Marlins Prospect Watch: Future Closer Tommy Eveld

As the Marlins continue to build through free agency, there are also internal options available.

Marlins prospect Tommy Eveld is a six-foot-five, 195 lb. right-handed reliever and a native of Corals Springs, FL. Born on this date 26 years ago, Eveld played two seasons of Division I ball for the South Florida Bulls. In 2016, he posted a 2.21 ERA over 53 innings, striking out 67.

After that performance, the Arizona Diamondbacks chose Eveld in the ninth round of the draft that year, and sent him to the Short-season-A Hillsboro Hops in the Northwest League. Eveld responded well to his first look at professional hitting, pitching to a 1.86 ERA and striking out 31 in 29 innings.

In 2017, Eveld gave up 10 hits in 27 2/3 innings while pitching at Single-A for the Kane County Cougars, in the Midwest League. He posted a 0.33 ERA and struck out 33 while issuing only eight walks and earning 14 saves. He didn’t perform very well after a midseason promotion to the High-A Visalia Rawhide, in the California League. He still struck out batters at a prodigious rate, with 26 K’s in 22 innings, but he also surrendered 14 runs for a 5.73 ERA and an 0-5 record.

Eveld produced much more agreeable results with Visalia through the first part of the 2018 season, going 2-2 with a 1.24 ERA and saving 12 games. He struck out 42 in 36 1/3 innings while walking only seven and holding the opposition to a 0.99 WHIP. Pushed up to the Double-A Southern League (SL) for the Jackson Generals, he played in three games, struck out five, and allowed one hit in 4 1/3 innings.

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At the trade deadline, the Diamondbacks traded Eveld to the Marlins for the final two months of Brad Ziegler‘s career. Kept at the Double-A level in the SL, Eveld moved south to join the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp. He appeared in 10 games and struck out 14 in 9 2/3 innings, giving up one earned run and saving three games.

Eveld was invited to major league Spring Training prior to the 2019 season, but he didn’t make the cut, instead spending the first two months of the season at the Triple-A level in the Pacific Coast League (PCL) with the New Orleans Baby Cakes. After 18 games, he was 1-4 with a 7.71 ERA and a 1.59 WHIP. The Marlins sent him back to the Jumbo Shrimp.

In 24 contests for the Shrimp, Eveld was 2-3 with a 2.77 ERA and 36 whiffs in 26 innings. He only walked four batters and totaled a 0.88 WHIP. Our experience with Eveld suggests that he’ll perform well at Triple-A to start 2020 then get shelled at the major league level later in the season. After getting sent down to the Wichita Wind Surge in the PCL, he will make the Marlins out of 2021 Spring Training and play well.