The third overall pick and the first pitcher selected in the 2020 draft, Meyer had arguably the best stuff in the class, touching 102 mph and bending in a low-90s, plus-plus slider during that year’s brief college season. His athleticism (he was a two-way player at Minnesota), simple delivery, and relatively easy arm action gave teams confidence in his ability to start despite a smallish frame and inconsistent command at that time.

Meyer passed his first professional tests with flying colors, finishing the 2021 season with a 2.41 ERA at Double-A Pensacola. His fastball velocity was down, “only” in the 94-97 mph range, and it has never really returned to that elite, early-2020 level. Meyer still seemed poised to make his big league debut in 2022 when he began having injury issues, first ulnar nerve irritation and then a late-summer Tommy John that cost him all of 2023. When Meyer got going at the start of 2024, his velocity was down a tad. He still managed to put together some good big league starts before he was somewhat surprisingly demoted to Jacksonville, where he’s starting every Friday rather than every fifth day as a way of controlling his innings load coming off the TJ. He’d have to spend the majority of the season in the minors for the Marlins to alter his free agency timeline. With the team poised to take a seller’s posture at the deadline, Meyer feels like a lock to be up at some point and pitch enough to exhaust rookie eligibility and accrue a year of service. Meyer’s velocity has trended up a bit in his last couple of starts before list publication, sitting more 93-95 and touching 97 rather than living in the 92-94 mph range for much of an outing. His slider’s effectiveness has been collateral damage; it’s playing like a merely plus offering now. Without peak velocity, Meyer looks more like a perfectly fine fourth starter than an impact front-end arm.

Meyer hasn’t had anything close to his peak high school velocity so far in pro ball, but he’s still been nearly unhittable and was promoted from Low-A Jupiter to High-A Beloit not long before list publication. Ranked 12th on the FanGraphs 2023 draft board, he signed for $4.5 million as the 10th overall pick in a loaded draft.

Meyer checks nearly every scouting and analytical box. His 6-foot-5 frame is lanky and projectable, his arm works loose and free, he has a lower-than-average release height, and he can create huge action on his secondary pitches. Though he was routinely in the mid-90s as a high schooler, Meyer has been more 92-95 so far in pro ball. Both his mid-80s slider and changeup are generating plus rates of whiff. Meyer will also show you a devastating two-plane breaking ball featuring both huge depth and lateral action. In high school, it was sometimes easy to identify out of his hand because it was so much slower than his fastballs, sometimes 20 mph slower than the pitch before, but that gap has closed in pro ball, as his slider is averaging 83 mph. Meyer’s changeup, which he didn’t often have cause to throw in high school games, might end up being his best pitch. His arm slot helps impart a lot of lateral action on his cambio, which is now a few ticks slower than his high school version. His arm swing is really long and yet Meyer has pretty good feel for locating all of his offerings.

Velocity dip aside (and that’s pretty natural once a kid’s workload shifts from high school to pro ball), Meyer looks like a fairly stable prospect as far as teenage pitchers are concerned. He has the frame, stuff, and command of a mid-rotation starter, but of course he also has the risks associated with any pitcher his age. Given the Marlins’ timeline to contention (likely several years away), it’s unlikely Meyer will be on the fast track to Miami. He’s more likely to track in line with his chalk 40-man timeline, putting him on pace to debut late in 2027.

Head was ranked 14th here at FanGraphs leading up to the 2023 Draft and fell a little beyond that to San Diego, where industry rumor is he was the alternative to Ralphy Velasquez, who was taken by Cleveland a few spots before the Padres picked. Head signed for $2.8 million as a toolsy high school outfielder with plus-plus speed and a chance to grow into plus power, though more through sheer explosiveness than standard, frame-based projection. After the draft, Head’s performance at Low-A Lake Elsinore was strong enough to push for (but not quite make) a spot on the Top 100 list. Cold weather prep hitters like Head (who’s from Chicago) can be risky hit tool propositions, but Head’s 82% zone contact and 92% overall contact rate across 124 PA not only reinforced the notion that he was going to hit, but would perhaps do so even more than anticipated. He was an offseason Pick to Click and was traded to the Marlins as the headline prospect in the Luis Arraez deal.

So far in 2024, however, Head has been swinging and missing much more than he did in 2023; his contact rate is closer to 65% and he has about as many whiffs as he does balls in play. Backfoot breaking balls have been especially thorny for him to adjust to. This isn’t necessarily concerning, it’s just an indication Head isn’t making “the leap” just yet. He has dealt with recurring abductor strains since joining the Marlins system and began rehabbing on the Complex just before list publication.

Head is also still developing in center field, where he easily has the pure speed to be an impact defender but doesn’t look totally comfortable right now. One of these things — either his center field defense or his hit tool — probably needs to become plus for Head to be an impact, everyday guy in Miami. If his hit tool progresses, then Head will also be getting to his power, which is quite precocious for a teenage center field prospect. Head has homer power to his pull side and doubles pop to the oppo gap, and his feel for lifting the baseball to both sides of the diamond is natural and exciting. He was awesome for a month of pro ball last year, then not awesome for the first month of 2024, but he still has impact tools and the subjective background traits (cold weather guy, high-end athlete, the amateur side of the industry loved his makeup coming out) that would make you want to project on the hit tool and feel for defense. This is the kind of everyday hitting prospect you want to get back when you make a blockbuster trade.

As an underclassman, White was sitting in the low-90s, with a snapdragon breaking ball and a great physical foundation on which to layer velocity. He unleashed even more heat at PG National in 2022 (lots of 93-96 mph) and then shut things down for the bulk of showcase season, with scouts told it was a personal decision. Leading up to the 2023 draft, White looked more muscular and mature in the body and held mid-90s velocity throughout the spring, albeit under a very conservative workload. The Marlins gave him just over $4 million as one of two first-round prep arms taken last year, the second straight draft where Miami coaxed a high school pitcher away from Vanderbilt.

White’s stuff was simply too good for Low-A and he was promoted to High-A Beloit after just eight 2024 starts. He’s sitting 94-96 with roughly average life, which is more than enough to pave over Florida State League hitters. White also has a plus low-80s slider that bites very late and darts to his glove side. It looks like it has more lateral sweep to it now than it did in high school. The components of White’s delivery are often ill-timed; his arm stroke tends to be a little late and White had scattershot command as a high schooler. The way his fastball plays gives him some margin for error in this regard, but despite a fairly encouraging walk rate so far as a pro, to the eye these issues haven’t been remedied. This impacts White’s secondary pitch consistency, especially that of his changeup. It will probably be a while before White is challenged and forced to sharpen his command. He has impact starter upside and carries with him the risks typical of a volatile teenage pitching prospect.

Santana was 17 for the entirety of the 2023 DSL season and turned 18 in October. He’s built like an NBA small forward prospect at a broad-shouldered and skinny 6-foot-7, and he shows feel for three pitches. Santana’s low-90s fastball of 2023 had promising vertical ride, while his upper-70s curveball flashed the sort of depth that should play nicely with that kind of fastball, though it needed more power. At the end of the season, it felt very likely that Santana would develop immense arm strength as he matured. He has so much room for mass on his frame and his arm action is so clean and fluid — this seemed like the type of pitcher who could end up throwing 100 one day. All of that was projection, of course, based purely on visual assessment. In his first DSL start of 2024, Santana sat 93-98, debuted a slider/cutter in the 88-90 mph range and was working with a 91-94 mph changeup. Were he in the draft, he’d probably go in the mid-to-late first round and get a bonus approaching $3 million. This is a very exciting, uber-projectable 18-year-old who is in the midst of a velocity surge.

Martorella was a freshman during the COVID-shortened college season, then didn’t hit for power as a sophomore. Though he broke out as a junior (and had maybe the nuttiest BP of anyone at the 2022 Draft Combine), the combination of having just one full season of big performance and Martorella’s first base projection on defense depressed his draft stock into the fifth round. He’s been very good as a pro, slashing .269/.373/.446 with San Diego leading up to the Luis Arraez trade.

Martorella’s uppercut swing in among the more entertaining ones in baseball. He’s much more athletic in the batter’s box than in the field, at times finishing his swing on one knee. Despite his swing’s effort and ferocity, Martorella’s measured peak power is closer to big league average than it is to plus. Still, the quality of his approach and the big lift in his swing will help ensure he gets to all the power. Martorella’s tools aren’t big enough to project him as a big time first baseman, but you can win with this guy as a 1B/DH who you spell versus lefties. Martorella is built like DJ Stewart and Miami may want to push him quickly while he has this level of athleticism.

Fulton was actually throwing a little bit harder in the early part of 2023 (averaging 93.5 mph per Synergy, a tick and a half more than 2022) before he blew out and had a mid-June Tommy John, a little less than five years after his first one. Prospect writing Yoda, Jim Callis, reported in April that Dax was likely to miss all of 2024. As is customary, Fulton’s FV grade hasn’t changed as a result of his TJ, but I’ve slid him to the back of his tier until he shows he’s healthy again.

Fulton’s arm stroke is super short for such a tall pitcher, and this mechanical funk and the extreme downhill angle of his fastball combine to make him an uncomfortable at-bat. He commands two solid secondary pitches, the best of which is a breaking ball that spans the 78-84 mph range. His height and vertical arm slot give his fastball steep angle that runs counter to the flat-angled, bat-missing modern heater, but it takes hitters a few tries to get comfortable with it because of the unique look Fulton presents. His curveball also doesn’t pop out of his hand — because he’s so freaking big, it’s always descending after it leaves the southpaw’s fingertips — and it looks much more like his fastball out of the hand than is typical of pitchers with slower (by today’s standards) breaking balls. This pitch can either miss a bat (it plays as a backfoot offering to righties), get a groundball (which Fulton does a lot of), or land in the zone for a strike. He can turn over the occasional average changeup and at least locate his change consistently.

Fulton is a relatively stiff athlete without the mechanical grace and ease that would typically lead one to project on the velocity, but even if this is all there ever is, Fulton is still of the no. 4/5 starter ilk, the sort on the fringe of making a contender’s playoff rotation. He throws a starter’s rate of strikes, his fastball has some non-traditional “round up” traits, he can bend in a nasty hook, and he’ll hopefully get over this most recent injury and eat a ton of innings.

Cova is a tall, long-levered, projectable outfield prospect who seemed to last deeper into the international scouting process than most premium prospects before agreeing to a $1.4 million deal with Miami. He signed in January and will be part of the 2024 DSL crew. Cova’s combination of physical projection and present skill makes him one of the more well-rounded players in the 2024 international class. Scouts are split as to whether his frame will eventually cause him to outgrow center field, but there is general agreement that he is both currently fast enough to give it a try and that he has a promising enough hit/power combination to profile in a corner if he has to move. Cova is currently a little less twitchy and explosive than is typical of excellent international prospects (he’s more elegant and smooth), sliding him a FV tier below what tends to be the top of the class.

Sanoja is a diminutive, plus-running, up-the-middle prospect with precocious bat-to-ball skills and much less physicality than is typical for a big leaguer. Though he’s very chase-prone, Sanoja finds a way to put the bat on the baseball all over the zone and tends to work the opposite field even when pitches are in on his hands. He has an absurd 91% contact rate so far in 2024 and has posted high-end rates of contact his entire career. Sanoja’s special hand-eye coordination is most evident when he puts pitches in play that he has no business swinging at, up around his chest. He isn’t very strong, but he is remarkably athletic and he can maintain a high-effort swing to produce sufficiently hard contact for the big leagues. Sanoja has been developed at both middle infield spots and in center field. He isn’t an ideal fit at shortstop (his range is weirdly mediocre despite his speed because Sanoja is simply too small to reach for some balls hit near him), but he can play there in a pinch and he’s capable at second base and in center. He’s going to be a very fun utilityman in the Jon Berti role, except in Ronald Torreyes‘ body.

Mack is a lefty-hitting catcher with a big frame, above-average bat speed, and a grooved, uppercut swing. He was a cold weather amateur who missed a bunch of 2022 with a hamstring strain. His bat path has gorgeous natural loft, and Mack is a loose, explosive rotator, but he tends to swing through the center of the zone and doesn’t have especially good feel for the barrel. The good news is that plenty of catchers with 20-grade hit tools end up playing a big league role if they’re good enough defenders and get to some power. Mack’s size, mobility, the strength of his hands and arm, and the quality of his receiving are all solid long-term fits behind the dish. He has rare raw power for a lefty-hitting catcher and while he’ll probably hit between .180-.200 at the big league level, so long as he’s getting to the power, Mack will be doing enough to be a backup.

Mesa’s profile has done a near 180 since he signed for $1 million as the less-famous of the Brothers Mesa a couple of years ago. Then viewed as a contact-oriented hitter who might become a table-setting leadoff man, he’s become a glove-driven extra outfield prospect who runs into some extra-base hits. Mesa chases a ton, which limits the overall quality of his output, but his swing has enough lift that he hit 18 bombs last year and is on pace for more in 2024. His swing doesn’t let him get to the top third of the zone, where big league arms are going to execute consistently, so Mesa’s hit tool is pretty likely to mature below the major league average. His measureable power is also below average; his peak exits are relatively pedestrian. It’s impressive punch for a such a little hitter but not a separating big league tool.

The carrying skill here is Mesa’s defense. He’s especially good at breaking in on balls hit in front of him and is very comfortable going back on balls hit directly over his head. The defense will enable Mesa to play a big league role because viable center field defenders are in short supply, even in the majors. He projects as a fifth outfielder.

While he likely won’t have the same kind of pull power Austin Hedges had at peak, Banfield is tracking like a similar sort of player. He’s a mobile and athletic catcher with a great arm (he shows zip and accuracy from all kinds of odd platforms) and a chase-prone, pull-only style of hitting. Banfield showed bat-to-ball improvement across the 2022 and 2023 seasons but that has tapered in 2024 as his contact rate hovers just above 60%. A good high-ball hitter who struggles to cover the outer third of the plate, Banfield is going to strike out a lot, but he’s dangerous against the mistakes he sees. With impact defensive ability and a one-note offensive profile, Banfield should establish himself as a backup in the next couple of years.

Marsee entered 2024 yet to post a wRC+ below 131 at any level, and in 2023 he creamed High-A pitching (.273/.413/.425, 41 SB, 32 XBH in 113 games) before a late promotion to San Antonio and an incredible Arizona Fall League stint that earned him MVP honors. He was traded to the Marlins as part of the Luis Arraez deal. His underlying contact and chase data have been very promising (6.5% swinging strike rate, 88.5% Z-contact%, 16% chase rate), but Marsee’s case as a prospect is much stronger on paper than it is to the eye. He runs well enough to have been developed in center field to this point, but his feel for the position isn’t great, and his jumps and balls skills are both below average; he projects to play mostly left field in the big leagues. Marsee is barrel chested and stocky, a bit stiff, and has some plate coverage issues (big velo up/away) that have yet to be exposed. He’s a short-levered pull hitter capable of doing damage versus pitches on the very inner edge of the plate, and pitchers can neutralize his power by staying away from him. Purely from an eyeball scouting standpoint, Marsee looks like a fifth outfielder. His statistical case is much stronger than that.

Alderman suffered a broken hamate before the minor league season began; as of list publication, he was just getting underway playing rehab games on Miami’s complex in Jupiter. His college exit velocities were absurd, the best in the entire 2023 draft class and scale-breaking when adjusted for his age. He hit a ball 118 mph last year and slugged .709 at Ole Miss. Alderman is trying to break the sound barrier when he swings, and he puts every bit of his 250-pound frame into his cut. His breaking ball recognition isn’t great and puts Alderman at risk of not getting to his power enough to profile at the bottom of the defensive spectrum. He has mostly played the outfield corners to this point in his career as a prospect, and it’s possible that he won’t be mobile enough to play defense anywhere as he ages. If that’s the case, any sort of offensive flaw is going to be tough for him to overcome. Alderman has a shot to be a thumper in the heart of an order, a good team’s five- or six-hole hitter, but his overall contribution will be limited to that side of the ball. My pre-draft eval of Alderman was lower than where he was selected and he hasn’t yet had the opportunity to change that.

Milbrandt comes straight out of prep arm central casting as a broad-shouldered, 6-foot-2 pitcher with impressive arm strength and raw breaking ball quality. He signed for just shy of $1.5 million in the 2022 third round rather than head to Vanderbilt. He has a starter’s repertoire but has struggled with free passes so far in pro ball, with double-digit walk rates at each affiliate. Milbrandt will hold 92-96 and touch 97 across as many as six innings of work, mixing both four- and two-seamers. He can vary his breaking ball shape depending on whether he’s trying to induce chase or land it in the zone. His changeup and command both need to take a step forward if he’s going to be a starter. It’s far too early to bury Milbrandt as a starting pitching prospect given his size and the relative ease of his mechanics, but he hasn’t taken any kind of leap yet either. He realistically has a middle relief floor as a fastball/breaking ball guy, with a no. 4/5 starter ceiling if he improves as a craftsman.

Benitez doesn’t have big present velocity but everything else he brings to the table is promising and exciting. He is extremely lanky and projectable, he has electric arm speed, he attacks hitters with remarkable efficiency for a pitcher his age, and his secondary stuff is good. After dominating the complex, Benitez was recently promoted to Jupiter and made a start there not long before list publication. He mixes four- and two-seamers in the 90-93 mph range, and even though he’s only 6-foot-1, his level of athleticism and body projection augur velocity gains as he matures. This guy has serious arm speed; it’s very difficult to pick up the ball out of Benitez’s hand and it gets on hitters fast. It also helps hide his very advanced changeup, a low-80s offering with late sinking action and tail. Benitez’s breaking ball plays up against lefties because of his low slot. It has plenty of length and depth but currently lacks power in the 77-80 mph range. The foundation for a backend starter is already here, and Benitez’s ceiling is going to be most influenced by how much velocity he grows into. His control and level of athleticism for his age are very, very exciting components that make you want to put your thumb on the FV scale more than is typical for a teenage pitcher who’s sitting 91.

Miller is a very exciting two-way athlete with real big league potential as both a pitcher and an outfielder. He was seen often in the U.S. (usually at tournaments in Florida) as an amatuer and signed with the Marlins for just shy of $1 million in January of 2023. He quickly made developmental strides working out in the Dominican Republic. Miller was peaking in the low-90s as an amateur, but in his first pro season, he was sitting in that range and up to 96. His delivery features some head violence, but Miller is a projectable lefty with a naturally riding fastball and the potential to develop breaking stuff with big depth because his arm slot allows him to get over the top of the baseball. His fastball has nearly perfect north/south action, he can land his breaker in the zone, and he has some feel for creating tumble on a crude changeup. It’s exciting raw material that will take time to harness, and Miller’s development is being slow-played as he’s back in the DSL for the 2024 summer.

As a hitting prospect, Miller had the worst contact rate among the Marlins’ DSL hitters last year. He can really swing it, but doesn’t track pitches well or move the barrel around. As long as he’s on an innings count that allows for him to hit some of the time, it makes sense to develop him both ways to ensure the Marlins are making the right decision about which road he should take when Miller comes to the fork. When he signed it seemed likely that Miller would be a pitcher only down the road, and his 2023 DSL performance continued to push the ball in that direction

Often the timing of when Cuban players leave the island and become eligible to sign isn’t optimal, and in Cappe’s case, it was late enough that most teams had already committed the bulk of their 2019-2020 bonus pool space. He was forced to choose between signing when he was first eligible in July of 2019 for less money than a prospect of his caliber typically would, or waiting until the following year when teams had enough verbally uncommitted pool space to give him a better deal. Cappe took the latter route, but his signing was delayed another six months because of the pandemic. It put him behind the developmental curve of a typical $3.5 million international prospect by default.

After the super-projectable Cappe showed precocious feel to hit early during his pro career, his entire game has fallen off as he’s been promoted, and he’s having a rough go of things on both sides of the ball so far in 2024 even though he’s repeating the Midwest League. Cappe still looks great in the uniform and has a prototypical baseball frame, but he hasn’t gotten much stronger since he came to the U.S., and he’s still rather thin and lacking in strength. If there’s an aspect of Cappe’s game that has drastically improved in 2024, it’s his plate discipline. He walked 3% of the time at Low-A in 2022 and High-A last year, but has posted better-than-average chase rates so far in 2024. Cappe has shifted from SS/2B to 3B/2B, and he’s been mistake-prone at the hot corner, where he doesn’t look at all comfortable. It looked for a time like this was the best position player prospect in the system, but Cappe is now on thin ice. The body projection part of his profile makes less and less of a difference in forecasting his future as he gets older without really getting any stronger.

Valor has a prototypical right fielder’s build and long-term power projection. At a strapping 6-foot-3, he stands a chance to grow into plus raw power at maturity. Though he’s still mostly playing center field on the Jupiter complex in 2024, all of that strength will likely come with a move to a corner outfield spot. Valor’s hit tool will then need to outperform expectations if he’s going to be an impact big leaguer. He struck out at a 24.1% clip in the 2023 DSL and was punching out a third of the time on the domestic complex as of list publication. His hands trigger a little late and he ends up underneath a lot of fastballs. This might be remedied as he gets stronger. If one is inclined to compare teenage outfield prospects in pro ball to same-aged draft prospects, then Valor fits more in line with a late second rounder who gets about $1.2 million.

A very successful three-year starter at Bethune-Cookman, Maldonado’s pro career began on a bit of a delay because of the pandemic and an injury that cost him a large chunk of 2021. Despite that, he reached the upper levels of the minors in a relief role very quickly, and he’s been dominant from a bat-missing and strike-throwing standpoint for the last couple of years before finally debuting in the majors this season. Maldonado hangs his hat on a mid-80s slider that has powerful vertical finish. He throws this pitch more than half the time and supplements it with a low-90s sinker that stays out of trouble because of Maldonado’s control. He’s begun to incorporate a cutter in order to keep hitters off his fastball, mostly against lefties. Consistent slider command is his ticket to a steady low-leverage relief role.

Muñoz began his career as a starter in the Braves system before he began dealing with injuries and was moved to the bullpen while on their 40-man. He was DFA’d in mid-2023 and began hopping around a few orgs on waivers (Washington, Pittsburgh) before settling in with Miami, which is again deploying him as a starter in 2024. Given the Marlins’ need for people to eat innings (a need that only seems likely to grow as the trade deadline approaches), Muñoz may be in that role for the rest of the year before transitioning back to relief down the road. He’s better suited for the bullpen due to his below-average control and the way his fastball’s ineffectual shape tends to cause it to punch below the weight of its velocity. Muñoz tries to mitigate this by mixing in sinkers, cutters, and hard sliders that land in the zone. His best cutters are plus, but Muñoz doesn’t locate his stuff consistently enough for them to play like plus weapons. As long as he’s throwing this hard, he should be given chance after chance to settle into a role, most likely as a low-leverage reliever.

Ekness spent his underclass seasons at Lamar University before transferring to Houston for his draft spring; he struggled as a Cougar, and was shuttled back and forth between the rotation and relief. Ekness has been put into the bullpen full-time since turning pro, and his stuff and performance have both taken a leap. His fastball velocity is up two ticks, and so far in 2024, he’s averaging 97 mph and has touched 100. He’s a broad-shouldered 6-foot-4 righty with a drop-and-drive, low-slot delivery that creates rise and tailing action on his fastball. This heater has largely gone untouched by A-ball hitters so far in 2024 and is garnering whiffs at a nearly elite rate. Ekness still needs to find a consistent slider. His present mid-80s offering often lacks depth. This guy has some late-bloomer characteristics and has already gotten better less than a year removed from signing. He looks like a one-pitch middle reliever right now, but changes to Ekness’ breaking ball should be monitored because he could be a higher-leverage arm if he ends up with a good one.

Carpio is in the midst of a considerable velo boost, with his fastball now peaking in the upper 90s. This is a relief-only prospect with a high-effort, full-body delivery who needs to develop a competent second pitch. Carpio will go whole outings throwing only his fastball, and his low-80s curveball lacks consistent finish. Carpio’s arm strength and the uphill angle of his fastball give him a really nasty pitch that should be enough on its own for him to be a middle reliever. If he can find a second plus weapon as he climbs the minors, then he’ll work late innings.

Monteverde began his college career at Division III Virginia Wesleyan before transferring to D-II Seton Hill, where he lost most of 2019 (his junior year) to Tommy John surgery and 2020 to the pandemic. As a fifth-year grad transfer, he went to Texas Tech and struck out 101 batters in 86.1 innings despite only sitting 88-90 mph. Monteverde still only throws about that hard, but his short, vertical arm stroke is of the Clayton Kershaw phylum and helps his fastball sneak past hitters at the top of the strike zone more than an upper-80s fastball should. After feasting off his changeup in college, Monteverde has made changes to his seldom-used slider, which is now more of a cutter in the 84-85 mph range and up to 87, three ticks harder than it was a couple years ago. Monteverde now has four distinct pitches and a very repeatable delivery. He’s a high-floored depth starter type without a true swing-and-miss offering.

It took over a decade for Ramirez to make it to the big leagues, with stops in the Padres’, Braves’, and Yankees’ systems before the Marlins inked him to a minor league deal coming off a strong 2023-24 LIDOM showing. Ramirez enjoyed a two-tick velo spike in 2023 and it gave his upshot heater enough oomph to play along with his diving splitter. Ramirez doesn’t have especially great command, but his fastball has enough ride to give him some margin for error in that regard. He should be a lower-leverage option in a rebuilding club’s bullpen during his prime.

Pushard’s career at Maine began in 2017, was interrupted by injury and the pandemic, and didn’t come to an end until after the 2022 season when the Marlins signed him as an undrafted free agent. He climbed to Double-A in his first full pro season and is thriving there in a relief role so far in 2024. Pushard’s build and delivery both became more athletic as he left college, and that coincided with a velo spike that now has his fastball sitting 92-96 from a very high release point. His 2024 his breaking ball usage has shifted from a low-80s curveball to more of a cutter/slider look in the 86-91 mph range. He can really spin the baseball (2,700-2,800 rpm or so on these new breakers), and the ceiling on those pitches is fairly sizable. He’s already a great UDFA find and is tracking like a low-leverage reliever.

Miami’s last pick in the 2023 draft, Ignoffo played all over the diamond at Eastern Illinois, including as a pitcher, with most of his time coming at the corner infield and outfield spots. He’s been converted to catcher in pro ball and things are going swimmingly so far. Ignoffo is a surprisingly good receiver with fair arm strength. He’s also got fantastic pitch recognition and barrel feel as a hitter, which has enabled him to get off to a very strong start with the bat in the 2024 Florida State League. Ignoffo has seen maybe a handful of big league-quality fastballs his entire life and it’s tough to know how he’ll do when he starts seeing 96 mph regularly. But for now, he’s putting on a clinic in Florida and making consistent mid-flight adjustments to secondary stuff. He’s gone from the last round of the draft to being on the prospect radar within a matter of months.

A powerful, tightly wound righty from the Midwest, Miller had among the best present arm strength/breaking stuff combinations of the 2022 draft’s high school pitchers; the Marlins gave him $1.7 million to eschew a commitment to Louisville. He hasn’t had his peak velocity so far in pro ball. Rather than sit 92-95 mph and bump 97 like he would in high school, Miller’s fastball is averaging just shy of 92 mph the last two seasons, including early in 2024. This is pretty typical for high school pitchers whose throwing schedule and innings count become more labor-intensive as pros, and the hope is that through physical maturity they can at least maintain their high school velocity, if not improve upon it. Because Miller isn’t the most projectable young guy, this is less likely to happen for him.

Miller’s secondary stuff is generating slightly above-average swing-and-miss. His slider and changeup both reside in the 83-86 mph range most of the time, and the slider is a nice east/west complement to Miller’s two-seamer. His arm stroke has a little downward stab in the back and makes it a little tougher for Miller to repeat than is ideal, but he’s still tracking like a starter, though likely a depth option rather than a rotation mainstay unless the peak velo returns.

A lot of big-framed college boppers have suspect hit tools, but Vradenburg’s junior year ascent seemed much more balanced. He posted equal walk and strike out rates (13%) while driving the ball to all fields, and slashed a cartoonish .400/.492/.721 leading up to the draft. At his size, Vradenburg’s swing inevitably has length and he struggles to turn on velocity. It was something to watch as he left the Big Ten and entered pro ball, and so far Vradenburg has struggled very, very badly at Low-A, where he’s striking out nearly 30% of the time. His power is not yet actualized in games, despite his college slugging percentage. First base prospects need to rake all the way up the minors to have prospect value and Vradenburg is doing the opposite of that so far. Barring a profound late-season turnaround, he won’t be on the next Marlins list update.