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Jumbo Shrimp at the break: 5 things to watch for baseball's second half in Jacksonville

clayton freeman, florida times-union
·4 min read

After a rocky opening half in the International League baseball season, the All-Star break might be coming at a perfect time for the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp.

Jacksonville opened July with a solid series against the Charlotte Knights, taking their first series victory since the first week of May and restoring hopes for a second-half surge at 121 Financial Ballpark. The Jumbo Shrimp fans have been waiting patiently for some good news: During the first half of the Triple-A season, Jacksonville languished nearly 20 games behind the first-place Norfolk Tides.

For the second half, it's a different story: Winning eight of their first 12, they've moved into an early virtual tie for first (although one back in the loss column) with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Here's a look at some of the key storylines as the Jumbo Shrimp splash into the second half.

What's going right: X-factor

Jumbo Shrimp prospect Xavier Edwards, who received a brief call-up to the Miami Marlins in May, is batting .538 for Jacksonville in July.
Jumbo Shrimp prospect Xavier Edwards, who received a brief call-up to the Miami Marlins in May, is batting .538 for Jacksonville in July.

Even before the second half began, Xavier Edwards was picking up the pace at the plate for the Jumbo Shrimp, and now he's positively on fire. Racking up hits at a historic clip, Edwards recorded six consecutive games with three hits or more from July 2-8, including three doubles, a home run and six stolen bases in that span. The streak technically ended Sunday, although he still reached three times (single, double and walk). He had already hit .348 in May and .348 in June, and his July numbers (.538 average, 1.279 OPS) are flying higher than Friday night fireworks. The versatile 23-year-old, selected at No. 38 overall by the San Diego Padres in 2018 out of North Broward Preparatory School in Coconut Creek, is on a course likely to bring a call-up to the Marlins before long.

What's gone wrong: Silent bats

Jumbo Shrimp left fielder Brian Miller swings at a pitch. Among Jumbo Shrimp players with 200 or more at-bats, Miller is among only four hitting .265 or higher.
Jumbo Shrimp left fielder Brian Miller swings at a pitch. Among Jumbo Shrimp players with 200 or more at-bats, Miller is among only four hitting .265 or higher.

It takes runs to win baseball games, and too often, the Jumbo Shrimp haven't had enough of them. They've spent much of the season at or near the bottom of the 20-team International League standings in both runs per game and OPS — they've since climbed to 16th and 17th, respectively. In a boom-or-bust era for baseball, the Jumbo Shrimp have had too much bust (745 strikeouts) and not enough boom (only Buffalo and Gwinnett have fewer extra-base hits than Jacksonville's 253).

Roller-coaster ride for pitchers

For the past half-dozen years, even in the Jumbo Shrimp's Double-A campaigns, Jacksonville has usually showcased the prized pitching prospects in the Marlins system. It hasn't quite worked out this year. If Jumbo Shrimp fans were expecting highlights from two-time All-Star Johnny Cueto in his rehab assignment with Jacksonville, they've been disappointed: The 37-year-old has posted an 11.51 ERA in five starts, and batters have pulverized his pitches (15 home runs allowed in 22 2/3 innings). Jeff Lindgren (6-3, 4.55) has been the relative ace of a rotation that has endured more downs than ups, with Chi Chi Gonzalez (4-6, 6.49), Ronald Bolanos (3-8, 7.44) and Devin Smeltzer (4-4, 5.67). But good work by the bullpen, particularly Robert Garcia (2-0, 2.95), Geoff Hartlieb (1-3, 3.65) and Anthony Maldonado (5-3, 2.35, five saves), has kept Jacksonville's ERA of 5.23 squarely in the middle of the Triple-A pitching pack.

(Injury) bug bites Shrimp

Jumbo Shrimp pitcher Sixto Sanchez, pictured in 2019, has been delayed in his return to action after injuries that have sidelined him since 2020.
Jumbo Shrimp pitcher Sixto Sanchez, pictured in 2019, has been delayed in his return to action after injuries that have sidelined him since 2020.

The Marlins' farm system as a whole has taken a beating in the injury department, and the Jumbo Shrimp have absorbed the ensuing domino effect. Max Meyer, the Marlins' top prospect, is expected to miss the full year because of Tommy John surgery from July 2022; fireballer Sixto Sanchez remains on the Jumbo Shrimp roster but hasn't thrown a pitch in a live game since Sept. 23, 2020 due to multiple shoulder injuries. Paul Campbell, Colton Hock and Ivy League prospect Josh Simpson are also among the Jumbo Shrimp pitchers spending long stretches of 2023 on the shelf.

Coming attractions

Dax Fulton throws a pitch for the Pensacola Blue Wahoos during the Double-A team's home opener against the Montgomery Biscuits.
Dax Fulton throws a pitch for the Pensacola Blue Wahoos during the Double-A team's home opener against the Montgomery Biscuits.

Between now and season's end, Jumbo Shrimp fans can expect to see a few prospects make their first stops in Jacksonville on their way up the baseball ladder. Who's next in line? One possibility might be left-handed starter Jake Eder, the fourth-ranked prospect in the Marlins' organization, who recorded a 1.77 ERA last year at Double-A Pensacola and currently holds a 3.75 ERA with the Blue Wahoos, although walks have been an issue. Also among the options is first baseman Troy Johnston, who's older than a typical prospect (26) but has been crushing the ball at Double-A with an .897 OPS. Perhaps the most promising could be 6-7 lefty Dax Fulton, rated as the Marlins' No. 3 prospect with a nasty curveball — if he can improve his control (more than one walk every two innings).

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp: Second-half season preview, 2023 baseball