Marlins land several top infield prospects. How they’re faring, with executive feedback

Part 1 of a three-part series

Eight Marlins trades during the past three months have infused the organization with sorely needed young talent. During the next three days, we will look at where the Marlins’ top prospects stand, with feedback from two team executives.

Let’s start in the infield, where the Marlins acquired two players who seem positioned to become big-league starters (Connor Norby and Deyvison De Los Santos), a third who could (Jared Serna) and several others worth monitoring:

▪ Second baseman/third baseman Norby, who was acquired with outfielder Kyle Stowers in the trade with Baltimore for pitcher Trevor Rogers:

Of all the position players acquired before the trade deadline, Norby seems the one best-equipped to help immediately. He was promoted from Triple A on Monday and went 3 for 8 with two doubles and an RBI in his first two games for Miami.

In Norby, 24, the Marlins snagged a polished hitter who was ranked 93rd on Baseball America’s top 100 prospect list before the 2023 season. Drafted in the second round out of East Carolina in 2021, Norby has batted .285 (with a .367 on-base average) in 387 minor-league games, with 70 homers and 244 RBI.

The Marlins assigned him to Jacksonville after the trade so he could work on playing third base. He “has a preference to play second,” said Hector Crespo, the Marlins’ director of minor-league operations.

But third base is where he played in his first two Marlins appearances this week. His prior nine big-league appearances, for Baltimore, had come at second base.

This season, in 80 games in Triple A Norfolk, he hit .297 with a sterling .389 on-base average, with 16 homers and 57 RBI and 21 doubles. Since the trade, he hit .271 (.339 on-base) in 14 games at Jacksonville.

Norby, a right-handed hitter, has appeared in 11 major-league games, going 9 for 40 with two homers and two doubles.

“We’re hoping for an offensive second baseman,” Crespo said. “He’s hit in college and the pros. He can put the ball in play. He’s more a doubles hitter but has power to the opposite field.”

Norby, who’s under team control through 2030, had a 28 percent strikeout rate at Triple A this season, which is a bit of a concern.

▪ First baseman/third baseman Deyvison De Los Santos, who was acquired from Arizona with center fielder Andrew Pintar for A.J. Puk:

Of the 19 players acquired by the Marlins, De Los Santos might be the most fascinating because of the immense power and run production. He has 34 homers and 100 RBI in 104 games in Double A and Triple A this season.

“In my time here, we haven’t had this [type of] power potential since Giancarlo Stanton,” Crespo said. “This guy has a unique blend of power and good swing decisions. He has really good bat-to-ball skills. He has the ability to hit 40 homers, and he’s only 21 years old.”

As Crespo said, “improving his chase” is a priority, particularly with breaking balls. That will be a big key to whether his pounding of minor-league pitchers can translate to the big leagues.

“He can get ahead of himself with pitches he’s swinging at,” Crespo said. “With two-strike pitches, it’s getting him more in a balanced position and getting him thinking about pitches he should lay off.”

In Triple A this season, De Los Santos has 73 strikeouts and 18 walks in 293 plate appearances.

But the other numbers have been good or great: a .284 average, .338 on-base average, 20 homers and 63 RBI in 68 combined games at Triple A Jacksonville and Triple A Reno. Since the trade, he has six homers and 16 RBI in his first 19 games for Jacksonville.

Defensively, “he’s a first baseman with the ability to play third,” Crespo said.

▪ Shortstop/second baseman Jared Serna, who was acquired from the Yankees with catcher Agustin Ramirez and infielder Abrahan Ramirez for Jazz Chisholm Jr.:

None of the 19 players acquired by trade has had a hotter start than Serna, who’s hitting .371 (.430 on base) with 10 doubles and 14 RBI in 17 games at Double A Pensacola since he was acquired by the Marlins.

Rachel Balkovec, the Marlins’ director of player development, managed Serna in Single A Tampa last season before the Marlins hired her in January.

What stood out about Serna, Balkovec said, was “his energy, work ethic, demeanor. He’s fiery. He can be a leader in the future for American and Latin American players. His English is still coming along. At 165 pounds, he has so much power for his size. To see where he’s going as he gets older and puts on weight is exciting.”

Where he does he project defensively? “I think he can stick at shortstop when he gets his arm stronger and if he puts weight on,” Balkovec said. “He can play second and short; he’s an athlete and a gamer. You might be able to put him in left and he would do everything in his power to chase down balls and make the plays.”

▪ First baseman Nathan Martorella, who was acquired from San Diego with outfielders Dillon Head and Jakob Marsee and right-hander Woo-Suk Go in exchange for Luis Arreaz:

The numbers at Double A Pensacola haven’t been impressive since the trade — .199 average, .263 on-base, six homers, 25 RBI in 78 games.

But the Marlins are “not concerned,” Balkovec said. “His strikeout rate is great. His walk rate is around the league average. Those are positive signs. His swing decisions are pretty positive. Those things project pretty well. He’s had his moments. Good zone discipline.” (His 60 strikeouts in 316 plate appearances at Pensacola is good.)

In 266 games through three minor-league seasons, Martorella has hit .248, with a .342 on-base average.

▪ Third baseman Graham Pauley, who was acquired with infielder Jay Beshears and pitchers Robby Snelling and Adam Mazur in the Tanner Scott trade with the Padres:

Pauley’s offensive production at Double A Pensacola has been modest since the trade — .172 average, .219 on-base and seven RBI but the same size is small (15 games, 64 plate appearances).

The Padres thought enough of him to keep him on their roster coming out of spring training. But he was sent to the minors on May 1 after going 4 for 32 (.125) with 15 strikeouts for San Diego. He’s a .273 minor-league hitter but must prove he can hit consistently above Double A.

Drafted in the 13th round out of Duke in 2022, Pauley hit .228 (.342 on base) with eight homers and 41 RBI in 70 games at Triple A El Paso this year.

“He’s been in the big leagues this year, and it’s a testament of his character going to Double A and being open to coaching,” Crespo said. “He has a corner bat profile. Has the ability to pop one out of the yard but more so, he has really good bat-to-ball skills and doesn’t strike out a ton and makes good swing decisions. With added strength, he could end up being a 15-plus home run guy.”

▪ First baseman/third baseman/shortstop Beshears, who was acquired from the Padres in that Scott trade:

The offense has been modest so far in a small sample size: .195, .244 on base in 45 plate appearances at High A Beloit.

A sixth-round pick out of Duke in 2023, Beshears — at the time of the trade — was hitting .261 (.373 on base) with 24 doubles and 30 RBI in 84 games at two levels of Class A ball.

“We are trying to see him at shortstop at Beloit,” Crespo said. “Intriguing talent. He played at Duke, for my old college coach who spoke highly of him. He moves around athletically for his stature; he’s every bit 6-4. He hits the ball really hard and puts the ball in play. He’s striking out at a 17 percent clip, when the average is 25 percent at the High A level.”

▪ First baseman/third baseman Garret Forrester, who was acquired with pitcher Jun-Seok Shim from Pittsburgh in the Bryan De La Cruz trade:

The Marlins envision him as a player who could play first, third and catcher.

“With Pittsburgh, he was catching one time a week,” Crespo said. “We will have the same plan. He’s most comfortable at first. He doesn’t strike out a lot, hits ball really hard. He’s pretty athletic.”

Offensively, he’s hitting .265, with a .390 on base average, in 10 games at High A Jupiter.

Forrester, drafted in the third round out of Oregon State in 2023, was hitting .273 (.413 on base) with nine doubles and nine RBI in 34 games at High A Bradenton before the trade. He hit .326 with 26 homers and 144 RBI in three seasons at Oregon State.

▪ Abraham Ramirez, acquired in the Chisholm trade: He hasn’t had any official at bats for the Marlins because the FCL season is complete, but he has been taking at-bats in inner squad games in Jupiter.

“He has a great makeup; everyone loves him,” said Balkovec, who was familiar with him from the Yankees system. “He makes fantastic swing decisions. We want him to gain some weight and hit the ball a little harder.”

Defensively, “we would like to see him anywhere in the infield, and we’re not ruling out the outfield.”

Third base could be his eventual landing spot.

Before the trade, he hit .348 (with a .447 on base average) with two homers, 24 RBI and 14 doubles in 49 games in Rookie League for the Yankees. And he’s only 19.

▪ Second baseman/shortstop Wilfredo Lara, acquired from the Mets for Huascar Brazoban:

Before the trade, the 20-year-old Lara, was hitting .244 (.349 on base) with four homers and 29 RBI in 70 games at High A Brooklyn. With the Marlins, he’s at .250 (.289 on base) in 12 games at High A Beloit.

He has played seven positions in four minor-league seasons, with more starts at third than any other position. The Marlins envision him as a second baseman long-term, with the ability to play second and short.

“Last year, he killed our Jupiter club with his offensive prowess,” Crespo said. “He hits the ball really hard, is electric when he gets on the base pads. Right now, he’s a doubles guy, but he hit 14 home runs last year. Along with Beshears, he has really elevated” the Marlins’ middle infield at High A Beloit.

INFIELDER PROSPECTS ALREADY IN THE MARLINS’ SYSTEM

▪ Third baseman Yiddi Cappe, who is recovering from an injury:

“He should be back at Beloit [soon],” Crespo said. “We’re really high on him. He’s only 21. We’ve been able to add so many shortstops that he will primarily move to second and third.”

Offensively, Cappe was hitting .237 (.317 on base) with 17 RBI and 46 strikeouts in 208 at-bats at Beloit this season.

“At times, he puts himself in a tough position because he feels he can put his bat to any ball,” Crespo said. “He want to make sure he’s swinging at the right pitches.”

▪ What other infielder in the system? Crespo mentioned Javier Sanoja, a 21-year-old who was signed out of Venezuela in 2021.

“At 5-7, 160 pounds, he won’t scream prospect,” Crespo said. “But he was forced quickly to Triple A and has the lowest strikeout percentage in Triple A. He’s versatile — can play second, short, third and center.”

At Jacksonville, he’s hitting .303 with a .367 on-base average, with six homers and 51 RBI in 96 games.

Up next: A progress report on the Marlins’ top outfield and catching prospects