Miami Marlins
Braxton Garrett, LHP
- MLB.com: 38
- Baseball Prospectus: 71
- Baseball America: 80
- FanGraphs: 60
Though the Marlins have one of the worst farm systems in baseball according to the experts (Miami ranked dead last in Baseball Prospectus’ preseason organizational rankings), the club does has a few talented players, most notably 2016 first rounder Braxton Garrett.
Miami drafted Garrett No. 7 overall in 2016, and gave him $4.15 million to bypass an opportunity to pitch at Vanderbilt. A 6-foot-3, 190-pound lefty from Alabama, Garrett didn’t see official action as a pro in 2016, instead working out in instructional league instead of the Gulf Coast League. However, Garrett debuted with the club’s Low Class-A South Atlantic League affiliate as a 19-year-old in 2017.
A full-season assignment is ambitious for a high school draftee, but the team is limiting his workload and early signs are positive. In four starts, Garrett has posted a 2.93 ERA in 15.1 innings across four starts. He has struck out 16 hitters and walks six, while allowing 13 hits (including three home runs).
It would be irresponsible to anoint Garrett as the heir apparent to Jose Fernandez as the Marlins ace. After all, Fernandez was an All-Star, won the NL Rookie of the Year Award and finished third in the Cy Young vote as a 20-year-old in 2013. He was a once in a generation talent. However, there is hope that Garrett ‘s low 90s fastball and swing-and-miss curveball will eventually help him become a top of the rotation starter for the Fish.