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6 Marlins ranked on Baseball America 2021 preseason Top 100 prospects list

Marlins top prospect Sixto Sánchez makes a big leap in the rankings following his impressive 2020 MLB debut.

By Ely Sussman
Washington Nationals v Miami Marlins - Game One Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images

The final month of the MLB offseason overlaps with the peak of the prospect rankings season! Baseball America, arguably the industry’s leader in this department, unveiled their 2021 MLB Top 100 list on Monday morning.

Here are the six Marlins players who made the cut (along with their final 2020 rankings):

6. RHP Sixto Sánchez (up from No. 14)

With elite fastball velocity, a devastating changeup and rare control for a power pitcher, Sánchez is primed to build on his excellent MLB debut.

43. OF JJ Bleday (down from No. 41)

The Marlins’ rebuild has picked up speed, and Bleday is part of the next wave of solid prospects that could help the team keep up in the competitive NL East.

44. RHP Max Meyer (up from No. 51)

The minute he signed his first pro contract, Meyer had one of the best sliders among pro prospects, and his fastball is impressive too.

77. SS Jazz Chisholm (up from No. 84)

Chisholm has boom-or-bust tendencies at the plate and could be an electric player with more consistency.

81. RHP Edward Cabrera (down from No. 62)

A back injury slowed Cabrera in 2020, a year after a breakout season put him among the system’s elite arms.

89. LHP Trevor Rogers (up from No. 97)

Rogers showed stuff and poise after being pressed into duty after Miami’s roster was wracked by coronavirus.

Miami Marlins v New York Yankees Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

Only the Padres (seven) have more representatives in the Top 100. The Blue Jays are tied with the Marlins at six apiece.

Sánchez, Chisholm and Rogers each had substantial playing time with the Fish in 2020. However, all three maintain their prospect eligibility because they fell short of 50 innings pitched/130 at-bats. On the other end of the spectrum, Bleday, Meyer and Cabrera were deprived of competing in any official games throughout the summer and fall due to the cancelation of the Minor League Baseball season. They had to settle for scrimmage reps at the Marlins’ alternate training site in Jupiter.

The ordering of the Miami prospects (S. Sánchez—>Bleday—>Meyer—>Chisholm—>Cabrera—>Rogers) matches the organizational Top 10 list that Andre Fernandez did for BA earlier this winter. Fernandez had 1B Lewin Díaz and OF Jesús Sánchez at No. 7 and No. 8 respectively on his list, so it appears they are just barely outside the Top 100 overall. J. Sánchez had been all the way up at No. 58 entering 2020 spring training, but BA evaluators seem to have soured on him after struggling in (very limited) major league action: -16 wRC+, -0.5 fWAR in 29 PA.

Poll

Which Marlins top prospect is being most overrated by Baseball America?

This poll is closed

  • 13%
    6. Sixto Sánchez
    (31 votes)
  • 17%
    43. JJ Bleday
    (42 votes)
  • 10%
    44. Max Meyer
    (24 votes)
  • 35%
    77. Jazz Chisholm
    (83 votes)
  • 6%
    81. Edward Cabrera
    (15 votes)
  • 17%
    89. Trevor Rogers
    (40 votes)
235 votes total Vote Now

Poll

Which Marlins top prospect is being most underrated by Baseball America?

This poll is closed

  • 8%
    6. Sixto Sánchez
    (18 votes)
  • 22%
    43. JJ Bleday
    (45 votes)
  • 13%
    44. Max Meyer
    (27 votes)
  • 6%
    77. Jazz Chisholm
    (14 votes)
  • 37%
    81. Edward Cabrera
    (77 votes)
  • 11%
    89. Trevor Rogers
    (23 votes)
204 votes total Vote Now

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