MIAMI – The Miami Marlins today announced the club’s 2026 Player Development Awards, headlined by outfielder Cam Cannarella (Miami’s No. 6 prospect per MLB Pipeline) and right-handed pitcher Eliazar Dishmey (No. 30) being named Player and Pitcher of the Year, in addition to infielder Juan Matheus (No. 23) being recognized as Student of the Year and Single-A Jupiter Manager Kyle Stahlberg selected as Staff Member of the Year.
The Marlins organization also named the following players as the Most Valuable Player for their respective Minor League affiliates:
- Triple-A Jacksonville MVP – OF Matthew Etzel
- Double-A Pensacola MVP – OF Brandon Compton (No. 13)
- High-A Beloit MVP – LHP Nate Payne (No. 16)
- Single-A Jupiter MVP – INF Echedry Vargas
- FCL Marlins MVP - INF Juan Alva
- DSL Marlins MVP – INF Santiago Solarte (No. 14)
- DSL Miami MVP - OF Carlos De Los Santos
Cannarella, 23, ranked second among Marlins farmhands in xwOBA (.375), including the highest mark at the Double-A level (.412, 98th percentile) and the second-highest on the team at the Triple-A level (.351, 84th percentile). In 98 games between High-A Beloit, Double-A Pensacola, and Triple-A Jacksonville in his first full professional season, the outfielder totaled 22 doubles, one triple, and 15 home runs, drawing 60 walks against 79 strikeouts for a 13.7 percent walk rate and an 18.0 percent strikeout rate. The 43rd overall pick in the 2025 First-Year Player Draft, Cannarella also ranked in Triple-A’s 97th percentile with a 52.5 percent Hard-Hit rate over his final 45 games played with the Jumbo Shrimp. The Clemson University product split time between center field (68 games, 549.0 innings), left field (15 games, 112.0 innings) and right field (11 games, 90.0 innings), with his reaction and jump grades ranking fourth and fifth in the organization, respectively. He also swiped 21 stolen bases, including six steals of third base.
Dishmey, 21, tossed 104.2 innings between High-A Beloit and Double-A Pensacola in 2026, finishing among the Minor League leaders in the following categories: xwOBA (.239, 1st), K% (33.3, 3rd), CSW (33.5, 5th), and FIP (2.68, 8th). The right-hander was one of only three pitchers across all of Minor League Baseball to finish with at least 100.0 innings pitched, a strikeout rate above 30.0 percent, and an opponents’ AVG below .200 (.167). Promoted from High-A to Double-A on May 26, Dishmey led the Blue Wahoos with 92 strikeouts in 16 starts en route to Pensacola’s postseason berth and became the first Marlins prospect to be named the Southern League Pitcher of the Year since Max Meyer in 2021. The Santo Domingo, D.R., native also earned a Southern League All-Star nod and two Southern League Pitcher of the Week awards during the season.
Matheus, 22, has been named the organization’s Student of the Year for his commitment to learning English and growing off the field as he advances through the organization. Acquired by Miami in January, he spent time at three different affiliates in 2026, including High-A Beloit, Double-A Pensacola, and Triple-A Jacksonville. “Despite multiple moves, Juan never made excuses. He remained committed to learning and made meaningful progress,” said Marlins Director of Education, Doris Gonzalez. “His discipline, work ethic, leadership, attitude, and professionalism are exactly what we hope to see from our players.”
Stahlberg has been named the organization’s Staff Member of the Year following his campaign at the helm of the Single-A Jupiter Hammerheads that saw his club become Florida State League champions for the second time in Franchise history. In his first professional coaching season, Stahlberg led Jupiter to a Postseason berth after leading the Hammerheads to a 37-29 record in the first half of the season and allowing the fewest runs in the FSL.
Etzel, 24, has been named the Triple-A Jacksonville MVP after he led the Jumbo Shrimp and set career highs in doubles (20), runs scored (74), and walks (67), while ranking in Triple-A’s 67th percentile in xwOBA (.330). In his first full season with the organization after being acquired in July 2025, the outfielder slashed .241/.344/.428 (104x432) with 41 extra-base hits and a career-high 19 home runs. Etzel earned International League Player of the Week honors on Aug. 30, marking the second weekly honor of his career and his first since 2023 in the Florida Complex League. The Webster, Texas, native split time between left field (69 games) and right field (33 games), ranking second in the organization in reaction grade, tied for second in jump grade and eighth with 0.7 OAA. He also swiped 25 stolen bases on 32 attempts, maintaining a 78.0 percent safe rate.
Compton, 22, has been named the Double-A Pensacola MVP after ranking in Double-A’s 100th percentile in both xwOBAcon (.551) and Hard-Hit rate (63.2) and slashing .332/.421/.759 (62x187) with 38 runs, 15 doubles, one triple, 21 home runs, 54 RBI and 27 walks in 50 games with the Blue Wahoos. His home runs and RBI led the club, while his 12 home runs in July were the most by a Marlins Double-A player in a single month as far back as 2005. The outfielder also homered in four consecutive games, tied for the longest streak in the Southern League this season. A second-round selection by Miami in the 2025 First-Year Player Draft out of Arizona State University, Compton was named the Marlins Minor League Player of the Year by Baseball America after leading the organization with 36 combined home runs, 103 RBI, 104 walks, 65 extra-base hits, 262 total bases and 93 runs.
Payne, 21, has been named High-A Beloit’s MVP after posting a 3.60 FIP with 147 combined strikeouts (second-most in the organization) over 111.0 innings with High-A Beloit (93.0 innings) and Single-A Jupiter (18.0 innings). The southpaw, who was promoted to Beloit on April 28, finished the year ranked eighth among all Minor League arms in K% (31.6) and ninth in total whiffs (316). The Harrisburg, Penn., native was one of five Minor League pitchers, and four Marlins, to post a strikeout rate of at least 31.0 percent in at least 100.0 innings pitched.
Vargas, 21, has been named the Single-A Jupiter MVP after slashing .323/.372/.611 (121x375) with 27 home runs and 94 RBI in 103 games, winning the Florida State League Triple Crown and setting the Hammerheads’ all-time single-season home run record. He also posted a .334 xwOBA and ranked in the 97th percentile among Single-A hitters with a .416 xwOBAcon. Vargas also paced the FSL in total bases (229), OPS (.983) and extra-base hits (52), and was one of three Minor League players this season with at least 25 home runs and a batting average above .320. He played all four infield positions throughout the year, combining for +2.55 OAA at shortstop and third base, highlighted by a 70-grade Reaction. Acquired by Miami from Texas in December 2025, Vargas was also named the FSL Most Valuable Player, selected as an FSL All-Star at first base and earned the league’s Player of the Month honor for August.
Alva, 20, has been named the FCL Marlins MVP after ranking in the level’s 99th percentile in xwOBA (.400), 93rd percentile in strikeout rate (13.7), and 92nd percentile in unintentional walk rate (21.6). The Ciudad de Mexico, Mex. Native led his club with a .318 batting average (34x107), .933 OPS, and 28 runs, drawing more walks (30) than strikeouts (19) in 39 games in his first season stateside. He also was successful in 13 of 15 stolen base attempts, including five steals of third base, while providing defensive versatility at both corner-infield positions and posting a 90.0 percent Out Percentage in his opportunities combined.
Solarte, 17, has been named the Dominican Summer League Marlins MVP after slashing .339/.450/.598 (59x174) with 10 home runs and 47 RBI in 52 games. The Mérida, Ven., native ranked in the 98th percentile among DSL hitters in both xwOBAcon (.474) and hard-hit rate (45.7 percent), and in the 92nd percentile in xwOBA (.379). He was the only DSL player with at least 10 home runs and 40 stolen bases, ranking fifth across Rookie-level baseball with 42 steals in 52 attempts, including seven steals of home. Solarte attempted to steal in 54.0 percent of his opportunities, the second-highest rate in the organization, and posted an 80.0 percent Out Percentage across 24 games at shortstop and 19 at third base.
De Los Santos, 17, has been named the Dominican Summer League Miami MVP after leading the club with a .375 batting average, .994 OPS, 45 hits and 64 total bases in 39 games. He ranked in the 79th percentile among DSL hitters in xwOBAcon (.380), the 76th percentile in hard-hit rate (34.3 percent) and the 74th percentile in xwOBA (.352). In his first season with the organization, the Barahona, D.R., native recorded 28 runs, five doubles, one triple, four home runs, 26 RBI, 18 walks and seven stolen bases. Defensively, he appeared in 22 games in center field, 16 in left field and eight in right field, totaling two outfield assists.