This Marlins prospect is thriving under the lights

MIAMI -- What stood out most to Marlins sixth-ranked prospect Yiddi Cappe following his promotion to Single-A Jupiter might surprise you.

"It was a little challenging adapting to a few things like playing under the lights," Cappe said via interpreter Luis Dorante Jr. "I never played any games at night. The pitchers were actually really good. Also, playing in front of fans. Never played in front of fans. So it was exciting just to see these new things."

Professional baseball has been all about transitions for the Cuban-born Cappe, who signed for $3.5 million as the Marlins' marquee free agent during the 2020 international cycle. But the COVID-19 pandemic delayed his pro debut until '21, when he had to adjust to a different style of ball than the one he played back home.

That hasn't affected Cappe so far. He was named the Marlins' 2021 Dominican Summer League MVP after hitting .270/.329/.402 with 17 doubles, one triple and two homers in 55 games. Cappe did even better in '22, and received the organization's Minor League Player of the Year Award. He batted .305/.364/.517 with seven doubles and six homers in 30 games in the Florida Complex League before slashing .279/.299/.380 with five doubles, one triple and three homers in the Florida State League.

"It was something great for me because I was able to actually see all the results I put into the offseason, all the success and the hard work I've been putting the whole season, too," Cappe said. "It was very exciting to feel that appreciation from the team."

According to MLB Pipeline, the 20-year-old Cappe makes repeated hard contact while also showing the ability to launch balls in the air. Cappe does a good job of keeping his right-handed swing under control and managing the strike zone, though he can get overly pull-conscious.

Cappe tries to model his game after Hall of Famer Derek Jeter and this offseason's top free-agent shortstop Carlos Correa. Cappe, who was recently seen on his Instagram training at the Marlins' new Dominican Republic academy, had hoped to add more muscle mass to his frame (6-foot-3, 175 pounds). Adrian Lorenzo, the Marlins' senior director of international operations, would like to see Cappe get up to 220 pounds if possible.

"Great improvements from a maturity and professionalism standpoint," Lorenzo said. "And that's not to say he came in and was not those things. It's just that's where you see the greatest leaps and improvements, because from the tools and physicality standpoint, he's been this for a little while. Now it's just the first year he was able to finally put it together. I think he finally took strength and conditioning a lot more seriously. Again, not that he didn't in the past, but now it's like he's making the connection [of] performance with the strength side."

Adding more physicality ties into where Cappe might fit on the diamond. Having played shortstop his whole life, he added third base to his resume in 2022. Cappe could lose some quickness as he fills out and may outgrow shortstop, per MLB Pipeline. He does, however, have quick actions and plus arm strength, though like many young players, he needs to improve his defensive consistency.

Outside of altering his daily routine, Cappe learned to relax and slow the game down during his first stint with the Hammerheads. His development has been encouraging, but everyone agrees it's just the beginning.

"I think overall just the maturity," said Hector Crespo, the Marlins' director of Minor League operations. "I think last year he kind of put some pressure on himself. I think this year he kind of settled into who he really was. His at-bats were great, defensively he got so much better. But that guy can just hit. I was a little worried about him being thrown into Low-A, but he went out there and just did what he did. That's another really good one. A guy that's gotten better both on and off the field, so really happy with that."