Category: Miami Marlins
Jesus Sanchez, Lewin Diaz Off to Impressive Start in AAA as Jacksonville Welcomes Back Fans, Max Meyer Debuts
Not even 48 hours into the Minor League Baseball season, outfielder Jesus Sanchez and first baseman Lewin Diaz are lighting up stat sheets and proving they are on their way to big things in their MLB careers which could (re)commence in the not-too-distant future.
On Tuesday night at 121 Financial Ballpark in Jacksonville, Diaz, hitting second, homered on the second pitch he saw. An inning later, Sanchez struck a well-hit RBI single to left field, plating two runs. Five innings later, Diaz doubled to center and Sanchez connected for a three run bomb. The pair’s 4-10, 2 HR, 8 RBI barrage accounted for eight of the Jumbo Shrimp’s 11 runs and rout of the Norfolk Tides.
Less than 15 hours later, Diaz and Sanchez were at it again. Both back in the lineup for Wednesday’s 1:05 start, the two top 30 organizational prospects once again led the way in an impressive offensive barrage, combining for seven hits, eight RBIs, two homers and four XBH in Jacksonville’s 10-7 win.
Diaz, Fish On The Farm’s seventh ranked organizational prospect, had a busy winter and spring. After taking part in the Dominican Winter League where he hit .207/.301/.354 with three homers and 12 RBI against competition more than four years older than him on average. More so than the stats, the most impressive attribute to Lewin was the improvement in his physical build.
“I was eating well, I was hitting the gym a lot, I gained some muscle mass. I feel perfect right now,” Diaz told us this spring. “I feel like I’m hitting the ball a little harder.”
Through his first two games, Diaz is hitting the ball hard in virtually every AB. Diaz rode the opportunity to stay fresh and get bigger back home into spring training where he was among the most frequently used players, appearing in 16 of the Marlins’ 19 games. He went 5-22 with two doubles and a 5/4 K/BB. More important than the stats though was the experience and the ability to further prepare.
“I’m planning ahead this year,” Diaz said through a translator in early March. “I’m working on swinging at good pitches and getting good at bats so that I can go back to the major league level and stay there for a long time.”
Through two games, Diaz’s plans seem to be coming to fruition very early. Via extremely soft hands, excellent vision and insurmountable plate coverage, Diaz already looks locked in at the plate. Showing the ability to get to virtually any pitch and hit it hard, Diaz has already had a couple of “how did he do that?” moments.
Handling his newly added size with grace and ease, Lewin looks to have made the most of his winter league experience where he said he tried to learn as much as possible from guys veterans Robinson Cano and his spring training experience where he faced off against big league arms on the regular.
During spring, Don Mattingly told us it is “definitely possible” we see Diaz back with the Marlins sometime this season. If this early production persists, that possibility will be a foregone conclusion for the Marlins’ first baseman of the future.
While Diaz was getting reps and experience on the field for much of spring training, Jesus Sanchez was doing quite the opposite. After just eight ABs, Sanchez suffered a groin strain which kept him out of action for the rest of the Grapefruit League tenure and eventually saw him placed on the 10-day IL. This Tuesday, in his first AB in 64 days, Sanchez did this:
Despite missed time, Sanchez has flown out of the gates this year and is getting to pitches rarely seen touched, let alone hit for extra bases. His amazing raw strength is to thank for that. As he proved this week when he golfed a pitch out of 121 Financial Park, any pitch Jesus Sanchez gets under has a chance to leave the park. In his minor league career so far though, with a career ground ball rate around 50% and a ground ball/fly ball rate of 1.36, the consistency on which he’s been able to hit the ball in the air has been a bit of an issue and it is the main culprit keeping him from his 50-grade game power tool. If Sanchez has figured that out and if he can stay on the field, the 23-year-old slugger should be another one of the first promotees to the big leagues, especially with three expiry contracts currently manning the Marlins’ outfield.
For now, enjoy the show, Jacksonville.
Jumbo Shrimp Welcome Back Fans
While the other three Marlins MiLB affiliates started their seasons on the road on Tuesday, the gates of 121 Financial opened to fans for a Minor League Baseball game for the first time in 617 days.
“I was overfilled with excitement,” Jumbo Shrimp emcee and in game host Jordan Price said about walking back into the park. “You miss seeing the season ticket holder fans and interacting with them. They become like family so you miss the game day conversations. The fans make the ballpark come alive and adding baseball back is icing on the cake.”
Jumbo Shrimp fans weren’t in their seats very long. Not even ten minutes after the national Anthem, Lewin Diaz took a ball deep for the first Shrimp homer of the season. It was far from the first time Shrimp fans rose to their feet. Jacksonville put on an offense clinic, banging out eleven runs in route to victory, the first Shrimp win since August 26th, 2019. The sell-out crowd wasn’t only treated to fireworks on the field during the game, they got to take in a postgame fireworks show as well, the perfect ending to a great first night back out at the ballpark.
“You could tell the fans have been waiting patiently for this game,” Price said. “They were so enthusiastic about every little detail that was happening within the game from the players being announced, the play ball kid, the National Anthem and even booing the umpires as they walked out. Everything the fans did, they did it with more enthusiasm.”
Jumbo Shrimp play-by-play announcer and director of media relations Scott Kornberg described the climate as a playoff atmosphere.
“Jacksonville has great fans to begin with. To be honest, it’s one of the very few places that actually gets LOUD. So we’ve felt that energy for months now, and even that extraordinary build-up did not exceed the actual moment,” Kornberg said. “From the instance the gates opened, you could tell everyone felt lucky to be there, myself included. It was one of the very, very surreal things I’ve been able to experience.”
Straight out of minor league spring training, the Shrimp as a whole looked to be in mid season form. After starter Braxton Garrett worked into the 4th inning, reliever Brett Eibner threw 2.1 scoreless innings behind an offensive explosion which included a five run 2nd inning and a four run 8th. Kornberg believes the fans played a big part in the players’ performance.
“These players have gone from either not playing at all in 2020 or playing in front of no fans. And they’re all aware upon coming to Jacksonville of what the atmosphere in the stands is like,” Kornberg said. “They all say it the first day they get here, how much they’ve heard about how great it is to play here. So for them, it was special, and then you add in our crowd? I think there was no question those guys love playing in front of our fans to begin with, and the atmosphere last night only added to it.”
The excitement surrounding the return of baseball in Duval county was far from exclusive to Opening Day. On a Wednesday afternoon, 121 Financial was close to allotted capacity. That crowd took in another Jacksonville victory. This weekend, a ticket to a Jumbo Shrimp game will be hard to come by.
“We are sold out pretty much every home game through this homestand,” Kornberg said.
Even without baseball in 2020, the Shrimp stayed active in the community and worked diligently with health and safety officials and county leadership to stay involved in the community and keep the gates of 121 Financial open. Through that work, the organization was able to host a variety of socially distanced events such as movie nights and bingo nights. Undoubtedly, that continued community involvement is a harbinger for why Duval continues to rally around the Shrimp organization.
“I think them being involved kept them top of mind with the fans and giving hope that things will be back to normal eventually,” Jacksonville fan Stoffer Cochran said. “I love Minor League Baseball and I’m proud of the Jumbo Shrimp.”
Max Meyer Debuts
On Wednesday night, 2020 third overall pick Max Meyer made his professional ball debut at AA Pensacola. He did not disappoint. The 23-year-old lefty worked five scoreless innings allowing just two baserunners (one hit, one walk) and striking out five. He needed just 65 pitches, 42 of which were strikes.
Meyer came as advertised, pumping up to 97 with his fastball (sitting 94). His famously sickening slider, labeled the best pitch in the 2020 MLB Draft, was on full display. Four of five of his strikeouts were finished with that pitch, including this one which, per the Mississippi Braves’ broadcast, had a spin rate of 2539. Major League Baseball’s average slider spin rate this season is 2453.
Meyer didn’t need his changeup at the collegiate level and he didn’t really need it in this start either, but he did show it a bit. It sits in the 84-86 mph range and Meyer flashed the ability to locate it similarly to the heater. It has some nice late plane, giving it ability to have some tunnel off the heat leading up to the wipeout slider.
While we need to see more than the few he threw in this start, it was encouraging to see Meyer mix it in and throw the changeup with conviction for strikes.
So how did Meyer, pitching in his first pro game and l for the first time in a game at any level in over a year, fly out of the gates in this fashion at such a high level? Postgame, manager Kevin “Smoke” Randel likened it to mixture of ability and blissful ignorance.
“He doesn’t know any better,” Randel said. “He’s never pitched in the Florida State League or even the (New York-) Penn League or low A. So it’s just the minor leagues to him. He feels like he needs to be up in the big leagues. He’s got the best stuff. That’s just how he pitches.”
Meyer’s next start should come next Tuesday in the Blue Wahoo’s home opener against the Birmingham Barons.
Hot Start Puts Trevor Rogers in Special Company, Marlins Promote Jose Devers
From first round high school draft pick to loser of an entire year of development right in to lights out rookie hurler for a major league club, having only spent 26 innings above the single A level. Despite all disruptions, Trevor Rogers is here and he is living up to his potential.
Last Wednesday afternoon at loanDepot park, Rogers cruised through a career high seven innings on just four hits, one walk and eight strikeouts. Since a rough first inning of the regular season which both he and Don Mattingly attributed to nerves, Rogers has allowed just eight baserunners while striking out 30 over 21 innings. His overall 22 IP, 4 ER, 31 K start to 2021 has him in some pretty special company. Only 46 other major league players have matched those numbers in their first four outings of a season. Some of their names: Nolan Ryan, Pedro Martinez, John Smoltz, Randy Johnson and Tom Seaver. His stat line so far this season was only outdone by the likes of Jacob deGrom, Joe Musgrove, Tyler Glasnow and the man who he will oppose today, Corbin Burnes.
While Rogers was affective in the COVID stricken 2020 campaign, he was far from the guy we have seen so far this season. Don Mattingly attributes Rogers’ stark maturation to his ability to go to school, taking every ounce he could out of his seven starts last season.
“He really learned his lessons and went to work and made some big strides,” Mattingly said after Rogers’ last start. “He has been very mature about the way he goes about it. This guy’s stuff is really good.”
Mattingly also stated that every player that makes it as a major leaguer has a moment when they realize they belong. He believes Rogers is there.
We have stated before the quick maturation of Rogers’ changeup from a blueprint pitch in 2019 to a usable pitch in 2020. In 2021, the Rogers changeup is a downright weapon and he is beginning to utilize it more often. This is how the changeup was working like this his last time out:
Looking at that, it’s easy to see why Rogers threw the changeup 29% of the time in this start. Previously, he never went to it in more than 20% of a start. Last season, he only threw the pitch 9% of the time.
The fact that Trevor now has two plus-plus secondary weapons with which he can give hitters two completely different looks on top of his 95-97 mph fastball and the fact that he’s starting to mix them more interchangeably has elevated his floor and made a 2-3 starter ceiling very reachable. We may even be looking at ace potential here. It is surprising that many major sources still underrate Rogers. For example, he never ranked inside Pipeline’s top 100 prospects and The Athletic still ranks his stuff below league average. However, if he continues to get whiffs at a rate which currently places him third in baseball (bested by only deGrom and Lance Lynn) and in the 95th percentile in all of MLB per Statcast, those sources will be forced to recognize him as a strong Rookie of the Year candidate and a potential Cy Young candidate. The question is is this level of production sustainable?
Coming up through high school and through the minors, Rogers was always heralded for his advanced command tool. Today, that tool sits at 60 grade status and he is utilizing it on all three of his pitches. The big addition for him comes in his confidence to also deliberately throw pitches out of the zone and garner weak and sometimes foolish looking swings there. As Mattingly stated, Trevor is pitching with swagger, knowing he can play and succeed against the best hitters in the world. Of course, like any young pitcher, there will be some bumps in the road but all things considered, I believe Rogers is every bit the guy we have seen during this run.
Jose Devers Makes MLB Debut
On Thursday, the Marlins placed third baseman Brian Anderson on the 10-day IL with a left oblique strain. While he had been striking the ball on a pretty consistent basis, Anderson had been snakebitten at the plate, proven by a very hard luck .227 BABIP. Now, Anderson, at an important point in his contract with just two years of club control left, finds himself out of action. Oblique strains are tricky: some heal in a few days, some take a few months. Hope is that Anderson will be eligible to return when he is initially eligible early next month.
After he was held out of the lineup on the last game of the home stand which gave the Marlins a hint that he may need to miss time, Anderson’s roster spot became available the next day. This left the team with a few probable options.
First, the team could have realistically and retroactively placed Jorge Guzman, who suffered a setback in his rehab last week, on the 60-day IL to free up a 40-man roster spot and used that spot to get either Joe Dunand or Eddy Alvarez to the big leagues. They did not. This is good news for Guzman health wise, despite his recent setback.
Secondly, if the team was going to call up someone already on the 40-man, there was one glaring and obvious option: Isan Diaz. Isan was not a member of the taxi squad to San Francisco and remains at the ATS.
Instead, the Marlins made the move to activate 21-year-old Jose Devers, making him the third youngest active player in MLB. The younger cousin of Red Sox standout Rafael, Baby Devers has shown tons of promise in his MiLB career and during two spring training campaigns including this year when he bulked up a bit. Devers said that was his main focus over the offseason. He hung around Marlins camp all spring, showed improved physicality on top of his already plus hit and run tools. The career middle infielder even showed he’s capable of playing third base. However, Devers highest level of production in MiLB (not counting 11 games in the Arizona Fall League) has been A+ and, due to injury in 2019, he has been limited to 35 games there. It is worth noting that he was leading the Florida State League in batting when he went down 33 games into that injury plagued season in Jupiter two years ago.
So why the move to Devers instead of Isan Diaz? According to Don Mattingly, the club misjudged the severity of the injury to Anderson.
“We didn’t have Isan on the taxi and we wanted him to keep playing,” Mattingly said. “Andy we thought was the possibiltiy of being out a day, maybe two and obviously it was more than that. And then we are on the road. The timing of that kind of got us in a bind.”
Mattingly also would not commit to Diaz being a member of the taxi squad if and when he is sent back down.
“If he’s on the trip, he takes BP but he doesn’t play in games,” Mattingly said of the taxi squad, describing it as made up of ’emergency guys’. “You try to balance that taxi with these guys keep playing. If there is a serious injury, you want a guy that’s ready to go that’s been getting at bats.”
So where does this leave Isan within the organization’s plans? While it is tough to gauge at this point, one thing we know is that the Marlins organization has continuously preached something since the installment of Derek Jeter and Bruce Sherman as owners: versatility. Per the words of Kim Ng last month, we know that Isan has been getting time at third base to further his usage and make it easier for him to get into games, especially with what the Marlins have coming soon middle infield wise and with what is already here. When the minor league season starts and when Miami needs a roster spot, we would expect Isan to go down to continue to work on his swing without pressure while continuing to get part time reps at third.
For now, Isan Diaz is here and per Mattingly, his at bats have looked better and more relaxed.
Progress.
Minor League Rosters Announced
After breaking minor league camp on Friday, the Marlins today announced Opening Day rosters for each of their four minor league affiliates.
What do Daniel De Vivo and I think about these rosters? What are the top stories to watch at each affiliate? We will discuss in an all new episode of Swimming Upstream on Monday morning. Available wherever you get your podcasts.
Rogers, Chisholm Jr. Shine Against deGrom, Neidert Makes Starting Debut
Rogers Outduels deGrom
Ladies and gentlemen, the real Trevor Rogers has stood up.
After a rough first inning and premature outing his first time on the hill in 2021 at loanDepot park this past week, the 2017 first round draft pick was dominant in his second start of the season today against the Mets. Going up against perennial Cy Young candidate Jacob deGrom during the opening series at Citi Field, Rogers twirled a six inning gem, limiting New York to just three hits and two walks while tying a career high in strikeouts with 10. Speaking on his outing postgame, Don Mattingly stated Rogers’ development is clear and evident.
“We’re seeing him grow up right in front of our eyes,” Mattingly said. “You can just see the focus in his work and everything that he does.”
Mattingly said a big key to Rogers’ success has been his ability to take a lot out of his experience in the majors in 2020, building off both his successes and his mistakes.
“He’s put himself in good positions because he’s got good routines now,” Mattingly said. “I think he learned a lot of lessons last year and he used them. That’s a key: the guys that can make adjustments here are the guys that are going to be really good.”
In his first inning of work of the year in his previous start, Rogers required nearly 40 pitches to get through the St. Louis Cardinals. Ultimately, he would wind up going 4.1 innings. On Saturday, Rogers didn’t reach the 40 pitch mark until the fourth inning (during one of three strikeouts by Friday’s controversial centerpiece, Michael Conforto). For Rogers, the biggest difference from last start to this one was in how he paced himself and stayed loose.
“Last start, first inning, I kind of let the emotions and the game speed up on me,” Rogers said. “I just made sure to breathe and really take my time. I wanted to make sure I was getting down the slope and not pulling off. Just really making quality pitches.”
With his emotions in line, Rogers went right after hitters, attacking them in the zone early in the count then relying on his breakers and pinpoint command to finish them off. Rogers threw a first pitch strike to each of the first 10 Mets that stepped to the plate against him and to 15 of 22 total. Rogers said that was and always has been a key to success for him.
“That’s pretty much the foundation of how I got about guys: getting that first pitch strike and then you can just build off that,” Rogers said. “You put them in a hole right away, get them in swing mode.”
On getting to go up against one one the best in the game and getting the better of him on the ledger, Rogers credited his and the team’s ability to prepare properly but not press.
“Best in baseball, Jacob deGrom is,” Rogers said. “You really have to bring your best and then some. To see me and our whole team go out and compete with the best, it just shows you how good we are.”
One big difference in Trevor’s arrival has been the very quick build of his changeup. Still a work very nascent pitch for him during spring training 1.0 in 2020, Trevor has built that pitch up this:
Here is the mapping of that pitch in this start.
Rogers utilized the changeup within five of his 10 Ks.
When he is getting ahead in the count and mixing and locating all three pitches, Rogers is a deadly combo of velo and at the very most, weak contact. An absolutely dominant outing in his second start of the season and nonetheless on the road in a day game after the team plane did not land in to New York until around 1 AM that same morning, this was a testament to Rogers’ level of focus, athleticism and maturity. In more ways than one, he has fully arrived.
Jazz Goes Yard
Coming in to Thursday’s game, Mets ace Jacob deGrom was virtually untouchable in his career in 0-2 counts, sporting a .136 BAA and 55% career strikeout rate. He had never allowed a home run in that situation in his career. Then, in the second inning, Jazz Chisholm Jr. stepped to the plate for his first career AB against deGrom and did this:
The first home run deGrom has ever allowed in his eight year major league career came on an 100 mph fastball up and out of the zone against a guy taking his 74th career major league at bat. How did Jazz get to that ball let alone hit it out, .307/.358/.471 career hitter Don Mattingly?
“It’s not necessarily a pitch you’re gonna hit that often,” Donnie said. “You’re talking about over 100 out of the box above the zone. It’s a tough pitch to get to. But today was a day that Jazz caught that one.”
“Jazz is a guy who is nice and loose, Mattingly added “I think his hands work good and he sees the ball good.”
According to Chisholm, he viewed the opportunity to go up against deGrom as an honor and a career defining moment, but he didn’t think his 100 mph heat was as intimidating as other pitchers.
“I couldn’t have been more excited to face any other pitcher in the league. Much respect to him,” Chisholm said. “Some people’s 100 is a little lighter. I felt like his was on the lighter side.”
As Jazz rounded the bases, the entire baseball world sat with their mouths agape, wondering how Jazz got to the high cheese and via a seemingly effortless swing, deposited the ball into the upper deck right field stands. Chisholm himself though wasn’t surprised one bit. In fact, according to his ex Marlins reliever Sterling Sharp, Jazz called the shot and the reactions that followed perfectly.
After the game, Jazz was asked what he was thinking while taking his trip around the basepaths after not-so-arguably the biggest hit of his young MLB career. His answer to that inquiry was even more impressive than the moonshot itself.
“I wasn’t thinking anything crazy. It was like, “Okay, I just hit a homer off deGrom; that’s cool. But now I have to try to go do it again,” Chisholm said. “I feel like my abilities should allow me to hit a homer off anybody and my hands should allow me to get to any ball that I can swing at.”
Jazz Chisholm Jr. is here in the majors, seeing 100 mph fastballs from one of the best pitchers in the game well and doing what 595 other major league players before him couldn’t do. And afterwards, his only focus is on how can he repeat it. If you weren’t sold on Jazz yet, buy in and double down immediately.
Neidert Overcomes Early Jitters
On Thursday afternoon, Marlins prospect Nick Neidert took the mound as a starting pitcher for the first time in his career. Four and a third innings later, his start would come to an end and the events to follow would overshadow his performance. However, his work should not be discounted.
After injuries to both Sixto Sanchez and Elieser Hernandez, Neidert took the hill to start a game for the first time in his MLB career and the first time to start a game since 2019 in AAA. Understandably, emotions played their part in Neidert’s outing. After allowing a leadoff double to Brandon Nimmo, Neidert walked Pete Alonso and drew a visit from Mel Stottlemyre, Jr. During that visit, Neidert said Mel got him back within himself and back on the attack.
“It was just to get back in the zone,” Neidert said of the conversation. “Stop trying to nibble at the corners and try to make the perfect pitch.”
Neidert then retired James McCann on strikes to get back to the dugout for the first time then he threw an efficient 1-2-3 second inning. He got out of similar jams as the one he escaped in the first frame in both his third and fourth inning of work, walking two guys in each but coming back to keep the Mets off the board. He pitched into the fifth inning on 85 pitches. The only run on his line came via primary reliever Ross Detwiler allowing an inherited runner to score. Overall, Neidert’s outing can best be described as bend-but-not-break.
“I just had moments where I tried to pick at corners and ended up walking a guy. When I was in attack mode and being aggressive, it turned out really well,” Neidert said. “Overall I thought it was a solid outing. My goal every time out is to put us in a position to win. Five walks isn’t great and I put myself in some bad positions but I was able to make pitches to get out of it.”
Though his command was spotty, catcher Chad Wallach was impressed with Neidert’s ability to compete.
“He’d kind of lose it for a few batters but then he’d lock it back in for a few hitters in a row,” Wallach said. “I wouldn’t say he had his best stuff today but he really battled his butt off and pitched with some aggression and went after those guys.”
For Neidert, the biggest highlight of the day was getting the opportunity to pitch in front of live fans for the first time since a very short 2019 season in which he threw just 54 innings between two minor league affiliates and the Arizona Fall League. Neidert said he took time to soak in that experience but tried not to let it negatively affect his outing.
“Pitching in front of fans is a lot of fun. I took moments before the outing just to listen to the fans when they were announcing their lineup. Hearing fans like that, it’s incredible and the adrenaline that comes with that is great,” Neidert said. “I just tried to stay as calm as I could to go out there and make pitches and to not let it rise too high to where I was off.”
While this was definitely not a lights out performance, Neidert’s ability to rise to a big occasion, make adjustments and keep the Marlins in the game despite not having his best stuff is extremely encouraging for his maturation process. The outing should serve as a good building block for his next start which should come on Wednesday in Atlanta.
Trevor Rogers Overcomes Early Jitters, Jordan Holloway Turns in Encouraging Relief Outing
Trevor Rogers Overcomes Early Jitters
It was a big night for Marlins lefty Trevor Rogers. After earning his spot in the starting rotation via lights out work in spring training, the 24-year-old took the mound at loanDepot park for the first time in 2021 in front of 4,605 fans. It was the first regular season game he’s pitched in with fans in attendance. Among them was his family who were watching him pitch for the first time as a major leaguer. In his first inning of work, Rogers really struggled to find the strike zone. After throwing nine straight balls to start the game, Rogers threw a wild pitch, walked the bases loaded, and in between a run coming across via a passed ball, allowed a two run double to Yadier Molina. It took him 38 pitches to get through the frame. After a fourth walk, he struk out Austin Dean to mercifully get back to the dugout. He threw 38 pitches, only 18 of which were strikes.
In that first inning, Trevor’s average fastball velocity was up a few ticks from where we saw it in spring training. Postgame, Rogers admitted he was overthrowing.
“I was trying to get everyone out on the first pitch,” Rogers said. “It was definitely not my intent to start the game like that.”
Trevor came back out for his second inning of work showing the velo we’ve come to get used to from him: sitting 94, up to 96. Throwing more strikes with the heat early in counts, he was able to mix the breaking stuff in more and get back to being the guy we saw in spring training. He wound up going four innings on the same aforementioned two hits and earned runs and four walks. He struck out six.
Rogers said the turning point in his outing came when Don Mattingly gave him some words of encouragement after he got back to the dugout for the first time.
“He was like, “Hey scratch that. It can’t get any worse,”” Rogers said. “He tried to make it a light moment.”
Overall, Rogers took the outing as another learning experience, saying it was another “a-ha!” moment, one that allowed him to find a better balance between emotions and competitiveness and that when his next start comes, likely this coming week in Atlanta, he will be more than ready.
“I was just getting locked in and they took me out,” Rogers said. “I’m ready to go back out there already.”
Holloway’s Encouraging Outing
The Marlins announced a group of roster moves on Monday morning: the expected call-up of Nick Neidert to replace Elieser Hernandez and a not-so-expected promotion of one Jordan Holloway. The righty came up to replace Garrett Cooper who went to the COVID-19-related IL due to experiencing reactions from his second vaccination. According to Holloway, his call-up happened very suddenly.
“I think got the call at like 10:45 (this morning),” Holloway said. “I packed pretty hastily. I got here at 4:30-5 o’clock. That Ft. Lauderdale/Miami traffic… my goodness. But we got here.
Sporting some facial hair he is not typically known for, Holloway came on in the 6th inning and showed a very unorthadox pitch selection. Usually a guy who uses a fiery 95-98 mph fastball and a 74-75 mph curveball as his main secondary, the 24-year-old came on throwing only this (save one pitch), a pitch with so much movement it fooled Statcast which originally had it labeled a changeup:
He got through the inning on nine pitches. In his second inning of work, he threw two pitches above 95 and one of his patented curveballs but of his 22 pitches overall, 16 were that slide piece. The other three fastballs he threw were well under what we are used to seeing from him in terms of velocity. According to Holloway, that was by design.
“I’ve kind of been working on that secondary pitch… a lot at the alternate site and during spring training,” Holloway said. “I just wanted to show I was able to throw that slider in the zone and out of the zone whenever I wanted to compliment my fastball and give them a couple of different looks,” I knew I was probably going to go multiple innings so I wanted to let them know that I wasn’t just going to go in there and overpower them with fastballs.”
The work Holloway did with that pitch has clearly paid off. Merely a blueprint pitch for him the last time we saw him pitch in MiLB, the slider now has both horizontal and vertical break with late downward bite. He is indeed showing the ability to place it all over and out of the zone for strikes and weak contact. This outing is proof that Holloway, like Sixto Sanchez who showed it in spring training, has grown mentally and is gaining the understanding that just because he has his fiery velo, he does not need to use it every pitch to be affective. In terms of his development and all of the time he has missed with injury and illness, this was an extremely encouraging outing. He will likely go down any day once Garrett Cooper is ready to come back from the COVID-related IL but he definitely has earned himself another look sometime this season whether it be in middle or late relief.
Sixto Sanchez Suffers Setback, Jazz Chisholm Jr. Takes Opening Day In Stride
The excitement of Opening Day and the return of a 162 game season was diminished a bit on Wednesday morning when it was announced that top prospect Sixto Sanchez’s health was once again in jeopardy. The Marlins announced that, during his first action since being optioned, Sanchez was removed from a sim game due to experiencing discomfort in his throwing shoulder. Per reports, Sanchez was in the second inning of what was to be expected a five inning outing.
The original plan with Sixto was to build him up to at least 75 pitches before committing to him making the 26 man roster. It appeared as though Sanchez had just enough time to do so before rosters were due in. However, 24 hours before his last tuneup outing in the Tuesday sim game, the Marlins optioned Sanchez to the alternate training site. While this was the safest move for Sixto especially considering the Marlins do not need a fifth starter until April 9th, the fact he was sent down before even making his final appearance and the fact that for most of spring training, the Marlins were, according to Don Mattingly, planning on carrying five starters from the start of spring, was slightly auspicious. Now, that auspiciousness has turned to deep concern.
This morning, the Marlins reported that Sixto underwent an MRI and that it revealed “mild inflammation” in the upper right portion of his throwing shoulder. The team said Sixto will be given a few days’ rest before beginning rehabbing via a throwing program. The team did not provide a timetable on Sanchez’s return but called it a “slow progression”.
Judging by how Don Mattingly reacted to the news, it could have been much worse.
“I thought the news was pretty good. Obviously you don’t want it to be anything major,” Mattingly said. “[We’re] just going to take care of him and have this process work its way through. Feeling that you’ll get Sixto back or get him here at some point is a good thing.”
While it is a relief that Sixto avoided any serious structural damage, the continuous issues with his health are concerning and in some ways frustrating for both himself personally and the organization. For as careful and cautious as the Marlins have been with him, this sort of development at this point raises questions regarding the long-term reliability of the Marlins’ top prospect to stay on the field and how many innings he can provide, especially given his build and how hard he throws. Not only will his innings be limited this year, they probably will be next year as well.
Undoubtedly, as they have been previously, the team will be extremely wary with Sixto’s build back. His throwing program should go something like this: two weeks of rest, long toss, mound work, lives, minor league rehab starts. All things considered, it would be surprising to see Sixto back before June.
Jazz Thrives Under the Lights
For a lot young prospects who make the Opening Day roster for the first time, the emotions and attention overwhelm them and they stray from the values that got them to that point. For Jazz Chisholm Jr., that could not have been farther from the truth on Thursday. Rather than let the elements of his first Opening Day get the best of him, Jazz embraced them, stayed true to himself and his usual carefree nature and showed signs of things to come.
Jazz made his first statement via fashion when he showed up to work in a Lamello Ball Charlotte Hornets jersey and most noticeably, with his hair dyed blue. According to Jazz, he dyed his hair at the request of a teammate.
“When I came into spring training with the blonde, Sandy Alcantara was like “Hey, when you come on Opening Day, I want it to be blue,” Jazz said. “I was like, “I got you!””
Before the game started, Jazz who has always been a fantastic steward for fans, could be seen interacting (from a safe distance) with those in attendance for the first time at loanDepot park since 2019.
Jazz said pregame that despite the career milestone, he does not feel like he will have any butterflies when he gets on the field because the field is where he is at peace.
“The baseball field is what takes away my butterflies,” Chisholm Jr. said. “I’m just going to try to go out there and have fun and just enjoy the game the way it comes.”
Although he didn’t record a hit on the night, Jazz struck the ball hard twice. His first AB against Rays ace Tyler Glasnow, he grounded into the shift. The ball left the bat 100.5 mph and had an expected batting average of .510. His second at bat, he lined out. The ball left the bat at 95 mph. He’s carried the same bat to ball skill and consistency from the second half of spring into the regular season and as long as that persists, results shouldn’t be too far away.
Regarding how he thought Jazz handled the big moment, Mattingly said he believed Jazz welcomed being part of such a big moment and relished in it.
“I think he likes the energy and the lights. He handled it great today,” Mattingly said. “He sees the ball good, he quits early on balls. He’s going to have to keep working to keep shortening, but he has everything it takes to be a good player.”
When Derek Jeter says Jazz is a “different kind of athlete”, that comment is not limited to just his batting and fielding skills. Young players with a mindset such as this to let his love for the game prevail above all circumstances and challenges is something not found often. A guy who oozes and spreads happiness and joy to both fans and his teammates, there is very little not to like about him. Jazz has every quality necessary — both tangible and intangible — to be both a fan favorite and franchise cornerstone infielder.
Mattingly Preaches Continued Vigilance
As exciting as it is to have baseball back in a more normal capacity, the Marlins and the rest of the league were reminded on Thursday morning that, although circumstances are improving, COVID-19 is still a prevalent force and that following protocols needs to continue to be prioritized. A few hours before their Opening Day game against the New York Mets, it was revealed that multiple players on the Washington Nationals roster tested positive for COVID-19. The game was postponed and not long after, the entire series was called off. Don Mattingly said the situation sounds eerily familiar and that it can, has and will sneak up without notice and wreak extreme havoc on a team and staff.
“Very similar to what happened to us last year. No positive tests during [spring] 2.0 at all. Anything can happen and it seems to spread quickly,” Mattingly said. “For your club losing multiple guys at one time, that’s what could set you back.”
Mattingly mentioned that the club will breathe a sigh of relief when vaccinations are more widespread but until then, he and the team will remain on high alert.
“We are in a little bit of a tricky area right now, everybody leaving their camps and their bubbles, more travel,” Mattingly said. “It’s a time you still have to be vigilant.”
Jazz Chisholm Jr. Wins Marlins’ Second Base Job
On the final day of the Grapefruit League season, the hottest and most highly contested battle in Marlins camp has come to an end. Ladies and gentlemen, your winner and starting second baseman, Jazz Chisholm Jr. Kim Ng broke the news on Marlins Radio during Miami’s 10-2 win over the Mets on Sunday.
According to Jazz, he received the news from Ng and Don Mattingly just before game time.
“Donnie and I have this sort of playful relationship every time he gives me some news so it was more of a “Hey, see you down in Miami!””, Chisholm Jr. said. “The emotions ran wild. It was like getting another call up but this time it’s an Opening Day job.”
Before an at bat was taken or a ground ball was fielded by either Chisholm Jr. or Isan Diaz, the two showed up to camp exhibiting polar opposite attitudes.
The 24-year-old Diaz who opted out due to COVID last season only to come back late in the season to fall victim to injury spoke as if winning the job was his main focus. All things considered, it’s easy to assume he was feeling pressured.
“I’m here to prove I’m the second baseman for the Miami Marlins,” Diaz could be heard saying shortly after reporting to camp.
Meanwhile, despite all of the talk surrounding it, Jazz was able to put the fact he was involved in a head-to-head battle completely aside and focus, more so than anything else, on improving.
“I wasn’t really thinking about the job, eventually,” Chisholm Jr. said Sunday. “I’m going out there and I’m a competitor. I’m going to go out there and try to help my team win, but at the same time I was thinking about how I can get better and try to help my team when they need me.”
By being able to block out the noise surrounding the contest at second base and stay levelheaded, Jazz was able to learn some very important mental lessons this spring, lessons that have allowed him to gain more confidence and lessons that he will take with him into the regular season.
“Trust yourself and trust the guy behind you. If your teammates trust in you, that helps even more.” Chisholm Jr. said when asked to name the biggest thing he extracted from this spring training. “The family atmosphere, the winning atmosphere, the “if I don’t do it, you can do it” atmosphere. Even in spring training, if I go out there and say [Brian Anderson] is hitting before me and he flies out, he will look at me and be like “Alright, you got it.” That’s what I took away and I hope everybody trusts me to do it every time.”
In terms of improving mechanically, Chisholm Jr. said he was sponging up valuable information from his veteran teammates such as Corey Dickerson, Jesus Aguilar and Starling Marte, coaches and even executives as often as possible.
“I talked to the veterans every day. Every day I would go to then and ask them another question,” Chisholm Jr. said. “We have a lot of guys on this team who has proven themselves in the big leagues… and you have a Hall of Famer as your owner. I picked everybody’s brain in every way I could and I tried to add it to my game.”
Of course, it wouldn’t be Jazz if he wasn’t having a ball every second he’s on the diamond, his “happy place” and the place where he “clears his head”.
“He’s going to have fun on the field no matter what,” Chisholm Jr. said when asked to describe himself to Marlins fans. “He could be having a bad game, he could be having the best game of his life and he’s still going to be out there smiling and having fun. That’s never going to change.”
When Jazz, who went 10-39 (including 9 for his last 24) this spring, steps on the field at Marlins Park on April 1st, he can take comfort in the fact that he earned the right to be on that stage. A young man that is a great mixture of purity, skill and soundness of mind, Jazz is not only primed to endear himself to fans in terms of on-field production but also to impart his infectious joy upon them, something that will is very much needed in the current global landscape.
Bring your smiles to Marlins Park this year, Fish faithful. When Jazz is on the field, you’ll be using them often.
Notes: Jazz Chisholm Nearing Victory in Second Base Battle, Sixto Sanchez’s Preparation, Trevor Rogers Continues Dominance
Jazz Chisholm Nearing Victory in Second Base Battle
The last time we got you caught up with the top stories coming out of spring training two weeks ago, Isan Diaz was putting together quality ABs, hitting the ball hard and showing improvement on the defensive side while Jazz Chisholm wasn’t even seeing a handful of pitches per AB. At the time, he was 1 for first 16 with seven Ks and no walks. We mentioned at the time he would need to blow up in the second half of spring training to claim the spot from Diaz.
Ladies and gentleman, Jazz has gone boom.
Since March 15th, Jazz is 8 for his last 16 with two homers, four RBIs, four walks and four strikeouts. The difference for Chisholm? The removal of tepidness and just letting his ability eat.
“The last two games, me and a couple of the hitting coaches were just like, ‘All right, time to let it loose,” Chisholm said. “”The season’s almost around the corner. Let’s get it going and take some hacks, you know?'””
While Jazz has been thriving, Isan Diaz has been struggling. On Friday, Diaz went 0-2 with two strikeouts and a walk. Since Jazz’s hot streak started, Diaz hasn’t recorded a hit, his contact consistency is down and he’s seeing less pitches per at bat. Since March 15th, he is 1-22 with eight Ks.
While Mattingly is not yet ready to confirm the winner of this battle just yet, he did recently state the spot will be earned, not given.
“We are trying to take the best club out of here that we can take out. Guys that give u the best chance to win,” Mattingly said on Zoom this past Thursday. “There’s been years where we know we are developing, we’re going to give some guys some opportunities. I think we are past that point.”
Through the entirety of spring training, while the baseball world viewed this is a fierce competition, Jazz has shown the ability to be an ultimate team player, supporting a guy he has known since a young age and pushing him to improve. According to Jazz, as focused as he has been on his own game, he’s been supportive of Isan’s.
Inasmuch as nothing is official yet, with three games left in spring training and the overall message from the organization being what it is, it’s hard to imagine Jazz Chisholm, whose shown both the tangible and the things you just cannot teach, not being in the Marlins’ Opening Day lineup. If he is at shortstop on April 1st, he and the team can take comfort in knowing that he earned that opportunity in every way.
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Sixto Sanchez’s Preparation
Top prospect Sixto Sanchez has had quite the spring. After being delayed arriving to camp due to visa issues in the Dominican Republic, the 24-year-old fireballer had a COVID-19 test falsely come back positive, requiring him to spend another week away from the team.
Sanchez successfully passed through COVID protocols and was back in camp on March 6th. He finally got on the mound for his first spring training appearance on March 15th. Through three outings, he’s thrown eight innings, allowed five hits, one run, struck out three and walked two. With one outing left before Opening Day rosters are due in, he’s up to 61 pitches. After that outing in which Sixto coincidentally threw 45 strikes, the same number he will wear on his back starting this year, Sanchez said he feels good but that the outing he will get this Tuesday will be advantageous for him.
“I think I need a little more time,” Sanchez said through a translator following his last start. “I’m going to have another outing. Hopefully that will get me ready for the season.”
With rosters not due in until Wednesday night, the Marlins will have some time to break down Sixto’s last outing before making the call. Although Sixto looks good and looks like he will have just enough time to show he’s ready, the Marlins, not needing a fifth starter until the second week of the season and with both Nick Neidert and Trevor Rogers pitching like they are deserving of a spot, have every reason to play it safe with their top prospect.
“We just have to keep building,” Mattingly said recently on Zoom on what he needs to see from Sixto. “We have to get him to the point where he can compete in a major league game and not be stopped at a certain point.”
As entertaining as it is to watch Sixto pump it up to triple digits, the most encouraging sign he’s shown this spring has been the fact that he doesn’t need to do so every pitch or every start to he affective. In his third spring outing on March 20th, Sixto wasn’t showing all of his velocity. He only topped 98 a handful of times, his sinker was all the way down to 94 and his breaking pitches were in the mid 80s. According to Sanchez, that was something he had been working on in his bullpens and bringing it to that game was by design.
“During this outing, I was more focused on throwing strikes than actual velocity,” Sixto said after that outing. “I was more concentrated on finding weak contact so I can use that more often”
What does this show? It shows that Sixto knows he has the velocity but that he doesn’t always need to use it and it shows that he understands that three pitch ABs that end in groundouts are just as, if not more valuable than eight pitch ABs that end in Ks. This is a big step in the right direction in terms of Sanchez’s mental maturation, a step that should allow him to pitch deep into games more often and promote better health in his arm.
All in all, whenever we see Sixto this year, whether it be when he takes the field during Opening Day intros or a week or two after that date, we will be seeing the best, most well rounded version of him yet. As he prepares to graduate from prospect status within his first few starts this season, this camp, despite being abbreviated, has Sixto Sanchez all the more ready to live up to his ace potential.
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Trevor Rogers Continues Dominance
After showing flashes of his ceiling during the 2020 season, lefty Trevor Rogers came to Marlins camp this year determined to take the next step and prove he belongs at the major league level. He started making that impression before he even got on a mound. At the beginning of camp, Don Mattingly mentioned he was “taken aback” by Rogers’ physical maturation. By “crushing calories”, Trevor put on a good 20 pounds. Then he started throwing. Through five spring outings, armed with three miles per hour of added velo to his heater and a vastly improved changeup, he did this:
According to Mattingly, Rogers, who has the most strikeouts in all of baseball in spring training, couldn’t be showing out much better this spring.
“He had a mindset that he knew what he wanted to accomplish,” Mattingly said. “He came with a purpose to spring. To this point, there really is not a whole lot not to like.”
While sticking to that blueprint, Rogers has also learned from previous mistakes. That as much as anything else is proving to be a catalyst for the impression he has made.
From Tommy John to a rough start to his minor league career to the pandemic wiping out nearly a full year of production, Rogers has stayed the course, kept his head up and his eyes forward. It is exceptionally refreshing to see the former first round pick thriving. If this kind of production continues into the regular season, there is potential for Rogers to compete with the league’s best rookies.
Refocused Joe Dunand Thriving During Spring Training
Joe Dunand (Photo by Joseph Guzy/Miami Marlins)
From birth through 2018, the baseball life of one Joe Dunand had been pretty fluid self-explanatory. Then, a subpar first full season in the upper minors followed by a lost MiLB season in what was thought to be a tell-tale campaign for him led to some doubt. In 2021, Dunand, participating in his fourth spring training camp, has really turned some heads. How has he done it? By adding confidence, making the most of opportunities that have approached him and and through continuing to trust his extremely valuable support system.
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Joseph Dunand Jr. is the son of Joseph Dunand Sr, the half brother of one Alex Rodriguez, the 16th best player to ever lace up a pair of cleats in terms of career WAR. According to a 2020 report by Rick Thomas, Dunand’s indoctrination to the game began early. As a child, Dunand was a regular visitor to Yankee camps and clubhouses.
Those experiences parlayed into a fantastic high school career for Dunand at local South Florida baseball factory Gulliver Prep. He rounded out his high school career by going 10-12 with eight (yes, EIGHT) home runs in the 2014 Horizon National Tournament in Arizona. Those long balls all came in each of his final eight swings. The feat by Dunand caught national attention.
MLB scouts noticed. During the 2014 Draft, Dunand had his name called in the 35th round by the Cleveland Indians. He forewent the selection to honor his commitment to the University of North Carolina. In a three year career with the Wolfpack, Dunand enjoyed a standout career. In 178 games, he hit .268/.334/.476 with 29 homers. In between his sophomore and junior seasons, he had a .326/.372/.511, five homer showing in the wood bat Cape Cod League. In his final collegiate year, Dunand hit .287/.368/.632 with 18 homers.
In 2017, Dunand came to the Marlins as a second round draft pick. He forewent his senior year of college to sign with his hometown team. In his first full pro season in 2018, Dunand performed well making it up to AA in pretty short order. Between Jupiter and Jacksonville, he hit .239/.303/.380 with 14 homers and 70 RBIs. Joe spent all of 2019 in AA where he came back down to earth a bit after the big jump. In 130 games, he hit .242/.314/.333 with five homers and a 119/38 K/BB.
Dunand was approaching a big minor league season in 2020, one in which he hoped to prove he could produce consistent results against upper minors pitching. Then, the pandemic wiped the season out and Dunand was even left off of the Marlins’ 60-man player pool. But Joe made the most of the lost season and despite no on-field reps against other teams or his own organizational teammates, still made it quite possibly the biggest year of his baseball career. Dunand took the time off as an opportunity to reflect, put things into perspective and work to become the best version of himself.
“I’ve always had power since college. It was just more of how I was working in AA in 2019,” Dunand said. “I had a more opposite field approach; not really making a lot of good contact. This last year, during COVID, I really got to know myself and work on my swing, know my game and what I can do.”
In terms of adjustments that he’s made to get to this point, Dunand wouldn’t give away “all of his secrets” but he did recognize better repeatability in his approach and mechanics.
“There were a couple things that I worked on,” Dunand said. “I have more of a leg kick now. Before, it was a toe tap. I was just unsure of what I was doing, “Dunand said. “It’s more of a confidence in what I’m doing and how I feel most comfortable at the plate. Just being able to replicate what I’m doing.”
Through that process, as always, Dunand has kept his uncle close. According to Joe, his relationship with Tio Alex and the fact he is so kindred with such a valuable resource both personally and professionally continues to be unquantifiable in the growth of his career.
“It’s amazing,” Dunand said regarding his ability to consult with his uncle regularly. “I have an encyclopedia of one of the smartest people I have ever known. It’s a great tool to have. I talk to him as much as I can and be a sponge. It’s an opportunity that not many people have.”
When it was time to get in the field again in the DR this winter, Dunand was well prepared. In 72 ABs, he hit .319/.398/.542 with three homers including this one:
Marlins prospect Joe Dunand with the walk-off GRAND SLAM for Escogido!!!
— Fish Stripes (@fishstripes) December 5, 2020
Dude’s been unstoppable this winter 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/GHgaOTU3Fo
Regarding his 2020-21 winter ball experience, Dunand views the fact that he able to succeed and stick in such a competitive environment as the Dominican Winter League as advantageous in building his confidence.
“The DR is a very tough league. I’m very fortunate that I got a lot of playing time down there and I did well,” Dunand said. “Very passionate fans, tough league, tough competition. The more time you get to play down there, the better you get.”
With success came rewards and opportunities. Via his exports, Dunand got to spend ample time around further advanced players such as Vladimir Guerrero Jr and Gregory Polanco, an experience he was determined to make the most of.
“The biggest thing I picked up from them was their work ethic. Day in and day out, they would do their work, they would go through their routine and it never faltered,” Dunand said. “That was the first thing I noticed right off the bat. Having those good habits every single day when you come to the ballpark. That’s how you progress as a ballplayer.”
Another opportunity Dunand’s winter ball tenure unlocked: gaining versatility at a new defensive position. Blocked by Brian Anderson and others in the system that should move from middle infield to third base, the Marlins have continued to give Dunand reps at first base after he got in two games there this winter. Dunand said when informed, he welcomed the challenge and has worked hard to conquer it.
“I played the majority at third and then they had Vladdy Jr come down. To keep me in the lineup, they put me at first,” Dunand said. “I’ve been working on it a lot. The more I play it, I get more comfortable.”
More focused, more versatile and with the same unparalleled network around him, Dunand has been the talk of camp with the bat and the added versatility at first opens up some new doors. He should start 2021 at the ATS followed by his third stint in Jacksonville, this time the Marlins’ AAA affiliate. If he is able to build off his strong winter and spring, Dunand, who the Marlins protected from the AAA portion of the Rule 5 draft this offseason and who also has eligibility at shortstop, should get his first major league call sometime this season.
Spring Notes: Sixto Debuts, Second Base Battle Update, Marlins Make Roster Moves
Sixto Makes Spring Debut
After being delayed by a visa issue in the DR and by a false positive COVID test, Sixto Sanchez made his debut today in West Palm against the Astros. Sixto threw 31 pitches in 1.2 innings. He allowed two hits but induced two double plays. He didn’t strike out any and allowed one walk.
“I don’t feel like I’m behind,” Sixto said through a translator regarding his current state. “I’m pretty much there, same as everybody else; I just can’t throw as many innings right now.”
As high as Sixto is ranked and as electric as his stuff is, including today, Sixto made his first appearance in game 13 of the 25 game spring schedule. The Marlins do not need a fifth starter until mid-April. A guy that has already undergone major throwing arm injuries and surgery, it would be risky of the Marlins to rush Sixto who at best stands to get two more in-game appearances.
According to Mattingly, Sixto will only pitch in big league games when the team believes he is ready.
Mattingly says Sixto will not be rushed, they will take their time getting him ready.
— Fish On The Farm (@marlinsminors) March 16, 2021
Says Sixto will pitch when prepared “whether that happens right away or whether that happens seven nine days into the season”.#Marlins
As things stand, we think the Marlins will err on the side of caution with Sixto starting at the ATS to round his preseason program out. After Sanchez’s late start, at this point, we expect the name of a swing man such as Daniel Castano or rule 5 pick Paul Campbell to be announced during introductions on April 1st.
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Second Base Battle Update
Coming in to spring training, all the talk was around the Marlins open competition at second base between Isan Diaz and Jazz Chisholm. Evaluators, fans and even the Marlins themselves thought this contest was going to be red hot all camp. A game over halfway in to the 25 game spring ledger, the competition has been pretty one sided.
While the stat lines don’t do either player justice, one guy has been well ahead of the other in terms of quality of at bats and quality of contact made. Isan Diaz has just two hits in his first 16 spring ABs but those two hits were a double and a triple. On March 7th, the same day of his triple, raked what should have been his first spring homer halfway up the berm at Clover Park, but a whipping wind barely pushed the ball foul. In terms of quality of contact, Isan’s average exit velo on nine balls put in play is 92.3. He’s walked four times to five strikeouts. When it comes to length of ABs, Isan has seen 73 pitches in 19 plate appearances or an average of about four per PA. These numbers are slightly convoluted due to The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches not incorporating Statcast. Thus, all strikeouts and walks are three and four pitches respectively and each hit is one pitch. Adding in accurate data from his four ABs at BPPB, it’s easy to assume Isan is in actuality at or above five pitches per PA. His two today in Palm Beach consisted of eight and four pitches respectively. He’s also looked better defensively.
Isan Díaz with another nice swing, sending a pitch to the right-field corner for the second straight game. Ruled a double, to third on the throw. Two runners score. Had a triple yesterday. 99.9 mph exit velo here. #Marlins pic.twitter.com/xQwHqoQOwp
— Christina De Nicola (@CDeNicola13) March 8, 2021
According to Diaz, who went from opting out of the season at the height of the COVID outbreak last year to trying to return for the playoff run only to suffer an injury his first game back, this spring has been about getting back to where he was in AAA in 2019 where he hit .305/.395/.478.
“That’s what I’m kind of aiming for,” Diaz said, “to get that vibe, to put those good ABs together and do damage with runners in scoring position.”
Don Mattingly has liked what he’s seen of Isan so far.
“He’s starting to get in a little bit of a rhythm,” Mattingly said after the aforementioned game in St. Lucie where Diaz tripled and nearly homered. “He looks good right now.”
On the other side of this battle, you have the Marlins’ fourth ranked prospect 23-year-old Jazz Chisholm, the return product of the Zac Gallen trade at the 2019 deadline.
Jazz started off his spring about as good as possible: leading off in the Marlins’ first game, he homered on the second pitch.
But leading in to Monday’s game back in West Palm, site of the aforementioned bomb, Chisholm had been struggling. In his next 16 ABs, Jazz recorded just one hit while striking out seven times. He has yet to walk. This Monday’s game proved to be better for Jazz. Against Jose Urquidy, he battled out a seven pitch AB and beat out an infield single. In the top of the 5th, Chisholm singled in a full count on the seventh pitch of his AB and proceeded to steal second base, his first bag of this spring.
“He looked better today,” Mattingly said after Monday’s game. “I think he’s been a little bit all over. I’m not sure if he’s pressing or not. We just need to keep Jazz steady in what he works on.”
Mattingly also stated the team is working with Jazz on his consistency, encouraging him not to change his approach in the midst of a dry spell.
“Like a lot of young guys, they don’t get a hit and start messing around and tinkering instead of just staying with what they’re doing,” Mattingly said. “Working through it and allowing it to become consistent. We’re keeping an eye on Jazz in that way.”
Mattingly and the Marlins hope this is the turning of the corner for Jazz who has seen just 55~ pitches in 20 ABs. To take our Statcast-less park into account, his only AB at the Ballpark of the Palm Beaches before today was a groundout.
While the completion is still open, we believe it is going to take Jazz having a great second half of spring to claim the job over Diaz. That said, no matter if he starts with the Marlins or at the ATS/in AAA, you will see Jazz Chisholm back in a Marlins uniform sometime this season.
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Braxton Garrett, Jose Devers Others Demoted
Before Monday’s game, the Marlins announced a number of roster moves: LHP Braxton Garrett was optioned to AAA and C Will Banfield, IF Luis Marte, RHP Alexander Guillen, RHP Luis Madero and SS Nasim Nunez were reassigned to Minor League camp.
Prior to Tuesday’s game, the Marlins optioned IF Jose Devers and OF Jerar Encarnacion to AAA and reassigned Cody Poteet and RHP Shawn Morimando.
While these moves were all expected, it’s worth recognizing a couple of these prospects and how they performed this spring:
First, Braxton Garrett, the Marlins’ first rounder in 2016 and our 10th ranked prospect. Not long after being drafted, Braxton underwent Tommy John in 2018 missing an entire year of development then was relegated mostly to the ATS in lieu of the lost MiLB season in 2020. Despite the lack of in game reps, Garrett showed up to his second big league camp healthy, throwing the hardest we’ve seen him throw (velo ticked up from 90 to as high as 93). His biggest crutch in past years, his command, was off in his first outing but looked much better his second time out.
“He’s been really good this spring,” Mattingly said after Garrett’s most recent spring outing, a two inning one hit, two K performance. “He has a little bit of a different body, a little more pop in his fastball. His breaking ball has always been good but it’s even tighter this year.”
Mattingly also stated Garrett is working on developing his pitch repertoire but that his success will depend on consistently being able to place the heater for strikes early in counts then pitch off of it.
“He’s adding a slider and he has the changeup he’s working on. All of a sudden you’re going to see a four pitch mix as he continues to develop,” Mattingly said. “He’s just going to get better and better. The main thing is he needs to get ahead in counts with his fastball and be able to locate it.”
With success developing his arsenal and with gaining consistent command at the ATS and in Jacksonville, Garrett will be a candidate to come back up to the majors over the course of 162 games this season. He has a back end starter floor and 2-3 rotational ceiling.
Secondly, we give a nod to Jose Devers who impressed the entire coaching staff, including hitting coach Eric Duncan.
“A guy who really stood out. He doesn’t seem fazed. … It doesn’t really matter the situation,” Duncan said “He has a really slow heartbeat and is able to put quality at-bats together. He’s been one that’s been tremendous to watch.”
Devers was leading the Florida State League in batting before going down with an injury in 2019. After showing up to camp a bit bulkier, the 21-year-old wowed with his glove (including at third base, a position he’s never played during in game action) while also showing good patience, the ability to make consistent contact and put the ball in play and while putting his above average speed to use on the basepaths. Devers went 2-9 with a triple, two RBIs, five walks to just two strikeouts and two stolen bases.
One of the youngest kids in big league camp, Devers really opened some eyes. After the ATS and minor league camp, should get the promotion to start the 2021. He should be considered at or near the head of the class among all of the Marlins’ young middle infield talent. ETA 2022/23.
Lewin Diaz Building Strength, Confidence In Rise to Stardom
As hard as the game of baseball is to play physically, it’s just as hard to maneuver mentally. Just ask Marlins first base prospect Lewin Diaz.
After his career got off to a flying start, first injury then a bout of terrible luck followed by a once-in-a-century global pandemic wiping out an entire season of production threw wrenches in his development and started giving Diaz some doubts. According to Lewin, the joy was taken out of the game. But while sharpening his tools in the Dominican this offseason, Lewin also did quite a bit of soul searching. And, if early spring results are any indication, that work has begun to pay off.
A 17-year-old international signee out of the DR by the Minnesota Twins in 2014, Lewin jumped a level with each passing season up until 2018. That year, Lewin faced his first setback fracturing his right wrist, an ailment that cost him the final two months of that season.
Lewin was able to put the injury aside in 2019, beginning the season by hitting .290/.333/.553 back in A+ before receiving the promotion to AA. The results followed Diaz to the Pensacola Blue Wahoos as he made the big jump quite fluidly. In 33 games in the panhandle, he hit .302/.341/.587. That is when the corner infield needy Marlins came calling. Just before the trade deadline, Michael Hill and the Fish sent established major league reliever Sergio Romo as well as prospect Chris Vallimont and a PTBNL to the Twins for the Florida State League All-Star’s services.
Many times in the baseball a change of scenery works wonders for a player. But there are also occasions where it works oppositely. Diaz was on the latter side of that equation. After his successes with the Blue Wahoos, Diaz hit just .200/.279/.461. The power persisted but his luck took a strong turn for the worse. After posting a slightly above average .320 BABIP with Pensacola, that number fell to an absurdly unfortunate .188 in Jacksonville. The bad luck caused Lewin to press at the plate. While his K% sat at 17% with Pensacola, it rose to 22% with the Jacksonville.
Diaz attempted to get right in the DR in the winter of 2019 and there were reasons for him to be happy with his performance. In 29 games with his hometown team Estrellas de Oriente, Diaz showed out well, hitting .276/.331/.422 with a team leading three bombs and a second best 20 RBIs.
Diaz got his second spring invite and first with the Marlins that same year. Off to a good start (7/23, 2 2B, HR, 4 RBI), another stroke of bad luck occurred when baseball as well as he rest of the world was shut down due to COVID-19. Diaz’s baseball activity was relegated mostly to the alternate training site. He did get to debut and rack up his first 39 MLB ABs late in the unique 2020 season. Diaz said making his debut, despite the circumstances, was a dream come true.
“It’s everybody’s dream who plays this game to make it to the majors,” Diaz said. “I have to continue to keep working on swinging at good pitches. I’m planning ahead this year.”
Lewin spent this offseason “planning ahead” in the DR playing for the Estrellas de Orientalles and working out with trainers near his home town. According to Don Mattingly, Lewin did suffer from what Mattingly called “a small bout” of the coronavirus. But even still, after struggling to keep his weight up in 2020, Diaz managed to noticeably improve physically.
“I was eating well I was hitting the gym a lot. I gained some muscle mass,” Diaz said. “I feel perfect right now. I feel like I’m hitting the ball a little harder. My plan is to continue doing that and to continue to get stronger.”
Lewin Diaz winter 2019-20 vs Lewin Diaz winter 2020-21.
— Fish On The Farm (@marlinsminors) February 25, 2021
Yolked. 💪🏻 #Marlins pic.twitter.com/m32uBMONIa
While on the field and with his teammates in the DR, Diaz said he took advantage of learning from his older teammates on and off the field, namely Robinson Cano.
“He taught me how to handle myself as a big leaguer,” Diaz said. “He taught me how to always aim for the center of the ball.”
In the best physical playing shape of his career, results have started to come a bit more naturally for Lewin to begin spring training. So far, he has three hits in eight games including two doubles. One of those hits came this past Monday in his first start of the spring against established big league All-Star Marcus Stroman. Diaz, who admitted he came into camp with his mental morale at less than 100%, described that moment as a big one for him.
“Those are things that boost your confidence,” Diaz said. “I saw myself in the starting lineup and knowing Stroman was pitching, I got excited. I’m very excited to get at bats against a major leaguer like Stroman.”
In addition to that at bat against Stroman, Diaz says his confidence level is improving every time he gets on the field. The Marlins are noticing. He’s the only Marlin to appear in all 10 spring games thus far and he’s made it past the first round of cuts.
“He definitely looks more comfortable”, Don Mattingly stated on the current version of Lewin. “He’s had some good swings throughout camp, but it’s good to see him looking more comfortable. He’s made some small changes. You see his hands just a touch higher. I think it’s good for him.”
Earlier in camp, Mattingly stated that he “definitely thinks it’s within the realm of possibility we see him this year over the course of 162 games.”
The fact that he was able to overcome COVID and improve his body this winter and the fact that he is embracing the opportunity presented to him this spring is admirable of the 24 year old. It speaks very well to the type of player he should become and the player we should see back in a Marlins uniform this season. When that happens, expect to see his full potential, that of a cornerstone power hitting first baseman, on full display.
