Marlins Announce the Franchise’s 2026 Player Development Awards

MIAMI, FL - This week, the Miami Marlins announced the franchise’s 2026 Player Development Awards, headlined by outfielder Cam Cannarella and right-handed pitcher Eliazar Dishmey being honored as the Player and Pitcher of the Year, respectively.

Cannarella, 23, ranked second among the team at the Triple-A level (.351). In 98 games between High-A Beloit, Double-A Pensacola, and Triple-A Jacksonville in his first full professional season, the outfielder racked up 22 doubles, 15 home runs, 60 walks, and 79 strikeouts.

Cannarella shows a lot of promise at the big league level. He's an athletic, left-handed hitter, who can play all three outfield positions if necessary. However, he's best suited as an everyday center fielder in the Show. Drafted 43rd overall out of Clemson University in the 2025 Major League Baseball Draft, the talented youngster has been described as an advanced hit-over-power prospect with elite-level defensive prowess.

"Cannarella's biggest selling point remains his defense in center field. He's a true burner who runs efficient routes and can make highlight plays," his official MLB.com scouting report states. "Cannarella has long had a below-average throwing arm, which seemed even less efficient after the shoulder surgery. The Marlins will thus be tasked with helping him regain strength and maximize his speed on the bases."

Dishmey, 21, tossed 104.2 innings between High-A Beloit and Double-A Pensacola in 2026; the right-hander was one of only three pitchers across all of Minor League Baseball to finish with at least 100.0 innings pitched and the first Marlins prospect to be named the Southern League Pitcher of the Year since Max Meyer in 2021.

Dishmey stands out for his wide arsenal of pitches, even if none grade as plus. His fastball sits around 93 mph but plays up because of his above-average extension and can occasionally touch the upper 90s, and he'll deploy a sinker against righties," his scouting report states. "His command has improved but remains a work in progress with his secondary pitches. Dishmey has a relatively higher floor and could become a backend starter, especially if he can continue to develop his breaking pitches."

In addition to those honors, infielder Juan Matheus was recognized as Student of the Year, and Single-A Jupiter Manager Kyle Stahlberg was selected as Staff Member of the Year.

Cannarella projects to be at the big-league level, while Dishmey, the team's 30th overall prospect, remains an X- factor. The third player honored, Matheus, is ranked in the organization's top 10 and is a versatile middle infielder.

Matheus hit .266 with 16 home runs, 85 RBI, and 30 SB with three different teams within the organization over three levels of the minors in just one season: High-A and Double-A, before settling in with the Triple-A Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp for the remainder of the season.

A versatile infielder, many scouts project the 22-year-old as a potential 20-20 player at the MLB level. Depending on his performance in Spring Training or injuries throughout the year, there's a strong possibility that we could see the youngster leap the bigs as soon as next season.