Up next in our 2022 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Spotlight series, we head down south. Pull up a beach chair as I tell you about some Miami Marlins prospects.
The Marlins simply have a loaded farm system. The top of the system is headlined by pitchers like Max Meyer, Edward Cabrera, Sixto Sanchez, and Jake Eder; while also boasting several elite hitters like Kahlil Watson, JJ Bleday, and Peyton Burdick.
The influx of depth that the front office has added to the farm system in recent years is quite impressive.
For this article, I am going to be focusing on the Marlins' low Minors; specifically, the Low-A Southeast League's Jupiter Hammerheads. The Hammerheads had a strong season in 2021, featuring several appealing prospects. The 2021 season was especially notable for Jupiter, as it was just the third time in the past 11 seasons that the team finished over .500.
In 2021, they came one win away from their first division title since 2012, a year that featured Christian Yelich, J.T. Realmuto, Jose Fernandez, Marcell Ozuna, Mark Canha, and other Major Leaguers sharing the field in Jupiter.
If you are wondering why the 2021 Hammerheads were so good, look no further. Here is a Six Pack of Miami Marlins prospects that should be on your radar for Dynasty leagues.
2022 Dynasty Baseball Miami Marlins Prospects Spotlight
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Eury Perez, Right-Handed Pitcher
Eury Perez put himself on the map in a big way in 2021. The 6'8" 18-year-old had one of the most impressive seasons in all of the Minors. Anecdotally, Perez is the most impressive pitcher I have ever seen in person - and I have been watching Minor League Baseball for over a decade. Everything about his makeup as a pitcher is appealing. In one game, I saw him throw 4.2 no-hit innings for Jupiter with 11 K's. This may seem like a career game for most pitchers, but Perez had another 4.2 no-hit innings performance for Beloit a few games later.
In 15 starts with the Hammerheads, Perez pitched 56.0 innings, with a 1.61 ERA, 2.73 FIP, 0.946 WHIP, and 13.18 K/9. That is just an insanely impressive stat line, especially for a player who is three years younger than his competition. Perez then earned a promotion to High-A Beloit to round out his season, and in five starts with them, he actually had a lower WHIP than he did in Jupiter.
Perez flashes a plus, high-90s fastball, coupled with plus secondaries. His command is impressive for his age, and he is already the top prospect in the Marlins' entire system, according to me and multiple mainstream prospect sites.
If you have the opportunity to add Perez in one of your Dynasty leagues, do it. The sky is truly the limit for him, and his stock is only going to rise.
Dax Fulton, Left-Handed Pitcher
Full Dax Fulton vs. Jasson Dominguez strikeout sequence pic.twitter.com/KgBGlCl8py
— Fish Stripes Prospects Coverage (@FishProspects) August 4, 2021
Dax Fulton is the ying to Eury Perez's yang in a way. While Perez is a 6'8" RHP, Fulton is a 6'7" LHP. The two led the way atop Jupiter's rotation for the majority of the season, before earning promotions to Beloit at the same time.
Fulton was a second-round pick (40th overall) out of high school in the 2020 MLB Draft. Fulton likely would have gone even earlier if he was not coming off Tommy John Surgery.
Fulton came back healthy in 2021. After a slow ramp-up at the beginning of the season, he started stringing together several consecutive great starts. In 15 games with Jupiter, Fulton pitched 58.2 innings, with a 4.30 ERA, 3.85 FIP, 1.364 WHIP, and 10.13 K/9.
He finished his Jupiter tenure on fire: in his last three starts, he pitched 14 innings, allowing zero earned runs, four hits, three walks, and striking out 24 batters. This earned him a promotion to Beloit, where he started five games with mixed results.
Overall, 2021 was an extremely encouraging debut season for Fulton. Like Perez, he was pitching against much older competition, and like Perez, he put up promising numbers. Looking to the future, we may see this duo atop Miami's rotation within the next few years.
Jose Salas, Shortstop
Jose Salas with his 2nd hit of the night: a 103.9 MPH RBI Single. He’s an exciting young hitter. #JuntosMiami pic.twitter.com/q96aBZZJqn
— Bailey Srebnik (@xwOBAiley) September 10, 2021
Jose Salas was the headliner of the Marlins 2019 international class; a class that also features names such as Eury Perez and Ian Lewis. That trio has a chance to make the 2019 class one of the Marlins' best ever.
Since his signing in 2019, Salas has bulked up, adding about 30 pounds. He made his pro debut in the Florida Complex League in 2021, where he raked. In 107 PA, he slashed .370/.458/.511, while stealing eight bases. His plate discipline was notably strong too, as he had a 10.3 BB% and 21.5 K%. Salas then earned a promotion to Low-A Jupiter.
In 123 PA with Jupiter, the eighteen-year-old put up a .250/.333/.315 slash line, while stealing six bases. He hit one home run respectively for the FCL Marlins and Jupiter. Although he did not put up the best stats for Jupiter, there are still multiple positive takeaways. For starters, he was much younger than his competition, so it is to be expected for him to not necessarily excel immediately. Secondly, his plate discipline remained strong with Jupiter, as he had a 8.9 BB% and 22.8 K%. Finally, he was hitting the ball hard when he did make contact with Jupiter. He hit a ball with a 109.7 MPH exit velocity in his debut game with the Hammerheads.
Salas is a young prospect who boasts plus power and speed, while also having an exceptional plate approach for his age. If he can tap into more power in-game, he will have a true breakout.
Victor Mesa Jr, Outfielder
Victor Mesa Jr. (@VictorMesaRios1) annihilates this pitch for a double off the wall! 1️⃣0️⃣5️⃣ MPH off the bat and 373 feet far. Love to see it! #JuntosMiami 💪 pic.twitter.com/krBUVW7eY3
— Bailey Srebnik (@xwOBAiley) August 8, 2021
Victor Mesa Jr made headlines in 2018 when he and his brother Victor Victor Mesa signed with the Marlins. Mesa Jr's big brother earned north of $5 million while Mesa Jr signed for $1 million. When all is said and done, Mesa Jr may end up being the better player.
Mesa Jr debuted in the Gulf Coast League (now known as FCL) in 2019. He put up impressive numbers, like his 11.6 BB% and .366 OBP, which earned him the honor of GCL Marlins MVP. Overall, Mesa Jr had an impressive debut season as an eighteen-year-old.
Then in 2021, he played the entire season in Jupiter. In 474 PA, Mesa Jr slashed .266/.316/.402, while hitting five home runs, and stealing 12 bases. If you are into counting stats, you will appreciate that Mesa Jr led the Hammerheads in runs scored (66) and runs batted in (71). His plate discipline was solid too, as he had a 7.0 BB% and 21.5 K%. His best stretch of the season came at the very end, as in his final two months, he slashed .302/.335/.497.
It seems like the hype may have slightly cooled around Mesa Jr, but this is still a player I am very in on. He is expected to start the 2022 season in High-A Beloit. If he can draw a few more walks, while tapping into more power, he is going to be on everyone's radar again.
Cody Morissette, Second Baseman
Save that baseball! The Marlins’ 2021 2nd Rd Pick Cody Morissette (@CodyMorissette) just recorded the first hit of his professional career. Way to go, Cody! #JuntosMiami pic.twitter.com/XifrOoQSO2
— Bailey Srebnik (@xwOBAiley) August 7, 2021
Cody Morissette was the Marlins second-round pick (52nd overall) out of Boston College in the 2021 MLB Draft. In his final season with BC, he put up an .895 OPS, with six homers and eight steals.
His pro debut left room for improvement, however, as he had a .204 BA and .608 OPS. His plate discipline was solid though, as he had a 12.6 BB% and 23.9 K%.
Overall, Morissette is a prospect who has plus speed with developing power, and the potential for a plus hit tool. He is a good buy-low if you can get him in the later rounds of an FYPD, as he should come back strong in 2022.
Tanner Allen, Outfielder
Photo Credit: Bailey Srebnik
Tanner Allen was the SEC Player of the Year for Mississippi State in 2021, and led his team to a National Championship, before being drafted in the fourth round by the Marlins. Allen had 11 homers, 11 steals, and a 1.076 OPS for the Bulldogs in 2021.
In Jupiter, however, Allen was not quite as sharp, as he had a .189 BA and .546 OPS. One positive for him was that he only had a 16.9 K%, which is good considering he is a power hitter. This debut could be chalked up as simply being fatigued after a long championship run with Mississippi State before the draft.
Allen is a player to monitor as he plays his first full season in 2022. Similar to Morissette, I think he can provide a positive return on investment if you can snag him late in an FYPD.
Bonus names
Nasim Nunez, Shortstop
Walk off walk for Nasim Nunez and @GoHammerheads pic.twitter.com/mQNlpjV6O1
— Jordan McPherson (@J_McPherson1126) June 9, 2021
Nunez, unfortunately, missed half of the 2021 season due to injuries, but when he was on the field, he showed off his 60-grade speed, stealing 33 bases (2nd most in his league) in 52 games. He also had a .366 OBP. If Nunez can tap into some power, his stock will rise big time.
Bennett Hostetler, Third Baseman
#Marlins 3B prospect @BennettHostetle with an RBI Single! 100.5 MPH off the bat. #JuntosMiami pic.twitter.com/lrFiRhP6mA
— Bailey Srebnik (@xwOBAiley) August 20, 2021
Hostetler was an 18th round pick in 2021 by the Marlins but put up an .852 OPS across Jupiter and Beloit. He could be a super sneaky FYPD pick if you are in a very deep Dynasty league.
Luis Palacios, Right-Handed Pitcher
Photo Credit: Bailey Srebnik
Palacios put up video game numbers in 2018 and 2019. Like, stupidly good. Then he pitched the full 2021 season for Jupiter, and once again had positive results. The Marlins system is rich with pitching talent, so Palacios is kinda buried on the depth chart, but if he keeps pitching well as he rises through the system, he will garner more attention.
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