Marlins prospect White steals show at Spring Breakout

JUPITER, Fla. -- Griffin Conine wasn’t the only Marlins prospect to show off his talent in Friday afternoon’s 3-2 Spring Breakout win over the Cardinals at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium.

Below are five others who stood out.

LHP Thomas White (No. 2 prospect)
Miami elected to start White, who used the opportunity to show why he might have been a steal as the 35th overall selection in the 2023 MLB Draft.

The 19-year-old White struck out the side in a scoreless first inning while facing four Cardinals prospects participating in big league camp. He retired Victor Scott II and Pedro Pagés with a slurve, and Thomas Saggese on a 95 mph four-seamer.

White, who started a postseason game for Single-A Jupiter during the club's championship run last season, worked around a Masyn Winn walk and steal by turning to his four-seamer/changeup/slurve mix.

“It's a big confidence booster, for sure,” White said. “I can throw a fastball in to anybody and I don't have to be afraid that it's going to get hit out of the park every time, so it's just a good confidence booster to know that my stuff can play at almost any level right now.”

RHP Noble Meyer (No. 1 prospect)
After inducing two quick groundouts to open the second, Meyer -- MLB Pipeline’s No. 57 overall prospect -- gave up a run by walking three of the next four batters and allowing a bloop single (the result of some miscommunication) in a 27-pitch frame.

Like White, the 19-year-old Meyer helped the Hammerheads capture their first Florida State League title with 5 2/3 scoreless frames across two postseason starts last fall.

“Overall, how I felt, I thought it was pretty good,” said Meyer, who mixed in his sinker, slider and four-seamer -- with a 17.3 mph difference between his fastest and slowest pitch. “I know [my] command started to fall off toward the end, but I got my two outs quick. Granted, I got a walk after that -- and then just a baseball play. That happens. Pop fly, it could have been caught -- coulda, shoulda, woulda. [I] should have bounced back better [and] got that next out instead of going two walks, and then finally coming out getting Masyn [Winn] out for the last out.”

2B Yiddi Cappe (No. 7 prospect)
The 21-year-old finished 2-for-2 with a stolen base, though he was caught on his second attempt in the fourth. His sprint speed was 27.9 ft/sec and 27.8 ft/sec (27 ft/sec is MLB average), respectively, on the plays.

Cappe recorded a career-high 18 steals for High-A Beloit in 2023 after swiping just 22 bases from 2021-22. It’s an element of his game that he hopes will continue to grow.

“It's something that you can add -- it's a plus for any hitter, any player overall,” Cappe said via interpreter Luis Dorante Jr. “Being able to steal that many bases is something that you can add to a player, and it's a good addition to make a more overall player.”

C/DH Paul McIntosh
A late addition to the roster after No. 4 prospect Victor Mesa Jr. was scratched with a rolled left ankle, McIntosh made the most of the opportunity by going 2-for-3 with a run as the designated hitter. His 106.2 mph double to left in the fourth inning was the hardest-hit ball of the game.

The 26-year-old McIntosh was a non-roster invitee to big league camp, where he appeared in five Grapefruit League games. More importantly, he learned from veteran backstops Christian Bethancourt and Curt Casali.

“It was a really nice opportunity and a really good game today,” McIntosh said. “Just trying to see the ball over the plate, and I ended up hitting some that hung up a little bit and put a good swing on it.”

SS Fabian Lopez (No. 12 prospect)
According to MLB Pipeline’s scouting report, Lopez has the makings of a Gold Glove Award-winning shortstop. We saw why during the sixth inning, when he ranged into the hole, then fired across his body for an inning-ending play, complete with a nice pick from first baseman Brock Vradenburg.

Part of Miami’s 2023 international class out of the Dominican Republic, the 18-year-old Lopez has a 60-grade field tool (on a 20-80 scale) and a 55-grade arm.