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Marlin Maniac’s Top 50 Miami Marlins Prospects

By Kevin Kraczkowski |
ST LOUIS, MO - JUNE 20: Zac Gallen #52 of the Miami Marlins makes his MLB debut pitching against the St. Louis Cardinals in the first inning at Busch Stadium on June 20, 2019 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)
ST LOUIS, MO - JUNE 20: Zac Gallen #52 of the Miami Marlins makes his MLB debut pitching against the St. Louis Cardinals in the first inning at Busch Stadium on June 20, 2019 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)
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Everyone else is doing it, why can’t we?

Through the past two drafts and creative trades, the Miami Marlins have set themselves up nicely for the future with an improved farm system. The affiliate feeder system runs seven layers deep, and is designed for ballplayers of all experience levels. From the DSL Marlins in the Dominican Summer League up to the Triple-A New Orleans Baby Cakes in the Pacific Coast League, there are literally hundreds of players who would love one day to crack the Miami Marlins roster.

I used a voting system whereas each writer for Marlin Maniac got a chance to rank their top 50 candidates. Then, I assigned values to each vote – simply 50 points for the number one prospect, 49 points for the number two prospect, and so on. Sixty-six players received votes in the running, and the top few probably aren’t much of a surprise.

https://twitter.com/JaxShrimp/status/1140376688083263488

1. Sixto Sanchez

Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, Double-A Southern League

Dominican native Sixto Sanchez was the crown jewel of the return for J.T. Realmuto in the Philadelphia Phillies deal. He started a little late, making his first start of the season in the first week of may with the Hammerheads. Since then, he’s earned a promotion to Double-A, where he’s 2-2 with a 3.08 ERA in seven starts. He’s struck out 35 in 38 innings of work.

A converted catcher, Sanchez touches 100 MPH on the radar gun. According to Baseball America,

Unlike many other young flamethrowers, Sanchez doesn’t have any issues throwing his fastball over the plate, as he’s an advanced strike-thrower and he projects to have plus or better control.

Sanchez could make an appearance in Miami as early as the end of the current season, but it’s far more likely that he joins the team sometime next year. Still just 20-years-old, the righty has time on his side.

2. J.J. Bleday

Vanderbilt Commodores, College World Series

Bleday has been a big part of the Commodores (57-11) ascension to the 2019 College World Series. He’s hit .346/.461/.748 this season for them, with an NCAA Division I leading 25 homers and 64 RBI. The Miami Marlins chose him with the fourth overall selection in the 2019 draft.

A 6’3″ lefty batting and hitting outfielder, Bleday wasn’t always a power hitter. In fact, his power stroke is something he just discovered this calendar year,

He hit 20 home runs through his first 41 games—upping his isolated power from .143 as a sophomore to over .420 as a junior—while continuing to post impressive strikeout and walk rates.

Bleday can play any of the three outfield spots, but seems a better fit in either left or right field. Expect him to sign with the Miami Marlins soon after completion of the college playoffs, and report to one of their mid-level affiliates between Clinton, Jupiter, or maybe even Jacksonville.

3. Zac Gallen

Miami Marlins

New Jersey native Zac Gallen is currently the MLB Prospect Pipeline’s number 18 Miami Marlins player. He’s outplayed that expectation this season, with eye-popping stats with the Baby Cakes. In 14 starts for New Orleans, he has struck out 112 in 91 1/3 innings, while walking 17 and allowing only 48 hits. Opponents are batting .153 against him, and he is carrying a 0.71 WHIP.

ST LOUIS, MO – JUNE 20: Zac Gallen #52 of the Miami Marlins makes his MLB debut pitching against the St. Louis Cardinals in the first inning at Busch Stadium on June 20, 2019 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)
ST LOUIS, MO – JUNE 20: Zac Gallen #52 of the Miami Marlins makes his MLB debut pitching against the St. Louis Cardinals in the first inning at Busch Stadium on June 20, 2019 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) /
Regarded as a back-of-the-rotation starter, Gallen gets results without plus stuff. His upper-80s cutter has been his bread-and-butter pitch, and he works it to both sides of the plate with the ability to backdoor it for strikes against left-handers. His low-90s fastball tops out at 94 but plays up because he creates downward plane and commands his heater well. – MLB Prospect Pipeline

Gallen, who came over with fellow rotation starter Sandy Alcantara, speedy outfielder Magneuris Sierra, and pitcher Daniel Castano from the St. Louis Cardinals for Marcell Ozuna, made it easy for the Marlins to promote him with his standout numbers. He’s been selected as the PCL Player of the Week three times this season. Last week, the Marlins put him in the rotation against the team that traded him away. He earned no decision, but pitched respectably enough. He whiffed six over five innings, while allowing one run on five hits.

4. Monte Harrison

New Orleans Baby Cakes, Triple-A Pacific Coast League

Monte Harrison is a 6’3″, 220 lb. outfielder, and the MLB Prospect Pipeline’s number 85 prospect. In high school, he starred in three sports, baseball, football, and basketball. He was part of the collection of talent the Miami Marlins gained in the Christian Yelich bounty, along with outfielder Lewis Brinson, middle infielder Isan Diaz, and record-setting pitcher Jordan Yamamoto.

https://twitter.com/MiLB/status/1142244545222103040

Harrison’s best rated tool is his 70-grade arm, but that’s not to say that his other tools are substandard. He’s hitting .286/.378/.491 in 46 games for New Orleans this year, with nine homers and 20 stolen bases.

5. Isan Diaz

Baby Cakes

As stated above, Isan Diaz came to the Marlins from the Brewers. A 5’10”, 185 lb. second baseman from Puerto Rico, Diaz is crushing it for the Baby Cakes in his second season in Miami’s system. His 16 homers ranks in the top 10 of the PCL in 2019.

Diaz is the heir apparent of the starting second base job at whatever time the Miami Marlins see fit to move Starlin Castro. Castro is not considered a long-term solution for the Marlins at second, Diaz is.

Diaz’s best attribute is his plus raw power, with his bat speed and the strength in his compact frame translating into hard-hit balls to all fields. – MLB Prospect Pipeline
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6. Victor Victor Mesa

Jupiter Hammerheads, High-A Florida State League

Victor Victor Mesa was the main target in a very well publicized off-season international signing period. The Miami Marlins seemed to have the inside track from the jump, and ended up signing him along with brother Victor Jr. for a combined $6.25 million.

He’s a well above-average runner with the savvy to steal bases and he chases down balls from gap to gap in center field. Few players at his position can match his arm strength, which earns double-plus grades from some evaluators. – MLB Prospect Pipeline

Mesa’s most electric attribute is his defense, which ranks plus in all three facets, run, field, and arm. It’s widely acknowledged that his batting skills need work. In 56 games for the Hammerheads, he’s hitting .221/.271/.252 with only four extra base hits.

7. Trevor Rogers

Hammerheads

Trevor Rogers was the Miami Marlins first round selection in the 2017 MLB Draft, with the 13th overall choice. A 6’6″, 185 lb. left-handed starting pitcher, Rogers signed with the Marlins for a $3.4 million bonus.

Rogers has an above average fastball that sits around 96 MPH, but his slider and changeup needed work coming into the 2019 season. In 13 starts this season for Jupiter, Rogers carries an encouraging 2.85 ERA despite a 2-7 record. He’s struck out 80 in 72 2/3 innings, while walking only 21. That’s progress after posting a 5.82 ERA with the Greensboro Grasshoppers in 2018.

8. Edward Cabrera

Hammerheads

Cabrera owns a hard slider and a slick changeup to go with his plus-plus fastball. In 10 starts this season with Jupiter, he’s 5-3 with a 2.04 ERA and has struck out 65 in 53 innings while giving up only 33 hits. His resultant 0.92 WHIP and .180 opposing batting average begs a closer look.

Miami has handled Cabrera with care because he has as much upside as any pitcher in the system, and his 100 1/3 innings last year were a career high. To reach his ceiling, he’ll have to do a better job of locating his pitches and improve his secondary offerings. If he can’t, he still could be a late-inning reliever. – MLB Prospect Pipeline

A 21-year-old right-hander out of the Dominican Republic, Cabrera should graduate to the Jumbo Shrimp sometime in the next two months.

ST LOUIS, MO – JUNE 18: Jordan Yamamoto #50 of the Miami Marlins delivers a pitch against the St. Louis Cardinals in the first inning at Busch Stadium on June 18, 2019 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)
ST LOUIS, MO – JUNE 18: Jordan Yamamoto #50 of the Miami Marlins delivers a pitch against the St. Louis Cardinals in the first inning at Busch Stadium on June 18, 2019 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) /

9. Jordan Yamamoto

Miami Marlins

Jordan Yamamoto’s major league career has started out with a bang. In his first two starts, both against the Cardinals, he has pitched 14 scoreless innings while striking out 12 and allowing nine baserunners.

Yamamoto was considered the “throw-in” to the Yelich deal with Milwaukee prior to the 2018 season. With apologies to Lewis Brinson, Yamamoto now seems to be the crown jewel of the deal.

10. Nick Neidert

Baby Cakes (7-Day IL)

More mature and poised than a typical 22-year-old, Neidert is the most polished pitcher in the organization. He’s not flashy but his 92-95 mph fastball plays up because it has late movement and he commands it well. His plus changeup is his best pitch and his curveball flashes above-average potential. – MLB Pipeline

Neidert joined the team along with Robert Dugger and Christopher Torres for Dee Gordon, to the Seattle Mariners in December 2017. Miami’s fourth ranked prospect, the 6’1″, 202 lb. righty has only logged 10 1/3 innings this season, and remains on the 7-day IL.

11. Kameron Misner

Missouri Tigers, NCAA Division I

Kameron Misner was chosen in the competitive balance round of the 2019 draft, 33rd overall by the Miami Marlins. An outfielder from the University of Missouri, he has racked up a collegiate slashline of .302/.425/.491 with 21 homers and 91 RBI, along with 50 stolen bases. In his final season, just completed, he drew nearly as many walks (54) as he struck out (56).

12. Brian Miller

Jumbo Shrimp

Miami’s competitive balance pick in 2017, Tar Heel Miller is fast enough to play any of the outfield positions, while boasting the versatility to fill in at any of the infield spots if called on. In parts of three minor league seasons with the Miami Marlins, he has slashed .297/.348/.371 across three levels. He’s also stolen 72 bases in 98 tries.

Miller is seasoned enough to join the Miami Marlins roster today if needed, however you’d be far more likely to find him with the parent club sometime late next season.

According to Baseball America, Miller will never be a power hitter:

Considered by many to be a 70-grade runner, Miller led all Marlins minor leaguers with 40 stolen bases in 2018. His speed is also an asset in the outfield, where he has the potential to be an average center fielder with an average arm. Miller has hit just one home run in 185 minor league games, and he’ll likely never have much more than fringe-average power. His line-drive swing, advanced contact skills and speed give him a chance to be a plus hitter, however, and he’s a career .304 hitter with a strikeout rate below 13 percent in the minors.

13. Jordan Holloway

Hammerheads

Jordan Holloway has always been sort of an enigma. We weren’t sure what the Miami Marlins had in him exactly. Flashes of brilliance punctuated by lengthy stays on the club injured list. Not this season.

Holloway has started 11 games for Jupiter this season, and has allowed 29 base hits in 46 innings pitched. He’s also struck out 51 batters, and has a 2-4 record with a 3.72 ERA. Since getting chosen in the 20th round back in 2014, Holloway has never pitched more than 68 innings, in 2015 with the Batavia Muckdogs. He’s got a great chance to surpass that easily.

14. Chris Vallimont

Clinton LumberKings, Single-A Midwest League

Although Vallimont remains unranked by all major prospect listings, he’s done enough with the LumberKings this year to start the Midwest League All Star game. He’s 4-4 with a 2.99 ERA over 13 stats, with 80 K’s in 69 1/3 innings and a 1.07 WHIP.

A 6’5″ right-hander out of Mercyhurst College, Vallimont was the Miami Marlins fifth round choice in 2018. A better than average fastball that hits 96 on the gun is complemented by what can only be called a wipeout slider. Look for him to join the Hammerheads pretty soon.

15. Braxton Garrett

Hammerheads

Big things were expected very quickly after Braxton Garrett was chosen by the Miami Marlins with the seventh overall pick in 2016. After not appearing in the playing season after his selection, he had a solid start to his minor league career in 2017. He struck out 16 in 15 1/3 innings for the Grasshoppers, with a 2.93 ERA. Tommy John surgery took him out of action until the 2018 campaign.

In addition to his potentially plus curveball, Garrett has a low-90s fastball that was reportedly in the 92-93 mph range in the Marlins’ fall instructional league once he returned to the mound post-surgery. Known for having at least above-average command coming into the 2016 draft, Garrett also has a third-pitch changeup that’s shown late fading life in the past. – Baseball America

Garrett has picked up where he left off. He’s whiffed 77 in 61 innings at High-A this year, and gone 3-3 with a 3.10 ERA.

16. Peyton Burdick

Batavia Muckdogs, Short-Season-A New York-Penn League

Six-foot right-handed outfielder Peyton Burdick is something of a stolen base specialist. He swiped 23 bags in his final collegiate season with Wright State, while slashing out a .395/.537/.710 line, with 13 homers and 63 RBI. More impressive, he drew 60 walks and struck out only 34 times. He’s seven-for-22 with a triple and a homer for the Muckdogs.

17. Nasim Nunez

Slick fielding Georgia native Nasim Nunez was picked by the Marlins in the second round out of high school, one of only two prep players taken by Miami in their first 10 rounds.

The addition of Nunez is considered a big get for the Marlins organization. The move also helps continue to strengthen the middle of the infield in the minor leagues. The organization had Isan Diaz at Triple-A New Orleans who is Major League ready. Diaz is Miami’s No. 6 ranked prospect. – David Levin, Marlin Maniac

18. Connor Scott

LumberKings

Scott is a 6’4″, 180 lb. centerfielder from Tampa. Miami’s first round pick from 2018, his stock has taken something of a hit since turning professional.

Scott has hit .217 in his first 113 pro games between the rookie-level GCL Marlins, the Single-A Greensboro Grasshoppers, in the South Atlantic League, and the LumberKings.

MLB’s Prospect Pipeline still has Scott ranked as the number five Marlins prospect.

The Marlins felt Scott’s left-handed swing was pretty polished for a high school hitter, though they would like to see him turn on more pitches and tap into his solid raw power after he used more of an opposite-field approach in his debut. He has a lofty offensive ceiling but will have to make more contact to reach it. – MLB Prospect Pipeline

19. Robert Dugger

Baby Cakes

Another trade-acquired pitcher, righty Dugger is 6-6 with a 3.31 ERA over 13 starts for the Jumbo Shrimp to begin the 2018 season. Just days ago, Dugger was promoted to the Triple-A level with the New Orleans Baby Cakes.

20. Jose Devers

Hammerheads

We’ve been hearing Devers’ name for what seems like a long time now. That’s why it’s a little jarring to realize that he won’t be 20-years-old until the 2019 season is well over.

A 6′, 155 lb. shortstop, Devers is already baseball royalty with a respected baseball name. Cousin Rafael has been with the Boston Red Sox for three major league seasons already. The younger Devers is hitting .325/.366/.366 in 32 games for Jupiter this season thus far.

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