Nick Fortes

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Miami Marlins #21 prospect in 2022
  Track Record: Fortes was the Marlins’ fourth-round pick in 2018 and had largely gone unsung in the system until 2021, when he showed enough on both sides of the ball to earn his first big league callup.
  
  Scouting Report: Fortes has raised his profile in an organization largely bereft of catching talent at the upper levels. His bat speed is on par with some of the system’s higher-profile prospects, and he’s long had the bat-to-ball skills to keep his strikeout totals low. He’d also had a reputation as a player who could marry that bat speed, discipline and barrel malleability, and in 2021 those skills came together for a peek at his potential. Fortes drew raves for the way he worked with the system’s high-end pitching prospects. He also showed improvements in the way he received and blocked, and threw out 27% of potential basestealers during his time in the minor leagues. He’s a surprising athlete for a catcher and an average runner.
  
  The Future: The catcher position is muddled in Miami behind Jacob Stallings, so Fortes should get plenty of chances to build on his outburst toward the end of the 2021 season. He has the ceiling of a backup catcher who develops strong rapports with his pitching staffs.
  

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #191 prospect in 2018 draft
  Fortes in 2015 was a well-regarded recruit coming out of high school but initially had some trouble carving out a role in the Mississippi lineup, splitting his time between catching and playing first base. He has largely taken over behind the plate and has continued to produce offensively. Fortes has excellent plate discipline and good barrel control, which has this season helped him walk nearly twice as often as he's struck out. The righthanded hitter has solid power and gets to it well in games. Fortes is a sound defender, especially in terms of blocking and receiving, and has fringy arm strength. Fortes is an average runner and has above-average athleticism for a catcher.
• Ranked #252 prospect in 2015 draft
  Fortes was one of the better catchers on last summer's showcase circuit and started the Perfect Game All-American Classic behind the plate. He wasn't quite as good this spring, however. Fortes is an offensive catcher who creates good bat speed and hits a lot of line drives into the gaps. He's a capable receiver and has handled elite pitchers well as an amateur. He throws well enough for a college catcher, but his fringy arm strength is of some concern to scouts. Fortes is a good student and is committed to Mississippi.

• December, 2021 Scouting Report
  Track Record: Fortes was the Marlins’ fourth-round pick in 2018 and had largely gone unsung in the system until 2021, when he showed enough on both sides of the ball to earn his first big league callup.
  
  Scouting Report: Fortes has raised his profile in an organization largely bereft of catching talent at the upper levels. His bat speed is on par with some of the system’s higher-profile prospects, and he’s long had the bat-to-ball skills to keep his strikeout totals low. He’d also had a reputation as a player who could marry that bat speed, discipline and barrel malleability, and in 2021 those skills came together for a peek at his potential. Fortes drew raves for the way he worked with the system’s high-end pitching prospects. He also showed improvements in the way he received and blocked, and threw out 27% of potential basestealers during his time in the minor leagues. He’s a surprising athlete for a catcher and an average runner.
  
  The Future: The catcher position is muddled in Miami behind Jacob Stallings, so Fortes should get plenty of chances to build on his outburst toward the end of the 2021 season. He has the ceiling of a backup catcher who develops strong rapports with his pitching staffs.