Marlins calling on Chisholm for MLB debut

The Marlins made a splash by adding Starling Marte at the Trade Deadline on Monday. On Tuesday, they added another talent from the 2019 Trade Deadline.

Miami is calling up No. 70 overall prospect Jazz Chisholm for his Major League debut, the club announced Tuesday. Jesús Sánchez was optioned to make room for Chisholm, who had been at the Marlins' alternate site in Jupiter, on the 28-man active roster.

Today’s roster update. pic.twitter.com/3lNiqUFoFD

— Miami Marlins (@Marlins) September 1, 2020

The Fish acquired Chisholm from the D-backs for Major League right-hander Zac Gallen on July 31 last year. The 22-year-old shortstop hit .220/.321/.441 with 21 homers and 16 stolen bases over 112 games at two Double-A stops in the Miami and Arizona systems. He was one of 14 Minor Leaguers to put up a 20-15 season in 2019, his second such season in a row after hitting 25 homers and swiping 17 bags a year earlier.

The Bahamas native is rated highly for that power-speed combo. MLB.com ranks both tools as having above-average potential, and the same 55 grades were handed to Chisholm's capabilities with his glove and arm in the infield. The hit tool is the only major question mark in his profile, stemming from serious contact issues. The left-handed slugger struck out in 32.1 percent of his plate appearances last season, the eighth-highest mark among Double-A qualifiers, after he whiffed 29.7 percent of the time in 2018. When he does make contact, however, it is certainly loud, and that type of potential can be mouth-watering for a young organization like Miami's.

Chisholm has made all 310 of his Minor League starts at shortstop and has the tools to stick there, but he might be looking at playing time at second base for now with veteran linchpin Miguel Rojas locked in at the six. Chisholm could face even more competition up the middle with the news that Isan Díaz is likely to return after previously opting out of the 2020 season.

Chisholm will be the third Top-100 prospect to debut with the Marlins during the shortened 2020 season, joining No. 24 Sixto Sanchez and No. 86 Jesús Sánchez on that list. Miami enters Tuesday's game at home against the Blue Jays with a 15-15 record that would give them the sixth seed in the National League if the season ended today.