January chugs along and that can mean only one thing around these parts: it’s time to rank minor-league prospects. Every team across the majors is selling hope to their fans: some are selling it in a more immediate fashion, in the form of active offseasons full of free-agent signings and trade acquisitions. Others, meanwhile, are selling it in the personage of prospects who could make the difference over the coming years.
CBS Sports is underway examining the top three prospects in each organization. Our definition of “prospect” is simple: does that player have rookie eligibility remaining for the 2025 season? If so, they’re a prospect; if not, that’s probably why your favorite young player is absent from the proceedings.
As always, these lists are formed following conversations with scouts, analysts, player development specialists, and other talent evaluators around the industry. There’s a fair amount of firsthand evaluation, statistical analysis, and historical research mixed in, too. Plus a heaping of personal bias — we all have certain traits and profiles that we prefer over others, there’s no sense pretending otherwise.
Keep in mind that there’s no one right answer with these sorts of things. Besides, these are merely our opinions, meaning they have no actual bearing on the future. We already published our ranking of the top 25 prospects in all of the minors.
With all that out of the way, let’s get to ranking the top three prospects in the Miami Marlins system.
The short hook: Promising southpaw with mid-rotation aspirations
Drafting prep pitchers in the first round is risky business. The Marlins, at least to date, have no reason to regret choosing White at No. 35 in 2023. He’s a physical southpaw with a promising three-pitch mix, including a mid-90s fastball and a breaking ball that generated nearly 42% whiffs across 13 High-A starts. White has battled his command at times because of an arm stroke that sees his back elbow creep to his shoulder line; that, in turn, makes it tougher for him to get his arm in position at foot strike. Even so, White has continued to progress toward becoming at least a middle-of-the-rotation starter. For long as that remains true, don’t expect the Marlins to ask for a mulligan. MLB ETA: Late summer 2027
The short hook: Bat-first backstop
Ramirez, obtained from the Yankees in the Jazz Chisholm Jr. trade, is a dark horse Rookie of the Year Award candidate if the Marlins give him enough playing time at the highest level. He batted .246/.345/.411 with 22 extra-base hits across 68 Triple-A games, all the while recording an exit velocity of at least 95 mph on more than 40% of his batted balls. (The average for MLB catchers was 38.2%.) Ramirez also has a good feel for the zone and contact, making him a potential offensive force. Unfortunately, his defensive skills continue to lag, to the extent that his value could be diminished by a justifiable move down the defensive spectrum. The Marlins have every reason in the world to keep him in the squat for at least a while longer. Any meaningful gains on that side of the ball will make him into a very interesting player. MLB ETA: Spring 2025
The short hook: Talented right-hander with command woes
As mentioned earlier, the Marlins are no strangers to riding the tiger by drafting prep arms in the first round. In fact, White wasn’t even their highest selected prep arm that summer: they also took Meyer at No. 10. Meyer has a promising arsenal that includes two quality breaking balls and a low-to-mid-90s sinker. His elongated arm action leads to a lot of geographical inconsistency, with his arm having to play catch up to his body once his front foot lands. Indeed, Meyer averaged nearly seven walks per nine innings across 74 innings, casting doubt on his chances of throwing enough strikes to stick as a starter. The Marlins have no reason to change course yet. If Meyer can clean up his mechanical flaws, he too could develop into at least a middle-of-the-rotation starter. MLB ETA: Late summer 2027
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