Baseball Prospectus Ranks Marlins as 5th Best in 25-and-Under Talent Rankings

Mar 3, 2014; Jupiter, FL, USA; Miami Marlins starting pitcher Jose Fernandez (16) looks on from the dugout during a game against the Houston Astros at Roger Dean Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Over the past couple of years, the Marlins have collected young talent that is the envy of other organizations around baseball. The Marlins have a ton of young, up and coming talent coming through their system. Jason Parks and the Baseball Prospectus staff are in agreement with that sentiment, as they ranked the Marlins 25-and-under talent as the fifth best in baseball.

Here is a look at how they ranked the Marlins 25-and-under talented players:

• 1. Jose Fernandez (21)
• 2. Giancarlo Stanton (24)
• 3. Christian Yelich (22)
• 4. Andrew Heaney (22)
• 5. Nathan Eovaldi (24)
• 6. Henderson Alvarez (23)
• 7. Marcell Ozuna (23)
• 8. Colin Moran (21)
• 9. Adeiny Hechavarria (24)
• 10. Jacob Turner (22)

Giancarlo Stanton and Jose Fernandez, coming as no surprise, headline the list for the Marlins. Stanton is entering his fourth full season in the majors and has already established himself as one of the best young power hitters. Jose Fernandez is entering his age-21 season, after posting one of the most dominant age-20 seasons in MLB history.

Andrew Heaney and Colin Moran are the only prospects on the list for the Marlins, as the other players have already made their MLB debuts. Heaney should make his big league début sometime in 2014 and Moran could sniff the majors in 2015.

Surprisingly, Jake Marisnick, 23, did not make the cut. He is another promising young prospect that is not too far from making an impact in the majors for the Marlins.

This is what the BP staff had to say about the Marlins 25-and-under talent:

"Summary: The Marlins’ U25 ranks much higher than its prospect list, as the organization has aggressively pushed minor-league talent to the big leagues and off prospects lists. Andrew Heaney and Colin Moran, both top 101 prospects, are on the list, but superstars Jose Fernandez and Giancarlo Stanton are the headliners. Most impressively, the entire list will be eligible again in 2015, and four of the top 42 picks in this year’s draft will be eligible to be added to the mix. –Steffan Segui"

If owner Jeffery Loria can continue to avoid being meddlesome like he has since the end of the 2013 season, there is no reason for the Marlins young talent not to blossom. The team’s under-25 list could be the same in 2015, if not better after owning four of the top 42 picks in this upcoming draft in June.

The Marlins could lose Stanton on the list via a trade, but the return he’d likely bring would more than likely find a spot on the list and continue to give the Marlins a promising future.

The 2014 list was dominated by the National League, specifically the NL East division. The Washington Nationals were ranked the 2nd best and the Atlanta Braves came in as the 3rd best. The Nationals have youngsters like Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper. The Braves have promising players like Jason Heyward and Freddie Freeman. The New York Mets came in at 12 and the Philadelphia Phillies came in 29th.