The Marlins’ Arizona Fall League group is starting to come into focus, and the name at the top is the one that jumps off the page: Aiva Arquette.
Miami’s prospects will be assigned to the Glendale Desert Dogs when the AFL season opens on October 3, though the full list of players still hasn’t been announced. Fish On First farm director Alex Carver has already confirmed two names, and the expectation is that the Marlins will send seven or eight players total. That number could still shift if injuries hit over the final stretch of the minor league season.
Arquette is the headliner for a reason. A consensus Top 100 MLB prospect, he ranks sixth on the FOF Top 30 and is a rare kind of AFL addition. Most players headed to the desert are there to make up for lost time, and that fits Arquette too: he has played only 49 games in 2026 because of two separate trips to the injured list.
Even with the missed time, the former first-round pick has put together a strong line between High-A Beloit and Double-A Pensacola, hitting .257/.311/.476 with 11 home runs and 14 stolen bases. He has mostly worked at shortstop, while also logging a few games at second base and third base.
Arquette will turn 23 in October, which makes him about one year older than the average AFL batter in recent seasons. The setting is a low-pressure one, but he’ll still be expected to perform.
The other confirmed name is left-hander Emmett Olson, who is currently at High-A. Olson has thrown just 10 innings since coming back from Tommy John surgery, but across parts of four minor league seasons - all with the Marlins - he has posted a 3.62 ERA in 35 games, 33 of them starts, along with solid peripherals.
Olson is expected to work as part of Glendale’s rotation and likely take the ball once a week.
In Other News...
Marlins Front Office Shakeup Just Raised A Bigger Question About Their Future
The Marlins have made a sweeping change in the way they evaluate talent, firing their entire pro scouting department as part of a front-office overhaul. It is a move that fits the modern direction of the sport, where more clubs are leaning on video and data-heavy processes to help shape roster decisions, and it arrives while Miami is still sitting third in the NL East and hanging around the playoff race.
Even with the team in contention, the shakeup suggests the Marlins are looking well beyond the next series and into the way they want to operate going forward. The shift toward a more video-driven approach may streamline how the club gathers information, but it also raises a bigger question about how much of the old-school scouting infrastructure survives as Miami tries to build its future. [Read more 🡒]
Marlins Suddenly Face Another Bullpen Question They Really Didn't Need
Pete Fairbanks leaving the game against the Boston Red Sox with nerve irritation is the kind of development the Marlins could have done without, especially with the bullpen already under pressure to hold together. Miami had just welcomed Kyle Stowers back, which at least gave the roster a small lift, but the relief corps remains a spot where one setback can quickly become two.
Fairbanks is scheduled for a recheck, and until there is more clarity, Miami has to prepare as if it may be without another late-inning option. If that happens, the workload would shift to other arms such as Michael Petersen and Tyler Zuber, and the Marlins will be left trying to patch innings while waiting to see how long this latest concern lingers. [Read more 🡒]
Marlins Fans Are Finally Getting A First Look At This Draft Class
The first real wave of Miamis 2026 draft class is starting to filter into the organization, and it gives fans a much clearer idea of what the Marlins think they added this summer. Miami brought in 21 new players, but the rollout has been deliberately slow, with only a few of those picks already getting into Minor League Baseball games. For now, the early looks have come mostly from the infield, where shortstops Jacob Lombard and Eric Guevara have already suited up for Low-A Jupiter.
For a fan base eager to see how the class develops, the wait is still very much part of the story. Several draftees have not yet made their professional debuts, and none of the pitchers are expected to get into games until 2027, which means the full picture will take time to come together. In the meantime, Miami is letting its newest talent ease into the system, and the first handful of appearances are only the opening chapter. [Read more 🡒]