Marlins explain why they’re hopeful and better than their record. And top prospect update
Though the Marlins have disappointed at 22-30, they’re convinced this team is better than the record indicates.
Among the reasons, beyond their high regard for their talent level:
▪ As of last week, they’re ninth offensively in a metric the Marlins believe in: weighted runs created plus.
▪ They entered this week 16th in ERA at 3.86.
▪ They entered the week 15th in batting average at .243, 14th in OBP and 16th in slugging percentage.
▪ They’re 12th in fielding percentage at .987.
▪ Despite being eight games under .500, they have outscored teams by seven runs.
“We care above all about wins and losses, but I don’t think a couple months into a season that wins and losses tell you everything about the talent of the club,” assistant general manager Dan Greenlee told Craig Mish on his podcast Swings and Mishes.
“We’re crushed by the start in wins and losses... If nothing else, this is a very competitive team. We’ve played with anybody toe-to-toe. A lot of one-run losses that come in a variety of different ways. I think it bodes very well going forward. We do believe in this team.”
Greenlee addressed various aspects of the team:
▪ On the offense, which is 19th in baseball in runs and has been hurt by ranking 17th in hitting with runners in scoring position and two outs (.223) and 20th with runners in scoring position overall (.237):
“There are too many reasons to be glass half full based on some things that we’ve done. In 2018, 2019, 2021, we were in the bottom three in the NL in offense; we averaged 17 games under .500 in those years [and were] hundreds of runs below average offensively.
“Fast forward to 2022: we have the ninth-best offense in MLB [in WRC]. Our offense in the last few years didn’t put pressure on pitchers and couldn’t stack up and couldn’t put us in position to win…. We have good ABs one through nine [now]. We make pitchers legitimately uncomfortable. I’m excited about what our club brings offensively every day to the table for the first time in a while.”
What about the the poor average with runners in scoring position?
“Two months into a season, give me a strong offensive club that lacks a half dozen to a dozen timely hits than a club that is very deficient offensively that got you those 6 to 12 timely hits that would have swung those certain games,” Greenlee said.
“The hard part is becoming a good offense,” Greenlee added, “and these guys who have demonstrated an ability to get on base and hit for power are ultimately going be able to come up in those bigger moments and succeed at an average rate or an above-average rate relative to the rest of the league, just like they have at all other moments.”
▪ On the starting pitching: “The upper minors stacks up as well as anyone [in] the game. We lose less sleep over starting pitching than any club. That’s an area we are well positioned to do well now and going forward.”
▪ The Marlins had previous trade discussions to acquire proven closers but teams asked for more than they’re willing to relinquish.
“There are very few shutdown closers in baseball and in the rare instances they’re available, they want half your systems,” Greenlee said. “Your audience would hate the proposals we received for shutdown closers.
“You have clubs, when they don’t necessarily have Josh Hader in house, they go this route of trying to get as many complete and competent bullpen pieces as they can and hoping that all can be trusted… to keep us in games and that certain players will rise to be effective, back-end options.
“So far, that group through two months has been really good at keeping us in games when behind and less effective at protecting small leads. We think there’s enough talent there for the latter portion of that area to change.
“The past few years have shown we’ve been able to identify those guys and those guys have been successful. Just through two months of this season, we just haven’t had that same fortune in that inning in particular.”
The Marlins bullpen ERA of 4.22 ranks 22nd in baseball. The Marlins have eight blown saves in 19 opportunities, one of the six worst percentages in the sport.
▪ On if the team will be aggressive at the July 31 trade deadline if the Marlins are around .500:
“There’s a lot of reasons to believe in this club. We have shown historically if we believe in ourselves, we’re willing to be aggressive on that front. There’s a lot of reasons to believe in this club. Hopefully in two months that will have translated into wins and losses and we’re in position to be aggressive and explore ways to improve.”
▪ On Jazz Chisholm: “He’s a game-changing player” and praised “the work he has put in to be a more reliable defender, the concentration he has put into his at-bats to be a player you can count on every day, not just an electric player.” Greenlee believes he can be “one of the most special players” in baseball.
THIS AND THAT
▪ Top Marlins pitching prospect Max Meyer is close to a return after missing three weeks with ulnar nerve irritation.
Meyer — MLB.com’s 31st overall prospect — had a bullpen session Sunday, will report to Jupiter this week and pitch in an extended spring game this weekend in Jupiter. If all goes well, he could be back in the Triple A Jacksonville rotation in about a week.
Meyer had a 4.54 ERA in eight starts at Jacksonville before the injury.
Meanwhile, left-hander Jake Eder is throwing at 120 feet after last fall’s Tommy John surgery. He’s almost fully recovered, plans to throw simulated games this fall and is expected to be full-go by next spring. He recently finished his degree at Vanderbilt.
Eder was exceptional at Double A Pensacola last season, producing a 1.77 ERA in 15 starts, with 99 strikeouts in 71 innings.
▪ The Marlins are attending a Tuesday workout for veteran big-league closer Trevor Rosenthal, according to a source. Rosenthal has 132 career saves, including 11 in 2020 for San Diego and Kansas City, when he posted a 1.90 ERA.
Rosenthal, 32, signed a one-year, $11 million deal with Oakland before the 2021 season but didn’t pitch at all because of thoracic outlet surgery and a torn labrum in his hip.
He had consecutive seasons of 45 and 48 saves in 2014 and 2015 for the Cardinals.
▪ Outfielder JJ Bleday, who had been considered the Marlins’ top position prospect, is struggling offensively for a second consecutive season; he’s hitting just .211 at Triple A Jacksonville (10 homers, 26 RBI in 49 games) after hitting .212 at Double A Pensacola last season.
The good news: His .361 on-base average isn’t awful.
Garrett Cooper, the Marlins’ most consistent hitter this season, spent time with Bleday in the spring and said: “Everyone wants a piece of how to fix him. You listen to 10 guys and think of 10 different things at the plate. He does a little too much to live up to the first round [draft status].
“You’ve got to calm everything down and trust yourself. He’s got a sweet lefty swing that should play in the big leagues for 10 years.”
But for a second year in a row, the production isn’t there.
▪ Prior to the season, the Marlins sought to bump up their efforts in creating a more family friendly atmosphere for the players wives, significant others, as well as players and field staff’s families.
Per sources, Don Mattingly met privately with the wives and significant others on the club and discussed enhancing their experience at the park and beyond over the course of the season.
The Herald asked for an official comment on this initiative.
“Ownership has made a commitment to develop an organizational culture that provides a first-class experience to our Miami Marlins players, field staff and families,” the Marlins said. “Significant investments have been made to improve our family relations, medical, nutrition, clubhouse accommodations, travel, video and analytic capabilities as we strive to be amongst the industry’s best.”
Players and field staff’s families also have access to an in-game private suite seating at every home game. On a recent Marlins road trip to St. Petersburg, all players’ families were invited to join the players, as well as spend the off day in the area. The Marlins now provide bus transportation for families to-and-from hotels on the road.
Herald senior baseball correspondent Craig Mish hosts Fantasy Sports Today from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Newswire from 2 to 3 p.m. weekdays on Sportsgrid. Follow him on Twitter at @CraigMish. Follow Barry Jackson at @flasportsbuzz
This story was originally published June 7, 2022 at 2:16 PM.
