How are Miami's prospects faring in Arizona? Here's a breakdown

This story was excerpted from Christina De Nicola’s Marlins Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

Eight Marlins prospects are more than halfway through their season in the Arizona Fall League, which is the annual showcase of some of the game’s top young talent.

Let’s take a look at how they’re faring (stats are entering Monday):

SS Starlyn Caba (Marlins No. 5 prospect)
Caba, who came over in the Jesús Luzardo trade, is considered a future Gold Glover. After missing time at Single-A Jupiter with a sprained left thumb this season, the switch-hitting Caba is slashing .327/.448/.473 with two doubles, two homers and nine RBIs in 14 AFL games, including a streak of four consecutive multi-hit games. The 19-year-old’s knack for patience at the plate is showing, with 12 walks to 13 strikeouts.

“Great defender, really quality [at-bats] in the leadoff spot for us a bunch of times,” Mesa manager and Marlins field coordinator Aaron Leanhardt said in late October.

Added director of Minor League operations Hector Crespo in September: “The report on him coming in was an electric defender, switch-hitter. Just love to watch him play, and we saw a lot of that this year. Had some unfortunate injury stuff that he dealt with, but really excited for him, for this opportunity to hopefully finish the season strong, be healthy and go out and show the industry how impactful and valuable he is.” More on Caba >

OF PJ Morlando (Marlins No. 14 prospect)
Like Caba, Morlando missed time this season at Single-A Jupiter. He also got just one plate appearance under his belt after being selected 16th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft.

In 14 AFL games, the 20-year-old Morlando is slashing .111/.245/.111 with no extra-base hits, four RBIs, seven walks and 18 strikeouts. His .356 OPS is lowest among the 65 players listed. Morlando is hitless over his last 12 at-bats, though he has four walks during this stretch.

Morlando has mainly played the corner-outfield positions, but he also has seen action in center.

“Really good to see those guys [Caba and Morlando] getting all the work in they need to get done, and really just accepting the challenge that's here ahead of them right there,” Leanhardt said. “They're usually playing against guys that are probably a bit above their typical level of competition during the season, and they're not backing away from that challenge.”

OF Fenwick Trimble (Marlins No. 26 prospect)
Trimble, 23, was the first member of the Marlins’ 2024 MLB Draft class to reach Double-A before sustaining a strained hamstring. The right-handed-hitting Trimble is trying to overcome bad luck in the AFL, which included being robbed of a homer. In 18 games, he is hitting .228/.370/.333 with three doubles, one home run, seven RBIs and eight steals. Trimble has more walks (12) than strikeouts (11) and is riding a five-game hit streak. More on Trimble >

RHP Karson Milbrandt (Marlins No. 18 prospect)
High-A Beloit’s MVP has been a strikeout machine in the AFL with 21 (third most), including back-to-back seven-K performances. While the 21-year-old Milbrandt’s ERA (5.11) is higher than he would like, he is still a tough matchup with the eighth-lowest average against (.163) in four games (two starts). More on Milbrandt >

RHP Holt Jones
After appearing in 34 games for High-A Beloit, the 26-year-old Jones has the third-lowest WHIP (0.75), fourth-lowest batting average against (.143) and fifth-lowest ERA (0.96) in the AFL. In six relief appearances, he has given up two runs (one earned) in 9 1/3 innings, with 10 strikeouts, three walks and one hit-by-pitch. Half of his outings have gone for two or more frames.

“He's pitched great coming in out of the bullpen,” Leanhardt said. “… He's done a great job of pounding the zone, attacking the zone, throwing strikes, getting ahead of hitters and getting outs for us.”

RHP Aiden May
May, a 2024 MLB Draft pick whose professional career didn’t begin until July 2025, has the fourth-lowest ERA (3.38) and the third-lowest WHIP (1.13) and average against (.182) among pitchers with at least four AFL starts. The 22-year-old May has allowed seven runs (five earned) in 13 1/3 innings, with seven walks, an AFL-high four hit batters and 14 strikeouts. Four of the free passes came in his last start on Sunday. More on May >

RHP Darwin Rodriguez
Rodriguez, who turns 21 on Monday, had taken the mound just 16 times from 2024-25 before heading to the AFL. He got off to a quick start, permitting just one run on two hits across four innings before coughing up three runs and recording just one out on Oct. 25. Rodriguez righted the ship last Wednesday with 1 2/3 scoreless frames.

LHP Jack Sellinger
Sellinger, who turns 26 on Nov. 20, split his 2025 at High-A Beloit and Double-A Pensacola (2.30 combined ERA). After a scoreless frame in his AFL debut, Sellinger has allowed at least one run in each of his next three appearances. In four total innings, he has given up six runs (five earned) on six hits, with two walks, one hit batter and six strikeouts.