Best Marlins prospect performances through 8 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. Players who have an asterisk* next to their names are among my Marlins Top 30 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. 80 PA)

• Weighted Runs Created Plus—Kyler Castillo (166 wRC+), Erik González (155), Jerar Encarnación* (152), JD Orr (149), Zach Zubia (149)
• Home Runs—Encarnación* (11 HR), Lewin Díaz* (9), Lorenzo Quintana (9), JJ Bleday* (8), Peyton Burdick* (7), Charles Leblanc* (7)
• Batting Average on Balls in Play—González (.468 BABIP), Javeon Cody (.423), Encarnación* (.419), Leblanc* (.419), Griffin Conine* (.417)
• Stolen Bases—Nasim Nuñez* (21 SB), Orr (13), Ray-Patrick Didder (12), Victor Victor Mesa (11), Kahlil Watson* (9)
• Strikeout Rate—Willians Astudillo (3.4 K%), Davis Bradshaw (13.7%), Nick Fortes* (14.2%), Mesa (14.2%), Cobie Fletcher-Vance (14.8%)

Who’s Hot?

Troy Johnston (Pensacola) saw his 12-game hitting streak come to an end on Sunday, and even in that game, he put the ball in play during every plate appearance. His overall wRC+ has improved to 77—before the streak began, it was 65.

No home runs or walks since early May, though.

Nasim Nuñez (Beloit) is batting .312 over his last three series with a big reduction in his strikeout rate. With the way he fields and runs the bases, that’s wonderful.

Who’s Not?

I sounded the alarm early about Kahlil Watson (Jupiter) and his swing-and-miss issues. In the four weeks since then, he is slashing .176/.231/.235 for a 38 wRC+.

As a reminder, he’s more than two years younger than the average age of his competition. The Marlins will—and should—allow him to play through these struggles. But there must be some kind of tangible adjustment made on his part.

It’s only natural that Charles Leblanc (Jacksonville) would come back down to earth eventually. He hasn’t show much power during the last two series (.211/.268/.237, 41 wRC+ in 41 PA).

Pitching Leaders (min. 80 BF)

• Earned Run Average—Yeuris Jimenez (1.45 ERA), Robert Garcia (1.66), Andrew Nardi (1.85), Bryan Hoeing* (2.31), Jake Fishman (2.35)
• Innings Pitched—Hoeing* (50.2 IP), Matthew Kent (47.2), Zach King (44.0), Chris Mokma (43.0), Luis Palacios (42.0)
• Batting Average on Balls in Play—Eli Villalobos (.063 BABIP), Mokma (.208), Garcia (.213), Braxton Garrett* (.218), Fishman (.226)
• Strikeout Rate—Josh Simpson* (47.6 K%), Jefry Yan (42.7%), Jeff Brigham (41.1%), Villalobos (40.2%), Nardi (39.4%)
• Walk Rate—Palacios (1.2 BB%), Tyler Mitzel (2.3%), Kent (3.4%), Anthony Maldonado (4.7%), Jackson Rose (4.8%)

Who’s Hot?

Zach King (Beloit) has not allowed more than three earned runs in any of his eight starts. He matched his MiLB career highs on May 21 by completing seven innings and facing 28 batters. He’s also done well controlling the running game lately (baserunners are 4-for-their-last-9 attempting to steal).

King will be on his way to Double-A before season’s end.

Opponents scratched across only one earned run off of Zach McCambley (Pensacola) during the month of May.

Who’s Not?

It was a series from hell for Josh Simpson (Pensacola). He allowed as many baserunners in his last three relief appearances as he had throughout the entire season leading into it. His immaculate 0.00 ERA ballooned to 3.98.