Miami Marlins may give Peter O’Brien his chance to stick in the majors

For years, Peter O’Brien intrigued with his power potential. The Miami Marlins may finally give him a long look at the major league level.

After trading Justin Bour to the Philadelphia Phillies, the Miami Marlins had an opening at first base. J.T. Realmuto had a few games at first to keep his bat in the lineup, but the Marlins still need a long term solution at position. As it turned out, they may actually have that player they need in Peter O’Brien.

For years, O’Brien had been an intriguing power hitter, albeit one without a position. He had been tried behind the plate and in the outfield, although without much success. His struggles were also evident in the batter’s box. Even though he had six homers in 79 plate appearances heading into 2018, he has also produced a mediocre .176/.228/.446 batting line, striking out 32 times.

Purchased from the Los Angeles Dodgers on June 1, O’Brien was given another look at the major league level last season. He responded with his best showing thus far, posting a surprising .273/.338/.530 batting line over his 74 plate appearances. He still showed excellent pop, with four homers and five doubles, and had a significant drop in his strikeout rate. This was the type of player that teams had been hoping O’Brien would develop into.

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That strong showing caught the attention of the Marlins front office. While they are still planning to search for a first baseman this offseason, O’Brien has forced himself into their plans. Marlins president of baseball operations called O’Brien a “very interesting player,” who will be given a chance to make an impact next season.

Obviously, those words do not mean that O’Brien is going to have a role in Miami next year. he could well fall flat on his face in Spring Training and be sent back to AAA, continuing his odyssey as a Quad-A player. But those adjustments, and his improved contact rate, are certainly worth keeping an eye on.

O’Brien could well be an important player for the future of the Marlins. There are a lot of holes on the roster that the front office will need to fill, either by trading for prospects or in free agency. If this improvement is sustainable, then the Marlins will have landed a power hitting first baseman at minimal cost, a potential middle of the order bat that had been acquired in a minor transaction.

The Miami Marlins are going to give Peter O’Brien a long look next season. This may be his best chance to prove that he can have success at the major league level.