Outlook
Alderman is a difficult player to assess. There’s top-of-the-scale raw power and seemingly enough contact skills to potentially get into it, but the batted ball angles and swing decisions create more variables in addition to the fact that the hit tool could degrade at the highest level.
The other side of the coin is that there is less than a handful of players in Major League Baseball with more raw power than Alderman, and while he still has more work to do, he made gains with his swing decisions, elevating the baseball and defense.
It may be asking a lot, but another comparable step forward across the board in 2026 would have Alderman looking like an everyday corner outfielder. If not, he is likely a streaky platoon power bat who teases with his upside.
7. Karson Milbrandt – RHP – (Double-A)
Height/Weight: 6’2″, 225 | Bat/Throw: R/R | 3rd Round (85), 2022 (MIA) | ETA: 2026
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Milbrandt is the best pitching example in the Marlins org of a prospect who pre-dated the front office and now took a leap under the new player development infrastructure. The fastball ticked up in 2025, as did the quality of secondaries. He still has some things to refine, but Milbrandt looks like a big league arm one way or another.
Arsenal
Not only did Milbrandt see his fastball go from 94 MPH on average to 95 MPH in 2025, but he also added an upper-80s slider that immediately became his most effective and consistent offering.
The fastball would occasionally touch 98 MPH with more ride than expected from his arm angle. The unique look Milbrandt creates with the heater and improved velocity made it a dominant pitch in 2025, holding opponents to a .170 batting average with an in-zone whiff rate north of 30%.
His hard bullet slider worked off of the fastball well with a short, late drop that garnered both whiffs within the zone and chase below it. Milbrandt’s feel for the slider was more consistent than any of his offerings in 2025, landing it for a strike 66% of the time.
Milbrandt’s 83-85 MPH curveball is a solid third pitch, though it is shorter and harder than most curveballs. He found a bit more depth with the pitch in 2025 as he worked to separate it further from his new slider. He’ll mix it in evenly to lefties and righties with quality of contact figures that point towards it being at least an average third offering.
He also added an inconsistent sweeper that seemed to be phased out a bit as the season progressed. Given Milbrandt’s feel to spin breaking balls, there’s hope that pitch can develop further as another look to give righties, but it’s just a change of pace offering at this point.
Outlook
Milbrandt’s improved fastball and new slider give him a pair of offerings that elevate his floor as a potential relief option while providing the upside of a No. 4 starter if the command can take another step forward in 2026.
Turning 22 years old shortly after the start of the 2026 season, Milbrandt will begin at Double-A, where, particularly, his fastball command will be the most important thing to monitor.
He tends to spray his fastball as much as any offering, but with it developing into a good swing-and-miss pitch, more consistency with fastball execution would ease his transition to the upper levels and push his ceiling higher.
Similar to AJ Blubaugh of the Astros, Milbrandt’s command challenges could prevent him from starting every fifth day in a strong rotation, but the quality of stuff paired with 40-grade command could make him a very unique Swiss-Army knife capable of making five and dive starts and appearances out of the bullpen.
8. Kevin Defrank – RHP – (CPX)
Height/Weight: 6’5″, 235 | Bat/Throw: R/R | IFA: $560K 2025 (MIA) | ETA: 2029
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A big-bodied teenage arm who touched triple digits with his fastball before his 17th birthday, Defrank provides plenty to dream on but is understandably quite raw.
Arsenal
In his age-16 season, Defrank averaged 97.2 MPH on his fastball, touching 100 with a wide range of shapes due to his inconsistent release, with some reading as dead zone four seamers while others as sinkers with plenty of horizontal action.
He moves well for his size, but is still learning to utilize his athleticism more effectively to repeat his timing and delivery more consistently, as well as working down the mound a little better.
At this stage, the fastballs with heavier arm-side run seem like the more natural throw to him. There’s clearly room for more velocity and effectiveness on his fastball as he optimizes his shapes, consistency, and simply matures.
Defrank’s most-used secondary was a gyro slider in the mid-80s which also has some variance shape-wise, but mostly has bullet spin, working under barrels of both lefties and righties, generating strong ground ball numbers.
His 89-91 MPH splitter flashes, but he can get firm on him. He struggled to locate it with much consistency in his pro debut, though it could eventually become a quality third pitch.
Outlook
There’s no doubting that Defrank is an exciting pitching prospect, given his blend of advanced velocity and size for his age, with good mobility.
More of a thrower than a pitcher at this stage, Defrank will need to find more consistency with his delivery and pitch shapes to keep pushing towards his exciting ceiling.
It will be interesting to see how aggressive the Marlins opt to be with Defrank as he prepares for his first season stateside. If he showcases gains with his command and overall feel to pitch, Defrank could become the youngest pitcher at the Low-A level at some point in 2026.
Regardless, it’s a wait-and-see game for the talented pitcher to see if he can tap into his high upside.
9. Cam Cannarella – OF – (High-A)
Height/Weight: 6’0″, 180 | Bat/Throw: L/R | CB-A Round (43), 2025 (MIA) | ETA: 2028
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Superb centerfield defense is the calling card for Cannarella, but the bat somewhat stalled in his three years at Clemson, pushing him out of the first round and into the Marlins’ lap at 43rd overall.
His skill set makes him a high probability big league bench piece, though the Marlins are hoping offensive gains as a pro could push him closer to an everyday centerfielder’s outlook.
Hitting
Starting with his hands right by the ear flap of his helmet, Cannarella features a big gathering leg kick, then pulls his hands back behind him as he strides forward.
The counter-move of pulling his hands back may help him create some hip-shoulder separation, but his lower-half timing can be inconsistent, resulting in the upper and lower halves being out of sync.
He still showcases a pretty good feel for the barrel, especially when he is in sync. He handles velocity well, hammering fastballs both in his draft year and in his pro debut, with the production improving against 93+ MPH.
Cannarella can get pulled onto his front side prematurely against secondary stuff, impacting his quality of contact, and with the way he likes the pull, his hands deep behind him as he strides, the bat can get stuck behind him.
He has good knowledge of the strike zone and is patient, running a walk rate of 17% in his draft year while continuing to draw free passes at a solid clip in his pro debut. The power is well below average at this stage, and Cannarella did not make the gains in his draft year that evaluators had hoped.
Both a 90th percentile exit velocity of 101 MPH with metal and an average launch angle of roughly 7 degrees limited Cannarrella’s power output, though there is hope that he can tap into more as he optimizes his mechanics and potentially adds more strength to his wiry frame.
Defense/Speed
A plus runner who covers plenty of ground in centerfield, Cannarella’s good jumps and already efficient routes make him capable of running down low probability grabs in the gaps with the instincts to seemingly always know where he is on the field when he works back towards the wall.
His athleticism and hand-eye coordination allow him to finish some ridiculous highlight reel plays. Cannarella has the goods to be a 70-grade defender up the middle.
Despite his speed, Cannarella was not much of a base stealer in his three years at Clemson, an aspect of his game the Marlins hope to improve.
Outlook
Cannarella’s defensive prowess in center field and on-base skills give him a good chance of landing as a fourth outfielder. That said, there’s every day center fielder upside to dream on if he can make progress with his swing mechanics and strength as a pro.
The Marlins came away encouraged by his 25-game pro debut at High-A, and he will likely head back to Beloit to begin the 2026 season.
10. Brandon Compton – OF – (High-A)
Height/Weight: 6’1″, 160 | Bat/Throw: L/R | CB-A Round (46), 2025 (MIA) | ETA: 2028
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Huge raw power is the calling card for Compton, but he is still working to get into it in games. Though there was plenty of whiff in his brief pro debut, Compton also provided flashes that have the Marlins excited about what could be.
Hitting
Starting settled into his base with the bat resting on his shoulder, Compton sinks further into his back side with a moderate gather as he pulls the knob towards the catcher. Compton swings hard, but he generates plenty of force, popping exit velocities as high as 115 MPH in his brief pro debut with one of the highest EV90s of the 2025 draft class.
There can be some drag to Compton’s swing, getting armsy at times, which results in challenges against velocity, producing an OPS hardly above .600 against pitches 92+ MPH between his draft year at Arizona State and 30-game pro debut.
The challenges against velocity resulted in a less-productive walk year than his sophomore season, though he did hedge the gap some with improved production against secondaries.
In addition to the contact questions, Compton is still working to get into his potentially double-plus raw power in games.
After hitting 14 homers in his sophomore season and six more on the Cape, Compton left the yard just nine times in 59 games in 2025, seeing his OPS drop by more than 200 points.
The power output is likely limited in large part by his challenges to elevate fastballs and hard sliders with consistency. It could very well be a swing path issue as he seems to enter the zone somewhat shallow, which can make it more difficult to get on plane for harder stuff.
Potentially 70 grade raw power and respectable contact rates in his three years at Arizona State and on the Cape were enough to make him worth the gamble in the first two rounds. There’s intriguing power upside, but Compton will still need to clean up his path and improve his pitch selection to even have a chance of getting there.
Defense/Speed
A bulky but compact build, Compton is not the most agile, but he moves well underway. His arm plays better in left field, and he covers enough ground to be passable out there. A willing base stealer, Compton stole 8 bags on 9 tries through his first 30 pro games.
Outlook
Compton is a volatile profile who will really need to slug to be an everyday player, but he has demonstrated a skill set that gives him a chance at doing so. Given the fact that the hit tool projects to be about 40 grade at best, swing decisions will be an important variable to hedge the bat to ball concerns and aid his ability to get into plus game power.
There’s a fair deal of risk that Compton does not hit enough to stick in the big leagues, given the increased pressure on the bat, given the lack of value beyond it, but he has time to iron out his path and swing decisions as he prepares for his first full pro season in 2026.
11. Andrew Salas – IF/OF – (Low-A)
Height/Weight: 6’1″, 180 | Bat/Throw: S/R | IFA: $3.7M, 2024 (MIA) | ETA: 2029
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The brother of one of the top catching prospects in the game, Ethan Salas, and former Marlins prospect Jose Salas, Andrew headlined the Marlins’ 2024 IFA class with a $3.7 million signing bonus. Salas is polished beyond his years, playing in the Venezuelan League as a 16-year-old and Low-A as a 17-year-old.
While impressive that he can compete at these levels, the early going of his pro career has been reminiscent of his brother Ethan, where we are ultimately reminded why even the most talented players their age do not receive such aggressive assignments.
Salas hit just .186/.319/.245 in 104 Low-A games, completely skipping the DSL and Florida Complex League to start his pro career, shortly after his 17th birthday.
The polish and feel for the game is already evident. With the Marlins wanting to keep Salas’ bat in the lineup and a glut of infielders at the lower levels, Salas saw action at six different positions, mostly relying on instincts, good hands, and an extremely accurate throwing arm.
He made the majority of his starts in centerfield, where he may ultimately project best, but he clearly has the chops to be able to play quality infield defense as well.
The bat is the big question, and what is ultimately difficult to project with much confidence. The bat looks a little heavy for the switch-hitting teenager, understandably lacking some violence with his swing and an average exit velocity south of 80 MPH.
He is extremely patient, bordering on passive at times, with a great feel for the strike zone and a chase rate of just 16%.
Salas will be 18 years old for the entirety of the 2026 season as he likely gets his second look at Low-A. If he can add some strength and impact, Salas has a chance to take a big step forward with the bat-to-ball skills and approach already ahead of his years.
12. Fenwick Trimble – OF – (Double-A)
Height/Weight: 6’2″, 200 | Bat/Throw: L/R | 4th Round (122), 2024 (MIA) | ETA: 2026
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Trimble put up monster numbers in three seasons at James Madison, offering enough intrigue tools-wise as well to be selected in the fourth round in 2024.
Since then, Trimble has really turned heads in the organization with his game. Not because anything jumps off the page, but because of his well-rounded skill set and the way he goes about his business.
Everything beneath the hood looked far better in 2025 as well, even as he took on Double-A pitching for the first time, followed by an AFL stint. Trimble cut his chase rate by 10%, consistently demonstrating plus plate discipline throughout the season, and he saw his average exit velocity rise by 1.5 MPH to 89.8 MPH.
He is an above-average runner and effective base stealer, but projects best defensively in a corner. Trimble looks like he could be a second-division regular or strong bench piece.
13. Luis Cova – OF – (DSL)
Height/Weight: 6’1″, 160 | Bat/Throw: R/R | IFA: $1.4M, 2024 (MIA) | ETA: 2028
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The prize of the Marlins’ 2024 IFA class, Cova turned in a mediocre first pro season, repeating the DSL in 2025, where he put up a .950 OPS and swiped 35 bags for the second season in a row.
In addition to filling out, Cova will need to get his lower half more successfully involved in his swing to tap into more impact, as his swing can be armsy with the tendency to collapse his backside to try to create more space. The good news is, Cova has a pretty good feel for the barrel, running a contact rate of 80% in 2024 and 2025 with a relatively advanced approach.
A plus runner, Cova moved to the outfielder later in his amateur career, relying on his closing speed to make up for jumps and reads that are a work in progress. Cova has a chance to really jolt his stock if he makes a smooth transition stateside, with the tools and physical projection to dream a little bit.
14. Dillon Head – OF – (Low-A)
Height/Weight: 5’10″, 185 | Bat/Throw: L/L | 1st Round (25), 2023 (SD) | ETA: 2028
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Traded to the Marlins as the then-headline piece in the Luis Arraez trade with the Padres, Head saw his 2024 season cut short shortly after the trade due to a left hip issue that required surgery, and it may be fair to assume that it affected him when he returned to action in 2025.
Head seemed to struggle to stay in his backside, and the natural feel to combat that for a hitter is often to coil with the upper half to fight the forward move. He pushes his hands up and tips the barrel late in his load, which can make it really difficult to get on plane on time with the bat lagging behind.
Despite the low batting average as a pro, Head has a good feel for the barrel, producing above-average contact rates since his debut. His quality of contact is the main issue, with a swing that is too flat and the aforementioned mechanical hurdles.
Head is a great runner with the skill set to provide at least above-average defense in centerfield. He is wiry strong with enough power to hit double-digit homers if he can improve his angles. There’s still a world where Head is an everyday player, but he’s going to need to take a big step forward in 2026 to keep that dream alive. His skill set gives him a fallback of a bench outfielder.
15. Maximo Acosta – INF – (MLB)
Height/Weight: 6’1″, 190 | Bat/Throw: R/R | IFA: $1.65M, 2019 (TEX) | ETA: 2025
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Acosta caught the Marlins’ attention after a breakout second half of the 2024 season that was validated by a strong AFL showing and targeted the once highly touted IFA prospect in the Jake Burger trade with the Rangers.
It was a disappointing follow-up to Acosta’s sprint through the finish line in 2025, struggling to an OPS below .600 through his first 50 games at Triple-A. He shook off the slow start a bit and bumped that figure up to .744 the rest of the way, which included 18 MLB games, but still finished the season with a wRC+ of 87 in 2025.
Even through the struggles, Acosta flashed plenty of traits that should give him a solid chance to at least be an infield utility piece. The exit velocities and contact rates are right on the edge of average, and he is good enough at pulling the ball in the air to get more out of his contact.
He is capable at shortstop and has gained more comfort at third base and second base as he has seen additional reps there. He’s also an above-average runner who will provide value on the base paths. Acosta looks the part of a utility infielder who can plug in at shortstop.
Names to Watch
Nigel Belgrave – RHP – (Triple-A): A 6-foot-5, 210-pound right-hander, Belgrave ripped through Double-A before carrying his success into a cup of coffee at the Triple-A level. His slider is one of the best in the organization, and he uses it more than any arm at nearly 60% of the time.
He boasts superb command of it in the 83-85 MPH range with nearly identical numbers against both lefties and righties despite it being more of a sweepy pitch.
His cutter is an effective bridge pitch between his 93-95 MPH four-seamer and sinker as well. Belgrave looks the part of a middle relief arm.
Keyner Benitez – LHP – (Low-A): Benitez showed up in 2025 with a fastball that was more than a tick and a half harder (94 MPH) and a new sinker.
The results were positive before an injury ended his season right around the halfway mark. Benitez’s bread and butter is his changeup, which very well may be a plus pitch, but spinning a breaking ball comes far less naturally.
The new sinker paired with the changeup from his low, extended release creates a nightmare angle for left-handed hitters, evidenced by the zero extra base hits he allowed to same-handed hitters in a little over 50 innings.
The command needs to improve, and he will likely need more distinct shapes in his arsenal to succeed at the upper levels, but Benitez’s athletic delivery and up arrow with the stuff make him an intriguing arm heading into his age-20 season.
Deyvison De Los Santos – 1B – (MLB): It was a lost season for De Los Santos, as his approach limitations and elevated ground ball rate hampered his power output outside of Amarillo and the PCL (he was traded with Andrew Pintar for A.J. Puk at the 2024 deadline).
Though he cut his chase rate down from just north of 40% to just north of 30% in 2025, the swing decisions are still an issue. Still just 22 years old for the first half of 2026, De Los Santos has double-plus raw power with the chance to hit 30+ homers; it just seems decreasingly likely he gets there given his expansive approach and poor batted ball angles.
Eliazar Dishmey – RHP – (High-A): Signed for $50,000 in 2022, Dishmey took a big step forward in his age-20 season, pitching to a 2.90 ERA in 99 1/3 innings, adding a splitter that became an effective equalizer for him with a higher strike rate than the changeup he featured prior.
Nothing jumps off the page, but the fastball has been effective at 93-95 MPH with a slider and splitter that could be average.
Josh Ekness – RHP – (Triple-A): Ekness moved to the bullpen after the Marlins drafted him in the 13th round in 2023, and the results have been undeniable. He reached Triple-A by the end of the 2025 season and pitched to a 2.83 ERA in his 102 appearances on the way.
Ekness’s fastball velocity fluctuated a bit in 2025, averaging 98 MPH in some outings while closer to 95 in others. He has a low release that can help the fastball play up at the top of the zone, and his sweeper has been dominant since entering pro ball.
He will mix in a slurvy breaking ball and sinker to disrupt patterns and looks the part of a big league relief piece that should join the Marlins bullpen sometime in 2026.
Liomar Martinez – RHP – (Low-A): Signed for $80,000 in 2022, Martinez saw his stuff tick up in 2025 with his fastball jumping 2 MPH, averaging just above 93 MPH.
His curveball is his best pitch, with two-plane break at 79-82 MPH, holding opponents to a batting average around .150. The slider lags behind, and his splitter is nascent, but it’s a decent pitch mix and encouraging results in 2025, pitching to a 3.30 ERA in 101 Low-A innings as a 19/20-year-old with a 28% strike rate.
Victor Mesa Jr. – OF – (MLB): A $1 million IFA signing in 2018 along with his brother Victor Victor Mesa ($5.25 million), it is the younger Mesa who turned out to be a big leaguer, overcoming an early-season injury to earn a cup of coffee in Miami while producing an OPS of .878 in 42 Triple-A games.
Mesa Jr.’s tools are mostly average across the board, but he has a knack for pulling the ball in the air and is an above-average defender at all three outfield spots.
The exit velocities are fringe-average, the swing decisions are aggressive but calculated, and the angles are good. There are some challenges with premium velocity, though he made improvements in that regard in 2025. Mesa Jr. has enough going for him to become a second division regular or at least a bench outfielder.
Noble Meyer – RHP – (High-A): Meyer has seen his stuff back up each of his last two seasons while still struggling to throw strikes. His fastball averaged 92 MPH in 2025 with a walk rate of 13%, two percent better than his career average.
All that said, Meyer still has time to figure it out one way or another. He’s 6-foot-5, throws from a unique slot, has a feel to spin a breaking ball, and is still just 20 years old. The reality is, figuring it out for Meyer at this point likely means he’s an effective big league reliever.
PJ Morlando – OF – (Low-A): The Marlins’ first-round pick in 2024, Morlando received an under-slot $3.4 million bonus at 16th overall. He has struggled to stay healthy since debuting, dealing with a stress reaction in his back after his first pro game in 2024, followed by an elbow surgery that limited him to just 52 games in 2025.
He flashes good bat speed and is a good runner underway, but the swing is rigid, creating challenges against secondaries. He really struggled in the Arizona Fall League, further clouding his outlook as he heads into his age 20/21 season in 2026.
Jared Serna – UTIL – (Triple-A): Acquired alongside Agustin Ramirez and Abrahan Ramirez in the Jazz Chisholm trade, Serna enjoyed a breakout 2024 season before hitting a wall in 2025.
He offered more pop than his 5-foot-7, 170-pound frame would suggest, with above-average bat speed and a knack for pulling balls in the air, but he took a step back in both departments at Double-A and Triple-A.
He is defensively versatile, capable at shortstop, and above average at second base while starting to see outfield action in the Mexican Winter League. If he can regain his 2024 form offensively, Serna could be a utility piece.
Josh White – RHP – (Triple-A): Added to the 40-man roster following the end of the 2025 season, White offers a mid-90s fastball with good life and a wipeout curveball that tunnels well off of the heater from his more vertical arm angle.
It was one of the most dominant pitches in the minor leagues, holding opponents to a batting average below .100 with a chase rate north of 40%. He will also mix in an effective slider that generates good whiff numbers as well, but just tends to hang up at times. White has a chance to break camp in 2026.
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