Brandon Compton spent his college days with one foot in two worlds, a left-handed bat and a pitching arm that once seemed like it could carry him down either path. Now the Marlins’ No. 11 prospect has left the mound behind and turned himself into one of the loudest bats in the organization.
The 22-year-old has been on a blistering run at Double-A Pensacola, entering Saturday with 15 home runs in 32 games and a massive 1.223 OPS. That surge earned him Hitter of the Month honors in the Marlins’ Next Wave Awards. His July power binge was especially eye-catching: 12 homers, a Blue Wahoos single-month franchise record, and the most by a Marlins Double-A player in a month since at least 2005.
“Honestly, this is probably the best I've hit in like a stretch of time in my life,” Compton said. “It’s definitely fun, and at the plate, I'm just keeping it simple, feeling relaxed, and I've been able to stick to the same routine and drills and feels throughout that course of time in the cage and through drill work. It’s just been feeling good and trying to be consistent and make good swing decisions.”
That kind of production looks a lot different from the player Compton was supposed to be when he arrived at Arizona State as a two-way prospect. Tommy John surgery over the summer before his freshman year changed that route.
Then came 2023, when he could hit only while rehabbing in the Northwoods League. He responded with 13 homers and a .985 OPS in 60 games, enough to shut the door on any thought of returning to pitching.
The power was always there. MLB Pipeline’s scouting report describes the 6-foot-1 left-handed hitter as someone with massive raw strength from a crouched stance. In July, he backed that up in a big way, ranking in Double-A’s 100th percentile with a 64.4% hard-hit percentage on balls struck at 95-plus mph.
His current tear didn’t come out of nowhere, either. Compton sustained a hamate injury in the first week of early camp, and when he was with High-A Beloit in Quad Cities from June 9-14, he wasn’t able to get on the field much.
That left him leaning hard on lifting and nutrition. His roommate, Marlins No. 3 prospect Aiva Arquette, was also working his way back from surgery.
Without a normal ramp-up, the results were slow to show up. From April 2-June 3, Compton hit .180/.415/.302 with six doubles, one triple and three homers in 42 games. The next day, he collected his first career three-hit game, a sign that the timing was finally starting to come around.
“I didn't really have too many goals,” Compton said. “I just wanted to do my best.
It's my first year in pro ball. I guess the goal was to get to Double-A.
That was kind of a goal. But other than that, just being able to compete, find a good routine that I'm able to stick with, and just do the best I can each and every pitch.
There's so many opportunities throughout the season to get stuff done. So, just not missing those and being prepared for it.”
Even with the power surge, there’s still work to do. Compton is trying to sharpen his strike-zone control, one of the Marlins’ core priorities, so the raw strength plays more consistently. He also has room to improve against 95-plus mph velocity and sliders, though he has made progress on fastballs by getting on top of and through them.
Defensively, he’s being developed as a left fielder, where he’s focusing on better reads and jumps. First base could also be in his future, although he has not yet taken grounders there.
“I just want to be as consistent as I can,” Compton said. “Obviously, I've had a good stretch so far, and I'd like to continue just trying to win each day, win each pitch.
That just comes down to the process and the goals I create throughout it. It's making the adjustments when needed.
The game always calls for it. Just being ready and working on myself and just trying to improve in any way I can.”
In Other News...
Marlins Prospect's Rare Bat Is Creating One Big Infield Question
Santiago Solarte is already drawing attention in the Marlins system for a skill set that does not usually show up in a 17-year-old shortstop. The Dominican Summer League has been the first look at the kind of offensive tools Miami has to dream on, with Solarte pairing a .323 batting average with nine home runs, 41 RBIs and 37 steals in 158 at-bats. For a player ranked as the organizations 13th-best prospect, that kind of early production is hard to ignore, especially when it comes from a bat that scouts believe can grow into real power.
The bigger question is what comes next for the infield, because Solartes rare strength and bat speed are the sort of traits that can change a prospects path as he matures. Miami can enjoy the shortstop label for now, but his offensive ceiling is what has the organization watching closely, and it could eventually force a decision about where he fits best long term. For the Marlins, the appeal is obvious: a young hitter with impact ability is worth tracking, even if the final position remains unsettled. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Just Lost A Recent Trade Piece For Nothing
The Marlins dipped into the waiver wire again and came away with a familiar arm, claiming right-hander Wikelman Gonzlez from the White Sox and sending him to Triple-A Jacksonville. For Miami, it is another low-risk pitching add to a system that always seems to have room for someone with live stuff and remaining control, especially when there is still some major league experience attached.
Gonzlezs path makes the move more notable because he had already been part of the Garrett Crochet trade package in 2024 before Chicago designated him for assignment. Miami now gets a chance to take a closer look at a pitcher who reached the majors last year and still has options left this season, which gives the club some flexibility if it wants to stash and develop him rather than rush him into the picture. [Read more 🡒]