Miami Marlins Top 50 Prospects (2023)

January 25, 2023 Stoffer Cochran General, Marlins, MiLB, NL East, Top 50 Lists 3

Miami Marlins Top 50 graphic design by Michael Packard, @CollectingPack on Twitter
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Miami did not finish dead last in 2022, but it sure was close. The front office has been hard at work this offseason building the best club they can from the minors up. They have made trades to bring in batting champs for the big-league roster, and added minor league pieces that may pay off soon. Overall, the status of the minor league system is better than average. I see a lot of high-end talent working its way up but still a few years away from being able to provide constant help to the big-league club.

The strength of the system is in its pitching, but closing that gap FAST are the middle infield prospects. I do not see this year being the year they bring home a title but would be happy with minor improvements and seeing some home-grown talent develop into everyday players. I think we will see the office continue to tinker with the minor leaguers and add to the talent they already have all season long. Miami picks tenth overall in the 2023 MLB Draft, and also at pick #35, so they should be able to add two solid prospects to the system. Here is my Marlins Top 50 prospect report.


Marlins MiLB Affiliates:
Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (@JaxShrimp) – Triple-A
Pensacola Blue Wahoos (@BlueWahoosBBall) – Double-A
Beloit Sky Carp (@beloitskycarp) – High-A
Jupiter Hammerheads (@GoHammerheads) – Single-A
Florida Complex League Marlins- Rookie (FCL)
Dominican Summer League Marlins – Rookie (DSL)
Follow your Miami Marlins minor league teams on Twitter!

Prospects1500 Tiers:
Tier 1: Players with high expectations of both making the majors and playing at an All-Star level for a number of years
Tier 2: Players with an above-average expectation of making the majors and being a solid contributor
Tier 3: Players with an average expectation of making the majors and being a solid contributor
Tier 4: Players who have the potential of making the majors, or have a high likelihood of making the majors but providing minimal impact (e.g. middle reliever, low-ceiling UT guys)
Tier 5: Players of interest, worth keeping an eye on, who have an outside chance of making their team’s 40-man roster

Levels listed for each player are the highest levels player reached in 2022

Tier 1

1. Eury Perez, RHP, 19, Double-A
Perez is an imposing 6’8” force on the mound. Since signing in 2019, the fastball is up around 96-98. Righties better watch out for curveball and lefties have his changeup to fret. I’m looking forward to seeing more development of his slider that sits in the mid-eighties in Jacksonville this summer. The main concern for Perez is staying healthy. Look for him to build up his innings as last year he pitched in 77, albeit with a 12.49 K/9 (strikeouts per 9 innings) and a 1.14 WHIP!

Tier 2

2. Max Meyer, RHP, 23, MLB
This is what you hope to see (until the injury). Pitching prospect taken in the first round of the MLB Draft moves quickly through all levels of the minors, proving at each stop he has what takes to dominate at the next level. Finally on July 16th he makes his MLB debut. His debut was less than desirable but the talent was still evident, snagging five 5 strikeouts in 5 innings. His next start on July 23rd was looking much better until it became clear after two thirds of an inning that he was hurt. Meyer will miss all of 2023 after having TJS but his story is far from over.

3. Jacob Berry , 3B, 21, Single-A
From all accounts, Miami’s batting philosophy seems to be trending towards batters that can get on base with a good batting eye. In the 2022 Draft, at pick 6, Berry was sitting there prime for the picking. Many scouts and sites predicted that Berry was the most polished college bat in the class. What a fit! Berry displayed that good batting eye in his first taste of pro ball. Many wonder if the power will play at higher levels as he does not display the typical exit velos of other power hitting prospect but he makes good contact. He is listed as 3B but would not be surprised to see a shift to 1B or DH in his future, which will put more pressure on developing that power tool.

4. Kahlil Watson, SS, 19, Single-A
The 2022 season for Watson is a tale of two halves, if there ever was such a tale. To begin the year, he got embarrassed by the opposing pitchers, struck out out at historic rates and let his immaturity show in late July. However, he put his cleats on and got back out there quietly reducing the strikeout rate to better than average levels and improving his walk rate showing the talent he has available. Look for him to start strong and move fast once he gets going, the talent is there and he is still just 19 years old!

5. Yiddi Cappe, SS, 20, Single-A
Making the jump to Jupiter last year exposed Cappe’s aggressiveness at the plate. He loves to hit and would rather put the bat on the ball than take a walk. However, he will need to refine the approach to be successful in the higher levels of the minors. He has the power and speed potential to make an impact this season and rise up the national prospect rankings.

6. Jake Eder, LHP, 24, Double-A
Eder put everyone on notice in 2021 using his mid-nineties fastball and devastating slider, all from the left side of the mound. If we had to point to a sour note, it would be his high walk rate. He missed all of 2022 due to TJS, so we look for him to shake off that missed development year in 2023. He has the type of stuff that if proven he can stay healthy, he will be a force at the next level.

7. Dax Fulton, LHP, 21, Double-A
Fulton showed much improved command from 2021 to 2022, reducing his BB/9 (bases on balls per 9 innings) from 4.37 to 3.19. He shows signs of good progression as he gets further away from his high school senior year TJS. There has not been much of an uptick in fastball velocity, and he has a funky delivery, but if he can continue to repeat that delivery and attack the hitters he will be just fine as he ranked near the top in swinging strike rate.

Tier 3

8. Xavier Edwards, 2B/SS, 23, Triple-A
2022 was a down year form Edwards. Was that due to the jump to AAA or his sudden power surge, banging 5 homers last season? The trade to Miami should help him settle into what he does best, slap the ball all around the field and run for days. He has difference making speed, but it only helps if he is able to get on base.

9. Jose Gerardo, OF, 17, Rookie (DSL)
Rising up the Marlins prospect rankings like a rocket is easy when you start your first professional season by stealing 18 bases and hit 11 home runs in 176 at-bats. Has lots of work to do in the plate discipline department to be effective in the higher levels.

10. Nasim Nunez, SS, 22, Double-A
Nunez cracked the .300 mark in SLG last year, but power is not the name of his game. He is a throwback type player, think a leadoff guru that could sit around a .400+ OBP. Pair that high OBP with his speed and you have a table setter in the making. I have Nunez higher than a lot of other sites because I think his proximity to the majors and his position make him an excellent call up candidate should his success from Pensacola 2022 carry over into 2023. Everyone is always looking for speed.

11. Jordan Groshans, 3B, 23, MLB
Acquired from the Blue Jays last season, Groshans showed up to Jacksonville and all he did was hit and get on base, earning himself his first MLB cup of coffee. He held his own at the big-league level and looks to be fighting for a roster spot in Spring Training.

12. Peyton Burdick, OF, 25, MLB
Burdick started the season off slow in Jacksonville, but as it heated up, so did he. He was called up to Miami in August to show what he could do at the MLB level. Burdick has good power/speed combination but needs to refine his plate discipline to get the most out of his abilities.

13. Joe Mack, C, 20, Single-A
The 2021 draft pick showed improvements at the plate from 2021 to 2022, increasing all his counting stats and showing excellent plate discipline. He has the potential to stick at the position and provide above-average production.

14. Ian Lewis, 2B, 19, Single-A
A delayed start to the 2022 season hindered his counting stats, but Lewis did swipe 16 bags in 51 games showing off his plus-plus speed. Combine his speed with his advanced plate discipline and his quick bat speed, we could be looking at a special player.

15. Jacob Amaya, SS/3B, 24, Triple-A
Brought to Miami via trade with the Dodgers this offseason, Amaya is the type of prospect Miami is looking for. He displayed great plate discipline and power numbers at the highest minor league level, and I expect him to battle hard in Spring Training for a coveted roster spot.

16. Sixto Sanchez, RHP, 24, MLB
What can we say that has not been said about Sanchez’s potential? Nothing. He has the potential to be a stud, but will health allow him to showcase it?

17. Jerar Encarnacion, OF, 25, MLB
Encarnacion jumped from AA to AAA and AAA to MLB in the span of a year. He has light tower power, but it comes with significant swing and miss. I look for more of his minor league success to translate to the big league level and think he could be a 25-30 HR player.

18. Zach McCambley, RHP, 23, Double-A
No stranger to the strikeout, McCambley displayed excellent strike numbers in 2022, but along with that came an uptick in the walk department. Pitchers get in trouble when they nibble around the strike zone, which could explain the uptick in his walks. If he can continue to work on his fastball development, he has the other pitches that could give him a shot being a solid MLB starter.

Tier 4

19. Victor Mesa Jr., OF, 21, High-A
20. Nic Enright , RHP, 26, Triple-A
21. George Soriano, RHP, 23, Triple-A
22. Jacob Miller, RHP, 19, Single-A
23. Karson Milbrandt, RHP, 18, Single-A
24. Sean Reynolds , RHP, 24, Double-A
25. Charles LeBlanc, 2B, 26, MLB
26. M.D. Johnson , RHP, 25, High-A
27. Troy Johnston, OF, 25, Triple-A
28. Cody Morissette, 2B/3B, 23, High-A
29. Paul Mcintosh, C, 25, Double-A
30. Griffin Conine, OF, 25, Double-A
31. Andrew Nardi, LHP, 24, MLB
32. Josh Simpson, LHP, 25, Triple-A
33. J.D. Orr, OF, 26, Double-A
34. José Devers, 2B/SS, 23, MLB

Mesa Jr. has improved slightly year after year, and he needs to start putting it all together. Enright, Soriano, Nardi, Reynolds, and Simpson look to have what it takes to be big league relievers. Enright had an impressive season last year getting into 48 games (65.2 IP) with 87 strikeouts, a 2.88 ERA and a sub 1 WHIP. Leblanc got the call last year and held his own. I expect him to be back in Miami sooner rather than later. Johnston continues to produce and could fill the 1B void lacking in the organization, with a hot start he could be moved up quickly. Johnson had an excellent season in Beloit. If he repeats 2023 with that type of production in AA, he is going to shoot up prospect rankings everywhere. Orr is one to keep your eye on. He’s a little older in the prospect world at 26 but handled himself well in AA, stealing 50 bases with a .375 OBP.

Tier 5

35. Luis Palacios, LHP, 22, Double-A
36. Breidy Encarnacion, RHP, 22, Single-A
37. Evan Fitterer, OF, 22, High-A
38. Manuel Medina, LHP, 20, Single-A
39. Lester Nin, RHP, 19, Rookie (DSL)
40. Marco Vargas , 2B, 17, Rookie (DSL)
41. Janero Miller, LHP/OF, 17, International signee
42. Jordan McCants, SS, 20, Rookie (FCL)
43. Junior Sanchez , SS, 20, Rookie (FCL)
44. Osiris Johnson, 2B/OF, 22, High-A
45. Antony Peguero, OF, 17, Rookie (DSL)
46. Brady Allen , OF, 23, High-A
47. Tanner Allen, OF, 24, High-A
48. Javier Sanoja, SS, 20, Single-A
49. Ronald Hernandez , C, 19, Rookie (FCL)
50. Jose Monserrate, OF, 18, Rookie (DSL)

In a perfect world I would have these excellent prospects higher, but for now they reside in Tier 5 because they are worth keeping an eye on and they all have an outside chance of cracking the 40-man roster if the production meets the projection. Palacios could have easily been higher on my list but I want to see what he can do at AA for a larger sample size. What he did show last year looks good. Encarnacion looked like an ace last year in Rookie ball but hit some speed bumps with his promotion to Jupiter. Gerardo destroyed the opposition every time he stepped up to the plate, hitting .284 (.417 OBP) with a .551 SLG (11 homers), and he flashed on the basepaths swiping 18 bases in 19 attempts. Medina took huge strides and looked like an Allstar closer; can he repeat that effort? Nin put up eye-popping numbers last year in Rookie ball, holding opponents to a 1.51 ERA and a 0.64 WHIP. Vargas is another prospect that hit the ground running, hitting .319 with a .421 OBP in 182 at bats. Miami added Miller as an international signee and he looks to be just as solid of a pitching prospect as a hitting prospect, someone I will be watching closely this year as he begins his career in the Rookie league.

Thank you for taking the time read my article, filled with my own thoughts on the Marlins minor league system. If you think I have someone in the wrong place or omitted anyone please reach out and discuss, I have been moving everyone up and down all offseason. Comment below or message me on Twitter (@stoffer81). Thank you and GO MARLINS!

Stoffer Cochran

Stoffer is an avid baseball fan who grew up in the heart of Braves country, but felt he never really fit in until the Marlins came along and then it was game over. He has been playing in deep dynasty keeper leagues for 20+ years and only plays in leagues where there is a prospect component. He currently resides in Jacksonville, Florida, which is the perfect place for him because it's home to the Jumbo Shrimp, the Marlins' Triple-A affiliate.

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