The Miami Marlins need Jesus Aguilar to make more contact in 2020

By David Levin | May 3, 2020

JUPITER, FL - MARCH 10: Jesus Aguilar #24 of the Miami Marlins in action against the Washington Nationals during a spring training baseball game at Roger Dean Stadium on March 10, 2020 in Jupiter, Florida. The Marlins defeated the Nationals 3-2. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /

Will the patience at the plate begin to pay off for Miami Marlins first baseman Jesus Aguilar this coming season?

According to MLB.com and Christina De Nicola, Miami Marlins first baseman Jesus Aguilar has the best eye when it comes to seeing pitches at the plate. That’s going to come in handy this season when the Marlins open their 2020 campaign.

For Aguilar, signing with the National League East team after being placed on waivers offers him a new opportunity to help a young and struggling franchise find new hope. It also allows the slugger to find his rhythm once again after a subpar season in 2019.

Aguilar was brought in after his time in Tampa Bay with the thought of playing first base every day. Since the start of camp, he has been battling Garrett Cooper for the chance to be the Opening Day starter. Aguilar isn’t going down without a fight and as fans have seen in the past, Cooper is one of the more competitive players on the team’s 26-man roster.

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De Nicola write a story recently outlining the players with the best eye at the plate for all five division teams. Aguilar got the nod for the fish.

De Nicola enlisted Joe Frisaro’s help to talk about how Aguilar is an addition for the Marlins that can help make this team better from the start.

"“After enjoying an All-Star season with the Brewers in 2018, Aguilar had a bit of a bumpy ’19 with Milwaukee and Tampa Bay. He followed 35 homers in ’18 with just 12 last year,” he writes. “Before claiming him off waivers in December, the Marlins did a deep-dive breakdown on the 29-year-old. Miami felt he performed better than his standard numbers demonstrated, and he projects to be its starting first baseman.”"

The veteran will be asked to help a team that batted just .241 collectively last season and swatted 146 home runs, which of course was last in the Majors in 2019. Miami was second to last in runs scored and had its issues moving runners around the bases under manager Don Mattingly.

While Aguilar had an off-year, Cooper was injured and spent plenty of time on the I.L. while hitting 15 home runs in limited action. It’s Aguilar’s patience at the plate that may give him an edge in trying to win the first base job in South Florida.

"“Last season, Aguilar had an 11.7 walk percentage — the highest mark of his career — and a 22 percent strikeout rate,” add Frisaro. “The slugger also doesn’t chase pitches out of the zone much. According to FanGraphs, his O-Swing percentage (swings at pitches outside the zone) was 29.8 percent, compared to 35.6 percent during his All-Star season.”"

The Marlins could open 2020 with two new starters at first and second base. Hopefully, Aguilar’s nod, should he get it, means the front office and coaching staff expect him to use his patience to send more balls out of Marlins Park in the coming months.

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