Miami Marlins’ Dee Gordon exceeds expectations once again
By Tim Haberin
Back in April we wondered if Dee Gordon could possibly live up to the standard he set in his breakout 2014 campaign. With only a couple weeks remaining in the 2015 season, the answer appears to be a resounding “yes.” In fact, by most metrics the second baseman is turning in an even better performance than he did a year ago.
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Gordon swapped uniforms last December, being traded from the Los Angeles Dodgers to the Miami Marlins in a deal that also included Dan Haren. The Fish are of course no strangers to big offseason moves over the past few years, although their track record in turning those acquisitions into sustained success has been far from sterling.
The 27-year-old Gordon, however, has been the rare addition that turns out every bit as good as advertised. On a Marlins team once again staring down a profoundly disappointing finish to its season (64-86 record, 21 GB in NL East), that is a small yet reassuring solace.
Playing in Miami certainly won’t get you the most headlines in Major League Baseball at the moment, but Gordon’s numbers deserve their share of attention. Through 133 games, he is slashing .332/.356/.413 with three homers and 41 RBI. His 187 hits are the most in both leagues, and were it not for a juggernaut named Bryce Harper (.343 BA) he might be on his way to securing the NL batting title.
Gordon’s chief skill, of course, is his speed, and he has continued to employ it to great effect in 2015. His 53 stolen bases are good for second in all of baseball, trailing Reds speedster Billy Hamilton by four.
Last year Gordon slashed .289/.326/.378 on his way to an All-Star nod in his first season as an everyday player. He has seen a bump in each of those categories in 2015, adding up to a .066 increase in OPS. Overall, Gordon has posted a 4.4 WAR for the season, third among all MLB second basemen behind Detroit’s Ian Kinsler (6.2) and Tampa Bay’s Logan Forsythe (4.9).
Many pointed to last year’s .346 BABIP as a reason to expect Gordon come back down to earth this season. Even with his blistering speed, surely he wouldn’t be able to replicate such a high mark? Well, he has replicated it and then some, posting a .384 BABIP thus far in 2015. 11.3% of Gordon’s ground balls go for base hits, the same as a year ago. He is also rocking a bunt hit percentage of 42.4%, just a tick below last season’s (42.6%).
Where has Gordon’s performance slipped this year, if anywhere? While his present stolen base total is nothing to sneeze at, he did swipe 64 bags in 2014, enough to lead both leagues. He also legged out an MLB-most 12 triples last season, compared to his current total of eight. In the grand scheme of things, that seems more like nitpicking than anything.
While Howie Kendrick has done a good job with the Dodgers (.750 OPS), he has also missed 41 games this year, prompting the Boys in Blue to go out and get Chase Utley last month to supplement their middle infield options. The former Phillie’s production has left a lot to be desired (.200/.296/.347 in 108 plate appearances). Though the Dodgers certainly won’t complain about their present position – a seven-game lead in the NL West – they might wish that Gordon had been manning second base again for them this season.
Gordon is under team control until 2019, but it’s difficult to see him spending that entire time with the Marlins considering how they have operated over the years. Indeed, it might make sense to attempt to sell high on him before he potentially regresses in the years ahead. It’s often difficult to project how well speedy players will retain their quickness moving forward. That line of thinking likely played into the Dodgers’ decision to trade him last winter.
Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria reportedly wants to institute “sweeping changes” to the organization’s baseball operations ahead of next season, so it should be interesting to see how Gordon figures into their long-term plans.
Regardless of what the future holds, Dee Gordon has convincingly proven to be more than a one-season wonder. He’ll try to outdo himself once again in 2016.