Miami Marlins: Can Griffin Conine Be A Greater Impact Than His Father?
Jeff Conine was a favorite with the Florida Marlins fans, players, and the South Florida community for many years. He won a World Series in 1997, and some argue he’s one of the greatest Marlins of all time. His son, Griffin Conine (playing with the Miami Marlins AA affiliate, Pensacola Blue Wahoos),
has developed into one of the minor league’s best home run hitters.
If the Miami Marlins need one thing, it’s excitement. Nothing gets fans more excited than the long ball, especially coming off the bat of the offspring of a team legend. Is this the prospect the Marlins need to bring back the excitement?
Let’s clear the air about Jeff and Griffin. While they share the same lineage, they are two completely different players. Jeff made a name for himself in Miami as a smooth-hitting, defensive dynamo. He was a clutch hitter and not a flashy player by any means. Griffin might be the total opposite.
Jeff hit 62 career HR’s in the minor leagues over 6 seasons. Griffin has hit 65 in just 3 seasons. His 2021 HR total of 36 puts him near the top of the minor league totals.
The other notable stat to take away from the Jeff/Griffin debate, Griffin might be one of the least productive power hitters in all of the minors. In Hi-A, Beloit, Griffin Conine maintained a .247 BA with 103 K’s over 156 AB’s. In AA, Pensacola, Griffin sports a .179 BA and 80K’s over 235 AB’s.
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Jeff maintained a .288 BA during his 6 seasons in the minors. Simply put, the two aren’t alike in any way on the playing field. While Jeff could hit with the best of them, Griffin is more boom or bust. It’s either a HR or an out. This is what makes Griffin Conine such an intriguing player for the Marlins.
It’s obvious Griffin is nothing like his father. He doesn’t need to be. We’ve established Griffin is a homerun threat, and that might be enough to sell tickets in Miami. Chicks dig the long ball, but so do most fans. Miami doesn’t usually have that pure HR hitter in their lineup. The ones they have had, Christian Yelich, Miguel Cabrera, Marcel Ozuna, Giancarlo Stanton, are traded away or leave in FA.
What makes Griffin so special, despite him originally being drafted by Toronto, is that he’s already Marlins royalty. Fans will take a liking to him based on his father. There is obviously a stronger commitment by the team and Conine for him to stay and build upon his dad’s legacy. It’s not like Griffin can not be as good as his father. In fact, there’s reason to believe he could be better than what he’s showing now.
Griffin has lowered his K rate at the AA level, despite sporting a lower BA. That’s an encouraging sign. His BABIP in Beloit was just over the average of .318. In Pensacola, he’s sporting a .238 BABIP. The lower K rate and BABIP suggest Conine just might be a bit unlucky. That’s positive news for Marlins fans.
Griffin isn’t taking near as many pitches as he should. He is drawing more K’s than a true All-Star power hitter should project, yet, that’s something some MLB players ( Joey Gallo) have made an art of and they are doing just fine.
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To say there’s not a spot for Griffin Conine on the Marlin’s roster is asinine. Griffin isn’t considered a top prospect of the Marlins. This is a team loaded with talented prospects so that shouldn’t come as a surprise. However, when looking at the potential HR threats in the farm system, we need to start looking at Conine as an integral part of the Marlins’ future. You have players such as Lewin Diaz, Jesus Sanchez, JJ Bleday, Peyton Burdick, all chomping at the bit to get the Miami team approval as the main draw. None have the HR power of Conine. And none have the appeal of Griffin Conine.
There isn’t one Marlin fan who wouldn’t love to see Griffin become an All-Star in the same uniform as his father. There’s a special bond here there that none of the other prospects can lay claim to. This is why Miami will give Griffin Conine every chance they can when it comes to his major league time. He could be what finally puts this team on track. Not only from an excitement standpoint but a nostalgic one as well.
Image Source: Pensacola Blue Wahoos/ Beloit Snappers
Daniel is a guru of baseball and basketball prospects. He’s a very experienced Amusement Park traveler as well. Follow him and his hot takes on Insta @dgentleman9288
