Zach Sullivan’s 2018 Miami Marlins Season in Review

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 77 of 286. Stay tuned.

Zach Shane Sullivan is a 6’3″,180 lb. right-handed hitting outfielder from Corning, New York. Born on November 26th, 1995, he was the 14th round selection of the Miami Marlins in the 2014 MLB Amateur Draft.

Also hailing out of Corning were former major league pitchers Glenn Spencer and Greg Keagle. Sullivan was selected 407th overall off the board. Only three members of the “407 club” have ever made it to the major leagues, Scott Schoeneweis (1992, Montreal Expos, 3.0 career WAR), Skeeter Barnes (1978, Cincinnati Reds, 0.9 WAR), and Shawn Sedlacek (1998, Kansas City Royals, -0.3 WAR). You can follow Sullivan on Twitter @TheRealZaike.

After the draft, Sullivan signed with the Miami Marlins for a $250,000 bonus and reported directly to their rookie-level Florida-based Gulf Coast League affiliate, the GCL Marlins. He went 26-for-93 in 30 contests, drawing 16 walks and striking out 19 times in 113 plate appearances.

In 2015, Sullivan was moved up to the Greensboro Grasshoppers, in the single-A South Atlantic League. He appeared in a team-fifth 116 contests and stole a team-third 13 bases. Sullivan drew 19 walks but struck out 106 times in 406 plate appearances, with a .192/.235/.227 slashline. Although he did lead the team with 10 sacrifice hits, he totaled only 10 extra-base hits all season to include no home runs. He finished with 21 RBI.

Sullivan was held back with the Grasshoppers for another year of seasoning at the single-A level in 2016. In 111 contests, he slashed .226/.280/.320, ranking fifth with 122 total bases. Sullivan went 86-for-381 overall, striking out a team-high 117 times and drawing 25 walks in 419 plate appearances and stealing nine bases in 19 tries. Of his team-fourth 27 extra-base hits, 21 were doubles, and he collected 37 RBI.

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Good enough to move up a level in his age-21 season, the Miami Marlins promoted Sullivan to the high-A Jupiter Hammerheads in the Florida State League for 2017. 106 strikeouts in 293 plate appearances is pretty humbling for a power hitter, but Sullivan only hit four round-trippers. He drew 18 walks and put up a .178/.239/.286 slashline, with 11 doubles, three triples, and 28 RBI. He also stole seven bases in eight tries, showing improved patience on the basepaths.

For the third time in four seasons, Sullivan began the 2018 campaign with the Grasshoppers. He played in 34 games through early-June, with a .226/.264/.365 line, going 26-for-115. He hit two homers and collected 14 RBI, stealing three bases and getting promoted back to the Hammerheads. After going eight-for-64 over 22 contests, the Miami Marlins granted Sullivan his release on July 7th. He’s now free to pursue a career with any ballclub that wants to give him a chance.

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