ALFARO AIMING TO GET BETTER
Marlins manager Don Mattingly made clear that Jorge Alfaro is the team’s starting catcher, although he is expected to make noticeable strides this season.
Miami Marlins catcher Jorge Alfaro had a disappointing 2020 season, both at the plate and behind it. Off-season work and a more disciplined approach could bring a better 2021.
Jorge Alfaro took the time to reflect and reset. The 2020 season was a challenge to say the least.
The Miami Marlins’ starting catcher started the season with a positive COVID-19 test, then struggled to produce at the plate and ultimately found himself on the sidelines as the Marlins went with Chad Wallach behind the plate during their first playoff run in 17 years.
“Sitting on the bench at the end of the year,” Alfaro said Friday, “that was a wake-up call.”
So Alfaro spent the offseason dedicated to remolding himself, improving himself. He stayed in Miami and sacrificed time with his family. He communicated with coaches and teammates. He prioritized pitch selection and swing timing on offense,
framing and play-calling on defense.
His dedication to his craft was not lost on the Marlins’ coaching staff.
And that, in part, is why Marlins manager Don Mattingly wanted to make one thing clear two days into spring training practices:
“Jorgie’s our guy.”
How long he remains the guy is a question the Marlins need to answer sooner rather than later.
The 2021 season will essentially be a prove-it year for Alfaro as he heads into his third season with the club after being acquired as part of the J.T. Realmuto trade. It will also be a season for the Marlins to gauge where they stand at the position long-term.
“He’s important to our club,” Mattingly said.
“He’s a guy with tremendous athletic ability. ... We’re looking forward to Jorgie having a big year.”
Alfaro understands what’s at stake.
And Mattingly’s public vote of confidence is the latest step toward what
Alfaro hopes is a needed bounce-back year.
“It means a lot to me,” Alfaro said, “because I have been working to get better, working to improve. ... It makes me feel like the hard work is paying off.”
That started with spending the winter in South Florida and having weekly conversations with catching coach Eddy Rodriguez and pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre Jr. The former helped him with his mechanics and receiving skills behind the plate, skills they worked on in person at the team’s practice facility in Jupiter. The latter focused on setting up a more effective game plan with the pitching staff.
It continued with conversations with the pitchers he’ll be catching — a lot of returning faces in the starting rotation, many new ones in the bullpen — to identify each pitcher’s repertoire and figure what he has to do from 60 feet and 6 inches away to maximize their success and, in turn, his own.
“His attitude is as good as it gets,” starting pitcher Pablo Lopez said. “He’s willing to help you. Before the bullpen session [Friday], he came and talked to me and said, ‘OK. What do you want to work on? Tell me if you want me to move.’ His targeting was good. His framing was good. Everything just gives you a little boost of confidence when you’re on the mound to make sure that he’s willing to help you in any way that he can.”
It then transitioned to internal progress, homing in on his personal strength. Making more contact to tap into his power with the bat. Staying loose and not overthinking things behind the plate. Keeping his body nimble to stay injury-free.
“I’ve been really happy with Jorgie this winter,” Mattingly said, “with the work he’s putting in.”
The Marlins know his potential with the bat. His 90.5 mph average exit velocity during the past two seasons leads all Marlins players who put at least 200 balls into play and is fifth among all catchers in that time frame (behind only Gary Sanchez,
Mitch Garver, Travis d’Arnaud and Yasmani Grandal). He also has 21 home runs and 73 RBI over 161 games with Miami. When he’s clicking, he can be a force in the middle of the lineup.
But his strikeout rate is still far too high — 33.1 percent in 2019, 36 percent in 2020. The MLB average is 21.8 percent.
“We’re working more about controlling the strike zone, swinging at strikes,” Mattingly said. “You are what you swing at. If you swing at balls and you chase, you’re not going to hit, so we’ve got to get the ball in the strike zone.”
Alfaro has faced his setbacks. He’s seen his struggles.
Now he’s ready to face them head on.
“We can’t take anything for granted,” Alfaro said. “I have to keep working. ... That’s one of the things that made me get stronger.”