On Opening Day 2017, the Miami Marlins are planning to have the same three starting outfielders as they had last year on Opening Day 2016. A temporary position switch made mid-season due to injury is reportedly being made permanent by Marlins manager Don Mattingly to kick off 2017 with a new look in the outfield in South Florida.
Even if a new owner comes in and raises the playing budget well north of $100 million, the outfielders patrolling the stadium known as a ‘giant fishbowl’ are one area that the Marlins do not need to worry about improving as they are one of the best trios in the National League.
With second baseman Dee Gordon setting the table, outfielders Marcell Ozuna, Christian Yelich and Giancarlo Stanton will likely hit consecutively in the batting lineup – either second, third and fourth or third, fourth, fifth depending on where Don Mattingly likes to see third baseman Martin Prado – and must shoulder the responsibility of providing the majority of the offense if the Marlins are to have any chance at success in the upcoming season.
One shift that is coming for the Marlins is a position switch in the outfield. For the Opening Day lineup in 2016, the Marlins outfield consisted of from left to right Christian Yelich (LF), Marcell Ozuna (CF) and Giancarlo Stanton (RF), with a certain top-3 leadoff hitter of all-time waiting in the wings to back each of them up.
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When Marcell Ozuna was hurt last season, Christian Yelich took over in centerfield and Ichiro played in left. Yelich played the centerfielder’s spot so well that even when Ozuna came back from his nagging wrist injury in September, Yelich remained in center. It looks like the outfield alignment from last September is going to stay the same this season, according to ESPN’s Jim Bowden who is reporting it on Twitter after speaking with Marlins manager Don Mattingly.
It’s a move that makes sense. As a leftfielder, Yelich has won a Gold Glove (2014) and the outfield in Miami has a lot of ground to cover whether he is playing in left or center. Yelich’s “closing speed” is mentioned as the deciding factor for his move to center but it is also a move that might have a domino effect on where other players play.
With Yelich in center and Marcell Ozuna in rightfield, it raises questions about what position Giancarlo Stanton will ultimately end up playing. Will Stanton stay in the outfield or is the hesitation to hand the everyday first baseman’s job this offseason to Justin Bour an indication that Stanton’s future might be at first base?
