Tag Archives: Marlins Park

2015 Minor League Report, Felix Munoz, Miami Marlins

Critical year for Marlins overshadowed prospect Felix Munoz

Gallery February 20, 2015 jtater42 Leave a comment

Entering his seventh season of professional baseball, after signing with the Marlins in 2008 as a non-drafted free agent at the age of 17, the Dominican Republic’s Felix Munoz finally has a chance to legitimize himself as a top prospect in the Miami Marlins farm system. Munoz should join the ranks of Justin Nicolino, Tyler Kolek, J.T. Realmuto and several others who are projected to be on the fast track to seeing their pictures in a glossy program at Marlins Park.

Docketed by many analysts as a “Sleeper” prospect for the past two seasons, Munoz has given hope to the Miami Marlins organization – along with all the Felix Munoz fans of the world – who had been waiting for his power tools to develop at the plate. Playing in 126 games during the 2014 Season at Single-A Greensboro, more games than he had in the past two seasons combined, he put together an impressive campaign with a slash line of .300/.368/.476 in 560 plate appearances with 16 home-runs. Despite playing in a minor league ballpark that scouts believe to be a “cracker jack box,” Munoz sprayed home runs to all fields. All the while, he showed an advanced level of comfort at the plate drawing 57 walks and only 79 strikeouts and driving the ball for a Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson eyebrow-raising .326 BABIP.

This impressive showing makes his numbers comparable to Top Positional Prospects in the Marlins organization in that same early-20’s age range like Brian Anderson and Austin Dean, who both produced almost parallel slash lines at Single-A Greensboro:

Brian Anderson (3B/2B): .300/.361/.496 in 257 PA (Drafted 76th overall in 2014 MLB Amateur Draft)
Austin Dean (OF): .308/.371/.444 in 449 PA

Unfortunately, what you do not see in his stat line are the negative intangibles. Standing at 6’2” 180 lbs. it’s hard for Felix to find a home at his listed positions of first base and left field. His lack of speed, proven by swiping just one stolen base over his last four minor league seasons, hurts his chances to be projected as an everyday left fielder. Meanwhile, a proven year-to-year track record of power production is needed to be a lock at first base. These two aspects of his game have kept him off the Miami Marlins Top 20 prospects board since signing in 2008.

Munoz will turn the all-important 23 years old in 2015, and with his notable surge of power at the plate over the past two seasons, he will be out to prove he can become an everyday regular. With High-A Jupiter Hammerheads, he will take the opportunity to become that left-handed power-hitting, homegrown product the Marlins have been searching for. Felix Munoz’s recent performance almost challenges everyone to not have him on their watch list’s for the upcoming 2015 season.

*Note: Please check out the original article posted at (http://www.fishstripes.com/2015/2/19/8042769/miami-marlins-prospects-felix-munoz-2015-season-overshadowed)

David Phelps, Miami Marlins

David Phelps Takes The Loss At Arbitration Hearing

February 13, 2015 jtater42 Leave a comment

When David Phelps sat down with the Miami Marlins Front Office last month, he was asking for a 1 year deal that would pay him around $2 million for the season.

A deal of that magnitude was never considered by the Marlins organization, sending Phelps to his Arbitration Hearing, where again he came out a loser. Phelps requested $1.875 million from the arbiter hearing his case, but was quickly denied his number and forced to settle for a 1-year deal worth $1.4 million.

Time will tell if Phelps is actually worth the 1.875 million is was asking for, as he will start this season battling for the 5th spot in the Marlins opening day rotation. More than likely he will end up as a long reliever, with the occasional spot start here and there based on how he does coming out of the pen in 2015.

Miami Marlins

Marlins Park to host 2017 MLB All-Star Showcase

February 12, 2015 jtater42 Leave a comment

It didn’t take long for the new commissioner Rob Manfred to make an impact in the Miami Marlins community.

Come July 2017, the phrase “Going to Miami” will no longer be linked to the 1998 Will Smith song “Miami”. Instead, that phrase will carry a new meaning as baseball fans travel from across the country to fill Marlins Park for the 2017 All-Star Showcase.

A long time coming for the Marlins franchise, Jeffrey Loria has finally got the approval from Rob Manfred to hold the 2017 All-Star Game at Marlins Park. A saga that will have two decades once the All-Star festivities commence at Marlins Park, in downtown Miami.

The saga began in 1997 when the formerly named Florida Marlins won the World Series and were chosen by Bud Selig as favorites to host the 1998 All-Star Showcase that next season. Only to have Marlins fans dreams shattered quicker by owner Jeffrey Loria, when he unloaded all the teams’ talent. Compelling Selig to turn on his words, and give the honor of hosting the 1998 All-Star showcase to the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field.

Furthermore, Loria thought he was a shoe in to host the 2015 All-Star showcase based on his unveiling of the Miami Marlins new stadium, Marlins Park in 2012. A line of thinking that led him to getting shot down again by Selig as he watched the honor of hosting this year’s All-Star showcase go to the Cincinnati Reds to hold at Great American Ballpark.

Finally though, after two decades of All-Star host envy and a recent recognized commitment to his team’s future success shown in Loria this off-season, Rob Manfred and MLB has dubbed Marlins Park the host of the 2017 All-Star showcase.