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My prospect post this week will not be as in depth as usual, but today I just wanted to highlight a few sleeper prospects that I plan to keep my eye on as they progress through the Miami Marlins system. I only have brief flashes of seeing them play along with their statistics to make these judgments, so there is no strict methodology in determining what makes each a sleeper. The methodology is simple: these guys are playing well and I like what I see. I have chosen four guys scattered across the system, and I passed over some others I liked but you guys don't have all day to read my thoughts so I capped it at four. I was also little loose with the term "sleeper" the only real hard criteria was that I did not see these guys on any top ten prospect lists for the Marlins organization.
Mason Davis, 2B, Batavia Muckdogs
Mason Davis was taken in the 19th round in the 2014 MLB Draft out of the Citadel. His junior year in college he hit .310/.366/.376 with 27 stolen bases. Generously listed at 5 feet 9 inches and 160 pounds, Davis is scrappy and embodies all the clichés that constitute a baseball player. The reviews I've read on his defense are mixed, but it sounds like most think he will be a solid defensive second basemen. Davis is also a switch hitter, which makes him even more intriguing. So far, in 40 games with Batavia, Davis has hit .325/ .405/.483 with 3 homeruns and 26 runs scored. This sample size is too small to really make any significant projections about how he might do when he moves up a level, but it is nice to see a player start to produce so early in his career. It appears there has been no adjustment period for Mason Davis. Before the season ends look for Davis to move up to Greensboro to continue his development.
Sean Townsley, SP, Greensboro Grasshoppers
Our own Sam Evans wrote a great piece about Townsley a few weeks ago, so I urge you to go check it out for a more in-depth look at him. A tall left-handed pitcher, he was a 25th round pick in 2013 out of nearby High Point University, and he has been fantastic during his brief career. In a starting and relief role this season Townsley has been nearly unhittable for the Grasshoppers. In 89 innings Townsley has a 2.22 ERA, and opponents are only hitting .232 against him. He has also posted a strikeout rate of 21.8 %, and a walk rate of only 4.5 % this season. If starting does not work out over the long-term, Townsley could find a role in the Miami bullpen sometime in the future.
Chad Wallach, C, Jupiter Hammerheads
Admittedly, this one is not much of a sleeper. I'm sure most of you know who Chad Wallach is, but I have not written anything on him this season so I felt like I should include him. Wallach was taken in the 5th round of the 2013 draft out of Cal State Fullerton, and is the son of former MLB player and current Dodgers coach Tim Wallach. He struggled during his short stint with Batavia last season, but exploded this year. Wallach began the year in Greensboro where he hit .342/.445/.508 with 7 homeruns and 41 RBI in 69 games. He was recently called up to High-A Jupiter and has continued to hit well, slashing .286/.410/.27 in his first 15 games. It will be interesting to see if Wallach can assert himself as the top catching prospect in the system over the next few seasons.
Justin Bohn, SS, Jupiter Hammerheads
Bohn was taken in the 7th round of the 2013 draft out of Feather River Junior College in California. He is a fast runner, a solid defensive shortstop, and so far his bat has been very good. He began the season at Greensboro where he played 63 games hitting .293/.397/.452. Bohn was then promoted to Juptier where he has not been quite as good, but still relatively productive batting .294/.341/.375 with 5 stolen bases in 39 games. Bohn's future may be that of a utility man if he ever finds his way onto the Marlins major league roster. His future all depends on the continued development of his bat.
There you have it. Four guys who many would not place on the Marlins top ten prospect list but that may have a shot somewhere down the line to reach the big leagues. I obviously left many others out who were worthy of attention, but these were on my mind of late. Now I turn to you Fish Stripers. Who are some of your favorite "sleeper" prospects? Let us know in the comments.