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It has been a disaster of a season for the Marlins, who entered Tuesday with the third-worst record in baseball. With no shot at the playoffs, they sold off many of their best players at the trade deadline.
With so much talent leaving their roster, there isn’t a lot left to be excited about with them for fantasy purposes. Jake Burger and Xavier Edwards have stood out as their best options left.
While there isn’t much talent behind Burger and Edwards, that doesn’t mean that the Marlins are a team to ignore completely. Let’s discuss five hitters on their roster and whether they can provide value in deeper formats. All roster percentages are via Yahoo.
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Jesus Sanchez, OF (4% rostered)
Sanchez is one of the more established hitters left on the Marlins. He played in a career-high 125 games last year, finishing with a .197 ISO and a .334 wOBA. His 12.2% barrel rate and 46.3% hard-hit rate were encouraging for his prospects moving forward, and he has been even better in both departments this season, with a 12.4% barrel rate and a 53.3% hard-hit rate entering Tuesday. However, he still has just a .175 ISO and a .304 wOBA.
Jesus Sanchez has ELITE power! #MarlinsBeisbol pic.twitter.com/PmaqX7dhOG
— Bally Sports Florida & Bally Sports Sun (@BallySportsFL) August 11, 2024
Sanchez likely isn’t going to go on a massive power surge down the stretch or hit for a high average. Over his last 12 games, he has a bloated 33.3% strikeout rate. However, he does have some power upside and is playing every day. That at least makes him relevant in deep formats.
Jonah Bride, 1B/3B (3% rostered)
After posting a .976 OPS at Triple-A last year, Bride only had a .491 OPS over 40 games with the Athletics. That continued a trend for him in which he dominated in the minors but struggled in the majors. In 2022, he had a 1.116 OPS at Triple-A, then finished with just a .548 OPS over 58 games with the Athletics.
Bride had a .863 OPS at Triple-A this year and is now going to get a chance to play regularly down the stretch. He has been more productive this time around, entering Tuesday with a .790 OPS over 28 games. Luck has been on his side, though, with him posting a .309 BABIP despite his paltry 3.4% barrel rate. For his career, he has a 2.7% barrel rate. Unless you’re playing in an NL-only league or an extremely deep format, there’s no need to take a chance on Bride. He’ll be 29 years old in December, so it’s not as if he’s a hot prospect with upside.
Otto Lopez, 2B/SS (1% rostered)
Unlike Bride, Lopez is at least a little younger. He won’t turn 26 years old until October. Still, he couldn’t make a mark for himself while coming up through the Blue Jays organization. He appeared in a total of nine games in the majors heading into this year. Now a member of the Marlins, he has appeared in 75 total games this season. The results haven’t been anything to write home about with his .074 ISO and .254 wOBA.
The one plus with Lopez is that he has some speed, generating 12 stolen bases so far. However, it’s a bit surprising that he still has an everyday role. The Marlins acquired Connor Norby at the trade deadline, who has a significantly higher upside. He was immediately sent to the minors, though, leaving Lopez with a starting role. Still, we could see Norby supplant Lopez from the lineup at some point down the stretch.
Connor Norby, 2B (4% rostered)
Norby compiled some terrific numbers while coming up through the Orioles organization. This year, he had a .222 ISO and a .398 wOBA at Triple-A. He did play nine games in the majors, hitting two home runs along the way. While he was the centerpiece of the deal that sent Trevor Rogers to Baltimore, Norby has been relegated back to Triple-A.
🚨NORBY NUKE🚨 His first as a Jumbo Shrimp!!!!@norby_connor pic.twitter.com/yTXAnRdubY
— Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (@JaxShrimp) August 11, 2024
Norby does strike out a lot. He posted a 27.7% strikeout rate at Triple-A for the Orioles this year. However, with their lack of talent, it’s only a matter of time before Norby joins the Marlins in the majors. Once rosters expand in September, we could see Norby playing on an everyday basis. For those in deep leagues who have a roster spot to play with, it’s not a bad idea to take a chance on adding Norby now.
Deyvison De Los Santos, 1B/3B (7% rostered)
De Los Santos was one of the players the Marlins acquired in the trade that sent A.J. Puk to the Diamondbacks. He began this year in Double-A, where he posted a 1.122 OPS over 38 games. He then registered a .926 OPS at Triple-A in the Diamondbacks system. Since being dealt to the Marlins, he has posted a .889 OPS over 13 games at Triple-A entering Tuesday.
De Los Santos has power. He has slugged 19 home runs across 62 total games at Triple-A this year. However, he just turned 21 years old in June and has never played in the majors. There’s a chance that he will be called up in September, but we might not see De Los Santos in the majors until next season. If you are trying to decide which Marlins prospect to take a chance on, go with Norby over De Los Santos.
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