All that Jazz: A look at the Marlins’ top infield prospects and what the future could hold
With sports on hiatus, we’re examining the Marlins’ minor-league system, which is rated No. 4 overall by MLB.com.
Keep in mind that minor-league baseball reportedly will be canceled this season because of COVID-19, meaning the Marlins prospects might be limited to instructional league games in Jupiter.
Today, in Part 5 of a five-part series, we examine the Marlins’ top 10 prospects at second base, shortstop and third base, keeping in mind that first baseman Lewin Diaz — who appeared in Part 4 of this series — would be considered the Marlins’ second-best infield prospect if we had included first basemen in this particular piece:
SHORTSTOP JAZZ CHISHOLM
▪ Where he stands: After hitting just .204 with 18 homers and 44 RBI in 89 games for Arizona’s Double A team last season, he hit .284 with three homers and 10 RBI in 23 games in Double A Jacksonville in the Marlins’ system after his acquisition from the Diamondbacks in the Zach Gallen trade.
▪ Ranking: MLB.com rates him the Marlins’ No. 3 overall prospect and the 66th prospect in baseball.
▪ What they’re saying Part 1: Marlins executive Michael Hill: “We think he should hit for average and hit for power, and he’s an above-average runner and [should] be a complete player for us on both sides of the ball. Excited to get him into our structure and allow his God-given ability to shine.”
▪ What they saying Part 2: From Prospectslive.com: “Offensively, Jazz has elite bat speed and a swing that generates loft, and could have plus power, especially for a shortstop. He’s extremely aggressive, as shown by his strikeout rate (32.1 percent), but his walks and power could be enough to carry his output. On defense, Jazz is a great athlete, with solid fundamentals with the glove. If everything works out, he could be the shortstop in Miami for years to come.”
▪ The projection: From Fangraphs: “Chisholm has [the system’s] highest ceiling. We think he has a chance to be an above-average defensive shortstop. Jazz’s awesome ability to uncoil his body from the ground up and rotate with incredible speed, the natural lift in his swing — many of the things that make him whiff-prone also make him exciting, and give him a chance to be an impact offensive player who also plays a premium defensive position.”
SHORTSTOP/SECOND BASEMAN JOSE DEVERS
▪ Where he stands: Devers — acquired with pitcher Jorge Guzman in the Giancarlo Stanton trade with the Yankees — missed much of last season with a forearm strain but hit .325 in 35 games in Jupiter.
▪ Ranking: MLB.com’s No. 11 Marlins prospect.
▪ What they’re saying: From Fangraphs: “Even though the Marlins have pushed him pretty aggressively (he was sent to high A as a 19-year-old, then the Fall League) and he’s hit a career .278 on his way there, we’re diluting our expectations based on his lack of power and power projection. He can really run and play both middle infield spots well... Devers is so narrowly built that we’re skeptical he’ll grow into any sort of power.”
▪ The projection: Fangraphs said “we now consider him a lefty utility bench piece.”
SHORTSTOP JOSE SALAS
▪ Where he stands: Signed by the Marlins out of Venezuela as a 16-year-old last July, Salas was awaiting his first minor-league action this season.
▪ Ranking: MLB.com’s No. 16 Marlins prospect.
▪ What they’re saying: Fangraphs: “Salas signed for big money [$2.8 million] last July. He’s already filled out and was more of a hands/actions infielder without big arm strength or range to begin with, so we think he probably ends up as a bat-first second baseman. But he could have an impact stick.”
SHORTSTOP NASIM NUNEZ
▪ Where he stands: Nunez, the Marlins’ second-round pick last June, is considered a defensive wizard and hit .211 with 12 RBI in 48 games in the Gulf Coast League last season.
▪ Ranking: MLB.com’s No. 17 Marlins prospect.
▪ What they’re saying Part 1: Hill: “There’s no question about his abilities. ... The defense, no question, everyone thought this was an above-average, major-league shortstop.”
▪ What they saying Part 2: From Fangraphs: “It takes a lot of visible effort for him to make throws from the hole, and because of this, there are some clubs who had him evaluated as an elite second baseman before the draft, but we think it’ll work at short. We don’t anticipate Nunez will become an impact bat, but he projects as a low-end regular because of the glove.”
▪ The projection: The bat needs to develop to have a chance to become a big-league regular. But the young man is already a plus defender.
THIRD BASEMAN OSIRIS JOHNSON
▪ Where he stands: The Marlins’ 2018 second-round pick from a California high school hit .250 with three homers and 19 RBI in 45 games in rookie league and low-level A ball in 2018, but missed last season with a right tibial stress fracture.
▪ Ranking: MLB.com’s No. 24 Marlins prospect.
▪ What they’re saying: Fangraphs: “We still know next to nothing about Johnson’s approach or feel for the strike zone because he hasn’t played much pro ball, and that’s going to be more important if he indeed ends up at a corner [infield spot]. But there’s a chance for big offensive impact here because of the bat speed.... He’s arguably the prospect with the highest variance in a system full of players like that.”
▪ The projection: Too early to tell.
SECOND BASEMAN IAN LEWIS
▪ Where he stands: The 16-year-old signed by the Marlins out of the Bahamas last summer and was awaiting his first minor-league action this season.
▪ Ranking: Fangraphs rates him the Marlins’ No. 33 prospect.
▪ What they’re saying: From Fangraphs: “Quick as lightning, Lewis is a frame/athleticism projection infielder who is currently weak with the bat. Depending on how his swing and power develop as he matures, he could be a well-rounded second baseman with elite speed.”
▪ The projection: Too early to tell.
THIRD BASEMAN CHRISTHIAN RODRIGUEZ
▪ Where he stands: The 2018 summer signing from Venezuela hit .236, with four homers, 24 RBI in 64 games in rookie league and Dominican Summer League.
▪ Ranking: Fangraphs rates him the Marlins’ No. 36 prospect.
▪ What they’re saying: From Fangraphs: “Scouts who saw Rodriguez during [instructional league] really like his long-term physical projection.,.. but he did strike out a concerning amount in the DSL.”
▪ The projection: Too early to tell.
SHORTSTOP DALVY ROSARIO
▪ Where he stands: Hit .200 with two homers and 30 RBI in 65 games at short-season Class A Batavia (New York) last season.
▪ Ranking: Fangraphs ranks him the Marlins’ No. 37 prospect.
▪ What they’re saying: From Fangraphs: “Has a great frame and can play several positions, including the middle infield and center, so he should be monitored closely. Miami pushed him to the Penn League as a teenager, so his poor 2019 statline doesn’t carry much concern.”
▪ The projection: Too early to tell.
THIRD BASEMAN JOE DUNAND
▪ Where he stands: Alex Rodriguez’s nephew got off to a great start after the Marlins drafted him. But he hit just .242 with five homers and 42 RBI in 140 games at Jacksonville last season.
▪ What they saying: Fangraphs: “Dunand is a strikeout-prone corner infielder.”
▪ The projection: Needs to cut down on strikeouts and boost the average to become a legitimate prospect again.
SHORTSTOP ANGEUDIS SANTOS
▪ Where he stands: Acquired from Boston for outfielder Austin Dean in January, he made 50 starts at shortstop with the DSL Red Sox and hit just .184 with no homers, two doubles and two triples in 56 games, but led the team with 55 walks, giving him a .384 on-base percentage. He also can play the outfield.
▪ What they’re saying: From Fangraphs: “Santos is a lanky, very projectable switch-hitting infielder with advanced ball/strike recognition. He’s an interesting developmental project.”
▪ The projection: Too early to tell.
NOTE: We didn’t include the Marlins No. 2 infield prospect, second baseman Isan Diaz, because he’s already in the majors.
Among other second basemen in the system, the best of what’s left includes Justin Twine (.240, 32 RBI at Jacksonville), 2017 third-rounder Riley Mahan (.279 in 60 games in Jupiter, .217 in 60 games in Jacksonville) and Christopher Torres (.234, four homers, 32 RBI in 122 games in Clinton).
Here’s part 1 of the series with a look at the Marlins’ top left-handed pitching prospects.
Here’s part 2 of the series with a look at the Marlins’ top right-handed pitching prospects.
Here’s part 3 of my series on the top outfield prospects in the Marlins organization.
Here’s part 4 of my series on the top first base and catching prospects.
