MLB Experts Provide an Interesting Call-Up Date Prediction for Marlins Elite Arm
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The Miami Marlins' No. 1 prospect, and No. 14 in all of Major League Baseball, Thomas White, is still working back from a Grade 1 right oblique strain he suffered this spring. He's made just one rehab start in which he allowed two runs on two hits over 2.1 innings at Low-A Jupiter.
Despite his slow, injury-plagued start to the season, MLB analysts Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo are confident he'll reach the big leagues this season.
"I'm going (with) Sept. 4 because the Marlins have a deep rotation. They have Braxton Garrett in Triple-A, who could be the next guy up if they need another pitcher," Callis said. "Thomas White began the year with an oblique injury, missed Spring Breakout; he's not ready to open the season, he's still dealing with an oblique [injury]."
Despite posting a 2.51 ERA across 89.2 innings and 21 starts last season, Callis still projects Miami to wait until September to promote the young southpaw. This is due in part to his injury, but also the Marlins' plethora of young arms.
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Along with Garrett, Miami has No. 2 organization prospect Robby Snelling at Triple-A Jacksonville. Snelling posted a 1.27 ERA across 11 starts at that level last season and is poised to make his MLB debut sometime this summer.
Minor league depth, mixed with a strong big league rotation of Sandy Alcantara, Eury Perez, Max Meyer, Chris Paddack, and Janson Junk, gives Miami no incentive to rush White into any situation. Letting him fully heal and work himself up is the top priority right now, and then they'll see what happens.
"I'll go sooner. There's some concerns about the command, but I just feel that once he's really getting going, pitching is so volatile, I think there's going to be the need for him sooner than Sept. 4," Mayo said.
Of course, necessity will depend on injuries and performance, but White's high-strikeout rate certainly comes with a little wildness. He struck out 145 batters last season while walking 51. His k% and BB% both drastically increased from the year before.
Part of taking time with White means fixing his 5.12 BB/9 from last season, which would require patience. I'd imagine that, unless thrust into the big leagues out of necessity, this would hold him back longer than any other reason.
Either way, Miami fans should be ecstatic about the young pitching core in the minor leagues. With Alcantara's hot start and other starters making a high impact in the majors, the Marlins' pitching depth is the best it's been in years.
Jeffrey is a sports writer located in Louisville, Kentucky, with a passion for sports, writing, and storytelling. He has hundreds of published articles across various platforms, including Kentucky Today, The Baptist Courier, FanSided, and more. Jeffrey is a senior at Indiana University Southeast pursuing a B.S. in Journalism/Media with a Minor in Writing. He has a beautiful wife, dog, and firstborn child on the way.