Marlins' top five prospect tools: Future power

Unfortunately, the Marlins have an extreme lack of power hitters in their farm system these days, as evidenced by their current five-best power hitters. However, that doesn't mean a few of these players don't have the potential to hit for impressive power in the future.

Mark Canha

Canha is the prototypical college first basemen who was drafted fairly late, but early enough to prove that the organization think there's something there. Drafted in the 7th round of the 2010 draft out of Cal, Canha has had a roller coaster last couple years in the minors. His home run numbers have fluctuated from year to year, and while a lot of that has to be attributed to the ballparks he's played in, Canha has had abnormal stretches where he has been completely bereft of power. Another name I would have considered for this fifth spot would be Kolby Copeland, but it's hard to grade someone who hasn't been playing.

Derek Dietrich

Dietrich, 24, has already proven that he is the player on this list with slugging numbers in 2013 was closest to what should be expected of him down the line. Dietrich's 20 home runs between Double-A and the Majors were not telling of all the struggles he had last season, but the power was definitely there. Dietrich is the smallest player on this list but his power has tempted scouts in the past to wonder if he could make a better fit at third base. He's never going to be a middle of the order bat, but if Dietrich can keep hitting for power, he'll find a place in a Major League lineup sooner rather than later.

Colin Moran

Moran should give Marlins fans hope about their future at third base. Drafted in the first round of the 2013 draft, Moran is an experienced and advanced hitter who isn't all that far from the Majors. Moran is extremely smart at the plate and he knows how to work pitchers until he gets a pitch he likes. It's fairly unlikely that Moran's ever going to be the type of third baseman to hit more than 25 bombs a year but paired with a great average and on-base percentage, he'll become a dynamic hitter. Moran is on this list not because he'll ever be known as a power hitter, but simply because with how solid of a hitter he is in all aspects, the home runs are not going to be an issue for him.

Austin Dean

Dean is a 6'1'' 190 lb. outfielder that was selected by the Marlins out of high school in the fourth round of the 2012 draft. A very athletic looking player, Dean looks like he could put on some more weight and strength in the near future and it could have a dramatic effect on what kind of hitter he is. Dean hit 20 homers in two seasons of high school ball, but his power has yet to translate to games in Batavia and Greensboro. Dean is another hitter where his current power tool if far from where his potential can be. Hopefully, the Marlins coaches will work with Dean on using more of his power and he'll start to show that he can be one of the more dynamic young bats in the Marlins farm system in 2014.

K.J. Woods

Drafted in the fourth round of the 2013 draft, K.J. Woods is a physically imposing outfielder that's only going to get stronger. A 6'4'' 230 lb. left-handed hitting outfielder, Woods hit six home runs his senior year in high school. Obviously, he has only begun to tap into all of his power and he still is going to need to make a lot of adjustments to his swing in order to be successful at higher levels. Nonetheless, Woods power ceiling rivals the top players taken in last year's draft class. In fact, Nathan Rode of Baseball America tweeted that he knew a scout who put Woods' raw power at a 70. It will remain to be seen whether or not Woods will be able to tap into all of this power and if he'll have to move to first base, but K.J. Woods could end up being one of the steals of the 2013 draft class.