The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

SUMMER league baseball is underway and some of the top Bahamian prospects in the minor leagues are off to a promising start with their respective clubs.

Both Anfernee Seymour of the Miami Marlins and Byron Murray of the San Francisco Giants were 2014 MLB draft selections and began their second stint in prospect league play over the weekend.

Seymour will play the Short-Season Class-A campaign with the Muckdogs, an affiliate of the Marlins based in Batavia, New York, and a member of the New York-Penn League.

The Muckdogs got off to a slow start, swept in their first season series against the Auburn Doubledays, but Seymour has shown flashes of his potential.

Starting at shortstop and as the leadoff man in the lineup, Seymour hit .308 with three stolen bases and an on base percentage of .357.

He opened 1-3 and drew a walk in his debut Friday night, followed by game two when he went 1-5 with two stolen bases and in game three, 2-5 including a double, with one stolen base.

The team plays in, and is the only in-place charter member of, the New York–Penn League of Professional Baseball.

Ranked as one of the top prospects in the Miami Marlins organisation, this summer could present a major opportunity for Anfernee Seymour to progress within the franchise.

Seymour saw his stock rise after a successful season for the Marlins in rookie play and he rose as high as No.26 on the Marlins 2015 Prospect Watch list by MLBpipeline.com.

In his first minor league season he hit .245 in 98 at-bats for the Marlins’ Gulf-Coast League affiliate while leading the team in stolen bases with 11. He recorded 24 hits, scored 24 runs with three RBI and an on-base percentage of .333.

In his 26 games, he appeared in 15 at outfielder and nine at shortstop.

The 19-year-old Freedom Farm product and former student at St Augustine’s College was drafted out of American Heritage in Plantation, Florida. He was taken by the Marlins with the 197th pick in round seven.

Murray helped his AZL Giants to a two-game split against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the AZLRookie League, based in Scottsdale, Arizona. They play against most of the western and central MLB rookie affiliates.

Murray has hit .429 with three runs scored and one stolen base thus far.

In the season debut, Murray was 1-4, but exploded in game two with a 2-3 night which included three runs and the base swipe.

Another St Augustine’s College Giant and product of JBLN, Murray was selected by the Giants 25th round with the 748th pick out of Trinity Christian in Lake Worth, Florida.

Last season with the AZL Giants, the outfielder appeared in 19 games and in 68 at bats, hit .279 with a respectable .412 slugging percentage and 12 RBI.    

Also appearing in the AZL League, will be Bahamian outfielder Dario Saunders of the AZL Reds, a Cincinnati Reds affiliate when his team makes its debut tonight.

Saunders, who was signed by the Reds in December 2013, played minor league ball in the Dominican Republic Summer League last season.

In 44 outings he hit .200 with 22 runs scored, six RBI, 26 stolen bases and an on base percentage of .355.

The Reds also have another pair of Bahamians with their Dominican Summer League affiliate. Through 10 games, Reshard Munroe is hitting .194 with five runs scored and two stolen bases, while Quinton Rolle has yet to officially begin his campaign.