Miami Marlins Prospect Watch: Righty Fireballer Jorge Guzman

Jorge Guzman has touched 103 on the gun – as a starting pitcher.

In the break between last season’s end and 2019 Spring Training, we’re breaking down every player to appear in the Miami Marlins system in 2018. Guzman is the 265th chapter of 286 in total.

Jorge Guzman is a 6’2″, 182 lb. right-handed batting and throwing pitcher from Las Matas de Santa Cruz, Dominican Republic, population 18,756. The municipality has produced two major leaguers to date: Shortstop Frank Tavares and switch-hitting pitcher Lendy Castillo.

Guzman was born on January 28th, 1996, and signed his first professional deal with the Houston Astros on June 15th, 2014. In his first season, starting in 2015, Guzman split his time between three different rookie-level clubs for Houston, between the DSL Astros1, the DSL Astros2, and the GCL Astros. Between the three clubs, he was 3-4 with a 5.04 ERA and 29 K’s in 55 1/3 innings. He also walked 30 over his 17 appearances, including 12 starts, but there was clearly something about this guy…

In 2016, Guzman was again held at the rookie-level between two teams, the GCL squad and the Greeneville Astros in the Appalachian League. He was again 3-4, and started in eight of his 13 appearances. Guzman posted a 4.05 ERA and struck out 54 in 40 innings while walking only 17 and holding opponents to a .196 average. You can follow Guzman on Twitter @JorgeGuzman104.

On November 17th, 2016, the Astros traded Guzman with RHP Albert Abreu to the New York Yankees for catcher Brian McCann and a cash settlement. After the transaction, Guzman was assigned to the short-season-A New York-Penn League team, the Staten Island Yankees.

Guzman started that season ranked as the Yankees number 28 prospect in their system. He played the entire season with Staten Island, leading their rotation with 13 starts and a 5-3 record. He had a 2.29 ERA and a team-best 88 whiffs in 66 2/3 innings, while holding the opposition to a 1.04 WHIP. For the first time, he was selected as an All-Star, on Baseball America’s short-season team. Prior to his acquisition by the Marlins, Guzman was ranked as Baseball America’s number 88 overall prospect.

On December 17th, 2017, the Miami Marlins traded reigning National League MVP Giancarlo Stanton to the Yankees for second baseman Starlin Castro, shortstop prospect Jose Devers, and Guzman. Here’s Guzman last season with the Jupiter Hammerheads, courtesy of 2080 Baseball.

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Guzman was assigned to the high-A Jupiter Hammerheads in the Florida State League for the duration of the 2018 campaign. He started in 21 contests, and posted an 0-9 record which was at least in part due to some bad luck and bad timing. He only pitched the five or more innings required for a victory on 12 occasions, going less than that in every other contest. He earned a spot on the FSL midseason All Star team, and also played in the Futures Game.

In Guzman’s first start for Jupiter, he struck out seven in four scoreless innings, while allowing two hits and three walks in a 2-1, seven-inning loss to the Bradenton Marauders. Over four consecutive starts from June 6th through 23rd, Guzman struck out 29 in 23 1/3 innings, and kept batters to a .190 average (but went 0-2). On June 11th, he struck out a season-high 10 batters in 5 2/3 scoreless innings, in a 3-2 loss to the Lakeland Flying Tigers.

Through the season for the Hammerheads, Guzman struck out 101 in 96 innings, and held batters to a .239 average. His WHIP, meanwhile blew up to 1.54, but his ceiling remains high. It’s likely that the 2019 season will see him play at the double-A level with the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp in the Southern League.