Can a change of scenery help unlock Matt Mervis’ potential? The Marlins hope so
When the trade went down that sent Matt Mervis from the Chicago Cubs to the Miami Marlins, the first baseman just so happened to already be on his way to South Florida.
Mervis was on a flight heading from Maryland to Fort Lauderdale for his dad’s 60th birthday when the Cubs dealt him to the Marlins for infielder Vidal Brujan on Dec. 29.
In fact, Mervis said he didn’t know the trade had happened until about an hour after it was finalized.
“I just happened to buy the WiFi on the plane and saw those texts,” Mervis said. “Just flying down here for vacation and just happened to be a couple miles from the stadium. ... I was very excited. I love my time with the Cubs. They treated me great. But some guys just need a fresh start and change of scenery, so I’m hoping that it works out for me.”
He’ll certainly have his chance to jumpstart his MLB career with the Marlins. After all, it wasn’t too long ago that he was a top prospect. He led the minor leagues in 2022 with 119 RBI and 78 extra-base hits while splitting the season between Single A, Double A and Triple A. His 40 doubles that season were second most in the minors and his 36 homers were third most.
But in stints at the MLB level over the past two seasons, Mervis has hit just .155 (18 for 116) with 40 strikeouts over 36 games.
“They gave me my opportunities,” Mervis said of the Cubs. “In ‘23, I just had some bad luck. I hit the ball hard a lot right at people. And last year, I think I just tried to prove that I deserved to be there and got out of my approach, swung it some bad pitches. I would say [my struggles were] more things that I could control.”
Mervis said the struggles were both mental and mechanical. Because he wanted to prove himself, he swung far more often than he should — 51.3 percent of the time, about four percentage points higher than the league average — and that got him out of his approach at the plate. He swung and missed 33.7 percent of the time, well above the MLB average of 25 percent. A hamate bone injury last season didn’t help, either.
“The swing breaks down after that,” Mervis said.
The 26-year-old said after the trade he connected with the Marlins’ hitting staff, which includes director of hitting Joe Migliaccio, hitting coach Pedro Guerrero and assistant hitting coach Derek Shomon, to identify areas where he struggled with his mechanics.
Specifically, they worked on getting his back hip in a proper position to enhance his swing.
“I created a lot of bad habits last year,” Mervis said, “and they identified a lot of those and just kind of helped me look at video and make sure I know what I’m looking for.”
Now, it’s a matter of that offseason work translating to the field.
Marlins’ first base breakdown
Mervis, a lefty, and Jonah Bride, a righty, will most likely platoon at first base to begin the season.
Bride hit .276 with 11 home runs and 39 RBI with the Marlins last season. He closed the year on a high note, hitting .312 (29 for 93) with six home runs, four doubles, 17 RBI and 16 runs scored in September.
Beyond them, prospect Deyvison De Los Santos and offseason signing Eric Wagaman are next in line.
De Los Santos, ranked as the No. 12 prospect in Miami’s system by MLB Pipeline, led the minor leagues last season with 40 home runs while hitting .294 with 120 RBI.
Wagaman made his MLB debut last season, hitting .250 with five doubles, two home runs and 10 RBI in 72 at-bats with the Los Angeles Angels.
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