Some of the big-time pitchers in the Miami Marlins organization right now come from great prospect pedigree. Trevor Rogers is a former first-round draft pick; Sandy Alcántara and Sixto Sánchez were the centerpieces of blockbuster trades.
But many of these arm came out of nowhere. Pablo López was unheralded when he arrived from Seattle. Elieser Hernández was a Rule 5 draft pick, left unprotected by the Astros. Most recently, right-hander Zach Thompson has turned a modest minor league deal into a very successful first month in the Majors.
The 27-year-old Thompson didn’t grow up as a pitcher with the Marlins.