Another top Miami Marlins prospect showed off his power with a spring training homer
Another spring training game, another Miami Marlins prospect making a big play.
On Friday, it was outfielder Jesus Sanchez. The Marlins’ No. 3 overall prospect according to MLBPipeline cranked a two-run home run to right field in the ninth inning of their 6-4 loss to the Houston Astros. According to Statcast, Sanchez’s home run traveled 409 feet and had an exit velocity of 104 mph. It was Sanchez’s first hit of spring training after making his debut Thursday.
The Marlins are hoping to get a good look at Sanchez this spring since they only have a limited sample size of footage from him since he joined the organization as part of the July 31 trade deadline deal with the Tampa Bay Rays. Sanchez suffered a hamstring injury shortly after joining the Marlins organization and played in just 17 games for Miami’s Triple A affiliate, the New Orleans Baby Cakes. He also underwent hernia surgery this offseason, which required the Marlins to ease him into his spring training regiment.
“It’s hard to speak too much to him because I haven’t seen a whole lot,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “He’s a big, physical kid. Obviously came highly touted from Tampa in the deal. It’s good to get him out. He got hurt pretty quickly in Triple A, so we didn’t get to see that much. And then the surgery this winter, we’re finally getting him back on the field and in action so we can get a better view of what he can be.”
The Marlins have hit 11 home runs through seven spring training games. Top prospects Jerar Encarnacion (No. 17), Lewin Diaz (No. 12) and Sanchez have hit four of those eleven.
More Marlins takeaways
▪ Relief pitcher Brandon Kintzler, the early favorite to be the Marlins’ closer for the 2020 season, struggled on Friday. He walked the first four batters he faced in the third inning and then gave up an infield single to Aledmys Diaz that trickled down the third-base line. Of his 25 pitches, just nine went for strikes.
“I don’t think there’s anything health-wise going on, but it was rough,” Mattingly said. “He said after the last hitter, he started to finally figure it out, but I’m not going to let him throw 35 or 40 pitches. Hopefully, we can just put that one in the books and move on.”
▪ The Marlins’ plan for catcher Jorge Alfaro (left oblique tightness) is to continue running and doing activities to stay in shape. Mattingly said he probably won’t swing and perhaps not throw for a few days.
▪ Updates on the two relievers expected to compete for spots in the Marlins’ bullpen have yet to compete in Grapefruit League action. Drew Steckenrider is on the Marlins’ road travel roster to face the Baltimore Orioles in Sarasota on Saturday and is scheduled to pitch. Jeff Brigham is dealing with a minor biceps injury that has limited him in spring training. Mattingly said he expects Brigham to be ready to compete soon.
▪ Sandy Alcantara will make his second spring training start on Saturday. Among the notable names on Miami’s travel roster to face the Orioles: pitchers Nick Neidert, Trevor Rogers, Sterling Sharp and Stephen Tarpley; first baseman/right fielder Garrett Cooper; second baseman Isan Diaz; first baseman Lewin Diaz; and outfielders Lewis Brinson, JJ Bleday, Jerar Encarnacion, Harold Ramirez, Jesus Sanchez and Magneuris Sierra.
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