10 Miami Marlins players to keep an eye on during spring training
Spring training has arrived, Miami Marlins fans.
The first wave of Marlins players are already at the club’s training site at Jupiter’s Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium complex, with pitchers and catchers taking part in their first practice on Thursday. The first full squad workout is Tuesday, with a 24-game Grapefruit League schedule set to begin on Feb. 28.
The Marlins’ 72 players expected to be with the team for camp include a healthy mix of locks for the Opening Day roster, players competing for starting jobs, top prospects and a few intriguing non-roster invitees.
Here are 10 players, in alphabetical order, to watch during spring training.
Jorge Alfaro
2020 was a lost season for Alfaro. The Marlins’ starting catcher for the past two years after being obtained as part of the J.T. Realmuto trade missed a month as part of the club’s COVID-19 outbreak and hit just .226 with a .624 OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage). His raw power is well known and the team noted he has prioritized improving his defense this offseason. But can he improve his pitch selection and lower his career 34.4 percent strikeout rate?
Anthony Bass
Bass is one of several new relief pitchers the Marlins have brought in this offseason, but he will most likely have the most valuable role of the bunch. The 33-year-old journeyman, playing for his fifth team in as many seasons, will compete with Yimi Garcia to be the Marlins’ closer.
JJ Bleday
This is Bleday’s second big-league spring training and will be the start of a pivotal season for Miami’s 2019 first-round pick. He’s going into his first full season of pro ball after playing just 38 games in 2019 after being drafted and spending all of 2020 at the Marlins’ alternate training site with the minor-league season canceled. He’s the safest bet of the Marlins’ slew of outfielder prospects to become a steady starter at the MLB level. He just needs the playing time against external competition.
Edward Cabrera
Four of the Marlins’ top five pitching prospects made their MLB debuts last season. Cabrera is the lone exception. A minor shoulder injury early in the season kept him off the mound for a few weeks in Jupiter and the Marlins opted not to rush him back. Cabrera’s stuff rivals that of Sixto Sanchez and the 22-year-old, barring a setback, should get playing time at the big-league level at some point in 2021.
Jazz Chisholm
Chisholm, acquired in July 2019 from the Arizona Diamondbacks for pitcher Zac Gallen, made his MLB debut in 2020 and on occasion flashed potential of his glovework in the middle infield and his ability to make an impact at the plate. While the Marlins view him as their shortstop of the future, his road to consistent playing time in 2021 is at second base.
Isan Diaz
Chisholm’s competition for starting time second base? The guy the Marlins have viewed as their second baseman of the future. Diaz, 24, played in just seven games in 2020 — first opting out of the season during the COVID-19 outbreak and then suffering a season-ending groin strain five games after returning to the team. Instead of taking the opportunity to cement himself as Miami’s starting second baseman, he watched Chisholm make his case. The next six weeks will determine who gets the first crack at the job on Opening Day.
Adam Duvall
The biggest signing of the Marlins’ offseason, Duvall completes the Marlins’ veteran starting outfield that also includes Corey Dickerson and Starling Marte. He brings another valuable power-hitting bat to Miami’s lineup and a steady glove to the field.
Sandy Leon
Leon, who turns 32 on March 13, is the lone true veteran non-roster invitee the Marlins have at camp, and his role will be valuable. The switch-hitting catcher with 417 career big-league games under his belt is known for his solid defense behind the plate and his pitch framing, two aspects of the game the Marlins hope he can pass along to both Alfaro and Chad Wallach.
Max Meyer
The Marlins’ first-round pick in 2020 is heading into his first big-league spring training and will get his first taste of professional baseball this year. His slider can become one of the best in baseball and it complements a fastball that sits between 93 and 97 mph and has touched 100 mph. Developing his changeup will be key to establishing himself as a potential front-line starter down the road.
Sixto Sanchez
Sanchez impressed in limited action, showcasing his 100-plus mph fastball, top-end changeup and still improving slider over nine MLB starts (including two in the postseason). He also faced trouble when going against a team multiple times. Seeing how he adjusts his approach heading into his first full MLB season will be worthwhile.
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