The Miami Marlins, fresh off their first 80-win season since 2010, have methodically built their talent base to produce in the big leagues. The Marlins have fared most effectively on the trade market, where much of their core has blossomed: Jazz Chisholm Jr., Luis Arraez, Jesus Luzardo, Sandy Alcantara, and Jake Burger. They have one of the most exciting homegrown young pitchers in the game in Eury Perez, just 20 years old and already compiling a sterling big league resume. A trio of arms from within, Braxton Garrett, Edward Cabrera, and Trevor Rogers, round out a young rotation that in totality are a strong unit.
However, the area that continues to come to question is their identification and development of hitters, particularly from the draft. The rankings below reflect a heavy skew towards pitchers, which points to a likely need to look outside the organization for hitting up and down their organization. As long as they keep capitalizing on the trade market and make effective signings to address this area, the Marlins should excite and forecast as a team that can perennially contend for a playoff bolstered by their pitching staff. (@TBDubbs11)
Eight Prospects1500 writers contributed to this column and rankings including Ben Wilson (@TBDubbs11), Scott Greene (@Scotty_Ballgame), Tony Bps (@tonybps1), Greg Bracken (@gregbracken07), Shaun Kernahan (@ShaunKernahan), Adam Greene (@aj_greene1015), Clint Fasse (@ProspectLarceny), and Jeremy Mahy (@JMahyfam). The writer’s Twitter handle follows each player write-up or paragraph.
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 to make the majors; possible sleeper candidates for sustained MLB success
Tier 5: Players of interest, worth keeping an eye on, who may make (or have made) the majors but provide minimal impact
J15 international signee Luis Cova would slot in around 25th on this list, in Tier 5. He should be included when the midseason update drops later this summer.
Levels listed for each player are the highest levels player reached in 2023
Tier 1
None
Tier 2
1. Noble Meyer, RHP, 19, Single-A
Meyer was the top prep arm on my 2023 MLB Draft rankings and wound up getting selected 10th overall. Given the draft was held in the Pacific Northwest, the Oregon native did attend and tried to convince us all he didn’t know where he was being selected despite showing up to the draft wearing Miami blue shoes and a Miami blue tie. All that said, he was absolutely worthy of the number ten overall pick thanks to his running fastball up to 97, mid-80s slider with really good late two-plane action, and a solid change. He had quality command despite the seven walks in his first 11 pro innings, but he did show off his ability to miss bats, as he struck out 15 in those 11 innings. The body still has a ton of projectability in it, so the stuff and command will only get better. (@ShaunKernahan)
2. Max Meyer, RHP, 24, MLB
Meyer was a top pitching prospect entering 2022 but got hurt during his second start with the Marlins. He underwent Tommy John surgery but should be healthy heading into this season. He may be brought back slowly to build his arm strength back up. Make no mistake though, Meyer has true top of the rotation potential and could be a buy-low candidate if it isn’t too late. (@tonybps1)
Tier 3
3. Thomas White, LHP, 19, Single-A
Noble Meyer was my number one ranked prep arm in the 2023 class, and White was my number one ranked lefty arm in the class; they both land with Miami. Like Meyer, White has a long 6’5” frame but the body is a bit more mature on White and there isn’t a ton of projection left in it. White has a fastball that sits in the mid-90s and comes with low effort. He has a breaking ball that varies between slider and curve shape that could very well end up a plus offering in time. The change is too inconsistent currently and he can overthrow it and shy away from it in outings at times but is really good when on. The command overall needs to improve, but he has three genuine above-average to better pitches and will likely find himself as an excellent number two behind Meyer at the top of the Marlins rotation for a long time to come. (@ShaunKernahan)
4. Xavier Edwards, 2B/OF, 24, MLB
After struggling in 2022, Edwards put himself back on the prospect map by slashing .351/.429/.457 with 32 stolen bases for AAA last season. He even got a taste of the major leagues with a late-season promotion and didn’t look overmatched at all. Edwards has a solid hitting tool with a great eye at the plate to go with his speed. Power will probably never be part of his game but he may have some years of ten home runs. (@tonybps1)
5. Jacob Berry, 3B/1B, 22, Double-A
The 2022 sixth overall pick out of LSU undoubtedly dealt with some challenges in his first full season in the pros. The power numbers were down despite solid contact rates. Berry is a switch hitter that favored the left side in 2023, but actually had better overall numbers from the right side. The Marlins have played him at the corner infield positions and will continue to do so, and 2024 will be a really important year for him to bounce back. (@aj_greene1015)
6. Jacob Amaya, SS, 25, MLB
The Marlins received Amaya in the Miguel Rojas trade a year ago. He had a productive debut season for Miami and was called up for four games in June. The numbers aren’t ever going to light up the stat sheet, but he’s a plus defender. Amaya can be a solid hitter that gives a major league team a .375-.400 OBP over the span of a full season. Now having a complete season in Triple-A behind him, Amaya seems due for a more permanent call-up. (@aj_greene1015)
Tier 4
7. Dax Fulton, LHP, 22, Double-A
8. Victor Mesa Jr., OF, 22, Double-A
9. Yiddi Cappe, 2B/SS, 21, High-A
10. Kemp Alderman, OF, 21, Single-A
11. Karson Milbrandt, RHP, 19, High-A
12. Javier Sanoja, OF/SS/2B, 21, High-A
13. Patrick Monteverde, LHP, 26, Triple-A
14. Joe Mack, C, 21, High-A
15. Troy Johnston, 1B, 26, Triple-A
16. Jacob Miller, RHP, 20, Single-A
17. Josh Simpson, LHP, 26, Triple-A
18. Sixto Sánchez, RHP, 25, Double-A
19. Jordan Groshans, 3B, 24, Triple-A
20. Dane Myers, OF, 27, MLB
21. Brock Vradenburg, 1B, 21, Single-A
Fulton pitched seven games at AA Pensacola (33 IP, 5.18 ERA) before missing the rest of the season following surgery to repair his UCL. Cappe is a hobby favorite of @stoffer81‘s, but following a solid 2022 in Rookie ball and Single-A, he struggled at High-A in 2023, hitting only .220 in 123 games. Monteverde had a nice season pitching across Double-A and Triple-A, as a 25-year-old, made the Futures Games, and looks to get the MLB call-up this season. Mack has struggled with the bat this year after posting two average seasons prior. Miller is a talented arm with a good set of pitches which should keep him in the rotation. Simpson could be a solid option out of the bullpen if he works more on his command. Johnston is a little old for a prospect but could be a bench player as soon as this year. Sanchez is a personal favorite of mine and isn’t as highly ranked as he was because of his injuries, but “a lot of people are going to owe him an engraved apology”, if I may quote Apollo Creed from Rocky 3. Groshans hasn’t progressed offensively as originally believed. The power was never his strength but even his hitting has decreased. Myers made his MLB debut last season and didn’t look overmatched. He could contend for a backup infield spot this year. Vradenburg is a first baseman with a hit-over-power approach at the plate. (@tonybps1)
Tier 5
22. Anthony Maldonado, RHP, 25, Triple-A
23. Andres Valor, OF, 18, Rookie (DSL)
24. Jose Gerardo, OF, 18, Rookie (FCL)
25. Fabian Lopez, SS, 18, Rookie (DSL)
26. Ian Lewis, 2B/3B, 20, Single-A
27. Antony Peguero, OF, 18, Rookie (FCL)
28. Juan De La Cruz, RHP, 18, Single-A
30. Evan Fitterer, RHP, 23, Double-A
29. Will Banfield, C, 24, Double-A
31. Diego Infante, OF, 24, Triple-A
32. Emmett Olson, LHP, 21, Rookie (FCL)
33. Zach McCambley, RHP, 24, Double-A
34. Jake Thompson, OF/1B, 25, Double-A
35. Luarbert Arias, RHP, 23, Double-A
36. Cody Morissette, 2B, 24, Double-A
37. Luis Espinoza, RHP, 18, Rookie (DSL)
38. Ike Buxton, RHP, 23, Double-A
39. Luis Palacios, LHP, 23, Triple-A
40. Jancory De La Cruz, OF, 17, Rookie (DSL)
41. Torin Montgomery, 1B, 22, High-A
42. Janero Miller, LHP/OF, 18, Rookie (DSL)
43. Matt Pushard, RHP, 26, Double-A
44. Jake DeLeo, OF, 22, Single-A
45. Nigel Belgrave, RHP, 21, Single-A
46. Breidy Encarnacion, RHP, 23, Triple-A
47. Walin Castillo, RHP, 19, Rookie (FCL)
48. Justin Storm, LHP, 22, Rookie (FCL)
49. Xavier Meachem, RHP, 21, Single-A
50. Yoffry Solano, 3B, 19, Rookie (DSL)
Valor looked sharp in his first taste of rookie ball and projects to develop more power as he matures. Gerardo has massive power but that comes with a lot of swing and miss in his bat. Lopez’s defense overshadows his hitting as of now but he can develop into a 10/10 type of player in the future. Lewis has great speed but hasn’t developed his power approach just yet. Peguero struggled in his time in the Florida rookie league but has the tools to be a solid speed type of outfielder. Juan De La Cruz needs to improve his command to be a mid-rotation starter. Infante has a good blend of speed and power but has struggled in the upper levels of the minors. Olson was the team’s 4th round pick in last year’s draft and has mid-rotation potential. Thompson has solid power and could be a 4th outfielder type. Morissette has good pop for a middle infielder but his hitting needs to improve. Espinoza hasn’t shown much at the plate but he’s only 18 years-old. Jancory De La Cruz is a toolsy international signee with raw power and good speed. Montgomery could be a bench outfielder in the majors. Miller is a two-way player who struggled at the plate and on the mound in his first year with the organization. DeLeo was an advanced college bat who struggled in his first year. (@tonybps1)
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Adam Greene is a Sport Management and Marketing double major at UMass Amherst's Isenberg School of Management. His main focus is sport marketing, where he's already had internships with the local Westfield Starfires and Springfield Thunderbirds. He now writes for the Cape Cod Baseball League. From Longmeadow, MA, Adam is a huge Red Sox fan and has been following the team his whole life. When Covid hit, he started paying a lot more attention to the Red Sox minor league teams, and now, follows them almost as much as the big league squad. Follow him on Twitter at @aj_greene1015 and Instagram at the same handle.
President of Prospects1500. Founder of Diamond Duos dynasty fantasy baseball leagues and the MLB Fantasy Playoffs Parlay. Participant and champion in several dynasty/fantasy baseball and football leagues. Sales Manager for Reminder Publishing in real life. Huge Bruce Springsteen and pro wrestling fan. Along with his wife and two boys, lives in Longmeadow, MA. Follow on Twitter at @Scotty_Ballgame.
Shaun Kernahan is the MLB Draft correspondent for Prospects1500. When not at a game, chances are the TV and/or tablet has a game on and he has a notepad out taking notes. When not scouting draft prospects, he is the Director of Baseball Operations for the Mile High Collegiate Baseball League, a collegiate wood bat league in Colorado. Shaun can be found on Twitter at @ShaunKernahan.
Tony Bps Spina is a lifelong baseball fan hailing from the City of Brotherly Love - Philadelphia! Tony has loved baseball since 1980 and has followed the Phillies through good and bad times. Tony is married with 3 kids and works for a financial institution but has enough free time to play in 20 fantasy baseball leagues with 75% of them being Dynasty Leagues. He lives a few blocks away from Citizens Bank Park and attends many Phillies games per year in addition to their minor league teams in Lehigh Valley and Reading. He can be reached on Twitter at @TonyBps1.
Ben is an Assistant Editor and also covers the Red Sox and Dynasty/Fantasy baseball content for Prospects1500. He also runs the #2EarlyMiLBMock, an annual prospect-only mock draft, for the Prospects1500 website. Ben is an experienced fantasy baseball player and is a deep league dynasty specialist. He has also contributed at FantraxHQ, RotoFanatic, and retired blogs Real McCoy Minors and Notes from the Sally. Follow Ben on Twitter @TBDubbs11.
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Ben Wilsonhttps://www.prospects1500.com/author/tbdubbs11/
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Ben Wilsonhttps://www.prospects1500.com/author/tbdubbs11/
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Ben Wilsonhttps://www.prospects1500.com/author/tbdubbs11/
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Ben Wilsonhttps://www.prospects1500.com/author/tbdubbs11/
