Marlins Minor League Rundown: Jupiter Opens Playoffs With Win

The Jupiter Hammerheads opened the Florida State League playoffs with a 6-1 victory over the Daytona Tortugas on Tuesday. 

Andres Valor went 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBI for the Hammerheads. Valor was recently named Miami’s Next Wave Baserunner of August.

Marlins No. 4 prospect Jacob Lombard went 2-for-4 with a solo home run. Echedry Vargas, Jupiter’s home run leader, also homered to highlight a 3-for-4 night. 

The series continues in Jupiter on Thursday. 

Second Half: 28-36 (70-68 overall), 9th, -10.0 GB, International League East

The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp split a doubleheader with Gwinnett on Tuesday. Jacksonville won the first game 1-0 but lost the nightcap 3-1.

Jacksonville pitchers Brandon White, Justin King, Jake Walkinshaw (W, 2-2) and Stephen Jones (S, 8) combined for seven scoreless innings while limiting the Stripers to two hits, four walks and striking out seven batters.

Logan Driscoll led the Jacksonville offense with an RBI double in the fifth inning to plate the only run of game one. 

Marlins No. 6 prospect Cam Cannarella drove in the Jumbo Shrimp’s lone run in the bottom of the second inning. Marlins No. 8 prospect Kemp Alderman also knocked in a base hit for Jacksonville. 

Fresh off clinching a place in the Southern League playoffs, the Pensacola defeated the Biloxi Shuckers in a 15-7 slugfest on Tuesday. 

The Blue Wahoos totaled 17 hits, as every hitter in the lineup recorded a base hit. Their nine-run rally in the eighth inning was highlighted by a two-run single by Dylan Jasso and a bases-clearing double from Colby Shade.

Ethan O’Donnell, who was recently named Miami’s Next Wave Hitter of August went 3-for-3 with three RBI for Pensacola. Max Williams, in his third minor league team, knocked in three hits including a solo home run. The former Florida State Seminole is slashing .389/368/1.056 with four home runs in four games with the Blue Wahoos.

The Beloit Sky Carp finished the High-A season with a 66-65 record and out of playoff contention. The Sky Carp led the Marlins farm system with 300 stolen bases.

Marlins No. 16 prospect LHP Nate Payne finished with 111.0 innings and strikeouts (147), both of which are among the highest in the organization. Julio Mendez led the organization with 151 strikeouts and a 2.95 ERA by the end of the season.

Marlins No. 29 prospect OF Dillon Head led the Sky Carp with a .248 batting average, as well as hits (89), runs (62), and stolen bases (41).

Marlins No. 7 prospect Starlyn Caba led the Sky Carp with 71 walks, an on-base percentage (.389), and an OPS (.767).

The Marlins finished the Florida Complex League with a 20-32 record. Marlins No. 29 prospect Yohanfer Santana tied for the league lead in starts (12) while leading the FCL Marlins with 52 strikeouts. Marlins No. 10 prospect Andrew Salas hit a team-high seven home runs after being demoted from Single-A Jupiter. 

Jonas Uzcategui was named a Florida Complex League All-Star after posting a 3.81 ERS with 42 strikeouts in 15 games. One of the prospects acquired by the Marlins this past summer, Hyun Seung Lee, was also named an FCL All-Star selection for slashing .309/.396/.569 with six home runs and 40 RBI for the FCL Pirates. 

The Marlins finished the Dominican Summer League with a 12-43 record. Steven Herrera led the DSL Marlins in home runs (eight), RBI (31), SLG (.444), and OPS (.791). Junior Pina led the pitching staff with 45 strikeouts and 29.0 innings.