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Speaker 1: The show goes on.

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Speaker 2: This is the official show on the fish Stripes podcast

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Speaker 2: channel with me Eli Sussman, the managing editor of fish Stripes,

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Speaker 2: where we cover your Miami Marlins every day in our

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Speaker 2: own way. Thank you as always for tuning in to

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Speaker 2: our podcast offerings. Make sure to subscribe wherever you get

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Speaker 2: as every other Saturday here on the podcast feed, talking

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Speaker 2: throughout the offseason. Something new for you there every single day.

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Speaker 1: Go to fish Stripes dot com.

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Speaker 2: We are gathered here on this episode on this Monday

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Speaker 2: morning to talk about Nick Fortes, to talk about the

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Speaker 2: very most the first arrival, the first of many we

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Speaker 2: hope homegrown position players under the Bruce Sherman ownership era

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Speaker 2: that is actually productive.

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Speaker 1: In the big leagues. This is the first first.

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Speaker 2: Of many, and one that has emerged in the middle

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Speaker 2: of his professional career as not just a guy that

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Speaker 2: can plug a roster spot as a backup catcher, but

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Speaker 2: it's been evident, particularly this past Sunday, that he is

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Speaker 2: something more then I think even the Marlins expected that

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Speaker 2: he could be extremely exciting breakout of sorts for Fortes.

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Speaker 2: Here in what's his second major league season, we've only

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Speaker 2: seen little glimpses of him, and it's my mandate at

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Speaker 2: this point that we see more of this young player

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Speaker 2: as the Marlins catcher and perhaps as the Marlins designated

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Speaker 2: hitter as well. Extremely impressive for Fortes. We're going to

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Speaker 2: go through as usual small pod style the last three

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Speaker 2: games Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from between the Marlins versus Mets,

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Speaker 2: and then circle back to Fortes exactly what he's done

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Speaker 2: that has impressed me so much and how the Marlins

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Speaker 2: should adjust their playing time accordingly.

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Speaker 1: Stick with us.

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Speaker 2: Circling back to the series opener on Friday night, Sandy

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Speaker 2: ALCNTRA on the Mounds in Miami, Marlins versus the Mets,

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Speaker 2: and the Mets take this one five to three, led

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Speaker 2: almost entirely by Francisco Lindor Man. I mean, he was

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Speaker 2: good when these teams met the previous week in New York,

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Speaker 2: but in this particular game drove in four of the

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Speaker 2: five runs against Sandy. He became the first hitter anywhere

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Speaker 2: to hit a home run against Sandy in a month

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Speaker 2: and a half. They had a streak going all the

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Speaker 2: way back to May eleventh that was finally snapped on

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Speaker 2: Lindor go ahead home run, and then he kind of

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Speaker 2: broke this one open with a basis clearing double in

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Speaker 2: the middle innings Sandy. Overall, despite giving up five runs

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Speaker 2: for of them earns and what would you have to

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Speaker 2: say was his worst start in a couple months, he

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Speaker 2: still won seven innings. That just shows you how mentally

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Speaker 2: high the floor is for Sandy, even on an off night,

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Speaker 2: to still give the Marlins terrific length that would end up,

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Speaker 2: I think, benefiting them the next couple days of the series.

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Speaker 2: He continues to be man just everything you could ask

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Speaker 2: for from rotation leader. He's not perfect, but he's still

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Speaker 2: got a sub to eer here in late June coming

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Speaker 2: off of this outing, and he kept the Marlins in

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Speaker 2: this one even though he wasn't on top of his

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Speaker 2: game with the Marlins offensively, they put up three runs

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Speaker 2: on the board in this game. Let me try to

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Speaker 2: remember exactly who it was that put those runs off

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Speaker 2: the board. Jazz had a couple hits early on, then

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Speaker 2: exited the game with back spasms. John Birdie a couple

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Speaker 2: hits as well, and it was Garrett Cooper that drove

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Speaker 2: in two of those three runs on Friday Night. In

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Speaker 2: the later endings, even with the Marlins trailing, I was

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Speaker 2: very intrigued by what I saw from Dylan Floro. I've

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Speaker 2: been harsh on him and how he's looks like a

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Speaker 2: shell of himself for much of this season. All of

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Speaker 2: a sudden, the velocity came back all of a sudden,

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Speaker 2: a couple ticks higher back exactly where it wasn't twenty

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Speaker 2: twenty one, for the very first time all year. His

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Speaker 2: stuff looks like legitimate set up stuff in this game,

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Speaker 2: as he pitched a one, two three inning, so that

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Speaker 2: was encouraging, even though the game would go to the Mets.

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Speaker 2: In this one, I think the Marlins got a couple

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Speaker 2: of base runners against Edwin Diaz in the ninth ending

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Speaker 2: if I remember that correctly. They didn't push across a run, though,

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Speaker 2: and we move on to Saturday exact same final score,

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Speaker 2: five to three. There were some uneasy vibes around this

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Speaker 2: team entering the game because on Friday, with Jazz exiting

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Speaker 2: with backspasms, with Miguel Rojas dealing with what was described

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Speaker 2: as I think a foot bone contusion of sorts something

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Speaker 2: like that, Jose Devers, the twenty two year old prospect,

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Speaker 2: was brought up from Double A to at least be

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Speaker 2: around the team. He wasn't officially called up, but he

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Speaker 2: was brought up as kind of an insurance policy in

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Speaker 2: case one of those two had a setback in recovering

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Speaker 2: from their minor issues, and a sigh of relief both

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Speaker 2: of them were able to play. Devers ultimately went back

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Speaker 2: down to double at Pensacola. That was a really uneasy

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Speaker 2: pregame portion though with him around the team not understanding

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Speaker 2: why Devers, who was struggling to be frank in the

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Speaker 2: minors this year, would even be a consideration to come

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Speaker 2: up in the big league club when clearly he needs

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Speaker 2: to develop more down on the farm. With Trevor Rodgers

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Speaker 2: in this one, it was another meh outing. I think

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Speaker 2: if you dive really deeply into his last two starts,

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Speaker 2: both against the Mets, you see some positive signs, and

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Speaker 2: this one particularly in the first ending of this game,

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Speaker 2: how confident he was with his fastball early on was encouraging,

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Speaker 2: and then kind of from there, it's just such a

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Speaker 2: grind for him to put away batters and for him

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Speaker 2: to avoid hard contact. Overall, you now have the anti

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Speaker 2: Sandy streak from Trevor. His last seven starts are all

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Speaker 2: five innings or fewer, all with multiple earned runs allowed.

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Speaker 2: Has not been in an extended period of time, not

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Speaker 2: even one single outing that you could feel fully empowered by,

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Speaker 2: fully proud of. Frankly, he's just not putting it all together.

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Speaker 2: Still has that er in the high fives.

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Speaker 1: As we get this.

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Speaker 2: Deep into the season, When you're not providing quality, when

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Speaker 2: you're not providing effectiveness, when you're the anti Alcontra man,

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Speaker 2: it drags down the rest of the club. The Marlins

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Speaker 2: bullpen first couple arms out of it, did a great

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Speaker 2: job of bailing Trevor out. Zach Pop escaped a bases loaded,

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Speaker 2: one out situation.

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Speaker 1: He looked great.

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Speaker 2: I think in general, most of these relievers are trending

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Speaker 2: up in recent days. I mentioned Floro, Zach Pop, Bass,

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Speaker 2: and Tanner. Scott continued to be steady in the high

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Speaker 2: leverage situations as well, and even Jimmy yacabone Is. He

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Speaker 2: takes the loss in this one, allowing a game winning

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Speaker 2: eighth inning home run to Pete Alonso. That's not really

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Speaker 2: anything for Yakabonus to be shamed of. Alonso now tied

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Speaker 2: for fourth all time in home runs at Lone Debo

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Speaker 2: Park by a visiting player. This was his tenth and

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Speaker 2: he's not even three and a half seasons into his

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Speaker 2: major league career. Jack Obonas, outside of that home runs

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Speaker 2: struck out the other three Mets batters he's faced. He

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Speaker 2: has struck out overall close to sixty percent of batters

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Speaker 2: faced since being called up. That's more than doubled the

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Speaker 2: number that you'd start to get excited about. For him

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Speaker 2: to be striking out the majority of opponents he's facing

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Speaker 2: is just otherworldly, and I think it shows how the

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Speaker 2: league is struggling to adjust to this nasty sinker he has,

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Speaker 2: as well as this slider that tunnels off of it

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Speaker 2: very well. I think he's going to be here to

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Speaker 2: stay in this bullpen for quite a while. So the

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Speaker 2: Marlin's all behind another insurance run scored against Richard Bleier.

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Speaker 2: He's probably the one guy in this bullpen that you're

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Speaker 2: still struggling for answers and is natural being relegated to

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Speaker 2: some low leverage situations. But a disappointing loss not all

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Speaker 2: that surprising. I did predict the Marlins to lose this

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Speaker 2: series in my opinion. The Mets are just a really

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Speaker 2: well rounded team and they were able to close this

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Speaker 2: one out as well, leading to Sunday a Peacock exclusive,

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Speaker 2: the first time all year that the Marlins have been

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Speaker 2: off of traditional television, with a booth that included Tommy

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Speaker 2: Hutton and Cliff Lloyd as the analyst for.

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Speaker 1: This game, it was an interesting broadcast. I was.

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Speaker 2: It was not convenient, I can tell you that. And

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Speaker 2: based on the line of fIF the Marlins put out

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Speaker 2: for this game, there were naturally a lot of people

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Speaker 2: that were not enthusiastic about a new subscription service signing

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Speaker 2: up for that just to see Luke Williams, Eric Gonzalez

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Speaker 2: among others in the lineup. The Marlins sat Jazz Chisholm Junior,

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Speaker 2: Jorge Solaire and a vase Il Garcia against a lefty.

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Speaker 2: I mean, we say what you want about Celaire and

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Speaker 2: Garcia not being exactly what they hoped when it's a

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Speaker 2: left handed pitcher and David Peterson on the mounds. That

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Speaker 2: was a surprising move to get them rest and the

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Speaker 2: reason why the Marlins won this game mostly due to

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Speaker 2: Daniel Castano keeping them in the game. I mean, that

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Speaker 2: was the big difference to the idea that Castano facing

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Speaker 2: a close to full strength Mets lineup pretty close to

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Speaker 2: full strength except for Jeff McNeil. For him to go

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Speaker 2: seven innings in this one, allowing just two runs, it

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Speaker 2: looks shaky early on. He allowed some hard contact, but

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Speaker 2: he was able to pitch around that. We're getting pretty

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Speaker 2: deep into now Costano's major league career, and even though

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Speaker 2: it doesn't look pretty, the adjustments he's making seemed to

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Speaker 2: be working. He is a soft thrower, and he is

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Speaker 2: throwing it soft, going more and more on this cutter

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Speaker 2: of his instead of his fastball, and it's allowing him

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Speaker 2: to avoid the barrel of the bad a lot of

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Speaker 2: the time. So he did great in this game. After

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Speaker 2: an uncertain start. There was a streak I think where

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Speaker 2: he retired at least ten or eleven batters in a row,

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Speaker 2: something like that, and he ends up going deep and

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Speaker 2: efficient and keeping them in this game, and the Marlins

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Speaker 2: are able to scratch across just a couple runs make

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Speaker 2: it interesting, including a Miguel Rojas home run. It's two

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Speaker 2: to two going into the later endings. The bullpen, this

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Speaker 2: time going to a couple of their big guns. Let's see,

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Speaker 2: it was Stephen Okert in the eighth inning, and it

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Speaker 2: was Tanner Scott in the ninth, setting up the stage

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Speaker 2: with two outs. In the bottom of the ninth, Nick

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Speaker 2: Fortes against Adam Adavino slidered inside on his hands. I

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Speaker 2: have no idea how he kept his fair much less

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Speaker 2: barreled it up, but he certainly did a no doubter

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Speaker 2: walk off solo home run for the Marlins. Young catcher

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Speaker 2: oh on the four Test he said, well take the

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Speaker 2: left way back Wick four.

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Speaker 3: Tests, pro Borlins. They come pouring out of a third

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Speaker 3: base dugout quickly.

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Speaker 2: My Fish Prospects of the Week On the pitching side,

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Speaker 2: left hander Zach King with Beloit eleven strikeouts and seven

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Speaker 2: scoreless innings for this red hot Beloit skycarp team that

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Speaker 2: improved themselves back to five hundred. I've talked about the

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Speaker 2: their exciting starting rotation a few times here on the Pod,

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Speaker 2: and I think King has emerged as the very.

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Speaker 1: Most effective of the bunch.

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Speaker 2: Not quite on the same prospect level as somebody like

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Speaker 2: Dax Folton yet, but he is trending in that direction.

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Speaker 2: A lot of strikeouts in a lot of different ways

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Speaker 2: in this one, including with his fastball, off of his

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Speaker 2: breaking balls as well looking on painting the quarters of

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Speaker 2: the zone as well as getting whiffs. This was a

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Speaker 2: dominant outing for Zach King on Sunday. It was and

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Speaker 2: his teammate Nasim Nunez on the hitting side, Fish Prospects

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Speaker 2: of the Week. Look at this slash line four seventy

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Speaker 2: four six point fifteen nine to forty seven in this

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Speaker 2: past series, slugging nine to forty seven. Nasiem Nunez, one

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Speaker 2: of the smallest players in this organization. This week include

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Speaker 2: he did his very first minor league home run. It

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Speaker 2: comes in his third minor league season. He only struck

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Speaker 2: out one time. Of course, he stole a couple more

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Speaker 2: bases now thirty swipes this season.

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Speaker 1: Nuniez is starting to put it all together.

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Speaker 2: For somebody that's already immensely talented as a base runner

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Speaker 2: and as a defender. To see his bat tick up

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Speaker 2: the way that it has should have the Marlins feeling

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Speaker 2: that maybe on the heels of Fortes they have another

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Speaker 2: home grown position player who can be very productive all

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Speaker 2: round at the highest level someday. Honorable mentions to another

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Speaker 2: one of their teammates, Marcus Chew, playing in six games

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Speaker 2: this week, he hit five hundred over the course of

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Speaker 2: a week as outstanding for Chew also going down to

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Speaker 2: the FCL Rookie League fer Javier Sonoa with a twelve

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Speaker 2: eight ops for him, he's another prospect that has the

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Speaker 2: arrow pointing up on.

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Speaker 1: Him this season.

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Speaker 2: You folks know, I am not one to overreact to

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Speaker 2: tiny sample sizes. I have to make an exception for

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Speaker 2: Nick Fortes. When he has been on a major league

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Speaker 2: field the last two seasons, he has been the best

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Speaker 2: player on that field. We now have twenty seven games,

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Speaker 2: fourteen of them last year, thirteen of them this year,

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Speaker 2: and the slash line is almost identical. Like he was

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Speaker 2: hitting great last year, seventy two percent better than the

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Speaker 2: league average, a one seventy two weighted runs created plus,

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Speaker 2: and this year it has been a carbon copy of

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Speaker 2: that one seventy three WRC plus, including Sunday's game, hitting

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Speaker 2: as well as anybody has and not necessarily getting lucky

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Speaker 2: about it. It is that combination of making hard contact

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Speaker 2: and also making frequent contact. What sticks out to me

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Speaker 2: with this home run that he ate on Sunday, going

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Speaker 2: well outside the zone to hit the ball and to

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Speaker 2: hit it over four hundred feet to the pull side.

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Speaker 2: That was crazy. What's more so stood out about him

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Speaker 2: since he's been the big leagues in the small sample,

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Speaker 2: and it goes back to when he was a prospect

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Speaker 2: as well, is that when you throw a pitches in zone,

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Speaker 2: he is able to do damage against them. He has

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Speaker 2: a zone contact percentage in the majors of ninety five percents.

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Speaker 2: He seldom swings and misses when you throw a pitch

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Speaker 2: anywhere in the zone for him to make as much

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Speaker 2: contact as he does, and also for nearly half of

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Speaker 2: that contact to be hard contact, a forty five percent

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Speaker 2: hard hit rate in the majors, I mean, what more

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Speaker 2: can you say?

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Speaker 1: That is terrific?

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Speaker 2: Hitting in a nutshell, he has been hitting the ball

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Speaker 2: hard since last year. He's been getting it in the air.

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Speaker 2: Just an incredible for somebody that admittedly had some struggles

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Speaker 2: offensively in twenty eighteen and twenty nineteen at the start

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Speaker 2: of his minor league career. It's still a small sample,

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Speaker 2: but you can just see the tools, the vision that

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Speaker 2: he has, the ability that he has to adjust to

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Speaker 2: different pitch types, the power that he can hit to

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Speaker 2: to all fields. It's not just pulling it straight down

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Speaker 2: the line, but a couple of the seven home runs

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Speaker 2: that he has already hit in the majors or more

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Speaker 2: towards centerfield as well. I mean, just digest that seven

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Speaker 2: home runs in twenty seven games. That's for a catcher,

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Speaker 2: for a guy that has been the catcher in almost

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Speaker 2: all those games going back to last year. It is

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Speaker 2: seventh best in the majors, number seven in the majors

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Speaker 2: out of players that have hit at least fifty played appearances,

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Speaker 2: a list of over six hundred major league players, and

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Speaker 2: he is seventh bests. He is in the ninety ninth

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Speaker 2: percent dial in zone contact percentage, and when he makes

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Speaker 2: that it goes a long way. The entire offensive package

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Speaker 2: is there too. It's not just as a hitter, but

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Speaker 2: the fact that when he does put balls in play,

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Speaker 2: the few that don't go over the wall, He's able

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Speaker 2: to use his legs in a way that catchers very

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Speaker 2: rarely do. The Marlins fans have been spoiled by this,

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Speaker 2: of course, in recent years with JT. Real Muto and

305
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Speaker 2: Jorge Alfaro, and this year as well with their new teams.

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Speaker 2: Those two remain at the top of the sprint speed

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Speaker 2: a leaderboard among major league catchers. You know who's fifth

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Speaker 2: on that list in sprint speed for catchers. Nick fortees

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Speaker 2: over twenty eight feet per second on his sprints this

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Speaker 2: year so far. That's not fluki. I mean, there's only

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Speaker 2: so fast that you can reach. That is, even in

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Speaker 2: a small sample size. For him to have the capacity

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Speaker 2: to run at that level, which is well above average

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Speaker 2: for any major league player, but compared to catchers, that

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Speaker 2: is elite. This is an elite runner, at least in

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Speaker 2: terms of using that speed for baseball purposes. You know,

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Speaker 2: he is not, when you look at him, the most

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Speaker 2: obvious special athlete that you can put your eyes on.

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Speaker 1: You know, he doesn't.

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Speaker 2: Exactly pass the eye test when it comes to elite athleticism.

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Speaker 2: All that matters is being able to apply that to games.

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Speaker 2: For all the hard contact he makes and for all

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Speaker 2: the quick times that he runs down the first base line,

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Speaker 2: it's really undeniable that he is a unique skill set

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Speaker 2: for the catcher's position, and for the Marlins to have

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Speaker 2: that at the major league level is exhilarating considering that

327
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Speaker 2: they've we've seen the trade away the two other guys

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Speaker 2: that had that very unique skill set and yet fotes

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Speaker 2: on a similar level to real Muto and of course

330
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Speaker 2: far more than al Faro. His understanding of what pitches

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Speaker 2: the swing at and his mechanical skills to actually make

332
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Speaker 2: contact and hard concept on those desirable pitches is it's

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Speaker 2: just great talents. This is something that does not seem

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Speaker 2: to be a fluke to me in any sense, of course,

335
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Speaker 2: the overall numbers are going to come back down to earth.

336
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Speaker 2: I don't think he's going to continue hitting like Mike

337
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Speaker 2: Trout if he's playing on an everyday basis or close

338
00:19:20,320 --> 00:19:24,520
Speaker 2: to that, but his floor as a player offensively is

339
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Speaker 2: extremely high. On the defensive side, I can't help but

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Speaker 2: be impressed as well what he does in terms of

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Speaker 2: blocking pitches in the dirt. That is what has really

342
00:19:33,760 --> 00:19:36,600
Speaker 2: stood out for him, to block pitches in the dirt

343
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Speaker 2: when catching a Marlins team that both now and in

344
00:19:39,880 --> 00:19:42,360
Speaker 2: the very near future is going to have some absolutely

345
00:19:43,440 --> 00:19:46,560
Speaker 2: filthy arms. In terms of guys that have stuff that

346
00:19:46,640 --> 00:19:48,679
Speaker 2: is difficult to catch, it should not be taken for

347
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Speaker 2: granted being able to block pitches in the dirt when

348
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Speaker 2: you're catching arms that are just that's the other side

349
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Speaker 2: of having elite stuff. It's hard for the batters to

350
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Speaker 2: do anything against it, and it's also just more difficult

351
00:20:02,720 --> 00:20:05,280
Speaker 2: to catch than what would ordinarily be the case. I

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Speaker 2: have to admit, in his really tiny sample defensively last

353
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Speaker 2: year it was not great, and in this tiny sample

354
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Speaker 2: this year it looks a little bit better. And I

355
00:20:16,440 --> 00:20:18,880
Speaker 2: don't think there's any doubt that he's playable back there.

356
00:20:19,160 --> 00:20:21,600
Speaker 2: He makes up for I guess pedestrian arm strength with

357
00:20:21,640 --> 00:20:26,359
Speaker 2: a very quick release, so his pop time is exactly

358
00:20:26,400 --> 00:20:28,399
Speaker 2: where you would want to be for a major league catcher.

359
00:20:28,400 --> 00:20:32,080
Speaker 2: That's going to deter some base runner from going against him.

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Speaker 2: To this point, he has caught three of eight would

361
00:20:34,720 --> 00:20:38,000
Speaker 2: be bas dealers for the Marlins. That's great. To this point,

362
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Speaker 2: we also have to point to the fact that a

363
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Speaker 2: lot of these pitchers are performing well when they are

364
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Speaker 2: throwing to Nick Fortes, Castano being first and foremost. For

365
00:20:47,320 --> 00:20:50,439
Speaker 2: him to be pitching as well in two of his

366
00:20:50,520 --> 00:20:55,000
Speaker 2: three starts this season is a big, very pleasant surprise

367
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Speaker 2: that I think has certainly exceeded everybody's expectations as to

368
00:20:58,480 --> 00:21:00,720
Speaker 2: what the back end of this Marlins rotation would look like.

369
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Speaker 2: With several principal guys currently making their way back from injury,

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Speaker 2: it's hard to knock holes in Fortes's game right now,

371
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Speaker 2: and I want to see a whole lot more of him.

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Speaker 2: We know that the Marlins invested quite a bit of

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Speaker 2: prospect capital into acquiring Jacob Stallings. They traded three players

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Speaker 2: to the Pirates, and they did it with the understanding

375
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Speaker 2: that Stallings would not only be their primary catcher this year,

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Speaker 2: but for a couple of years to come. And that's

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Speaker 2: why entering spring training, or I should say even in

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Speaker 2: the middle of spring training, exiting spring training, all along,

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Speaker 2: I thought Fortes was the right guy to be on

380
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Speaker 2: the major league roster as the backup. The reason why

381
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Speaker 2: we didn't make a big deal of it is that

382
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Speaker 2: it just didn't seem feasible that he would beginning any

383
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Speaker 2: real playing time on the major league team, that he

384
00:21:48,640 --> 00:21:52,960
Speaker 2: would be blocked behind Stallings. What Stallings accomplished last year

385
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Speaker 2: naturally gave him the inside track of being the primary guy.

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Speaker 2: And we saw early in this year when four Test

387
00:22:00,440 --> 00:22:03,120
Speaker 2: was in the minors that Stallings was playing almost every

388
00:22:03,320 --> 00:22:07,959
Speaker 2: single day for the Marlins because they really believed in

389
00:22:08,000 --> 00:22:10,840
Speaker 2: what he accomplished, and naturally so, I mean both the

390
00:22:10,880 --> 00:22:14,240
Speaker 2: tangible and intangible things that stalling Springs. He's going to

391
00:22:14,280 --> 00:22:17,800
Speaker 2: continue to get substantial playing time. Anyway, who says said

392
00:22:17,840 --> 00:22:21,399
Speaker 2: he has been a bust for the Marlins based on

393
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Speaker 2: the expectations they had. They thought they were getting an

394
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Speaker 2: above average starting catcher, and he's been one of the worst.

395
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Speaker 2: He's been sub replacement level, a small step back defensively,

396
00:22:34,040 --> 00:22:38,199
Speaker 2: and a massive cratering to his offensive production. There was

397
00:22:38,240 --> 00:22:41,280
Speaker 2: that little glimpse, i'd say in mid to late May

398
00:22:41,280 --> 00:22:43,560
Speaker 2: where it looks like Stallings could be breaking out of

399
00:22:43,560 --> 00:22:46,479
Speaker 2: his funk, and he has fallen right back into it

400
00:22:46,840 --> 00:22:50,119
Speaker 2: throughout June. As we answer Monday, hitting one ninety six

401
00:22:50,800 --> 00:22:55,600
Speaker 2: with no power and only like an average walk rate.

402
00:22:55,960 --> 00:23:00,600
Speaker 2: He's hit into eight double plays already. He is on

403
00:23:00,640 --> 00:23:03,719
Speaker 2: the athleticism side, the polar opposite of Fortes, right near

404
00:23:03,800 --> 00:23:08,240
Speaker 2: the bottom in terms of sprint speed he's been. I

405
00:23:08,240 --> 00:23:10,640
Speaker 2: don't want to rip him too hard. Let's just say

406
00:23:10,720 --> 00:23:13,119
Speaker 2: that this is not a guy that has been helping

407
00:23:13,160 --> 00:23:15,399
Speaker 2: them win very many games. He's had a couple clutch

408
00:23:15,440 --> 00:23:18,359
Speaker 2: hits on opening Day, very memorably, and then there was

409
00:23:18,400 --> 00:23:21,040
Speaker 2: that other one a little bit more recently, and in

410
00:23:21,080 --> 00:23:26,080
Speaker 2: between then basically nothing at the plate or on the bases,

411
00:23:26,600 --> 00:23:30,639
Speaker 2: and not enough defensively to solidify him as even the

412
00:23:30,680 --> 00:23:34,440
Speaker 2: primary catcher on this team. Since Fortes has been called up,

413
00:23:34,800 --> 00:23:36,960
Speaker 2: there's been a split of about sixty percent of the

414
00:23:37,000 --> 00:23:41,119
Speaker 2: starts for Stallings and about forty percent for Fortes. Stallings

415
00:23:41,560 --> 00:23:45,119
Speaker 2: always catches Sandy al Contra, he always catches Papolo Lopez,

416
00:23:45,240 --> 00:23:47,000
Speaker 2: and then most of the other games have been going

417
00:23:47,200 --> 00:23:51,240
Speaker 2: to Fortes, even occasionally some back to back games as well.

418
00:23:52,040 --> 00:23:55,080
Speaker 2: It's apparent that they need to lean more heavily on

419
00:23:55,119 --> 00:23:57,520
Speaker 2: the forour test side for the time being. I don't

420
00:23:57,560 --> 00:24:01,280
Speaker 2: think I'm suggesting anything radical to at least folk the

421
00:24:01,320 --> 00:24:06,160
Speaker 2: idea that Fortes should be starting the half of the games.

422
00:24:05,920 --> 00:24:07,960
Speaker 2: Let's take a baby step and say he goes from

423
00:24:07,960 --> 00:24:10,720
Speaker 2: a sixty to forty split to fifty to fifty. Is

424
00:24:10,720 --> 00:24:13,280
Speaker 2: that fair enough on the catcher side. I just think

425
00:24:13,280 --> 00:24:14,920
Speaker 2: more importantly what I want to point out is on

426
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Speaker 2: days one Fourtes is not catching. He should be a

427
00:24:19,000 --> 00:24:22,320
Speaker 2: candidate to go into the lineup as the designated hitter.

428
00:24:22,600 --> 00:24:24,720
Speaker 2: I think he's been played toyed around with some other

429
00:24:24,800 --> 00:24:29,119
Speaker 2: secondary positions that might be going a little too bold

430
00:24:29,200 --> 00:24:31,120
Speaker 2: at this point to force him in the lineup that way.

431
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Speaker 2: I just mean as the DH. I mean, to this

432
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Speaker 2: point the season, DH has been mostly Garrett Cooper in

433
00:24:36,359 --> 00:24:40,920
Speaker 2: Hayeshu's Aguilar with a little bit of Jorge Solaire. I'm

434
00:24:40,960 --> 00:24:45,040
Speaker 2: struggling to see the case for why Aguilar should be

435
00:24:45,040 --> 00:24:50,000
Speaker 2: in the lineup as DH consistently over Fortes. What makes

436
00:24:50,400 --> 00:24:55,240
Speaker 2: Aguilar a better offensive player than Fortes right now, what.

437
00:24:55,960 --> 00:24:57,840
Speaker 1: That's a secret, baby, I'm sorry.

438
00:24:58,520 --> 00:25:00,000
Speaker 2: I mean there have been stretches of the season where

439
00:25:00,080 --> 00:25:03,920
Speaker 2: Regular isn't even showing enough discipline.

440
00:25:03,359 --> 00:25:05,000
Speaker 1: To draw his walks.

441
00:25:05,640 --> 00:25:08,960
Speaker 2: His power comes and goes, and his quality of contact

442
00:25:09,040 --> 00:25:11,399
Speaker 2: is not any better than what Fortes has shown to

443
00:25:11,400 --> 00:25:13,639
Speaker 2: this point his career. We could go back to the

444
00:25:13,640 --> 00:25:15,720
Speaker 2: base running again, because one of the few players in

445
00:25:15,760 --> 00:25:19,440
Speaker 2: the majors that's even slower than Jacob Stallings Hasu's Aguilar.

446
00:25:20,160 --> 00:25:23,159
Speaker 2: I imagine that the Marlins are holding their fingers crossed that

447
00:25:23,200 --> 00:25:26,840
Speaker 2: there's going to be a potential trade partner that lines

448
00:25:26,920 --> 00:25:28,960
Speaker 2: up for them as the season goes on. For Aguilar,

449
00:25:29,040 --> 00:25:31,240
Speaker 2: we know he's a pending free agent. I don't think

450
00:25:31,280 --> 00:25:34,040
Speaker 2: that's realistic. And even if that does come to the case,

451
00:25:34,080 --> 00:25:35,600
Speaker 2: I think you'd have to pay down a lot of

452
00:25:35,640 --> 00:25:38,120
Speaker 2: his salary to make that move. I mean, rather than

453
00:25:38,119 --> 00:25:41,840
Speaker 2: clinging onto that, I would rather see them allow this

454
00:25:41,920 --> 00:25:45,520
Speaker 2: young player to spread his wings. So fifty percent of

455
00:25:45,520 --> 00:25:48,320
Speaker 2: the starts at catcher at least once a week at

456
00:25:48,400 --> 00:25:53,439
Speaker 2: DH why not why hold this guy back based on

457
00:25:53,640 --> 00:25:55,640
Speaker 2: everything that he has shown so far in his skill

458
00:25:55,680 --> 00:25:58,160
Speaker 2: set to this point in his career. I think moreover,

459
00:25:58,640 --> 00:26:01,520
Speaker 2: one missed opportunity that I I've seen now several times

460
00:26:01,920 --> 00:26:05,240
Speaker 2: is allowing Stallings to hit for himself in the late

461
00:26:05,280 --> 00:26:09,840
Speaker 2: innings of close games. I will hop on with the

462
00:26:09,880 --> 00:26:13,199
Speaker 2: Marlins thinking that maybe Stallings as this amazing rapport with

463
00:26:13,280 --> 00:26:16,400
Speaker 2: Sandy and Pablo, he can continue catching every single pitch

464
00:26:16,400 --> 00:26:21,760
Speaker 2: that Sandy and Pablo throw. It's also immensely important for

465
00:26:23,520 --> 00:26:26,000
Speaker 2: a variety of reasons, especially for the morale of the team,

466
00:26:26,320 --> 00:26:28,880
Speaker 2: that they actually win the starts that are started by

467
00:26:29,359 --> 00:26:32,440
Speaker 2: Sandy and Pablo. Too many of those have slipped away,

468
00:26:32,920 --> 00:26:37,080
Speaker 2: with Stallings batting for himself in the later innings as

469
00:26:37,119 --> 00:26:40,000
Speaker 2: recently as this Friday, I remember that one when the

470
00:26:40,000 --> 00:26:42,159
Speaker 2: Marlins only down a couple runs in the later innings

471
00:26:42,200 --> 00:26:45,680
Speaker 2: and Stallings, for whatever reason, hitting for himself when Sandy

472
00:26:45,760 --> 00:26:48,879
Speaker 2: is already out of the game. It makes no sense.

473
00:26:48,960 --> 00:26:51,080
Speaker 2: There's no case to be made. As much as you

474
00:26:51,080 --> 00:26:54,600
Speaker 2: may feel about Stallings in tangibles and his defense, there's

475
00:26:54,600 --> 00:26:56,879
Speaker 2: no case to be made that he is should be

476
00:26:56,920 --> 00:27:01,120
Speaker 2: in the batter's box in late ending, high lightsverage situations,

477
00:27:01,200 --> 00:27:05,600
Speaker 2: especially if Fortes is on adequate rest. You know you

478
00:27:05,600 --> 00:27:07,720
Speaker 2: don't want to play Fortes every single game. You don't

479
00:27:07,760 --> 00:27:09,960
Speaker 2: want to have him pinch hitting every single game for

480
00:27:10,119 --> 00:27:12,840
Speaker 2: Stallings when he's not in the lineup. We want to

481
00:27:12,880 --> 00:27:15,400
Speaker 2: be reasonable about it. I think it is well within

482
00:27:15,480 --> 00:27:19,919
Speaker 2: reason that Fortes should be a pinch hitting option Forestallings,

483
00:27:19,920 --> 00:27:22,880
Speaker 2: and even in maybe some ninth inning, extra ending situations

484
00:27:22,920 --> 00:27:25,120
Speaker 2: when you feel like you're not going to go out

485
00:27:25,119 --> 00:27:27,400
Speaker 2: into the field anyway, you could be bold and use

486
00:27:27,440 --> 00:27:30,280
Speaker 2: them to pinch hit for some other players on this team.

487
00:27:30,640 --> 00:27:34,639
Speaker 2: He is showing that much potential so far, and I

488
00:27:34,640 --> 00:27:38,639
Speaker 2: think you need to continue expanding his opportunities until he

489
00:27:38,640 --> 00:27:40,240
Speaker 2: gives you a reason not to do it. And so

490
00:27:40,280 --> 00:27:43,119
Speaker 2: far he has given them every reason to be on

491
00:27:43,160 --> 00:27:46,480
Speaker 2: the field often. It is a big indictment, I would

492
00:27:46,480 --> 00:27:49,400
Speaker 2: say of Maddingly's managing style that Fortes to this point

493
00:27:49,440 --> 00:27:54,080
Speaker 2: in the season has not been used as a situational

494
00:27:54,200 --> 00:27:56,520
Speaker 2: pinch hitter. The only time he has pinched hit this

495
00:27:56,600 --> 00:27:59,800
Speaker 2: season was in a game replacing I think somebody due

496
00:27:59,840 --> 00:28:02,399
Speaker 2: to injury. I think it was Jazz that came out

497
00:28:02,440 --> 00:28:05,439
Speaker 2: of a game or something like that. That was the

498
00:28:05,440 --> 00:28:07,880
Speaker 2: only time to this point in the season that Fortes

499
00:28:07,920 --> 00:28:10,840
Speaker 2: has been used by necessity. He's used by necessity rather

500
00:28:10,920 --> 00:28:14,359
Speaker 2: as a matchup advantage, and I think that is selling

501
00:28:14,400 --> 00:28:18,240
Speaker 2: this guy short. The talent is very legit for this

502
00:28:18,359 --> 00:28:22,720
Speaker 2: twenty eighteen Marlins draft pick, and they need to be

503
00:28:22,720 --> 00:28:26,439
Speaker 2: absolutely thrilled with what he's become considering how much they

504
00:28:26,600 --> 00:28:30,840
Speaker 2: invested Installings, but the fact that they're really taking it

505
00:28:30,960 --> 00:28:33,520
Speaker 2: year by year with him anyway, and if it comes

506
00:28:33,560 --> 00:28:37,280
Speaker 2: to a point where Fortes does clearly overtake him as

507
00:28:37,320 --> 00:28:38,560
Speaker 2: the best catching option.

508
00:28:39,000 --> 00:28:42,360
Speaker 1: That's not the worst thing in the world. This is baseball.

509
00:28:42,400 --> 00:28:44,920
Speaker 2: It's unpredictable, and you need to prepare for that type

510
00:28:44,920 --> 00:28:47,720
Speaker 2: of stuff by having multiple quality players at every position.

511
00:28:48,160 --> 00:28:51,480
Speaker 2: So it's a blessing that they've had Fortes emerge the

512
00:28:51,520 --> 00:28:53,720
Speaker 2: way that he has. I think, at the very least,

513
00:28:54,120 --> 00:28:55,600
Speaker 2: you have a guy that is going to be sticking

514
00:28:55,680 --> 00:28:58,840
Speaker 2: on this Marlins active roster for the entire year, and

515
00:28:58,920 --> 00:29:01,080
Speaker 2: even when that regression, I think we're still going to

516
00:29:01,160 --> 00:29:04,680
Speaker 2: have a really good all round player in Nick Fortes.

517
00:29:06,400 --> 00:29:09,280
Speaker 2: This has been one of the more pleasant storylines, I

518
00:29:09,280 --> 00:29:11,560
Speaker 2: would say, of this entire first half of the Marlin season,

519
00:29:11,600 --> 00:29:13,680
Speaker 2: and we had to wait a while to see it materialize,

520
00:29:14,160 --> 00:29:17,479
Speaker 2: but Fortes got his opportunity. He has seized it, and

521
00:29:17,520 --> 00:29:19,600
Speaker 2: I'd like to see the Marlins reward him for that.

522
00:29:20,120 --> 00:29:22,920
Speaker 2: So I'm Eli Susman. More official show coming up for

523
00:29:22,960 --> 00:29:26,680
Speaker 2: you on Thursday, and of course we have all of

524
00:29:26,720 --> 00:29:30,640
Speaker 2: our jam packed Marlins content in between then and now.

525
00:29:30,960 --> 00:29:33,880
Speaker 2: Now and then, I should say anything you want us

526
00:29:33,880 --> 00:29:36,080
Speaker 2: to talk about. Let us know we're about to really

527
00:29:36,120 --> 00:29:38,880
Speaker 2: dive into trade deadline season, which is just over a

528
00:29:38,880 --> 00:29:42,840
Speaker 2: month away, because despite Fortes's emergence, I think you need

529
00:29:42,880 --> 00:29:44,640
Speaker 2: to be honest with the direction that this Marlins team

530
00:29:44,680 --> 00:29:47,719
Speaker 2: is probably gonna go at the deadline in terms of

531
00:29:47,760 --> 00:29:50,240
Speaker 2: selling some veteran players. We're gonna have you covered from

532
00:29:50,280 --> 00:29:53,840
Speaker 2: every angle on that. Please rate and review the pod

533
00:29:53,920 --> 00:29:56,400
Speaker 2: wherever applicable. Let us know what you think about what

534
00:29:56,440 --> 00:29:59,719
Speaker 2: we're doing and on this particular topic, let me know

535
00:30:00,360 --> 00:30:02,320
Speaker 2: what you would like to see the Marlins do with

536
00:30:02,440 --> 00:30:03,840
Speaker 2: votes in the near future.

537
00:30:04,080 --> 00:30:05,520
Speaker 1: Are you ready to go?

538
00:30:06,240 --> 00:30:09,240
Speaker 2: Are you already all in on your enthusiasm for this

539
00:30:09,320 --> 00:30:11,360
Speaker 2: young player? Does you have still have more to prove

540
00:30:11,400 --> 00:30:14,080
Speaker 2: in certain departments. I'd love to hear your thoughts on

541
00:30:14,200 --> 00:30:16,320
Speaker 2: all of that. Thanks, as always for listening.

542
00:30:17,080 --> 00:30:28,719
Speaker 1: Go Fish