Miami's Winners From their 'Spring Breakout' Victory Over the St. Louis Cardinals
The Miami Marlins have a bright future.
Despite having a 'bottom' ranked farm system, the minor league talent for Miami defeated a much-heralded St. Louis Cardinals squad 3-2 in yesterday's Spring Breakout exhibition.
Let's look at some of the winners among Miami prospects:
Lefthander Thomas White
White, Miami's additional 1st round pick (#35) in last year's draft, got the start and excelled. The 19-year-old struck out all three batters he faced in the first inning, and it wasn't exactly organizational filler he put away - centerfielder Victor Scott is contending for the starting shortstop job out of spring training, while infielder Pedro Pagés and infielder Thomas Suggese are potential midseason callup candidates if the team needs reinforcements.
White put away Suggese on a four-seam fastball at 95 mph, while using his curveball to retire both Scott and Pagés. White told MLB.com after the outing that getting the outs against higher-level prospects was a great thing for him, saying "It's a big confidence booster, for sure. I can throw a fastball in to anybody and I don't have to be afraid that it's going to get hit out of the park every time, so it's just a good confidence booster to know that my stuff can play at almost any level right now.”
Outfielder Griffin Conine
Conine was the offensive performer of the game, going 2-2 with a homer and two RBIs to provide most of Miami's scoring in this one. The homer came off of Max Rajcic, a college draftee out of UCLA and an organizational top-15 prospect, while the RBI single came off of righty Tekoah Roby, the organization's #2 pitching prospect behind starter Tink Hence.
The lefty Conine, son of franchise legend Jeff Conine, has impressed manager Skip Schumaker in camp. "Griffin has been showing some real tools in camp," Schumaker told the Miami Herald. "He's playing a good defense, he has the arm to play right field, [...] and as a left-handed bat... We don't really have too much power in this organization and I think he definitely provides that."
Infielder Yiddi Cappe
Cappe picked up two hits and stole a base, a sign of his increased focus on stealing bases. After only twenty-two in his first two minor league seasons, he had eighteen last season for High-A Beloit. Playing second base, he flashed above-average speed and the defensive chops needed to make it to the major league level when you don't profile to offer above-average pop (16 homers in 245 career minor league games)
Catcher Paul McIntosh
McIntosh was a late add to the Spring Breakout roster, replacing centerfielder Victor Mesa Jr., who rolled an ankle and was forced to withdraw.
Serving as the DH, he picked up two hits in three at-bats, scoring from 2nd on a Troy Johnston ground ball up the middle to record Miami's first run of the contest. McIntosh batted .277/.355/.419 in his 77 games last season, most spent in the upper minors. For an organization that doesn't have a ton of confidence in its catching, both McIntosh and Will Banfield, who caught four catchers in the first four innings, give the team some faith that there are better days ahead from its backstops.
Shortstop Fabian Lopez
An international free agent out of the Dominican Republic in the 2023 class, Lopez showed why he's considered the best defensive infielder in the 6th inning with a great defensive play in the hole to get Cardinals' Jimmy Crooks out at first.
Batting .265/.327/.405 in 49 DSL games last season, Lopez is on track to play in the Florida Complex League and then some time at Single-A this season.
