Miami Marlins 2021 Season Review: OF Garrett Cooper

Coming off a strong 2020 campaign, Garrett Cooper entered the 2021 season as a key piece of the Miami Marlins everyday lineup. Seeing time at two different positions, Cooper was on track for a career-year before suffering an injury in mid-July.

Miami Marlins 2021 Season Review: OF Garrett Cooper

Beginning the season with the Marlins, Cooper would appear in 23 games during the month of April, but would struggle offensively at times posting a combined .611 OPS for the month. Those struggles would however disappear during the month of May where the 30-year-old slashed a combined .329/.386/.526 across 24 games.

Ending the month of May by collecting a hit in 12 of his last 13 games, Cooper would appear in five games to begin the month of June before landing on the IL with an injury.

Returning from the IL on June 25, Cooper would go-on to appear in 19 games across the next month where he would slash a combined .400/.530/.700 with four home runs. Cooper would however be placed on the IL on July 19 with a left elbow strain, and would not appear in another game for the Marlins for the remainder of the 2021 season.

In what-was his fifth MLB season (fourth with Miami), Cooper appeared in a total of 71 games with the Marlins during the 2021 season where the 30-year-old slashed .284/.380/.465 with nine home runs and 33 RBI’s, as well as adding his first-career stolen base. Posting a 1.1 WAR for the season, Cooper also drew 30 walks compared to 68 strikeouts, as well as career-high’s in BB% (12%) and a by-far Hard Hit Rate (52.7%).

While a majority of his time defensively came in right field, Cooper also saw a significant number of appearances at first base. Combined between the two, Cooper made only one error for the season, with eight assists.

Cooper will return to the Marlins in 2022 in a similar role, seeing time in both right field and at first base.