Miami Marlins: How in the World are the Fins in Second Place?
No, Hall of Famer Derek Jeter is not playing shortstop for the Miami Marlins.
The Marlins infield, as you would guess is filled with unfamiliar names as well. It still amazes me how the Marlins are 24-21 with the outfield I just named. And now, you will be even more surprised with the team’s success with the infield.
Starting at first base, we have Jesus Aguilar, the most notable name among the infield. Aguilar, like Joyce and Dickerson, is a one-time All-Star player. He had his best season in 2018 when with the Brewers.
This season, he is hitting almost as good as his 2018 year. In 2020, he is hitting just below .300, a .357 OBP, and slugging .493.
As you would expect, he has been hitting in the heart of the order. Aguilar has been rotating with Joyce between the third and fourth spot in the lineup.
Now for the rest of the infield, the Marlins have a few utility infield players so the lineup rotates around. You can never really guess the starting lineup for the Marlins on a given day.
At the hot corner, it has been a mix of Brian Anderson and Miguel Rojas. Anderson has been a solid player for the Marlins since 2017. He has a .268 career batting average and played often in 2018 and 2019.
Anderson is a reliable bat and tends to hit in the fifth spot, where he boats as .273 average, .379 OBP and slugging .448.
Miguel Rojas on the other hand is hitting like an absolute beast. Rojas is having a breakout year sort of like Donovan Solano as an underrated name.
Rojas got off to a hot start, and he continues to keep his batting average at .359, an OBP of .438. He has been in and out of the lineup with injuries which explains the rotating infield. But Rojas is another underrated player in the Marlins lineup which will drive in runs and get on base often.
Rojas can play anywhere in the infield and is useful in that way as well.
The other two Marlins infielders are Jazz Chisholm and Isan Diaz. Both these infielders are young and in the infield for their glove as of now. They are hitting below .200 and have been filling in when needed for the Marlins.
Lastly, the starting catcher is Jorge Alfaro. He was once a highly-touted prospect in the Phillies farm system and has not quite hit his stride in the big leagues. Alfaro did hit 18 home runs in 2019 but has not shown much besides that.
In 2020, Alfaro is hitting .224 and .288 OBP. When looking at the infield as a whole, you would never think this would equal a 24-21 team. But the Marlins are doing it somehow.