Jakob Marsee’s season has turned into a tale of two halves, and the Marlins center fielder is ending it with real momentum at the plate.
The first half was rough. Marsee opened his sophomore season hitting just .197 with a .319 on-base percentage, a .295 slugging percentage and a 73 OPS+. In the second half, though, he looked like a different hitter entirely, slashing .285/.389/.462 with a 138 OPS+.
Miami has never had questions about what Marsee can do in the field or on the bases. Those parts of his game have been steady.
The issue was offense, and that’s where the turnaround has mattered most. He’s finally producing the way the Marlins believed he could.
That showed up again just yesterday, when Marsee went 3-for-4 with a home run, a triple and two runs scored. Miami still lost in heartbreaking fashion, but Marsee did exactly what the club needed from him.
Whether the Marlins end up in the playoffs or not, Marsee can at least finish the year with his head up after a much stronger second half than first.
The bigger question now is what comes next. This is a crucial third season ahead for Marsee, and the expectation is clear: he has to bring it every night. He has ten home runs this season, and the belief is that there’s more power coming if he keeps building on what he’s done since the break.
That also brings the focus to the coaching staff. The source material makes the case that a strong hitting coach can matter, and that Miami should be thinking about its instructors as part of the front-office decision-making. It points to Barry Bonds’ influence with the 2016 Marlins, when hitters like Marcell Ozuna and Christian Yelich improved.
The argument is simple: Marsee needs to be pushed, challenged and guided by someone who can get more out of him over more than one season. The ceiling is there. The second half showed it.
If he carries that stretch into next season, the expectation is 20-25 home runs with a .275 batting average. If not, the season will be viewed as a failure.
In Other News...
Marlins Suddenly Have A Bigger Max Meyer Concern Than This Season
Max Meyers season already had a stop-and-start feel, and now the Marlins are dealing with an even more unsettling update. The right-hander, who has been on the injured list with a neck strain, has discontinued his throwing program and will go through further evaluation after last taking the mound on July 18. Miami had already planned to shut him down for the rest of the year so he could get a proper offseason and so the club could look at other arms for the stretch run.
For the Marlins, the immediate focus remains on sorting out the pitching staff for the final weeks, but Meyers situation is starting to look like it could carry beyond this season. He has missed time with injuries throughout the year, and ending his throwing program before the calendar flips adds a more serious layer to what had been framed as a rest-and-reset move. The next step is evaluation, which leaves the bigger question hanging over both his health and Miamis long-term plans. [Read more 🡒]
Marlins Suddenly Face Another Ninth-Inning Problem At The Worst Time
A late-night loss in Arizona added another layer of unease to a Marlins team already trying to keep its footing in the race. Miami got plenty of offense from Jakob Marsee and Javier Sanoja, who both turned in multi-hit, home-run nights, but the matchup still slipped away after Sandy Alcantara labored through five innings and allowed four runs.
The real concern arrived at the end, where the Marlins were again forced to improvise in the ninth inning. Pete Fairbanks left early because of a recurring nerve irritation, and rookie Jack Ralston ended up taking the ball for the finish before Corbin Carroll ended the game with a walk-off homer, leaving Miami with another bullpen question at the worst possible time. [Read more 🡒]
Marlins Pulled Off One Late Stunner Nationals Fans Still Remember
The Marlins found themselves in one of those late September games that can linger far beyond the box score, thanks to a visit to Washington on Sept. 15, 2021. Miami trailed 6-4 heading into the ninth, then flipped the night with a four-run rally that turned a routine divisional game into an 8-6 win, capped by Jess Snchezs two-run homer and finished off by Dylan Floro.
For a Marlins club that ended up two games ahead of the Nationals in the National League East standings, it was the sort of timely road victory that carried a little extra weight. Miami did not just steal one in the moment, it also left Washington with a reminder of how quickly a game can get away in the final inning when the bullpen hands over a lead and the lineup keeps pressing. [Read more 🡒]