Best Marlins prospect performances through 17 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. 170 PA)

• Weighted Runs Created Plus—Charles Leblanc* (136 wRC+), Zach Zubia (136), Kyler Castillo (134), Jerar Encarnación* (129), Paul McIntosh* (126)
• Home Runs—JJ Bleday* (20 HR), Lewin Díaz* (19), Encarnación* (19), Griffin Conine* (16), Leblanc* (14), Lorenzo Quintana (14)
• Batting Average on Balls in Play—Erik González (.400 BABIP), Leblanc* (.396), Jorge Caballero (.377), Castillo (.373), Encarnación* (.368)
• Stolen Bases—Nasim Nunez* (49 SB), J.D. Orr (44), Victor Victor Mesa (29), José Salas* (23), Ray-Patrick Didder (22), Dalvy Rosario (22)
• Strikeout Rate—Javier Sanoja (12.3 K%), Davis Bradshaw (13.1%), Cobie Fletcher-Vance (13.6%), Tanner Allen (16.2%), Orr (16.2%)

Who’s Hot?

Immediately upon being promoted to Jupiter, Yiddi Cappe reeled off four straight multi-hit games. He didn’t strike out even once until his 10th game.

Victor Victor Mesa stole 12 bases in July for Pensacola and performed at a high level all around. The Marlins bumped him up to Triple-A, where he went 2-for-4 in his Jumbo Shrimp debut.

Bennett Hostetler (Beloit) enters Wednesday with a 10-game hitting streak, highlighted by a walk-off grand slam. He has taken over as the primary catcher for the Sky Carp.

Fish Stripes original GIF

Among the youngest players in the entire Marlins organization, José Gerardo (DSL Miami) has homered five times in his last seven games. The Dominican outfielder turned 17 shortly before the DSL season began. Gerardo (152 PA) falls just shy of qualifying for my leaderboards, but just know that he has a 181 wRC+.

Who’s Not?

Just when it seemed like Ynmanol Marinez (Beloit) was making the case for a promotion in early July, he tumbled into a 3-for-49 skid. Still a possibility for him by year’s end. He’ll likely be alternating between third base and designated hitter for the near future.

Pitching Leaders (min. 170 BF)

• Earned Run Average—Jake Fishman (1.87 ERA), Andrew Nardi (2.11), Tyler Eckberg (2.17), Jackson Rose (2.26), Robert Garcia (2.38)
• Innings Pitched—Bryan Hoeing* (96.0 IP), Matthew Kent (95.1), Luis Palacios (88.2), Jeff Lindgren (86.1), M.D. Johnson (86.0)
• Batting Average on Balls in Play—Fishman (.233 BABIP), Max Meyer* (.241), Nardi (.247), Garcia (.255), Rose (.256)
• Strikeout Rate—Josh Simpson* (42.1 K%), Nardi (38.7%), Jefry Yan (36.6%), Eury Pérez* (34.9%), Tyler Mitzel (34.6%)
• Walk Rate—A.J. Ladwig (1.2 BB%), Palacios (1.4 %), Mitzel (3.7%), Rose (4.4%), Eckberg (4.7%)

Who’s Hot?

Right-hander Santiago Suárez (DSL Miami) has posted a spectacular 0.79 earned run average through eight professional starts. Rare to see somebody with his inexperience getting ahead in counts so consistently.

Edward Cabrera has been nearly perfect in three minor league rehab starts (11.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 15 K). He should return to the Marlins active roster during their upcoming road trip.

Who’s Not?

Zach King (Pensacola) is struggling in every way imaginable against Southern League competition. He has surrendered home runs in each of his first four Blue Wahoos starts while issuing more walks than strikeouts overall, allowing more runs (24) than he did in his 12 Beloit starts.