MLB’s Spring Breakout will give spotlight to prospects. Which Marlins players could be involved?

Major League Baseball will be doing its part to highlight some of the game’s top prospects during spring training.

The league announced Wednesday it will hold a new event called Spring Breakout over four days in March during which all 30 clubs will assemble rosters with 20-25 of their best prospects to take on prospects from other organizations.

Each team will play at least one seven-inning exhibition game.

The Marlins’ game will be March 15 at 2:05 p.m. against the St. Louis Cardinals at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium in Jupiter. The prospect game will be played prior to the regularly scheduled spring training game between Miami and St. Louis, which is slated for a 6:05 p.m. first pitch.

We’re still three months from this happening, but here’s a position-by-position look at the prospects Miami could use to field the team...

▪ Pitchers: I’m going on the assumption here that Max Meyer will be participating with the big-league camp so he’s not included here. The same goes for a couple of their top reliever prospects in Josh Simpson and Anthony Maldonado, both of whom are on the 40-man roster.

That’s fine because the top of Miami’s farm system is extremely pitcher heavy. Excluding Meyer, six of the Marlins’ top 15 prospects according to MLB Pipeline are pitchers: Noble Meyer (No. 1), Thomas White (No. 2), Dax Fulton (No. 10), Karson Milbrandt (No. 11), Jacob Miller (No. 12) and Patrick Monteverde (No. 15).

Noble Meyer and White were the Marlins’ top two selections in the 2023 MLB Draft. Fulton and Monteverde pitched in Double A last season. Milbrandt split time between Single A Jupiter and High A Beloit, while Miller pitched exclusively for Jupiter.

Other pitchers of note who could be included: 18-year-old righty Juan De La Cruz as well as 23-year-old righties Evan Fitterer and Ike Buxton.

And who knows? Maybe Sixto Sanchez will get a look here.

▪ First base: Troy Johnston and Brock Vradenburg are the top-rated first baseman in Miami’s system.

Johnston, who led all of minor-league baseball with 116 RBI while also hitting .307 with a .948 OPS, 26 home runs, 102 runs scored and 24 stolen bases through 134 games split between Double A Pensacola (83 games) and Triple A Jacksonville (51 games), could conceivably be competing for an MLB roster spot. If that’s the case, it would be a good showcase for Vradenburg, the Marlins’ third-round pick in 2023 who has a knack for hitting and surprisingly good speed for his size (6-7, 230 pounds).

▪ Middle infielders: Jacob Amaya and Yiddi Cappe should be the first two considered. Amaya, Miami’s fifth-ranked prospect, is gifted defensively and got a taste of MLB action last season, while 21-year-old Cappe is one of the Marlins’ more talented prospects.

After them, Fabian Lopez (No. 14), Javier Sanoja (No. 16) and Ian Lewis (No. 27) are Miami’s other ranked prospects who primarily play second base or shortstop.

▪ Third base: This should be Jacob Berry, Miami’s first-round pick from 2022 and the club’s No. 4 prospect. He’s entering his third season of pro ball, reached Double A last season and participated in the Arizona Fall League. Plus, Miami doesn’t have any other true third basemen among its top prospects on the roster.

▪ Outfield: Victor Mesa Jr. and Kemp Alderman should take two of the spots. Mesa, the Marlins’ No. 6 prospect, is the best center fielder prospect in Miami’s system and very well could start the season in Triple A. Alderman, Miami’s second-round pick in 2023, showed flashes of his power in his abbreviated pro ball debut last season with 10 extra-base hits in 34 games.

As for the remaining outfield spots? Sanoja also plays the outfield, so he’s an option. So, too, are 18-year-olds Jose Gerardo, Antony Peguero and Andres Valor. Gerardo and Peguero played for Miami’s rookie-level Florida Complex League affiliate last season, while Valor played in the Dominican Summer League.

▪ Catcher: The Marlins will likely go with two of Will Banfield, Joe Mack and Paul McIntosh here.

Banfield is the likely nod here after coming off a breakout 2023 season at the plate and is their best catcher prospect from a defensive standpoint. Mack follows Banfield in terms of potential defensively, while McIntosh is the more consistent hitter of the three.

McIntosh could be used as a designated hitter as well if Miami wants to use Banfield and Mack behind the plate.