Kyle Stowers, Griffin Conine Competing For Left Field Job
According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, Miami Marlins outfielder Kyle Stowers and Griffin Conine will compete for the left-field job during spring training. Jackson noted that the team is hopeful Stowers can "recapture some of the promise he showed with the Orioles." Before being traded to Miami, the outfielder held a strong .306 AVG. However, once he joined the Marlins, Stowers saw his AVG drop to .186 and held a poor .262 OBP. He also hit just two home runs across 50 games. Despite the drop in production, Stowers still generated a 51.3 percent hard-hit rate, which is a positive sign. Conine made his MLB debut last season and had a .268/.326/.451 line across 30 contests. He tallied four doubles and three home runs with 12 RBI. Both outfielders will only have value in deeper formats as they have yet to have much extended success at the MLB level.
Miami Marlins rookie outfielder Griffin Conine is on the bench to start Thursday's contest against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. The Marlins are playing youngsters down the stretch in a lost season, but Conine has seen sporadic playing time in the outfield. The 27-year-old has had 67 at-bats over his first 26 big-league games and has gone 16-for-67 (.239) with two home runs, three doubles, a triple, six RBI, six walks and 24 strikeouts in 74 plate appearances. Derek Hill is starting in center field and batting seventh, and Jesus Sanchez is in right field and batting cleanup for the Fish against Twins right-hander David Festa. In his last five games, Conine has begun to heat up, going 4-for-13 with a homer, double, two RBI, a walk and a run scored.
For the second straight day, Miami Marlins rookie outfielder Griffin Conine will start on the bench on Wednesday against the Washington Nationals and left-hander Mitchell Parker at Nationals Park. Kyle Stowers is starting in left field for the Fish and is batting sixth against Parker. Conine, the son of former big-leaguer Jeff Conine, bats from the left side and is currently in a platoon in the Miami outfielder after being called up from the minors recently. In his first 44 big-league at-bats, the 27-year-old has 11 hits (.250 average) with a home run, four RBI and eight runs scored in 15 games played. Conine was a former second-round pick by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2018 out of Duke and hit .268/.350/.475 with an .825 OPS, 19 home runs and 68 RBI with Triple-A Jacksonville before his promotion to the Marlins. Miami is giving plenty of youngsters some run down the stretch in another lost season.
Miami Marlins outfield prospect Griffin Conine made his major-league debut Monday with the Marlins. Conine struck out in his lone at-bat in his first big-league contest. Conine, the son of former major-leaguer Jeff Conine, was a second-round pick by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2018 MLB draft out of Duke University. He's a career .244/.344/.485 hitter in the minor leagues in 585 games. This season in Triple-A Jacksonville, Conine hit .268/.350/.475 with 19 homers and 68 RBI. He will likely get more playing time moving forward, as the Marlins don't have much to play for down the stretch. He is not one of the Marlins' top 30 prospects but could get a good look the rest of the season.