Marlins: Michael Hill deserves more credit for the rebirth of baseball in Miami

When Marlins fans look at how far this team has come in three seasons, some of the credit goes to the president of baseball operations, Michael Hill.

When the Miami Marlins changed ownership at the end of the 2017 MLB season, many believed it was only a matter of time before Michael Hill was no longer part of the team’s long term plans.

Now, moving into the third season of the new ownership group led by Derek Jeter and Bruce Sherman, it is Hill who appears to be a fixture with this franchise as the team’s president of baseball operations.

This could be a very big year for Hill, who has been as instrumental in the development of the organization from top to bottom as Jeter has been, and has preached the gospel about a blueprint that will build a winner in South Florida.

Fans are coming around, seeing that having patience means a winner in the future in the winning-starved city of Miami.

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While it is Jeter who is the face of the Marlins, don’t kid yourself about how important Hill has been as the right-hand man when talking to the media. Whether it has been the Baseball
Winter Meetings in San Diego or FanFest, which took place this past weekend at Marlins Park, Hill has done his part as Miami’s biggest cheerleader and fan.

If the Marlins are able to succeed as has been expected so far this off-season, it will because of the moves Hill and Jeter have worked out for the betterment of this baseball team from Batavia to Miami and everywhere in between.

Even before the end of 2019 when the Marlins posted a 57-105 record, it was Hill who talked about the team’s need for more hitters in the middle of the lineup and strength in the bullpen. The front office made finding veteran pitchers a priority and the need for more power in the middle of the lineup their biggest off-season moves.

A deal for Jonathan Villar does not get done without Hill. Finding Jesus Aguilar on waivers from Tampa Bay doesn’t become a reality without the 48-year-old’s involvement.

Corey Dickerson was added. And veterans like Matt Joyce, Matt Kemp, and Brandon Kintzler all have a chance to make an impact this season and possibly beyond.

Hill’s rise in the organization has helped Jeter, who had no prior organizational management experience. And when we look back on the sale of the Marlins and how this team developed, it will be Hill who deserves the majority of the praise.

His boss may still remain the face of the organization, but Hill’s help behind the scenes and in front of the camera has proven to be vital in making baseball in Miami important once again.

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