Miami Palms Blog

 Chris Korb has settled into his role at the hot corner now, and is coming off his best season yet, hitting .294 with 22 home runs. He's going to play his  5th season as the starter after emerging from the bench in his first two seasons. He will be able to offer a blue print for Matt Koch to develop his career, all while hoping to help Miami return to the postseason as soon as possible.

 Matt Koch will have a little more pressure on him as an infield addition this in the wake of the loss of a couple of old infield stalwarts in Johnny Giavotella and of course, the indomitable Tony Abreu. The Palms only veteran replacement was Yairo Munoz, who doesn't have a long track record, and it seems likely that the rookie will get a lot more action than most rookies do in Miami.

 Blake Johnston is well suited for a roll in the back of a rotation. He is durable, and has a lot of experience, formerly as one of the Palms first or second starters even in playoff runs. Now, he is still one of the more effective strikeout pitchers in the rotation, but his penchant for finding the strike zone also makes him fairly hittable. With some turmoil in the rotation, having Johnston pitch a few reliable innings every 5 days is a huge benefit.

 The Palms were hoping to backstop their bullpen after a couple of key departures, and they appear to have added a good one. Jeremy Jeffress was an all star with Milwaukee last year, even working some games in the Brewers' playoff run. His post season was not the reason Miami signed him, but rather his 10k/9 and sub 2.00 ERA in his work with Milwaukee. Expect Jeffress to work high leverage situations in late, close games for the Palms in 2019.

 Travis Jankowski is entering his third season with the Palms, each of which he has played as the starting center fielder. Jankowski was not promised to be a big bat, but he has certainly been better than anticipated, and has been improving, raising his OPS by 87 points in his first two years. Offensive production is nice, but the Palms have a roster full of fly ball pitchers, and his range is the greatest benefit for the team. He won't bat at the top of the order, but he is does maintain an important role on the team.

 Brock Holt really represents a caliber of player that the Palms have really sought in their bench. Holt is a defensively versatile player that can spell outfielders and infielders alike, ensuring that everyone can get a day off, while Holt can keep sharp. Holt has a championship pedigree and the ability to motivate the clubhouse, while functioning as a competent bat off the bench, no matter where he plays.