The Miami Marlins’ 2026 draft class has barely been seen in game action so far, but the handful of players who did get onto the field are already attached to something meaningful. Entering Tuesday, the Low-A Jupiter Hammerheads were one win away from clinching the Florida State League championship, giving a few of the organization’s newest names a quick taste of postseason baseball.
Miami brought in 21 players in the 2026 MLB Draft, but only four of them played in official Minor League Baseball games during their first summer as pros. The rest spent their time training behind closed doors with an eye on 2027.
The biggest early return has come from first-round shortstop Jacob Lombard. In 22 regular season games with Jupiter, Lombard hit .220/.343/.390 with 18 hits, two doubles, four home runs, 17 RBIs, 13 walks, 15 runs scored, 11 stolen bases and a .733 OPS. He also went deep in both games of the Hammerheads’ first-round playoff series against the Daytona Tortugas.
Second-round left-hander Ethan Kleinschmit has not appeared in a MiLB game yet, and neither has Competitive Balance Round B right-hander Ryan Peterson.
Third-round shortstop Cam Kozeal got into 10 games before an injured list stint interrupted his first pro season. He posted a .214/.313/.405 line with nine hits, two doubles, two home runs, three RBIs, six walks, six runs scored and a .718 OPS. Defensively, he split time between second base and third base.
Fourth-round outfielder Wessley Roberson joined Jupiter on August 30 and made the most of a brief look. In six games, he hit .278/.480/.389 with five hits, two doubles, seven walks, four stolen bases and a .869 OPS. In the postseason, he has gone 1-for-9 with a walk.
Seventh-rounder Eric Guevara has also given the Hammerheads some production, while working in at third base. He hit .240/.377/.360 in 16 regular season games, collecting 12 hits, two home runs, seven RBIs, 11 walks, 11 runs scored, six stolen bases and a .737 OPS. In playoff action, he owns a 1.483 OPS.
The rest of the class is still waiting for its first official Minor League Baseball games. That list includes fifth-round left-hander Trey Beard, sixth-round right-hander Cole Selvig, eighth-round first baseman Rintaro Sasaki, ninth-round third baseman Nic Tolbert, 10th-round right-hander Zach Peters, 11th-round right-hander Fabio Bundi, 12th-round right-hander Bane Barker, 13th-round right-hander Connor Benge, 14th-round right-hander Tyler Kapa, 15th-round right-hander Colin Linder, 16th-round right-hander Porter Buursema, 17th-round right-hander Duke McCarron, 18th-round outfielder Jatniel McCloud, 19th-round right-hander Jackson Mitchell and 20th-round right-hander Joey Lawson.
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