Here's some educated guesses on 2024 Beloit Sky Carp

BELOIT — The Beloit Sky Carp open the 2024 Midwest League at ABC Supply Stadium against Cedar Rapids on Friday — weather permitting, of course.

That’s about all we know for sure for now.

The Miami Marlins prefer to keep their minor-league rosters as secret as launch codes as long as possible.

Which is their prerogative, of course, but it makes it a little tough to work up a preseason article on the local nine. It does not prevent us from speculating about some of those who will be wearing the teal and orange this season at ABC Supply Stadium.

First of all, we aren’t likely to have the No. 1 or No. 2 on the Marlins’ current top prospect list. At least not to start 2024. After graduating one of their best pitching prospects ever in Eury Pérez to the Majors last summer, Miami used its top two selections in the 2023 Draft and $8.6 million on the best high school arm (Noble Meyer) and the top left-hander (Thomas White) in the entire draft class. Both are just 19 years old, 6-foot-5 and already throwing in the mid-90s.

With a little luck, they could be 1-2 in the starting rotation in Miami in a few years. But right now, they’re more likely start the season in Rookie ball or maybe Low-A.

Beloit might have its own 19-year-old prospect, though, in Karson Milbrandt, a 6-2, 190-pound right-hander who split 2023 between Low-A Jupiter, Fla. (3-3, 5.33 ERA in 12 games) and High-A Beloit (0-3, 4.60 ERA, 12 games, 43 inn., 46 hits, 24 walks, 41 strikeouts).

Milbrandt, who turns 20 in a few weeks, also is a hard thrower in the mid-90s who will need to develop more command and consistency with his breaking ball to rise in the ranks. More seasoning with the Sky Carp would seem to be the best guess.

The Sky Carp sent a pair of prospects to Beloit for their annual fan fest in January so it’s fair to assume they’ll be on the roster: right-handed pitcher Jared Poland and corner infielder Torin Montgomery.

Poland, an Indianapolis, Ind., native, was a sixth-round draft pick in 2022. The former University of Louisville ace went 5-6 with a 4.94 ERA over 19 starts in Beloit last season. In 98 1-3 innings, he allowed 103 hits with 31 walks and 92 strikeouts.

Montgomery, the Marlins’ 2022 14th-round pick, has steadily risen as a prospect. The 6-3, 220-pound right-handed hitter started the 2023 season at Jupiter and hit .341 in 63 games and 185 at-bats with three home runs and 42 runs batted in. He was named as a Florida State League All-Star. Promoted to the Sky Carp in July, Montgomery saw action in 35 games, batting .214 with a homer and 12 RBI.

It’s also a fair bet that several other 2023 Sky Carp will return in 2024, including middle infielder Yiddi Cappe, catcher Joe Mack and outfielder Osiris Johnson.

After a solid season in Rookie ball and single-A in 2022, Cappe batted .220 in 123 games (112-509) with the Sky Carp. He had 26 doubles, two triples, five home runs and 53 RBIs and put the ball in play more than 80 percent of the time. But he had just 18 bases on balls and a .250 on-base percentage.

Mack was a highly-regarded catching prospect when the Sky Carp made him the 31st overall pick in the 2021 MLB draft and signed for a $2.5 million bonus. He played 120 games in Beloit last season and was effective defensively, but had a rough go offensively at 20 years old. He belted six homers with 36 RBIs with a .218 batting average. He had a .295 on-base percentage and .287 slugging percent so making more hard, consistent contact would be the goal for 2024.

That’s the mission for speedy Johnson as well. A standout 17-year-old shortstop in Alameda, Calif., he was picked in the second round as the 53rd overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft. He is now primarily a center fielder with all the defensive tools who just needs to make more contact. Last season in Beloit, Johnson hit .248 with eight homers and 31 RBIs, coming on strong in the second half.

The Marlins did release their coaching staff, again led by manager Billy Gardner Jr. But we’ll have to get back to you on the actual roster once the Marlins sign off. But with the big league club at 0-6 so far, maybe they have their hands full.

• OPENING WEEKEND: The Sky Carp and Cedar Rapids Kernels will meet at 6:35 p.m. Friday. Saturday and Sunday the teams meet again at 1:05 p.m.

The Sky Carp struggled last season on the field with a 29-37 record in the second half and 56-75 overall, but they still celebrated their second straight record-breaking attendance with 104,411 fans.