Best Marlins prospect performances through 4 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.

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. 40 PA)

• Weighted Runs Created Plus—Kyler Castillo (231 wRC+), Charles Leblanc (197), Jerar Encarnación (174), Davis Bradshaw (165), Paul McIntosh (165), JD Orr (165)
• Home Runs—Encarnación (6 HR), Leblanc (6), Lorenzo Quintana (5), Kahlil Watson (5)
• Batting Average on Balls in Play—Erik González (.508 BABIP), Leblanc (.469), Watson (.454), Encarnación (.431), Orr (.429)
• Stolen Bases—Nasim Nuñez (10 SB), Orr (8), Ray Patrick-Didder (7), José Salas (6)
• Strikeout Rate—Castillo (9.4 K%), Quintana (12.5%), Bradshaw (14.0 K%), Cobie Fletcher-Vance (15.1%), Víctor Víctor Mesa (15.2%)

Who’s Hot?

Undrafted corner outfielder Kyler Castillo finished April with a six-game on-base streak during which he reached safely multiple times in each game.

Erik González has leapfrogged Charles Leblanc for the International League batting title lead. The veteran utility infielder is serving as Jacksonville’s primary shortstop. He is obliterating left-handed pitching (.533/.563/.733, 12.5 K%).

Who’s Not?

Big-money amateur signings Víctor Víctor Mesa and Will Banfield are the two worst qualified hitters in Minor League Baseball in terms of wRC+ (-23 and -10, respectively). I had already checked out on VVM as a viable prospect, but Banfield’s early-season struggles are deflating to see considering that he’s repeating the same High-A level he played at in 2021.

Pitching Leaders (min. 40 BF)

• Earned Run Average—Grant Dayton (0.00 ERA), Zach Pop (0.00), Bryan Hoeing (0.35), Sandro Bargallo (0.48), Robert Garcia (0.82)
• Innings Pitched—Max Meyer (26.1 IP), Hoeing (25.2), Chris Mokma (22.2), Braxton Garrett (21.0), Zach King (21.0),
• Batting Average on Balls in Play—Eli Villalobos (.053 BABIP), Garcia (.172), King (.200), Mokma (.224), Jake Fishman (.226)
• Strikeout Rate—Justin Evans (46.7 K%), Andrew Nardi (41.2%), Eury Pérez (41.1%), Tyler Mitzel (38.8%), King (38.8%)
• Walk Rate—Luis Palacios (0.0 BB%), Mitzel (0.0%), Johnson (3.3%), Hoeing (3.9%), Matthew Kent (5.6%)

Who’s Hot?

The ERA is still bloated from a few frustrating outings, but Eury Pérez has his peripherals back to where they were during last year’s breakout (sub-3.00 FIP). He became the first Marlins prospect so far in 2022 to win a Player of the Week award from his league.

Once again, you don’t see the name Josh Simpson (Pensacola) listed above because he is one batter faced shy of qualifying. The former 32nd-round draft pick has been practically untouchable. He’s pairing impressive fastball command with a wipeout breaking ball.

Bryan Hoeing’s back-to-back-to-back-to-back successful starts were so convincing that he’s being promoted to Jacksonville.

Who’s Not?

The Jumbo Shrimp gave 31-year-old Bryan Mitchell a temporary opportunity to join their rotation and he did not take advantage of it. Mitchell has allowed nine runs (all earned) on 19 hits over his last seven innings pitched.