Marlins Call Up Prospects Yelich and Marisnick

The top phenoms in the Marlins' farm system join the big club, accelerating team's rebuilding process

The Miami Marlins called up top outfield prospects Christian Yelich and Jake Marisnick Monday night, taking a big step forward in president Larry Beinfest's rebuilding plan.

The team announced their call-up Monday night, sending down outfielder Marcell Ozuna and second baseman Derek Dietrich (both rookies) to make room on the roster.

"I want to make this clear: the offensive woes of this team I don't want to be attributed to them," president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest said of Ozuna and Dietrich. "That's not why this is happening. I want that to be clear.

"Those kids did an incredible job. We rushed them here to the big leagues out of need, they had very little to almost no Double-A experience, and they did a great job for us."

Yelich and Marisnick, meanwhile, have been hitting well at double-A Jacksonville. Yelich hit 7 home runs, 6 triples, and 13 doubles in 46 games. Marisnick hit .295 with 12 home runs and 46 RBI in 66 games.

In January, Fangraphs ranked Yelich the second-best prospect in the Marlins' farm system (starting pitcher Jose Fernandez was number one). Marisnick was the fifth-best prospect, and second-best positional player next to Yelich.

The Marlins drafted Yelich in the first round (23rd overall) of the 2010 MLB Draft. They received Marisnick in the big trade with the Toronto Blue Jays last offseason.

When the Marlins completed their fire sale last winter, Beinfest vowed to rebuild with prospects, and he has now called up the jewels of his system to play alongside Giancarlo Stanton and Logan Morrison. Marlins fans can now see the team of the future on the field.

"I'm excited for Yelich and Marisnick," Miami manager Mike Redmond said. "Dietrich, I saw him in A-ball the last two years when he was on the other side with Tampa Bay. I love him as a player and I still love him.

"These are two guys who definitely are going to improve our defense in the outfield," he added. "Jake plays a great center field, and Yelich too. I think those guys will bring excitement and hopefully another boost of energy to this team and this lineup."

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