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Position players report to spring training tomorrow, Friday February 17 , but some notable position players, Christian Yelich and Giancarlo Stanton, are already at Jupiter, Florida ready for camp. In the previous article I talked about the pitching staff and its approach to win games in 2017. In today’s entry I’ll talk about how the returning core of position players attempt to guide the team to its first playoff appearance since 2003.
Without looking into advanced statistics, it is very clear and noticeable on what offensive category the Marlins need to improve in order to win more games. SCORE RUNS!!! The Marlins were 27th in the Majors in runs scored. I am a firm believer that pitching wins ball games but if you’re one of the worst run scoring teams in the game, then your season is going to end in September. The only way you will be participating in the playoffs is by watching them at home.
That being said, let’s move on to the returning players. The Marlins have the same 2016 Opening Day starters returning this season and they are projected to be the starters again, not including any injuries that might occur in Spring Training.
In the infield we have Third Base: Martin Prado, Shortstop: Adeiny Hechavarria, Second Base: Dee Gordon and First Base: Justin Bour.
In the outfield from Left field to Right field: Marcell Ozuna, Christian Yelich and Giancarlo Stanton.
The Marlins were a very solid team defensively across the diamond with a gold glove winner and finalist. They are anchored by veteran and team captain Martin Prado. He paced the team in batting average with a .305 average. And was third in the National League for third baseman with a .972 fielding percentage.
Up the middle are Hechavarria and Gordon. Hechavarria is not known for his bat and has only had one solid offensive season back in 2015. What keeps him in the starting lineup is his range and slick fielding.
A full season of Dee Gordon leading off in the lineup will greatly help the offense. Last season Gordon was suspended 80 games for violating MLB’s PED code. But in 2015 he stole the show being an All Star, winning a gold glove, winning the silver slugger award, leading the league in batting with a .333 batting average and led all of baseball in hits with 205. Oh and don’t forget 58 steals which also led all of baseball. So imagine what Gordon can do with a full season of playing. He doesn’t even need to replicate that type of performance for 2017. If he can do anything close to that the Fish will be in good shape up the middle.
At first base we have the larger than life Justin Bour. At 6’3” 265 lbs. Bour can drop bombs plain and simple. He provides that power protection for Stanton which was something the team was lacking before his arrival in 2014. He has 30 homeruns in a season potential. He was on his way to that type of season before he had an ankle injury early July 2016. If healthy, he can back up Stanton and be another power threat. He might not hit for a high average but he’s a solid defender and with upside in his hitting ability.
The reason why I say there is upside with Bour is because Manager Don Mattingly is going to play Bour more often, even with lefties pitching. I don’t understand this move since Bour is a career .223 hitter against lefties with no home runs in 103 at-bats over three seasons. The team was looking for a right handed option to platoon with Bour at first base but they are leaning on having an extra reliever to that “super bullpen.” That would leave Mattingly with a short bench to work with.
I personally would have liked to see them add a right handed bench option over an extra reliever especially playing in the National League where there are more moving parts especially since there isn’t a designated hitter.
Former Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Chris Carter was the player I wish they went after. He led the national league with 41 homeruns. The New York Yankees ultimately signed him last week for just $3.5 million. Even with the tight budget the Marlins have, paying a player $3.5 million who hit 41 homeruns is practically a steal. The 41 homeruns do come with the territory of Carter striking out a whole lot. But platooning him with Bour means Carter only faces lefties and some off days for Bour, and that’s how the Marlins can limit the strikeouts for Carter. But maybe there is something we don’t know that the Marlins’ coaching staff does so we just have to wait and see how this pans out.
The biggest change in the outfield is Ozuna and Yelich switching positions. Yelich will go to center and Ozuna to left. And that’s not a surprise for fans as this defensive strategy was implemented late in the season last year. Yelich won a gold glove in 2014 as a left fielder so the defense abilities are there. Stanton will remain in right field. There has been some questioning of the switch between Yelich and Ozuna due to Yelich's arm strength playing center field in the spacious Marlins Park. But all I need to say is one former Marlins player that will turn down all those questions: Juan Pierre. Just like Yelich, Pierre had a below average arm to play center field but he sure did cover a lot of ground and was the catalyst on the 2003 Florida Marlins championship team. I agree with this move and it will ensure that the corner outfield spots have great arms in Ozuna and Stanton.
Juan Pierre at his finest. The king of bunt singles #thosestirrups
This outfield is one of the best outfield trios in baseball. Each player hit over 20 homeruns last season. Yelich hit a career high 21 homeruns and expect the power numbers to keep increasing. He also led the team in runs with 78. At only 25 years old, Yelich is just scratching his surface on how great he can be. Ozuna was terrific in first half last season and was named an All Star. Unfortunately he couldn’t keep up that style of play in the second half as he ended with a .266 batting average. This is basically what his career batting average is anyways.
The anchor of this offense; what floats or sinks this team is Giancarlo Stanton. The most powerful player in baseball needs to remain healthy in order for this team to go anywhere. To quote Tom Berenger from one of my favorite movies Platoon, “When the machine breaks down, we break down.”
That statement can’t be any truer. When Stanton is out of the lineup the Marlins do not have a player capable of hitting 40 homeruns and 100 runs batted in a season. What’s holding back Stanton from achieving that is health. His closest performance to that was in 2014 when he played in 145 games and hit 37 homeruns and had 105 runs driven in. He probably could have reached 40 homeruns if he didn’t get hit in the face by a 90 mph fastball on September 11th. That ended his season and jeopardized his career.
Stanton looks to increase his leadership role going into the 2017 season and get back to All Star status.
But he’s been back and the richest man in sports. So if you’re making the big bucks then you need to perform and put up MVP type numbers. He had his worst offensive season average wise hitting .240 and when we was healthy he sometimes still wouldn’t get played and would be benched by the 41-year-old Ichiro. Stanton starts off this season with a clean slate and he needs to be the driving force of this team.
Behind the plate we have one of the best young catchers in baseball in J.T. Realmuto. As a natural shortstop in high school, he has the quickness and footwork to be behind the plate but what he has been working on is his defense. Every year since debuting in 2014, Realmuto has been improving on his blocking and framing of pitches.
His athleticism is there and what compliments that very well is his hitting. Catchers are not necessarily known for their offense but Realmuto is. He was second on the team with a .303 batting average and has tremendous speed for a catcher as he chipped in with 12 steals. Under the guidance of veteran backup catcher A.J. Ellis and Catching Coach Brian Schneider, Realmuto will be in good hands to continue developing his defensive skills.
Two things to take in from all of this: 1) SCORE RUNS and 2) STAY HEALTHY. If the Marlins are able to maintain both throughout the course of the 162 game season, then they will be in the thick of things fighting for a wild card spot or even battling for the top spot in the N.L. East. If not, I won’t complain for a wild card game cause we all know what the Marlins do when they make the playoffs as the wild card team.
