Alex Carver

Swimming Upstream—Episode #60 Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp play-by-play broadcaster Scott Kornberg joins Alex Carver and Kevin Barral on this episode. Kornberg shares his insight on all of the Miami Marlins' most intriguing Triple-A players and how he approaches his work, plus he revisits the incredible opportunity he had earlier this month to call a Marlins walk-off win at loanDepot park. Players discussed in detail include Max Meyer, Victor Mesa Jr., Otto Lopez, Javier Sanoja, Troy Johnston and Roddery Muñoz. Find Swimming Upstream on the Fish On First YouTube channel, our new-look Apple Podcasts channel and wherever else you get your pods. FOF's audio programming also includes The Offishial Show, Fish Unfiltered, Big Fish Small Pod and more. The Fish On First podcast is now being presented by MPT College Consulting! They pride themselves on helping clients navigate the college application process. This includes preparation for standardized testing, guidance through high school, assistance with essays and applications, and choosing the right college. Visit them today at mptcollegeconsulting.com to learn more about their services and schedule a free consultation. Follow Scott (@ScottKornberg), Alex (@marlinsminors), Kevin (@kevin_barral) and Fish On First (@FishOnFirst) on Twitter. Join the Marlins Discord server! Complete Miami Marlins coverage here at FishOnFirst.com. View full article

On Monday, the Marlins promoted left-handed pitcher Keyner Benitez to Low-A Jupiter after 57 ⅔ innings pitched in the short-season ranks, including just 12 stateside. As a whole this season, the new Marlins brass hasn’t challenged many minor league players to new levels. That began to change on Monday when the Fish promoted one of their youngest prospects to the full-season ranks. Left-handed pitcher Keyner Benitez got off to a fantastic start in the FCL—his first experience pitching stateside—and has earned the promotion to the Low-A Jupiter Hammerheads. The good news doubled as a late birthday present for Benitez: he entered adulthood when he turned 18 on May 23. At age 16, Benitez was a Marlins international signing as part of the 2022-23 free agent class. He entered the professional ranks in the Dominican Summer League and threw to an impressive 3.74 ERA in a decent sample of 45 ⅔ innings. What stood out immediately was his ability to limit hard contact. The DSL hit just .179 off of him. He also showed solid put-away stuff, tallying 44 strikeouts, though also some control woes including 26 walks and five HBPs. He impressed the organization immediately. Benitez came to spring training this year and was seen pitching against Low-A and High-A hitters. At the culmination of the preseason, Benitez was sent to extended spring training. He would then remain stateside as a member of the FCL Marlins. There, at age 17, Benitez continued to succeed via improvements to his control and command. In three games and 12 innings, he dialed up 19 strikeouts and allowed just two walks. He continued to limit any type of solid contact, allowing hits at just a 17% rate. After that sample, the Marlins had seen enough and deemed him ready for full-season ball. He will join Jupiter this week where the Marlins will continue to develop him as a starter. What Benitez—6’1”, 165—lacks in size, he makes up for with stuff. He already owns a wide arsenal of four pitches. His four-seam fastball sits at 92-94 mph and has been clocked as high as 95. He commands it well to both sides of the plate. Benitez’s best secondary is a slider that sits 82-85. It owns cross-cutting action and he can garner whiffs both in and out of zone when placing it. According to a source, it is his best performing pitch right now. Benitez has made solid strides with the movement profile and usage of his 82-85 mph changeup, according to the same source. His last pitch is a 77-80 mph curveball that he shows good confidence in when behind in counts. Overall, Benitez is described as an “extreme competitor” that is very advanced for his age. When you hear multiple members of the organization say things like they are “really excited” about a player, the ears perk up. When that same player is pushed to full where he will become one of the youngest players in the league, close attention should be paid. Benitez has the ceiling of a mid-rotation starter and the floor of a multiple-inning bullpen arm. He will likely make his first start for Jupiter later this week on either Wednesday or Thursday. View full article

In an early-season blockbuster, the Marlins traded Luis Arraez for a package of prospects. How do we think Miami did in extracting fair value for the two-time batting champion? On Friday night, the Marlins made a huge statement. At 9-24 with already the second-worst offense in baseball, Miami struck a deal to trade arguably the most consistent bat in their lineup, signifying themselves as sellers and kicking off what will likely be their most recent teardown. Reported originally by Jeff Passan, two-time batting champion Luis Arraez departed the Oakland Coliseum for San Diego. Around Minor League Baseball, several prospects in the Padres organization were removed from their games, some amidst confusion. Soon, four players would know their new destination: Miami. It’s painful for the Marlins organization to lose one of their most productive and most well-liked players over the past two seasons. Further contributing to the damaging optics of the deal, the Marlins are paying the overwhelming majority of Arraez's $10.6M salary this season while he pursues postseason contention with another club. However, for a team on pace to lose 100+ games while owning a bottom-tier farm system, there is an obligation to move on from a player with decreasing club control while he is still a viable asset. What exactly did the Marlins get in return for the All-Star infielder and did they maximize value? On Saturday afternoon, Peter Bendix said the deal was “too good for us to walk past”. Here’s a look at why they think so. OF Dillon Head MiLB Career: .253/.342/.384, 2 HR, 7 SB, 44/24 K/BB At 19, Head is the youngest piece in the return for Miami. Peter Bendix describes him as being the furthest away from the majors but the player with the most upside in the package. A first-round pick by the Padres last year out of his Illinois high school, Head has decent size with for his age (6”, 185) and projects to get larger. A lefty-swinging/lefty-throwing outfielder, by far his most polished tool is his speed which is graded at the top of the 20-80 scale by MLB Pipeline. In 2022, Head ran a 6.22 60-yard dash. That high school season, he stole 23 bases in 22 games. Ahead of the draft, Head ran a 6.3 second 60-yard dash. He was a career .485 high school hitter. Head broke into pro ball last in the Arizona Complex League produced some solid initial results, slashing .263/,363/.400 before getting the call to Low-A upon the summation of the ACL schedule. There, he collected 13 more hits in 54 ABs. Back at Low-A this season, Head is off to a .237/.317/.366 start. Looking at his underlying peripherals, a few things stand out about Head at the plate this season: his ground ball rate has decreased significantly and he is hitting the ball in the air more, but hasn’t been finding the open field. Head has not been unlucky (.313 BABIP), just incapable of consistently hitting the ball very hard thus far. He also has a 24% K rate and has struggled with above-average breaking stuff especially when it's down and away. As Head continues to grow, he will need to avoid trying to force power and instead come by it more naturally while also taking what he can get and letting his speed go to work for him. With good bat speed and plenty of physical projection left, there’s plenty of room for Head to put polish on raw tools as the years go on. In the outfield, Head has a slightly above-average arm and can cover all the ground necessary with ease, but his initial reads off the bat and route-running need some work. How he develops as a center fielder will be equally important to the work he puts in at the plate. Head isn’t a sure-fire star prospect but because of his raw athleticism and the potential for at least four out of five tools when it’s all said and done capitulated by his strong amateur career, he has a lot on his side as he plays in his age-19 season. He will come to the team as a top 5 organizational prospect. OF Jakob Marsee MiLB Career: .256/.405/.410, 20 HR, 73 SB, 146/147 K/BB Marsee is a 2022 Padres sixth-round draftee from Central Michigan who hit .310/.434/.475 with 91 walks and 82 strikeouts in his collegiate career. So far in his pro career, he’s continued the trend of walking more than striking out. Last year between High-A and Double-A, Marsee walked 82 times to his 81 strikeouts. When Marsee did swing the bat, he found consistent success as he slashed .286/.412/.446. His 134 wRC+ ranked third in the Padres organization. After the season was over, Marsee took his talents to the Arizona Fall League where he was named league MVP. This season, Marsee has been horribly unlucky in AA accounting for his low slash numbers so far. His BABIP sits at just .217. Marsee is determined to lift the ball as much as possible. While not necessarily a weakness, pitchers will attack the outer half of the plate when he falls into a pattern of getting too pull-happy. How he adapts to that could spell the difference between him becoming a fourth outfielder or starting outfielder. Marsee owns above-average speed and the ability to handle all three outfield spots. He shouldn’t have an issue sticking in center field. Overall, Marsee’s extremely disciplined plate presence and approach and sneaky solid tools make him a consistent gap-to-gap on-base threat. The 22-year-old lefty could contribute to Miami sooner rather than later. He’s the most polished position player in this return. 1B Nathan Martorella MiLB Career: .269/.373/.446, 24 HR, 8 SB, 139/114 K/BB Another lefty with gaudy on-base numbers, Martorella is a solid mix of power, patience and offensive projection. A three-year collegiate draftee out of California, Martorella broke into pro ball alongside Marsee. The pair have followed each other through the levels and know each other well both as teammates and roommates. A quick riser through the Padres system, Martorella made only a brief stop in Low-A in 2022 before being promoted to A+ last year. After a .259/.371/.450 campaign with Fort Wayne, Martorella made it up to AA to end 2023. He’s off to an extremely solid start to the year with San Antonio this season, slashing .292/.393/.427. Though he is defensively limited and will likely spend most of his career at first base—he hasn’t played any other position yet this season—there is a lot to like about his offensive make-up. Like Marsee, Martorella sees pitchers from both sides extremely well and works counts very well. Always a tough guy to whiff at every level he’s played at so far, Martorella has a simplistic approach and swing; he doesn’t overdo it at the plate and exhibits natural fluid motions and an extremely quick swing that allows him to see the ball deep into zone and to fight off tough pitches, lengthening his at-bats. A guy who doesn’t waste his opportunities, his make-up as a contact-oriented lefty hitter with solid patience is similar to Troy Johnston. 0899f8d7-bd83-4ec5-b00c-7066595787dc.mp4 One area of improvement for Martorella as he continues in the upper minors will be his ability to put the ball in the air. Last season, he had a 50% ground ball rate which wasted some of his solid quality of contact. If Martorella can stay away from hitting the top of the baseball and come by more launch, it will close the gap between his sub-40 grade game power and 55 grade power. Martorella is defensively limited. He can fake it in the corner outfield spots, but most of his career moving forward will likely be spent at first base or DH. The timeline for his possible MLB call-up will hinge heavily on what he does at the plate. If he finds more loft and continues to show patience in the upper minors, he could contribute to the Marlins by 2025. RHP Woo-Suk Go MiLB Career: 12.1 IP, 4.38 ERA, 1.459 WHIP, 15/4 K/BB The oldest piece of the return, Go signed with the Padres out of the KBO for a lucrative $4.5 million in January. Go joined San Diego after a seven-year tenure with the LG Twins. There, he was one of his league’s most consistent relievers, compiling a 3.28 ERA and 139 saves over 368 ⅓ innings. Go was optioned to AA after struggling in spring training. Listed at 5’11”, 198 lbs. at age 25, Go anchors his arsenal with a power fastball that sits between 93-95 mph and can hit as high as 98. The biggest question mark for Go has been the development of his secondaries. He can throw a a good 12-6 curve that dips into the high 70s and a slider in the high 80s, giving him a solid velo mix and the potential to change eye levels. He also started to throw a changeup in 2023. However, since 2022, Go has largely strayed away from all of those pitches in favor of his cutter which sits in the low 90s. The consistency and confidence Go has in his breaking stuff will be the deciding factor in how far he can go in Major League Baseball. As he continues to break into MiLB with the Marlins, he will likely be used as a middle reliever. Grade: C The Marlins traded away their highest-producing offensive Major League Baseball player and paid his contract down to the minimum for four prospects, none of whom (right now) are a Top 100 talent league-wide. If the Marlins committed to shopping Arraez sooner, say during the offseason or spring training, this return could have been more lucrative. The same could be said for shopping Arraez to contenders at the trade deadline. While the timing of the trade is intriguing considering Miami thought this is the best they were going to do for Arraez’s services, they did acquire a very young player capable of reaching Top 100 status soon, two players performing well with the bat in the upper minors who could contribute to the big league club shortly, and a highly heralded arm from the international ranks. It’s a quantity over true quality return for a team that needs to address a true lack of minor league assets, especially on the offensive side of the baseball. View full article

Following a consistently impressive minor league career, South Florida native Anthony Maldonado is being called up to the big leagues. Here’s what you can expect from him. It’s finally Anthony Maldonado’s turn. After an impressive 2023 season and an equally impressive spring training, his number has been called. As first reported by Kevin Barral, Maldonado has been recalled by the Marlins and will be joining their active roster in advance of Friday's game. Drafted by Miami in 2019, Maldonado rose quickly through the minors. After the missed 2020 COVID season, Maldonado climbed four levels in his first full MiLB season, ending 2021 with the Double-A Pensacola Blue Wahoos. By 2022, Maldonado was pitching for the Triple-A Jumbo Shrimp. This past season, Maldonado spent the entire year with Jacksonville, pitching to a 1.62 ERA with a 78/21 K/BB in 37 games. He was well in line to be a September call-up if not for suffering a hip injury in July that cost him nearly two months. Maldonado came to spring training with the Marlins this year as a member of the 40-man roster. There, he continued to turn heads. In seven games and six innings, he allowed one earned run and held down an 8/4 K/BB. Skip Schumaker lauded Maldonado’s best pitch, his slider, calling it “as good as anybody’s." At the wrap of spring training, Maldonado believed he did enough to make the Opening Day roster. “My minor league success wasn't a fluke. I think I've shown that so far,” Maldonado said at the end of spring training. “I thought I did well.” Though Maldonado did not make the roster over Declan Cronin and newcomer Burch Smith—who the Marlins had not yet even seen throw a pitch live—Maldonado went back to AAA and remained focused, continuing to turn in results. In eight games this year, he has a 2.31 ERA in 11 ⅔ innings. He’s struck out 10 and walked four. Maldonado, a 1-2 inning reliever who is accustomed to high leverage, owns three pitches including the aforementioned slider that breaks late both ways. Even when not placing it perfectly, minor league hitters have been baffled. He can also throw it with purpose outside of the strike zone and garner whiffs. Ultimately, Maldonado hasn’t had to challenge much with the pitch inside the zone to stay effective. Recently, Maldonado has tinkered with his fastball. Originally a traditional four-seamer, since this spring, he’s now throwing the pitch with a modified grip and the action of a sinker. It sits between 92-94. So far, it’s produced good results. How Maldonado continues to adjust to that new grip will be a key aspect to watch as he comes to the majors. Maldonado’s third pitch is a mix-in changeup that he has historically struggled to command. With the influence of Mel Stottlemyre Jr, don’t rule out Maldonado developing that pitch further and becoming even more effective. Historically, Maldonado has also shown off a cutter that sits in the low 90s. Maldonado, who was born in Wellington and went to college in Daytona Beach at Bethune Cookman, takes pride in his Florida roots. “I grew up going to Roger Dean (Chevrolet Stadium) and going to spring training games with my dad,” Maldonado said. “It’s a dream come true. I’m blessed to be a home town boy. Just like (Jesús) Luzardo, just like (Xavier) Edwards, I grew up playing with those guys and it’s really cool we have a chance to play in the big leagues together.” Maldonado gets that chance against the Nationals, starting on Friday in place of the injured Jesús Luzardo. View full article

Swimming Upstream—Episode #59 Alex Carver and Kevin Barral empty the notebook from Friday's Marlins minor league games. Featured prospects include Thomas White, Yiddi Cappe, Jacob Berry, Javier Sanoja, Joe Mack and Cody Morissette. Find Swimming Upstream on the Fish On First YouTube channel, our new-look Apple Podcasts channel and wherever else you get your pods. FOF's audio programming also includes The Offishial Show, Fish Unfiltered, Big Fish Small Pod and more. The Fish On First podcast is now being presented by MPT College Consulting! They pride themselves on helping clients navigate the college application process. This includes preparation for standardized testing, guidance through high school, assistance with essays and applications, and choosing the right college. Visit them today at mptcollegeconsulting.com to learn more about their services and schedule a free consultation. Here are all of Friday's Marlins MiLB box scores. Fish On First has also created the ultimate guide to Marlins minor league affiliates. Follow Alex (@marlinsminors), Kevin (@kevin_barral) and Fish On First (@FishOnFirst) on Twitter. Join the Marlins Discord server! Complete Miami Marlins coverage here at FishOnFirst.com. View full article

Despite a very impressive spring in which he was one of the Marlins' most productive bats while playing multiple positions, Dane Myers was optioned to Triple-A on Friday. Why and how soon may we see Myers back in the big leagues? Dane Myers has grown a lot since joining the Marlins last season. A converted pitcher who started playing third base in 2019 and the outfield in 2021, Myers joined Miami in December 2022 via the minor league phase of the Rule 5 Draft. Upon his signing, Myers was assigned to Double-A Pensacola. There, with the Blue Wahoos, Myers hit a robust .291/.395/.489. His .895 OPS in those 49 games was some the best and most sustained success Myers had ever come by in his career at the plate. A promotion to Triple-A Jacksonville led to even more success for Myers. There, he hit .339/.417/.516. In between his two AAA stints, Myers received his first two big league call ups. In 22 games with Miami, he hit .269/.286/.358. He ended the year as a member of the big league team. Myers came to Marlins camp this spring needing to impress to have a chance of being back in the big league outfield to start 2024. He did. Receiving regular playing time (17 games), Myers went 14-for-34 with three home runs, including a walk off home run. He also added two doubles. Some of the established MLB hurlers Myers was able to have success against included José Quintana and Hunter Harvey. Despite getting a long look and impressing while doing so, Myers fell victim to a numbers crunch and will start 2024 in the minors. The Marlins announced on Friday afternoon that Myers had been optioned to AAA Jacksonville. Main reasons for Myers' exclusion include new acquisitions Nick Gordon and Vidal Brujan, both of whom are out of options. With the rest of the outfield healthy, seemingly Myers' only way onto the roster would have been if they optioned Bryan De La Cruz who has a longer track record of MLB success. According to manager Skip Schumaker, Myers showed the necessary results to make the team and under different circumstances, he would have. "This was the toughest decision of anybody in camp. He played his tail off and he did it the right way; he competed and honestly deserved to make the team. There's no sugarcoating it," Schumaker said. "The way the roster is right now, he was just unfortunately the guy that couldn't make the team." Schumaker, whose transparency is one of the many reasons he has earned the respect of the Marlins' clubhouse, stated the conversation was difficult due to limited reasons he was able to provide Myers for the roster move. "Usually, you have something to say to these guys when they get sent down for whatever they did in spring or why they didn't make it. I didn't really have too much other than we just didn't have a spot for him. And that's a tough thing to hear because he did everything he could." As far as how soon we may see Myers back with the Marlins, Schumaker said Myers has earned the right to be the "next man up." "He will be the first guy called up no matter what because he's so valuable in the flexibility of the outfield," Schumaker said. "He has played some infield, the at-bats have been so good, baserunning, the whole deal." In receiving the news, Myers was disappointed, but has no doubt that he belongs in the majors. "It was just kind of the way the roster worked out, there wasn't a spot for me, which I understand, but I think I deserve to be on the team," Myers said. "I think if you don't think that way, you're not thinking the right way. I'll just keep doing my work, keep pressing the door down and try to make it back up soon." "I would like to think something that adds value to me is playing on the infield and the outfield. So I've still worked on all the positions and I hope throughout the year, I can play them all." Myers turned 28 on March 8. He projects to see everyday playing time with the Jumbo Shrimp, primarily as the team's starting center fielder. View full article

Although the Marlins will have to draw from depth to answer for multiple injuries to regulars on their Opening Day roster, they believe they are still set up for success. JUPITER, FL—It's been a turbulent spring for the Marlins health-wise. With their star pitcher Sandy Alcantara (Tommy John surgery) already down for the season, multiple dominoes have fallen in line, most recently Eury Perez, who will begin the season on the injured list due to elbow inflammation. Though the Marlins have avoided any other major disparagements this spring, they will need to get creative to start the season. That said, president of baseball operations Peter Bendix is remaining confident in how his first Marlins' Opening Day roster is shaping up. "I feel really good about the team right now," Bendix said on Friday afternoon. "Probably even more than I would have guessed coming into spring. Some guys are making really positive impressions." To start the season, the Marlins announced that their rotation will be built up of Jesús Luzardo, converted reliever A.J. Puk, Ryan Weathers and Trevor Rogers. The fifth starter is yet to be determined. Bendix stated that, while he never rules out the possibility of going outside of the organization for help, internal options are present of mind. "There's always consideration for that," Bendix said. "But we have so many good arms in house here that we really want to give them an opportunity if it's available." If the Marlins continue to stay in house, their pitching depth will be tested early this season. Internal candidates to join the Marlins on Opening Day include multiple pitchers that likely would have started the season with Triple-A Jacksonville. Still, Bendix remains satisfied with the amount of depth the Marlins organization holds if they have to draw even more from that well. "You can never have too much pitching and I think we're going to test that. But I do feel really good about the arms that we have really, even all the way down through the Jacksonville rotation and bullpen," Bendix said. "A lot of different types of pitchers at different points in their careers, but guys that, if they have to come up for a day, a week, a month, I feel really good about." Throughout the course of the spring, both Bendix and manager Skip Schumaker have stated their desire for as many players as possible to force their hand and make final roster decisions tough. Bendix stated that, even with some roster spots opening due to injuries, the club will still have to have difficult conversations. "The easy decisions, it usually means something went wrong," Bendix said. "The tough decisions mean that there are players that had really good springs. There's players that are making it very difficult on you, which in the moment makes it tough on the decision, but ultimately is a really good thing for the organization." Schumaker reiterated Bendix's sentiments, stating that tough conversations will need to be had soon, but that he has been pleased with the way players competed during camp. "I'm not looking forward to a couple of these; I'll be honest with you. But this is what you want. I've been part of them as a player where you are a bubble guy because you've made the situation difficult on the manager," Schumaker said. "After you tell them they did not make the team, they're going to hear white noise and it doesn't matter what you tell them after that." One of those tough conversations was undoubtedly held on Friday with Dane Myers who was optioned to Jacksonville. Myers had hit .412 in 34 spring ABs, including three home runs. His excellent Grapefruit League production could not change the reality that all of the Marlins' veteran outfielders made it through camp healthy and he has two minor league options left. Despite the need to make some tough calls, Schumaker emphasized that there will be plenty of roster turnover over the course of the long season. "They're going to help at some point this year. We didn't have 26 guys last year; we had to use the 40-man and then some. So they're going to be huge helps." Miami begins their 2024 season against Pittsburgh this coming Thursday at loanDepot park. View full article

Thomas White touched 97 miles per hour and mixed in an effective breaking ball and Griffin Conine recorded two hits including a home run as the Marlins defeated the Cardinals in the inaugural Spring Breakout game. Pitching was the story of the day for Miami who allowed just two runs on three hits. Backed by two hits each for Griffin Conine and Paul McIntosh, the Marlins recorded a 3-2 win over the best the St. Louis Cardinals system has to offer. White, Miller impressive Second-ranked prospect and 35th overall pick from 2023 started for the Marlins. Working out his fastball/breaker combo which holds almost 20 mph of velo separation, he continued to impress this spring by striking out three in his inning of work. He touched 97, sat at 94 and was down to 79 on the radar gun. Despite being a tad spotty with fastball command, it was another solid showing for White. "It was interesting. I was a little nervous, but once I threw the first pitch I locked in," White said, summing up his day. "I definitely had more in the tank velo wise, but I just wanted to be in control of the game." Speaking about his most used secondary pitch, White described it a few different ways; as both a slider and curveball. The pitch owns sharp snap and break when White is throwing it at his best. It tunnels off the fastball well due to the dip in velocity and his ability to change eye levels. Speaking about the breaking ball and how it felt today, White was content but stated it can play even better. Still, the pitch garnered him two whiffs. "I think I could've thrown it a little harder. I think it was 78-79, maybe 80. I like the 80-83 and it gets a little bit firmer," White said. "I wouldn't say it was at its best but it was definitely good." White also pinpointed the breaker -- a curveball variant -- is most valuable when he is throwing it with confidence and feel. "It' more intent. I just gotta throw it how I'm supposed to, throw it like a fastball. That's when it's at its best." Overall, both White and his coaches were satisfied with his outing, even if it almost cost him a couple bucks. "They all said I looked great," White said of the reactions he got after his start. "I had a little bet going where if I got out at 15 pitches, he'd owe me money and I'd owe him if I went over 15, But with the three strikeouts, I was like, can we just go wash there? So we just went with a wash, but it was fun." After White, top draft choice Noble Meyer threw for an inning in which he recorded two quick outs but then let up a tough-luck hit and struggled a bit with control. 2022 second rounder Jacob Miller then took over in the 3rd. Miller impressed with his deep aresnal, striking out two. The second of Miller's two strikeouts came against Won-Bin Cho and stranded a triple, the only hit he allowed. "I told myself, it is what it is, I can't take that back. The next hitter, just go right at him," Miller said. "It was Cho, a good advanced hitter. I had seen him multiple times last year so I knew I just needed to attack him, get ahead, just spin it and have some fun with it. My plan worked." Miller also worked out his newest pitch, a sinker, which he has implemented in place of a four-seamer he had been throwing previously before this spring. On the progression of the sinker and how it played today, Miller stated this was the best the pitch has felt so far. It will allow him to fulfill his MO of utilizing it to record quick outs. "Especially command-wise with it, I didn't leave anything up in the zone; it was all low," Miller said. "I got a little ground ball out of it. I think you'll see a lot of that this year. It'll just help the slider and everything else play better as well." With all of his stuff, Miller threw purposefully out of the strike zone with confidence and ultimately recorded a 43% CSW%, garnering a total of five whiffs with three different pitches. After struggling through injury last year, Miller believes a big reason for his confidence lies in his ability to keep it simple, in encouraging himself that he belongs and that his stuff plays up. "Telling myself everyone's human and we're just playing baseball," Miller said. "It doesn't matter who's in the box; my stuff isn't going to change. Just coming out and attacking and not being scared is the biggest thing." Miller believes the Marlins' win today in which he was the victorious pitcher will help him and the rest of his teammates gain exposure and give them a leg up on their stadium mates, the Cardinals. "It's huge to get out there and especially to be on MLB Network televised and everything, it's just fun. And being against the Cardinals, we see them all the time, so it's almost like we run the facility now. That's always a fun rivalry; just going out there and competing especially on a bigger stage." Conine, McIntosh provide offensive spark Behind effective pitching, Griffin Conine was the offensive star for the Marlins. In his second at bat, Conine stepped in against Max Rajcic who tried to bust him in on the hands with a fastball. Conine not only got to the pitch, but he muscled it out to almost straight-away center field. In his next at-bat, Conine drove in a second run with an RBI single. His hits left his bat at 106 mph and 99 mph, the second and sixth hardest hit balls of the afternoon. For the success he had today, Conine pointed to major adjustments he made with his swing starting last season, particularly with his upper half. He has reverted to what has worked for him previously in his career. "I raised my hands a lot. I used to hit like that in college and even high school," Conine said. "It felt like I was getting beat at the top a lot last year. It seems like a really simple adjustment to make your hands higher, but its obviously more than that." "I think I got a little uncomfortable with what I was trying to do last year. Just get back to what's worked for me in the past. It's also going to put me in a spot to work more north to south." Although at times it was tough, Conine credited his hitting coach in AA Pensacola last year Matt Snyder for initially approaching him about the adjustments and allowing him to make them successfully. "Snyder was the first; we started this process in Pensacola last year. There were days where I hated him and I would hate him just because sometimes you hear things you don't want to hear and he gives it to you straight," Conine said. "He's always wanting to work with you though and that's the awesome part. He stayed on top of me; I was stubborn sometimes and so was he. I think we got a lot out of it moving forward." Catcher Paul McIntosh also had a good day at the dish. Acting as the DH, McIntosh went 2-3 with an RBI. His 4th inning double was the hardest hit ball of the afternoon. McIntosh replaced Victor Mesa Jr, who is dealing with an ankle injury, on the Spring Breakout roster. "It's a really nice thing to be a part of; I wasn't supposed to be there so it was a random opportunity," McIntosh said. "Really good game today. I was just trying to see the ball over the plate and I ended up getting something that hung up a little bit and put a good swing on it." McIntosh had been taking part in big league camp as a non-roster invitee before being re-assigned recently. He was satisfied with his performance in big league camp this spring and stated he had a valuable experience. McIntosh believes he proved he can stick as a backstop. He could be seen regularly working with his coaches this spring on blocking, framing, and receiving. "I wanted to showcase my defense behind the plate and I think I did that every time out," McIntosh said. "Catching guys like Eury (Perez), (A.J.) Puk, (Jesus) Luzardo; I put myself in a lot of different situations to work on certain things. They have really good stuff and it's really cool to see all my stuff translate over to catching them." Yiddi Cappe also recorded two hits and a stolen base. Troy Johnston added an RBI single. Other notes: Eury Perez, who was removed from his last start with his ongoing finger issue, will not throw for the next 3-4 days. JT Chargois (neck spasms) is also not going to throw for a few more days. Braxton Garrett (left shoulder soreness) will be throwing live BP. Edward Cabrera (shoulder impingement) and Josh Simpson (left arm/elbow discomfort) played catch today. Manager Skip Schumaker is expected to be away from the team for a few days for personal reasons. Bench coach Luis Urueta will stand in as the manager. The Pensacola Blue Wahoos will need a new hitting coach this season. Former Marlins infielder Matt Snyder, who acted as their hitting coach in 2023 after working in the same capacity for A Beloit in 2021 and 2022, has been promoted to an organizational minor league hitting coordinator. Full minor league coaching staffs are expected to be announced soon. View full article

The latest on the Marlins’ top two prospects, their budding relationship as teammates, analysis of their latest spring outings, and their thoughts on the upcoming Spring Breakout game. JUPITER, FL—Despite being two of the top high school arms in the country, Noble Meyer and Thomas White had never met before the 2023 MLB Draft. Since being selected 10th and 35th overall by the Marlins, in less than eight months, the pair has become nearly inseparable. Walking through Marlins’ minor league camp, Meyer and White are very regularly seen shoulder to shoulder. After practices and outings, Meyer and White are quickly side by side again as they trek back to the Marlins’ clubhouse. The two teenagers even wait for one another as one may to sign interact with fans or speak with reporters. During their conversations, they break down their days and give one another advice about both baseball and continuing to grow up with the game in their first full year pro. White foresees his early connection with Meyer turning into a long and fortuitous relationship. “It’s going to be really fun going through all the levels with him,“ White said. “It’s almost like having a brother, going through all the levels. It’s really good to have someone my age and my experience level.” “I love him,” White added. "He’s a great guy, a great dude, obviously a great player. It’s perfect.” Meyer greatly admires his 6’5” teammate and remains in awe of White’s athleticism and work ethic. “He’s a freak of nature,” Meyer said of White’s skill level. “He has the greatest flexibility and mobility I’ve seen in any pitcher. He’s a workhorse. He’s constantly working at something. Just insane. I have nothing but good things to say about him.” Meyer and White have a very good chance of remaining close to each other and building their relationship even more in 2024. We project them both to start the season back at the Low-A level with Jupiter. Latest outings Both White and Meyer threw for opposite Marlins scrimmage teams this past Saturday. They were stretched out to four innings or 65 pitches, the longest either pitcher has gone so far this spring. White was absolutely dominant, overpowering Low-A and High-A caliber players, nearly all of which were his elder. Using all three of his pitches, White struck out five of the first seven batters he faced. All in all, he got rolled just once over his four frames and allowed just two hits. It was a confidence builder for the young lefty, facing his elder teammates multiple times. “It’s good to know that your stuff can play, even with some older guys,” White said. “It’s good to see and good to have that same battle as they come up a second time when they know what to look for and have a better approach.” One focal point for White has been placing his fastball up with consistent control and command. In this outing, he was seen doing so multiple times both in and out of the strike zone with purpose. The 96+ mph offering placed there accosted him multiple whiffs. “The ability to go up in the zone especially because I have so much ride on my fastball, getting outs up there is going to be key this year,” White said. “If I have that opportunity, I can get some ugly swings up there.” White’s bread-and-butter pitch is his curveball, which registers nearly 20 mph slower velocity-wise than his heater. At its best, the pitch holds sharp downward action and White can place it on both sides of the plate. It is already currently a 50-grade pitch with room for improvement. This spring he’s worked on improving the consistency of the spin and command as well as the confidence he has with the offering. “It’s getting a lot better. The ability to throw it for strikes and just trust the way it’s gonna break the way I want it to,” White said of his progression with the hook. “In high school, sometimes I babied it a little bit; not sure what it was gonna do, but I really started to figure that out in the offseason. Throwing both that and the changeups in any count is really what my focus was.” On the opposite end, for Meyer, he didn’t have his best stuff at the start of his day. Struggling with some command and control issues, Meyer got into some early deep counts including an exceptionally long battle with Jordan McCants. Both of his first two innings were ended early by coaching. Meyer allowed four walks while striking out one. He also threw two wild pitches. However, he was able to end his day on a positive note, retiring four of his last five hitters. Breaking down his day after his outing, Meyer remarked on his vivacity early in the outing as the reason for some struggles. “It was more about the energy I brought; the first two innings were a little slow. I felt like I already had it done; just trying to go through the motions. Then in the 3rd, after I got rolled twice, I told myself to just wake up. I just tried to throw it right by everybody and that seemed to click.” “The first two innings were terrible, really. And then after that, it turned into a pretty good outing.” On what he can learn about a day where he didn’t have his best at all times and on how he can grow after such an experience in spring training, Meyer stated his biggest lesson learned was to approach each day with more solidified intent. “If you come into this just trying to go through the motions, I’m not going to be prepared for when the season hits,” Meyer said. “Just bringing the energy every day and just really get after it because this is the time I need to use to get better for the season.” During his first pro summer, Meyer was never tasked with going beyond 3 ⅔ innings in any outing. It's encouraging to hear that he felt comfortable with the added length entering a season where his workload will undoubtedly increase. “The length wasn’t an issue,” Meyer said. “I feel great. I carried my strength through the 4th inning.” Next up White and Meyer will take the mound on Friday in the inaugural Spring Breakout game. They, along with 24 other top Marlins prospects, will take on some of the top names in the St Louis Cardinals’ system. White has the honors of starting the game for the Marlins and he's looking forward to the opportunity. “I’m really pumped, really excited to get into a big stadium and have a bit of a crowd, I think it’s gonna be awesome,” White said. Meyer shared similar feelings of excitement and didn’t shy away from the possibility of facing off against the best of the best the Cardinals have to offer, including their top prospect. “I’ve seen about the matchup between me and Masyn Winn,” Meyer said. “I’ve gotten to follow his journey the past couple years so I’m really excited for that. He’s a really good ball player. I’m excited to see that 80 [grade] arm in person.” View full article

The top lefty pitcher in the Marlins farm system, Thomas White discusses his latest intrasquad scrimmage start, what he's been working on entering the 2024 season, his friendship with Noble Meyer and the inaugural Spring Breakout game. View full video

Construction on the $108 million project won't begin until 2025, with a spokesperson citing the "need to minimize the impact to the players and staff during the renovation." Nearly three years ago, Palm Beach County, the Miami Marlins and the St. Louis Cardinals made a long-term commitment to each other. Through a county-issued bond expected to be re-paid in full over 25 years, both teams' player development and spring training complexes would remain at Jupiter's Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium through 2049. On May 17, 2022, the county and the operations venture of the stadium, Jupiter Stadium Ltd. (which is run by both teams), reached their final agreement on a project to renovate the facilities. The county and the state of Florida would re-pay 62% of the bond; the Marlins and Cardinals would cover the remaining 38%. After the county unanimously approved the bonding agreement on their side, the blueprint for stadium upgrades began to come into view. At the forefront of the plans: complete demolition and rebuild of both team clubhouses which sit beyond the outfield walls of the park. Other plans included new batting cages, a new seating area, bullpens situated behind the outfield walls, two new scoreboards and technological updates, a larger team store, and press box improvements. In August 2022, the project completed what was seemingly its final hurdle when it reached approval from the Jupiter Town Council with plans for construction to begin in August 2023. In preparation for the renovations, minor league affiliates of the Marlins and Cardinals, the Jupiter Hammerheads and Palm Beach Cardinals, along with regular every day stadium operations were moved to CACTI Ballpark of the Palm Beaches which was leased through the remainder of the 2023 season. Florida Complex League games remained on the Roger Dean backfields, but many player facilities were made off limits. Leading up to the expected arrival of construction crews, the existing clubhouses and batting cages were completely stripped. Construction tape could be seen in certain areas and red tape could be seen emblazoned over doors leading to some facilities, including clubhouses. Then, something strange happened. During the FCL season and as the Hammerheads completed their Florida State League title run at their temporary West Palm Beach residence, little happened at Roger Dean and construction crews were rarely present. That absence has permeated through this spring and player clubhouses and facilities were rebuilt as they were previously and reopened. We recently received a full update on what did happen, what has changed, and what the future holds for Roger Dean. Major upgrades will still be made to Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium that will still keep the Marlins and Cardinals at the facility through 2049. However, there have been several significant developments and changes to original planning. The renovation project will not start until after the completion of next spring training. Roger Dean’s General Manager Mike Bauer said in a statement that much of the reason for the change in planning and for the most recent delay were both necessary to ensure that the newest blueprint carefully avoided continuing negative affects on team employees at all levels. “The Marlins and the Cardinals are proud to call Palm Beach County and the Town of Jupiter their spring training home for the foreseeable future in a newly renovated and improved Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium,” Bauer said. “Given that long-term commitment, both organizations want to get the renovation project right, and the renovation of an existing facility that is used nearly year-long by two Major League Baseball clubs for spring training, multiple Minor League teams and nearly year-long training is challenging. We need to minimize the impact to the players and staff during the renovation, while also delivering an exceptional facility for future use.” Some of the impacts Bauer speaks of were seen this past season as the nomadic Hammerheads played in a home away from home, Florida Complex League players were using the stadium’s concourse as their locker rooms, and FCL staffs were working out of the stadium ticket office. Bauer explained that, if original plans were upheld, players and staffs at both the MLB and MiLB levels would have been affected for two more seasons. “The original plan would have impacted at least one spring training season, and, with such a tight schedule, it was very likely that a second spring training season would have been impacted by the project as well,” Bauer said. “The new construction plan will allow us to play both spring training and Minor League games at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium throughout the entire project. Our players would not need to leave the property.” Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium and Sports Complex Renovation.pdf Along with not affecting either spring training or the MiLB season, the new blueprint is scheduled to be completed in a much shorter period of time. Renovations will now begin right after the close of next spring training and are expected to be finished in less than a calendar year, a stark contrast to the timeframe placed on original planning. “The bulk of the work will take 10 months to complete, instead of two years,” Bauer said. To adjust for this decrease in time, changes had to be made to original plans, the most significant of which applies to the reconstruction of team clubhouses. While still honoring the original commitment to overhaul locker rooms, the new plan will forego a complete ground-up rebuild of the buildings. This will eliminate the relocation of utility infrastructure and will diminish impacts on surrounding parking and foliage. “The two clubhouse buildings will not be demolished. Instead, they will be repurposed and renovated,” Bauer said. “Two new stand-alone training buildings will be constructed adjacent to the existing buildings.” Most of the additional upgrades listed in the original blueprint will still occur. The new blueprint still includes new bullpens situated beyond the outfield fence which will aid in both player safety and accessibility. Currently, bullpens are in foul ground on either side of the playing field. When a pitcher is present in the bullpen, a third individual acts as a "guard" for the bullpen catcher who has his back toward home plate. Other aforementioned updates still scheduled are the addition of the new fan experience in left field which will replace bleacher seating, the larger team store, the press box overhaul, the batting tunnel updates, and the technological enhancements including updates to scoreboards, the park’s sound system and to its Wi-Fi availability, Bauer pinpointed exactly where the project is right now. “We are currently working with Palm Beach County to select a General Contractor via an RFP process.” A RFP (request for proposal) process includes the contracting company posting an announcement publicly that allows contractors to understand and bid on ownership of the described project. Despite the delay and the change in plans, Marlins principal owner Bruce Sherman stated the team’s long-term vision for Roger Dean has steadily remained a constant as players progress towards Major League Baseball. “We want the Dominican (Academy) and this facility to be state of the art,” Sherman said. “How we treat the players, how we work with the players and their families, we want them to have an experience at (loanDepot park) like none other. And it starts with the players health, nutrition and the environments they work in. We think we’re going to make great strides here.” Following the end of MLB spring training later this month, the Jupiter Hammerheads begin their regular season against their stadium roommates, the Palm Beach Cardinals, at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium in April. The FCL season will begin on the backfields at the complex in May. View full article

Using just two of his pitches, Eury Pérez threw 3 ⅔ innings while striking out five, Sixto Sánchez dialed it up to 96 mph, and Luis Arraez put a slow start to spring behind him by recording three hits. JUPITER, FL—Eury Pérez was effective despite being limited to two pitches, Sixto Sánchez threw another scoreless inning, and Luis Arraez enjoyed a perfect 3-for-3 night at the plate in a 3-1 loss to the Mets on Friday night. Fake nail limits Eury, still effective Eury Pérez took the mound for the Marlins for the third time this spring after exiting his last start a bit prematurely. Throwing a steady diet of sliders, Pérez broke the nail on his right middle finger, causing him to have an artificial acrylic nail applied. Because of the nagging issue, Perez had to adjust to throwing with the fake nail applied during the week. During the start, he was limited in how he could attack hitters. "It was getting a little uncomfortable with the fake nail and it was something that I had to make good judgment with during my bullpen sessions," Pérez said via translator. "It was also a matter of getting outs with only two pitches. (Mel Stottlemyre Jr.) suggested not to throw sliders today. So I was just throwing two pitches." The biggest difference maker for Pérez lied in his ability to command his curveball, a pitch he's been working on continuously this spring. On the night, he threw 17 curveballs which garnered him a 43% CSW%. Pérez was rightfully satisfied with how his curveball played especially because he was limited to just a two-pitch mix. "Being able to locate that pitch, work it out so many times," Pérez said. "Overall, I would say I was good because of that. I got to work so much on that secondary pitch. I think I need to continue working on it." While being unable to go about his usual business, Pérez was able to gain experience throwing without all of his stuff. Pérez said this outing will help him understand how to stay effective on days where he doesn't have all of his stuff working for him later this season. "After my outing, I had a conversation with (Stottlemyre) and he was very happy with my outing," Pérez said. "We were talking about that specifically: how to pitch that many innings with just two pitches. The fact I got to work so many times with that curveball I think is very very positive, because it's not one of my best secondary pitches, but getting to work on it, I can improve even more." "I think now he has a fourth pitch that he can throw and lean on, strike guys out with and land them early," Schumaker said of Pérez's curveball. "In the minor leagues, he just out-powered people. So now he's learning the changeup, still learning the curveball, and the slider is always going to be there. It can only help him moving forward." Sixto reaches 96 in scoreless inning Sixto Sánchez threw in his second spring game and recorded another scoreless frame. Topping at 96, the hardest we've seen him throw since his return in any capacity, Sánchez got around a lead-off single and a one-out walk via a strikeout and a flyout. Skip Schumaker stated both he and Sánchez were satisfied with his outing. A big point of emphasis for Schumaker has been how his arms recover the next day and during the week. He will once again be keeping a close eye on that. "He recovered well last time, we'll see if he recovers well again this time around as well," Schumaker said. "He feels good, which is probably the biggest thing for him and for us, for him to come back and feel like he's ready to go." Next steps for Sánchez's progression will be fully deciding on if he is going to stay in the bullpen or be stretched back out as a starter. "We have to figure out if we want him to go multiple (innings)," Schumaker said. "And I'm not exactly sure, to be honest with you. I thought today was good; up to 96. He was happy. I think we celebrate that and move on." Arraez breaks slow spring start, records three hits After coming in to tonight 1-for-16 on the spring campaign, Luis Arraez recorded a double and two singles in a perfect night at the plate. The lead-off double came on the second pitch he saw from Luis Severino. He then recorded a bloop single in the 3rd and an RBI single that gave the Marlins their only run in the 5th. While there was never any worry about the defending batting champion's slow start to the spring, Schumaker said tonight was a feel-good night for Arraez. "I don't care if you're a batting champ or not; you want to get hits," Schumaker said. "Even if they're bloopers over second, line drives, it doesn't matter. You want to feel good going home. I'm guessing he feels a lot better right now, back to where he is. It's just good to know that you've still got it no matter what time of year it is." Other notes: - Jonathan Davis (wrist) is day-to-day after being hit by a pitch against the Phillies on March 1. He is wearing a wrist guard, but has been taking BP on the backfields. - Troy Johnston (ankle) told us today that he is "around 70-80%". He has not played since that Phillies game either, but is taking BP and running on the backfields. - The Marlins will play another night game on Saturday in West Palm Beach against the Nationals. A.J. Puk is expected to start. View full article

Eury Pérez showed off his triple-digit fastball and staple slider while working on his curveball, and Sixto Sánchez showed flashes of years' past reaching 95 mph in a scoreless inning of work, propelling the Marlins to their second Grapefruit League win. JUPITER, FL—A solid 2 ⅓ innings by Eury Pérez followed by an impressive return to an MLB mound for Sixto Sánchez highlighted a game in which the Marlins never trailed. They defeated the Mets 4-1 to improve to 2-3-3 on the spring. Pérez sharp, exits early Eury Pérez toed the rubber for his second spring start. He showed mid-season velocity, sitting at 97 mph and topping out at triple digits. The only blemish on his record against a Mets' lineup that included Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor was a singular walk. He threw 36 pitches, 22 for strikes. Skip Schumaker stated he thought Pérez took a step forward from his last outing. "You throw 99 miles per hour with ease and the changeup slider combo was good," Schumaker said. "I thought he got into some unnecessary deep counts but that's okay; it's part of spring training." Seemingly cruising in his third inning of work, he was visited by the trainer and removed from the game. Pérez broke his nail on his middle finger; he is fine and expected to make his next outing, likely this coming week. "Just a little crack on his fingernail and before it got any bigger than that, no point to push it; he was already in his third inning," Schumaker said. Pérez believes it was caused by his slider grip. He would have been able to remain in the game if needed. Overall, he was happy with the work he was able to do with all four of his pitches. "I wasn't in that much pain. I asked (Skip Schumaker) to continue, but he told me no," Pérez said through a translator. "I thought it was (a good day). I threw all my pitches, I was working on all my pitches. Some situations, I was up in the count and I lost them, so that's something I have to work on and it's something I will continue to work on to be ready and perform well." Sánchez impressive in return It had been over three years since Sixto Sánchez took the mound in an MLB game. Before today, many doubted Sánchez would ever be able to get back to his former top prospect status. It will take more than one inning in a spring training game to determine if he can prove his doubters wrong, but merely reaching this milestone was a very good step. Taking the mound in the 5th inning, Sánchez came out throwing 89 mph. Moments later, the radar gun showed 92. A few moments after that, Sanchez threw two straight pitches over 95 mph. He threw a 1-2-3 inning on 15 pitches and left to a rousing ovation from the fans on hand at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. "I think he started feeling better as the inning went on," Schumaker said. "I don't know if he felt like he didn't trust it at the beginning; offspeed pitches, changeup, curveball, changeup curveball, then he kind of let one go and I think probably felt okay, then he just started letting it go the rest of the outing." Sánchez stated that after his first few pitches as he got deeper into the inning, velocity came to him easily and he was able to push a bit harder. "Once I was a little more loose, I started getting there with 94 and 95," Sánchez said through a translator. "I'm feeling well too. I think in the near future, once I continue to build that confidence, I'm going to throw even harder." In addition to velo much closer to his previous state, Sánchez also had the same demeanor he was previously known for. After he recorded a strikeout to end his inning, he performed his famous shimmy on the way off the mound. "That's what I like. If I don't do that, I don't feel like I'm pitching at all," Sánchez said. "I like to have fun and be out there. That makes me happy." Anderson records first hit, shows off glove again After a tough season last year, Tim Anderson is hoping to bounce back in a big way with Miami. Playing in his second spring game, he showed a few early positive signs, recording his first Marlins' hit, a single and making another strong play behind shortstop, the second such play he's made in his two games thus far. Skip Schumaker stated that getting back to playing in live games is exactly what Anderson needs if he hopes to have a big year. "Everyone wants to talk about the hitting timing but you need that on the defensive side as well," Schumaker said. "His pre-pitch, the first step, all that it takes time and you need reps. You need live reps. You can take a million fungos but you need live reps before you know where you are and what you need to work on." Despite this being just Anderson's second game following his extended offseason, Schumaker knows what Anderson is capable of. "I've seen that for five-plus years so it's not surprising that he makes those plays," Schumaker said. "He knows he can be better which is great. He's not just satisfied with who he is at short. He wants to get better. He's working hard to get better. The arm is real. I think he's going to be just fine out there." Looking ahead The Marlins have a split-squad day on Sunday. Yonny Chirinos is expected to start in West Palm against the Nationals. A.J. Puk is the probable in Jupiter against St. Louis. View full article