Miami Marlins 2018 Review: Skyler Ewing’s Freedom

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 159 of 286. For the first 100, click here.

Skyler Blaine Ewing is a 6’1″, 225 lb. catcher from Arlington, Texas. Born on August 22nd, 1992, he was selected in the sixth round of the 2014 MLB Amateur Draft by the San Francisco Giants. It would be four seasons before he made an appearance in the Miami Marlins system.

Prior to his selection, Ewing played three seasons of college ball for the Rice University Owls. Over 127 games, Ewing hit .240/.343/.394 with 13 round-trippers and 71 RBI. Chosen with the 178th overall selection, if Ewing makes it as far as the major leagues, he’ll be the 16th such player to make it. The group is led by Mike Boddicker (1975, Montreal Expos, 31.4, career WAR), and more recently joined by Ty Blach (2012, Giants, 2.6 WAR).

After coming to terms with the Giants, Ewing split his first professional season between the rookie-level AZL Giants in the Arizona League and the Salem-Keizer Volcanos in the short-season-A Northwest League. In 62 games, he put up a .282/.401/.464 line, drawing 40 walks versus only 37 whiffs in 272 plate appearances. Follow Ewing on Twitter @skyler_ewing.

After his first look, Ewing spent three years at the single-A level with the South Atlantic League’s Augusta GreenJackets. In total, he slashed .238/.335/.384 over 290 games, totaling 25 home runs and 123 RBI.

On December 14th, 2017, Ewing was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the AAA phase of the rule 5 draft. He didn’t make the cut out of Spring Training, and was released from the Gwinnett Stripers on March 25th.

The very next day, Ewing signed a deal with the Miami Marlins, a minor league contract. He joined the Jupiter Hammerheads for the start of the high-A Florida State League’s season. After going two-for-22 through his first seven games, he was pushed up to the double-A Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp in the Southern League.

More from Marlins Prospects

• Miami Marlins: Checking in on prospects from the 2022 Arizona Fall League
• Miami Marlins: How top 2022 MLB Draft picks performed this season
• What’s wrong with Kahlil Watson?
• Miami Marlins: Farm System rankings part 2
• Miami Marlins: Farm System rankings part 1

Ewing collected seven hits in 44 at bats for Jacksonville in 24 games. Between both teams, he only had one multi-hit game, on May 6th. That day, he betted sixth and belted a pair of doubles for the Shrimp, in a 6-5 loss to the Biloxi Shuckers. After getting sent down to the Batavia Muckdogs in the short-season-A New York-Penn League on June 1st, he was released two weeks later without getting into a game.

Later on, Ewing found employment for his services in the independent Frontier League, with the Florence Freedom. He hit .300 in 61 games for the club, with a team-second 16 home runs and 51 RBI. The team finished third in the six-team Western Division, with a 49-47 record.

Ewing is a free agent, and is now free to sign with any major league team for the 2019 season.

Thanks for reading. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and subscribe to our daily newsletter to keep up with the Miami Marlins.