Jesus Aguilar is helping the Marlins both through his lineup and clubhouse presence
It was evident from the first day of the season Jesus Aguilar would give the Miami Marlins something they sorely missed in 2019.
In his first game with the Marlins last month, Aguilar came to the plate in the first inning against the Philadelphia Phillies and swung at all three pitches he saw. He came to the plate again in the third and swung at all four pitches he saw. In the sixth, the first baseman again came up swinging, whiffing once, fouling off a pitch and finally connecting for his first hit with Miami — a 409-foot go-ahead home run in Philadelphia. The Marlins got their first real look at one of the many facets of the 30-year-old Venezuelan.
“He’s a big guy, so I think everybody just automatically thinks he’s just this power monster and he’s got plenty of power,” manager Don Mattingly said. “This guy can hit. He’s got good hands. He doesn’t strike out that much. He’s got a good eye up there. To me, he’s more well-rounded than we give him credit for.”
As Miami has put together the most surprising start in MLB, Aguilar has been one of its MVPs, both because of his production on the field and his personality in the clubhouse.
The most obvious way he has aided the first-place Marlins (7-2) this year is through his lineup presence — specifically, his sheer power potential.
Through the first nine games of the season entering the finale of a three-game series Sunday against the New York Mets, Aguilar launched three home runs, which would put him on pace for 54 in a normal 162-game season. Last year, Miami’s leader in homers had just 22 and only two other players had more than 15. The Marlins, unsurprisingly, finished last in the National League.
Most of Aguilar’s career accolades come because of his power-hitting ability. In 2018, Aguilar was an All-Star for the first and only time in his career. He belted 24 home runs before the All-Star break for the Milwaukee Brewers and even participated in the 2018 MLB Home Run Derby, but he also batted a career-best .274 with a .352 on-base percentage.
All those numbers plummeted in 2019, so Miami was able to sign to a discounted one-year deal in the offseason, hoping he’d recapture his All-Star success. The Marlins have found him to be much more than just a beefy presence in the middle of their lineup.
“This guy has the right attitude. When he strikes out or he doesn’t have a successful at-bat, he comes in the dugout smiling or making jokes about himself. He’s the guy you want to have on your team,” said catcher Francisco Cervelli, a fellow Venezuelan. ”He doesn’t let the guys slow down. He doesn’t let the young guys put their heads down when they strike out or they do an error.
“I’ll take Jesus anytime on my team — any time, any month.”
For Miami this season, it has been an important voice to have.
An 18-player COVID-19 outbreak shook the roster last month and forced the Marlins into a fraught, week-long quarantine in a Pennsylvania hotel as they worried about their sick teammates and the status of their season. Captain Miguel Rojas was among those players who contracted the virus. Miami hasn’t been able to return home since the season began.
On the field, it hasn’t fazed the Marlins. Aguilar is one of the biggest reasons.
“Putting him and Cervy together, and they have this energy and this fearlessness that they play with,” Mattingly said. “I think it just relaxes our guys and just keeps going forward. Just play, have fun, but do it right and that’s been the beauty of Jesus.”
Where does Chisholm fit in?
Shortstop was supposed to be one of the most stable positions on Miami’s roster. Rojas started there basically whenever he was healthy in 2019 and he planned to do the same this season.
Just three games in, the Marlins already had to adjust. Rojas hasn’t played since the first series of the year and now the shortstop is out until he tests negative twice for the coronavirus.
While middle infielders Jonathan Villar and Jon Berti have handled the job well, Miami also has one of its most exciting prospects in the organization at the position.
Don’t expect Jazz Chisholm to get a look anytime soon, though. Mattingly wants the shortstop to continue developing at the alternate training site in Jupiter.
“We’ve been pretty clear that we feel like Jazz obviously has an opportunity to be the guy of the future. We love his talent, his energy, what he can do,” Mattingly said. “He has to continue to progress and understand his swing and do all the things he has to do to be consistent.”
