Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Marlins’ patience pays off
Young outfielders Yelich, Ozuna have paid dividends
ARLINGTON, Texas — Whenever a hitter, trying to get established in the major leagues struggles, question can arise.
Is he overmatched? Does he need more seasoning?
The Miami Marlins don’t have those concerns with young, prized outfielders Christian Yelich and Marcell Ozuna. But manager Mike Redmond is well aware there will be rough patches, even for starcaliber talent learning on the job.
He’s willing to endure the growing pains in exchange for the positive impacta mid the inconsistency, as well as the long-term benefit that will come from the experience.
So Redmond kept Yelich in the leadoff spot even though the 22-year-old was hitting .197 since May 1 going into Saturday’s game in Chicago, saying, “Every game is important for him in the adjustment process — in learning the
pitching, in learning the day-to-day grind. But at the end of this it’s going to be good for him, and he’ll be better down the road for it. … This guy is a great player.”
Yelich showed glimpses of that in the next two games, getting two hits in each. He hit his sixth home run Saturday, and the following day had a double, stole two bases and sparked the winning rally with a leadoff walk in the eighth inning.
“It’s kind of been a rough stretch. It’s a little frustrating at times, but it’s baseball. You’ve got to keep grinding, and eventually something will give,” said Yelich, who has shown that even-keel grasp of the process since he debuted last July. “You’ve just got to remember that. Just really not try to do too much when you’re going through something like that. You can’t be trying to get five hits in one at-bat.”
Ozuna is an intriguing talent, though inconsistent and appearing confounded at the plate in some at-bats and occasionally entire games. His power is already blossoming, as he is second on the team to Giancarlo Stanton in home runs with 11 and RBI with 39, the latter ranking eighth in the National League.
Redmond says he sees in Ozuna some characteristics of Vladimir Guerrero, a notorious free-swinger who never saw a pitch he didn’t like, yet batted .318 in his career and was a nine-time All-Star.
“Guerrero was an aggressive hitter. He swung at everything. I don’t think you ever want to take the aggressiveness away from guys,” Redmond said, adding about Ozuna, “There will be times where he’s got to be little more selective. But right nowit seems to be working for him. … I know he’s learned a lot this year.”
Ozuna got off to a fast start in his first call-up last season, then struggled mightily. The day the Marlins announced he was being returned to the minors, Ozunatore a ligament in his left thumb and missed the remainder of the season.
The 23-year-old seemed earmarked for the minors after an unproductive spring, but got the center field job anyway. Ozuna responded by hitting .310 in his first 26 games. Then the flipside of his streakiness resurfaced with a .200 average in May.
Lately, Redmond’s patience has paid off with Ozuna getting hits in eight of his past nine games on a 12-for-23 (.353) surge. He has been at his best in spacious Marlins Park, hitting eight homers while averaging .313 and driving in 30 runs.
“His best tool, for me, is that he has the ability to forget. If he has a bad at-bat, he’s able to turn the page and come back in whatever situation it is the next time and get a big hit,” Redmond said. “He’s gotten some big hits for us and had some great at-bats. It’s always going to be consistency and staying within the strike zone and getting good pitches.
“That’s always going to be a battle for those guys. But they’re young. This is their first full season in the big leagues, and it’s not that easy.”
Texas hold ‘em
The Marlins are making their first visit to hitterfriendly Global Life Park since 2011 for an unusual two-game series beginning Tuesday. Their only other trip there was in 2003, but the Marlins won two of three on both occasions.
“It’s an adventure there,” Redmond said. “I know catching, it was always a tough place to call a game because there’s always so many runs. It’s a tough place to play. I’ve played some close games there, but they’ve always been highscoring games.”
A Marlins victory Tuesday would give them 13 consecutive wins in interleague play, tying the record held by the Yankees (2003-04) and Rays (2004).