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2015 Minor League Report, Miami Marlins

2015 Miami Marlins minor league depth: Second Base

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via 2015 Miami Marlins minor league depth: Second Base – Fish Stripes.

In 2014 the Miami Marlins struggled to find an everyday second baseman. The position became a revolving door for the entire 2014 campaign after Rafael Furcal, who signed a one-year deal in the off-season, went down in Spring Training with a hamstring injury that he would never fully recover from. He played in only eight games, causing the Marlins to start six different players at second base over the course of the season. Enrique Hernandez, Ed Lucas, Jeff Baker, Derek Dietrich,Donovan Solano and Jordany Valdespin were all part of that revolving door. None of the six players slotting in at second base in 2014 were able to make a lasting impression on the Marlins front office, forcing the organization to move in a different direction for the 2015 season.

After getting a look at all their internal candidates in 2014, the Marlins moved to overhaul at second base this off-season. In a flurry of moves this winter the Marlins were able to do just that. After the Texas Rangers claimed Ed Lucas off waivers, the Marlins landed Dee Gordon in a trade with the Dodgers to solidify second base for the upcoming 2015 season. This trade included Marlins 2014 mid-season acquisition from the Houston Astros, utility prospect Enrique Hernandez. This series of off-season moves not only improved the black hole that was second base last season, but also changed the whole dynamic of the offensive line-up as well as the defense up the middle. The dynamic has been on display this spring with Dee Gordon leading off at the top of the line-up,Christian Yelich moving him over and Giancarlo Stanton driving him home.

With all that being said though, the Marlins might have finally found a second basemen that will be able hold down the position for more than 100 games a season, something they haven’t had since trading Omar Infante to the Detroit Tigers in 2012. If Dee Gordon does go down with an injury, or he reverts back to the slump he struggled through the second half of the season last year, then utility entrepreneur Donovan Solano will be there to pick up the pieces – with Derek Dietrich and Jordany Valdespin waiting in the wings at Triple-A New Orleans and Jeff Baker making the occasionally celebrity appearance.

Even if most of the Marlins second base depth already has major league experience, there are still two highly touted young players that add promising depth in the Marlins minor league system.

Best of the Rest

Avery Romero

Drafted by the Marlins in the third round of the 2012 draft and ranked this season by MLB.com as the Miami Marlins #5 Prospect , this scrappy-aggressive 21 year-old second basemen who stands at 5’10″ 190 lbs., has been eating up pitchers early-contact fastballs through the minor league system.  His success has led him to High-A Jupiter. Romero doesn’t wait for the game to come to him; he brings his energy and excitement to the game. His aggressive approach at the plate, and effortless arm strength from second and strong hands could translate into increased power numbers as he matures. A majority of Avery’s home runs came in 2014 when he hit five of his 11 minor league career home runs  – a high percentage of them to his pull side of the field. We are going to have to wait and assess how the power comes along and contributes to his future slash statistics.

Avery RomeroHe paired his steady build up in maturity and earnest efforts to improve his footwork in the infield, with the tremendous raise in production on the offensive side of the ball this spring – hitting a blast over the left field wall. He is a remarkable talent to keep an eye on at the minor league level heading into the 2015 season – especially after turning some heads with his improved approach to the game this spring.

Mason Davis

As I stated in my article, Miami Marlins 2014 Draft Review: Mason Davis, Mason was drafted by the Marlins in the 19th round of the 2014 MLB Amateur draft. The 22 year-old,  5’9″ 175 lbs. switch-hitting infielder, who models his game after All-Star shortstop Jimmy Rollins,  batted a collegiate career high of .310 at the plate with a career best 27 stolen bases his junior season at the Citadel. After being drafted by the Marlins, Davis hit the ground running when sent to play for the minor league affiliate, the Batavia Muckdogs in the NY-Penn league. Continuing that hot collegiate swing, he pounded out a .319 average at the plate with a .369 BABIP to go along with nine swiped bags over the course of 248 plate-appearances. That was impressive enough to be named to the NY-Penn League All-Star Game in Brooklyn, NY.

Mason DavisTowards the end of his first season of professional ball, Davis was promoted to Low-A Greensboro – a team in a heated playoff race in the South Atlantic League. He gained invaluable experience as part of this successful Grasshoppers team. Seeing time at both second base and in the outfield, he was able to produce a minimum sample-sized slash line of .259/.355/.333 in 31 plate appearances. This is a line he will be determined to improve upon when he steps up to the plate again in 2015.

Other Notable Second Basemen to Watch

Ryan Cranmer/6-foot-2 195 lbs./Drafted by the Miami Marlins in 2014 (24th round) out of Newberry College, SC.
Iramis Olivencia/5-foot-9 180lbs./Drafted by the Miami Marlins in 2013 (8th round) out of Arlington County Day School, FL.

Note: Even though mlbpipeline.com’s Miami Marlins #21 prospect J.T Riddle is listed primarily as a second basemen, the Marlins have played him consistently at either third base or short-stop throughout his minor league career. He is not forgotten and will be highlighted when I talk about the Marlins minor depth at either of those positions.

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2015 Minor League Report, Miami Marlins

2015 Miami Marlins Prospects: First Base

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Despite having only one prospect listed as a first baseman within MLB.com’s Miami Marlins Top 30 Prospects for 2015, the Marlins are actually well stocked at first base. There may have been little to talk about for the Marlins last season at this position, as Garrett Jones proved to yet another organization why he is not the guy to lean on as your everyday first baseman. This season will be a different story. The big bat off-season acquisition of Michael Morse can only improve the Marlins chances of being a playoff contender this season as long as he stays healthy. Even if it came at the cost of 2014 Comeback Player of the Year Casey McGehee, the Marlins are stacked with power in the middle of the 2015 Opening Day line-up.

Should Michael Morse’s health plague him this season, we can always turn to the Miami Marlins 16th ranked prospect in Justin Bour. After being selected in the 2013 Rule 5 draft by the Marlins from the Chicago Cubs, he has done nothing but impress the Marlins organization – sporting a .319 BABIP with 18 home runs at Triple-A New Orleans in 2014 during a period of promotions and demotions from the big league roster.  He will undoubtedly find a home this season as a regular coming off the Marlins bench, while we will be watching to see if he can continue to improve at the plate and showcase the big league power that his large frame possesses. In 74 at bats for the Marlins last season he was only able to muster one home run – an upper deck blast to right-center off the Nationals Doug Fister. Marlin’s fans are hoping to see more of these this season – especially after he was named the 2014 MiLB.com Organizational All-Star for the Marlins. There is nothing else for him to prove at the minor league level, so he will continue to play the waiting game behind Morse on the Marlins depth chart.

Although Morse and Bour are already starting to become household names in Miami, there are others who play first base in the Marlins Minor league system that might prove to be hidden gems and future household names.  Let’s take a look at the Best of the Rest down on the farm at first base for the Marlins.

Best of the Rest

Viosergy Rosa

After being drafted by the Marlins in 2010 in the 29th round, Rosa played two seasons fine tuning his craft for short-season Batavia Muckdogs.  At 6’3”and 190 Lbs., the 24 year-old lefty swinging Rosa bounced back in 2013 playing the full season for Low-A Greensboro. In 549 plate appearances he registered a .289 BABIP with 23 long balls. He continued to live up to his emerging prospect hype in 2014 with High-A Jupiter Hammerheads and again after being promoted to Double-A Jacksonville, where he was named the Southern League Championship  Series Most Valuable Player-  posting a .379 batting average to go along with four home runs in just seven post season games.

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And just so you know, we are talking about a player who was cut from his George Washington High-School baseball team every year but his senior one. He went on to play at Odessa Junior College in Texas, where I witnessed his play. This background makes what he has done in the past two seasons in the Marlins minor league system even more impressive, not only to me and Marlins advocates but to 2014 Double-A Jacksonville’s manager Andy Barkett:

“I thought [Rosa] would be able to hold his own here, but he’s excelled. He changed the whole dynamic of our lineup with his presence and power potential. He can fatigue and stress pitchers out for the hitters coming up behind him.” said Suns manager Andy Barkett. “[Rosa] is like the perfect piece of clay to work with,” said Barkett. “I love teaching a left-handed hitting first baseman because that’s what I was. He’s got the makings of a classic power hitter…”

If he can make a believer out of Andy Barkett, he should easily be starting to make a believer out of the rest of the Marlins Organization, making him a valued organizational prospect at an aged position for the Marlins.

Felix Munoz

As I mentioned in my earlier article, Critical year for Marlins prospect Felix Munoz, this is going to be a decisive year for Munoz. Turning the all-important age of 23, Munoz will look to build on the success he has had in the Marlins minor leagues over the past two seasons. Like Rosa, 2014 was a real breakout year for Munoz. 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. He was able to draw 57 walks to only 79 strikeouts while driving the ball for a .326 BABIP.

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Boosting almost comparable statistics to Rosa, the younger Munoz will look to start the season nipping at the heels of Rosa. Munoz is projected to start the season with High-A Jupiter Hammerheads, a level behind Double-A Jacksonville where Rosa is projected to start his 2015 campaign. Should Rosa fail to recapture the hot streak from his 2014 season, you could see Felix Munoz’s stock on the rise in 2015.

Carlos Lopez

This 6’2” 236 lbs. left-handed hitting and right-handed throwing Cal State Fullerton prospect was drafted by the Miami Marlins in the 10th round of the 2013 First Year Player Draft at the late age of 24. This was the same 2013 Marlins draft class that included the recently traded Cal State Fullerton teammate Chad Wallach. It didn’t take long for Lopez to make a name for himself in the Marlins minor league system. After being awarded the 2013 Big West Co-Player of the year, Lopez signed and immediately reported to the Batavia Muckdogs in the New-York Penn League. With an impressive .366 BABIP with 71 total hits in just 61 games in his first full season with the Marlins Organization, he showcased his clutch hitting ability. Based on his 2014 statistics for Low-A Greensboro below, 2013 looked to be just a prelude to what could become a valued prospect at first base in the Marlins minor league system. Unfortunately, at the age of 25 heading into the 2015 season, his window to the big league is getting smaller.

CL

Austen Smith

Before being drafted in the 33rd round by the Miami Marlins, this 2014 Tallahassee All-Regional team choice, Baseball America’s Preseason No. 34 ranked senior and Mid-Season Golden Spikes Watch List first baseman, put on a hitting display his senior year in college. He led the Alabama Crimson Tide with 19 runs batted in and 11 walks against conference opponents, while finishing the year with a .316 batting average, 27 walks and 39 total runs batted in in 57 games started. We also can’t fail to mention the walk-off home run Smith blasted to lift Alabama over the then #11 ranked Vanderbilt Commodores. He brought this home run stroke with him to the Miami Marlins rookie level instructional league, as shown in his 2014 stats below:

AS

Smith’s collegiate prowess his senior year at Alabama, is translating well to the professional level. At age 23, Austen Smith will have more time to develop and mature physically – if that is possible for someone already at 6’4” and 240 lbs. Either way, he has opened a lot of eyes in the Marlins system with his advanced approach and thunderous power at the plate, making him a possible hidden gem that with continued success could be on the fast track to the big leagues doorstep.

Other Notable First Basemen to Watch

Eric Fisher/6-foot-3 210 pounds/Drafted 2014 by Miami Marlins (17th Round) out of Arkansas University.

Scott Carcaise/6-foot-5 236 pounds/Drafted 2013 by Miami Marlins (14th Round) out of Florida Tech.

Miami Marlins

9 Reasons to Come to Opening Day Early

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On Cloud Conine

There’s just 11 days until Opening Day — otherwise known as the unofficial #TakeAHalfDay Day!

Did you know this year, Marlins Park is opening its doors at 2:00 PM – that’s two hours early – for fans to celebrate the big game?

HOT TIPS: Opening Day festivities start at 3:15 PM, and MLB is implementing Metal Detectors across the League which will slow things down a little bit, so give yourself plenty of time! We’d also recommend you reserve a parking pass at marlins.com/parking ahead of time to avoid any delays on that front.

With so many amusements and attractions to enjoy before 4:10 PM even rolls around, we’ve come up with nine reasons why you should #TakeAHalfDay and come to the ballpark early next Monday afternoon!

9) Watch Batting Practice! – Enjoy a view of Marlins BP beginning at 2:00 PM! Opening Day will be the only game this season where gates will open to the public two hours prior to the first…

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2015 Minor League Report, Arturo Rodriguez, Blake Anderson, Brad Haynal, Miami Marlins

2015 Miami Marlins minor league depth: Catcher

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Yes, it’s true – Baseball Prospectus and the rest of Major League Baseball have dubbed the Miami Marlins the second to last minor league system in the big leagues. But are they wrong? The Marlins did trade away their 2013 first round draft pick (fifth overall) in Colin Moran midway through the season last year to the Houston Astros for players named Jarred Cosart and Kike Hernandez – who has since been traded away again this off-season. Hernandez wasn’t the only youngster on the move though, as the Marlins continued to back up the moving truck, sending top pitching prospects Andrew Heaney to the Los Angeles Dodgers and righty Anthony Delscalfani to the Cincinnati Reds. The Marlins received just one high-ceiling prospect in return, major league doormat-ready reliever Kendry Flores from the Giants. If you combine those roster moves with the loss of mid-level catching prospects Austin Barnes and Chad Wallach, and then look at the Marlins aggressive approach to making minor league promotions, it’s easy to see why Baseball Prospectus and the baseball world in general see the Miami Marlins weak on the farm.

Given that everything I stated above is true, and you find yourself sitting there wondering what I’m going to say next, don’t be concerned. It’s my mission to doubt the doubters and dive deep into the Marlins organizational depth charts, in hopes of proving the nay-sayers wrong by finding hidden gems.

This week I will be diving into the Marlins depth at the catcher position. We already know that Salty will start behind the dish for the Marlins and Mathis will back him up while touted Marlins top prospect J.T Realmuto will play the waiting game.  So let’s look at the best of the rest, because three catchers do not constitute a franchise.

Best of the Rest

Arturo Rodriguez

Call me crazy, but I really like what Arturo brings to the Marlins organization. After signing a minor league contract this off-season, this 6’0″ 235 lbs. Monterrey, Nueva Leon, Mexico native has the build and the bat to make an impact this season. At age 23, he is a long shot to raise through the Marlins prospect ranks, but he put up solid enough contact and power numbers in 2014 with the Toros de Tijuana and Sultanes de Monterrey teams of the Triple-A Mexican League to be ranked above Miami Marlins 2014 first-round CBA pick Blake Anderson.

ARIn the 93 games played in the Mexican League, Arturo started 62 games behind the plate – throwing out forty percent of runners attempting to steal on his arm. He also had 15 starts at first base with a perfect fielding percentage. Not only does his bat show promise, so does his defensive abilities. This makes Arturo Rodriguez a strong candidate to watch in the Marlins minor league system this season.

Blake Anderson

As mentioned in the Arturo summary, Anderson was the 36th overall pick drafted in the first-round CBA by the Miami Marlins out of West Lauderdale HS in Collinsville, Mississippi. Fresh off his 19thbirthday Anderson will look to improve his numbers from his first taste of pro ball.

BALooking at his first year statistics at the plate it’s easy to see what scouts already know: he was drafted for his 6’4″ tall frame, an absolute hose for an arm, and his strong glove hand framing pitches. We all know the fast track to the big leagues for prospect catchers is based on their defensive ability, and Anderson has plenty of ability. The thing to watch though this season will be the comfort and improvement Anderson shows as he handles the bat at the plate. As his body matures and produces more power in his bat we might just have a Baltimore Orioles Matt Wieters comparable player down the line.

Brad Haynal

Brad is a 6’3″ 215 lbs. right-handed swinging 18th round draft pick of the Miami Marlins and the only catchers besides Chris Hoo selected in the 2014 Amateur Draft to have collegiate experience. He played for San Diego State University and this should give him a leg up on the rest of his competition. After crushing the ball his first 30 games for the Batavia Muckdogs, he was quickly promoted up to Low-A Greensboro to end the season splitting time with another 2014 draft selection in catcher Chris Hoo. Take a look in at his stats from 2014:

BH

It’s easy to see why Haynal could easily become a hidden gem for the Marlins. Even if he can’t hide behind his tall frame, Haynal offers advanced defensive abilities behind the plate that no one else in his draft class came in with, with the possible exception of Blake Anderson. It’s Haynals bat though that will carry him up the ranks. Already 23 years-old, he needs to  accelerate his time frame to make adjustments at the minor league level if he hopes to crack the big league roster one day. He is defintely another solid candidate to watch out for this season.

Other Notable Catcher to Watch

Roy Morales/6-foot-1, 210 pounds/Drafted 2014 in the 12th Round out of Colegio Angel David HS, PR.

Chris Hoo/5-foot-9, 190 pounds/Drafted 2014 in the 27th round out of Cal Poly.

*Please feel free to read this article in its original form at http://www.fishstripes.com/2015/3/19/8254347/2015-miami-marlins-minor-league-depth-catcher

Jason Tate writes for SB Nation-Fishstripes (A Miami Marlins News Website). Follow his blog at http://www.marlinsrising.com and on twitter @MarlinsRising.

Miami Marlins

Marlins Celebrity Lookalikes: 2015 Edition

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On Cloud Conine

It’s time to play… Marlins Celebrity Lookalikes!

Last year, we had some fun pairing your favorite Fish players with their celebrity doppelgangers, which you can see here.

Marcell Ozuna and Kanye West… Mike Redmond and Dr. Cox from “Scrubs”… Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Hyde from “That 70’s Show”… the resemblance is uncanny.

With the 2015 season upon us, we’ve put together a whole new batch of Marlins lookalikes, starting with the obvious:

Christian Yelich = SNL cast member, Pete Davidson

IMG_5441

Fair skin, big smile, closely resembling a teenager… they’re basically one in the same.

Tom Koehler = actor, Jeff Daniels

IMG_5421With a resemblance like that, Koehler might as well add star of “Dumb and Dumber” to his resume.

David Phelps = actor Jason Statham

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Both Phelps and Statham have mastered the “Blue Steel” look. And check out those matching jawlines…

Andrew McKirahan = legendary Beatle, George Harrison

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Are we sure George Harrison isn’t still alive in the form of…

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Miami Marlins

Are the Marlins the real deal?

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Openers

Miami MarlinsGiancarlo Stanton and the Marlins are expected to make some noise in the National League East after a busy and productive winter. “I think they’ll make the playoffs.” “I don’t think they make the playoffs.” What do you think? Watch 120Sports.com to see what they think of Miami’s chances.

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