Where do baseball’s leading scouts and statheads rank 2018 Marlins prospects?

Fish Stripes managing editor Thomas Bennett calls it “Christmas all over again for baseball nerds.” Leading up to every new baseball season, the industry’s leading talent evaluators release their overall rankings of prospects with the brightest futures at the MLB level.

Unfortunately, Miami Marlins fans have had no reason to celebrate this particular holiday in recent years. The farm system previously lacked both depth and upside, prompting new ownership to flip the club’s established stars for minor leaguers this winter. Their youngsters have been consistently snubbed from this pre-spring training exercise...until now.

Entering 2018, Atlanta Braves fan Adam Herbert is curating “Composite Prospect Rankings,” converting players’ placements on each of the top prospect lists into point values. The following outlets are included (as of Feb. 5): Baseball America, Baseball Prospectus, ESPN, FanGraphs, MLB Pipeline and ZiPS.

Eight different Marlins have been featured on at least one list. Newly acquired outfielders Lewis Brinson and Monte Harrison are both consensus top-100 prospects.

The number next to each name indicates their composite ranking. Read below for detailed breakdowns of how individual outlets ranked them.

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23. OF Lewis Brinson

Photo by @FadeMartins/Twitter

Baseball America rank: #18

Baseball Prospectus rank: #18

ESPN rank: #32

FanGraphs rank: #13

MLB Pipeline rank: #27

ZiPS rank: #57

Further analysis from MLB Pipeline:

Brinson’s offensive ceiling is tantalizing, as he projects for an average bat with at least above-average power that could make him an annual 20-plus-homer threat at the highest level. He made considerable strides in his approach in 2017, as better plate discipline and pitch recognition resulted in improved on-base skills and fewer strikeouts. Brinson’s speed represents yet another plus tool and translates on the basepaths as well as in the outfield, where he’s spent the bulk of his time in center.

56. OF Monte Harrison

Baseball America rank: #75

Baseball Prospectus rank: #49

ESPN rank: #85

FanGraphs rank: #52

MLB Pipeline rank: #71

ZiPS rank: #31

Further analysis from MLB Pipeline:

Harrison has excellent bat speed and should develop at least average power as he matures and gains much-needed experience. His penchant for whiffing stems from a long swing and pitch-recognition issues, though his overall approach is solid. Harrison’s plus speed makes him a base-stealing threat as well as an above-average defender, either in center field or in right, where his cannon for an arm is a clean fit.

97. RHP Sandy Alcantara

Baseball America rank: #70

Baseball Prospectus rank: #70

ESPN rank: #87

FanGraphs rank: unranked

MLB Pipeline rank: unranked

ZiPS rank: unranked

Further analysis from MLB Pipeline:

Alcantara has had his velocity steadily increase over the last two seasons as he’s added good strength to his tall and wiry frame. He’ll frequently touch triple digits with his fastball and sits consistently in the 95-99 mph range with late movement. He features a pair of breaking balls in a fringy curveball and a hard, mid-80s slider that is an above-average, swing-and-miss pitch at its best. Alcantara also will show flashes with an 88-91 mph changeup, a potentially average-or-better offering that plays up due to his fast arm but is lacking in overall consistency.

115. 3B Brian Anderson

Baseball America rank: unranked

Baseball Prospectus rank: unranked

ESPN rank: unranked

FanGraphs rank: #82

MLB Pipeline rank: unranked

ZiPS rank: #69

Further analysis from MLB Pipeline:

Anderson’s right-handed swing has cleaned up nicely since signing, and he’s long showed good feel for finding the barrel along with a selective approach. Tall and athletic in the box, he knows how to create leverage and extension through the hitting zone, giving him at least average power potential, with above-average raw pop to his pull side. After bouncing between the infield and outfield in college and then working at both second and third base during his professional debut, Anderson has manned the hot corner exclusively since the start of 2015. His hands, range and plus arm are all fits at the position.

119. RHP Jorge Guzman

Baseball America rank: #87

Baseball Prospectus rank: unranked

ESPN rank: unranked

FanGraphs rank: #67

MLB Pipeline rank: unranked

ZiPS rank: unranked

Further analysis from MLB Pipeline:

With an extremely fast arm and without an excessive amount of effort in his delivery, Guzman can work with a 97-103 mph fastball as a starter. The downside is that he sometimes doesn’t know where his heater is going, especially when he crosses into triple digits. He also throws a power slider that lacks consistency and a changeup in its nascent stages.

120. OF Magneuris Sierra

Baseball America rank: unranked

Baseball Prospectus rank: #56

ESPN rank: unranked

FanGraphs rank: unranked

MLB Pipeline rank: unranked

ZiPS rank: unranked

Further analysis from MLB Pipeline:

While Sierra could stand to refine his approach and draw more walks, especially since he profiles as a top-of-the-order type hitter, he does have a knack for making consistent hard contact. He doesn’t have over-the-fence power, but Sierra has enough strength to hit the gaps. From there, his speed allows him to take extra bases and he should become a more efficient base-stealer as he progresses. Sierra is an elite-level defender in center field, the kind who regularly makes highlight-reel plays, and he has a plus arm to boot.

133. 2B/SS Isan Diaz

Baseball America rank: unranked

Baseball Prospectus rank: #85

ESPN rank: unranked

FanGraphs rank: #87

MLB Pipeline rank: unranked

ZiPS rank: unranked

Further analysis from MLB Pipeline:

Diaz’s plus bat speed and strong bat-to-ball skills from the left side enable him to make hard contact and drive the ball with authority across the whole field. The leverage he’s added to his swing since signing has allowed him to tap into his impressive raw power in games with greater consistency. Diaz’s aggressive approach yields quite a few whiffs, but is still advanced for his age...A fringy runner with good instincts on both sides of the ball, Diaz profiles as more of a second baseman than shortstop at the highest level, where his range, speed and arm strength are a cleaner fit.

167. LHP Braxton Garrett

Baseball America rank: unranked

Baseball Prospectus rank: unranked

ESPN rank: unranked

FanGraphs rank: #94

MLB Pipeline rank: unranked

ZiPS rank: unranked

Further analysis from MLB Pipeline:

Garrett’s curveball was regarded by scouts to be among the best in the 2016 Draft class. It’s a true plus offering, thrown at 76-80 mph with tight spin and great depth, and he demonstrates feel for moving it in and out of the zone as needed. Garrett creates good plane and pounds the zone with his 90-94 mph fastball, and it’s easy to envision a bit more velocity in his future as he matures physically. His changeup, once fully developed, should serve as a third above-average-or-better offering, all of which stand to play up thanks to his advanced command.

169. LHP Dillon Peters

Baseball America rank: unranked

Baseball Prospectus rank: unranked

ESPN rank: unranked

FanGraphs rank: unranked

MLB Pipeline rank: unranked

ZiPS rank: #95

Further analysis from MLB Pipeline:

What Peters lacks in size, he more than makes up for with a combination of stuff, pitchability and competitiveness. The left-hander’s velocity ticked up in 2016, as he sat at 92-94 mph, touching 96, after pitching with an average fastball as an amateur. What’s more, Peters throws the pitch with good sinking action and maintains his velocity deep into starts. Peters’ tight, 76-80 mph curveball grades as above average and is effective against right- and left-handed hitters alike, and he also can get outs with his deceptive circle changeup, an average pitch that he masks nicely with fastball-like arm action.