The Marlins have been a farm system that has gone through ups and downs in the last few years. The team has recently produced a plethora of promising pitching prospects such as Eury Perez, Edward Cabrera, Braxton Garrett, and the resurgence of Jesus Luzardo. The Marlins have lacked a top-hitting prospect in recent years as they’ve missed both in the draft and internationally. Headlined by some more young pitching, here are some of the prospects looking to turn that around starting in 2024.
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Top Marlins Prospects
The Top Tier
1) Noble Meyer – SP, 19 YO
2023 MiLB Stats(ROK/A): 11.0 IP/4.09 ERA/29.4 K%/13.7 BB%
The 10th overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, Meyer was regarded as the best high school pitcher in the draft by most evaluators. Meyer is electric, his fastball is what draws attention as he has hit triple digits but lives in the mid to upper 90s. His fastball was his best and most consistent pitch for the Marlins in 2023 as he was blowing it by a lot of hitters. His fastball was living from 92-95 in Low-A and his slider wasn’t breaking as sharp at times in Low-A. That being said, Meyer has a slider that is arguably his best pitch in terms of movement. He adds a changeup that is a good third pitch but will need to develop to become a consistent frontline starter. Meyer has an athletic and repeatable delivery that looks smooth and allows him to throw confidently.
Another large prospect at 6’5, Meyer is only 185 pounds and hopefully gains more muscle to disregard durability commands. Meyer may also see a consistent uptick in fastball velocity if he can get to around 200 pounds. Meyer looked a little raw at times in his Low-A games, which may have led to the 7 walks in just 11 innings. With any high school pitcher, projection is the key and Meyer might have the most of any young pitcher in the minor leagues.
2) Thomas White – SP, 19 YO
2023 MiLB Stats(ROK/A): 4.1 IP/6.23 ERA/29.2 K%/25.0 BB%
The second high school arm taken by the Marlins in the 2023 draft, Thomas White hails from Phillips Academy in Massachusetts where he struck out 95 batters in 42 innings. Tomas White is a lanky left-handed arm that stands 6’5 with a good three-pitch mix that gives him #2 starter potential. He only pitched 4.1 innings in 2023 for the Marlins at both the Rookie and Low-A level. In those 4.1 innings, White allowed six free passes pointing to a potential command issue in the future. White has a long delivery that he repeats well but it could be adjusted for better command if he continues to struggle.
White has a fastball that lives in the low to mid-90s and has reached the upper 90s, this is his best pitch but his curveball and changeup are solid offerings as well. His curveball is a big breaking slow pitch that sits in the low 80s. Lastly, White has a good changeup that has solid movement that should develop well as a third offering. There is a lot of projection with White as a lot of his game is raw, but the Marlins have been great at developing pitching as best as possible.
3) Max Meyer – SP, 24 YO
2023 MiLB Stats: N/A
One of the top pitching prospects over the last few years, Meyer established himself after a dominant 2021 season between Double and Triple-A. After his breakout in 2021, Meyer put together a solid season in 2022 but only saw 6 MLB innings due to requiring Tommy John surgery. Missing the entire 2023 season, Meyer is poised to come back and reach his front-of-the-rotation potential. Meyer has potentially three plus pitches, with his best pitch being his slider that lives in the upper 80s. He backs up his slider with a plus mid to upper 90s fastball and has an above-average changeup to keep hitters off balance. Meyer has a good arsenal to pitch at the top of a rotation but the stacked Marlins pitching staff will have him pitching every 4th or 5th day.
With Sandy Alcantara, Eury Perez, and Jesus Luzardo headlining the Marlins rotation, Meyer will look to slot in as the fourth starter for Miami. The biggest concern is how the stuff will rebound from Tommy John, as Meyer won’t spend any time in the Minor Leagues outside of rehabbing back to full strength.
4) Victor Mesa Jr. – OF, 22 YO
2023 Stats (AA):.242/.308/.412/18 HR/16 SB/22.9 K%/7.7 BB%
In an eventful saga between his brother and the Marlins in 2023, Victor Mesa Jr. enjoyed a solid season for the former top international signing. Victor Mesa Jr. finally saw his power translate to the homerun category, as he tallied a career-high 18 at the Double-A level in 2023. Adding in 16 steals, Mesa Jr. looked to be living up to his potential as a 20-20 threat. Mesa Jr. utilizes a big leg kick to add power to his swing but it doesn’t throw off his timing. When he pulls the ball, which he did 36.6% of the time in 2023, his swing looks smooth and powerful.
Mesa Jr. has good speed that has yet to translate to plus stolen base numbers but it has shown up defensively. With a sub .300 BABIP in his last two seasons, all signs point to a potentially big 2024. An aggressive hitter, Mesa Jr. doesn’t draw a ton of walks and has stuck out over 100 times in each of his last three seasons. With steady improvement each year since he debuted in 2019, Mesa Jr. will look to continue his improvement to a monster breakout in 2024.
5) Kemp Alderman – OF, 21 YO
2023 Stats (A):.205/.286/.316/1 HR/4 SB/29.3 K%/5.3 BB%
Power, power, and more power is what Kemp Alderman is going to provide. Alderman struggled to start his professional career but has the chance to be one of the top bats in the Marlins system. A physically imposing player at 6’3, 250 pounds, Alderman has a swing very similar to Orioles power-hitting prospect Coby Mayo. Alderman keeps his hands down slightly lower than Mayo, but both keep their bodies compact, load up, and swing hard.
Alderman has been a bit of a wildcard on the diamond as he played outfield, and catcher and even pitched briefly at Ole Miss. The flexibility just adds to the profile for Alderman even if he turns into strictly a power hitter. Alderman had his best season at Ole Miss in 2023 where he hit 19 home runs with a slash of .376/.440/.709. The Marlins saw enough to draft him 47th overall but his Ole Miss success didn’t carry over to 34 game Low-A debut. Alderman slashed just .205/.286/.316 and only one home run for Low-A Jupiter with 39 strikeouts and 7 walks. The power and strikeouts are going to be consistent with Alderman but his ability to hit for average and get on base is going to determine if he’s an everyday player.
6) Dax Fulton – SP, 22 YO
2023 MiLB Stats(AA): 33 IP/5.18 ERA/26.4 K%/12.8 BB%
A lanky lefty that saw an uptick in stuff should always catch the eye of prospectors and that’s exactly what 2022 was for Dax Fulton. Unfortunately, Fulton underwent Tommy John in June and will be out for most of the 2024 season. Investing in players coming off Tommy John is always a risk but is a big durable body that can rack up the strikeouts. Fulton saw a lot more success at Double-A to end his season in 2022 compared to his start of 2023. Safe to assume that Tommy John was bothering him prior to his surgery to explain the significantly worse numbers.
Fulton has a good arsenal of pitches that include a nasty curveball with a big looping late break that often freezes left-handed hitters. His fastball sits in the low to mid 90’s and has touched as high as 97 but there isn’t much movement. Adding in a slider that can flash plus and a changeup to keep hitters off balance, Fulton has the stuff to become a consistent 3 starter with dominant Blake Snell-like starts every now and then. Being as tall as he is, Fulton has a smooth delivery that is easily repeatable. The biggest question mark for Fulton is how his stuff rebounds from Tommy John surgery. Once healthy, Fulton has the opportunity to move quickly as he has 54 innings at Double-A already.
7) Troy Johnston – 1B, 26 YO
2023 Stats (AA/AAA):.307/.399/.549/26 HR/24 SB/18.0 K%/10.3 BB%
An older prospect, Johnston has been a consistent hitter that lacked a plus output, but that changed in 2023. Johnston has been solid from 2019-2022 but lacked a tool that could quickly get him to Miami. 2023 was not only a breakout year for Johnston but it looked to be the year he would finally see some time in Miami. A .296 Double-A and .323 Triple-A average combined with a .396 and .403 OBP over a full season should have given him a cup of coffee for a struggling offense in 2023. But Johnston spent his season between Double and Triple-A, hitting 11 more home runs and stealing 18 more bases than his previous career highs. Johnston also added a career-high 116 RBI in 2023, due to a .324 average with RISP and 2 outs.
Prior to going almost 25-25, Johnston was still a solid prospect who provided good OBP numbers. There’s a lot to like about the approach from Johnston as his 2023 breakout season didn’t see a dip in average or jump in strikeout percentage. Johnston has proved all he can in the minor leagues and should be given a chance in spring training to win a spot on the 2024 Miami Marlins.
Prospects Dynasty Managers Should Know
8) Jacob Miller – SP, 20 YO
2023 MiLB Stats(ROK/A): 64.0 IP/4.36 ERA/20.9 K%/10.3 BB%
A second-round pick in 2022, Miller has struggled a bit to start his career as he’s been slowed down by injury. Miller has average stuff with his best pitch being a low 80’s curveball with a good amount of late movement. Shoulder fatigue may have affected his ability to throw his breaking stuff for strikes as often as he wanted but when those pitches worked, he looked like a promising starter.
9) Jacob Berry – 3B, 22 YO
2023 MiLB Stats (A+/AA):.233/.284/.388/9 HR/10 SB/20.5 K%/5.3 BB%
The highly touted former 6th overall pick, Berry has yet to live up to that potential. A college bat that hit .352 at Arizona and .370 at LSU has yet to hit above .248 in a full season of professional experience. Berry hasn’t tapped into his power despite being 6’0, 215, as he’s only hit 12 home runs in 144 games. Berry is coming off an AFL where he hit 2 home runs, paired with a .265/.325/.441 slash line. If he can keep improving, we might see him become a .260/.330/.400 hitter that can add 15-20 home runs a year.
10) Brock Vradenburg – 1B, 21 YO
2023 MiLB Stats (A):.236/.368/.291/1 HR/3 SB/27.8 K%/16.5 BB%
Vradenburg is a large ballplayer at 6/7, 230 pounds but he isn’t the stereotypical power hitter. A breakout 2023 season at Michigan State where he hit .400 with 13 home runs put Vradenburg on the map. Vradenburg controls the zone well for a big hitter as he walked more than he struck out in his final season at Michigan State. Despite a high strikeout percentage in his professional debut, the hope is that the 2023 Michigan State version of Vradenburg is what the Marlins can tap into.
11) Yiddi Cappe – 2B, 21 YO
2023 MiLB Stats (A):.220/.250/.308/5 HR/18 SB/19.0 K%/3.4 BB%
Cappe was one of my picks to break out in 2023 and he looked to be a top prospect in April where he slashed .303/.353/.526 with 3 of his 5 homeruns. The rest of the season was one to forget for Cappe as he hit .170 in May, .233 in both June and July, .197 in August, and .191 in September. An aggressive hitter, Cappe rarely walks and is the main improvement needed in 2024.
12) Karson Milbrandt – SP, 19 YO
2023 MiLB Stats(A/A+): 95.1 IP/5.00 ERA/21.9 K%/11.8 BB%
Selected in the 3rd round in 2022, Milbrandt is raw but has a plus fastball to head his arsenal. A low to mid 90’s fastball that has high spin rates, Milbrandt has touched the upper 90s and may live there if he can add some weight to his 6’2 frame. Average secondary offerings with inconsistent command have limited his success in his short professional career. Milbrandt has potential and will be 20 for the entire 2024 season giving him plenty of time to hone his command and improve his other pitches.
13) Javier Sanoja – UTIL, 21 YO
2023 MiLB Stats (A):.298/.348/.388/4 HR/37 SB/7.3 K%/7.3 BB%
A small prospect at just 5’7 and 160 pounds, Sanoja won’t provide much in the power department. With a good feel and aggressive approach, Sanoja rarely strikes out or walks. Speed is his best tool as he swiped 37 bags in 2023. Much of the success from Sanoja will rely on his ability to hit for contact, which he improved tremendously in 2023. Double-A should provide a true test for the young utility man to see if he can be a top-of-the-order hitter.
14) Ike Buxton – SP/RP, 23 YO
2023 MiLB Stats(A/A+/AA): 77 IP/2.45 ERA/22.5 K%/13.2 BB%
Buxton isn’t a true relief pitcher as most of his outings were long relief or true starts around 5-6 innings. He rose quickly in 2023 from Low-A to Double-A and succeeded at every stop of the way as both a starter and reliever. Buxton battled command issues in most of his outings, including his short relief stints. He played in the AFL where command continued to be an issue. Buxton is an arm to watch but his role is TBD as he is mostly a two-pitch pitcher.
15) Nigel Belgrave – RP, 21 YO
2023 MiLB Stats(ROK/A): 11.1 IP/3.18 ERA/34.0 K%/20.0 BB%
A 15th-round pick in 2023, Belgrave is a true relief pitcher as he throws only a slider and a fastball. A mid 90’s fastball and upper 80’s slider, both are above-average pitches that have continued to improve. The college numbers for Belgrave won’t impress anyone but the Marlins took a chance on the stuff. Command issues at Maryland continued into his professional career as he continued to walk just around a batter per inning. For Belgrave to lock down a high-leverage role, the command will need to improve.
The Next Five
Although these prospects do not crack the top 15, dynasty managers should keep their eye on these five players.
Antony Peguero – 18 YO- A promising 2022 in the DSL, followed by a down FCL 2023, Peguero has power/speed potential if he can limit the swing and miss.
Andres Valor – 18 YO – 6’3, 180 pounds, Valor handled the DSL with ease putting up a .294/.360/.466 with 5 home runs, 21 steals, and 55 strikeouts in 204 at-bats.
Fabian Lopez – 18 YO – Another 2023 DSL Marlin, Lopez is a switch-hitting shortstop who can provide something in every category.
Jose Gerardo – 18 YO – A huge 2022 in the DSL, Gerardo hit .284 with a .417 OBP, 11 home runs, and 18 steals but struggled to limit the swing and miss in 2023 at the FCL level.
Juan De La Cruz – 18 YO – A pitcher with raw stuff, De La Cruz lives in the mid-90s with three solid offerings that give him a chance to stick as a starter.
Feature image by Michael Packard (@CollectingPack on Twitter)