An under-the-radar prospect excelling for Marlins. Plus notes on Eder, Berry, McIntosh
For a second consecutive year, a player the Miami Marlins selected in the minor-league phase of the offseason’s Rule 5 Draft has excelled in his first season in the organization.
In 2022, it was infielder Charles Leblanc, who eventually made his MLB debut on July 30 and was on the active roster for the rest of the season.
This year, it’s utility player Dane Myers, who is being deployed all over the field and has been one of the most productive hitters in the organization while playing in the upper levels of the minor leagues.
Myers, 27, enters the week with a .335 batting average and .957 on-base-plus-slugging percentage to go along with 12 home runs, 43 RBI, 46 runs scored and 16 stolen bases in 17 attempts over 64 games played between Double A Pensacola and Triple A Jacksonville.
In 15 games with the Jumbo Shrimp since being promoted to Triple A on June 8, he is hitting a blistering .481 (26 for 54) with a 1.303 OPS, five home runs, 18 RBI and 12 runs scored. Myers has hits in 12 of those 15 games, including nine multi-hit games and two four-hit outings this week.
He has started 18 games in right field, 14 at third base, 14 in left field, eight in center field and nine at first base.
Myers was originally a sixth-round pick in the 2017 MLB Draft by the Detroit Tigers out of Rice University. He was a two-way player in high school and college, and began his minor-league career exclusively as a pitcher before shifting over to being a position player full-time beginning with the 2021 season.
Jacob Berry’s bounceback
Infielder Jacob Berry, the Marlins’ 2022 first-round pick, appears to be turning the corner at the plate.
The 22-year-old is hitting .275 (22 for 80) with a .795 OPS, four doubles, three triples, 14 RBI and eight runs scored through 22 games played this month with the High A Beloit Sky Carp. Berry has at least one hit in 14 of those 22 games, including six multi-hit outings.
This past week alone, Berry hit .417 (10 for 24) with half of his 10 hits going for extra bases (three doubles, one triple, one home run).
Defensively, Berry is splitting time between first base and third base.
Jake Eder returns to Double A
Left-handed pitcher Jake Eder, the Marlins’ fifth-ranked prospect according to MLB Pipeline, has made his way back to Double A Pensacola after three rehab starts with the Single A Jupiter Hammerheads. Eder had been sidelined for 20 months first due to Tommy John surgery and then a foot injury.
On Friday, Eder pitched 4 1/3 innings for the Blue Wahoos, giving up three earned runs on five hits and three walks while striking out two. He threw 75 pitches.
At this point in Eder’s progression, results are secondary. The primary focus is how he builds up and his health following each start as he gets back into his routine.
Paul McIntosh promoted
Catcher Paul McIntosh was promoted to Triple A Jacksonville upon his return from a hamstring injury that sidelined him for a month.
McIntosh, Miami’s No. 27 prospect, has played four games so far for the Jumbo Shrimp, going 3 for 14 at the plate with a solo home run and two runs scored.
Futures Games representatives
Shortstop Nasim Nunez and left-handed pitcher Patrick Monteverde are the Marlins’ representatives for the MLB All-Star Futures Game in Seattle on July 8 in Seattle.
Both Nunez and Monteverde are playing for Double A Pensacola.
Nunez, Miami’s 21st-ranked prospect according to MLB Pipeline, is hitting .266 with 33 stolen bases and 46 runs scored. His four home runs are already a career-high.
Monteverde, Miami’s No. 29 prospect, is in the midst of a breakout season. In 12 starts, he is 7-1 with a 2.13 ERA, 79 strikeouts against 25 walks and a .187 batting average against over 67 2/3 innings.
