The tradition lives on. Every year here at Fish Stripes, I keep tabs on players in the Marlins organization who are spending a portion of their MLB/MiLB offseason competing in professional winter leagues. Here is the final roundup for the winter of 2022-23.
Dominican Winter League (LIDOM)
FINAL REGULAR SEASON STATS
- RHP Huascar Brazoban (Gigantes del Cibao)—6.1 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 6 BB, 10 K, 1 HR (2.84 ERA)
- SS/2B Alex De Goti (Leones del Escogido)—65 PA, .161/.277/.214, 9 H, 0 RBI, 9 BB, 15 K
- LHP Enmanuel De Jesús (Estrellas Orientales)—15.0 IP, 12 H, 8 ER, 6 BB, 24 K, 3 HR (4.80 ERA)
- OF Bryan De La Cruz (Toros del Este)—136 PA, .234/.301/.331, 19 H, 1 HR, 9 RBI, 11 BB, 32 K
- OF/1B Jerar Encarnación (Águilas Cibaeñas)—96 PA, .333/.438/.513, 26 H, 3 HR, 17 RBI, 16 BB, 23 K
Absolutely EPIC walk-off home run by Jerar Encarnación! pic.twitter.com/FANQ37z40u
— Fish Stripes (@fishstripes) November 7, 2022
- RHP Geoff Hartlieb (Águilas Cibaeñas)—13.1 IP, 11 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 15 K, 1 HR (2.03 ERA)
- INF Charles Leblanc (Tigres del Licey)—36 PA, .281/.333/.469, 9 H, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 2 BB, 11 K
- UTIL Dalvy Rosario (Tigres del Licey)—3 PA, .000/.333/.000, 0 H, 0 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K
- OF Jesús Sánchez (Toros del Este)—121 PA, .257/.331/.367, 28 H, 1 HR, 9 RBI, 12 BB, 24 K
Jesús Sánchez steals 2nd...and just keeps running pic.twitter.com/kei0E8wAq4
— Fish Stripes (@fishstripes) November 17, 2022
Brazoban put himself on the Marlins’ radar last winter by pitching as well as any LIDOM reliever (0.46 ERA, 0.81 WHIP in 19.2 IP). After a bumpy start to this campaign, he closed out the regular season with seven straight scoreless relief appearances.
Encarnación was tied for seventh among LIDOM players in runs batted in. He would’ve led the entire league in several rate stats if he received enough playing time to qualify. He finished runner-up in the voting for the 2022 Rookie of the Year award (behind Blue Jays prospect Rainer Núñez). Of Encarnación’s 35 total games played—regular season and postseason combined—he made 10 starts at first base. His bat was not nearly as impactful during the postseason (.200/.289/.250 in 45 PA).
De Goti, De Jesús and Hartlieb each committed to play winter ball as minor league free agents. It’s unclear how their performances may have factored into the Marlins’ decisions to sign them.
Venezuelan Winter League (LVBP)
FINAL REGULAR SEASON STATS
- 1B Edward Duran (Caribes de Anzoátegui)—1 PA, 1.000/1.000/2.000, 1 H, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 0 BB, 0 K
- UTIL Javier Sanoja (Cardenales de Lara)—123 PA, .268/.298/.348, 26 H, 0 HR, 17 RBI, 5 BB, 3 K
Barely any strikeouts for Sanoja. It’s a contact-oriented league (14.6 K% overall), but the 20-year-old stood out even under those circumstances. One of three finalists for Venezuela’s Rookie of the Year award, he got additional reps during the playoffs (slashed .200/.214/.200 in 43 PA).
Australian Baseball League (ABL)
FINAL REGULAR SEASON STATS
- RHP Cody Mincey (Melbourne Aces)—40.1 IP, 30 H, 15 ER, 12 BB, 25 K, 8 HR (3.35 ERA)
- UTIL J.D. Osborne (Melbourne Aces)—125 PA, .243/.320/.396, 19 H, 4 HR, 16 RBI, 8 BB, 23 K
Mincey has worked at least five innings in all of his starts this winter. He’s throwing nearly two-thirds of his pitches for strikes. A lousy relief appearance on January 13 took him out of the running for the ABL’s ERA title.
Osborne’s latest series against Perth went a long way toward turning around his season, boosting his offensive numbers to approximately league average. He’s been primarily playing first base, with occasional reps at catcher, third base and left field.
Nicaraguan Winter League (LBPN)
FINAL REGULAR SEASON STATS
- C Kevin Novoa (Indios del Bóer)—19 PA, .222/.211/.222, 4 H, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 0 BB, 4 K
During his first career start in the league, the 18-year-old Novoa went 3-for-3 and caught a runner attempting to steal. He was winter ball teammates with his older brother, Melvin.
Puerto Rican Winter League (LBPRC)
FINAL REGULAR SEASON STATS
- RHP Anthony Maldonado (Criollos de Caguas)—8.2 IP, 12 H, 6 ER, 3 BB, 10 K, 1 HR (6.23 ERA)
- 1B Norel González (Cangrejeros de Santurce)—25 PA, .182/.280/.318, 3 H, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 9 K
- C Jan Mercado (RA12)—92 PA, .188/.293/.338, 15 H, 2 HR, 11 RBI, 9 BB, 33 K
Miami Marlins minor leaguer Jan Mercado and George Bell Jr. homer, to give RA12 a 4-0 lead over Ponce after 4 innings.#LBPRC⚾️ pic.twitter.com/xo4PYqS6Yg
— Edwin Hernández Jr. (@LBPRCinEnglish) November 6, 2022
A somewhat disappointing performance for Maldonado. Two years ago, he recorded clutch outs for LBPRC’s title-winning team en route to the Caribbean Series, but he was far more hittable this time around.
González only suited up for Santurce beginning in late December.
Mexican Pacific League (LMP)
FINAL REGULAR SEASON STATS
- C Santiago Chávez (Charros De Jalisco)—89 PA, .253/.289/.316, 20 H, 0 HR, 4 RBI, 3 BB, 20 K
This was Chávez’s seventh straight winter playing for Jalisco and one of his best as a hitter (though that’s a low bar to clear).
Caribbean Series
- RHP Cody Mincey (Curacao)—13.0 IP, 13 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, 0 HR (3.46 ERA)
Mincey's swinging strikeout to end a scoreless 2nd inning pic.twitter.com/6hBWszvLil
— Fish Stripes Prospects Coverage (@FishProspects) February 2, 2023
The U.S.-born Mincey tells Fish Stripes that he pitched for Curacao in Serie del Caribe because of his history with the team’s pitching coach. He had opportunities to win both of his starts, but the bullpen couldn’t hold up their end of the bargain.
Caribbean Baseball Cup
- SS Cherif Neymour (Bahamas)—16 PA, .231/.375/.231, 3 H, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 4 K
- OF Toby Simmons (Bahamas)—12 PA, .222/.333/.333, 2 H, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 6 K
The Bahamas won their opening game of the tournament against the U.S. Virgin Islands, but lost the other five (mainly due to poor run prevention). Neymour (17 years old) and Simmons (just turned 18 on December 2) were among the youngest players on their team.
Arizona Fall League
FINAL REGULAR SEASON STATS (all Marlins players were teammates on the Mesa Solar Sox)
- C Cameron Barstad—17 PA, .231/.412/.231, 3 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 2 BB, 8 K
- LHP Justin Fall—14.2 IP, 24 H, 23 ER, 16 BB, 7 K, 4 HR (14.11 ERA)
Justin Fall striking out the side in the 4th inning of yesterday's AFL game
— Fish Stripes Prospects Coverage (@FishProspects) October 16, 2022
Used his whole pitch mix here (4-seamer, slider, changeup and sinker) pic.twitter.com/019QR0cEu7
- RHP Holt Jones—18.1 IP, 22 H, 15 ER, 17 BB, 12 K, 2 HR (7.36 ERA)
- LHP Chandler Jozwiak—11.2 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 7 BB, 18 K, 0 HR (3.86 ERA)
- C Joe Mack—72 PA, .230/.347/.459, 12 H, 4 HR, 7 RBI, 10 BB, 23 K
From yesterday, here's #Marlins catcher Joe Mack throwing out a runner attempting to steal. pic.twitter.com/qXlQXA1Y5v
— Josh Norris (@jnorris427) October 11, 2022
- RHP Jorge Mercedes—6.0 IP, 7 H, 15 ER, 16 BB, 11 K, 1 HR (22.50 ERA)
Marlins RHP Jorge Mercedes once again brings the heat. Sat 98-99 T100 twice.
— Josh Norris (@jnorris427) October 12, 2022
- OF Victor Mesa Jr.—67 PA, .207/.313/.431, 12 H, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 8 BB, 14 K
- INF José Salas—67 PA, .224/.344/.340, 13 H, 0 HR, 7 RBI, 8 BB, 12 K
Salas was the Marlins’ lone representative at the AFL Fall Stars Game.
Jozwiak was the most encouraging story on the pitching side. Opponents scored against him in only two of his nine appearances.
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