Jhan Marinez

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Chicago White Sox #13 prospect in 2013
  A year after the White Sox essentially traded former manager Ozzie Guillen to the Marlins for Marinez and Osvaldo Martinez, Miami had fired Guillen and Chicago had sold Martinez to the Dodgers. Marinez, however, is still in the system and on the verge of making big league contributions. He threw more strikes after working on his mechanics with Triple-A pitching coach Rich Dotson, finished the season as Charlotte's closer and demonstrated his improvement nicely in a perfect inning against the Rays on Sept. 9. Marinez's stuff got him to the big leagues as a 21-year-old with the Marlins, but he never has developed command to go along with his live arm. He may be on the verge of doing that after cutting his walk ratio from 6.5 per nine innings in 2011 to 4.3 last year. The White Sox believe his low three-quarters arm slot works for his two-pitch arsenal--a 93-98 mph fastball with late life and an 83-87 mph slider--but he battles a tendency to get under his pitches, leaving them up in the strike zone. He did a better job of staying on top of his offerings under Dotson's tutelage. Marinez will compete for a bullpen job in spring training and could make a veteran like Jesse Crain expendable, helping new GM Rick Hahn out of a payroll squeeze. Marinez profiles as a seventh- or eighth-inning arm in the big leagues but is still young enough that he could evolve into a closer down the road.
• 
  Ranked Chicago White Sox #6 prospect in 2012
  Marinez is following the path less taken. He made his major league debut a year prior to pitching in the 2011 Futures Game, three months before the Marlins sent him and shortstop Osvaldo Martinez to the White Sox as compensation for manager Ozzie Guillen. Marinez has battled control problems that have become more pronounced since he strained his elbow during his 2010 big league callup. Marinez is a classic two-pitch reliever, relying almost exclusively on his fastball and slider. He gets easy velocity from a low three-quarters arm slot, with his fastball sitting at 92-96 mph and climbing into the upper 90s. His slider arrives in the mid-80s and can look like his heater until it gets on top of hitters. Marinez sometimes gets under his pitches, causing him to leave them up in the zone. He also has bouts of wildness when he struggles with his release point. He dominates when his location is good. He has to prove he can stay healthy after working just 226 innings in six pro seasons. Scouts see a big-league set-up man or possibly even a closer in Marinez, provided that he can significantly improve his command. He's an ideal project for big league pitching coach Don Cooper, though Marinez will get some time at Triple-A Charlotte before he sees Chicago.
• 
  Ranked Miami Marlins #4 prospect in 2011
  Marinez long has teased the Marlins with a frustrating combination of great stuff and immaturity. He finally reached full-season ball in 2009, his fourth pro season, and continued his ascent last year by making four big league appearances in July before going on the disabled list with an elbow strain. Armed with an explosive four-seam fastball that sits at 92-95 mph and reaches 98, Marinez has the stuff to close games. He exhibits an easy arm action that belies his incredible velocity. He also can mix in a two-seamer with good sink. The key to his success will be the continued development of his slider, which he throws at 88-89 mph. While it took a step forward last year, the slider lacks consistent action. Marinez loses the zone at times and didn't throw strikes in the big leagues like he did in Double-A. He has to prove he can stay healthy, because he has pitched just 168 innings in five seasons and his 45 last year were a career high. He had been resistant to coaching earlier in his career, but was much more willing to listen last year. Marinez was throwing without pain in Florida's minor league minicamp in September. He should be a candidate for ninth-inning duties in the not-too-distant future, though he may open 2011 in Triple-A.
• 
  Ranked Miami Marlins #10 prospect in 2010
  Signed out of Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic at age 17, Marinez developed slowly until experiencing a breakthrough season in 2009. He first came to the United States at the beginning of the 2007 season but was sent back to the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League after three poor outings, punctuated by bouts of immaturity. Marinez' slight frame and explosive fastball draw the inevitable comparisons to a young Pedro Martinez. He pitches with his fastball at 92-94 mph and has topped out at 98. He also has a two-seamer that he can work in to righthanders at 89-92 mph. He complements his fastball with a hard slider that clocks in at 85 mph. His makeup and work ethic were much better last season, though they remain works in progress. Marinez' slider requires more consistency and his changeup needs significant work. His frame and overall conditioning must improve if he is to improve his durability and move into a starting role, and just eight of his 69 career appearances have been starts. He remains raw in the secondary aspects of the game, such as holding runners and fielding his position. Some still wonder if his improved maturity is just a mirage. There's no need to rush Marinez, who figures to open 2010 back in high Class A. If everything clicks, he could earn an early promotion to Double-A.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked Florida State League #18 prospect in 2010
  Not many pitchers jump from Class A to the big leagues in a month, but then not many pitchers can throw 99 mph. Marinez blitzed through his second tour of the FSL while featuring a plus-plus fastball that sits at 95-97 mph and an 87-90 mph slider. With added consistency, his slider will give him a second plus pitch. He also has messed around with a changeup but uses it infrequently. Control will determine whether Marinez becomes a big league closer or something less. His stuff is good enough that he doesn't need excellent command, but he gets into trouble when he can't throw his fastball for strikes. His arm action is usually clean, though he sometimes gets too concerned with velocity and overthrows.

• December, 2011 Scouting Report
  Background: Marinez is following the path less taken. He made his major league debut a year prior to pitching in the 2011 Futures Game, three months before the Marlins sent him and shortstop Osvaldo Martinez to the White Sox as compensation for manager Ozzie Guillen. Marinez has battled control problems that have become more pronounced since he strained his elbow during his 2010 big league callup.Scouting Report: Marinez is a classic two-pitch reliever, relying almost exclusively on his fastball and slider. He gets easy velocity from a low three-quarters arm slot, with his fastball sitting at 92-96 mph and climbing into the upper 90s. His slider arrives in the mid-80s and can look like his heater until it gets on top of hitters. Marinez sometimes gets under his pitches, causing him to leave them up in the zone. He also has bouts of wildness when he struggles with his release point. He dominates when his location is good. He has to prove he can stay healthy after working just 226 innings in six pro seasons.The Future: Scouts see a big-league set-up man or possibly even a closer in Marinez, provided that he can significantly improve his command. He's an ideal project for big league pitching coach Don Cooper, though Marinez will get some time at Triple-A Charlotte before he sees Chicago.