\n\tFor the 2026 season, Fish On First will provide weekly reports on the Miami Marlins farm system, covering all levels. Here’s the season debut of our Fish On First Prospect Report.\n<\/p>\n
\n\t\u00a0\n<\/p>\n
\tTriple-A Jacksonville<\/p>\n
\n\tIt has generally been a terrible start to the Jumbo Shrimp season, especially offensively. Their .557 OPS as a team is 75 points lower than any other Triple-A affiliate. \u00a0\n<\/p>\n
\n\tJacksonville’s best hitter so far is\u00a0Deyvison De Los Santos<\/a>. He\u00a0has played in five AAA games, slashing .278\/.381\/.611\/.992 with two home runs, six RBI and a 157 wRC+. After a spring training that saw much better plate discipline from the 22-year-old, the Marlins had to call up De Los Santos when Christopher Morel<\/a> went down, but he was sent back down following the opening series when the team acquired infielder Leo Jim\u00e9nez<\/a>. With the Shrimp, he’s only struck out 19.0% of the time. If these spring training and early-season approach improvements sustain, De Los Santos can see some time at the major league level by season’s end.\n<\/p>\n \n\tThe other first baseman on the Jumbo Shrimp,\u00a0Nathan Martorella<\/a>, who is slashing .208\/.394\/.375\/.769 with one home run, seven RBI and a 116 wRC+. He has just as many walks as strikeouts. Martorella, 25, was one of the four players acquired in the trade that sent Luis Arraez to the San Diego Padres.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \n\tOutfielder Andrew Pintar<\/a> may have gotten\u00a0off to a slow start in terms of production, but his overall plate appearances have been strong, with a .382 on-base percentage, walking 17.6% of the time. One of this organization’s fastest runners, reaching first base on a consistent basis is huge for him. Pintar, who plays all three outfield spots, could play a role on the big league team if we see any injuries come up.\n<\/p>\n \n\tBraxton Garrett<\/a>\u00a0did not make the Marlins rotation coming out of spring despite 63 starts of MLB experience. In his second start of the Triple-A season on Sunday, he allowed two hits and two walks in 4 \u2154 shutout innings. He also struck out eight. Six of his eight strikeouts were swinging strikeouts. Overall, Garrett generated 14 whiffs, with six of them coming on his slider. On the other hand, his four-seam fastball only averaged 90.7 mph and the sinker was averaging 90 mph. He topped out at 92.9 mph.\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \n\tWilliam Kempner<\/a> leads all pitchers with four appearances, posting a 4.50 ERA, but does have a 2.02 FIP with a 24.75 K\/9 (11 strikeouts) and 2.25 BB\/9 in four innings of work. Kempner has been a bit unlucky, so the ERA should at some point go down.\n<\/p>\n \n\tJack Ralston<\/a> was the most impressive of the Marlins minor league free agent signings throughout spring training. In three regular season appearances, he already has a 2.25 ERA, 2.27 FIP, 15.75 K\/9 and 6.75 BB\/9 in four innings pitched. Ralston’s walk issues have continued, as control\/command has been an ongoing issue throughout his career.\n<\/p>\n \n\tDax Fulton<\/a> unfortunately continues to struggle, as in two appearances (one start), he’s allowed nine runs and four walks. He just hasn’t been able to look like the Dax Fulton we saw in 2022 who had the potential to be a future piece of the Marlins rotation. At this point, it may be time to see what they can get out of him in the bullpen.\n<\/p>\n \n\t\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \tDouble-A Pensacola<\/p>\n \n\tThe Wahoos got their season started at home with a three-game set against the Montgomery Biscuits. A low-scoring affair and pitchers\u2019 duel in their first game gave way to a shutout at the hands of a familiar face. Their third game was postponed due to rain. Pensacola will stay at home this week still searching for their first win.\n<\/p>\n \n\tAfter participating in MLB spring training and starting the Spring Breakout showcase for Miami, Karson Milbrandt<\/a> got the Opening Day nod for Pensacola. He showed off his new sweeper early and often, earning his first strikeout on one with great vertical break that dove out of the hitter\u2019s sight. Refined during the Arizona Fall League this past season, Milbrandt already has supreme confidence in the pitch. Lauded for the work he did physically over the winter, Milbrandt topped at 97 mph and sat 95 with his fastball. The benefactor of some great defense early including on a robbed home run by Fenwick Trimble<\/a> and a great play in the hole at short by newcomer Cristian Hern\u00e1ndez<\/a>, Milbrandt got better as the start got older. Ultimately, he allowed just one earned run on four hits and two walks while working into the fifth inning. Some minor command lapses aside, this was a great 2026 debut for Milbrandt to build upon.\n<\/p>\n \n\tOne of the newest Marlins in the upper minors, Brendan Jones<\/a> is making a solid first impression. After posting four hits including a home run and four walks in 10 spring training games with the Marlins, Jones went three for his first eight in his first two games with the Blue Wahoos. He also notched his first two stolen bases of the campaign. Fresh off a .245\/.359\/.395 52 stolen bases season at High-A and Double-A, the 5\u20199\u201d, 180-pound line-drive hitter who is a threat for extra bases whenever a ball drops, Jones is the most well-rounded piece that came back to the Marlins in the Ryan Weathers trade. A lefty hitter that limits strikeouts and who will be able to stick in center field, Jones has a high floor and if he can add more power, has the capability of raising his ceiling. In an advantageous developmental situation with an organization that has done very well with lefty-hitting outfielders, Jones is a name on the rise.\n<\/p>\n \n\t\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \tHigh-A Beloit<\/p>\n \n\tAfter being postponed twice, the Sky Carp finally got their season kicked off against the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers on Saturday in rare fashion: their first slate of the year was a doubleheader. Beloit fell behind early in both games, but fought back valiantly on both occasions. They wound up splitting the twin bill. The third game of the series was canceled.\n<\/p>\n \n\tStarlyn Caba<\/a>, our Prospect of the Week, was the star of the series. After an impressive Arizona Fall League campaign and spring training, the 20-year-old began the year with Beloit, despite being two years younger than the league average competitor. Caba burst out of the gates by going a combined 4-for-7 in his first two High-A contests. In the second game, he knocked in four of five Sky Carp runs. Caba showcased great bat control all day long, getting good wood on pitches both in and out of the strike zone. Probably his most impressive hit on the day was a single on a ball he got to up and out of the strike zone.\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \n\tKnown for great defense and speed, it\u2019s the bat the Marlins have been working diligently on and hoping to see show up more often for Caba. If early returns this season are any indication, he made the most of Miami\u2019s hitting development tutelage this spring. If this type of production continues on a regular basis, Caba will be a solid on-base threat. If he can improve his bat speed, there\u2019s some hidden power to tap into as well.\n<\/p>\n \n\tEarly returns on recent draft picks have been few and far between for the Marlins for the past couple of years, but Cam Cannarella<\/a>, Miami\u2019s competitive balance round pick from 2025, continued to be one positive outlier in his High-A debut. After slashing .284\/.337\/.375 for Jupiter post draft last season, the 22-year-old lefty hitter went 4-for-6 on Saturday. He also walked three times and stole a base. His standout moment was his final at-bat of the night in which he worked a full count and plated two with a single to keep the Sky Carp alive.\n<\/p>\n \n\t\u00a0\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \n\tAnother glove-over-bat prospect coming out of one draft due to standout skills in center field, the Marlins have to be pleased with what Cannarella has shown early in his career at the dish. While he likely won\u2019t ever develop enough physicality to be a power threat, he has shown a good eye and the ability to make informed swing decisions. He\u2019s also showing a quieter and looser setup and approach this season and has taken a bit of loopiness out of his swing.\n<\/p>\n \n\t\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \tLow-A Jupiter<\/p>\n \n\tThe Hammerheads are off to a 2-1 start this season, falling on Opening Day, but then rebounding to win back-to-back games against the Daytona Tortugas.\n<\/p>\n \n\tOn the position player side, it has been 2025 fifth-round pick Chris Arroyo<\/a>, who is slashing .375\/.375\/.1.000\/1.375 with one home run, two RBI and a 292 wRC+. Arroyo was one of many Marlins who participated in winter ball, playing in\u00a0Puerto Rico. In 16 games with\u00a0Leones de Ponce, he slashed .216\/.341\/.297\/.638 with one home run and six RBI. Arroyo will see time at first base and the outfield.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \n\tShortstop prospect Carter Johnson<\/a> went deep for his first hit of the season, a homer to straightaway center. Johnson struggled last season, slashing .177\/.275\/.261\/.536 with three home runs and 43 RBI in 106 games played. His professional career has been nothing short of a disappointment thus far, but he is only 20 years old, and after a full season in Low-A, maybe he can adjust to the league and show some results.\n<\/p>\n \n\tEsmil Valencia<\/a>, acquired in the Jesus S\u00e1nchez trade with the Houston Astros, is slashing .300\/.417\/.500\/.917 with two RBI. Last season in Jupiter, the right-handed hitter showed high exit velocities and slashed .327\/.367\/.510\/.877 with three home runs, 21 RBI, 14 stolen bases and a 141 wRC+. The early concern has been Valencia’s 25.0% strikeout rate and ability to catch up to major league-caliber velocity.\n<\/p>\n \n\tThomas White<\/a> (Grade 1 right oblique strain)<\/a>\u00a0made a rehab start on April 2. He tossed 2 \u2153 innings, where he allowed two runs on two hits (one home run), walked one and struck out four. Three of White’s four strikeouts were swinging strikeouts. He’ll continue to stretch out as a starter with another rehab start on Wednesday.\n<\/p>\n