Best Marlins prospect performances through 2 weeks of 2022 MiLB season

Fish Stripes will be starting off every new week of the Minor League Baseball season by posting updated leaderboards for Marlins MiLB players. I have selected a handful of key categories for hitting and pitching prospects. Beneath the stats, I have embedded homemade highlight reels of players who performed particularly well during their previous series.

The threshold to qualify for the leaderboards is pretty low—it’s the number of weeks we are into the regular season multiplied by 10 plate appearances/batters faced.

Hitting Leaders (min. 20 PA)

• Weighted Runs Created Plus—Paul McIntosh (307 wRC+), Kahlil Watson (227), Davis Bradshaw (202), Lorenzo Quintana (180), Charles Leblanc (168)
• Home Runs—Watson (4 HR), Peyton Burdick (3), Hayden Cantrelle (3), Quintana (3)
• Batting Average on Balls in Play—McIntosh (.632 BABIP), Watson (.545), Cameron Barstad (.500), Luis Aviles Jr. (.471), Jerar Encarnación (.455)
• Stolen Bases—Nasim Nuñez (5 SB), Ray Patrick-Didder (4), Burdick (3), Cantrelle (3), Erik Gonzalez (3), Víctor Víctor Mesa (3)
• Strikeout Rate—Quintana (11.9 K%), Nick Fortes (12.1%), Cobie Fletcher-Vance (13.9%), Bradshaw (14.3%), Tanner Allen (16.0%)

Who’s Hot?

In 2021, the Durham Bulls had one of the best pitching staffs in the minors, but you wouldn’t know it from watching what Peyton Burdick just did to them. The Wright State University outfielder reached base safely 12 times in the five games he played last week. He came around to score 10 runs.

Willians Astudillo raked in the three games he played (.429/.500/.714, 0 SO in 16 PA).

Who’s Not?

Practically the entire Sky Carp lineup is struggling outside of Tanner Allen. The team collectively owns a cringeworthy .161/.243/.268 slash line, striking out in 32% of their plate appearances in the frigid Midwest League. Leadoff man Nasim Nuñez has only one hit in eight games played.

Osiris Johnson (Jupiter) again seems stuck on the development path. The 21-year-old boasts a career .890 OPS in rookie ball, but a .521 OPS at Low-A (.392 OPS so far in 2022).

Pitching Leaders (min. 20 BF)

• Earned Run Average—Robert Garcia (0.00), Bryan Hoeing (0.00), Patrick Monteverde (0.00), Zach Pop (0.00), Zach King (0.90)
• Innings Pitched—Hoeing (13.0 IP), Chris Mokma (10.2), King (10.0), Matthew Kent (10.0), Zach McCambley (9.1)
• Batting Average on Balls in Play—Max Meyer (.125 BABIP), Jackson Rose (.143), Garcia (.154), Huascar Brazoban (.182), Bryan Mitchell (.188)
• Strikeout Rate—Andrew Nardi (44.0 K%), Meyer (41.9%), Jake Fishman (40.7%), King (38.1%), Aneurys Zabala (37.5%)
• Walk Rate—Luis Palacios (0.0 BB%), Meyer (3.2%), Fishman (3.7%), Hoeing (3.7%), Kent (4.5%)

Who’s Hot?

Max Meyer (Jacksonville) faced 15 batters last Tuesday and retired all of ‘em. Watch every out he recorded below:

Robert Garcia is a fascinating fellow to monitor. He had voluntarily retired from baseball after the 2021 campaign, only changing his mind after the Marlins selected him in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 Draft. The big lefty has already earned a promotion to Triple-A.

Who’s Not?

Jordan Holloway (Jacksonville) threw just 43 of his 83 pitches for strikes in his last outing, then landed on the 7-day injured list. This year figures to be Holloway’s last shot to show that he has starting pitcher potential.

Zach McCambley (Pensacola) allowed a career-worst eight earned runs against Rocket City. Multiple hit by pitches and multiple homers allowed isn’t a formula for success.