Marlins rookies taking charge and trying to make a statement at end of season
The youth movement is being seen up and down the Miami Marlins’ lineup down the final stretch of the 2021 season.
A minimum of five and up to seven first-year players have been in the starting lineup in each of Miami’s past 12 games, a streak that should continue over the Marlins’ final 10 games of the season — a three-game series with the Tampa Bay Rays that starts Friday in St. Petersburg, four games in three days against the New York Mets starting Monday and a three-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies from Oct. 1-3 at loanDepot park to close out the season,
Among the group:
▪ Two from the Opening Day roster (infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. and left-handed pitcher Trevor Rogers)
▪ Three former top prospects who began the season in the minors but were expected to make it to the big leagues at some point this season (outfielder Jesus Sanchez, first baseman Lewin Diaz and right-handed pitcher Edward Cabrera)
▪ Two trade deadline acquisitions, one who is exceeding expectations (outfielder Bryan De La Cruz) and another who has been given extended opportunities at a position of need inside the organization (catcher Alex Jackson)
▪ And three who were called up to get reps over the final month of the season and are holding their own (infielder Eddy Alvarez and catchers Nick Fortes and Payton Henry).
“It’s a very fun group of guys,” Sanchez said, “the future of the organization.”
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Young power
Marlins rookies have combined to hit 48 home runs this season, the second-highest single-season mark in franchise history.
Chisholm leads the group and is eighth among all MLB rookies with 17 home runs. Sanchez has 13 home runs in 57 games, Diaz has six in 30 games, De La Cruz has five in 48 games, Fortes and Jackson each has three and Alvarez has one.
The only Marlins team with more rookie home runs than this group was the 2006 team that hit 76 home runs and included the likes of Josh Willingham (28 home runs), Dan Uggla (26 home runs) and Hanley Ramirez (17 home runs).
But it’s more than just the home runs with these hitters.
Diaz is hitting .326 during his last 12 games with five multi-hit outings.
Sanchez has reached base in 13 of his last 18 games, driving in 18 runs and scoring 12 times in that span.
De La Cruz is hitting .313 since making his MLB debut on July 30 and has hits in 33 of the 46 games in which he had a plate appearance.
Chisholm leads all rookies and is tied for fourth in the National League with 22 stolen bases. He has a chance to become the first Marlins player since Ramirez in 2010 to record at least 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases in a season. Only four players have ever accomplished the feat in franchise history (Ramirez in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010; Derrek Lee in 2003; Preston Wilson in 2000, 2001 and 2002; and Cliff Floyd in 1998 and 2000).
“It’s been exciting because now we’re seeing what we’re about to have going into next year,” Chisholm said. “You have all these rookies on our team that go out there everyday and play their hardest. We’re showing each other what we have in store for each other next year. ... It’s just the team’s going to be really exciting. We’re showing everybody that this is what they can expect next year.”
Starting pitching youth
On the mound, the Marlins lead MLB this season in rookies starters used (10), starts by rookies (73) and innings pitched by rookies (541).
Rogers and Cabrera are the main two to focus on from this group.
Rogers was the Marlins’ lone All-Star Game representative and was a clear frontrunner for the NL Rookie of the Year Award before a brief injured list stint for a lower back spasm and a month-long hiatus from the team due to a slew of family medical emergencies. Still, the 23-year-old paces qualified NL rookies in starts (24), innings pitched (128), strikeouts (151), batting average against (.220) and WHIP (1.17).
Cabrera, the No. 30 overall prospect in baseball according to MLB Pipeline, has had a spotty start to his MLB career. He has a 5.31 ERA through his first five starts with 16 strikeouts against 13 walks. The Marlins, however, are hoping Cabrera can use this short stint in the big leagues to figure out what he needs to address in the offseason before having a full season in 2022.
“When they get the opportunity,” pitcher Sandy Alcantara said, “they try to take advantage.”
This story was originally published September 23, 2021 at 10:12 AM.
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