With the injury to backup catcher Jeff Mathis at the beginning of spring training, the door was opened for former top prospect Kyle Skipworth to win the backup job. After being drafted in the first round in 2009, he has faced many comparisons to last years MVP, Buster Posey. Posey was selected just one pick ahead of Skipworth.
Flash forward four years and Skipworth has failed to live up to his expectations, but he still has a decent shot to make the Marlins roster, because of the injury to Mathis:
"“Obviously, the circumstances that came about were not the ones that you want, as a teammate and now a friend of Jeff’s,” he said, bringing up the veteran Mathis’ collarbone injury. “You never want to see anyone get hurt.“With that being said, often times, when guys get hurt is when people are able to have an opportunity.”"
Mar 23, 2013; Jupiter, FL, USA; Miami Marlins catcher Kyle Skipworth (53) in the first inning against the St. Louis Cardinals during a spring training game at Roger Dean Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Skipworth has not done too much damage with his bat, something he was well touted for out of high school. He has hit a measly .167 this spring and has not shown any of the power he has been known for. Rather, his five walks in 31-plate appearances and strong defense has impressed the Marlins enough to give him a shot in the majors.
There is still a shot the Marlins sign another catcher and let Skipworth play regularly at Triple-A, but listening to Redmond, that does not seem to be in the cards:
"“That’s the situation we’re in,” Redmond said. “It’s a tremendous opportunity for him. He’s a strong physical catcher. He’s got a good arm. And from what I’ve seen, he’s got some pop in his bat, too.”"
Here is a look back at the articles that were posted on Marlin Maniac last week:
Game Recaps:
The Marlins played six games this week, going 2-4 this week. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, we missed the recap for Friday’s game and Andy should have his recap up later today. Here are the rest of the recaps:
Monday (3/18/13): Miami Marlins Defeat Minnesota Twins In Rain-Shortened Game
Tuesday (3/19/13): Miami Marlins Fall to St. Louis Cardinals Behind Struggling Jacob Turner, 5-4
Wednesday (3/20/13): Game Recap: Big Innings Sink LeBlanc As Washington Nationals Top Miami Marlins, 7-5
Saturday (3/23/13): Game Recap: Chris Coghlan, Miami Marlins Walk Off Against St. Louis Cardinals, 6-5
Now we will take a look back at the main articles posted on MM last week:
Ehsan Kassim:
- Here is the recap from last week: MM Weekly Recap: Miami Marlins Roster Taking Shape
- I questioned, with his soaring popularity, should the Miami Marlins look to deal their closer Steve Cishek?
- I continued my top 20 Marlin Maniac prospect list: Jose Urena was the #9 prospect, with Rob Brantly coming in at #8, and finally Adeiny Hechavarria at #7.
- Find out how the Miami Marlins have placed themselves in a no-win situation with their fans. Seems like the team is more interested in suing their fans then them attending the games.
- With no clear front-runner for the center field job, it looks like the Marlins want to use a three-man committee to man center. Also check out in this article some of the best links from around the Marlins blogosphere.
- Jeff Mathis and Logan Morrison are progressing from their injuries and both of them have set timelines for when they would like to return for action.
- I took a stab at predicting the Marlins 25-man roster for Opening Day. With some poor play and possibly some injuries, it seems like I might be slightly off.
- Speaking of struggles, Jacob Turner‘s struggles this spring could mean he starts the season in Triple-A New Orleans
- Not due to poor performance, but rather lack of experience, star prospect Christian Yelich was reassigned to minor league camp. Trust me when I say he will be back soon.
- Lastly, I took around a look around the NL East and brought you the best articles on the web for our fellow NL East teams.
Placido Estevez:
- In his Marlins Way segment, Placido wonders if it is Opening Day already?
- If Giancarlo Stanton feels lonely this season, he could always ask Miguel Cabrera for some advise. If you remember, Cabrera was in the same situation as Stanton after the 2006 season.
Alex Agueros:
- In his Marlins Way segment, Alex talks about the infamous Chone Figgins being cut and other news on Marlins demotees.
Geoff Parkins
- Geoff and I had a disagreement with the course of the Marlins and he posted this: The Miami Marlins: The Nuclear Option Vs. Keeping Placeholders.
- Chone Figgins and a few other players faced getting cut last week. Geoff examines what comes next.
David Polakoff:
- David made his posting debut this past week and made the rational argument that despite his struggles, Turner is just 21-years old and should not been seen as a major detriment to his future success.
Justen Rosenberg:
- In some non-Marlins related news, Justen made predictions on teams that could shock the world in 2013.