Highly Touted Marlins Prospect Starlyn Caba's Star Turn at Arizona Fall League

The Miami Marlins have built a strong young core for the future, and one of their top prospects who could join the group has done exceptionally well this fall.

Apr 11, 2019; Cincinnati, OH, USA; A view of a New Era Miami Marlins hat in the dugout during the game against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. | Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

The Miami Marlins are building something quite special when it comes to the young core of talent they have amassed over the last two years.

Now, they are right on the brink of being a squad that could compete in the postseason after nearly making it last year. Much of the development they have been able to complete has been through their own farm system, with a few trades and small-scale signings mixed in.

Given that the Marlins have been holding off on bigger signings the past few years, it may remain that way this winter. So, they will need some more of their prospects to step up and into the roster roles they may need to fill heading into the 2026 campaign. One of the names who is rapidly gaining traction in their system is infielder Starlyn Caba, who they got back from the Jesús Luzardo trade last offseason.

Caba had a tough first full season in the Marlins' farm system, so they provided him with the opportunity to play in the Arizona Fall League and get some more reps against other top young talents. In that span of time, he put together some of the best baseball he has played since his professional debut in 2023.

How Did Caba Perform During His Time in the Arizona Fall League?

Nov 9, 2025; Mesa, AZ, USA; Miami Marlins infielder Starlyn Caba during the Arizona Fall League Fall Stars Game at Sloan Park. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

During his 18-game span in the Arizona Fall League, Caba showcased exactly why Miami was interested in trading for him. He was able to slash .297/.409/.419 with 10 RBI, nine runs, two home runs, two stolen bases, three doubles, 14 walks and 19 strikeouts. Putting together 31 total bases in 18 games is exceptionally strong production, especially when up against a wide variety of the best MLB prospects.

Starlyn Caba's quality of contact has been far better in the AFL as he distances himself from injury.

In 18 AFL games he has 11 batted balls north of 100 MPH. In his 51 regular season games he had just 10. Small sample, but a 40% hard hit rate on 53 BBE in AFL. pic.twitter.com/IbQYx1Swrn

— Aram Leighton (@AramLeighton8) November 19, 2025

Compared against his Single-A stats, this is an enormous leap in the right direction. In 51 games with Single-A Jupiter, Caba slashed .222/.335/.278 with 28 runs, 21 RBI, one home run, 14 stolen bases, six doubles, 34 walks and 34 strikeouts. The positive is that he had some strong plate discipline, as an even walk-to-strikeout ratio at 19 years old is very promising, which was relatively similar in his AFL games.

The question becomes whether or not he can maintain this level of contact quality, as his slugging rate went sky-high during the fall, but in the summer was lower than his OBP. If he can keep that type of success at the plate, even if the batting average drops, he will be in line for a promotion sooner rather than later.