Best Marlins prospect performances through 6 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 determined by the number of weeks we are into the regular season multiplied by 10 plate appearances/batters faced.

Hitting Leaders (min. 60 PA)

• Weighted Runs Created Plus—Kyler Castillo (186 wRC+), Charles Leblanc (170), Jerar Encarnación (169), Erik González (155), JD Orr (151), Lorenzo Quintana (151)
• Home Runs—Encarnación (8 HR), JJ Bleday (7), Leblanc (7), Quintana (7), Peyton Burdick (6), Lewin Díaz (6), Kahlil Watson (6)
• Batting Average on Balls in Play—González (.481 BABIP), Leblanc (.450), Encarnación (.449), Griffin Conine (.429), Castillo (.411)
• Stolen Bases—Nasim Nuñez (14 SB), Orr (11), Ray-Patrick Didder (10), Victor Victor Mesa (10), Watson (8)
• Strikeout Rate—Willians Astudillo (4.1%), Bradshaw (12.6 K%), Quintana (13.7%), Mesa (13.9%), Castillo (14.3%)

Who’s Hot?

As initially reported by Fish Stripes alum Ethan Budowsky, Jerar Encarnación has forced his way up to Triple-A. Unquestionably the right move for him.

By Victor Victor standards, this qualifies as a hot streak! Five of his seven runs batted in this season came in Pensacola’s last series. His quality of contact has been legitimately good recently. He added three more stolen bases and still hasn’t been caught in 10 attempts. This doesn’t change my grim long-term outlook for him, but Mesa has earned some recognition.

Who’s Not?

After bursting onto the prospect scene in 2021, Troy Johnston (Pensacola) simply isn’t performing at the plate. Zero extra-base hits in May and zero walks since May 6. Johnston’s contact skills are about the same as last year, but he has struggled in every other area. A 62 wRC+ for a first base-only player—who frankly doesn’t play that position well—is frightening to see this deep into the campaign.

Pitching Leaders (min. 60 BF)

• Earned Run Average—Josh Simpson (0.00 ERA), Tyler Eckberg (0.63), Andrew Nardi (1.40), Bryan Hoeing (1.63), Robert Garcia (1.72)
• Innings Pitched—Hoeing (38.2 IP), Matthew Kent (37.2), Max Meyer (36.1), Chris Mokma (32.2), Zach King (31.0)
• Batting Average on Balls in Play—Eli Villalobos (.040 BABIP), Simpson (.182), Mokma (.203), Garcia (.225), Luarbert Arias (.238)
• Strikeout Rate—Simpson (51.6%), Jefry Yan (43.1%), Nardi (41.3%), Villalobos (41.2%), Justin Evans (40.3%)
• Walk Rate—Luis Palacios (0.9%), Tyler Mitzel (1.4%), Matt Givin (3.1%), Kent (3.6%), M.D. Johnson (3.6%)

Who’s Hot?

For the second straight time, a Sky Carp won Midwest League Pitcher of the Week honors. This time it was lefty Pat Monteverde. It’s only been five games at the High-A level—facing competition similar to his own age—but Monteverde is steadily emerging as the best arm from the Marlins’ 2021 draft class.

Who’s Not?

Drafted one round ahead of Monteverde, Gabe Bierman (Jupiter) has allowed 18 baserunners over his last two outings in just eight innings pitched. This comes on the heels of a good April (25 baserunners in 19 ²⁄₃ innings).