The Marlins may have found one of the most intriguing young bats in their system, and the name to know is Santiago Solarte.
He’s only 17, but he already looks the part of a future impact hitter. Solarte stands 6-foot-5, weighs more than 200 pounds, and scouts have clocked his top hit speed at 110 miles per hour.
That kind of pop is rare for anyone, let alone a teenager still a long way from the majors. The bat is loud enough that it’s easy to picture him developing into a middle-of-the-order presence down the road.
MLB.com’s scouting report on the Venezuela native paints the same picture, calling out his physical strength and elite exit velocities from the left side. The report also notes the flip side of that size and power: longer limbs that could make consistent contact harder as he matures. Even so, the evaluation is full of encouraging signs, from his bat speed in a closed-off stance to his strong pitch recognition.
Solarte has already backed up the hype in the Dominican Summer League. In 158 at-bats this year, he hit .323 with nine home runs, 41 RBI and 37 steals. For a player this young and this raw, that’s a pretty eye-catching line.
The downside for Miami is that it’s going to be a while before anyone sees him in South Florida. Solarte is currently listed with an ETA of 2031, and the club hasn’t made any public announcement suggesting he’ll be stateside in 2027. He’s still ranked as the Marlins’ 13th-best prospect and remains classified as a rookie/developmental level player.
When he does arrive, there’s a good chance he won’t be playing shortstop anymore. The position often serves as a launching pad for young athletes who can handle the demands there early on, only to slide to a power spot later. Third base or a corner outfield role looks like the more likely destination for Solarte as he fills out.
That shift would fit the broader view of him inside the organization. One source from the club said, “We think his ceiling is very high. He fits everything that we look for in terms of raw explosiveness, ability to be impactful defensively, and, on top of that, he comes from a really good program being with Carlos Guillén in Venezuela.”
Manager Clayton McCullough hasn’t had much, if any, chance to work with the teen prospect yet, but the front office clearly sees a big future here. Solarte may be a long way from the majors, but the Marlins have a prospect with real thunder in his bat and enough athleticism to keep the conversation going about where he’ll end up on the field.
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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 🡒]