What will 2019 look like for Marlins centerfielder Lewis Brinson?

After a 2018 year that had more downs than ups, can Marlins centerfielder Lewis Brinson put it all together and have a breakout season in 2019?

It wasn’t the homecoming Marlins centerfielder Lewis Brinson or the organization envisioned for him in 2018. A member of the parent club after beginning his career in Milwaukee, there were plenty of high hopes for the hometown kid who returned to his roots.

Those hopes were dashed with struggles at the plate and a hip injury that took loner to heal than first had been anticipated. Now, with the offseason here and Brinson preparing for Spring Training, 2019 is a big year for the young outfielder and the team that brought him back home in the trade that sent Christian Yelich to Milwaukee.

It may not be as bad as some made his inaugurl season in Miami out to be, but Lewis Brinson does have some work to do, for sure.

“Make or break may be too harsh, but I’d certainly say this is a season the Marlins want to see results from Brinson,” writes Joe Frisaro of MLB.com.

“The 24-year-old center fielder was given every opportunity at the big league level in 2018, and we know he had his struggles — finishing with a slash line of .199/.240/.338 with 11 home runs and 42 RBIs.More from Marlins NewsMiami Marlins news: Another target goneWhy didn’t the Miami Marlins sign JDM?Miami Marlins rejected Boston‘s trade offerMiami Marlins are pursuing Michael ConfortoMiami Marlins need to spend to winHe also dealt with some injuries, but he showed promising signs in the second half. In his final 25 games after the All-Star break, Brinson hit .239/.263/.337.”

The belief is Brinson can be a solid centerfielder with amazing range to roam the cavernous outfield in Marlins Park. He could also become a consistent 25-30 home run hitter if he works on his swing and finds consistency at the plate. Patience is one thing the 24-yer-old must learn if he is going to be a table-setter in Major League Baseball.

Lewis Brinson is a 6-foot-5 lanky player who still has some growing to do. The power will come in time. The rest, which includes finding the right swing and working the count a bit more will be part of the focus of 2019. If last season was an audition of sorts, it fell flat. The Marlins need him to get on base more, use his speed on the base pads and score more runs.

A little less than a year ago, the Brewers traded Lewis Brinson, Isan Diaz, Monte Harrison, and Jordan Yamamoto for Yelich. The Brewers got the 2018 NL MVP. The Marlins got four building blocks for the future. The trade seems a bit lopsided right now. In three years, that might not be the case.

As Frisaro explained, there is plenty of growth to come from Brinson this season.

“Beyond the basic numbers, Brinson did greatly improve the quality of his at-bats down the stretch,” he added. “But to become an everyday, impact player, Brinson must improve against offspeed pitches. According to Statcast™, he hit .242 against all fastballs last year but just .143 off breaking pitches.”