Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp are back: 7 things to know about the new minor league season

After five years of baseball in Jacksonville, much of that time as a leadoff hitter, Brian Miller has a ready answer: What could be better than standing in the batter's box for the first pitch of Opening Day baseball?

Simple enough: "Hitting it."

For Miller and his Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp teammates, that time is now.

Baseball season arrives anew for the Jumbo Shrimp, who ring in the Triple-A diamond's new year with Friday's opening International League series at the Gwinnett Stripers in Lawrenceville, Ga.

Then, the home opener at 121 Financial Ballpark comes against the Durham Bulls on Tuesday, the first chance for Jacksonville fans to see their hometown ballclub and its players from the Miami Marlins' system in action.

Here's what fans need to know.

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STEADY SHRIMP…

While Triple-A rosters won't be officially released until Friday, plenty of familiar faces return for the Jumbo Shrimp.

Among those back in Jumbo Shrimp gear are slugging outfielder Jerar Encarnacion, who belted 14 homers last year for the club; versatile infielder Jordan Groshans, who can line up in many roles; and pitcher Daniel Castano, who split last season between Jacksonville and Miami.

There's no player with more Jacksonville experience than speedy outfielder Miller. The 27-year-old has now played 407 career games for the Jumbo Shrimp since 2018, including the franchise's realignment from the Double-A Southern League to the Triple-A International League.

A native of Raleigh, N.C., he now calls Jacksonville his "home away from home." And while he jokes that he hasn't yet mastered the First Coast's restaurant scene, the ballpark is another matter.

"All over the ballpark, each wall, each gap, you know [the bounce] off the wall is a little bit different. Those things help," said Miller, who batted .292 with nine triples and 26 stolen bases last summer in Jacksonville.

…BUT NOT THAT STEADY

It's the old saying: You can't tell the players without a scorecard, and in a few parts of the roster, that's true — particularly after a flurry of off-season trades that flooded the Marlins' minor league system with newcomers.

"It's not only in the big leagues but also here, where it's some new people that are getting a look," Jumbo Shrimp manager Daren Brown said.

Renovations have particularly shaken up the infield.

During Wednesday's Media Day, Brown mentioned three of the new arrivals likely to see action on the infield in Jacob Amaya, Xavier Edwards and Garrett Hampson. All three arrived during the winter from other organizations — Amaya from the Dodgers in a swap for shortstop Miguel Rojas, Edwards from the Rays in a deal that shipped Marcus Johnson and Santiago Suarez from the Atlantic to the Gulf, and Hampson via free agency from the Rockies.

TOP PROSPECTS ON BOARD

In a farm system that may have lost a bit of momentum in the national rankings (from fourth in 2021 to 18th in 2023 in MLB.com's preseason list), the Marlins' developmental pipeline leans heavily on pitching strength to compensate for lesser depth in position players.

But pitchers aren't the only noted prospects in Jacksonville: The Jumbo Shrimp's rated talents range from left-handed pitcher Josh Simpson, a former Ivy Leaguer at Columbia who has worked his way onto the prospect list from the 23rd round of the draft, to infielder Groshans, the Marlins' 10th-ranked prospect.

At some point in 2023, that list might also include Eury Perez, the top-rated Marlins prospect by MLB.com. A 19-year-old from the Dominican Republic who stands 6-8, Perez packs a fastball that nears triple digits.

NEAR MISS IN 2022

The returning Jumbo Shrimp will carry memories of a near miss.

The club pressed hard for a shot at the Triple-A title last year but finished five and a half games off the lead. Still, Jacksonville's 80-69 record marked the team's best record of its Jumbo Shrimp era under Ken Babby, and the best record for the franchise as a whole since the Suns won the 2014 Double-A Southern League title at 81-59 in 2014.

The start of the home schedule won't be easy: They'll tangle with Durham, the Triple-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays and the same team that kept Jacksonville from first place last season. Then, their second home series (April 18-23) comes against defending champion Nashville.

WINS MOUNT FOR BROWN

For Brown, in his second year in Jacksonville, the numbers are climbing ever higher.

Brown, whose managerial debut came in 2000 with the Amarillo Dillas of the independent Texas-Louisiana League, is nearing 1,300 wins for his career.

As Brown well knows, an Opening Day roster in Triple-A will roll through a multitude of changes before season's end. So far, though, he's pleased with the team's attitude, balance and potential on the pitching staff.

He's already made his first call of the season: 28-year-old left-hander Daniel Castano, who went 3-0 last year in Jacksonville and pitched 10 National League games with the Marlins last year, gets the ball for Opening Night.

"You never really know until you start playing other teams where you kind of stand," Brown said, "but I think we should be exciting."

RISE OF THE ROBOTS

Arguing with umpires has been around since "Casey at the Bat." These days in Triple-A, it might take a new form: Domo arigato, Umpire Roboto?

The Automatic Balls and Strikes system — the so-called "robot umpires" — will be in use throughout Triple-A baseball this season, Jumbo Shrimp games included. For fans, players and managers alike, that brings a major adjustment.

On games between Tuesdays and Thursdays, the ABS system will make all calls with its electronic strike zone, and between Fridays and Sundays, the International League will use a challenge system that permits teams to challenge a ball-strike ruling three times per game.

Rule experiments are nothing new under MLB commissioner Rob Manfred, and often make their way up to the big leagues: Last year's much-debated pitch clock is entering the majors this year. So, too, are expanded base sizes and restrictions on infield shifts (implemented in Double-A but not Triple-A in 2022).

For general manager Harold Craw, ABS will add one more layer of information for ballpark staff to track in order to help fans follow the action.

"We'll have the opportunity through our press box and through our PA announcer to actually communicate to fans when it's going on and when [a challenge is] happening," Craw said.

MONEY MOVES IN MINORS

Maybe the most consequential change is one that fans might not notice — but Jumbo Shrimp players surely will.

Late Wednesday night, USA TODAY reported, MLB and the Major League Baseball Players Association reached a preliminary deal on a five-year collective bargaining agreement for the minor leagues, the first-ever CBA for the minors. The proposal still awaited an official vote.

The CBA would bring substantial raises to all levels of the minors, with pay more than doubling. At Triple-A, pay would jump from $17,500 to $35,800.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp baseball 2023: What to watch in new season