MIAMI – More than half of the Minor League season is done, so let’s take a look at the most valuable players for each of the Marlins’ full-season affiliates. With apologies to the likes of Top 100 prospects Thomas White and Joe Mack, I narrowed this down to players who have yet to be promoted a level. TRIPLE-A JACKSONVILLE
OF Jakob Marsee (Miami's No. 22 prospect) Stats entering Saturday: .246/.373/.442 (.815 OPS) in 80 games Marsee, who was part of the return package in the Luis Arraez trade, leads the Jumbo Shrimp in homers (12), walks (52) and steals (39) and is second in RBIs (32). His stolen-base total paces the International League. The 24-year-old left-handed hitter played sparingly at big league camp before being reassigned to the Minor Leagues, but based on his performance so far in 2025, he should debut later this season. Honorable mention: RHP Adam Mazur (Marlins No. 12 prospect) has a club-high 70 innings with a 3.47 ERA in 14 games (12 starts). |
DOUBLE-A PENSACOLA OF Kemp Alderman (Marlins No. 10 prospect) Stats entering Saturday: .275/.328/.429 (.757 OPS) in 74 games Alderman, who capped his injury-riddled 2024 campaign with a strong showing at the Arizona Fall League, has carried it over into '25. The 22-year-old right-handed hitter's slash line is the best on the Blue Wahoos, and he is tied for the most homers (9) and RBIs (34) as well as tied for the third-most steals (14). LHP Robby Snelling (Marlins No. 3 prospect, MLB Pipeline's No. 81 overall) Stats entering Saturday: 3-5, 3.61 ERA, 1.22 WHIP in 14 starts Snelling, who came over in the Tanner Scott/Bryan Hoeing trade ahead of last year's Deadline, has the most starts, innings (72 1/3) and strikeouts (85) on a talented Blue Wahoos pitching staff. The 21-year-old is tied for the third-most K's and the 10th-most innings in the Southern League. |
HIGH-A BELOIT 1B Eric Rataczak Stats entering Saturday: .262/.387/.423 (.810 OPS) in 48 games Rataczak, selected in the 16th round of the 2024 Draft out of Niagara, has a club-tying five homers and the second-most RBIs (30). The 24-year-old's bat turned around after a cold April (.182), hitting .284/.400/.448 in 37 games since. Honorable mention: SS Payton Green (sixth-rounder in 2024 Draft) has an .822 OPS with 19 extra-base hits. |
SINGLE-A JUPITER RHP Liomar Martinez (Marlins No. 29 prospect) Stats entering Saturday: 3-4, 3.81 ERA, 1.12 WHIP in 13 games (11 starts) The 20-year-old Dominican paces the Hammerheads in multiple categories, including innings (59) and strikeouts (71). Twice in June, Martinez went a career-high six innings and allowed just one run with a career-high eight punchouts. Honorable mention: OF Andres Valor (Marlins No. 17 prospect) has a team-high six homers and 30 RBIs. |
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MLB MORNING LINEUP PODCAST |
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Three-time Olympian Angelica Delgado joined the broadcast to discuss competing in judo, throwing out the first pitch and more. |
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Who will represent the Marlins at the 2025 Midsummer Classic on July 15 at Truist Park in Atlanta? The 2025 American League and National League All-Star teams will be unveiled at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN’s 2025 MLB All-Star Selection Show presented by PRO SPIRIT. |
Just ask reliever Anthony Bender. With Friday night’s ballgame tied at 5 with a runner on third and two outs in the seventh, Bender hopped off the mound, fielded a swinging bunt down the third-base line from William Contreras and fired over to first to escape the jam. “You're like, ‘Oh my gosh,’” Bender said. “So I remember just running over to the ball. I was like, ‘All right, am I going to try and do it?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, I've got to.’ So, [I] made the play and slung it over there, and then saw the umpire call him out. And I was like, ‘Holy smokes, that was sick.’ And then, of course, they challenge it, and I look up at the big screen, I'm like, ‘That was a close play.’ And then yeah, it stood, so got him out. Yeah, that was a good one there.” This type of defensive play isn’t out of realm of possibility for Bender, who played shortstop his senior year at Casa Grande High School in California and at Santa Rosa Junior College. Since his gem, Bender has received an outpouring of messages from old coaches and the like. “In the big leagues? No. No chance [I’ve had a better play],” Bender said. “That was one-of-one right there. That's all I’ve got.” |
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