Tag Archive for: 2020 MLB Season

Jonathan Villar, right, works with Isan Diaz on the first day of spring training. Villar, an infielder, could end up in center field. (Craig Davis for Five Reasons Sports)

5 Marlins Roster Tidbits as Summer Camp Continues

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The Miami Marlins have split their 60-man player pool workouts between Marlins Park and their facility in Jupiter, FL. While there’s been some movement back-and-forth by a few players, for the most part, players expected to be on the 30-man Opening Day roster are practicing at Marlins Park. There’s nothing set in stone yet, but there’s certainly growing clarity for the Marlins roster.

Here’s a look at five tidbits from recent media availabilities that are clues to the Marlins roster on Opening Day.

Jonathan Villar’s Versatility

The Marlins roster received a significant upgrade when the team landed Jonathan Villar this offseason.

In 2019, Villar slashed .273/.339/.453 and posted a 4.0 WAR over 162 games for Baltimore. He started 158 of them at either second base or at shortstop. Villar brings durability, defensive acumen and consistent offensive production.

“When you trade for Jonathan, that’s one of those moves as a manager that you’re like ‘Yes’ right away,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “He gives you a guy up top. He’s a switch-hitter, power and average, steals bags. A guy that’s exciting up top.”

Defensively, though, it’s unclear what position Villar will man day-to-day.

According to Mattingly, Villar could bounce “back and forth between centerfield, second base, shortstop and DH.” He also has experience playing third base.

Villar said he’s “here for the team” and the possibility of playing multiple positions is one he’s ready for.

“You have to prepare mentally and physically every day. I’m prepared for whatever comes.”

Villar admitted some discomfort working in centerfield and said judging line drives has been particularly difficult early on. However, his spot in the lineup is all but assured.

“I still like him up top in the order,” Mattingly said, citing Villar’s combination of power and speed. The addition of the DH to the National League simplifies things for the Marlins, as Villar is an option there.

Marlins Roster: Fifth Starter Competition

Prior to Spring Training’s COVID-19 shut down, the frontend of Miami’s pitching rotation seemed set. While he hasn’t announced the Opening Day starter, Mattingly admitted they’ve settled on one.

The assumption at this point is that 2019 All-Star Sandy Alcantara will get the Opening Day nod in Philadelphia. From there, it’s likely that Caleb Smith, Pablo Lopez and José Ureña will follow in some order.

Mattingly mentioned the team leans toward a regular five-man rotation. They’ve kicked around the idea of piggybacking but have ruled out a six-man set.

“I think we will probably try to settle on five [pitchers] and feel good about that, knowing that we have depth moving forward with the other guys,” Mattingly said of the staff.

The fifth spot candidates are: Jordan Yamamoto, Elieser Hernandez, Robert Dugger and Nick Neidert.

While most seemed to view it as a two-man race, Mattingly was quick to add the 23-year-old righty into the mix. He said Neidert’s in a “position to stay.”

In five minor league seasons, Neidert sports a 3.20 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and an 8.1 K/9 rate over 460.2 innings pitched. He features a 90-93 mph sinking fastball that pounds the bottom of the zone. His deceptive delivery can fool hitters.

In six innings pitched this spring, Neidert gave up only one earned run. Yamamoto surrendered three earned runs over eight innings pitched. Hernandez gave up six earned runs in his 11 innings. Dugger was the best of the bunch this Spring, not giving up any runs over 9.2 innings of work.

Isan Diaz

Don Mattingly came out on Wednesday in support of Isan Díaz as not only the Marlins current second baseman, but also the second baseman of the future.

“He’s the guy,” Matting said. That’s reassuring for the 24-year-old Puerto Rico native, especially considering his struggles in 2019.

After a rousing debut that saw Diaz connect on a home run against Jacob DeGrom, much to the delight of his father in the stands, hitting didn’t come as easily for him as it did in Triple-A. Diaz finished his 2019 stint with the Marlins with a .173 batting average and .259 on-base percentage in 201 plate appearances.

The struggles continued this spring, as he managed to slash just .103/.235/.103 over 34 plate appearances.

“We look at Isan as our second baseman,” said Mattingly. “Not only now, but we think he’s going to be the second baseman of the future.”

This vote of confidence comes after the Marlins brought in a productive offensive force in Villar that could play Diaz’s position.

“His track record shows that he’s gonna hit” Mattingly said. The manager acknowledged that it wasn’t great for Diaz last year, but that he “had spurts, had moments.”

Mattingly likened Diaz to Brian Anderson as some who “sees the ball well, gets himself good pitches to hit. Sometimes maybe a little too passive, but knows the strike zone, is capable of using the whole field, has got a clean swing.”

Learning from these experiences will be key for Diaz. He’s viewed as the second baseman right now, but an extended struggle may force Mattingly’s hand in a truncated season.

Marlins Roster: Bullpen Shakeup

Last season, the Marlins featured one of the worst bullpens in MLB. Miami relievers posted the fifth-worst ERA (4.97), strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.11) and save percentage (55.1). Their WHIP (1.45) was seventh worst. Relievers blew 22 save opportunities and surrendered a .235 batting-average-against and .343 on-base percentage.

“You look at our overall bullpen performance, and it was not good,” said Marlins president of baseball operations Michael Hill in December.

The biggest addition for the bullpen in 2020 was 35-year-old Brandon Kintzler. The 11-year MLB veteran signed a one-year, $3.25 million deal with the Marlins.

Kintzler has taken a mentor role with this young group. He’s stressed value of routines and expressed that “this generation throws way too much” and that they’ll have to “figure out how to be a bullpen guy the big leagues.”

The bullpen turnover has also seen the addition of 31-year-old Brad Boxberger. Boxberger has 77 career saves, 3.59 ERA and 1.30 WHIP over MLB eight seasons, including a league-leading 41 with Tampa Bay in 2015. In 2018 with Arizona, he registered 32 saves.

Among the other additions stands Yimi Garcia. The 29-year-old five-year MLB vet posted a 3.61 ERA and 0.87 WHIP over 62.1 innings pitched with the Los Angeles Dodgers. A power arm, Garcia throws strikes and avoids walks, two things that will help this bullpen.

These veterans will help the development of younger arms like newcomers Stephen Tarpley, Sterling Sharp, Alex Vesia and Nick Vincent. They’ll join incumbent relievers Jeff Brigham, Adam Conley, Ryne Stanek and Drew Steckenrider.

Kintzler is the presumptive closer come Opening Day. Mattingly also heralded Boxberger as one of the experienced arms in the ‘pen. Garcia impressed this spring, and Sharp is a Rule 5 pick who will need to be on the Marlins roster to be kept.

Mattingly also seems high on Vesia, the left prospect who sported a 41 scoreless inning streak recently.

“There’s plenty to like. Everywhere he went he had success.” Mattingly said Vesia “pitched with confidence” & “has some moxie about him,” noting “He’s on the attack. He’s not afraid. He’s a strike thrower.”

Monte Harrison

Heading into Spring Training, Monte Harrison stood among the options for centerfield. He competed with Lewis Brinson and Magneuris Sierra, among others, for the spot.

Over 27 plate appearances before the COVID-19 shut down, Harrison swung the bat well. He slashed .364/.481/.500, had six RBI, three doubles and a team-leading six stolen bases.

“Monte looks good,” Mattingly said. “He’s swung the bat good here. Plays with energy, plays fast. He’s aggressive.”

Mattingly called Harrison a “mega-talented kid.” The 24-year-old came to Miami as part of the Christian Yelichdeal and has a lofty ceiling. His combination of speed and strength reinforce his all-around tools. He has an 84 percent success rate with stolen bases over his minor league career and could be a 30-30 guy at the Major League level.

“Monte’s worked really hard to continue to improve,” Mattingly said.  “And he’s going to continue to improve and get better. We’re happy with the strides he’s been making. Obviously, the new summer camp puts him back in the equation.”

Max Meyer

Max Meyer Throws First Bullpen for Marlins

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Max Meyer toed the rubber for the first time in a Marlins uniform on Tuesday. Miami’s most recent first round pick, Meyer joined the 60-man player pool after signing his contract. As part of the pool, Meyer joined the workouts in progress at the team’s training facility in Jupiter, FL.

“The juices were flowing a little bit being the first time back on the mound and especially in the Marlins uniform was pretty special,” Meyer said of the afternoon session. “It was really fun to be out there for the first time in uniform.”

Max Meyer Adds Another High-End Arm to the System

Meyer became the latest in Miami’s line of high-end arms in the system. The 21-year-old sports a fastball that touches 99 miles-per-hour and tops out at 102 MPH. The “out” pitch, though, is a devastating slider. According to Keith Law of The Athletic, Meyer was “the most major-league ready player in the draft.”

Similar sentiments were echoed by Marlins director of amateur scouting DJ Svihlik. “That’s the most athletic college pitcher in this Draft, with the most electric stuff, and he’s just about Major League-ready.”

The Marlins took Meyer out of the University of Minnesota. As a member of the Golden Gophers, he posted a 2.13 ERA with 11.4 K/9 against 2.5 BB/9 over 148 innings in his career. Prior to the COVID-19 shut down, he pitched 27.2 innings with a 1.95 ERA.

There were some concerns with Meyer’s size. (He’s listed at 6-foot, 185 pounds, but says he’s added weight since). But he profiles with favorable comps to former CY Young winner Tim Lincecum and 3-time All-Star Roy Oswalt.

Being associated with those names, as well as the possibility of a quick MLB debut, could be seen as added pressure, but Meyer doesn’t feel that way.

“I don’t really think about that too much honestly,” Meyer admitted. “I can’t control any of that, so I’m just gonna keep doing what I have been doing, working out, throwing. I’ll be ready for whatever happens.”

JJ Bleday Reacts to Meyer’s Bullpen Session

Meyer’s first bullpen session was limited to 20 pitches, which he said were mostly fastballs with some changeups mixed in.

Fellow top-prospect JJ Bleday stood in on a few of Meyer’s pitches and came away impressed.

“The first thing I noticed right off the bat was how athletic he is,” Bleday said. “He’s got confident body movements. He pounds the zone, and he’s pretty calm, cool, collected on the mound. As a position player that’s what I like to see out of a pitcher.

“It was just fun standing in on him,” Belday said, who never faced Meyer in college, “that was cool.”

Bleday complimented Meyer’s athleticism, saying it “speaks volumes. You don’t want to be just a pitcher, you want to be the guy that makes that play when the guy drops a bunt and he’s definitely got that ability and that athleticism.”

Much of Meyer’s athleticism comes from his experience as a two-sport athlete. Meyer grew up in Minnesota and spent his whole life playing hockey. In college, Meyer would spend his winter breaks playing hockey every day.

“It’s definitely a big part of my life and I feel like I kind of bring that bulldog mentality on the mound. I was a pretty physical player in hockey, so I kinda get fired up when I’m out on the mound.”

Among the Other Prospects

In Jupiter, other top pitching prospects surround Meyer. Sixto Sanchez, Edward Cabrera, Jorge Guzman and Braxton Garrett all pop the catcher’s mitt with velocity.

“I’ve been looking at the arms and I feel like the balls just fly out of these guys’ hands. It’s unbelievable honestly,” Meyer said of the other pitchers. “There’s definitely some good competition to throw against.”

Meyer admitted that draft day was a blur and called meeting Marlins CEO Derek Jeter “unbelievable. I’m so happy to be a part of this organization led by all these top guys up here. It’s been unbelievable.”

There’s no doubt Max Meyer features as a major part of Miami’s future, be it as a starter or closer. He joins a prolific set of pitching prospects who have the Marlins’ outlook on the rise.

“It’s a fun group of guys,” Meyers said of those in Jupiter. “They got a lot of good arms here and some good bats, so it’s gonna be fun.”

Mattingly's media availability

5 Takeaways from Mattingly’s Media Availability

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On Monday afternoon, the Miami Marlins made manager Don Mattingly available to local media. Touching on a number of interesting topics, Mattingly’s media availability lasted nearly 30 minutes via Zoom.

Here’s a look at 5 Takeaways from Mattingly’s Media Availability.

Mattingly’s Media Availability: COVID-19 Concerns

MLB, as well as the NBA, MLS and NHL, is trying to get games going in the safest way they can manage. Some players, like Dodgers SP David Price, Rockies OF Ian Desmond, Nationals 1B Ryan Zimmerman, and Braves SP Felix Hernandez and OF Nick Markakis, have opted out of the 2020 season, citing COVID-19 concerns among other reasons. The Marlins, who are nestled in a current COVID-19 hotspot, have been measured with their precautions and procedures.

Some of those concerns were addressed during Mattingly’s media availability.

“We see the news,” Mattingly said. “[But] we haven’t had that feel here, haven’t had that vibe that guys are nervous about playing. Maybe it’s just our age or our group.”

Mattingly went on to say the entire team had testing done for the virus Monday but noted they “feel fairly safe.”

He explained the team is taking precautions seriously, maintaining social distance and wearing masks when possible, and using hand sanitizer. Mattingly also indicated that should the test results take too long, or the results themselves show a spread, the team could shut down its facilities like the Nationals and Astros.

“I feel fairly confident,” Mattingly said about the prospect of the 2020 season. “I feel like there’s still some kinks that we’re working out with testing and getting results back. But I am confident that we’ll get that together and get this thing off the ground.”

Prospects On the Rise

The Marlins 60-man player pool featured a number of the franchise’s high-end prospects. While many of those players are still a ways away from the big leagues, some have been invited to Marlins Park for the summer training camp.

Both Jesús Sánchez and Lewin Díaz stand among Miami’s top-10 prospects and both arrived at Marlins Park on Monday. Sanchez sports a smooth left-handed swing with power potential as a right fielder. Diaz towers as a first baseman at 6-foot-4 and features serious power in his bat.

“You feel good about both of these kids,” Mattingly said of Sanchez and Diaz. “Both are physical kids that got a pretty good feel for hitting.”

During Mattingly’s media availability, the manager hedged on whether either, or both, would make their MLB debut this season.

“You know sometimes that timetable can shift a year here or here or there, but I like both of these guys. I’m pretty confident both are going to be successful.”

One prospected who’s on the short-list to make the active 30-man roster is lefty relief pitcher Alex Vesia. The 24-year-old impressed by posting a 1.62 ERA with 138 strikeouts over 100 innings while advancing to Double-A during his first two pro seasons.

“Everywhere he went he had success,” Mattingly said. Miami’s manager noted Vesia pitches “with confidence” and “has some Moxie about him. He’s on the attack, he’s not afraid, he’s a strike thrower. He’s looked really good.”

Pitching through Spring Training this March, Vesia sported a nearly 41 scoreless innings streak that caught people’s eye. He could be part of a revamped bullpen that desperately needed an upgrade.

Last season, the Marlins featured one of the worst bullpens in all of MLB. Miami relievers posted the fifth-worst ERA (4.97), strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.11) and save percentage (55.1). Their WHIP (1.45) was seventh worst in MLB.

Jonathan Villar’s role

The Marlins added utility infielder Jonathan Villar this offseason. The move came with questions, though, as Miami features regulars at all of Villar’s positions.

Villar performed at a high rate for the Orioles over the last two seasons. In 2019, he slashed .273/.339/.453 and posted a 4.0 WAR over 162 games for Baltimore. He started 158 of them at either second base or at shortstop. Villar brings durability, defensive acumen and consistent offensive production.

One of the major storylines heading into Spring surrounded Villar’s role with the club. The addition of the DH to the National League simplifies things.

“I still like him up top in the order,” Mattingly said, who views Villar as an offensive sparkplug. According to the manager, Villar could bounce “back and forth between centerfield, second base, shortstop and DH.”

Although the team lists Villar as an infielder, Mattingly indicated Villar continues to see work in centerfield. The team, though, had hoped to get him more reps there during Spring Training.

Ballpark Changes

Marlins Park experienced renovations this offseason, with the addition of an artificial playing surface and altering the dimensions.

Offseason additions of players with a little pop, like Villar, Jesus Aguilar, Corey Dickerson and Matt Joyce, will help exploit these changes.

Mattingly noted the organization looks for players who can hit first, with power potential as a secondary concern. They team wants to avoid players with high strikeout rates and big power. They’d rather someone who is “productive in a lot of different games in different ways.”

Between the new dimensions and the new hitters, Mattingly did say they expect to more home runs this season. He referenced Villar hitting over 20 home runs last season, as well as Aguilar’s power. He also mentioned Jorge Alfaro and Brian Anderson’s development as hitters.

“I think the ballpark obviously will play just a tick smaller,” he said, noting it’s not playing like a hitter’s park during recent batting practice sessions. “I think the park plays fair.”

Mattingly’s Media Availability: The Schedule

The Marlins face one of the most difficult schedules in MLB for 2020. This gauntlet features six teams who were above .500 last season, and only two teams who were below.

“You got good teams you’re going to face with the American League East. We always deal with Tampa, who are obviously really good this moment. Yankees are always good, Boston’s always good. Toronto’s young and coming [and] Baltimore’s a little bit like us.

“Your main thing is: Get yourselves ready to play.”

Despite the difficult slate, Mattingly expressed the team’s confidence. The sprint metaphor for this season seems apt. While the best teams usually win out in a 162-game season, in a 60-game stretch, anything can happen. Even the 1993 Marlins won 30 games over a 61-game sample during their expansion season.

“In a 60-game season, there is a lot of momentum. You go 8-4 out of the gate, you’ve played 20 percent of your season, and you put pressure on teams.”

The Marlins will open the 2020 season on in Philadelphia, then play a home-and-home four-game set with Baltimore.

“I know we’re gonna be playing good teams,” Mattingly said. “Everybody has a chance to in this scenario.”

Mattingly said his staff has largely settled on an opening day starter, but he did not name the pitcher.

Most assume it will be 2019 All-Star Sandy Alcantara taking the mound on July 24th. After Alcantara, the Marlins should roll out some variation of Caleb Smith, Pablo López, José Ureña and either Jordan Yamamoto, Elieser Hernández or perhaps prospect Nick Neidert.

Mattingly mentioned the team has talked about a regular five-man rotation. They’ve also kicked around the idea of piggybacking but haven’t discussed going to a six-man set.

Piggybacking could have four starters on limited pitch-counts (maybe 75 or so), followed by three or four long relievers with a pitch-count around 50. This model is common in the lower levels of the minor leagues. The team could implement a piggybacking tandem with just the fifth slot in the rotation.

“I think we will probably try to settle on five [pitchers] and feel good about that, knowing that we have depth moving forward with the other guys,” Mattingly said of the staff.

During Mattingly’s media availability, he went on to discuss how the truncated nature of the schedule limits his ability to be patient with struggling pitchers and hitters.

“You don’t have time to like try to search for it and try to milk guys along, get guys in the groove. You’re going to look for guys to get in the groove right away. And you’re going to be making some decisions based upon some early results with guys, which may be fair or unfair but that’s the way it works when you’re in a pennant race. You’re playing guys that are hot guys are getting it done.”

“We need to win every game. You got to play like you’re gonna win every game,” Mattingly said of the team’s mindset for 2020. “Every game is important, every play is important, every out is important, and just go after it in that way.”