The Marlins used Friday afternoon at loanDepot park to put a spotlight on the organization’s minor league pipeline, and two names stood above the rest.
Outfielder Cam Cannarella and right-hander Eliazar Dishmey were named the Marlins’ Player and Pitcher of the Year, respectively, as the club handed out its 2026 Player Development Awards before Miami’s final three-game series against the Braves. Cannarella, the organization’s No. 6 prospect, and Dishmey, ranked No. 30, were recognized alongside MVPs from each of the team’s seven minor league affiliates.
Cannarella’s rise took him from High-A Beloit to Double-A Pensacola and then Triple-A Jacksonville. In 98 games, the 23-year-old stacked up 22 doubles, 15 homers, 21 stolen bases and 60 walks.
“I had a really good year,” Cannarella said. “Getting injured made me think of my family … for what God put in my hands and just meeting a lot of new people.
I feel like that's kind of key to success too. I’m just thankful and I pray to God to just keep me healthy every day.
Hopefully, I [will] get here next year.”
Dishmey’s season was just as eye-catching in a different way. The 21-year-old right-hander struck out 33.3% of the batters he faced and held opponents to a .167 average across 104 2/3 innings with Beloit and Pensacola.
After moving up to Double-A in May, he piled up 92 strikeouts in 16 starts and helped Pensacola reach the postseason. He also became the first Marlins prospect since Max Meyer in 2021 to win Southern League Pitcher of the Year.
“It was something that wasn’t on my mind,” Dishmey said in Spanish. “When I found out, I felt really good because, at the same time, that was the result of what I was working on all season.”
The rest of the organization’s award winners reflected a system with impact bats, swing-and-miss arms and a few standout seasons that jumped off the page.
At Triple-A Jacksonville, outfielder Matthew Etzel turned in his best power output yet in his first full year with the Marlins. The 24-year-old set career highs with 19 homers, 20 doubles, 74 runs and 67 walks, and he added 25 stolen bases.
His late-season surge earned him International League Player of the Week honors on Aug. 30.
Double-A Pensacola’s MVP, outfielder Brandon Compton, put together one of the loudest offensive seasons in the organization. The 22-year-old posted a .332/.421/.759 line with 21 homers and 54 RBIs in only 50 games.
Twelve of those homers came in July, the most by a Marlins Double-A player in a month dating back to at least 2005. Across all levels, Compton finished with an organization-best 36 homers and 103 RBIs.
The Marlins’ High-A Beloit MVP, Payne, did his damage by missing bats. The 21-year-old left-hander struck out 147 hitters in 111 innings, which ranked second in the organization in strikeouts. His 31.6 percent strikeout rate also ranked eighth among minor league pitchers.
Single-A Jupiter’s MVP, infielder Echedry Vargas, put together a season for the record books. The 21-year-old won the Florida State League Triple Crown by hitting .323 with 27 homers and 94 RBIs.
His 27 homers set a single-season Hammerheads record, and he also led the league with a .983 OPS, 229 total bases and 52 extra-base hits. That performance earned him Florida State League MVP honors.
In the Florida Complex League, infielder Juan Alva made a strong first impression stateside. The 20-year-old hit .318 with a .933 OPS in 39 games, drew 30 walks and struck out only 19 times. He also went 13-for-15 on stolen-base attempts and saw time at both corner-infield spots.
The Dominican Summer League Marlins’ MVP was infielder Santiago Solarte, the organization’s No. 14 prospect. At 17, he combined power and speed in a big way, hitting 10 homers, driving in 47 runs and stealing 42 bases in 52 games while batting .339/.450/.598. He was the only DSL player to finish with at least 10 homers and 40 steals.
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