June 11th, 2022
Alex Katsotis
As a new sportswriter, something I have always wanted to do is a prospect spotlight. I am excited to start my writing journey and am excited to do work regarding my beloved Miami Marlins. The goal is to make these prospect spotlights a weekly or biweekly thing. This first report will be a wrap up of the minor league season, a refresher on who started hot, who is hot right now, and some interesting wild cards. Let’s delve into it then.
Slow Starts, but Heating Up
SS Nasim Nunez, A+ Beloit: Drafted in 2019 out of Collins Hill High School in Georgia, the Marlins used their second-round draft pick to bring in Nunez, who they hoped could be a defensive centerpiece for them in the middle of the infield. With great defensive instincts, and above average bat speed, the goal was to develop Nunez’s hit tools to make him a complete player. Now approaching age 22, Nunez is still in Beloit, and many, including myself, had given up on the shortstop early in the season. Hitting just over .100 in the month of April, and with Kahlil Watson playing well elsewhere in the organization, the future was murky for Nasim, but a blazing hot month of May gives him strong season stats and an argument for promotion to Double A Pensacola. As of June 8th, he had recorded a hit in 15 of his last 18 games and has sported a .310 batting average since the month of May started. While still not a power hitter due to his frame and launch angles, combine the recent knack for contact, defensive strength, and the organization’s depth in the middle infield, and we could see Nunez in Pensacola very soon.
1B Troy Johnston, AA Pensacola: One of the hottest names in Miami’s system to date, is first baseman Troy Johnston. The 2019 17th round pick from Tacoma, Washington has created many trade rumors regarding the guys blocking him from above, from Lewin Diaz to Jesus Aguilar, and even creating possibilities with Garrett Cooper. Despite slashing a lackluster .229/.349/.300SLG in the month of April, and although his walk rate has interestingly decreased, his May stats of .313/.330/.398SLG show improvement, with the batting average popping off the page. It is the recent week and a half run that has put Johnston on the minor league map however, as he has hit .469/.526/1.063SLG in nine June games. Johnston has started to tap into his power recently too, making Pensacola a feared Double A opponent alongside outfielder Griffin Conine. No matter what the Marlins record is by the trade deadline, expect them to move one of their first basemen in the upper leagues to make space for Johnston to go to Jacksonville, and possibly Miami in September.
INF Ynmanol Marinez, A+ Beloit: As a whole, the batters in Beloit started off ice cold, and have really picked it up. The two biggest improvers on that team, Nasim Nunez, and Ynmanol Marinez, were the ones that made the cut for this list. Once a coveted international signing by the Marlins in 2017, Marinez didn’t make his professional debut with Jupiter until last season. With a slow start, and the Marlins bringing in tons of middle infield talent, Marinez fell down the pecking order of organizational shortstops, the position he was signed for. Something that has really made me take an interest with Marinez, however, is his defensive versatility. With the middle infield locked down by Nunez and Cody Morrisette in Beloit, Marinez has spent most of the season playing at third and first base, positions he had not played before this season. Especially at first base, his 6 foot 190-pound frame has been able to adjust well, and his recent form has created more blockage problems in an organization that doesn’t know what to do with all its first basemen. In May and June, between 28 games, Marinez has hit 5 home runs, 15 RBIs, and batted .300 with a .340 OBP. His defensive versatility has been great for Beloit too this season and could be valuable for the Marlins if he is able to progress through the upper leagues in the system. Marinez just turned 21, so there is plenty of time for the Marlins to develop him into whichever infield position they want, and potentially make him a super-utility major-leaguer by the year 2024.
Hot Starts, but Cooling Down
SS Kahlil Watson, A Jupiter: The obvious choice for this category. So much hype last season and coming into this season was the acquisition of high school shortstop Kahlil Watson, one of the best players in last year’s draft class, who fell to the Marlins at pick 16. The hype was answered by a red-hot April, where Watson clubbed 5 home runs, 18 RBIs, and slashed .294/.338/.603 in just 17 games. Something concerning from the start, however, was his 47% strikeout rate! With only 2 home runs since then, a batting average of .170, and the strikeout rate still around 45%, there is real cause for concern with what many believe is the top hitting prospect in Miami’s system and is starting to raise question marks about the organization’s hitting development in the lower parts of the system, which has seen natural hitters like JJ Bleday and Jose Salas quickly lose rhythm. Watson just turned 19 2 months ago, so there is still plenty of time for him to turn it around, but the strikeout rate is a good place to start for any sort of improvement.
P Josh Simpson, AA Pensacola: One of the biggest stories early in the season was Blue Wahoos reliever Josh Simpson. The Marlins and their pitching development. An unknown player when he was drafted in the 32nd round in 2019, the former Columbia pitcher slowly worked his way through the Marlins system, earning various bullpen roles throughout the farm. Many eyes early in the season honed in on him, due to the Marlins ‘pen weakness, and the fact that Simpson did not give up an earned run until May 24th- 18.2 innings later, an unbelievable stat. He was starting to draw comparisons to Alex Vesia, and many wondered why he wasn’t already in Jacksonville. Unfortunately, when the earned runs came, they came in bunches. In his next 4.2 innings pitched, Simpson gave up 10 earned runs, ballooning his ERA over 4.00. To date, he stands at a modest 3.33 ERA with a WHIP of 1.11. Solid stats when you zoom out, but the reliever is still trying to rediscover his early season form with Pensacola. For now, he will remain there for some time, as the Marlins figure out his role, and move him through hopefully to Jacksonville by the end of the year.
P Dax Fulton, A+ Beloit: I have had my eye on Dax big time since last season. I thought he was tremendous for Jupiter and Beloit last season, but it seems nobody paid much notice because he was always behind in the rotation and in stats to Eury Perez, and rightfully so. With Eury starting this season in Pensacola, the spotlight was on Dax to lead the Beloit rotation. He started off the season strongly, posting a 4.26 ERA, and a career best 12.3 K/9, while averaging almost 5 innings every start. It seemed like the Marlins had another great pitching prospect to look forward to, considering Dax is only 20 years old. In his most recent starts, however, he’s been surrendering runs at the highest rate of his career, and his strikeouts are down. His curveball that was a strong putout pitch last season and earlier this season doesn’t have the same bite, and he hasn’t improved the changeup at all, which is keeping him from expanding the strike zones. Considering his past injury history with Tommy John surgery, the Marlins need to be careful, and can afford to take their time with the 20-year-old southpaw. For now, Fulton will look to regain form in Beloit.
Wild Cards
P George Soriano, AAA Jacksonville: Soriano has been an interesting prospect for a while. In the system since 2015 when he signed out of the Dominican Republic, Soriano has navigated injuries, COVID, and the Marlins being unsure of his role. He spent most of his time as a starter, and after finally seeing consistent pro-ball in 2021, he turned in strong stats as a starter between Jupiter and Beloit. Soriano went on to start games in Pensacola and Jacksonville, before the Marlins found another role for him. With a fastball and slider that were strong, Soriano needed one more plus pitch, but couldn’t find it in his changeup, which rendered him particularly weak against lefty bats. Since then, Soriano has made 3 appearances out of the bullpen for Pensacola and Jacksonville, and got a save in Jacksonville’s June 8 win. I believe this guy poses big time upside for a bullpen piece and could be a part of the Marlins bullpen in September this year, or on the opening day roster next year.
SS/3B Jose Salas, A Jupiter: Salas, a top international signing out of Venezuela in 2019, started his professional career in 2021, and got off to a blazing hot start. He slashed .305 with 2 homers and 19 RBIs in 55 games between rookie league and single A Jupiter. As only an 18-year-old in 2021, he drew much hype from a fanbase that was starved of big-time hitting prospects, and with Kahlil Watson joining him in Jupiter to start the season, many fans were drooling over the prospect of them in the same infield together. Unfortunately, Salas got off to a slow start in Jupiter, his average flew around the Mendoza line, and particularly was having trouble with runners in scoring position. Recently, Salas has picked up the slack, and his season marks include .240/.333/.696 slashes, with an impressive 11% walk rate. Additionally, Salas has impressed by playing every position aside from first base in the infield, getting most of his reps at third base, a position where the Marlins would love to have some talent come in. All in all, with Salas just recently turning 19 a couple months ago, there is lots of time for Salas to join the Venezuelan revolution in major league baseball and tap into his huge potential for the Marlins.
C Paul McIntosh, AA Pensacola: McIntosh, who had a solid college career at West Virginia, was an afterthought when the MLB draft came by. The Angels took a flier on him in the 34th round of the 2018 draft, but he did not appear in any of their organizational affiliates and was eventually released. The Marlins signed him before the 2021 season, and he had a strong showing in Jupiter. McIntosh could hit, there was no doubt about it, the defense was why he was overlooked out of college, but he improved, and it was why the Marlins signed him. Before the 2022 season, there was even more improvement in the defense, and McIntosh earned himself a spot-on Pensacola’s AA team, as the starting catcher. McIntosh has been HUGE for Pensacola this season; 7 home runs, 30 RBIs, hitting .297 in 40 games this season. Offensively, arguably the best player for Pensacola this season. Defensively, he’s improved enough to earn 4-5 starts per week. Considering the Marlins want him to keep improving defensively, and Payton Henry has caught form in Jacksonville, I would not expect him to move up anytime soon, but rather working to refine his defensive and leadership qualities behind the plate as the starter in Pensacola. I see him starting next year on Jacksonville’s opening day roster, making the 40 man, and potentially being a major leaguer later in the 2023 season.
Stats courtesy of Minor League Baseball milb.com
