Fresh Fish News, 2/24/19: Full squad workouts, first Spring Training game, more season previews

With Spring Training games officially starting this weekend, fans and media alike got to see the Miami Marlins in action. Over the next few weeks leading up to Opening Day, hopefully we will get answers on which of the younger players will emerge as building blocks for the franchise during the second year of the rebuild.

Marlins Lose in First Spring Training Game

The Marlins began their Grapefruit League schedule against the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday. Moments that stuck out most from the 11-1 loss include Lewis Brinson’s two great plate appearances (a double and a walk), Víctor Víctor Mesa’s first at-bat and Sandy Alcántara throwing two scoreless innings. It was an important step for Alcántara who’s looking to emerge from the large pool of candidates to claim a rotation spot.

The Marlins may have lost convincingly (doomed by their bullpen), but who can really be mad about that when Marlins baseball is finally back! That means the return of our game recaps and the introduction of a 2019 Player of the Game leaderboard. Check them out:

JT Riddle Crushing Baseballs at Batting Practice

JT Riddle has yet to prove himself as the everyday starting shortstop for the Marlins because of his past injuries, but coming into Spring Training healthy would benefit him. So far, so good.

Here’s to hoping he turns his batting practice monster shots into homers at Marlins Park. Don’t try to do too much, otherwise the bat might slip out of your hands, as we saw from Riddle last season.

Marlins Captain’s Camp Concludes

Many of the top Marlins prospects spent the past three weeks together at the second annual Captain’s Camp. Organized by Gary Denbo with a cameo from Derek Jeter himself, the leadership seminar prepared them for major league life, on and off the field.

Participants this year included Nick Neidert, Will Banfield and Trevor Rogers, with newly acquired pitchers Sixto Sánchez and Will Stewart joining midway through.

One of the final big activities was a cooking competition that divided the group into three-man teams. Jorge Guzman, Osiris Johnson and Connor Scott got the victory.

Photo by @Marlins/Twitter

Liván Hernández Celebrates His 44th Birthday

The Former Florida Marlins pitcher Liván Hernández celebrated his 44th birthday on Feb. 20. How can we forget his couple of seasons in Florida as well as him dominating in the 1997 postseason as a rookie!

He also earned the World Series MVP award that year.

Hernández remains connected to the Marlins franchise, occasionally appearing at reunions and community events.

Updated MLB Pipeline Marlins Top Prospects List

MLB Pipeline released their new 2019 Marlins Top 30 prospects list. Sánchez and Stewart are on the list at #1 and #22, respectively.

Those two moving to the top prospects list after being acquired just goes to show how the Marlins continue to add to their flourishing farm system.

Speaking of prospects, Adam McInturff of 2080 Baseball was the latest guest on the Fish Bites podcast. He provided detailed reports on the most exciting young talent in the organization and his long-term expectations for them.

Marlins Season Preview Series Going Strong

The Marlins Season Preview series continues to shine the spotlight on the many players who could have a major league impact during the upcoming season. Latest articles focus on Rosell Herrera, Peter O’Brien and Isan Díaz. Excellent analysis so far by Ely Sussman, Jose Miranda, Josean Santos, Daniel Martinez and the rest of the staff.

Find them all here.

As we continue into Spring Training, stay tuned to Fish Stripes for more stories and news regarding your Miami Marlins!