OF Monte Harrison won’t start the season with the Marlins. Don Mattingly explains why
Don Mattingly isn’t surprised Monte Harrison feels he’s ready to be an everyday player for the Miami Marlins. The manager just doesn’t think it’s what would be best for his young outfielder quite yet.
Instead, Harrison will begin the regular season in Jupiter with prospects and minor-leaguers at the alternate training site. The outfielder will not be a part of the Marlins’ 30-man roster when they open the season Friday against the Philadelphia Phillies.
“We didn’t want him here being a pinch runner and a defensive replacement,” Mattingly said. “He’s going to be in Jupiter. And he’s going to be getting at-bats off Sixto [Sanchez] and Max Meyer, and Trevor Rogers and all our good young pitching.”
Mattingly informed Harrison before Miami departed for Atlanta to play a pair of preseason exhibitions against the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday and Wednesday. When the team travels to Philadelphia on Thursday, Harrison and the rest of the nonactive players will head back to South Florida to resume working out at the Marlins’ minor-league facilities at Roger Dean Stadium.
The decision isn’t entirely surprising since Harrison was optioned to minor-league camp during spring training shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic halted all baseball activity, but the 24-year-old impressed throughout summer camp in July, particularly because he began flashing real power potential during intrasquad games in Miami.
While Harrison declined to say whether he felt he had earned a spot on the MLB roster with his preseason play, he said he “100 percent” felt ready to be an everyday player in the majors.
“I feel I’ve prepared myself mentally and physically to be in the big leagues,” Harrison said. “I think I’m ready for the big leagues. Actually, I don’t think I’m ready — I know I’m ready, and whenever it’s time for me to step on the field and play, Monte Harrison is going to be ready to play.”
Mattingly chuckled when he heard about Harrison’s confident proclamation.
“I think that tells you about his personality, that he is a confident guy,” Mattingly said.
It doesn’t, however, mean the organization feels he’s best suited by starting the season in with the Marlins.
Right now, Mattingly believes he has his three outfield spots mostly figured out. Outfielder Corey Dickerson will handle left field every day, center field will be handled by converted shortstops Jonathan Villar and Jon Berti, and right field will be handled by a committee including outfielders Harold Ramirez, Magneuris Sierra and Garrett Cooper.
Sierra, 24 with nearly 250 major-league at-bats, ultimately took the final outfield spot Harrison was competing for. Harrison, the organization’s No. 9 prospect in the MLB.com rankings, will get competitive at-bats in Palm Beach County rather than be a part-time player in Miami.
“We’ve talked about it. We’re going to game plan down there to try to get Monte out and our hitters out, so they’ll grow,” Mattingly said. “He’s going to keep getting better down there and when Monte comes, you want him in the lineup. If we thought we were going to start Monte three or four days a week, Monte would be here, but if you tell me that he’s going to pinch run and get an at-bat here or there, we don’t think that’s the best thing for Monte right now.”
Mattingly said the decision wasn’t made at the start of camp and Harrison had an opportunity to earn a spot on the Opening Day roster, especially considering it’ll be slightly larger this year. The rookie just wasn’t quite consistent enough in his plate appearances at Marlins Park. At one point, Harrison struck out in eight consecutive at-bats.
Miami believes the alternate training site will help their prospects even better than a typical Triple A season might. Instead of facing whatever prospects and nonprospects are thrown at them, the Marlins’ hitters will face a more curated group of pitching talent. Miami’s alternate site will feature two pitchers ranking among the top-100 overall prospects, three more top-10 organizational prospects and Meyer, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2020 MLB draft.
“Monte’s probably going to get more quality at-bats between spring, summer camp, the pitching he’s going to have to be facing in Jupiter — he’s going to get more quality in that period of time than he would’ve got in the whole Triple A season,” Mattingly said, “so that’s the way you have to look at it.”
