While the Miami Marlins have shown life lately, their farm system is getting better day by day. One player, Thomas Jones, an outfielder for the Greensboro Grasshoppers, was acknowledged for his efforts over the last week.
Per MLB.com, Joes was names to MLB Pipeline’s Prospect Team of the Week. While the focus of Miami’s growth and development at all four levels of their minor league system has been on pitching, Jones is turning heads at the Single-A level.
“One of the most coveted athletes in the 2016 Draft, Jones turned down college football offers to sign for $1 million as a third-round pick,” writes Jim Callis. “The Marlins have brought him along slowly, as he just made his full-season debut last week after spending the first month of this season in extended spring training. So far, so good, as Jones homered four times in his first three games at low-Class A, including two on Thursday.”
Jones, selected 84th overall, signed with Miami rather than attend Vanderbilt University. At the moment, Thomas Jones is ranked as the organization’s 25th ranked prospect, but that might change shortly.
Jones’ stat-line, .350/.409/1.000, 5 G, 20 AB, 8 R, 7 H, 1 2B, 4 HR, 6 RBI, 1 BB, 5 SO, 1 SB, was enough for him to be named South Atlantic League Player of the Week.
Thomas Jones isn’t the only one making headlines down on the farm. Pablo Lopez has been a standout pitcher for the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, Miami’s Double-A affiliate, since the start of the Southern League season.
Lopez, the Marlins 21st ranked prospect threw five scoreless innings, where he gave up just two hits and struck out six batters. He has extended his season-opening scoreless streak to 19 innings for the Jumbo Shrimp, Miami’s Double-A affiliate.
Lopez, 22 years old, has a 0.68 WHIP and a .136 opponent average. After last night he now has a 20-4 strikeout-to-walk ratio in his four starts this season.