Miami Marlins to get a look at present and future as spring training games start
They have practiced on the back fields for 10 days. Gone through bunt drills and batting practice and bullpen sessions and baserunning techniques.
Now, the Miami Marlins are ready to once again take the field and play live, nine-inning games.
The Marlins open their 31-game spring training schedule Saturday against the New York Mets at Port St. Lucie’s Clover Park. First pitch is set for 1:10 p.m.
The Grapefruit League slate, which includes 19 games at Jupiter’s Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium and another six at the FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches in West Palm Beach, provides the first real opportunity this spring for the Marlins coaching staff and front office to see the team in a competitive setting.
They have position battles to sort out, prospects nearing MLB debuts they want to keep an eye on, roster spots to fill.
“We’ve got opportunities to give all these guys at-bats,” Marlins president of baseball operations Michael Hill said, “which is always great because it’s just part of the experience, part of their development, their growth to understand where they need to continue to improve so that they can eventually be here on a regular basis.”
The Marlins have 19 of their top 30 prospects as part of big-league camp this year. Thirteen of them — Sixto Sanchez, JJ Bleday, Jesus Sanchez, Jazz Chisholm, Edward Cabrera, Braxton Garrett, Trevor Rogers, Jose Devers, Lewin Diaz, Jerar Encarnacion, Sterling Sharp, Brian Miller and Humberto Mejia — are in their first big-league camp with the club.
“Especially the first time through, it’s really more about seeing what a guy looks like,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “It’s the first time facing somebody other than our guys, no batting practice cage there. The first one, you’re hoping to get their feet wet, see how comfortable they look and see if we’re doing everything right as a team.”
The next month will also provide a glimpse at what the energy around the team will look like as they head into the third year of their rebuild under the Bruce Sherman and Derek Jeter ownership group. The team made offseason moves by acquiring players such as Corey Dickerson, Jonathan Villar and Jesus Aguilar and also envision some of their top prospects getting MLB call-ups this season.
“You can see the present,” Hill said, “but you can also see the future.”
This and that
▪ Steady rain Friday at the Marlins’ training complex in Jupiter forced the team to pull an audible on the majority of their final day of practice. Live batting practice and bullpen sessions were relegated to the covered batting cages instead of taking place on the back fields like the past three days.
▪ Baseball America has some high praise for two of the Marlins’ minor-league affiliates. The outlet named the Double A Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp and the Triple A Wichita Wind Surge as two of 10 potential “super teams” for the 2020 minor-league season.
▪ Elieser Hernandez will start the Marlins’ home spring training opener Sunday against the defending World Series champion Washington Nationals. Jordan Yamamoto is starting on Saturday against the Mets. Starting pitchers will throw about 30 pitches in their first games and slowly add to their pitch count with each start.
▪ Notable Marlins players who are making the trip to Port St. Lucie include utility man Jon Berti, first baseman/outfielder Garrett Cooper, second baseman Isan Diaz and outfielders Lewis Brinson and Harold Ramirez. Top prospects Jazz Chisholm, Monte Harrison, Lewin Diaz and JJ Bleday are also on the trip.
This story was originally published February 21, 2020 at 1:08 PM.
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