Helter Skelter » Is it time for the valuable utility player to take owner

ship of a single position?"WhiteFanposts Sections News & RumorsAnalysisPodcastsProspects & DraftGame CoverageFull ArchiveMasthead Social Marlins Players on TwitterFish Stripes on InstagramMarlins Media Members Fish Stripes Best of 2018 Marlins StoriesScheduleRosterStatsCommunity Guidelines StubHub ami Marlins Analysis2019 Marlins Season Preview2019 Marlins Season Preview: Miguel RojasIs it time for the valuable utility player to take ownership of a single position? ESTShareTweetShareShare2019 Marlins Season Preview: Miguel RojasVia Marlins/TwitterPrior to the 2015 campaign Felix Hernandez Jersey , the Miami Marlins and Los Angeles Dodgers executed a trade that was centered around second baseman DeeGordon coming to Little Havana. Gordon made an immediate impact on Miami; there’s no denying that he was as electrifying as advertised and a fan favorite. That being said, I have a question for you...Since 2017, Dee Gordon has a higher Wins Above Replacement (WAR) than MiguelRojas. True or false? False. The distinction belongs to the current Marlins infielder. Rojas has a collective WAR of 4.5, while Gordon has contributed 3.7 in that span between Miami and Seattle.Producing value on par with an average everyday player, there is a strong case to be made that Miguel Rojas should serve as the 2019 Marlins starting shortstop.How did he get here? Traded from Dodgers to Marlins on December 11, 2014.2018 MLB Stats: .252/.297/.346, 11 HR, 6 SB, and 53 RBI in 153 G2019 ZiPS Projection: .260/.307/.355, 7 HR Hisashi Iwakuma Jersey , 4 SB, and 45 RBI in 150 GThe 30 year-old Rojas—Happy belated birthday!—matured through the Rays, Reds, and Dodgers farm systems as a glove-first player. He’s been a standout defender in the majors with 35 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) since debuting in 2014, with his 2018 campaign yielding a +14 DRS across 1B, 2B, 3B, and SS. As a comparison, old friend Adeiny Hechavarria has 23 DRS in the same span of time.To put it plainly, Rojas is good to great with the glove.The hope for him in 2019? That he can develop that kind of proficiency at the plate. We saw Rojas take positive strides last season. His soft contact percentage decreased from almost 28% in 2017 to 20% in 2018. Putting the bat on the ball with authority led to more homers (11 easily set a new career high). He also showed better gap-power production and turned what used to be harmless grounders into solid singles to the outfield.Rojas began elevating the ball with a noticeably different swing plane. Using Statcast data Ken Griffey Jersey , we can illustrate how he consistently had a positive launch angle, unlike in 2017. Rojas in 2017 vs. Rojas in 2018He generally stepped-up with men on base (.733 OPS) and in scoring position (.738 OPS). On the other hand, the Venezuelan veteran would occasionally fall back into bad habits at inopportune times, hammering pitches straight into the dirt and grounding into an NL-leading 23 double plays.Miggy Ro’s aggression paid off in power production, but his walk rate and on-base percentage dipped from the previous campaign. That negated some of his progress and should make him consider searching for a better balance in 2019. Spring competition for the Marlins shortstop job is a tight one, as explained in the JT Riddle preview released on Wednesday. But it’s a win-win for Fish fans—they have two solid candidates, leaving the loser of that battle as an over-qualified backup. Regardless, both Rojas and Riddle figure to get significant reps while the more tantalizing shortstops in the organization continue to refine their skills in the minors. The St. Louis Cardinals (69-57) will try to stay hot and beat the Los Angeles Dodgers (67-59) for the fourth consecutive time on Tuesday when they visit them again as large road underdogs at the sportsbooks.The Cardinals won the series opener 5-3 on Monday to earn their third straight victory against the Dodgers and 11th in 13 games overall after losing six of the previous seven meetings, according to the OddsShark MLB Database.MLB betting line: The Dodgers opened as -155 favorites (wager $155 to win $100); the total is at eight runs, according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark. (Line updates and matchup report)MLB betting pick http://www.marinersfanproshop.com/authentic-edgar-martinez-jersey , via OddsShark computer: 4.0-0.6, Dodgers (MLB picks on every game)Check out the OddsShark podcast on iTunes or at OddsShark.libsyn.com for more odds information, betting picks and a breakdown of this week's top sports betting news. Why the Cardinals can pay on the MLB linesSt. Louis is playing as well as any team in baseball right now and has passed Los Angeles in the National League standings. If the postseason started today, the Dodgers would not be in the playoff field, and the Cardinals would like to keep it that way since they are in direct competition with them for one of the two wild-card spots.Rookie pitcher Daniel Poncedeleon (0-0, 2.04 ERA) will make his second career start, and he was nearly perfect in his first back on July 23 against the Cincinnati Reds. In that road game at Cincinnati, the 26-year-old threw seven hitless innings en route to a 2-1 win, walking three and striking out three on 116 total pitches. So the potential is there. Why the Dodgers can pay on the MLB linesLos Angeles got great news before Monday's game when it was announced that closer Kenley Jansen is back from an irregular heartbeat with no restrictions. The Dodgers struggled without Jansen, going 4-7 in the 11 games he missed and falling out of first place in the NL West.Despite losing the series opener http://www.marinersfanproshop.com/authentic-edgar-martinez-jersey , they also have to be happy with how Hyun-Jin Ryu (3-0, 1.77 ERA) pitched after returning from a groin injury. The 31-year-old threw six scoreless innings in a 4-3 win over the San Francisco Giants last Wednesday, scattering three hits with no walks and six strikeouts. He had not pitched since May 2. Smart betting pickEven though the price is a bit high on Los Angeles in this spot, the right team is favored with a much more experienced starting pitcher on the mound. The Dodgers simply cannot afford to lose here, so look for them to bounce back with a big victory Tuesday. MLB betting trendsThe total has gone under in four of St. Louis' last six games.The total has gone under in 15 of Los Angeles' last 23 games.The total has gone under in four of Los Angeles' last five games when playing St. Louis. All MLB odds and betting trends according to Bleacher Report's official odds partner, OddsShark. Check out OddsShark on Twitter and Instagram or head to YouTube for more betting picks and analysis on this week's top games. You can also download the free odds tracker app.