Eury Perez, Yiddi Cappe headline Miami Marlins minor-league award winners

Jordan McPherson
·4 min read

The Miami Marlins on Friday announced their 2022 Player Development Awards, recognizing a dozen top players from their minor-league affiliates.

Below is the full list of winners, along with their performance in the minor leagues this season.

▪ Player of the Year — infielder Yiddi Cappe: The No. 6 prospect in Miami’s system according to MLB Pipeline and their top signing from the 2020 international free agent cycle, 20-year-old Cappe hit .290 with a .766 on-base-plus-slugging mark, nine home runs, 12 doubles, one triple, 40 RBI and 41 runs scored in 67 games this season — 30 at the rookie-level Florida Complex League and 37 with Single A Jupiter.

▪ Pitcher of the Year — Eury Perez: The 19-year-old phenom continued his quick ascent to Miami’s top prospect and the No. 9 overall prospect in baseball. Perez, standing 6-8 and wielding a strong four-pitch mix, finished the minor-league regular season with a 3.97 ERA and 110 strikeouts over 77 innings in 18 starts.

After a sluggish first three starts with the Double A Pensacola Blue Wahoos while adapting to facing far older competition, Perez strung together a 10-start stretch in which he pitched to a 1.98 ERA with a .166 batting average against and 69 strikeouts against nine walks over 50 innings. He then had three rough outings, capped by giving up six earned runs in 1 1/3 innings, before a month-long stint on the minor-league injured list for a minor shoulder injury.

Miami Marlins’ Charles Leblanc, right, scores past Texas Rangers catcher Jonah Heim, left, on a single hit by Jon Berti in the fifth inning during Game 2 of a doubleheader baseball game, Monday, Sept. 12, 2022, in Miami.
Miami Marlins’ Charles Leblanc, right, scores past Texas Rangers catcher Jonah Heim, left, on a single hit by Jon Berti in the fifth inning during Game 2 of a doubleheader baseball game, Monday, Sept. 12, 2022, in Miami.

▪ Triple A Jacksonville MVP — infielder Charles Leblanc: Acquired in the minor-league phase of the Rule 5 Draft in December, Leblanc posted a .302 batting average with an .884 OPS, 14 home runs, 45 RBI and 47 runs scored in 87 games with the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp before being promoted to the big leagues on July 29.

Leblanc has kept up his offensive production since making his MLB debut, entering Friday’s series opener with the Washington Nationals hitting .285 with 13 extra-base hits (nine doubles, four home runs), 10 RBI and 13 runs scored in 39 games. He has multiple hits in 11 of those 39 games.

▪ Double A Pensacola MVP — first baseman Troy Johnston: Miami’s No. 21 overall prospect, Johnston hit .292 with an .810 OPS, 31 extra-base hits (20 doubles, one triple, 10 home runs), 49 RBI and 42 runs scored in 85 games with the Blue Wahoos before being promoted to Triple A Jacksonville on Aug. 16. Johnston, 25, has only hit .169 in 24 games with the Jumbo Shrimp, but eight of his 13 hits have gone for extra bases (four doubles, four home runs) and he has also drawn 18 walks in 95 plate appearances with Jacksonville.

Nasim Nunez runs to steal second base in a game for the Double A Pensacola Blue Wahoos on Saturday, Aug. 27, 2022.
Nasim Nunez runs to steal second base in a game for the Double A Pensacola Blue Wahoos on Saturday, Aug. 27, 2022.

▪ High A Beloit MVP — infielder Nasim Nunez: Miami’s No. 24 overall prospect, Nunez has been a menace on the basepaths this season with 70 stolen bases. In 123 games this season, 85 with Beloit and 38 with Pensacola, Nunez set career-highs offensively across the board this season (.251 average, .384 on-base percentage, .317 slugging, .701 OPS, 41 RBI, 75 runs scored, 17 doubles, three triples, two home runs) while still playing solid defense at shortstop.

▪ Single A Jupiter MVP — infielder Jose Salas: Miami’s fifth-ranked prospect, Salas hit .267 with a .776 OPS, 21 extra-base hits (13 doubles, three triples, five home runs), 24 RBI and 40 runs scored in 61 games with Jupiter before being promoted to High A Beloit in late June.

Salas, 19, will be one of the Marlins’ seven prospects taking part in the Arizona Fall League next month.

▪ FCL Marlins MVP — infielder Javier Sanoja: The 20-year-old infielder hit .318 with an .896 OPS in 28 games at the rookie-level affiliate, which was sandwiched between two stints with Single A Jupiter.

His two stints with the Hammerheads saw starkly different results.

Sanoja’s first 30 games with Jupiter before going to the FCL: A .162 batting average and a .366 OPS over 103 plate appearances.

Sanoja’s 43 games with Jupiter after his FCL stint: A .284 batting average with a .731 OPS over 183 plate appearances.

▪ DSL Miami MVP — infielder Marco Vargas: The 17-year-old left-handed-hitter posted a .319 batting average with an .877 OPS, 18 extra-base hits (13 doubles, three triples, two home runs), 38 RBI, 30 runs scored, 14 stolen bases and 35 walks while striking out just 32 times in 221 plate appearances over 53 DSL games.

▪ DSL Marlins MVP — outfielder Jose Gerardo: The 17-year-old, ranked as the Marlins’ No. 19 overall prospect, finished tied for third in the Dominican Summer League with 11 home runs, 12th with a .968 OPS and tied for 14th with 44 runs.

In addition to those nine, infielder Jordan McCants and outfielder Noah Williamson were named the organization’s Service Members of the Year, while catcher Ronald Hernandez was named the organization’s Student of the Year.