DENVER - The Miami Marlins aren’t ready to pull Jakob Marsee out of the lineup, even with the numbers at the plate continuing to lag.
Manager Clayton McCullough made that clear Monday night at Coors Field, saying Marsee will keep getting chances in center field despite entering the series opener against the Colorado Rockies with a .196 batting average in 285 at-bats this season and a .080 mark over his previous seven games.
For McCullough, the equation goes beyond the bat. Marsee’s value, he said, still shows up in ways that matter to Miami’s day-to-day results.
"Jakob brings a lot of other things to the table that are important to us winning, and they're worth continuing to ride out and hope that he gets himself on a hot streak," McCullough said.
Those other pieces start with the glove. Marsee has 3 Outs Above Average in center field this season, and McCullough pointed to that defense as a major reason the Marlins are sticking with him. He also singled out Marsee’s work on the bases, where his 18 stolen bases lead the team.
"I think what's different about Jakob than some of the others is that Jakob can really defend at the end of the day," McCullough said. "He brings the defense every day in center field a pivotal position, and we need defense, and so we still count on that. You're going to get a high level of defense with him."
McCullough said the Marlins are showing their confidence in Marsee by keeping him in the lineup every day, and he believes the club is the right place for the 2025 struggles to work themselves out.
"I hope the fact that he plays every day shows the confidence that we have in him. You're playing basically every single day because we believe that, offensively, you're there's a better performer than what you've shown and, again, all the other intangibles that he brings," McCullough said.
"It's also partly that the league starts to show you where you need to make some adjustments. There's nothing wrong with that, and we feel like the best place for Jakob to continue working through things is here."
There’s also a track record that gives Miami reason to stay patient. Marsee hit .292/.363/.478 last season in 209 at-bats, production the Marlins are hoping he can rediscover after coming to the organization as part of the package they received when they sent Luis Arraez to the San Diego Padres on May 4, 2023.
"He's too good a hitter for this to drag on through an entire season," McCullough said.
For now, Marsee keeps getting the at-bats, and the Marlins are betting that enough reps will eventually turn the bat around.
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