Aguilar ranks among MLB leaders in homers, RBI
Jesus Aguilar, the Miami Marlins’ fun-loving, power-hitting, tone-setting first baseman, tries to keep his approach simple.
He doesn’t focus on the venue, the opposing pitcher or if the infield is shifting.
He trusts his eye to find the right pitch and mash it.
And whether the at-bat ends in success or failure, Aguilar keeps within himself, confident that he’ll get things right the next time around.
“I’m just trying to put a good swing on the ball,” Aguilar said Thursday before the Marlins’ series finale with the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. “I don’t go out there thinking everything is going to happen my way. I just go out there and try to help my team in a good way.”
Things have gone right as of late for Aguilar, who has been hot at the plate and finds his name alongside some of baseball’s top hitters.
Entering Thursday, Aguilar’s 31 runs batted in ranks tied with the Chicago White Sox’s Jose Abreu for second in MLB. Only the Boston Red Sox’s J.D. Martinez (32) has more.
He’s one of 15 players with at least nine home runs and is tied for the second-most in the National League. Only the Atlanta Braves’ Ronald Acuna Jr., who hit his league-leading 12th on Thursday, has more.
His .958 on-base-plusslugging mark is the 13th highest among MLB’s qualified hitters, those who have taken an average of at least 3.1 plate appearance per game played by his team.
Aguilar already has two separate three-game home run streaks this year, first doing so in San Francisco and matching that feat again Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in Phoenix. His two-run home run in the first inning Wednesday gave Miami the lead for good in its 3-2 win over the Diamondbacks that snapped a four-game losing streak.
While Aguilar’s name is known around the league — he does have 80 career home runs since 2017 and was an All-Star in 2018 — Marlins manager Don Mattingly is quick to assert that, in a division filled with high-end hitters, Aguilar very likely is still an underrated commodity.
“He’s probably not a guy that’s on the tip of many people’s tongues,” Mattingly said. “When you talk about hitters, you’re looking at Acuna and Freddie Freeman and [Juan] Soto and a lot of different guys. I don’t think Agui’s the guy that’s
on the tip of their tongue, but I think over the last couple of years — last year and what he’s doing this year — there should be more talk about him as a hitter and looking into him and why he’s having success.”
So let’s take a look at what has helped lead to Aguilar’s success this season.
He hits to all fields:
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While eight of Aguilar’s nine home runs have been pulled to the left side, 11 of his 34 hits — 32.4 percent — have gone to the opposite field in right.
He is dominant on
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the road: Aguilar has
reached base safely in all 17 of the Marlins’ road games this season and had a .344 batting average (22 for 64) away from loanDepot park. All nine of his home runs have come in the last 11 road games. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Aguilar is the second player in franchise history to hit 9 HR in a span of 11 road games. Giancarlo Stanton is the other.
He feats on breaking ●
pitches: Aguilar is hitting .393 (11 for 28) in at-bats that end with breaking balls — mainly sliders and curveballs. He’s also batting .297 against fastballs.
He’s rarely striking out:
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Aguilar has just 22 strikeouts in 138 plate appearances — a careerlow 15.9-percent rate that ranks in the 84th percentile of qualified hitters, according to Statcast. He’s also walking at a 12.3percent rate that would also be the best mark of his career.
But Aguilar’s value to the team goes beyond the statistics. Ever since he joined the Marlins before the 2020 season, teammates gravitated toward him because of his upbeat, jovial persona. He’s mentored younger players on the roster and was instrumental in keeping the team upbeat during the COVID-19 outbreak at the start of last season.
“He’s been such a breath of fresh air for our guys. He’s so good with our players,” Mattingly said. “He brings a tone to our club that’s nice. He’s loose all the time. He’s always having fun. This guy does not waste atbats . ... He’s been huge. He’s brought a tone to our club and a lightness. I think in general we’re a fun club and guys are having a good time. Jesus has a lot to do with that.”
POTEET’S DEBUT
Right-handed pitcher Cody Poteet, the Marlins’ fourth-round pick in 2015, threw five strong innings in his MLB debut Wednesday, holding Arizona to two runs on four hits. He struck out six and didn’t issue a walk.
He was just the third starting pitcher in Marlins history to pitch at least five innings and not allow a walk in his MLB debut. Anibal Sanchez (June 25, 2006) and Sixto Sanchez (Aug. 22, 2020) are the others.
Poteet relied heavily on The four-seam fastball was his go-to pitch on Wednesday. He threw it 41 times, topping out at 96.8 mph, and recorded four of his six strikeouts with the pitch.
“An amazing moment,” Poteet said afterward.