Former Marlins Prospect Rebuilds Career with Rascals

O'FALLON, Mo. - At first, Jeremy Synan felt confused. Anger soon followed.    

Once a highly-touted prospect in the Miami Marlins organization, Synan was unceremoniously released on March 29 just a few days before the end of Spring Training.    

Synan, after four solid seasons in the team's minor league ranks, quickly found himself without a job. In addition, his dreams of making the major leagues were temporarily shattered.    

It was tough, it was hard to swallow," he recalled. "I won't lie - I was bitter."    

Now, less than three months after losing his job, the multi-talented left-handed hitting outfielder has pushed that bitterness aside and is well on the way toward re-building his once-promising career.    

Synan signed with the River City Rascals in early April and is quickly making the most of a second chance.     

The former standout at North Carolina State University has developed into one of the team's most successful and popular players.    

Synan carries a Frontier League-best 22-game hitting streak into play Saturday night. He is batting 323, good for second on the team and ninth in the 14-team league. Synan has three homers and 17 RBI.   

The 25-year-old shook off the snub by the Marlins and bounced back in impressive fashion. If he continues his current eye-popping run, he stands a good chance of signing on with another professional organization sometime this summer.   

"I'm glad I got this opportunity and I'm trying hard to make the most of it," he says. "Every day I've got to go out there and take care of business - and that's helping this team win. Hopefully someone will see that and I'll get another chance in affiliated ball."    

Synan won over fans at T.R Hughes Ballpark with his hustling, never-quit attitude on the field. He has also gotten rave reviews from the coaching staff.    

"He plays the game the right way," River City hitting coach Caleb Curry said. "He might have gotten a bad break, but he's got a lot more baseball left in him."

Synan hit .569 as a senior at Northeast Guilford high school and choose to attend North Carolina State. As a junior, he helped lead the Wolfpack to the NCAA Super Regionals and came within one game of reaching the College World Series losing 17-8 to Georgia in the deciding game of the best-of-three series.   

The Brown Summit, North Carolina native was selected by the then-Florida Marlins in the 42nd round of the 2008 draft. He chose to forgo his senior season at NC State and signed a contact similar to one awarded to a player chosen in the 14th. round.   

He hit .291 with the Marlins' Class A team in Greensboro in 2009 and advanced up the ladder each of the next two seasons. Synan had seven homers and 47 RBI at the high Class-A level in 2010 and even earned a short two-game stint with the Triple-A New Orleans Zephyrs of the Pacific Coast League. Synan temporarily replaced current Miami outfielder Logan Morrison on the roster while Morrison played in the futures game during All-Star weekend. Synan got a chance to face current Chicago Cubs pitcher Jeff Samardzija along the way.    

After a strong start at the high-A level in Jupiter, Florida last season, Synan was promoted to the Double-A Jacksonville squad midway through the campaign. He closed the 2011 season strong, turning heads throughout the system with a .338 average over the final 35 games.    Synan expected to begin this season in Jacksonville and was hoping to advance to New Orleans by mid-summer.   

"I felt like this upcoming year was my year to improve and show them what kind of ballplayer I really am," Synan said.   

He never got that chance. Two days after the crushing news, Synan received a call from River City manager Steve Brook, who offered him a chance to join the Rascals.   

Synan jumped at the opportunity. And he is glad that he did.   

"I'm hoping this is all for the best," Synan said "There are a lot of moves in baseball that you don't understand. You've just got to deal with them - and move on."   

Synan has done just that. He got a hit in eight of his first nine games with the Rascals and hasn't looked back. He has hit safely in 30 of 32 games and was last held without a hit on May 29.   

"This is a fun experience for me," he said. "This team is great, everybody's friendly, and everybody works so hard. No matter what happens, I'm going to enjoy my time here."