Feb 28, 2013; St. Louis, MO, USA; Miami Marlins starting pitcher Sam Dyson (36) delivers a pitch against the St. Louis Cardinals at Roger Dean Stadium. The Cardinals defeated the Marlins 8-2. Mandatory Credit: Scott Rovak-USA TODAY Sports

Down on the Farm Report for the Miami Marlins: May 18th

Triple-A:

New Orleans Zephyrs (18-22) @ Fresno Grizzlies (24-19)

Loss 6-3

Ed Lucas, SS: 2-for-5, R, 2 SO

Jake Smolinski, LF: 1-for-4, R

Brian Flynn, SP: 5.1 IP, 8 H, 6 ER, 0 BB, 5 SO, 2 HR

Jonathan Albaladejo, RP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 SO

After enjoying a ton of success in Double-A with the Suns, Flynn is still trying to find his groove in New Orleans. While Flynn has not been a flop in AAA, he has been nowhere near as dominating in AA ball. He owns a 3.99 ERA and a 3.81 FIP and has struck 30 in 29 2/3 innings, but he has also allowed 27 hits.

Ed Lucas continues to be one of the top hitters in the PCL with a slash line of .313/.365/.486. Lucas, about to turn 31 in two days, is a nice organizational player for the Fish.

Double-A:

Jacksonville Suns (24-15) @ Mississippi Braves (25-17)

Win 3-1

Christian Yelich, LF: 1-for-4, 3B (5), 2 SO

Jake Marisnick, CF: 2-for-4, HR (3), R, 2 RBI

Sam Dyson, SP: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 1 SO

Michael Brady, RP: 1.0 IP, 1 SO, SV (7)

Christian Yelich proved to the Marlins why he is ready, but also not ready for a call to the big leagues. Yelich notched his 2oth extra base hit 103 at bats, but has also continued to strike out too much. Yelich owns a 24.6% strikeout rate as of right now. That is something the Marlins would like to see improved before he gets called up. He is also just 7-for-33 (.212 BA) against lefties this season.

Jake Marisnick hit his third home run of the spring and brings his triple slash line to .242/.290/.419. He will need to continue to heat up to earn a promotion this season. Michael Brady earned his seventh save of the season and has pitched well in 2013 with a 2.82 ERA.

High Class A:

Jupiter Hammerheads (21-19) vs. Palm Beach Cardinals (17-23)

Win 5-2

Brent Keys, LF: 2-for-5, R, RBI

Alex Burg, 1B: 1-for-4, HR (1), R, 3 RBI

Jose Urena, SP: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 2ER, 1 BB, 5 SO

Jordan Conley, RP: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, SV (3)

All Keys does is hit, it seems. Keys picked up two more hits in this game brought his average up to .367 on the season. If Keys can continue to his well with the Hammerheads, it won’t be soon before he joins the Suns team in Double-A.

Jose Urena had a nice bounce back start from allowing 6 runs in just four innings of work. He lowered his ERA back down to 4.53, but his FIP looks a lot better at 3.73.

Low Class A:

Greensboro Grasshoppers (17-24) vs. Lakewood BlueClaws (17-24)

Win 8-5

Cameron Flynn, LF: 3-for-4, 2 3B (2), 2 RBI, SO

Yordy Cabrera, 3B: 2-for-4, 2 R, 2B (7), RBI, SO

Daniel Oliver, SP: 3.1 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 4 BB, 2 SO

Blake Logan, RP: 1.0 IP, 1 BB, 1 SO, SV (9)

The Grasshoppers offense broke out, as Flynn had himself a day, hitting two triples and driving in two runs. Third base prospect Yordy Cabrera collected two hits in the game, including his seventh double of the season to bring his slash line to .241/.313/.386 with 12 extra base hits in 145 at bats. Cabrera has improved his plate discipline a bit in 2013, but still has a lot of work to do to justify the Oakland Athletics picking him in the second round in 2010.

May 28, 2012; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Marlins third baseman Hanley Ramirez (bottom) watches fans reach for a foul ball during the second inning against the Washington Nationals at Marlins Park. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Faith, Hope and the Plight of the Miami Marlins Fan.

Sports fandom is a weird thing, it is like religious faith, really liking a band and a love affair all at once. Sports fans sacrifice so much of their time, sanity, emotion and even money in order to support a team. Marlins fans have been jerked around so much since the fire sale in 1997 that it has hard for us to still believe. The winter of 2011-2012 was a time of hope and expectation for people in South Florida, a new stadium, an ownership apparently recommitted to winning – but we all know how that went – nowhere. The players apparently didn’t want to play for Ozzie Guillen, Samson and Loria meddled, the Showtime cameras captured it all. The experiment failed and so spectacularly that Giancarlo Stanton and Ricky Nolasco were the two players to not be jettisoned in favor of “rebuilding” or “restructuring.” But enough ink, both virtual and actual has been spilled talking about what Jeffrey Loria has done to Marlins fans, the city of Miami and all other concerned parties. I want to talk about something more topical, a reflection of what has happened on the field in the past week or ten days, the apparent collapse of the Marlins on the field.

The Marlins offense in particular, since scoring 14 runs in Philadelphia against Roy Halladay and the Phillies as his shoulder disintegrated have scored 21 runs in the past 10 games and lost 9 of 10 games. This stretch has been bad even compared to what the Marlins had done in April when they were struggling mightily to score runs. The Marlins inability to score makes me lose faith that they could ever improve. But most importantly inability to score runs created undue pressure on the pitching and defense. Since May 4^th until last night’s game Marlins starters have had a 4.70 ERA in only 67 IP at nearly 5 2/3 IP per start. That might just be a sign of Kevin Slowey, Alex Sanabia and Wade LeBlanc “regressing to the mean.” On the other hand, the counting defensive stats, Errors and Fielding Percentage are not kind to the Marlins, while advanced defensive metrics are more forgiving; the Marlins are middle of the pack in terms of defensive runs saved.

I am not here to give a panacea or to spout cliches like, things are always darkest before the dawn, but June 1^st is the day that all Marlins fans who have lost faith need to keep their hope alive. In my previous article, I made a sample write up of the Marlins lineup once Giancarlo Stanton, Logan Morrison and possibly Christian Yelich will be in Marlins uniforms. I believe in Adeiny Hechavarria as a 2-hole-hitter and Justin Ruggiano hitting fifth. What is harder to believe is Dietrich and Ozuna hitting 3 and 4, this is the Major Leagues not AA. As admirably as we can expect young players like Dietrich, Ozuna, Fernandez and Yelich to perform, it is almost masochistic to put the onus of run creation and production on the shoulders of a 23 and a 22 year old respectively. Jose Fernandez on the pitching side seems to be up to the challenge, but pitching is an individual pursuit unlike offense.

I chose to speak of hope for one reason, it is the expectation of future change and hopefully improvement. Things couldn’t get much worse that is for sure but I hope that they could and will get better as May turns into June. As Greg Dobbs returns to the bench, Placido Polanco and Derek Dietrich go the back half of the lineup and Juan Pierre is replaced by Christian Yelich, depth will return and the Marlins will look like a Major league team again. What benefits them is time.

The Marlins are benefiting from one thing time, time is their friend. 11-31 is a horrible record to see on the standings but it is also not insurmountable. Not to make the playoffs or finish at above .500 but not lose 100 games or more games than the Houston Astros. I have hope for the future, the short term future. In a couple weeks, the Marlins will improve and the thoughts of these lean days in the middle of May will fade into memory and they will be watchable again.

I want to conclude by saying this this, it is easy to blame Loria and the front office for everything, I do it too. But even if one loses faith and believes that things can only get worse. One must keep hope for the future alive and think that 2013 is not the end of the world and that as we move into the future keep hope alive and think that prospects can turn into stars often sooner than we expect.

May 1, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Marlins left fielder Juan Pierre (9) connects for a base hit during the second inning against the New York Mets at Marlins Park. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Upon hearing that his obituary had been published in a New York newspaper, Mark Twain famously wrote, “the reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.”  I have a feeling that Juan Pierre must know exactly how Twain felt reading of his own demise.

The early part of the season has served to confirm the worst fears about 2013 Miami Marlins – that they truly are as bad as they looked on paper coming into the season.   Naturally, the focus of the fans and media has quickly turned to how this team will improve in future seasons.  It helps us avoid having to deal with the disaster the Marlins have become on a nightly basis.  The Marlins have also done their part to fuel this sentiment by promoting several of their better prospects way ahead of schedule.  Recently, I have seen several items on the Internets about the Marlins future lineup, for example this one by our own Daniel Z. on Marlin Maniac and another over at Fish Stripes.

One thing everyone seems to agree on is that Pierre is the struggling veteran who needs to be pushed aside ASAP so that Christian Yelich can be called up to take his spot.  Pierre’s dismal early season numbers, currently .241/.289/.278 (wOBA .257), have been cited as the proof of his career’s final plunge into the abyss.  But is Pierre really done?

After a difficult April, things have changed for JP in the month of May.  The Marlins called up veteran right handed hitting OF Matt Diaz on May 2^nd and Mike Redmond has quietly taken advantage of his availability to utilize Pierre as a platoon player since then.  The results have been overwhelmingly positive for Pierre, to say the least.  Take a look at the Marlins top 3 hitters for the month of May:

I think the decision to bench him becomes a bit tougher now that you are talking about benching the Marlins’ top offensive player this month for an unproven rookie.  I know that Pierre has no future with this team, but don’t the Marlins still have the responsibility to try to win games by putting the best available lineup on the field this season.  Of course, I am skeptical that Pierre can keep this up, but he did hit .329/.374/.405 (wOBA .343) against RHP just last season so there is a possibility that he can.  If nothing else, keeping Pierre in the lineup builds up his trade value so that the Marlins can at least get a middling prospect for him at the trade deadline.

Yelich is raking in Double A to the tune of .319/.390/.659 (wOBA .456) and the power he is showing is exactly the element most sorely needed on the Marlins.  However, he only has 105 plate appearances above Single A and currently has a strike out rate of 25%, which would surely rise when facing major league pitching.  In addition, delaying the promotion of Yelich will almost certainly ensure his eligibility for salary arbitration is delayed for a year (not that the Marlins front office appears to understand how this works).

I want to see Yelich up as much as anyone, but delaying the inevitable a bit may be the best course of action.  Bringing him up now is probably not going to make the Marlins a much better team, especially when it would mean replacing one of your few positive contributors.  Besides, Yelich still appears to have some room for development so why not do it in a situation with not as much pressure.

Now if only Yelich could show he can play third base:

July 9, 2012; Kansas City, MO, USA; USA team outfielder Christian Yelich (7) at bat in the sixth inning of the 2012 All Star Futures Game at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Triple-A:

New Orleans Zephyrs (18-19)

Off Wednesday

Double-A:

Jacksonville Suns (21-15) @ Mobile Bay Bears (19-20)

Win 10-4

Box Score

Christian Yelich, LF: 3-for-6, 2 HR (5), 2B (8), 2 R

Daniel Pertusati, PH: 1-for-1 HR (1), 4 RBI

Robert Morey, SP: 6.1 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 5 SO

Michael Brady, RP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 2 SO, 0 BB

Yelich continues to prove his case to the Miami Marlins front office that he is ready for a call to the big leagues. He collected three hits on Wednesday afternoon against the Bears and hit two home runs. His third hit also went for extra bases. Yelich’s slash line now sits at .319/.390/.659. With the Marlins getting shutout again on Wednesday night, Yelich could be a lot closer to the big leagues.

High Class A:

Jupiter Hammerheads (19-19) @ Tampa Yankees (15-22)

Win 7-2

Box Score

Isaac Galloway, CF: 3-for-5, 2 2B (13), 2 RBI, 1 R

Austin Barnes, C: 2-for-3, 2 BB, 1 R

Josh Hodges, SP: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 4 SO, 0 BB

Patrick Merklin, RP: 1.0 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 0 SO

The former Marlins 8th round pick in 2008 is in his sixth season in the Marlins organization is having himself a fine season, hitting a slash line of .333/.353/.553 with four home runs. Galloway, 24, is a bit old for Single-A and the Marlins may move him to Double-A when some of their prospects with the Suns graduate to the majors later this season.

Josh Hodges continues to pitch well for the Marlins in 2013. Hodges has a 3.15 ERA in 34.1 innings pitching in 2013 with a 25 strikeouts and just 5 walks. Hodges was a ninth round pick for the Fish in the 2011 draft and could become an impact prospect down the road if he continues to pitch well.

Low Class A:

Greensboro Grasshoppers (16-22) vs. Hagerstown Suns (22-14)

Loss 6-0

Box Score

Viosergy Rosa, 1B: 2-for-4, 2B (6)

Jesus Solorzano, CF: 0-for-4, 2 SO

Scott Lyman, SP: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 SO

Brian Ellington, RP: 1.1 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 1 SO

The Grasshoppers were dominated in this game both offensively and defensively. Rosa picked up another double and now has 16 extra base hits (9 homers) on the season. He still has his work cut out for him before he can be considered a legitimate prospect for the Marlins down the road.

Apr 28, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Marlins right fielder Giancarlo Stanton (27) connects for a two run homer in the first inning against the Chicago Cubs at Marlins Park. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

On Wednesday Giancarlo Stanton took a step towards returning to the Miami Marlins lineup. Stanton threw the ball for the first time since he went down with his hamstring injury. Stanton has not yet begun to jog, but has recently started to run in pool.

Although all of this is good news for a Marlins offense starving for offense, Stanton is still ways away from returning for the disabled list. Stanton stretched with his teammates before batting practice Wednesday and took a few swings off the tee, but is not ready to face live pitching yet.

“Running’s going to be … I’m sure I can hit way sooner than I’ll be able to run,” Stanton said. “I can already put weight on it pretty well.”

Stanton does not expect to be out as long as teammate Casey Kotchman has been with a similar injury, but that is to be determined as he continues his rehabilitation to a comeback.

One thing is for sure, if he returns faster than Derrick Rose has for the Chicago Bulls, Marlins fans will be thrilled.

Miami Marlins release pitcher David Aardsma on Wednesday | The Times-Picayune 

David Aardsma (1-0, 2.57 ERA) knew his time with the New Orleans Zephyrs was running short when he stepped in for Jonathan Albaladejo in the ninth inning of a 4-2 loss to the Tacoma Rainiers on Wednesday.

The difference between the Miami Marlins and the Houston Astros is credibility | Fishstripes

The Miami Marlins tore down their roster last season and were chided for it. The Houston Astros have been doing the same process and were lauded for it. What is the difference between the two struggling organizations?

Miami Marlins prospect Christian Yelich finding his groove | Bradenton Herald

The sample size is small. But the numbers are eye-popping.

By going 3 for 6 on Wednesday with two home runs and a double for Double A Jacksonville, Marlins uber-prospect Christian Yelich padded his already gaudy stats this month.

Miami Marlins use same lineup in back to back games for first time | Palm Beach Post

It took nearly one-quarter of the season but the Marlins finally played with the same starting lineup in consecutive games for the first time on Wednesday.

Here at Marlin Maniac: