Rookie Jakob Marsee Turns Into Unlikely Slugger For Miami Marlins

The Miami Marlins’ Jakob Marsee, 13 games into his MLB career, is hitting like Babe Ruth.

Nobody expected that. The team figured it could get some good outfield defense, a few line-drive hits, some walks and stolen bases when they called up the 24-year-old from Triple-A Jacksonville on Aug. 1.

Thus far, the rookie is hitting .436 (17-for-39) with 6 doubles, 3 homers, 13 RBI and 6 steals. “He’s running high-quality at-bats,” Marlins manager Clayton McCullough understated.

CLEVELAND: Jakob Marsee of the Miami Marlins celebrates after hitting a two-run home run against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on Aug. 13, 2025. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)

Getty Images

The high quality reached a new peak Wednesday night in Cleveland when the left-hander went 4-for-5 with 2 homers and 7 RBI. He also had a stolen base and a nice sliding catch in center field.

“I’ve pictured myself in a lot of these moments,” Marsee told reporters afterward. “Dreamed about this stuff, and I just trust God.”

For most of his career since being a sixth-round draft choice in 2022, Marsee encountered a few nightmares between dreams. In 395 games before the Marlins came calling, Marsee batted only .239 with 42 homers. Along the way, however, were some dreamy flashes.

He totaled 159 steals in 189 attempts, including 47 this year, which led the entire minors. In 2023, he was the MVP of the Arizona Fall League when he hit .391 with 16 steals, 5 homers, 25 runs and 20 RBI in 24 games – a streak similar to this August.

“I can get bags, but I’m not the fastest guy,” Marsee said then. “I can hit for some power, but I’m not the strongest guy. I just try to do everything I can. Mainly, I’m just trying to help my team score and do what I can to help the team win.”

He displayed that approach in his MLB debut against the New York Yankees, drawing three walks and lining a double off veteran reliever David Bednar for his first career hit.

The Trade To Miami

In 2023, including his play in the fall league, Marsee batted .293 overall with 21 homers, 28 doubles, 128 runs and 62 stolen bases. Teams took notice, particularly the Marlins.

Marsee and three others were traded by the San Diego Padres to Miami on May 24, 2004, for reigning batting champion Luis Arraez – who promptly went on to win his third straight hitting title.

Marlins general manager Peter Bendix was excited, saying then: “We got a lot of prospect talent in return … that we think have a chance to really impact the major league team for six plus years of their control and who knows what else beyond that.”

Outfielders Dillon Head and Nathan Martorella and pitcher Won-Suk Go have stalled out in the minors, however. Initially, Marsee was worst of all. The Padres soured on him when he hit .176 at Double-A San Antonio before the deal. He hit .188 at Double-A Pensacola after it. Yet the Marlins promoted him to Jacksonville and he hit .275 over 22 games.

Through it all, he kept running wild on the bases, going 51-for-58 in steal attempts.

Scouting Jakob Marsee

At Central Michigan, Marsee was a run producer with ordinary power, driving in 101 runs and scoring 119 with 12 homers in a 134-game career. He hit .310 with 26 steals in 32 tries and – most attractive to scouts – had more walks (91) than strikeouts (82).

The Padres made the six-foot, 175-pounder a sixth-round pick (No. 180 overall) and signed him for $250,000. He’s the 16th of 60 selections at No. 180 in history to make it to the Majors. The best was outfielder Reggie Sanders, picked in 1987 by the Cincinnati Reds. He had 305 homers in 1,777 games for eight teams between 1991 and 2007.

What scouts generally like best about Marsee is his fearless approach to the game. One veteran NL scout, however, told me he had a red flag on Marsee being too aggressive in the field. “He has skills but negates them by trying to do too much,” he told me during the 2023 AFL. “He’s young but has to learn to let the game come to him. He overruns balls at times, makes an unwise throw here and there.

“What confounds me the other way is that at the plate, he does remain calm. He will draw a walk, doesn’t swing outside the zone. He’s kind of a jumble. He doesn’t have great exit velocity. But he pulls inside pitches into the air for homers. He takes outside pitches the other way. Both are good. I’m not sure if it is sustainable. Then again, I am not convinced he will not develop into a solid everyday player atop a batting order.”

According to The Associated Press, Marsee’s second homer in Cleveland on Wednesday had an exit velocity of 107.9, the best of his entire career. Can that continue?

Marsee’s Miami Marlins Future

Right now, it is blindingly bright for Marsee and the team. He has been a big part of Miami going 34-22 (.607) since June 10.

A series of trades last summer set things in motion.

The average age of Marlins hitters is 25.9, youngest in the National League. Miami’s pitchers are youngest, too, with an average age of 27.5. Their Triple-A team has a 71-44 record. Their six farm teams overall have a 315-284 mark.

A fallacy, however, is that young players ALL develop into winners. Too often, fans believe youthful exuberance and hustle will translate into stardom. Just for hyperbolic fun, Marsee’s 13-game MLB career start, if pro-rated over a 162-game season, would have him totaling 75 doubles and steals, 37 homers and 162 RBI.

That’s not going to happen.

Marsee forecasts as being an average defender capable of making a highlight catch or two while being a solid good second-place hitter behind leadoff man Xavier Edwards or serving as a secondary lead man batting ninth ahead of Edwards.

Getting on ahead of Edwards means Marsee can be a threat on the bases, enabling Miami’s .305-hitting second baseman to see more fastballs. Batting behind him means the fleet Edwards can be a steal threat or go first to third on a ball pulled by Marsee who would also see more fastballs.

That sets up the lineup for young power hitters Kyle Stowers, Agustin Ramirez, Heriberto Hernandez and Otto Lopez.

The Miami Marlins are fun to watch. So is Jacob Marsee. We’ll have to watch and see if the club continues at it’s current pace or again falls back.