Earning Their Stripes: Week 19, Part II

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Congrats to Jeff Lindgren and Gabe Bierman on winning Pitcher of the Week honors from the Double-A South and Low-A Southeast leagues, respectively.

Marlins minor league affiliates went a combined 9-6 on Friday, Saturday and Sunday:

• Triple-A—Charlotte 5, Jacksonville 1; Charlotte 1, Jacksonville 2 (F/7); Charlotte 2, Jacksonville 1 (F/8)
• Double-A—Biloxi 4, Pensacola 2; Biloxi 0, Pensacola 6; Biloxi 2, Pensacola 3
• High-A—South Bend 5, Beloit 6; South Bend 0, Beloit 4; South Bend 7, Beloit 6
• Low-A—Daytona 1, Jupiter 7 (F/7); Daytona 12, Jupiter 2; Daytona 3, Jupiter 2
• U.S. Rookie—FCL Marlins 11; FCL Cardinals 5
• D.R. Rookie—DSL Marlins 10, DSL Indians Blue 7; DSL Marlins 7, DSL Athletics 1

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Triple-A Jacksonville (65-49)

Friday’s starting pitcher RHP Jason Alexander: 2.0 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 5 K

Saturday’s Game 1 starting pitcher LHP Braxton Garrett: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R (0 ER), 3 BB, 7 K

Saturday’s Game 2 starting pitcher LHP Brandon Leibrandt: 5.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K

Braxton Garrett’s combined workload with Jacksonville and the Marlins this season is up to 106 ²⁄₃ innings. That matches his 2019 total. Garrett just turned 24, but it’s difficult to envision where his career goes from here unless the velocity and command of his fastball improves.

Despite their impressive .570 winning percentage, the Shrimp have been eliminated from Triple-A championship contention.

Double-A Pensacola (56-53)

Friday’s starting pitcher LHP Will Stewart: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R (3 ER), 0 BB, 6 K, 1 HR

Saturday’s starting pitcher RHP Jeff Lindgren: 7.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 10 K

Sunday’s starting pitcher LHP Antonio Velez: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 9 K

We need to highlight Antonio Velez. He has allowed only one earned run over his last six starts dating back to Beloit. Here at Double-A, the Florida native no longer has an age or experience advantage over his competition, yet continues to shove. Even with all the pitching depth in the Marlins organization, he’ll contend for a 2022 major league spring training invite.

This is the first time in several months that JJ Bleday’s batting average is comfortably above the Mendoza line (.212). His offensive performance overall is surging up near league average in terms of weighted runs created plus (98 wRC+).

High-A Beloit (53-61)

Friday’s starting pitcher RHP Bryan Hoeing: 5.0 IP, 9 H, 4 R (2 ER), 0 BB, 4 K

Saturday’s starting pitcher RHP Eury Pérez: 5.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K

Sunday’s starting pitcher RHP George Soriano: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 3 K, 1 HR

The presumptive Marlins Minor League Pitcher of the Year, Eury Pérez retired 14 of the 16 batters he faced.

Sidelined for four days after taking a hit by pitch on the wrist/forearm, Connor Scott returned to active Sunday as the Snappers’ designated hitter.

Low-A Jupiter (60-52)

Friday’s starting pitcher RHP Gabe Bierman: 5.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 10 K

Saturday’s starting pitcher RHP Jesse Bergin: 2.1 IP, 8 H, 8 ER, 3 BB, 1 K, 1 HR

Sunday’s starting pitcher RHP Evan Fitterer: 3.2 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K

Fourth-round draft pick Tanner Allen sticks out, both for his miniscule strikeout rate (13.2 K%) and his poor batting average on balls in play (.218 BABIP).

It’ll be critical for Sean Reynolds to refine his control, but the former first baseman’s tendency to prevent homers has been encouraging:

FCL Marlins (23-26)

Friday’s starting pitcher RHP Yaqui Rivera: 3.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K

Yaqui Rivera’s first two stateside outings have been nearly identical.

Kyler Castillo had what I believe is the only five-hit game for a Marlins complex league player in 2021.

DSL Marlins (17-24)

Friday’s starting pitcher RHP Kendry Montesino: 3.0 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 K

Saturday’s starting pitcher RHP Stiven Almanzar: 4.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K

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2021 Marlins MiLB Leaders (entering September 13)

• Hits: Troy Johnston, 122
• Home Runs: Griffin Conine, 36
• Stolen Bases: Nasim Nuñez, 33
• wRC+ (among qualifiers): Johnston, 138
• Innings Pitched: Bryan Hoeing, 114.0
• Strikeouts: Kyle Nicolas, 131
• ERA (min. 60 IP): Eury Pérez, 1.58
• FIP (min. 60 IP): Jake Eder, 2.48