Miami Marlins: Looking back at the Top 10 Prospects from 2011

The Miami Marlins farm system at the moment is currently stacked with numerous top prospects that are considered some of the best in the game. However, was it always that way?

The Marlins have always had talent coming through the minor leagues, many of which have been considered as “can’t-miss” prospects. Looking back now however, where did the Marlins former top prospects end up?

Where are the Miami Marlins 2011 Top 10 Prospects playing now?

This is the start of a series here at Marlin Maniac that will take a look at the Miami Marlins former top prospects. To do this, we will be using the end-of-year rankings courtesy of MLB Pipeline.

The first year up? 2011.

The Marlins farm system wasn’t necessarily tops in the game at the time, but did sport one prospect ranked among MLB’s Top 50, as well as multiple players that went-on to shine for the club at the big league level.

So, here is a look at the Miami Marlins 2011 end of season Top 10 prospects, starting with No. 10.

10. 2B Noah Perio

Selected in the 39th round of the 2009 MLB Draft, Perio joined the Marlins organization as a 17-year-old out of high school. The middle infielder would spend six seasons in the Marlins organization from 2009-2014 where he reached as high as Double-A during that time.

Perio would play his last game in the Miami organization in 2014 where he has since spent time playing in both the Dodgers and Padres organization, as well as independent ball. Perio is now playing in the Mexican League where he has been since 2019, and is currently slashing .311/.381/.382 across 65 games this season with Acereros de Monclova.

9. LHP Rob Rasmussen

Selected by the Marlins in the 2nd round of the 2010 MLB Draft out of UCLA, Rasmussen quickly burst onto the scene in 2011 with an impressive season in High-A. Rasmussen was however traded to the Astros in 2012 as part of the deal that sent Carlos Lee to Miami.

Rasmussen would go-on to be traded three more times over the next two years before landing with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2014 where he would spend almost half of his major league career. Splitting time in the big leagues between the Blue Jays and the Mariners, Rasmussen posted a career 7.09 ERA across 26.2 innings of relief, and has not pitched since 2015.

6. RHP Tom Koehler

The Marlins 18th round pick in the 2008 MLB Draft, Koehler spent five seasons in the minor leagues before reaching the big leagues full-time with Miami in 2013. Koehler would spend six seasons pitching in the Marlins rotation where he posted a combined 4.43 ERA across 146 appearances, 132 of which were starts.

Traded to Toronto in August of 2017, Koehler would pitch 17 innings with the Blue Jays for the remainder of the season posting a 2.65 ERA primarily in relief. Koehler last pitched in 2019 in the lower-levels of the Pirates minor league system where he threw only four innings.

5. OF Marcell Ozuna

Signing with the Marlins back in 2008 as a 17-year-old, Ozuna quickly rose through the Marlins system making his major league debut with the club in 2013. Spending five seasons with Miami, the outfielder would slash .277/.329/.457 with 96 home runs and 361 RBI’s across 653 games which also included two All-Star appearances.

Ozuna was traded to St. Louis in 2017 where he would spent two seasons hitting 52 home runs across 278 games, and would sign with Atlanta for the 2020 season. Ozuna is still with the Braves.

4. C Kyle Skipworth

While Realmuto was the top catcher looking back now, Skipworth was actually Miami’s highest-rated catching prospect back in 2011. Selected sixth overall in the 2008 MLB Draft by the Marlins, Skipworth would reach the big leagues with Miami back in 2013, but he only appeared in four games.

Granted free agency back in November of 2014, Skipworth would shortly-after sign with the Reds where he would spend the 2015 and 2016 seasons splitting time between Triple-A and Double-A. Skipworth last played with the Reds organization in 2016.

3. LHP Chad James

The Marlins first round pick in the 2009 MLB Draft, James was rated as the top pitching prospect in the organization at the end of the 2011 season. James would however reach High-A in the Marlins organization before spending time with the Rangers in 2014.

After posting a 2.74 ERA in eight starts in High-A with the Texas Rangers, James would spend a year playing independent ball during the 2015 season. James last played in 2015 where he made 13 relief appearances in Double-A in the Rangers organization with the Frisco RoughRiders.

2. OF Christian Yelich

After being selected in the first round of the 2010 MLB Draft by the Marlins out of high school, Yelich posted a phenomenal 2011 minor league season to be rated as Miami’s No. 2 prospect at seasons end. Enjoying similar success over the next two years, Yelich debuted in the big leagues with the Marlins where he would spend five seasons.

Traded to the Milwaukee Brewers in January of 2018, Yelich would post two phenomenal first seasons with the club that included two All-Star appearances, as well as the 2018 NL MVP. Yelich is currently in year four with the Brewers where he has slashed .247/.358/.369 across 108 games.

1. 3B Matt Dominguez

The Marlins 2007 first round pick, Dominguez reached the big leagues during the 2011 campaign ending the season as the club’s top prospect, as well as the No. 35 overall prospect in baseball. After posting a .625 OPS across 17 games in the major leagues in 2011, Dominguez was however traded in 2012 as a part of the previously mentioned Lee deal.

Dominguez would spend three seasons in Houston from 2012-2014 where he slashed a combined .233/.274/.376 with 42 home runs and 150 RBI’s. Also spending time in the Brewers, Blue Jays, and Red Sox organizations from 2015-2017, Dominguez last played in 2018 with the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan.

While not all of these prospects played exclusively with the Marlins, they did make an impact across multiple organizations as well. However, when it comes to solely the Miami Marlins, which of these made the biggest impact with the Fish?