Organization ranking: 29
I have ranked every farm system, as well as the top 100 MLB prospects of 2016. Below, I've ranked the top 10 Marlins prospects, with an overview of the system and any other names of note beyond the top 10. I also discussed any prospects who might help the big league club in 2016, prospects whose stock has taken a big hit in the past year and a sleeper prospect (or two) I think can jump into the Top 100 list for 2017.
A few quick notes: 1) As in my other prospect files, I use the 20 to 80 grading scale when scouting these prospects; 2) If a prospect is in the Top 100, clicking on his ranking will take you to the page for his scouting profile.
Non-Insider subscribers: Check out the Baltimore Orioles top 10 prospects report to see what these entail.
Top 10 prospects (Top 100 rank in parentheses)
1. Tyler Kolek, RHP (97)
2. Jarlin Garcia, LHP
3. Kendry Flores, RHP
4. Stone Garrett, OF
5. Josh Naylor, 1B
6. Isael Soto, OF
7. Brian Anderson, 3B
8. K.J. Woods, 1B
9. J.T. Riddle, SS
10. Roy Morales, C
Overview
It's a light system, in part because the Marlins have always promoted players pretty aggressively and also because they haven't spent much money internationally or done well in trades. Jarlin Garcia had a good developmental year in 2015 and turned a fringy changeup into a consistently above-average weapon, while his in-between breaking ball has settled in a bit more as a hard slurve. He's athletic and getting stronger, but there's a touch of violence in his delivery.
Kendry Flores was acquired from San Francisco in the Casey McGehee swap and is also a potential back-end starter. He’s a command-and-feel guy who pitches well to both sides of the plate and is very tough on right-handed hitters because he sits on the third-base side of the rubber. His is not an ideal starter's arm action, however, and he ended the year on the shelf with shoulder soreness, though he should be 100 percent for spring training.
Stone Garrett gets raves from across the organization for his makeup, work ethic and ability to take instruction. He seems set to get the most out of his good-but-not-great tools. He's a 55 runner, but he played above that in center field with good reads and smart breaks on balls hit to him. The power spike this year seems legit, as he's broad and strong with good hip rotation in his swing; his playing time in two seasons represents small samples, but he went from a .034 ISO in his first summer to .284 the past summer. Josh Naylor was the team's first-round pick last year, but he was more of a second-round talent as a bat-only first baseman who is going to have to work just to stay at that position. He's a bright kid with power, and he made a lot of contact in 100 PAs in the GCL, but his body is a real negative. Isael Soto missed most of the past season after left knee surgery, but he has above-average power and can run a little now that the knee isn't bothering him. Brian Anderson has some power and speed and plenty of arm for third base, but he plays like he's a bit inexperienced and tends to get heavy on his front side at the plate, which cuts off some of that power.
K.J. Woods has a lot of swing-and-miss but brings big left-handed power with it. He's a big boy, football strong, and he will have to work to be just average at first base. T.J. Riddle is a very smart player who can run and has a little sneaky power. He’s probably a good utility infielder, but he might be someone's regular because he can handle shortstop on more than a temporary basis. Roy Morales is a great defensive catcher whose bat has lagged behind his glove. He is very advanced in all aspects of the position, and this year in low-A (where he struggled in 51 PAs last year) will tell us if he has more than backup potential.
Bahamian-born Anfernee Seymour (11) is a plus-plus runner whom the Marlins have converted from center field to shortstop while also trying to teach him to switch hit; his left-handed swing lags behind his right-handed one, but he has good enough instincts for the experiment to continue. Center-field prospect Isaiah White (13) is a burner but very, very crude at the plate, and he had a hard time catching up to GCL arms in his pro debut. Lefty Brett Lilek (12) and right-hander Cody Poteet (15) are both potential back-end starters as solid college arms with a feel for pitching but no plus offerings. Third baseman Brian Schales (14) had a quietly solid year in low-A Greensboro, with a good feeling for hitting and lots of small adjustments to his approach at the plate. He cut his strikeout percentage in half after the all-star break.
Catcher Blake Anderson (16) has tools the Marlins like, which might allow him to develop into at least a backup catcher, but he has had no success hitting pro pitching, with three walks and 42 punchouts the past summer in the NY Penn League. Yefri Perez (17) is a plus-plus runner with lots of positional versatility, but switch-hitting has really retarded his development at the plate, and he had a .284 OBP last year in High-A at age 24. Outfielder Casey Soltis missed the year after elbow surgery but would be a potential top-10 guy if healthy.
2016 impact
Flores was up last year in the bullpen and could resurface in that role at some point, but it's more likely he spends the year starting in the minors. Riddle would make a great utility infielder for the Fish and would be an upgrade over current options, such as Miguel Rojas or Derek Dietrich.
The fallen
Second baseman Avery Romero was the team's second pick in 2012 but was only going to go as far as his bat could take him. A .259/.315/.314 line in high-A at age 22 isn't going to take you anywhere when your defense is questionable.
Sleepers
The most interesting guys in the system are very young and likely to spend the year in A-ball. Garrett seems the best bet to have a huge season -- especially going to hitter-friendly Greensboro -- and jump into the top 100, though I'd like to see how Seymour's defense looks at short over a full year.