Miami Marlins Top 10 Prospects Updated

They’re in rebuilding mode but the Marlins system is pretty weak. They haven’t drafted all that well in recent years, have seen a rash of injuries throughout their system and didn’t get much in return when trading their assets (The return for Giancarlo Stanton was embarrassing).

Click here for the pre-season Top 10

1. Sandy Alcantara | RHP | AAA —> The first of many flamethrowers on this list, Alcantara can work in the upper-90s with his fastball while flashing two average-or-better secondary offerings with his slider and changeup. He also has a great pitcher’s frame, which suggests he might grow into the ability to pitch 200+ innings. Alcantara biggest need is to improve his consistency and command. He has No. 2/3 starter upside if he continues developing along his current path.

2. Trevor Rogers | LHP | A —> A Tommy John survivor, the Marlins 2017 first-round pick made his pro debut in 2018 in low-A ball and looked good. He has a huge frame and should be capable of pitching lots of innings if his elbow holds up. He has a low-90s fastball with his slider being his next best offering. He has a four-pitch mix but both the curveball and changeup need work. Rogers did a nice job keeping the ball in the park during his debut and induced a lot of ground-ball outs.

3. Nick Neidert | RHP | AA —> Neidert isn’t flashy and doesn’t posses a big-time fastball but he has the ceiling of a No. 3/4 starter due to his solid three-pitch repertoire, above-average command/control and deception. He also has solid athleticism and induces a solid number of ground-ball outs. An improved curveball is essential to him reaching that mid-rotation projection.

4. Edward Cabrera | RHP | A —> Cabrera was a big pop-up guy in 2018 after showing well in full-season ball. He has a solid pitcher’s frame and can dial his fastball up into the triple digits. He also shows a potentially-plus breaking ball. His changeup remains a work in progress. Cabrera, 20, has already suffered through an elbow strain (2017) and the Marlins’ history of Tommy John surgery amongst their young pitchers is alarming so caution is necessary before getting too excited here. Cabrera has a big upside nonetheless as either a starter or reliever.

5. Jorge Guzman | RHP | A+ —> The key (I guess) to the Stanton deal, Guzman can light up the radar gun with triple-digit heat but he struggles to throw strikes. He’s a step ahead of fellow flamethrower Edward Cabrera but I see Guzman as a reliever. His control is poor and his body is not as promising as the younger pitcher. With that said, he definitely has the potential to be a high-leverage reliever if he can throw enough strikes.

6. Tristan Pompey | OF | A+ —> I felt Pompey was underrated entering the 2018 draft where the Marlins stole him in the fourth round… and I still feel people are underrating him after an excellent first showing in pro ball. The brother of Dalton Pompey, who has some serious makeup concerns, Tristan may have suffered from that reputation as well as his own as people have questioned his work ethic/drive at times. The talent is undeniable, though, if the maturity is there. He has the potential to hit for average, will take a walk and has the speed to nab bases. His defence needs some attention, though.

7. Brian Miller | OF | AA —> I have a soft spot for Miller and see someone who could be a very, very good fourth outfielder with the potential to be an everyday guy. And I definitely think he’s going to outperform his more heralded college teammate and fellow 2017 draftee Logan Warmoth. Miller has almost no power to speak of and focuses instead on using the whole field and getting on base where his plus speed is a real weapon. He doesn’t have much of an arm but his speed helps him in the outfield and he should be able to handle left or center.

8. Osiris Johnson | SS | A —> Johnson has athleticism to spare, oozes tools and has excellent pedigree coming from a baseball family. And he was one of the youngest players in the draft and is still just 17. He had an excellent showing in rookie ball but the Marlins made a terrible decision in rushing him up to A-ball where he posted a 1-34 BB-K rate in 23 games. While the upside is massive, there is a lot of work here that needs to be done to realize the full potential both on offence and defence.

9. Christopher Torres | SS | A —> Torres may not be the most toolsy guy but he’s a hard-worker with great makeup and above-average defensive skills up the middle. At worst, I see a utility player. At best, with some additional development, a player capable of playing everyday and hitting in the lower third of the lineup. He’ll likely never hit for much power (although can you say this about anyone these days?) but he takes a walk and has some speed to nab the occasional base.

10. Zac Gallen | RHP | AAA —> I remain one of the biggest Gallen supporters around. He has a No. 4 starter ceiling but there might be more potential as a multi-inning reliever. He has a low-90s fastball and promising cutter to focus on — as well as two other pitches rounding out his repertoire. His delivery has some deception to it as well as a little pause that can throw off a hitter’s timing; both of those help his stuff play up.

Just Missed:

Jeff Brigham | RHP | AAA —> Brigham has struggled with injuries and inconsistency but made his MLB debut in 2018 nonetheless. He has a 91-94 mph fastball with a curvevall and rarely utilized changeup. He’s not a huge guy and the lack of a reliable third pitch suggests he might be best suited to a relief role.

Monte Harrison | OF | AA —> If you love tools then Harrison is probably higher on your list than he is here. Me, I see a player who struck out a whopping 215 times in 136 double-A games and struggle to see how that translates to the Majors, even in this video-game world that MLB has created. Maybe he becomes the Majors’ first 300-K man.

Will Banfield | C | A —> Banfield is a gifted teenaged catcher behind the plate but there are questions over his ability to hit enough to play every day. He has raw power but he also has a lot of swing and miss to his game.