Marlins' Fall League contingent led by dynamic 20-20 threat acquired in Weathers deal

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Back on Jan. 13, Dillon Lewis got a phone call: He was invited to Spring Training. A member of the Yankees, he began to pack his bags and exhale -- he made it through the offseason without getting traded.

About four hours later, his phone rang again: He had been shipped to the Marlins as part of the four-prospect return in the Ryan Weathers trade. So, still bound for spring camp after all, albeit with a brand-new organization.

Fast forward to late February and Lewis was shagging fly balls in the outfield alongside Kyle Stowers and Owen Caissie, picking their brains for experience that he deemed “invaluable.” The toolsy right-handed hitter appeared in six Grapefruit League games and impressed Marlins brass during his time in camp before being reassigned to Double-A Pensacola, where he spent all of this year. 

Through the first three months, Lewis enjoyed success during his first taste of the upper Minors with 30 of his 59 hits going for extra bases en route to an .827 OPS. But something was amiss. His hamate bone -- a small, wedge-shaped bone located in the wrist -- was fractured, forcing him to the sidelines for nearly two months.

Upon his return, the power was understandably slow to return. He played in 22 games down the stretch and didn’t manage to homer -- until the season’s final day. On what was his final regular-season swing of 2026, Lewis belted a fastball over the left-center-field fence. That hand? It’s back closer to 100 percent now.

“That was the first one since June, so that felt good to kind of build off of going into the playoffs, coming into the Arizona Fall League and everything like that,” said Lewis. “But the challenge is staying on top of it, knowing that I have to make sure that I'm doing my routines in the training room, in the weight room and be ready to go out on the field.”

Lewis, who now ranks as the Marlins’ No. 11 prospect, has long been viewed as a high-upside prospect, one who turned in a 22-HR, 26-SB campaign in his full season of pro ball while with the Yankees last year. He nearly joined the 20-20 club again this summer despite playing in only 89 games.

Getting into game action -- especially high-caliber ones as a member of the Glendale Desert Dogs -- is paramount for Lewis, a 13th-round selection out of a Queens University of Charlotte baseball program that has never produced a big leaguer.

“It's a growing program,” said Lewis. “When I go back home and I look around and see what they have now compared to what it looked like when I came in, it's a completely different landscape and it's something where if I can be an example or be somebody that anybody that comes through there can talk to or look up to, that means a lot.

"It’s kind of like getting to pave your own way too -- you're not really looking at anybody else or trying to compare [yourself] to anybody. It's like, ‘What can I do to get the best out of myself? And then be able to give back.’”

Other Marlins hitters in the AFL:

Max Williams, OF (No. 27): Following surgery to repair a torn left labrum in his throwing shoulder, Williams’ season debut was delayed until July 9. But when he was on the field, he was among Miami’s most productive prospects, slashing .326/.399/.610 with 15 homers and 37 RBIs across three levels, including a nine-game stint with Double-A Pensacola. His 159 wRC+ was tops among the organization’s Minor Leaguers with at least 200 plate appearances this year.

Carter Johnson, INF: A prep standout from the Alabama high school ranks, Johnson boasted one of the best pure hit tools in the 2024 Draft class. That hitting ability largely hasn’t materialized in pro ball (career .211 average) but the left-handed-hitting infielder began to tap into some extra-base thump this year, socking 25 doubles and 14 homers across two levels, including a 50-game stint with High-A Beloit.

Marlins pitchers in the AFL, all five of whom need to be added to the club’s 40-man roster or will become Rule 5 Draft-eligible this offseason:

Samuel Carpio, RHP: The 23-year-old’s pro ball tenure thus far has showcased both high-octane stuff (12.4 K/9) and high walk rates (8.4 BB.9). Carpio sits at 95-97 mph with his four-seamer and has both a mid-80s cutter and changeup in his arsenal, all of which elicit a ton of swing-and-miss but also infrequently land in the strike zone. He has spent the past two seasons in the Single-A Jupiter bullpen and collected a career-high seven saves this summer.

Brayan Mendoza, LHP: Miami landed Mendoza as part of the prospect return in a trade that sent Jake Burger to Texas in December 2024. The southpaw began the year back at Beloit as a multi-inning reliever before transitioning to a starter role -- with the organization’s side session one-inning relief appearances mixed in -- down the stretch. He posted a 5.89 ERA overall, but his numbers were starkly different depending on the role: 4.32 ERA, 1.10 WHIP as a starter; 8.42 ERA, 1.71 WHIP as a reliever. The Venezuela native works with a crossfire delivery and can fool batters with his wide arm angle and ability to tunnel his pitch mix well. 

Emmett Olson, LHP: The 2023 fourth-round pick returned to action on July 31 after undergoing Tommy John surgery 12 months prior. He was able to compile 18 innings across three levels and got his first taste of Double-A in his final start of the year. A finesse lefty who relies on his four-pitch mix (fastball, slider, curveball, changeup), Olson’s heater sat 91-94 mph in his return to action this summer. His mid-80s slider has been the swing-and-miss bread and butter but he struggled to throw strikes (19 walks) in his brief return.

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Tristan Stevens, RHP: An undrafted free agent out of the University of Texas in 2022, Stevens has missed the majority of the past two seasons as he underwent the second Tommy John surgery of his career in June 2025. The 28-year-old returned in early August and held batters to a .180 average across three rehab outings with Jupiter and seven back with Pensacola, working to a combined 2.30 ERA. His fastball sits in the low 90s and he pairs it with an 82-83 mph sweeper and harder slide piece that often sits 85-87.

Alex Williams, RHP: Ever since beginning his pro career as part of a combined no-hitter in his second appearance in August 2022, Williams has battled to find the same success. An 11th-round pick that year out of Stanford, the right-hander has gone from starter to bulk-inning guy to reliever back to the rotation in the four seasons since. Williams works with a five-pitch mix that includes a four-seamer (91-92 mph), curveball, slider, sweeper and low-80s changeup, the latter of which is his go-to swing-and-miss option vs. opposite-side batters. He has spent parts of the past three years at Double-A, including all of this season where he posted a 5.78 ERA over 20 appearances (18 starts) with 87 K’s in 85 1/3 frames.