Miami Marlins Season Review: Starting RHP Cody Poteet

Cody Poteet was the Miami Marlins fourth-round choice in 2015. He’s currently a long-range possibility in the rotation.

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 213 of 286.

Cody Austin Poteet is a 6’1″, 183 lb. right-handed hitting and throwing pitcher from San Diego, California. 113 major leaguers have originated out of the town of 1.42 million (per the U.S. Census Bureau). Poteet would like to be number 114. Follow him on Twitter at the imaginatively handled @PoTweet_34.

Born on July 30th, 1994, Poteet was chosen in the 2012 MLB Amateur Draft by the Washington Nationals, in the 27th round out of Christian HS. Instead of signing, Poteet pitched three seasons of Pac-12 play for the UCLA Bruins, going 14-12 with a 3.92 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP. Here’s Poteet with the Bruins courtesy of Baseball America:

Poteet was taken in the fourth round by the Miami Marlins in 2015, 116th overall. 16-of-54, or 29 percent from the “116 Club” have made the majors. The group is led by Ryan Klesko (1989, Atlanta Braves, 27.0 career WAR), Mike Devereaux (1985, Los Angeles Dodgers, 14.6 WAR), Mike Cubbage (1968, Washington Senators, 6.4 WAR), and Joe Giriardi (1986, Chicago Cubs, 5.7 WAR).

After coming to terms with the Miami Marlins for a $488,700 bonus, Poteet was assigned to the short-season-A Batavia Muckdogs, in the New York-Penn League. He started in four of his five appearances, and racked up a 2.13 ERA and a 0.87 WHIP over 12 2/3 innings.

In 2016, Poteet began the season ranked as the number 19 prospect in the Marlins system by MLB Pipeline. He joined the Greensboro Grasshoppers’ rotation for a team-leading 24 starts. Poteet was 4-9 with a 2.91 ERA, a 1.30 WHIP, and a club-best 106 strikeouts.

Poteet’s fastball sits at 89-92 mph with good arm-side run, and he can reach back for an extra tick or two when needed. The right-hander’s slider, thrown with power and depth in the mid-80s, flashes above average and nets him whiffs, and he understands how to keep hitters off balance with his average curveball. Poteet’s fringy changeup is his least-advanced offering, although it stands to improve with increased use as a starter. He has good control, consistently works down in the zone and keeps the ball in the park. – MLB Pipeline

Aside from a four-game rehab assignment with the rookie-level GCL Marlins, in the Gulf Coast League, Poteet spent 2017 with the high-A Jupiter Hammerheads in the Florida State League. For the Sharks, the-then Pipeline number 15 Marlins prospect Poteet was 3-7 with a 4.16 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP with 40 K’s in 80 innings. He was named to the FSL mid-season All-Star Team for his efforts.

2018 would see Poteet start his season with the double-A Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp in the Southern League. Over the first three months of the year, he went 2-9 with a 5.95 ERA and an opposing batting average of .297. Opponents collected a near-all-star level .851 OPS against him, and he struck out 63 batters in 75 2/3 innings. On April 28th, he had his best start over that time, earning a 2-1 win by holding the Pensacola Blue Wahoos to one run on two hits over seven innings. Despite his success that day, some additional seasoning was needed, and Poteet rejoined the Hammerheads in July.

More from Marlins Prospects

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• Miami Marlins: Farm System rankings part 2
• Miami Marlins: Farm System rankings part 1

Poteet made four starts in Jupiter, including on July 17th in a 4-3 win against the Bradenton Marauders. In that one, he kept the Pirates’ affiliate scoreless over seven one-hit innings. He was pushed back up to Jacksonville on July 28th.

Over the remainder of the season, Poteet was 1-3 with a 4.09 ERA and 36 whiffs in 44 innings. He pitched another gem on August 23rd in a 4-1 loss to the Birmingham Barons, striking out 12 over eight two-hit frames.

Poteet is currently still rostered with the Jumbo Shrimp, where he will likely start the 2019 season. He’s no longer considered a top prospect, but at 24-years-old may still surprise. His likely career course would see him challenging for a Miami Marlins roster spot in 2020 or 2021.

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