Catch a sneak peek at Marlins' top prospects this fall

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.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Eager to catch the next wave of Marlins before they reach the Major Leagues?

Eight Miami prospects will compete in the Arizona Fall League, a developmental league which began play in 1992 and has produced more than 3,000 big leaguers.

The Marlins’ contingent will include outfielders Kemp Alderman (No. 12 prospect) and Andrew Pintar (No. 18), right-handers Jun-Seok Shim (No. 27) and Brandon White, first baseman Jay Beshears and left-handers Patrick Monteverde, Justin King and Justin Storm.

Headlining the group is Alderman, whom the Marlins selected in the second round of the 2023 MLB Draft. He was limited to 77 games and 320 plate appearances this season across four levels -- from Rookie ball to Double-A -- because of a broken left hamate bone.

“Just trying to recoup some of those at-bats,” director of Minor League operations Hector Crespo told MLB.com. “We’re trying to get him at least another 100 at-bats to finish him off for 2024 and get him in a good spot for ‘25.”

Despite the missed time, Crespo considered the 22-year-old Alderman to be one of the system’s under-the-radar performers in 2024. He recorded a .790 OPS and a .656 OPS, respectively, in 33 games apiece for Single-A Jupiter and High-A Beloit after showing rust (.602 OPS in 34 games) in his first taste of professional baseball in ’23.

“It was cool to see Kemp Alderman come back from his injury and get back on track,” Crespo said. “I know he kind of didn't perform as well as he would have liked to last year, and then had the injury to start the year, but played really well in Jupiter and was able to get promoted to Beloit, and now finishing out the season the last week there in Double-A. [I’m] so happy Kemp bounced back from his injury and put together a solid season.”

Three prospects joining Alderman -- Pintar, Shims and Beshears -- were acquired via trades this season. Interestingly enough, the Marlins have added four members of last year’s AFL class to their organization via deals since March: Jakob Marsee (AFL-best 1.215 OPS), Graham Pauley (20 RBIs -- tied for fourth most), Shane Sasaki (13 steals -- tied for sixth most) and Nathan Martorella (.677 OPS).

Miami’s prospects will compete with members of the Braves, Brewers, Mariners and Padres for the Peoria Javelinas. The regular season will run from Oct. 7 through Nov. 14.