Miami Marlins History: All-Time Top 20 OPS (an in-depth look, 20-11)

20) Christian Yelich (.800)

Christian Yelich was a 6’3″, 195 lb. righty-throwing, lefty-hitting outfielder when the Florida Marlins drafted him in the first round back in 2010. He quickly made his way up through the system, generally hitting well over .300 at each stop.

In 2013, then-21-year-old Yelich made his major league debut in mid-July. Over the next four-and-a-half years, the Miami Marlins faithful were rewarded with his quick bat, his gamer-attitude, and his occasional power.

From four homers in 2013 to nine in 2014 to seven in 2015, we thought we knew what to expect power-wise out of Yelich. He surprised us again in 2016, with 21 home runs. He did it while maintaining a near-.300 average, then hit another 18 in 2017. Yelich never batted lower than .282 while with the team.

Over 714 career contests, Yelich totaled 59 home runs and 293 RBI, and slashed .290/.369/.432. This offseason, the Miami Marlins flipped him to the Milwaukee Brewers for Isan Diaz, Monte Harrison, Lewis Brinson, and Jordan Yamamoto. Only time will tell if we got a good deal, but early returns are mixed. Diaz, Harrison, and Brinson have shown occasional flashes of brilliance, and Yamamoto smoked Florida State League pitching in his half-season there. Meanwhile, Yelich has continued to produce as advertised, slashing .289/.364/.470 with 11 homers through the first half for the Brewers.