Lewis Brinson Is Finally Mastering The Matrix At The Plate | Marlins CEO Derek Jeter Is Hyped

Lewis Brinson Is Finally Mastering The Matrix At The Plate | Marlins CEO Derek Jeter Is Hyped

by | Aug 13, 2021 | CLEAN UP

A towering and chiseled six-foot-five, 212 pound man, Lewis Brinson always looked like he was a power hitting outfielder. 

There was a reason that the Texas Rangers used a first round selection on the Florida high school phenom in 2012. He slashed .283/.345/.523 in his debut with the Rangers affiliate in the Arizona League.

Brinson was on pace to be a star before a trade sent him to the Milwaukee Brewers. Just 21 games into his big league career, he got moved again. 

The top prospect in the entire Brewers organization was sent back home to Florida as part of the deal for Christian Yelich. He was destined to be one of the centerpieces of the Marlins’ rebuild under new CEO Derek Jeter.

However, from 2018-2020, he was one of the worst hitters in baseball. His strikeout total (224) was higher than his batting average (.195).

Expectations were lowered. 

This season, he got off to another slow start. On June 16, he was hitting just .221 with only two home runs and 14 total hits. He had been called up and sent down over and over again. It took the Marlins being eliminated from playoff contention, Miami figured it had nothing to lose. 

Give the one time jewel of the organization another, and maybe his last, chance.

The last 20 games though, Lewis Brinson, the prototype power hitter, is back.

Brinson has destroyed opposing pitching since being reinserted into the lineup on July 19.

 

 

The slash line reads .349/.406/.698 over his last 63 at-bats. Brinson has hit five home runs and driven in 18 RBI. Twelve of his 22 hits have gone for extra bases. 

 

In his last five games, Brinson has really gone off.

First, he punished the Colorado Rockies for two nights, going 5-for-7 with three doubles. 

He followed that up with six hits, six RBI, five runs scored, and three home runs. Two of those coming during his first two ABs in Wednesday night’s 7-0 win over the San Diego Padres.

 

 

There is hope that Lewis Brinson has finally figured out how to hit something other than a fastball.

I don’t know about you, but there used to be a place for a glove liek this on anybody’s MLB field.

 

 

Pitchers always figure out young hitters, and teams read the book on Brinson. It read simply, “no fastballs.”

He chased any and every thing else. In the strike zone or out of it, he just couldn’t make contact with everything.

Now, he’s been battling pitches that he normally would have missed completely, and staying away from ones in the dirt. At least, more often than he had in the past. 

It’s an encouraging sign, and a big step.

Lewis Brinson has gone from a star prospect to seeming bust to possibly resurrecting his career.  It’s too early to know if this is a blip or a trend; but we’ll be watching.