Alex Carver

After being delayed by a visa issue in the DR and by a false positive COVID test, Sixto Sanchez made his debut today in West Palm against the Astros. Sixto threw 31 pitches in 1.2 innings. He allowed two hits but induced two double plays. He didn’t strike out any and allowed one walk. “I don’t feel like I’m behind,” Sixto said through a translator regarding his current state. “I’m pretty much there, same as everybody else; I just can’t throw as many innings right now.” As high as Sixto is ranked and as electric as his stuff is, including today, Sixto made his first appearance in game 13 of the 25 game spring schedule. The Marlins do not need a fifth starter until mid-April. A guy that has already undergone major throwing arm injuries and surgery, it would be risky of the Marlins to rush Sixto who at best stands to get two more in-game appearances. According to Mattingly, Sixto will only pitch in big league games when the team believes he is ready. Mattingly says Sixto will not be rushed, they will take their time getting him ready. Says Sixto will pitch when prepared “whether that happens right away or whether that happens seven nine days into the season”.#Marlins — Fish On The Farm (@marlinsminors) March 16, 2021 As things stand, we think the Marlins will err on the side of caution with Sixto starting at the ATS to round his preseason program out. After Sanchez’s late start, at this point, we expect the name of a swing man such as Daniel Castano or rule 5 pick Paul Campbell to be announced during introductions on April 1st. — While the stat lines don’t do either player justice, one guy has been well ahead of the other in terms of quality of at bats and quality of contact made. Isan Diaz has just two hits in his first 16 spring ABs but those two hits were a double and a triple. On March 7th, the same day of his triple, raked what should have been his first spring homer halfway up the berm at Clover Park, but a whipping wind barely pushed the ball foul. In terms of quality of contact, Isan’s average exit velo on nine balls put in play is 92.3. He’s walked four times to five strikeouts. When it comes to length of ABs, Isan has seen 73 pitches in 19 plate appearances or an average of about four per PA. These numbers are slightly convoluted due to The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches not incorporating Statcast. Thus, all strikeouts and walks are three and four pitches respectively and each hit is one pitch. Adding in accurate data from his four ABs at BPPB, it’s easy to assume Isan is in actuality at or above five pitches per PA. His two today in Palm Beach consisted of eight and four pitches respectively. He’s also looked better defensively. Isan Díaz with another nice swing, sending a pitch to the right-field corner for the second straight game. Ruled a double, to third on the throw. Two runners score. Had a triple yesterday. 99.9 mph exit velo here. #Marlins pic.twitter.com/xQwHqoQOwp — Christina De Nicola (@CDeNicola13) March 8, 2021 According to Diaz, who went from opting out of the season at the height of the COVID outbreak last year to trying to return for the playoff run only to suffer an injury his first game back, this spring has been about getting back to where he was in AAA in 2019 where he hit .305/.395/.478. “That’s what I’m kind of aiming for,” Diaz said, “to get that vibe, to put those good ABs together and do damage with runners in scoring position.” Don Mattingly has liked what he’s seen of Isan so far. Jazz started off his spring about as good as possible: leading off in the Marlins’ first game, he homered on the second pitch. But leading in to Monday’s game back in West Palm, site of the aforementioned bomb, Chisholm had been struggling. In his next 16 ABs, Jazz recorded just one hit while striking out seven times. He has yet to walk. This Monday’s game proved to be better for Jazz. Against Jose Urquidy, he battled out a seven pitch AB and beat out an infield single. In the top of the 5th, Chisholm singled in a full count on the seventh pitch of his AB and proceeded to steal second base, his first bag of this spring. “He looked better today,” Mattingly said after Monday’s game. “I think he’s been a little bit all over. I’m not sure if he’s pressing or not. We just need to keep Jazz steady in what he works on.” Mattingly also stated the team is working with Jazz on his consistency, encouraging him not to change his approach in the midst of a dry spell. “Like a lot of young guys, they don’t get a hit and start messing around and tinkering instead of just staying with what they’re doing,” Mattingly said. “Working through it and allowing it to become consistent. We’re keeping an eye on Jazz in that way.” Mattingly and the Marlins hope this is the turning of the corner for Jazz who has seen just 55~ pitches in 20 ABs. To take our Statcast-less park into account, his only AB at the Ballpark of the Palm Beaches before today was a groundout. While the completion is still open, we believe it is going to take Jazz having a great second half of spring to claim the job over Diaz. That said, no matter if he starts with the Marlins or at the ATS/in AAA, you will see Jazz Chisholm back in a Marlins uniform sometime this season. — Braxton Garrett, Jose Devers Others Demoted Before Monday’s game, the Marlins announced a number of roster moves: LHP Braxton Garrett was optioned to AAA and C Will Banfield, IF Luis Marte, RHP Alexander Guillen, RHP Luis Madero and SS Nasim Nunez were reassigned to Minor League camp. Prior to Tuesday’s game, the Marlins optioned IF Jose Devers and OF Jerar Encarnacion to AAA and reassigned Cody Poteet and RHP Shawn Morimando. While these moves were all expected, it’s worth recognizing a couple of these prospects and how they performed this spring: First, Braxton Garrett, the Marlins’ first rounder in 2016 and our 10th ranked prospect. Not long after being drafted, Braxton underwent Tommy John in 2018 missing an entire year of development then was relegated mostly to the ATS in lieu of the lost MiLB season in 2020. Despite the lack of in game reps, Garrett showed up to his second big league camp healthy, throwing the hardest we’ve seen him throw (velo ticked up from 90 to as high as 93). His biggest crutch in past years, his command, was off in his first outing but looked much better his second time out. “He’s been really good this spring,” Mattingly said after Garrett’s most recent spring outing, a two inning one hit, two K performance. “He has a little bit of a different body, a little more pop in his fastball. His breaking ball has always been good but it’s even tighter this year.” Mattingly also stated Garrett is working on developing his pitch repertoire but that his success will depend on consistently being able to place the heater for strikes early in counts then pitch off of it. “He’s adding a slider and he has the changeup he’s working on. All of a sudden you’re going to see a four pitch mix as he continues to develop,” Mattingly said. “He’s just going to get better and better. The main thing is he needs to get ahead in counts with his fastball and be able to locate it.” With success developing his arsenal and with gaining consistent command at the ATS and in Jacksonville, Garrett will be a candidate to come back up to the majors over the course of 162 games this season. He has a back end starter floor and 2-3 rotational ceiling. Secondly, we give a nod to Jose Devers who impressed the entire coaching staff, including hitting coach Eric Duncan. “A guy who really stood out. He doesn't seem fazed. ... It doesn't really matter the situation,” Duncan said “He has a really slow heartbeat and is able to put quality at-bats together. He's been one that's been tremendous to watch." Devers was leading the Florida State League in batting before going down with an injury in 2019. After showing up to camp a bit bulkier, the 21-year-old wowed with his glove (including at third base, a position he’s never played during in game action) while also showing good patience, the ability to make consistent contact and put the ball in play and while putting his above average speed to use on the basepaths. Devers went 2-9 with a triple, two RBIs, five walks to just two strikeouts and two stolen bases. One of the youngest kids in big league camp, Devers really opened some eyes. After the ATS and minor league camp, should get the promotion to start the 2021. He should be considered at or near the head of the class among all of the Marlins’ young middle infield talent. ETA 2022/23.

As hard as the game of baseball is to play physically, it’s just as hard to maneuver mentally. Just ask Marlins first base prospect Lewin Diaz. After his career got off to a flying start, first injury then a bout of terrible luck followed by a once-in-a-century global pandemic wiping out an entire season of production threw wrenches in his development and started giving Diaz some doubts. According to Lewin, the joy was taken out of the game. But while sharpening his tools in the Dominican this offseason, Lewin also did quite a bit of soul searching. And, if early spring results are any indication, that work has begun to pay off. A 17-year-old international signee out of the DR by the Minnesota Twins in 2014, Lewin jumped a level with each passing season up until 2018. That year, Lewin faced his first setback fracturing his right wrist, an ailment that cost him the final two months of that season. Lewin was able to put the injury aside in 2019, beginning the season by hitting .290/.333/.553 back in A+ before receiving the promotion to AA. The results followed Diaz to the Pensacola Blue Wahoos as he made the big jump quite fluidly. In 33 games in the panhandle, he hit .302/.341/.587. That is when the corner infield needy Marlins came calling. Just before the trade deadline, Michael Hill and the Fish sent established major league reliever Sergio Romo as well as prospect Chris Vallimont and a PTBNL to the Twins for the Florida State League All-Star’s services. Many times in the baseball a change of scenery works wonders for a player. But there are also occasions where it works oppositely. Diaz was on the latter side of that equation. After his successes with the Blue Wahoos, Diaz hit just .200/.279/.461. The power persisted but his luck took a strong turn for the worse. After posting a slightly above average .320 BABIP with Pensacola, that number fell to an absurdly unfortunate .188 in Jacksonville. The bad luck caused Lewin to press at the plate. While his K% sat at 17% with Pensacola, it rose to 22% with the Jacksonville. Diaz attempted to get right in the DR in the winter of 2019 and there were reasons for him to be happy with his performance. In 29 games with his hometown team Estrellas de Oriente, Diaz showed out well, hitting .276/.331/.422 with a team leading three bombs and a second best 20 RBIs. Diaz got his second spring invite and first with the Marlins that same year. Off to a good start (7/23, 2 2B, HR, 4 RBI), another stroke of bad luck occurred when baseball as well as he rest of the world was shut down due to COVID-19. Diaz’s baseball activity was relegated mostly to the alternate training site. He did get to debut and rack up his first 39 MLB ABs late in the unique 2020 season. Diaz said making his debut, despite the circumstances, was a dream come true. “It’s everybody’s dream who plays this game to make it to the majors,” Diaz said. “I have to continue to keep working on swinging at good pitches. I’m planning ahead this year.” Lewin spent this offseason “planning ahead” in the DR playing for the Estrellas de Orientalles and working out with trainers near his home town. According to Don Mattingly, Lewin did suffer from what Mattingly called “a small bout” of the coronavirus. But even still, after struggling to keep his weight up in 2020, Diaz managed to noticeably improve physically. “I was eating well I was hitting the gym a lot. I gained some muscle mass,” Diaz said. “I feel perfect right now. I feel like I’m hitting the ball a little harder. My plan is to continue doing that and to continue to get stronger.” Lewin Diaz winter 2019-20 vs Lewin Diaz winter 2020-21. Yolked. 💪🏻 #Marlins pic.twitter.com/m32uBMONIa — Fish On The Farm (@marlinsminors) February 25, 2021 While on the field and with his teammates in the DR, Diaz said he took advantage of learning from his older teammates on and off the field, namely Robinson Cano. “He taught me how to handle myself as a big leaguer,” Diaz said. “He taught me how to always aim for the center of the ball.” In the best physical playing shape of his career, results have started to come a bit more naturally for Lewin to begin spring training. So far, he has three hits in eight games including two doubles. One of those hits came this past Monday in his first start of the spring against established big league All-Star Marcus Stroman. Diaz, who admitted he came into camp with his mental morale at less than 100%, described that moment as a big one for him. “Those are things that boost your confidence,” Diaz said. “I saw myself in the starting lineup and knowing Stroman was pitching, I got excited. I’m very excited to get at bats against a major leaguer like Stroman.” In addition to that at bat against Stroman, Diaz says his confidence level is improving every time he gets on the field. The Marlins are noticing. He’s the only Marlin to appear in all 10 spring games thus far and he’s made it past the first round of cuts. “He definitely looks more comfortable”, Don Mattingly stated on the current version of Lewin. “He’s had some good swings throughout camp, but it's good to see him looking more comfortable. He's made some small changes. You see his hands just a touch higher. I think it's good for him.” Earlier in camp, Mattingly stated that he “definitely thinks it’s within the realm of possibility we see him this year over the course of 162 games.” The fact that he was able to overcome COVID and improve his body this winter and the fact that he is embracing the opportunity presented to him this spring is admirable of the 24 year old. It speaks very well to the type of player he should become and the player we should see back in a Marlins uniform this season. When that happens, expect to see his full potential, that of a cornerstone power hitting first baseman, on full display.

[caption id=attachment_2025" align="aligncenter" width="830] JJ Bleday (Photo by Jordan McPherson/Miami Herald)[/caption] In 2021, the return of spring training brings with it the return to in game action for hundreds of minor league baseball players who missed out on a full season’s worth of experience in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Among those future stars invited to big league camp is 2019 first round pick and second highest rated organizational prospect, JJ Bleday. Despite the missed MiLB campaign, Bleday, much like he did last spring when he recorded his first hit against pro pitching in his very first game, got off to a more explosive start last Sunday in West Palm Beach. Serving as the designated hitter, Bleday stepped to the plate against Brandon Bielak, the Astros’ 22nd ranked prospect according to BaseballAmerica. After watching the Houston defense shifted him to pull to the right side, Bleday did this: "Waaaaay back and outta here!" JJ Bleday solo HR 🤩 pic.twitter.com/qUwEQ0lQkf — Fish Stripes (@fishstripes) February 28, 2021 While he didn’t get into any sanctioned MiLB games in 2020, Bleday was active at the Marlins’ alternate training site as well as in the team’s winter instructional league. JJ credits his experiences there, facing off against older pitchers for keeping him fresh and keeping him prepared. “It was great seeing guys like Sixto (Sanchez), Sandy (Alcantara), Caleb Smith, (Jose) Urena... we had a bunch of guys who we were able to get quality at bats off and really grow as individuals, Bleday said. “Just like a normal season, you’d have your good weeks and your bad weeks.” According to Don Mattingly, Bleday’s ability to be prepared for whatever approaches him in his baseball career was brought out during his collegiate career at Vanderbilt and it’s only gotten better since he turned pro. “This is a guy that comes from a great program at Vanderbilt and those guys have been pretty solid. They’re all pretty solid fundamental guys that look like they know what they’re doing,” Mattingly said. “It’s just a matter of development. I’m feeling like he’s done different things at different levels and he’s ready to go.” Whether it be when he was challenged at A+ to begin his pro career, last spring, at the ATS or now, in his second spring campaign, Bleday has managed to answer every call because of an extremely mature offensive mindset. Whether he grounds out or hits a home run, Bleday’s primary mission in any AB is to put the ball in play. “I hate striking out, I hate giving up at bats. At least creating a chance for the defense to make a mistake. I think that started at a young age,” Bleday said. “Emphasizing accuracy over power. I think when you sacrifice accuracy for power, for me personally I get in a tough position where you’re wasting stuff and things don’t go your way. But if you’re aggressive and keep that accuracy first over power, you’re eventually just going to keep getting better as a hitter.” Due to well rounded hit, power and fielding tools that hold a future value at 55 or better across the board, Bleday is primed to continue to make noise in this Marlins system, noise that should grow louder this coming season. But Bleday is far from the only recently drafted outfield prospect invited to Marlins camp this year that has a big future. One fellow outfield prospect who is joining Bleday in big league camp this spring is Peyton Burdick. Fish On The Farm’s ninth ranked prospect and arguably the quickest rising prospect in the Marlins’ organization, Burdick earned the invite to camp after a fantastic first full season in A ball in 2019 and an impressive showing at the winter instructional league. Per reports, Burdick’s name was thrown around in trade talks this winter but the Marlins showed how high they are on Burdick’s potential by passing on the opportunity to acquire Wilson Contreras. Burdick makes up for his stout height (6’) with an absolutely massive physique. Originally trained by Josh Elleman, the co-founder of Elite Strength and Conditioning who previously worked for the Boston Red Sox organization and who has done work training athletes at every level of development, Burdick spent the pandemic months in the professional baseball player development program at ProForce Sports Performance in Cincinnati. The newly turned 24-year-old could not be more impressive physically. He puts every bit of his body into a gorgeous power swing. He adds to that great bat-to-ball skills and above average speed, giving him 20/20 potential. He also owns a good outfield arm capable of handling right field. Burdick went through Tommy John surgery in 2016. It was not long after, on the road back during his redshirt junior season, where he saw his biggest physical growth. “I worked out either once a day or twice a day. I was working out 12-14 times a week. That’s when I realized I was starting to actually get after it,” Burdick said. “You see the changes in your body and you become obsessed with it. You take pride in what you look like and how you function and move. I realized that lifting weights puts more damage on the ball for you so you don’t have to swing as hard. You can just connect with a more consistent swing.” — Regarding being in camp with each other and other Marlins outfield prospects, Bleday says that around guys in the same position as they are has created camaraderie that has benefitted each of their personal growth and planted strong roots in their relationship as teammates. “It’s a healthy competition,” Bleday said. “Obviously we all want to do well individually but at the same time you’ve got to get ready for the season and you’ve got to go out and perform for the organization. We all enjoy being around one another and we all enjoy learning from each other. It’s a great atmosphere.” Burdick echoes Bleday’s sentiments. “You can’t be be the best person you are if the guy next to you isn’t pushing you,”. Burdick said. “My favorite verse from the Bible is Proverbs 27:17: “The iron sharpens the iron,” meaning that each man makes every other man better. It’s good to have that friendly competition going on and it really makes every other man better.” While it remains to be seen where each of these outfield prospects wind up to begin 2021, they have all bought in to the message surrounding this Marlins organization from top to bottom: build on your successes, learn from your failures and strive to improve every time out. They are pushing each other to be better and building their relationships as teammates. It is virtually everything you want to see in the latter stages of a rebuild. Look on this system with eyes wide open now or have them forced open by it in the very near future.

Miguel Rojas and Victor Mesa Jr. (Photo by MLB.com)[/caption] In the winter of 2014, the state of the Miami Marlins was not the strongest. The team had just lost 80+ games for the fifth straight season and its minor league system ranked in the bottom five league wide. Rather than try to build the minor league system back up, the team doubled down on Giancarlo Stanton who they signed to a 13 year deal and recently promoted prospects Christian Yelich and JT Realmuto. During the season, they traded away what little they had left in their minor league system, names such as Jake Marisnick, Colin Moran and Jacob Turner. In the offseason, they parted with Kiké Hernandez (who they had acquired earlier that same year), Andrew Heaney, Anthony DeSclafani, Austin Barnes and others. The return pieces were almost all established major leaguers. The club brought in names such as Dee Gordon, Dan Haren, Mat Latos, David Phelps and others. Thrown in as what was thought to be a deal sweetener in a seven player deal with the Dodgers that brought the first two of those names to Miami was a 25-year-old Venezuelan Miguel Rojas, a versatile middle infielder with a questionable bat. Rojas, at the time, was not considered to hold much weight as a prospect. Upon his arrival in Miami, another veteran trade return piece and the guy that turned out to be the honorary captain of the Marlins between the years of 2016-2019, Martin Prado took it upon himself to take Rojas under his wing in every aspect of the game. In his first year as a Marlin, Rojas hit .282/.329/.366. After Prado’s retirement two years ago, there was only one obvious choice to take up the reigns the club’s captain: Prado’s heir apparent Miguel Rojas. Now, on his 32nd birthday and with the organization going in a completely different direction than it was going in when he came to Miami, Rojas is thriving both in his role as a leader and in his role as a player. In terms of his play on the field and on how he was able to post a .304/.392/.496 stat line while leading the Marlins to their first playoff berth in 17 years last season, Rojas credits his younger teammates. According to Rojas, being on the field with younger guys has kept his body healthy and fresh. Rojas says heading into 2021 he is in a great place. “I feel like all of these young players and young talent get me younger and pushing me harder to get better. I’m not getting younger, I’m getting older but the last few years I feel like I’m getting better," Rojas said to the media on Tuesday. "My first five years in the big leagues I wasn’t an every day player so now having the opportunity to play every day. I have a task on me and I have to prepare so I prepared to play this year for 162 games.” But Rojas’ thoughts are rarely of himself. Rather, they are on the future of this Marlins organization and how he can ensure a successful future for it. “That’s one of my goals. Whether I’m in this organization or somewhere else, I just want to help the younger guys in understanding how they need to prepare,” Rojas said. “How they need to eat, how they need to rest. All of that kind of stuff that Prado told me when I got here in 2015 and my first time actually seeing how a big leaguer prepares for the full season. That’s what I want to take to the younger guys.” This offseason, Rojas was seen on social media working out regularly with one of the youngest prospects in the Marlins’ organization, 19-year-old Victor Mesa Jr. According to Rojas, those workouts weren’t spontaneous or accidental but rather part of his plan to impart as much knowledge as possible on him which he hopes Victor will carry with him and share with his teammates in the lower levels of Minor League Baseball. “My philosophy is... let’s say like I took Victor Mesa Jr. this year and Victor Mesa Jr. goes and plays in low A, high A, wherever he’s going to play, guys are going to follow him,” Rojas said. “They’re going to see how Mesa is preparing. That’s creating a culture. That’s creating a bond.” What is @VictorMesaRios1 doing this offseason? Not much. Just vibing with @MiguelCabrera at the gym. 🤷🏻‍♂️ (@MRojasOfficial casually getting swol in the background)#Marlins pic.twitter.com/ZK3Nkq7YnW — Fish On The Farm (@marlinsminors) December 19, 2020 Rojas stated that, if circumstances allot, he wants to work with a different prospect every offseason to create as many future quality big leaguers as possible both on the field and off of it. “I’m looking forward to doing it with a different guy, hopefully every offseason if they’re local in Miami,” Rojas said. “I’m excited to keep building that culture in this organization.” Through everything the Marlins accomplished last season and through everything the team will accomplish in the future, Rojas has and will continue to have his fingerprint on it. For that reason, Rojas and the immeasurable work he is doing in the Marlins organization as well as in the community cannot possibly be overstated. He was already the unquestionable leader of this Marlins team at the Major League level but now, through his fingerprint at the minor league level, as selfless as Rojas is, he is making his mark throughout the rest of the organization as well as in the community and in he plans to continue to do so. Someday, the first player jersey will rise to the rafters at Marlins Park. Although his playing career is not yet over, Miguel Rojas' number 19 is already a very qualified candidate.

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.