The Marlins are one of the most "tool" oriented teams in the way they look at talent. For position players, Florida seeks athletic ability above all else, especially at the high school level. While this has brought a number of high-ceiling players into the organization, many of these players appear to suffer from Todd Dunwoody Disease: great tools, but no skills. The Marlins have yet to demonstrate that they can turn raw athletes into successful players on a consistent basis.

Florida also loves hard-throwing young pitchers, and has gathered a cornucopia of them through trades and the draft. Again, the results so far have been mixed; injuries and control trouble have plagued many of these guys.

The Marlins farm system posted a disappointing .477 winning percentage in 1999. While Win/Loss records are not a particularly good indicator of farm system quality, at some point athletic ability must translate into victories on the field, for the rebuilding project to be considered a success.

Beckett, the Texas schoolboy pitcher with the 97 mph fastball, signed a major league contract with a $7 million financial package. Scouts compare him to Nolan Ryan and Kerry Wood, due to his heater and big-bending curve. But he could just as easily turn into Todd Van Poppel, especially considering since the contract puts a definite time limit on how long he can stay in the minors. He must stick in the majors by 2003, when he'll run out of options. He didn't pitch after signing, so while scouts love Beckett, at this point we have no objective data to indicate how good he really is.

Byron, drafted out of a Florida junior college, has a 94 mph fastball, with a hard curve and a sound changeup. He pitched very well after signing, and could reach the majors as quickly as Beckett.

Other draftees of note include third-round pick Josh Wilson, a high school shortstop from Pennsylvania, and Dominic Woody, a catcher from the University of Washington, drafted in the fourth round. Wilson doesn't have great tools but is polished, while Woody has excellent power potential, but is raw defensively. Fourteenth-round pick Todd Moser, a lefty from Florida Atlantic University, has a mediocre fastball, but a great changeup, and knows how to pitch. Also keep an eye on fifth-rounder Nate Robertson, a hard-throwing left-handed pitcher, and eighth round selection Kevin Hooper, a scrappy second baseman, both from Wichita State.