BB before being sent back to the ATS. An injury to Harold Ramirez gave Harrison a second chance to shine in September. Serving in a fill in/utility role, Harrison showed some improvement (extremely limited sample alert) equaling his previous hit total in less than half the amount of ABs. Monte Harrison tied the game for the Marlins with the first homer of his career! pic.twitter.com/UWhsW1Ubw4— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) August 16, 2020 Harrison’s development has been the victim of some serious snags, the first being a major wrist injury last season that limited him to 59 games and the second the canceling of the 2020 Minor League season. While he has been on the field, Marlins coaches have worked tirelessly with Monte shortening both his swing and shortening his timing trigger, turning it into a short downhill stride into the ball, promoting a better bat to ball tool. If and when Monte makes contact, the ball has the ability to absolutely fly; it’s improving that frequency that will make or break his big league future. And the Marlins are on the path to do so. Much like the club has done with Lewis Brinson who is playing the best baseball of his big league career, they are beginning to see Monte turn the corner in a very similar fashion. Not too arguably the most athletically gifted figure in the entire system and maybe even in all of baseball, Monte was a two sport athlete in high school lettering in both baseball and basketball. On top of insurmountable raw strength, the 6’3”, 225 pound specimen owns plus plus speed, making him a threat for 20+ steals annually and giving him the ability to cover any outfield ground necessary and then some. Add on to that a powerful outfield arm and Harrison is a potential five tool standout. His struggles aside, there is still tons of upside here especially if and when Monte completely riddles out his bat-to-ball frequency. Harrison should be considered a favorite in the Marlins’ 2021 Opening Day outfield contest that will take place this spring. — “It’s up to them now to get better,” Miguel Rojas said at the end of the season. “To put in the work and come back to spring training better than ever and ready to battle.” For Minor League Baseball players, the work never stops. The road to Spring Training 2021 started immediately after the final out of the 2020 season. And we, like the Marlins, are ecstatic to see where that road leads for these players and countless others. Stay tuned to Fish On The Farm all offseason long here, via @marlinsminors on Twitter and Instagram and via our podcast Swimming Upstream for prospect reports and coverage leading in to the 2021 season.

Welcome to the Sixto Show. After an abbreviated four-year minor league career in which he overcame a few trials and tribulations and was able to just keep improving, Sixto Sanchez, the Marlins top prospect, will make his MLB debut this Saturday. The 22-year-old Dominican who came to America for the first time in 2015, will make his big league debut in our nation’s capital. He will become the sixth league-wide team top prospect and the 12th member of the Marlins’ top 50 to debut in 2020. Sixto’s story starts in San Cristobal, DR. He was actually born Sixto Sanchez Encarnacion, making him a member of the trio of Encarnacions currently in the Marlins system and now the second to make an appearance with the Marlins. He shares his surname with two other Miami top prospects, Breidy and Jerar, with 2003 World Series champion Juan and with potential future Hall of Famer Edwin Encarnacion. By all intents and purposes, Sixto has the raw talent to live up to each and every one of those accolades. Phillies scouts first saw the potential in Sanchez’s arm when he was throwing batting practice at a workout the Phillies were holding for another player at their Dominican academy in Boca Chica. Yes, the arm of the Marlins’ top prospect was discovered during batting practice. Stealing the spotlight from the guy he went up against, catcher Leidner Ricardo by dominating him in BP, Sanchez — who was already able to ramp up to the low 90s and who was prized for a simple, clean, low-effort arm action — was inked by Philadelphia in 2015 for a $35,000 signing bonus. "The Phillies called my father,” Sanchez, who was 16 at the time, said recalling the moment he got the news. "My father was laughing.” After breaking into affiliated ball by way of 25.1 IP with the DSL Phillies in 2015, the club brought him stateside in 2016. The results were immediate and the heads of the baseball scouting world turned his way just as instantly. As a 17-year-old transitioning to life alone in America, Sixto tossed 54 innings worth of 0.50 ERA ball by way of a 0.76 WHIP and 5.5 K/BB. All of those marks ranked first in the GCL. The teenager capped his breakout season off by tossing seven more scoreless frames in the league playoffs. [youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yez6NxO_Yd8&w=788&h=443] In 2017, Sixto made the transition to full season ball with A Lakewood. Five of his 13 starts with the BlueClaws were of the quality variety and he totaled seven or more Ks in four of his outings, including his full season ball debut where he struck out eight. Two days after his 8th birthday, Sixto got the call to A+. After a rough initial outing there, he ended 2017 on a 21.2 IP, 3.72 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 17/9 K/BB run. Enter 2018. Sixto began back in A+ Clearwater. His year was off to a promising start 46.2 IP, 2.51 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 45/11 K/BB start and a call to AA was imminent. His fastball was being clocked as high as 102z however, after a seven inning two hit shutout performance on June 3rd, potential disaster struck when it was revealed that Sanchez had inflammation in his throwing elbow. This injury was most plausibly caused by the fireballer being overused by the Phillies at a young age. Before his 19th birthday, Sixto had already thrown 230+ career innings. Even though his time on the field came to an end in June, Sixto’s 2018 was far from over. On () the Phillies won the sweepstakes for catcher JT Realmuto. The price: Jorge Alfaro, lefty Will Stewart and the top prospect in the Phillies organization, Sixto Sanchez. According to Sanchez, the news of having to leave the organization which jump started his career and where he learned how to become a man hit him hard. In fact, Sanchez told NBC Sports the news reduced him to tears. “I was really surprised. I would have never imagined that they would have traded me. I wasn’t prepared for it, Sanchez said. “Once I came to terms with it, I said, ‘OK. I’m traded now and I’m going to work hard.’ “ And work hard he has. Sixto showed up in Miami for spring training 2019 as the new guy but also as the team’s brand new top prospect. He was a participant in the Marlins’ annual Captains’ Camp, a program which mixes on field work with life coaching. Through that process and through another restart in the A+ Florida State League, Sixto stunned both his opponents and his own teammates and coaches. “He throws strikes, he works quick and he fills up the strike zone,” Hammerheads pitching coach Reid Cornelius said after just two starts. “The changeup is really good, the fastball is explosive and he throws some good sliders. He’s electric.” The Marlins saw a lot of the same things Cornelius saw. After just those two aforementioned starts in Jupiter, Sixto was given the big call up to AA Jacksonville. There is only one term for his performance there: staggering. Going up against guys nearly four and a half years older than him on average, this was the line: 103 IP, 2.53 ERA, 2.69 FIP, 1.029 WHIP. Those metrics ranked sixth, third and fourth in the Southern League. His 5.11 K/BB ratio made possible by a 97/19 K/BB was tops in the SL. This season, the Marlins, in an abundance of caution to preserve his arm and in order to steer as far away from necessary surgery as possible, put Sixto on a very strict throwing program. In early March, Sixto was hardly up to full speed even in his bullpens. Then, COVID struck and delayed him even more. However, Sanchez didn’t waste his time away from the Jupiter site. Instead, he did some extremely advantageous fitness work and showed back up to summer camp in arguably the best shape of his life. “In spring, I wasn’t ready,” Sanchez told the Miami Herald’s Jordan McPherson. “I was a bit overweight. ... I was able to lose some weight and get to 225. Now, I feel great.” Sixto’s level of comfort has shown during scrimmage games against his teammates including big league guys at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. The same guy‼️ Always a fun time facing my guy 🤞🏾 pic.twitter.com/B5yjrla6pm — Jazz Chisholm Jr (@j_chisholm3) August 10, 2020 On top of being in his best physical shape and on top of his present arsenal markedly improving (namely his previously good turned great changeup that is now showing table-dropping break) Sixto has also added a new weapon to his already ridiculous arsenal, a curveball. The power curve sits low 80s and — in true Sixto fashion — flashes room for quick growth. The curve adds a further separation in velo, from 100 all the way down to 82 with the same smooth arm motion and speed. With repeatability and comfort leading into plus command and control over a plus-plus four-pitch arsenal, Sixto is drawing comparisons to the likes of Pedro Martinez and Johnny Cueto. Feeling his best with his stuff at its best and still growing, Sixto has unquestionable ace potential, making him a puzzle piece the Marlins have been looking for for a substantial amount of time. Miami, Sixto is here. Prepare to be dazzled.

The Marlins are back. Again. On Tuesday, for the third time in 2020, Miami’s season resumed. But this time, more so than the other two, it was tough to recognize them. After having their clubhouse ravaged by COVID-19, the team has brought in nine new faces (so far). The remaining nine spots were filled with those working out at the alternate site in Jupiter, including five of the top Marlins youngsters who are about to make their long-awaited MLB debuts or returns. What are those names and what do they bring? Herein, we examine. — [caption id=attachment_1718" align="aligncenter" width="828] Monte Harrison[/caption] OF Monte Harrison Harrison, a return piece in the 2018 blockbuster offseason Yelich trade with the Brewers, came to the Marlins’ system and made an immediate impact. After hitting .240/.316/.399 with 19 bombs and 48 RBIs in 136 games in 2018, Harrison became the Marlins’ third ranked prospect. Despite suffering two different injuries in 2019, (one being a wrist ailment that required surgery) and missing three months of the season, Harrison had a productive 76-game AAA campaign. The slugger brought his K rate down from 39% to 29% while stagnating in the power department (nine homers) and beginning to cover the plate better (career high 36.4 oppo percentage). After hitting .300/.397/.380 in 16 Puerto Rican Winter League games last winter, Monte entered 2020 as Fish On The Farm’s seventh-ranked Marlins prospect. He honored that title by putting on a show in spring training and summer camp where he hit a combined .360/.467/.420. Harrison appeared to be a shoe-in to make the Marlins’ expanded 30-man roster two weeks ago, but, in order to save a year of service time, the club decided to send him to the alternate training sight in Jupiter. Last Wednesday, the service time deadline passed, giving the Marlins the extra year of club control over Monte they so desired. Monte Harrison with a long home run #Marlins pic.twitter.com/xTmKrVgswa — Joe Frisaro (@JoeFrisaro) July 9, 2020 The time and climate are perfect. The 6’3”, 220 pound specimen owns 70 grade raw power, 60 grade speed and a 70 grade outfield arm. He’s been getting regular ABs against top Marlins prospects such as Sixto, Garrett and Meyer. Monte is here. He’s ready. And we expect him to show it immediately. With Jonathan Villar moving in from the outfield, we expect Monte to get regular time in center field. [caption id=attachment_1725" align="aligncenter" width="830] Lewis Brinson (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)[/caption] OF Lewis Brinson The guy who was thought to be the main return piece in the Yelich trade, Brinson, the Coral Springs native, has had a disappointing start to his big league career. Following a storied MiLB career as a Brewer which ended with him hitting .331/.400/.562 in 76 games in Colorado Springs, Lewis made his MLB debut on June 11, 2017. He homered I’m back-to-back games on July 15 and 16 that head. Unfortunately, that’s one of Brinson’s brightest big league moments. The change of scenery to Miami has so far done little to help Brinson’s big league production. In 184 games as a Marlin, he’s slashed just .189/.238/.294 with a 29.7 K% while finding contact just 54% of the time, well below the league average 63%. However, there is light at the end of the tunnel for Lewis, light we began to see this spring. In all the adjustments Lewis has made, these are definitely the most encouraging. Lewis’ front foot timing trigger is almost completely gone, the stance is straight through and his arms are much further away from his body, promoting better plate coverage via easier extension. Lewis is relying on improved vision. He is also not turning his back hip into the ball nearly as early which will prevent him from committing to swings before the pitch gets deep. He is also not forcing an uppercut swing to create launch but rather relying on his natural plus bat speed. These adjustments speak to improving not only Brinson lowering his high K rate but also to him improving his contact rate including his sub-40% hard contact rate and his lowly 16.9 line drive percentage. Brinson did miss time due to a battle with COVID-19, forcing him out of summer camp action, but he’s since been back at the Jupiter site working out and hitting against the same top Marlins prospects as his good friend Monte. If the Brinson we saw in spring training can continue to show up during regular season action, he is going to prove a lot of his doubters wrong. With an insurmountable work ethic and a positive attitude that never dies, no matter what, Brinson’s drive and focus should be commended. We foresee him being vindicated as a member of the Marlins lineup in the very near future. [caption id=attachment_1727" align="aligncenter" width="639] Eddy Alvarez (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)[/caption] IF Eddy Alvarez Before he began lacing up cleats, Eddy was strapping on a different kind of footwear: skates. After falling in love with inline skating as a child, he took to the ice to compete in speed skating. As an 11-year-old, he won a skating triple crown, earning three national titles: one in rollerblading, one in long track speed skating and one in short track. Alvarez began playing baseball in high school and began to develop an affinity for it, but his dream of winning an Olympic medal quickly required him to drop it in order to focus entirely on skating. Alvarez won his first World Juniors medal in 2009 and had his sights set on making the 2010 Olympic team, but major problems with his knees caused him to miss the squad. Upon examination in the winter of 2011, it was revealed that Alvarez had done some serious damage to his knees, damage that if not treated, could’ve made him lose the use of his legs permanently. He had five plasma injections before finally opting for surgery to fix 12 (TWELVE!) patellar tendon tears. Afterward, Alvarez had to basically learn how to walk again and it appeared as though his skating career was in serious jeopardy. But Alvarez’s fire never went out. In fact, the injury likely made it burn brighter. He was not going to be denied his dream. After winning three medals in the 2013-14 Short Track World Cup, he cracked the 2014 Winter Olympics speed skating team. His dream of standing on a podium came true when he and his teammates won a silver medal in the 5,000 meter relay. Eddy said afterwards he wouldn’t return to the ice but that his athletic journey wasn’t over. He had another mission to accomplish: playing professional baseball. "I did quit skating at the peak of my career to try and basically start over again at a different sport," he told MLB.com recently. "I knew that if I didn’t try that, I would regret it." A 24-year-old Eddy was signed by the White Sox as a free agent in 2014. Being pushed quickly through the system, Eddy fared pretty well as a Chicago farm hand showing a patient approach, a quick twitchy bat and as you may have guessed, plus speed. He stole 53 bags while hitting .296/.409/.424 between A and A+ in 2015 and hit .265/.341/.365 between AA and AAA in 2016. Eddy was eyeing his big league debut late in the 2018 season, but a bad wrist that had been bothering him much of the year and which eventually required surgery held him back. During that offseason, Eddy got a change of scenery and undoubtedly a welcome one as he was traded to his hometown team, the Marlins. “He’s a tremendous athlete, and that wasn’t lost on us,” Michael Hill told the Athletic. “I think we saw an opportunity to give him an opportunity. He has a passion to play the game. It’s been great to see what he’s capable of being.” Alvarez’s time with the Marlins has been mostly extremely positive. After recovering from the aforementioned wrist surgery, he hit .323/.407/.570 (factor in a high, PCL-prevalent .375 BABIP) with a career high 12 homers for the AAA Baby Cakes. His selective nature also persisted as he held down a 54/31 K/BB. Despite the limited number of games, Eddy swiped twelve bags, the second most he has stolen in a single season. Alvarez turned that season into a strong spring/summer camp showing where he went 4-20 with a homer and played solid defense at multiple positions. Eddy also had a big spring off the field: he and his wife announced the birth of his first child, a boy, due this fall. The couple had the gender reveal outside of the Marlins offices in Jupiter. One of the biggest feel-good stories not only in the organization and not only in all of baseball but in the entire sports landscape, Alvarez is a two-time tale of drive, focus, determination and infinite athleticism. By refusing to be denied, Eddy has crossed borders never toed: he is the first Cuban-born American to ever medal in Olympic speed skating and this week, he will become the first ever Olympic speed skating medalist to play Major League Baseball. “I’ve been through hell and back,” Alvarez said last year. “I’ve broken bones. I have reached all successes, the whole spectrum. I’ve seen it all. I’m just excited for this opportunity. We’ll see what happens.” A special sportsman with an even more unique work ethic and level of focus, the switch-hitting Alvarez is a fantastic role model for prospective athletes everywhere. He will join the Marlins as a catalytic utility type piece that will be extremely easy to get into games. An extremely easy guy to root for, we have no doubt he will quickly become a fan favorite. [caption id=attachment_1729" align="aligncenter" width="830] Jorge Guzman (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)[/caption] RHP Jorge Guzman Guzman is a right handed fireballer who came to the Marlins in the Stanton trade in 2018 after just a single season with the Yankees. Before that, he joined the professional ranks as an Astros’ international signee in 2015. He made it stateside after just 13 DSL appearances. Guzy was impressive for the GCL Astros in 2016 tossing to a 3.12 ERA and 0.80 WHIP in 17.1 IP prompting a call up to the short season Greeneville Astros. On the surface, his numbers weren’t pretty there: 4.76 ERA via a 1.41 WHIP. However, his FIP was a lowly 2.73 and his BABIP was a heightened .378. Guzy’s control numbers really improved: 29/7 K/BB. After acquiring Guzman in the trade that sent Brian McCann to Houston, the Yankees tasked him to another season in short season ball this time in Staten Island. There, Guzy’s control from a year previous persisted (88/18 K/BB, best K/BB% in the NYPL (26.6)) and his his BABIP (.311) and ERA (2.30) normalized. The Marlins saw these results and thought it advantageous to accelerate Guzman’s progression. Upon his arrival in Miami, he was pushed very aggressively, jumping all the way up to A+ Jupiter, his first year in full season ball. What’s more is that the Marlins made it a true full season as they fed Guzy 96 innings. While Jorge fared well while within his workload comfort zone (2.44 ERA 1.42 WHIP, .221 BAA), he really struggled as the season wore on. Via ugly months of July and especially August, Guzy’s second half stat line read as follows: 5.53 ERA, 1.67 WHIP, .257 BAA, 54/34 K/BB. It’s clear: Guzman’s arm simply wasn’t ready to be pushed as hard as it was. With his velo down, Guzy lost a lot of his blow-it-by-you potential and hitters were able to take his just-average pitcher’s IQ to the bank. Despite being ill prepared for the big push he received in 2018, the Marlins gave Guzman an even bigger shove last season with the promotion to AA. This time, by use of a much stricter conditioning and arm care program both during the off-season and between starts, Guzman’s body held up much better under the wear of 95+ innings, his average fastball velocity ticked back up and he had a great year statistically against the furthest advanced hitters he’s ever faced. The stat line: 138.2 IP, 3.50 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 127/71 K/BB. Some caveats: a really low BABIP (.241), a high FIP (4.37) and a bit too many walks, proving he still has some command issues to work out especially in longer stints, but nonetheless it was very encouraging to see some above-average numbers out of Guzy last year. Working against Guzman’s future as an MLB starter is his negative long-term track record when it comes to stamina and ongoing issues with command in an organization chock full of starting pitching talent. That said, Guzy could enjoy a dominant big league career as a fire balling setup or closer. We will see him in that capacity as early as Tuesday night. [caption id=attachment_1731" align="aligncenter" width="830] Dan Castano (Photo by Danielle Bleau/TwigPics)[/caption] LHP Dan Castano Castano, a 25-year-old left, doesn’t have the velo or the stuff that makes eyes pop. That is why he is a lesser-known prospect and a name that many casual Marlins fans won’t recognize. But don’t sleep on the Italian Stallion. A 19th-round draftee our of Baylor University, Castano spent the first two years of his pro career in a historical pitching factory, the St Louis Cardinals’ organization. He came to the Marlins as a proverbial “throw-in piece” in the Marcell Ozuna trade. After just years in the organization, he has lived up to the challenge of being pushed extremely hard and grown to big league readiness. Castano pitcher at three different levels in 2018, spending the majority of the season with A+ Jupiter. The polar opposite of Guzman’s 2019 season, Castano had a rough looking ERA but it came by way of an extremely hard luck .355 BABIP. While his ERA was 4.74, he had a 3.51 FIP. Castano started the season back in Jupiter last year but after 33 innings worth of 3.82 ERA, 3.02 FIP (despite another high BABIP of .310) and an audacious 4.43 K/BB, he got the call to AA Jacksonville and spent the rest of the year there. The numbers: 3.35 ERA (despite yet ANOTHER high BABIP of .308) and a lowly 2.53 FIP with a 1.14 WHIP. Castano’s ground ball rate fell to a career low 49% but his command got even better. Despite the big jump, he posted a 4.56 K/BB, a mark which ranked seventh best in the Southern League. Yes, Daniel Castano struck out nearly five times as many men as he walked in his first showing in AA. Despite those figures, Castano went unprotected in the Rule 5 draft last winter but also went unselected. The Marlins are glad he is still in town, especially with the recent scope of things. The 6’4”, 220 pounder who threw three scoreless frames with a 4/1 K/BB in spring training steps on to the big league roster at the perfect time in his growth and saves the Marlins from starting the clock on another young pitcher. Castano, an offspeed artist who has 70-grade command, owns three pitches: an 85-87 mph two seamer with sink, a 73-75 mph 12-6 curve and an 80–82 mph changeup with slow two-plane break but good fade away to his arm side and inside to righties. From a high and almost completely over-the-top arm slot and a short stride, Castano uses his size to plane all of his pitches into the lower half, promoting either whiffs or ground balls. Daniel has some of the most consistent command in the entire organization and for that reason, he is a very welcome addition as an innings eater during a time in which every inning matters.

With a plethora of prospects set to become Rule 5 eligible next December, the Marlins have a lot of decisions to make before next year’s winter meetings. Who are those names and with no Minor League season, how does Miami gauge and decide who to protect? Below, we explore. MLB and the Players’ Union have finally made up their minds: 60 games beginning with a 30-man roster slowly dwindling down to the regular 26-man. Today, each team will be required to submit a list of 60 players. It can include players both on and not on the 40-man roster. These players and only these players may participate in the end of “spring” training and in the regular season. With no 2020 minor league season, we expect many of the Rule 5 draft eligibles to be included on the Marlins’ 60-man roster and “taxi squad” at some point during this season in order for the team to set their 40-man roster after the World Series and ultimately decide who and who not to protect next February. Note that the 60-man pool can change throughout the year but once removed from it, a player cannot return. The departing player must either be injured, traded, released or exposed to waivers. Here is a list of notable Marlins Rule 5 guys next year: SP Braxton Garrett SP Luis Palacios SP Remey Reed SP Josh Roberson SP Trevor Rogers SP George Soriano RP Tyler Stevens RP Colton Hock RP Sean Guenther C JD Osborne IF Jose Devers IF Joe Dunand IF Dalvy Rosario IF Riley Mahan IF Lazaro Alonso OF Jorge Caballero OF Jerar Encarnacion OF Thomas Jones Of that list, here are the guys with the best projected odds of being named to the Marlins’ 60-man pool either today or at some point during the season and on the Marlins’ 40-man at the end of the year: [caption id=attachment_1710" align="aligncenter" width="825] Braxton Garrett[/caption] SP Braxton Garrett Chance: 100% Our seventh rated prospect, Braxton is a huge piece of the Marlins future rotation, likely in the middle of it. A 6’3”, 202 pound first rounder from 2016 who signed for $4,145,900, $389K over slot value, Garrett features already great stuff that is still improving and one of the cleanest deliveries in the system. 94-79 with lower half pounding heat, an already big league ready curve with tight arc and late action and a still-improving changeup that he masks well with arm speed and tunnel, Garret has 50-grade control with the ability for more as he feels out the changeup all the way. A minimal effort guy, Garrett can and has already gone over the century mark in starts and the stuff hasn’t dropped off at all. As long as the health holds up (he had TJ back in 2017), he profiles as a Scott Kazmir-esque rotational piece at the next level. The Marlins know what they have in Garrett. He will take part in the end of camp but, already well polished for his age, we may not see him throw in an MLB game this season. [caption id=attachment_1691" align="aligncenter" width="828] Trevor Rogers[/caption] SP Trevor Rogers Chance: 100% Another first round prep lefty pick (2017) and another TJ recipient, Rogers is a 6’6”, 185 pounder out of New Mexico with a similar ceiling to Garrett. He absolutely dominated the Florida State League last year, holding down a 2.53 ERA by way of a 1.10 WHIP and 122/24 K/BB in 110 IP. His 21.5% K/BB led the league and he had the third best ERA and third best WHIP. The All-Star section made it up to AA for his final 26 innings of the campaign and was set to spend all of 2020 there. In the same way that he is a lefty prep pick who made over slot value and came back advantageously from TJ, Trevor profiles to a very similar big league ceiling as his teammate Garrett but adds a big factor: size. 6’6”, 185, Rogers controls the body well and throws everything on a naturally downward plane. The size, which he has room to still grow more, allows for more velo on his already solid 90-94 mph heater that shows both sink and run as well as plus command. His best secondary is a slurvy slider again with good downward action and tilt that plays very well off his fastball. That tandem has been a catalyst in his success in the lower minors. Rogers will need to grow a third pitch to reach a similar ceiling as Garrett. He throws both a changeup and cutter and they will currently blend into each other. The cutter is his youngest pitch in terms of time spent throwing it, but due to the aforementioned natural downhill action he creates, its already flashing better than the very change that only holds a 30 grade. Rogers says he wants to continue building both pitches, but he could drop the change in favor of the cut piece that already has good downward break and a bit of glove side run. The 40-grade offering tunnels better off the aforementioned FB/SL combo and even though he just started throwing it last year, it has the makings of a plus pitch. We saw a bit of Rogers in spring and the Marlins will see more from him at the end of camp. He could get into a few games out of the pen this season in order to continue building that third pitch. Rogers draws favorable comps to JA Happ. [caption id=attachment_1694" align="aligncenter" width="828] Jose Devers[/caption] IF Jose Devers Chance: 100% A 2016 international signee by the Yankees out of the DR who commanded a $250K price tag, Devers came to the Marlins in the Stanton trade. Thought to be a distant third piece next to Starlin Castro and Jorge Guzman, Devers has could wind up being the star return chip of the deal. In two seasons with Miami, Devers has already made it up to AA and, if not for injury while leading the Florida State League in batting last June (.325/.384/.365), would probably have already gone even further. He was invited to spring training as an NRI this season and will very likely be back in camp in mid July. A wiry 6’, 174, Devers, who won’t be 21 until December, is a contact-emanating hitter whose best mechanic is his bat speed. He can almost always at least make contact, even on pitches slightly out of the zone. Devers appeared to temper the swing and miss he showed in 2018 last year, improving plate vision. He will need to show that on a more consistent basis if he’s going to succeed as a for-average threat at the next level. Jose’s best overall tool is his plus-plus foot speed, all the way up to 60-grade. He will use it to do many things: beat out infield hits, turn singles into doubles and steal bags. In 187 career MiLB games, Devers has a 37/10 SB/CS. What really pulls Devers’ game down is his lack of any power whatsoever. He doesn’t hit many gaps and hits even less fences. There’s room for that to come as he grows into his body in stateside facilities but he doesn’t profile as much more than a 40-grade power ceiling. However, with disruptive hit and on-base tools on top of even better defensive tools at short where he has the ability to stick full time. If he can’t grow into more power, the Marlins, who have a ton of shortstop depth at the lower levels, may be wise to start moving Devers around, making him a catalytic, spark-inducing and equal run scoring and run saving bench piece. If José can make up for the time lost last year and begin creating some sort of lift with the bat, he could approach a Miguel Rojas-type ceiling (a great mentor for him). If not he is floor Adeiny Hechavarria. He could see some big league action this year, especially if the Marlins choose to start trying him out at other positions and in order to gauge where the bat is after his season-ending injury. Either way, we expect him to be pushed to AA at some point next season. [caption id=attachment_1708" align="aligncenter" width="799] Jerar Encarnacion[/caption] OF Jerar Encarnacion Chance: 100% The surprise of spring training, Jerar, a a 6’5”, 240 slugger out of the DR, parlayed a .276/.331/.425 2019 MiLB season between A and A+ into a 6-14, 2 HR showing in Miami Blue. Don Mattingly said it all about Jerar during a postgame interview in March: Donnie on Jerar’s power potential: “Jerar is off the charts. When he hits ‘em, they stay hit.” “His thing is the oppo power. He’s got middle of the field and right field which is always a great place to start. He’s coming quick. Just let him play.”#Marlins | #MarlinsST — Fish On The Farm (@marlinsminors) February 25, 2020 Jerar has absurd lower, all the way up to 60-grade. It’s the best power tool in the entire Marlins organization. And it’s still growing. That said, Jerar has been historically immature in terms of plate coverage mechanics especially when it comes to pulling off and letting his head come off the ball. Those habits though were much less pronounced from the get go of his short showing this spring. Suddenly, Jerar could do this: Jerar Encarnacion's first #MLB #SpringTraining game was a memorable one, as the hulking (6'4", 219 lb) outfielder extended the #Marlins' lead over the #Mets with this shot into the wind. Here's Encarnacion and the rest of the @Marlins' top prospects: https://t.co/zBML13HyGH pic.twitter.com/i7QVoJU5um — MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) February 22, 2020 With mechanics that mirror a young Mike Stanton but not much in the way of defense (outside of a plus arm), Jerar’s big league future with the Marlins got a huge boost when the NL adopted DH. We may see Encarnacion moonlight in that spot under the tutelage of pro hitting coaches with the hopes of continuing to improve his opposite field coverage this big league season before he joins the Shrimp in 2021. [caption id=attachment_1698" align="aligncenter" width="828] Luis Palacios[/caption] SP Luis Palacios Chance: 45% Palacios has been something of a legend wt the lowest levels of the minors for the Marlins organization. And he won’t be 20 until this coming Wednesday. Selected as a teenager in the international draft in 2016, Palacios’ minor league stats read this way: 152.1 IP, 1.50 ERA, 0.79 WHIP, 147/21 K/BB. He came stateside last year and struck out 42 while walking just 2 and allowing five earned runs in 40.1 IP. He was set for a huge developmental year this minor league season. While that has been put on hold, the Marlins would like to see if Palacios’ potential can begin to live up to the next level before making him available to other teams this winter. Palacios is a command-and -control over stuff guy who shows the ability to paint corners at will with three pitches. Those pitches aren’t lights out but they aren’t bad either. While Palacios won’t blow it by you with velo, the 6’2”, 160 pounder is already sitting at 91 with tons more physical projection to grow into. He owns two breakers: a high-70s slider and a low-mid 80’s change. The slider has high arc and good late sweeping action. It stands at 40-grade with the ability to become more with more pronounced velocity separation. Palacios’ changeup shows some good one plane break to his arm side and also stands to improve as he gains a better feel for his arm slot and speed. Currently, he can speed it up more than the heat which could run him into trouble at the full season levels. While his command and control is well ahead and is definitely his anchor tool, the stuff will need to take a jump if Luis is to have a big league rotational future. Still, even though it has been exclusively at the lowest levels of MiLB, you don’t post the results he did in his first two seasons pro while always pitching against older average competition by accident. We see the Marlins placing Luis on the 60-man taxi squad and, like Jerar, getting him some valuable time with pro coaches and facilities, hopefully building both the physicality and the stuff closer to the current grade of the command and control. [caption id=attachment_1700" align="aligncenter" width="830] Lazaro Alonso (Photo by MiLB.com)[/caption] IF Lazaro Alonso Chance: 40% A 2016 international free agent signee out of Cuba in 2016, Alonso is a guy who has continued to live up to his huge power potential despite being pushed hard in each of his first two years stateside with the Marlins organization. Last year with the Hammerhwads, he completely went off: .294/.393/.434. In the Florida State League, one of the most pitcher-friendly circuits in baseball. Laz did most of his damage in the second half, continuing to prove his ability to adjust to better stuff advantageously. Like Jerar, he’s a bat-only option and a guy who could play his way onto the squad in the early years of the NL adoption of DH. Even more than Jerar though who is three years younger, Laz will need to prove gain ability to hit for opposite field power. An older guy who is very limited defensively but who shows absolutely monstrous power when he finds a barrel, the Marlins may give Laz, who has actually shown very good patience for an extremely heavy power threat, the chance to show out against big league stuff this season but unless he goes off, we see him going unprotected. [caption id=attachment_1702" align="aligncenter" width="830] Josh Roberson (Photo by Clinton LumberKings)[/caption] SP Josh Roberson Chance: 40% Roberson is a well built 6’3, 175 pound righty who was primed to be an early round section coming out of college but his junior year, his first year as a mainstay rotational piece, was cut short due to TJ. He came to the Marlins as a 12th rounder as a lower risk higher reward type piece and has begun to live up to the latter side of that potential. He sits 93-95 with the fastball and can ramp up near triple digits. He has both a slider and curve which currently blend into each other but they create a nasty power slurvy breaking piece which he can manipulate the grip on for different breaking action and he controls it well. It stands as a current 50-grade pitch with room to go. He also mixes in a changeup. He will need to grow the feel for that pitch to stick as a starter, but it shows flashes of a useable third offering. Roberson is a guy who built arm strength back quickly and whose stuff immediately played up to MiLB competition despite missed time. The only thing you’d have liked to have seen more from out of Josh is the ability to induce whiffs, but as long as he’s limiting walks the way he has, he is an intriguing deeper-down prospect who could at least contribute out of a Major League bullpen. Based off what he showed early in MiLB camp this year, the Marlins could opt to place him on the 60-man squad and feel out what they have in him at the back end of camp and potentially out of the pen in 2020. [caption id=attachment_1704" align="aligncenter" width="701] Remey Reed (Photo by Bryan Green)[/caption] SP Remey Reed Chance: 35% Another guy who has missed considerable time with injury, Reed, a sixth round pick in 2016, underwent TJ in 2018 and missed the entire season. Despite being nearly pen exclusive in college, the Marlins championed Reed’s size and solid three pitch arsenal and chose to continue developing him as a starter. At both short and full season A ball, he was effective: 2.75 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 76/14 K/BB. Reed is huge: 6’5, 220 and he uses it well to shorten distance and plane downhill. The delivery is smooth and he has two plus pitches, a fastball up as high as 97 and a curveball at 77-79 with good late 12-6 drop and placement, an any-count pitch for him. What works against Reed: the age and missed time against better MiLB competition. And he will suffer another year if they this season unless the Marlins 60-man him. For that reason, the club might in order to see what they have in Reed, but due to his age and what the Marlins have coming starting pitching wise, he may be continuing his MLB career elsewhere. OF Jorge Caballero Chance: 25% Caballero is a 2016 international free agent signee from Venezuela who missed all of 2019 with a presumptive shoulder injury. Before that though, Caballero raked as a teenager both in the DSL and stateside. His career MiLB stat line reads .282/.394/.360 with a 125 career wRC+. However, Caballero has already missed what was primed to be a big level of development for him at the lower levels and will now miss another unless the Marlins 60-man him. For that reason, we believe there is an outside chance the Marlins might do so. Despite missing all of last season, he showed back up at camp this year and not only did he look healthy, he looked to have added double-digit poundage to his listed 6’1”, 170 build something they will be paramount if Caballero is to live up to his full potential. We also observed Caballero go yard in a sim game which will be another big facet for Caballero if he hopes to compete in future Marlins outfields. Even if he goes unprotected (due to missed time, he likely will), Caballero will be just 21 next spring training and already the owner of a beautiful swing with improving size. While we don’t see him being placed on the 60-man roster or being protected, if he is a Marlin next season, he’s an attractive deeper-down piece.

[caption id=attachment_1662" align="alignnone" width="830] Photo by Alex Trautwig/MLB Photos via AP[/caption] The MLB Draft. Usually a 40-round marathon in which countless hours of scouting, interviewing and program research done simultaneously by each team all over the country come to fruition when 1200+ young men have their baseball dreams come true. This year, circumstances beyond control turned that marathon into a short sprint: five rounds and 160 picks, six of which belonged to the Marlins. So who are the lucky few? Who are they, how did they get to this point and why Miami? Herein, we examine. -- [caption id=attachment_1643" align="aligncenter" width="830] Max Meyer (Photo by Christopher Mitchell, Sport Shot Photo)[/caption] 1/3: RHP Max Meyer, Minnesota With what was one of of not the most crucial draft picks of the Marlins’ rebuild, Michael Hill took the vow that the club would not gamble. #Marlins president of baseball operations Michael Hill in pre-draft interview w/ @Kyle_Sielaff and @GlennGeffner: "We've always drafted best player available, and that's something that we won't change here." — Jordan McPherson (@J_McPherson1126) June 10, 2020 After the Orioles surprised by selecting Heston Kjerstad second overall and opened up the board, it appeared as though the Marlins had a decision to make between two guys: righty Asa Lacy and third baseman Austin Martin? But before the Orioles picked and likely even before the draft began, DJ Svihlik, Michael Hill and the Marlins had already agreed with their guy: Minnesota righty Max Meyer. The #Marlins have already reached an agreement with Max Meyer, pending physical. #MLBDraft #305OnTheRise Derek Jeter had a Zoom call with Max earlier tonight. — Joe Frisaro (@JoeFrisaro) June 11, 2020 Meyer is a 6’, 200 pound righty who had the consensus best pitch in the entire draft: his high 80s power wipe out slider that is just absolutely deadly. He can plane it anywhere inside the strike zone, place it on the back foot or bury it in the dirt for whiffs. But that’s far from all there is to the kid. Despite the limited size, Meyer throws absolutely blistering heat which sits at 97 and he can ramp it all the way up to triple digits. Both of Meyer’s primaries are already 70 grade offerings. But wait, there’s even more. He also mixes in a changeup that holds a current 55-grade value and with a bit more feel, has the ability to become another plus plus pitch in the future. He pounds the entire strike zone with all three pitches, comes right after hitters with a bulldog mentality, works ahead in the count regularly and can get swings and misses both in and out of the zone with 55-grade command. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjn2PIzLKwk] Meyer has unquestioned ace potential. The only caveats to him reaching that potential lay in his unfavorable size for a starting pitcher and the fact that he only started 15 games in college. 2020 was going to be a tell-tale junior season for him, but he was only able to get four games under his belt before the entire world, including the sports world, shut down due to COVID-19. A physically limited high stress, max effort hurler, the biggest question surrounding Max will be can his arm hold up through the toil of a full slate of rotational innings? If it can, he is drawing favorable comparisons to Tim Lincecum and Sonny Gray with stuff resembling Noah Syndergaard’s. [caption id=attachment_1664" align="aligncenter" width="800] Daxton Fulton (Photo by PerfectGame.com)[/caption] 2/40 - LHP Daxton Fulton, Mustang High School (OK Where Lacy would’ve made and probably will still make over slot value, the Marlins will ink Meyer for well under the $7,221,200 price tag assigned to the third overall pick. Michael Hill and Co. will use the money saved to sign this pick away from his college commitment. Clearly, Svihlik and the scouting department had a target on Daxton and a plan to get him signed, conceding Lacy. They really wanted this kid and it’s easy to see why. Daxton Fulton three pitch K sequence featuring all three of his pitches. He was the consensus top ranked high school lefty in #MLBDraft and here’s why. Way far ahead for his age, great size, smooth mechanics. DJ targeted this guy for a good reason.#305OnTheRise | #Marlins pic.twitter.com/gsYwQrn9vh — Fish On The Farm (@marlinsminors) June 12, 2020 At age 18, Fulton, the consensus best lefty prep in the draft, is 6’6”, 225. He already shows good knowledge for his body, featuring a smooth wind and release and a very pronounced downhill stride. But the size isn’t the only thing that’s way beyond his teenage years. His arsenal features four useable pitches and two plus offerings, low 90s heat with slight arm side run and his best pitch, a high 70s 12-6 curve with tight arc late bend to his spot. The pitch moves on both axes and he can fool with the grip and release a bit to shape it in different ways, giving him a few different looks with the same pitch. Fulton will show a bit more effort in his delivery when throwing the fastball which is something he will need to rectify against pro hitters to keep from tipping it, but that should be a fairly quick fix under the tutelage of pro coaches. The curve, which has an MLB-grade spin rate of 2,600, already ranks as 60-plus offering and the fastball is grading at 55-plus. Those two pitches create a future lights out combo at the next level. He also has a changeup that sits 82-84. Fulton lacks a consistent release point and overall feel for the pitch, but at its best, it has good late fading action and two-plane break. Scouts say it plays up to a future 50-grade ceiling. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1N4ZJQtBlA] Just 19 with already two plus pitches with a third in the making and a plus command tool and a great starter’s build with the ability to even more velo, there is a very high ceiling here. The next time he takes the mound will likely be in 2021 (COVID aside), so this is a slow-pace project who, as a second round pick coming off the surgery, the Marlins will take it extremely easy with as he builds back his arm strength. He enters the system as a top 20 prospect (no easy task considering all the Marlins have starting pitching wise) who will be a guy to follow closely leading up to his projected MLB debut in 2023. Jumping Evan Fitterer from last season’s draft, he is the new head of the Marlins’ high school class. [caption id=attachment_1646" align="aligncenter" width="830] Kyle Nicolas (Photo by BallStateSports.com)[/caption] CBB2/61 - Kyle Nicolas, Ball State Nicolas is a 6’4”, 225 righty out of Ball State University. A two-time letterman as a high schooler, he had a decorated senior season. 8-0 with a 0.50 ERA and 78 Ks in 46 IP, he won his league’s player of the year award and was a first team all-state selection. His tenure at Ball State was a lot less statistically impressive: serving in a swing man capacity, he has a 5.12 ERA, a 1.53 WHIP and a 174/102 K/BB. So how did he earn this draft slot? After showing improved stuff in the Cape Cod League including added velo on the fastball (sitting 94-96 and up to triple digits), according to scouts, Nicolas did a ton of work in the offseason. He worked tirelessly with coaches to simplify his delivery, leading to much more fluidity, much easier repetition and added deception. That was on display during Kyle’s first four starts of 2020 during which he held down a 2.74 ERA and 0.94 WHIP in 23 IP. The most paramount and encouraging product of Nicolas’ offseason work was his huge improvement in command. His 8.3% walk rate fell to just under 3%. One of Kyle’s final starts at the collegiate level was a 17 strikeout performance in which he only allowed two hits. A comparison of #Marlins CBA2 pick Kyle Nicolas’ delivery circa 2019 next to his improved delivery from last year. Higher leg kick, higher release point, shorter stride, much less stiffness, much more fluidity. This is the version of Kyle Miami is bought in on.#MLBDraft pic.twitter.com/8Iz5MIKYBM — Fish On The Farm (@marlinsminors) June 16, 2020 Nicolas’ crutch pitch is his aforementioned 70-grade fastball which has natural downward plane and good run. When at his best, he will pound the zone with it and outmatched collegiate hitters. Nicolas’ best secondary is an 86-88 power slide piece which he has really begun to tunnel, again due to the improvement in his mechanics and command. The pitch holds good late bite and from his higher release point and much shorter stride, is masked well against the heat. Because of his recent adjustments, the pitch takes the jump from 50-grade to 60-grade. Kyle’s work ethic and his ability to vastly improve over the course of just one offseason is very impressive. However, if he is to reach his ceiling as a back-end rotational piece he will need to continue to grow into his newly refined delivery while further developing his distant third pitch, the changeup. Currently, the Nicolas changeup is just average and he’s in the nascent stages when it comes to the release and overall feel for it but at its best, it shows good shape and flashes of becoming a plus pitch. If he continues to put polish on his newly refined mechanics and continues to advantageously develop the changeup. Not set to turn 22 until a month before next spring training, there is a lot to like about a guy with extremely projectable size and two plus-plus pitches who shows the ability and willingness to make positive adjustments joining a developmental system like the Marlins'. [caption id=attachment_1648" align="aligncenter" width="768] Zach McCambley (Photo by Josh Bell/The Sun News)[/caption] 3/76 - RHP Zach McCambley, Coastal Carolina McCambley is a 6’1”, 215 pound righty who was recruited to Costal Carolina after being named his high school conference’s MVP and an All-American honorable mention and being rated the 108th best RHP in that year’s Draft. As a Chanticleer, McCambley had a 3.89 ERA and 1.40 WHIP with a 158/59 K/BB in 141 IP. He was primed for a tell-tale junior year and began it advantageously holding down a 1.80 ERA by way of a 1.08 WHIP and 32/7 K/BB in four starts and 25 IP before the COVID shutdown. Had the season played out and had those brand of results stagnated, McCambley could’ve gone much higher. Instead, he entered the Draft as the 80th ranked RHP. The Marlins pulled the trigger on him at number 75. Clearly, Svihlik and Co. had their chips in on McCambley’s last season rather than his subpar 2019 regular season campaign. It’s easy to see why the Marlins bought in and took him over his predraft ranking: on top of being a great student, Zach had a a very impressive showing against wood bats in the Cape Cod League last summer, holding down a 1.74 ERA with a 1.06 WHIP and 24/7 K/BB in 20.2 IP. Based off his overall collegiate numbers, McCambley wasn’t a sure thing. However, he’s another guy exactly like Nicolas: despite a limited showing of just 40 IP, he showed a ton of improvement from his 2019 regular season up to the present, especially in showing more consistent command. That’s what the Marlins are buying in to. Here’s Marlins third-rounder Zach McCambley racking up Ks with @CoastalBaseball pic.twitter.com/4cSry99j0B — Fish Stripes (@fishstripes) June 12, 2020 McCambley owns two plus pitches, a 92-95 MPH fastball with good riding action and sink to the lower half and his best pitch, a curveball which he developed as a child and which usually sits 79-81 (making it more of a slurve). However, he can take more off of it by slowing down his arm speed, creating a higher arcing 12-6 offering. A plus to-contact fastball and wipe-out primary breaker thrown multiple ways are a great start, but if he is to succeed as a rotational piece, McCambley will need to develop his changeup (again, like Nicolas). Presently, the McCambley change sits 86-88. He lacks a current overall feel for the pitch causing it to blend into the fastball, but he does show flashes of it becoming a plus pitch with good fade. Along with the improved command he showed this canceled season, that’s the potential that will need to pronounce itself for Zach to succeed as a starter. Currently a two-pitch guy with limited size, we place McCambley as a higher-floor, lower-ceiling guy at the next level. [caption id=attachment_1651" align="aligncenter" width="830] Jake Eder (Photo by Vanderbilt University)[/caption] 4/104 LHP Jake Eder, Vanderbilt Eder is a local guy, born October 9th, 1998 in Fort Lauderdale and an attendee of both Delray Beach Atlantic and Calvary Christian Academy. A letterman in all four of of high school seasons, Eder was the earner of a an All-American selection in his junior year and he was a key cog in his team earning a state semi-finals berth as a senior. He was drafted by the Mets in round 34 of the 2017 Draft but chose to continue his education both mentally and athletically at Vanderbilt. As a Commodore who played on two of the same teams as JJ Bleday, Eder served in a swing-man capacity and held down an overall 4.00 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 105/57 K/BB in 92.1 IP. He did much better in limited showings as an exclusive pen piece in 2018-19. Eder began 2020 in the Vandy rotation posting a 3.60 ERA via a 1.45 WHIP prior to the shutdown. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kI2I6n3a0l8] 6’4”, 210, Eder has a solid pitcher’s frame but he is consistently inconsistent. His windup is quirky and has a lot of moving parts which he struggles to control. Eder’s initial motion is a front foot step back to the third base side leading into a cross-body leg kick without much weight on the back leg before a whip-through half arm circle delivery from a mid-3/4 slot. The length of his stride will differ and, considering the effort he puts into his release, it will lead to an-off balance finish in which he winds up on his front heel. He is much, much better from the stretch, leading to the belief that he will be a future pen piece. Stuff wise, he Hs the same issue: inconsistency. he is capable of a plus two pitch mix including a 94-96 MPH fastball and a shapely curveball but it doesn’t always show up. Even on a start to start basis, both Eder’s velo and control can completely disappear. He is also yet another guy who lacks a third pitch. He’s another step down the ladder from McCambley because of the dodgy mechanics and unreliability, further limiting the ceiling. The Marlins believe they can iron him out, make the raw stuff come out advantageously and turn him into a back end starter, but he currently profiles much better as a future bullpen piece. [caption id=attachment_1653" align="aligncenter" width="830] Kyle Hurt (Photo by Shotgun Spratling)[/caption] 5/134 Kyle Hurt, USC Hurt is a 22-year old junior out of USC where he had a very unstable career. After a knee injury lowered his draft stock in 2017, he chose to go back to school rather than signing with the Phillies who selected him in the 34th round. His numbers as a Trojan read 172.2 IP, 5.06 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 170/107 K/BB. He has two plus pitches and two more behind it. The former combination includes a fastball that has good action and sits 94-95 topping at 97 and a depthy changeup at 85-88. Both pitches grade at 55+. Hurt backs those offerings up with a maturing slide piece grades at 50 and a less advanced curve. The two pitches can blend into one another at times. He may drop the curve at the next level. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEVgi2JK7F4] The reason for the inflated stats in college could be attributed to one big thing: incredibly spotty command. What convinced Svihlik and the Marlins was the lineage of athleticism JM his family (his father played football at Ole Miss and his grandfather played football at the University of Tampa and one season for the Miami Dolphins), his high school pedigree, his extremely projectable size — already 6’3”, 215 — and his fantastic limited showing under a new regime at USC this canceled season. According to Svihlik, Hurt is a low-risk, high-reward type signing who he is counting on the Marlins’ fantastic development team to help continue recent positive progression. “He was a multi-million dollar player out of high school that had an up-and-down career at USC,” Svihlik said. “We really thought that we had an opportunity to take a player that has under-performed expectations, put him with a great group of player development guys and really extract the most out of his talent. Kyle Hurt was outstanding this year. He really turned the corner with a new pitching style, with a new coaching staff at USC.” Hurt, who turned 22 on May 30th, projects to start his big league career in Low-A.

[caption id=attachment_1609" align="alignleft" width="1024] Isan Diaz (Photo by Brian McLeod/MiLB.com)[/caption] Continuing our series of All-Time Baby Fish Teams, we make the jump up to AA to highlight the best members of the Jacksonville Suns/Jumbo Shrimp. An MLB affiliate since 1962 and a Miami partner since 2009, the club continues to aid in the growth of some of baseball’s best such as Larry Walker, Randy Johnson, Clayton Kershaw and Alex Rodriguez. In this listing, we will highlight the top Shrimp who became Marlins. — [caption id=attachment_1610" align="alignnone" width="640] J.T. Realmuto (Photo by MiLB.com)[/caption] C J.T. Realmuto Jacksonville Stats (2013/2014) - .269/.340/.408, 68 XBH, 101 RBI His second selection in our All-Time Baby Fish Teams Series, Realmuto spent all of 2013 and most of 2014 with the Suns where he totaled a .269/.340/.408 slash line with 68 XBH 101 RBI in 203 games. He threw out 47 of 84 or 56% of his potential base stealers. In the latter of his two stints with the Suns, Realmuto’s .299 BA, his .461 SLG and his 132 wRC+ each ranked fourth among all AA baseball catchers. Realmuto made his MLB debut on June 5th of that same year. He went 2-4 with three RBIs. The showing served as a perfect prelude to a .279/.327/.442, 59 HR, 189 XBH, 243 RBI career with the Marlins including a .303/.343/.428 2016 campaign in which his BA ranked third, his OBP ranked sixth and his 111 wRC+ ranked seventh among 24 qualified MLB catchers. He threw out 28 runners, fifth most in baseball. Solidified as one of the top backstops in the game, the Marlins dealt Realmuto, who was coming off his first All-Star selection and a career high 4.5 WAR campaign, to the Phillies last offseason for a package of prospects including future ace and the organization’s current top prospect Sixto Sanchez. Miami also acquired their current backstop Jorge Alfaro and international bonus pool money which they eventually used to sign the Mesa brothers. Realmuto began his tenure in Philadelphia by recording career highs in homers with 25, RBIs with 83, slugging percentage with a .493 marker and dWAR with a 1.7 tally. He earned his first Gold Glove, his second All-Star selection and by way of the NL’s second best BA and second most homers among catchers, his second Silver Slugger award. A guy who has caught his power tool up to plus plus hitting mechanics and strike zone recognition, an elite throwing arm and insurmountable athleticism, Realmuto owns 4/5 tools and has already, in just over five seasons in the league, has a WAR over 18. He’s special. And it all ran through Jacksonville. [caption id=attachment_1611" align="alignnone" width="600] Logan Morrison (Photo by Bruce Lipsky/The Times-Union)[/caption] 1B Logan Morrison Jacksonville Stats (2009) - 79 G, .277/.411/.442, 8 HR, 26 XBH, 47 RBI, 46/63 K/BB LoMo mojo. A Marlins’ 22nd round prep draft pick in 2005, Justis Logan Morrison attended Northlake High School in Slidell, Louisiana. The son of a military man, Morrison has credited his su but stringent father as his toughest critic but also his greatest influence on his rise to stardom as a standout talent despite hailing from a scarcely recruited corner of America. A sign and follow prospect, the well-traveled Morrison spent a year in Missouri in the JuCo ranks where he hit .436/.532/.743 with a conference most nine homers and third most 34 RBI in 35 games before he took his talents to the affiliated ranks in A Greensboro 2007. As a a Grasshopper, Morrison immediately flashed his plus power potential, clubbing 24 homers, fourth most in the South Atlantic League. The mid-season All-Star also led Greensboro in RBI with 86, spurring his call to A+ the next season. Morrison took a huge step forward in 2008, hitting .332/.402/.494 in the pitchers haven Florida State League. While his K rate fell from 19 to 14 and his walk rate stayed around 10%, Morrison placed second in the FSL in BA, fourth in OBP and seventh in SLG. Among countable stats, his 162 hits and 38 doubles were each the most on the circuit, his 74 RBIs ranked sixth and his 13 homers ranked eighth. Morrison began his 2009 season in Jacksonville but after just two games, he hit the IL with a broken thumb. A month later, the organization’s second-ranked prospect came back with a vengeance. From June 11th through the end of the season, LoMo hit .277/.411/.442 with the Southern League’s fifth best OBP, eight homers, 36 XBHs and 47 RBIs. Despite the big jump and missed time, he walked more than he struck out, tallying a 48/64 K/BB. His 0.18 walk percentage led his circuit. A year later, Morrison was called up to AAA New Orleans where he hit .307/.427/.487. Once again, his OBP ranked top five in his league as his patience persisted evidenced by a 38/45 K/BB. Morrison received his first MLB call at the kid season mark and spent the rest of 2010 with the Marlins. His skill set immediately translated to the bigs advantageously as he hit .283/.390/.447 with 29 XBHs, 18 RBIs and a 51/41 K/BB in his first 62 games in Miami. Somehow, he didn’t receive a single Rookie of the Year vote. Morrison would go on to have a decent career with the Marlins, but injuries prevented it from being great. After a .247/.330/.468 2011 season in which he finished second only to Giancarlo Stanton in homers with 23, Morrison appeared in just 93 and 85 games over his final two seasons with the Fish. Since then, LoMo has played for four different clubs. His standout campaign came in 2017 when he hit .246/.353/.516 and clubbed 38 homers for the Rays, fifth most in baseball. As his bat and power grew, Morrison was able to maintain his equally large personality while also learning how to keep it in check. If not for injuries, he had a sizable future as a big leaguer. Even still, raw talent has allotted Morrison a decent .239/.324/.426 139 homer, 4.6 WAR tenure in the majors. And it all ran through Jacksonville. 2B Isan Diaz Jacksonville Stats (2018) - .245/.365/.418, 10 HR, 30 XBH, 42 RBI, 95/53 K/BB Before Isan was hitting his first big league shot in front of his parents, he was regularly collecting extra bases in Duval county. A second round pick by the Diamondbacks in 2014, the lefty hitting Diaz — a two sport athlete in high school — came to the pros as the 76th ranked prep athlete in the country. At the time, PerfectGame scouted him this way: “Solid athletic build, good present strength, looks stronger than last observed. Left handed hitter, big pull back load, flows into contact, timing can be impacted but approach develops big bat speed, explosive hands at contact, loose and fluid swing with lift and extension out front, has pull side power, owned mid-level pitching in every at bat and made hit look easy, advanced hitter with tools and feel. 7.22 runner, middle infield actions, stays balanced and works through the ball, plays under control and lows the game down, compact quick release, second base profile and tools. Can be a high level offensive second baseman.” Diaz set out to fulfill that destiny with the D-Backs as a teenager in 2018. A year later, Diaz hit .360/.436/.640/1.076 for the short season Missoula Osprey. Those metrics ranked eighth, seventh and second and second in the Pioneer League. His 13 homers also ranked second circuit wide. That offseason, the ninth ranked prospect in Arizona was dealt to Milwaukee in the trade that sent Jean Segura and Tyler Wagner westward. In his first year with the Brewers’ organization, Diaz embarked upon his first full season of pro ball. Then and there for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, Isan hit .264/.358/.469. The 20-year-old’s 20 homers paced the Midwest League, his 75 RBIs placed third and his SLG was good enough for 13th. A year later, Diaz made the jump up to A+ Carolina where the 5’10, 170 pounder continued to exhibit plus power rarely heard of from of a middle infielder as he slammed another 13 homers and 20 doubles albeit at the expense of a lot of swing and miss potential, spelling a career high 27% K rate. On January 25th, the Marlins acquired Diaz as a glorified throw-in piece in the highly-heralded trade that sent Christian Yelich to the Brewers. Despite his struggles at A+ a year previous, the Marlins started Isan out in AA Jacksonville. In 83 games with the Shrimp, his BA rose more than 20 points from a year previous to .245, his OBP rose 30+ points to .365 and he fell just three homers short of his 2017 total in 27 less games. After living out the rest of 2018 feeling out AAA, Diaz returned to New Orleans last year where he absolutely crushed against competition nearly five years older than him. In 102 games, Isan hit .305/.395/.578 with 26 homers. The All-Star Futures Game selection received his MLB call in early August. Diaz made his MLB debut on August 6th, 2019 in the first game of a doubleheader against the Mets at Citi Field. With his family looking on, Isan provided one of the most memorable moments of the entire MLB campaign. A stoutly built middle infielder who comes by easy power via incredible bat speed, Diaz has Marlins fans reminiscing of Dan Uggla. And he’s still just 23. On the precipice of a breakout year, there’s tons to be encouraged about here. And it all ran through Jacksonville. [caption id=attachment_1613" align="alignnone" width="1200] Jazz Chisholm (Photo by Joseph Guzy)[/caption] SS Jazz Chisholm Jacksonville Stats (2019) 23 G, .284/.383/.494, 3 HR, 9 XBH, 24/11 K/BB The next generation cometh. Reminiscent of Albus Percival Wolfrick Brian Dumbledore, Jasrado “Jazz” Hermis Arrington Chisholm was born with a name made for fiction, but he’s beginning to conjure up something magical in real time. Born February 1st, 1998 in Nassau, Jazz credits his grandmother, a Bahamian national softball player, for introducing him to the game. Immediately, he fell in love. Very early on in his scouting period, international scouts saw the special talents Jazz owner, talents that were already polished beyond his teenage years. With an attitude and affinity to match a huge five tool skill set, the Diamondbacks made an easy decision to offer Jazz his first pro contract in 2016. Jazz’s first stop was short season with the Missoula Osprey. There, he hit .281/.333/.446 with the Pioneer League’ eighth most homers, nine. He was the ninth youngest player in the circuit. A season later, Jazz got his first full season assignment with Kane County but that duty was short lived. The 19-year-old tore his meniscus while taking BP mid-way through camp. He was placed on the IL on April 4th and would not return until October 6th. Chisholm got in just 29 games that year, equating to a .242/.325/.358 slash line. Jazz broke back in to the Midwest League ranks in 2018. It was a bit of a slow go for Chisholm getting back into the swing of things full time after suffering a major injury. He hit just .244/.311/.472 in 79 games. But after a career 5-6, two homer, five RBI showing on July 16th in which he came within a double of the cycle, the D-Backs gave him the call the A+. There, in 36 games with the Visalia Rawhide, Jazz exploded, hitting 10 homers including six in his last 18 games and one in each of his last three contests. He closed out the 2018 calendar year by hitting .442/.489/.767 with three homers and seven steals in just 10 Arizona Fall League contests. The third ranked prospect in Arizona’s organization, Jazz began last season in AA with the Jackson Generals. Through the month of July, Chisholm struggled with the big jump up the MiLB ladder. On July 30th, hitting .204/.305/427, he was traded to the Marlins in exchange for top pitching prospect Zac Gallen. Back on his home coast, Jazz showed out huge in 23 games for the Jumbo Shrimp, going 23-81 with three homers and a trio of three hit efforts. After playing eleven games worth of winter ball in Puerto Rico, Jazz reported to Marlins camp where he continued to impress, going 4-13 with two steals and an absolute missile-grade homer off of Cardinals’ top pitching prospect Genesis Cabrera. Just as if not more impressive as his play on the field was Chisholm’s attitude and persona off of it. With an infectious personality and an equally captivating smile which he is rarely seen without, Jazz has already begun to endear himself to fans both at the park and in the community. In just seven short months as a member of the organization, Jazz has shown, said and done everything necessary to become a fan favorite franchise player. A five-tool talent with some of the quickest hands in the game on both sides of the ball, Jazz is a guy who feeds off friendly competition and camaraderie with his teammates, the energy of the fans and most of all a profound love for the game of baseball. He plays the right way and conducts himself just as advantageously off the diamond. Still just 21 and already eyeing his professional debut, he is a major part of the Marlins’ future core. And it all ran through Jacksonville. [caption id=attachment_1614" align="alignnone" width="4608] Brian Anderson[/caption] 3B Brian Anderson Jacksonville Stats (2016-17) - .247/.336/.405, 22 HR, 49 XBH, 95 RBI, 130/72 K/BB Another repeat selection, Anderson, the Marlins’ third rounder out of the University of Arkansas in 2014. Ranked the Marlins’ top prospect in the preseason of 2016, Brian was one of the Florida State League’s top talents, hitting .302/.377/.440 before getting the call to AA. He joined the Suns on May 31st and hit .243/.330/.359 with eight homers and 40 RBIs. Following spring training a year later, Anderson rejoined the newly named Jumbo Shrimp. In 87 games — one more than he competed in at the AA level in 2016 — Anderson’s slash line jumped up to .251/.341/.450. Shedding a bit of timidity, he hit nearly twice as many homers, 14. Anderson rounded out his MiLB career with New Orleans where he absolutely mashed the Pacific Coast League, slashing .339/.416/.602 with another eight homers before receiving his MLB call on September 1st, 2017. Considered a major cornerstone of the Marlins’ rebuild, Brian has hit .267/.349/.425 with 31 homers. Coming off a .261/.342/.468, 20 homer, 1.1 dWAR, +9 dRS season at two different positions, Anderson, who is under club control until 2024 and staring a contract extension directly in the teeth, is a main pillar of Jeter and company’s rebuild. And it all ran through Jacksonville. [caption id=attachment_1615" align="alignnone" width="1024] Christian Yelich (Photo by MiLB.com)[/caption] LF Christian Yelich Jacksonville Stats (2013) - 49 G, .280/.365/.518, 7HR, 26 XBH, 29 RBI, 52/26 K/BB Our third repeat candidate, Yelich, the Marlins’ first rounder in 2010, spent a 49 game tenure in Jacksonville in 2013 leading in to his first MLB call. Yelich earned his mid-season beckoning by posting the Southern League’s fifth best slugging percentage and its eighth best OPS (.883). He was the tenth youngest player on the circuit. In just 292 games, Yelich went from draft pick to Major Leaguer. These days, he’s a three time Silver Slugger, a two time All-Star, a near two time league MVP and the recipient of a lifetime contract from the Brewers. And it all ran through Jacksonville. [caption id=attachment_1616" align="alignnone" width="1364] Juan Encarnacion (Photo by Eliot J. Schecter/Getty Images)[/caption] CF Juan Encarnacion Jacksonville Stats (1997) - 131 G, .323/.394/.560, 26 HR, 61 XBH, 90 RBI, 86/43 K/BB, 17/3 SB/CS Juan De Dios Encarnacion was saint-like in the two of the biggest years in Marlins’ franchise history. But before that, he was tearing it up at the Baseball Grounds. Discovered by the Tigers as an amateur free agent out of the DR at age 17, Encarnacion fast tracked through the minors, jumping a level with each passing season from ‘94-97, hitting at least 15 bombs, collecting an equal 31 doubles and slugging at least .400 at each stop. The last of his visits was to Jacksonville. There, the 21-year-old, playing against competition 3 1/2 years his elder, Encarnacion absolutely exploded. In 131 games, the sixth-ranked Tigers prospect hit .323/.394/.560 with 26 homers, fifth most in the Southern League, 90 RBIs, ninth most on circuit and 17 steals, tenth most. The overly successful campaign came littered with awards including an All-Star selection where he was named the game’s MVP and the titles of Southern League’s best hitting prospect, best outfield arm and most exciting player (Baseball America). A September call up to the bigs, Encarnacion made his big league debut on the 2nd of that month as one of the youngest players in baseball. In 11 games, Juan went 7-33 and smashed his first big league homer. After beginning 1998 in AAA, Encarnacion made it back to the bigs that July. Still amongst the leagues youngest talents, he hit .329/.354/.561 with seven homers. After that showing, he became a mainstay in Detroit’s starting lineup for the next three seasons. Encarnacion’s best campaign in a Tiger uniform came in 1999 when he hit .255/.287/.450 with 19 homers, 55 XBHs and 33 steals in 45 attempts. In 2002, the rebuilding Tigers shipped Encarnacion (along with Luis Pineda) to the Cincinnati Reds for Dmitri Young. At the outset, it looked to be one of the best things that could happen to a pure power hitter like Juan, playing in the bandbox-iest of all bandboxes, Great American Ballpark. Hard as it may be to believe though, Enc actually hit better in a Reds’ away jersey. In four less games (39 vs 43), his average was only two points lower (.276 vs .278), he hit four more dingers (10 vs 6), his SLG was 50 points higher (.450 vs .500) and his wRC+ differed 12 points (114 vs 102). At that year’s trade deadline, Encarnacion would be on the move again as the buying Reds dealt him along with Wilton Guerrero and Ryan Snare to the selling Marlins in exchange for Ryan Dempster. Juan made his Marlins debut on July 12th, 2002 and went 2-7 with a stolen base, his tenth of an eventual 21. Two days later, Enc crushed his first homer for the Fish. He would proceed to hit seven more and ended ‘02 with 24. A season later in his first full year with the Marlins, Encarnacion .270/.313/.446 with 19 bombs. He posted career highs in doubles (37), XBHs (62) and RBIs (94). Some of Juan’s most memorable moments in Florida came during the Marlins’ playoff run where he homered in game two of the NLDS as well as during a two hit effort in the first game of the NLCS. He also went 2-4 and scored the eventual winning run in game one of the World Series. After being sold off (along with many other Marlins assets) at the beginning of the 2004 season in exchange for Travis Ezi, Encarnacion would come back to Florida at the deadline (along with Paul Lo Duca and Guillermo Mota), completing one of the most peculiar timelines in Marlins’ transaction history. A season later, Encarnacion enjoyed a career year, posting lifetime highs in BA (.287), OBP (.349) and wRC+ (112) with 16 homers and 46 XBHs. In a very Larry Beinfest move, the Marlins did not render Encarnacion for 2006 and he signed with St. Louis. He hit .278/.317/.443 with another 19 homers and hit safely in seven of 13 playoff games en route to adding another ring to his collection as the Cardinals toppled the team that brought him to the pros 12 years previous. A two time World Series champion, Encarnacion was a guy that could hurt his opponent in many ways and, based off his .276/.324/.421, 22 HR, 36 SB line in high leverage situations, a guy you prefer having on the field with the game on the line. The owner of 42.2 power speed number (link), eighth highest in Marlins franchise history, and the rightful owner of the “3, 2, Juan!” chant whenever he stepped into the box beginning midway through his career in South Florida, Encarnacion goes down in history as a slightly unheralded but extremely important piece of the Marlins’ success in the early 21st century. And it all ran through Jacksonville. [caption id=attachment_1618" align="alignnone" width="480] Jake Marisnick (Photo by MiLB.com)[/caption] RF Jake Marisnick Jacksonville Stats (2013) - 67 G, .294/.358/.502, 12 HR, 28 XBH, 46 RBI, 68/17 K/BB, 11/6 SB/CS Marisnick is a Blue Jays’ third round pick from 2009 out of Cal Poly High School in Southern California. After hitting .320/.392/.496, marks which ranked seventh, eighth and tenth in the Midwest League in his first full season in the minors in 2011, Marisnick split time between A+ Dunedin and AA New Hampshire in 2012. He hit .249/.321/.399 and parlayed that effort into a .314/.380/.457 showing in the Arizona Fall League. That winter, the 21-year-old 58th best prospect in baseball was dealt to the Marlins as part of the twelve player trade that was also responsible for bringing Adeiny Hechavarria, Henderson Alvarez and Anthony DeSclafani to the east coast of the US. Shortly after the trade, Marisnick was assigned to AA Jacksonville. In 67 games with the Suns, Jake hit .294/.358/.502 with 12 homers and a 36% XBH%. He had the tenth best BA and eighth best SLG in the Southern League, earning the call to the majors in September. Following a trip to AAA and 14 more games with the Marlins in 2014, Marisnick was traded to the Houston Astros in the deal that brought Jarred Cosart and Kike Hernandez eastward. Though he played a grand total of just 25 games in Miami, Marisnick’s growth with the organization prompted a so far solid career off the bench which took off in 2017 when he slugged .496 with 16 homers for the World Champion Astros. Though he didn’t play in the postseason that year, Marisnick did appear in 23 total games in 2015, 2018 and 2019. He went a collective 7-21 and the Astros went a collective 16-7. More so than his bat though, Jake has become known for his defensive skills which are right up there with the best in baseball. Playing all three outfield positions, Marisnick has saved a total of 74 runs with his glove and arm, equating to an 8.9 dWAR. Set to join a Marlins’ divisional rival, the Mets, in 2020, Marisnick is an extremely durable compliment to an MLB bench, capable of deciding a game with both his plus power bat and especially his flashy glove and canon arm. And it all ran through Jacksonville. [caption id=attachment_1620" align="alignnone" width="912] Tom Koehler (Photo by Florida Times-Union)[/caption] SP Tom Koehler Jacksonville Stats (2010) - 28 G, 158.2 IP, 2.61 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 145/46 K/BB If you were a fan of pitching in 2010, TK Day in Jacksonville wasn’t a day you wanted to miss. However, he put in some serious work to grow to that point and didn’t stop grinding until he became a mainstay in an MLB rotation. A native of the Bronx, Tom’s baseball career began in high school at New Rochelle High where he lettered in all three of his varsity campaigns. After being named league Rookie of the Year in 2002, Koehler had an even bigger senior season (58 IP, 0.86 ERA, 108/12 K/BB) which earned him some equally huge accolades such as a Rawlings All-Northest selection, All-Section and All-State honors, and a Section I Pitcher of the Year title. With fastball velo in the 91st percentile in his class and budding breakers, TK committed to playing collegiate ball at Stony Brook Universtiy on Long Island. Koehler’s collegiate years started out pretty rudimentarily as he gave up more hits than innings pitched in each of his first three seasons. However, Koehler finished strong in his senior year, holding down a 4.15 ERA by way of a 1.43 WHIP, each career lows. In 14 starts and 93.1 IP, a conference high, TK’s 111 Ks led the America East Conference and his 10.7 K/9 ratio ranked second. With 17 wins by way of 297 Ks in 294 IP, the two-time second team All-Conference selection was enshrined in the SeaWolves’ Hall of Fame in 2016. Noticing his growing aptitude for filling up and commanding the lower half of zone with improving stuff, the Marlins selected Koehler with the 238th overall pick in the 2008 Draft. Turns out the Marlins scouted Koehler perfectly. Following a 66 IP, 3.68 ERA, 1.44 WHIP 58/29 K/BB performance for short season Jamestown in his inaugural showing against wood bats, TK broke out in his first full season in the minors, starting with a 98.1 IP, 3.20 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 47.7 GB%, 82/39 K/BB tenure with A Greensboro and finishing with a 34.2 IP, 3.37 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 25/9 K/BB, 45.2 GB% visit to A+ Jupiter. Koehler’s stop in Jacksonville came in 2010. It wound up being one of the best single seasons for a pitcher in Suns’ history. In the Southern League’s most starts (28) and second most innings pitched (158.2), TK had the league’s second best ERA (2.61), its best WHIP (0.96) and its second most strikeouts (145). His 8.22 K/9 ranked ninth on circuit. He was an All-Star at midseason and in the postseason, the league’s Most Outstanding Pitcher. After inexplicably waiting out two full seasons in the hitters’ haven Pacific Coast League of the AAA ranks, Koehler finally got his MLB call and made his MLB debut on September 5th, 2012. His best season in Miami came in 2014 when he dealt to a 3.81 ERA (3.84 FIP) via a 1.296 WHIP and 2.15 K/BB ratio in 191.1 IP. Arguably TK’s most memorable career start came on May 7th of that year when he shut the Mets out over eight innings, limiting them to just two hits on one walk and five Ks. Overall as a Marlin, Koehler tossed to a 4.43 ERA via a 1.39 WHIP and 1.85 K/BB in 767.1 IP. Though injuries marred him after his tenure with the Fish came to an end, the late round pick went above and beyond expectations, filling out as a serviceable back end rotational piece. And it all ran through Jacksonville. [caption id=attachment_1622" align="alignnone" width="594] Brad Hand (Photo by Marc Serota/Getty Images)[/caption] RP Brad Hand Jacksonville Stats (2010-2011) - 20 G, 116.1 IP, 3.39 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 75/53 K/BB Let’s close it out by giving the team a Hand. Bradley Richard Hand is a Marlins’ 2008 2nd round pick out of Chaska High in Minnesota. As an amateur, he gathered up 18 wins and 246 Ks, a school record. At one point in his final season, the ace, who also played football and ice hockey, didn’t give up a run in over 20 IP (link). 8-2 with a 0.62 ERA along with a .352 BA and eight homers at the plate, Hand was named Minnesota’s Gatorade Player of the Year in 2008. His coaches and area scouts labeled him the most exciting player they had seen since Joe Mauer. The Marlins collected Hand in the second round of the draft, awarding him a signing bonus of $760K. After getting his feet wet in the GCL and Jamestown, Hand went through a staunch learning process in Greensboro in 2009, going 7-13 with a 4.86 ERA. His body held up well against the innings wear though and the strikeout metrics (111 K, 8.6 K%) were solid, giving the Marlins reason to give him the promotion to A+ in 2010. With park factors behind him, Hand gained confidence in his stuff. The Hand changeup took a leap and he was able to limit damage, pitching to a 3.33 ERA via a 134/49 K/BB despite being touched for a .278 BAA. Hand’s final start of the year was his first with Jacksonville. He tossed a six inning quality start. Hand got the full-time promotion to AA when camp broke in 2011. Against upper minors competition three years his elder, hitters put the ball in play more decreasing his K rate. However, Hand’s ability to mix and command four pitches severely limited hard contact. On June 6th, holding down a 3.43 ERA via a 1.27 WHIP, .234 BAA and 45/27 K/BB, the Marlins brought Hand to the Show. That same day, the Marlins drafted Jose Fernandez. A day later, on June 7th, Hand made his MLB debut against the Braves. He threw a six inning quality start on just one hit, a solo homer but still took the loss. Four starts later, Brad picked up his first big league win following a 7 IP, two hit shutout performance against the Astros. For the next two months, Hand skipped back and forth between Jacksonville and Miami until his last call-up when rosters expanded allowed him to end 2011 with the Marlins. 2012 and 2013 followed this same theme as Hand boarded frequent flights from New Orleans to Miami and vica versa. In the latter of those years, the innings started to catch up with Hand as he spent time on the DL with two separate ailments, prompting the Marlins to delegate him to a swing-man role. After struggling in each of 2014 and 2015, Miami designated Hand for assignment. Hand wasn’t unemployed long. Five days after being DFA’d, the Padres claimed him off waivers and assigned him to a late relief role. In that capacity, Hand absolutely flourished and he hasn’t stopped, converting 88 of 111 save ops in the last four years. In his past two seasons as the anchor of the Guardians’ bullpen, Hand has ranked seventh and fifth in saves. Simply put, the guy slams doors. Doors that only opened because... It all ran through Jacksonville.

[caption id=attachment_1587" align="alignleft" width="1140] Alex Vesia (Photo by Jordan McPherson/Miami Herald)[/caption] For Alexander Victor Vesia, baseball wasn’t always a sure thing. His thing could’ve been literally anything. “I had a counselor and he asked me what’s your goal? What do you want to do with your life? And my answer was I don’t really know,” Vesia told Erik Oas last season. “It was my freshman year, I didn’t even know what I was going to do the next day.” That summer, Vesia broke into pitching after school for Steele Canyon High’s JV squad. Quickly, Vesia fell in love. A summer later, he was determined to pitch for his school’s A squad. “My sophomore year I really wanted to make varsity. I felt like I had a good tryout but they put me on JV,” Vesia said. “It wasn’t what I wanted, but I told myself I’d work hard and by the end of the year, I’d be on varsity.” For the first time, but certainly not the last, Vesia’s dedication paid off, serving as a fitting berth and a perfect precursor to his professional career. “The last game of the season, my coach brought me into the office and asked me, “Do you wanna start?” I was like, “Yeah, absolutely,” Vesia recalled. “I ended up going 5, 6, maybe 7 innings. After that, being out there and feeling the small crowd we had which was big for me, I was like, I want to do this. I wanted to help my parents out with paying for college and getting a degree. But also, I wanted to play baseball.” Four years later, Vesia had both: a degree and, via a 313.2 IP, 3.01 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 249/106 K/BB stat line at Cal State East Bay, a future in baseball. The program record holder in strikeouts, wins and innings pitched, Vesia settled on his ultimate passion and entered the 2018 MLB Draft. Thanks to advice imparted on him by his collegiate coach, Vesia knew he wasn’t going to be highly selected, but that he shouldn’t let that decide his future. “Before the draft, Mike Cummins sat me down in his office and he was like, “You’re not gonna make your money out of the draft, but you’re gonna make your money in the big leagues,”” Vesia said last month. “I just wanted the opportunity.“ After being signed in the 17th round and breaking into pro ball with a 1.35 ERA via a 1.14 WHIP and 38/7 K/BB for two affiliates in 2018, the exclusive reliever jumped from A to A+ to AA last season, posting a collective 1.76 ERA by way of a 0.94 WHIP and 100/19 K/BB in 66.2 IP. At seasons end, Vesia was invited to participate in the Arizona Fall League. Partaking in nine contests and 10.1 IP very close to his hometown in the San Diego suburbs, Vesia didn’t allow an earned run and struck out 16 while walking only two. The Marlins took notice of the Vesia’s ability to succeed at multiple levels and against top prospects by inviting him to spring training. Through 6 IP, he hadn’t given up a charged tally. To date, Vesia hasn’t let up an earned run since July 13th, 2019, a streak spanning a total of 35 innings. But don’t tell him about it. As a matter of fact, leave numbers completely out of your conversation because Alex isn’t interested. That disinterest doesn’t stem from any sort of superstition or fear of recourse. Instead, Vesia has always viewed his stats as a distraction and a hindrance against keeping the game as streamlined as possible, the strategy that has always served him well. “In my freshman year of high school my parents would text me telling me you have this ERA, this many strikeouts. Towards the end of that season I was like, don’t tell me that. Because when I’d be out on the mound I’d be thinking about it. So it’s a big thing of mine: I don’t look at any of that stuff.” No matter what his personal stats looked like the day week or month before, Vesia takes the mound every time with the most uncompounded plan of attack, faith in his stuff and his focus one and only one number: the one in his opponent’s runs column. “Being a bulldog out in the mound, grinding through one pitch, one at bat, one inning at a time. I try to simplify it as best as I can. The simpler it is for me, the better. I’m not very complex with my thinking,” Vesia said. “I have one focal point which is the top of the scoreboard at every field. Other than that, the game is the same. That’s been my vision: to get there by trusting my process. Working day in and day out out on the backfields and watching it transfer into games.” From the moment he began garnering professional interest, Vesia made all of those who came out to watch him a solemn promise: “I told every scout, give me the opportunity and I’m gonna run with it,” he recalled. Vesia hasn’t ran with the opportunity the Marlins have given him — he’s absolutely flown with it, mowing through the competition wherever he’s pitched. Last season, the fastball/change up/slider artist began the season in Clinton. Three months later, he was pitching in A+. Eighteen innings on the mound later, he got the call to AA Jacksonville. According to Vesia, that’s when the reality of his accomplishments hit and things got put into perspective. “I told my dad and he was like, “Dude, you’re gonna have to hit now!” That’s where it got more real to me because in AA, AAA and the bigs you gotta do that,” Vesia said. “Pitching in AA in front of bigger crowds, I loved it.” On top of making the jump to AA fluidly holding down a perfect ERA in nine appearances, Vesia provided the Jumbo Shrimp with a walk-off win in his first career plate appearance. Despite having his offseason shortened twice, Vesia met each of those assignments, Arizona and big league camp, with the same overtly-tenacious attitude and the same message to himself that he’s carried with him his entire career. He would not have had any part of the past twelve months any other way. “Going to the Fall League seeing top prospects — I was like, “Bring it.” I just told myself to make the most of the opportunity. Then getting the call to big league camp I told myself the same,” Vesia said. “I can’t complain any day of the week. I love what I do.” The Marlins clearly love what Vesia does, as well. All the way through the suspension of spring training Vesia, who has just barely 100 innings of pro ball under his belt, was still battling for a spot in the Marlins’ bullpen. While the club would have to make a few tough decisions and create room on the 40-man roster in order to get the non-roster invitee into that spot, it is apparently a task Miami is pondering performing. Even if Vesia does begin the year in the minors, barring injury, it’s hard to imagine he will be there long. On the precipice of realizing his big league dream, the newly-turned 24-year-old is rightfully impassioned — impassioned but as confident and as focused as ever. “There isn’t anything I feel like I can’t do. My mom always told me I’m a man on a mission. I truly believe that,” Vesia said holding back a tear. “I get a little emotional about it because this is what I want to do: I want to play on the biggest stage with the guys behind me and we’re competing. Its the coolest feeling in the world and it’s great to see hard work pay off.” If his history has taught us anything, no matter how soon that challenge approaches Vesia, he will stare it down with an unyielding gaze, attack it and put it down. Get ready, baseball. The Bulldog cometh.