NewsAfter title run, prospects succeed in AFL
Players from Double-A championship squad staying hot
By Joe Frisaro / MLB.com
10/23/09 1:49 PM ET
MIAMI -- Fresh off a championship season at Double-A Jacksonville, several Marlins prospects are carrying over their success to the Arizona Fall League.Mike Stanton, one of the top Minor League talents in the big leagues, is off to a blistering start with the Mesa Solar Sox. In his first six games, the imposing 6-foot-5, 240-pounder from California has a .478 batting average (11-for-23) with one home run and two RBIs through Oct. 22.
The power-hitting outfielder will turn 20 on Nov. 8, and his swift start in Arizona reaffirms why he's so highly touted.
Joining Stanton in the Mesa outfield is Bryan Petersen, who also played at Jacksonville this season.
Petersen is off to a blazing start, batting .480 (12-for-25) with four doubles, one home run, two RBIs and seven runs scored.
The 23-year-old Petersen is a top-of-the-lineup speedster who is one of the organization's top outfield prospects.
Meanwhile, third baseman Matt Dominguez, another member of the Jacksonville title team, is having some early struggles in Arizona. Through five games, the 20-year-old is hitting .182 (4-for-22) with one home run.
Dominguez was the organization's first-round pick in 2007, and Stanton was taken in Round 2.
Dominguez and Stanton are ranked among the top prospects in the game. Both opened the season in Class A Jupiter before being promoted to Jacksonville. Each of them struggled at first, but both were solid producers in the playoffs.
"For Stanton and Dominguez, [the Arizona Fall League] is like we're extending Double-A a little bit longer for them," said Jim Fleming, the Marlins vice president of player development and scouting. "It's more at-bats against that caliber of pitching.
"For [Petersen], we want to just keep him going. He's had a really good year. He made some adjustments that were showing in the second half. We wanted to continue with that."
Often, players will be sent to the Arizona Fall League to work on improving a particular part of their game. That's not the case for Stanton, Dominguez and Petersen.
"It's nothing special for any of them other than we wanted them to get more at-bats against higher caliber [pitching]," Fleming said.
Stanton and Dominguez both got a taste of big league Spring Training with the Marlins in 2009, and they should again get a look in 2010. They both need some more Minor League seasoning, and chances are both will again begin 2010 in Double-A, although Stanton could be close to being ready for Triple-A.
Stanton had 79 regular season games with Jacksonville, and he hit .231 with 16 home runs and 53 RBIs. Dominguez appeared in 31 regular season Double-A games, and he batted .186 in 97 at-bats.
"The jump from Jupiter to Double-A is a good one," Fleming said. "You want to challenge them. You want some tough spots in the Minor Leagues and see them get through it. It's not something you want them to have to experience for the first time at the big league level. It's part of the process to keep them challenged, and push them a little bit."
Outfielder Greg Burns, who will turn 23 on Nov. 7, is getting some extra work in also in Arizona after he hit .242 with 37 stolen bases for Jupiter. Thus far, he's appeared in appeared in two games for Mesa.
The Marlins have four pitchers in Arizona, including left-hander Andrew Miller, who is coming off an injury-plagued season.
The 6-foot-7 Miller is working on finding more consistency with his delivery and throwing more strikes. In his first start, he threw two innings, walked three and struck out two.
A prospect who could be close to being big league ready is right-hander Jay Buente, a 26-year-old reliever who appeared in 35 games at Triple-A New Orleans. He opened the year at Double-A Jacksonville, and threw 83 innings in 51 total Minor League games.
He has made three appearances in Arizona.
The Marlins see Buente as someone who can help their bullpen.
Two other relievers in Arizona are Garrett Parcell and Jay Voss, the No. 1 lefty in Jacksonville's bullpen.
"Both of them were slated to be in Jupiter this year," Fleming said. "Both of them pitched well, and because of injuries they moved up. When they moved up, they performed well."
Joe Frisaro is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
