Daniel Paulino, Miami Marlins Prospect

Throughout the 2018/2019 offseason, Marlin Maniac will devote one article each for every player who appeared in the Miami Marlins system for the 2018 season. Every. Single. Player. This is Part 67 of 286. Stay tuned.

Daniel Alejandro Paulino is a 6’1″, 155 lb. center fielder from Nizao, Dominican Republic. Born on November 23rd, 1998, the right-handed thrower and hitter signed through free agency with the Miami Marlins on October 8th, 2016. Nizao has produced eight major league players, including current players Ketel Marte and Gabriel Guerrero and Hall-of-Famer Vladimir Guerrero.

After signing, Paulino reported to the DSL Marlins, in the rookie-level Dominican Summer League. He ranked second on the team with 64 appearances, and led the club with 72 hits, six triples, 37 RBI, a .319 average, and a .422 on base percentage. Paulino also stole 16 bases in 25 tries, and drew 34 walks while striking out 43 times in 270 plate appearances. Defensively, he made five errors in 507 1/3 innings for a .963 fielding percentage, but did assist on six plays.

Approximately three-quarters of the players to appear with the Dominican Summer League never make it as far as the domestic minor leagues, but Paulino has already made the jump. In 2018, he joined the GCL Marlins in the rookie-level Gulf Coast League.

Paulino made his debut with GCL on June 18th, and led off in their first game. He hit a single and a double, collecting an RBI in a 6-3 victory against the GCL Nationals. He led off their second game too, and again hit a single and a double, also drawing a walk and getting two RBI in a 6-5 win over the GCL Mets.

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Unfortunately for Paulino, he couldn’t keep that Ty Cobb-like level of production. He totaled 25 games of action, going 19-for-73 with five multi-hit games, seven RBI, and five stolen bases in six tries. In the outfield, he earned a .976 fielding percentage in 145 1/3 innings of work, also collecting three outfield assists.

The Miami Marlins have almost no expectation for Paulino in the long-term, and as such, he represents a low-risk and high-reward. He missed a lot of time in 2018 with GCL, and since he’s still just 19-years-old, may spend another year there. With normal progression, he would be in the Miami Marlins Spring Training camp in 2023.

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