Miami Marlins prospect continues to develop, wait for his chance to shine

Will Trevor Rogers make the same kind of impact on the Miami Marlins pitching staff as other prospects once he gets to the Major Leagues?

How soon will be before Trevor Rogers is knocking on the door to the Miami Marlins parent club? How long before the 2017 first-round draft pick is part of one of the youngest rotations in the Majors? How long will it be before the Marlins front office must decide how to retain the surplus of pitching depth in their minor league system?

I didn’t mean to overload this story with many questions, but as usual, I want some answers. Having such a strong minor league system is how the Miami Marlins will remain competitive over the next half-decade and beyond. Determining who will be par to this ride is the hard part.

And Rogers, who moved on to Double-A Jacksonville last season, figures to be right there in the middle of the second wave of young pitching prospects, patiently waiting their turn to prove they belong in The Show.

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"Per MLB.com, “The 13th overall choice, Rogers was the highest-drafted New Mexico high school pitcher since Duane Ward went ninth in 1982. He didn’t make his pro debut until May 2018, when he was already 20 1/2, but made up for lost time by climbing to Double-A last year while working mainly off a deceptive 90-96 mph fastball and a solid changeup.”"

Because the minor league baseball season in the Southern League and across the baseball landscape has been canceled this season, Rogers’ progress could be halted until the spring.

Rogers could be the under-the-radar player who gets his chance sometime in 2021. But with the changes in rosters, a taxi squad, and only 60 games to be played in 2020, the youngster will have to wait like most other top prospects.

He’s not there yet, but his time is coming. Three other top pitching prospects may be in line for a trip to the Majors, but Rogers is still developing and hopefully will continue that growth into camp next season in Jupiter, Florida.

Rogers is currently eighth on the Miami Marlins list of top minor league prospects and the fourth pitcher in the top 10 behind Sixto Sanchez (first), Edward Cabrera (fifth), and Braxton Garrett (sixth). Nick Neidert, who figures to be the first pitcher called up this coming season is 10th overall, but his body of work is greater than the four arms in front of him.

It’s a talent quintet that could supplant the current rotation or could be part of trade discussions down the road for everyday players to aid the Marlins lineup.

What Rogers does for the Marlins, is give them an imposing left-hander to groom for the future. At 6-foot-5 and 217 pounds, his scouting report proves he could use another season in the minors, working on his fastball and his arsenal of pitches.

"“Rogers’ 90-93 mph fastball peaks at 96 and plays better than its velocity because his easy delivery allows it to get on hitters quickly,” the scouting report explains.“He shows some feel for a changeup that has some tumble and could become a solid offering with more consistency. His advanced age for a prepster and his lack of a breaking ball worried some clubs in the 2017 Draft, and he has tried to address the latter issue by adding a cutter that shows more promise than his slurvy curveball.”"