A unique Opening Day is here. With that comes big opportunities for 4 Marlins players
In a normal, 162-game season that would have started four months ago, Alex Vesia and Jordan Holloway would not have been on the Miami Marlins’ Opening Day roster. Robert Dugger and Nick Neidert, competing for rotation spots in spring training 1.0, most likely would have started in the minor leagues, too.
But this season — a 60-game sprint that for the Marlins starts Friday against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park — is anything but normal.
That led the quartet of rising Marlins pitching prospects are part of the Marlins’ 30-man roster to begin. All four will be used as part of a 12-man bullpen.
Overall, 10 of the Marlins’ 30 players are part of their first Opening Day roster. Four — Vesia, Holloway, Neidert and Rule 5 draft pick Sterling Sharp — are a call to the bullpen away from making their MLB debut.
They were all informed after Wednesday’s exhibition game against the Atlanta Braves.
“It’s awesome to sit here right now,” Holloway said Thursday afternoon before the team’s optional practice in Philadelphia. “It hasn’t really hit me yet, but it’s kind of hit me. I’m in like a limbo kind of phase.”
That limbo phase will likely end at some point during these three days in Philadelphia.
And the restructuring of the season played a big role in the opportunity arising.
The coronavirus pandemic turned the season into a two-month race where all 30 teams in theory have a shot at the playoffs with a strong start (and maybe a little bit of luck).
So the Marlins are gambling on a year of development for a chance (as long as that chance may be) to surprise Major League Baseball.
“We’re trying to win,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said.
Enter Vesia, Holloway, Neidert and Dugger. What they do with the opportunity it is up to them.
Vesia, the Marlins’ No. 27 overall prospect according to MLBPipeline, is the only one of the four who will be in his natural habitat. The Marlins have groomed him as a reliever since drafting him in the 17th round of the 2018 MLB Draft. He had a breakout season last year, jumping from Class A Clinton (Iowa) to start the season to Double A Jacksonville at season’s end. He ran a 40-plus inning scoreless streak through Class A Advanced Jupiter, Jacksonville, the Arizona Fall League and spring training.
Holloway, the club’s No. 20 overall prospect who was originally pegged as a starter in Double A, will use his fastball that can reach triple digits and plus-curveball out of the bullpen. Pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre Jr said Holloway has the potential to be “probably the nastiest guy we have in our bullpen.”
Neidert and Dugger, respectively the Nos. 10 and 30 prospects in the organization, will be used in long-relief and be ready to make spot starts should something happen in the rotation.
“A dream come true,” Neidert said. “Ever since I was 5 years old, I dreamed of being a big leaguer.”
The rest of the bullpen: Brad Boxberger, Jeff Brigham, Adam Conley, Yimi Garcia, Brandon Kintzler, Sharp, Ryne Stanek and Stephen Tarpley.
Brigham, Conley and Stanek are the only three who threw out of the bullpen for Miami at any point last season.
The rest of the roster shook out as expected, with the final position player spot up for grabs going to catcher Chad Wallach.
Full Opening Day roster
Pitchers (17): Sandy Alcantara, Brad Boxberger, Jeff Brigham, Adam Conley, Robert Dugger, Yimi Garcia, Elieser Hernandez, Jordan Holloway, Brandon Kintzler, Pablo Lopez, Nick Neidert, Sterling Sharp, Caleb Smith, Ryne Stanek, Stephen Tarpley, Jose Urena, Alex Vesia.
Catchers (3): Jorge Alfaro, Francisco Cervelli, Chad Wallach.
Infield (6): Jesus Aguilar, Brian Anderson, Jon Berti, Isan Díaz, Garrett Cooper, Miguel Rojas.
Outfield (4): Corey Dickerson, Harold Ramirez, Magneuris Sierra, Jonathan Villar.
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