Miami Palms Blog

Joe Mather has settled in comfortably into a role as a utility player, primarily used in the outfield. He hit .26 last year, and has shown a little bit of pop in his bat. He hit 3 home runs and had an isolated power number of .147, which was better than starter Nick Markakis. His glove is suspect, but he can be, at times a good offensive replacement. Sort of the opposite assessement of Mather when he came into the league

There are two clarities about Nick Markakis. The first is that he is probablythe weakest starting outfielder the Palms have. The second is that he is still above average player at his position. in the league. He hit only .259 last season with 18 home runs, but he has decent plate patience and an award winning glove. There is a chance that Gregor Blanco could see more playing time this year, but Markakis is by no means a liability.

The Palms have a new plan for versatile infielder Chris Korb this year. After a bit of a sophomore slump, the team wasn't shaken too much and still hopes that Korb can be successful with a greater role. Korb will ultimately be a pretty good power bat, even if his average stays in the .250 range and he stays allergic to walks. His left handed bat makes him a perfect compliment to new third baseman Trevor Plouffe, who is a righty.

Blake Johnston is one of the least lucky pitchers in the game, but has some of the best stuff in the Palms rotation As such, he stands to be the opening day starter for the team.Despite a 4.63 ERA, he has a 3.48 FIP, which is one of the greatest FIP discrepancies in the game. His successes stem from excellent control, with a nearly 3-1 BB/K ratio, and a low HR/FB rate. His issues stem from those fly balls, however. He is a fly ball pitcher that allows a lot of balls in play. When they drop, that typically means an extra base hit. It's definitely not Johnston's fault, and he hopes to put together some great raw numbers in 2015.

Kelly Johnson managed to tap into the power he featured early in his career, and put together a great season. Among the best second basemen in baseball, based on his his OPS, he hit .275 with 20 home runs. He needs to work on his strikeouts going forward, as well as the cruel march of time. This is his age 30 season, and he may not produce like he has in the past.

The Palms most significant departure this offseason was slugging DH Steve Drysdale, who went to Kansas City. The team went an alternate route in finding his replacement, adding an on base machine in John Jaso. Jaso will spend most of his time as a designated hitter, but he may fill in at catcher when necessary. There is a little bit of pop to his bat, and he should be able to get to double digit home runs if he can play a full season. He will definitely bring a different element to the table in 2015 than the DH brought to the table in 2014.