Marisnick’s glove belongs in the catch-all category
Patience and perseverance.
Self-belief and inner strength.
Those words aren’t normally associated with a team-low .187 batting average on baseball’s reigning champs.
Heck, let’s be honest: Many lesser teams would have already moved on from Jake Marisnick by now.
But you watched the replays of That Catch over and over Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. We remembered why a six-year veteran has stuck around on a scorching 54-28 team when Marisnick followed his surreal leap and grab in leftcenter field with a threerun homer that rocketed 407 feet.
And while the Astros
have won 17 of 20 to keep pace with the Yankees and Red Sox for the top record in the sport, Marisnick, who didn’t play Wednesday, is 8-for-21 with two homers, two doubles and six RBIs in his last 12 games.
He knows even more than you that he can’t make his .187 average rise 100 points in one day. But the Astros continue to stand behind the speedy, defense-first Marisnick for a reason, even with top prospect Kyle Tucker hitting .316 with 12 home runs, 59 RBIs and a .909 OPS at Class AAA Fresno.
One day at a time
“The biggest thing is, once you kind of get in a hole individually, you look at it and, ‘Hey, my name’s in the lineup. What can I do today to help this team win?’ ” said Marisnick, 27, before Alex Bregman’s joyous walkoff shot at Minute Maid Park on Wednesday. “That kind of takes the pressure off trying to rebuild your season or get back to where you want to be.”
It’s hard to remember now in late June, but Marisnick’s fifth season with the Astros began with a bang. Two home runs during his initial two games, including a season-opening blast against the Rangers in Arlington. But he only hit .130 in April and .171 in May, and his average — I thought that oldschool stat was outdated in 2018 — bottomed out at .153 in mid-June.
On a team loaded with huge names and annual All-Stars, everything off target stands out even more. First, it was slow starts at the plate and an unpredictable bullpen. Then it was Ken Giles in the ninth, Dallas Keuchel’s extended first innings, and the Astros’ uneven home/road splits. Some of the early issues have been fixed. Others could be a seasonlong work in progress.
“When it happens early, it gets magnified,” said Marisnick, who's hitting .286 with an .889 OPS in 35 June at-bats. “When it happens in the first month or two of the season, it’s magnified by a million. … When you’re walking up there and you’re seeing it, your numbers are your numbers. They’re up on the board; everybody sees them.”
Still, he ranks eighth on the team in games played with 60. Marisnick’s super-smooth glove makes him ideal for A.J. Hinch’s late-inning defensive adjustments. One of the sharpest plays baseball has seen all season was a reminder that the best teams in the game consistently win with a little bit of everything.
“That’s what kind of keeps me going. I take pride in that,” said Marisnick, who leapt above left fielder Josh Reddick, then ripped back his glove arm like LeBron James following through on a fast-break dunk. “I’m proud helping these guys out. … When I get a chance to help a pitcher out, that’s what keeps me going when I’m struggling at the plate.”
As Marisnick shouted and pumped his fist, the normally reserved Charlie Morton grinned wide walking off the mound, his two-run lead intact.
A day later, Hall of Famer Jeff Bagwell walked up to Marisnick in the Astros’ clubhouse, telling the reserve outfielder he had been waiting since the catch/homer night just to say hi.
“It’s not always about average. He brings a lot more to this team,” said outfielder George Springer, who has long been close with Marisnick. “He possesses so many intangibles that a number can’t describe. I get the average on the scoreboard, but in my eyes, that’s not what it’s about. He can go out and make a play like he did (Tuesday) night and completely change the outcome of a game.”
Baseball hasn’t been especially fair to Marisnick since September, when a career season (16 home runs, .815 OPS, 50 runs in 230 at-bats) was suddenly cut short due to thumb surgery. While the Astros blasted and fought their way through a franchise-changing playoff run, Marisnick was forced to watch the entire postseason from the side. He remained close to the team, though, and continues to be valued by the players in orange and blue who stand behind him.
“As an outfielder, he’s phenomenal. As a hitter, he’s going to be able to be a good hitter. He’s going to stick around in the big leagues if he can stay healthy,” Morton said. “And he’s a clubhouse guy — he’s a teammate. He has everything it takes to be successful in this game.”
Tucker waits in wings
Tucker isn’t long for the minors, and once “Ted” arrives, he isn’t supposed to go back. Tony Kemp, speedy and multitalented, has opened eyes since his mid-May promotion.
But the reigning champion Astros keep finding room for a .187 average, which says everything about their respect for Marisnick between and behind the lines.
“In general, we all just kind of run the other direction when someone’s scuffling, and I don’t,” Hinch said. “I believe in sticking with guys and trying to keep them in the mix.”