Miami Marlins top 10 prospects for 2019

Osiris Johnson, SS

Birthday: 10/18/2000 (18)
Acquired: Draft, 2nd round, 2018
Level(s): GCL Marlins, low-A Greensboro
Statistics: .250/.276/.378, 48 G, 199 PA, 11 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 7 SB, 2.5% BB, 26.6% K

An incredible athlete, Osiris Johnson had a lot of intrigue coming into the 2018 draft. The Miami Marlins ended up signing Johnson after drafting him in the 2nd round for $1.35 million. Many scouts mentioned Twins prospect Royce Lewis in the way that Johnson improved his defensive skills over his final year of high school.

Still very raw, Johnson impressed in the GCL, hitting .301 in just 25 games, but he struggled when he was jumped up to low-A Greensboro. That’s not incredibly surprising for one of the youngest members of the draft class.

There’s a very real chance that his long-term position will be somewhere other than shortstop, but it won’t be due to a lack of range or a lack of arm, as he flashed both in his pro debut plenty. More than anything, the 19 errors he made in 46 games in the field were in part due to the game speeding up significantly for him and making judgment mistakes about when to throw the ball or not.

With at least plus speed, if not plus-plus, and raw power that is at least above-average. His rare combination of tools could allow him to be one of those elite prospects that the Marlins currently crave if he can develop his pitch and zone recognition at the plate in 2019.