Miami Marlins vs Atlanta Braves: Three Stories To Watch

Can The Marlins Finally Solve Nick Markakis? 

It’s not that Freddie Freeman doesn’t rake against Miami, it’s just that I can understand it. He’s one of the game’s ascendant stars. Yes, he performed about 80 points apiece better than his season averages against Marlins pitching in terms of batting average and on-base percentage, but he still finished the 2016 season with a .302 AVG and .400 OBP. Studs will be studs.

But Nick Markakis batted .269 last year. That didn’t stop him from batting .309 against the Marlins, with a .392 OBP.

One man can be pitched around, but not two. Markakis didn’t just put up good counting numbers either. We’re talking significant, lead changing at bats. Solving the Braves starts with solving Markakis, and seeing how he’s opened up the season hot already, I’ll confess to being nervous.

Naturally…Who’s The Shortstop?

Hopefully some fans of classic of comedy caught the reference there, but the Marlins infield situation is no laughing manner. For a more thorough breakdown of this, be sure to check out Phil Kimmel’s piece, but it’s no secret that Adeiny Hechavarria found himself getting placed on the 10-day DL this past Sunday.

Defensively, he’s a magician. Offensively, to paraphrase Bull Durham‘s Crash Davis, he couldn’t hit water if he fell out of a boat. Fans will have mixed reactions on this one.

But what makes the story more interesting is that Miguel Rojas seemed to be favoring his shoulder, enough so that team beat reporter Joe Frisaro felt it necessary to talk with him about it. Plus, you might have noticed that Martin Prado isn’t with the team. Or that the Marlins are going with a four-man bench, not five.

Whether it’s what the offense looks like with Hech out of the lineup, or just to see if anyone else that doesn’t play outfield gets hurt, there’s plenty to keep an eye on here.

If He Plays, How Will David Phelps Perform? 

It’s also no secret that the Marlins view David Phelps as Andrew Miller-lite, capable of filling multiple roles and handling any situation. It’s certainly how they used him in 2016. Spot-starting, holding, saving- Mr. Phelps was a regular Mission Impossible.

Unless he was playing against the Braves.

Particularly the aforementioned Markaksis, but really, any Brave would do in 2016. Against Atlanta, Phelps put up a line of 0-2, with a 6.48 ERA. No other team gave him more trouble, at least across a comparable amount of IP. Overall, he had an ERA of 2.28 last season; against the Nationals, over 12 IP, he had an ERA of precisely zero. Somehow though, the Braves just had him dead to rights, time and again.

So how will Mattingly handle this one, particularly with the promise of a smarter and more analytically driven bullpen? Will Phelps get the call late in the game, sent in for a 7th or 8th inning against the heart of the Atlanta order? Mattingly could play him at the first opportunity, looking to instill confidence, or view him as all but unusable, saving him for the Mets.

Next: Marlins Opening Day Trivia

That’s a wrap for this series. As it is a two-gamer, all that matters is the split. But I couldn’t think of a sweeter way to start off the homestand than sweeping the Bravos.