Given we're less than a month into the season I think it ought to be obvious to even the most rabid naysayers that Dan Uggla has done everything one could possibly expect from a rookie second baseman.

 

By July or August he'll probably hold the record for home runs by a Marlins second baseman, he is fearless at bat and everyday plays his position better than the day before. Is he now or ever going to be the healthy Luis Castillo we saw a few years ago? Not a chance. But can he be a Mark Grudzielanek or Rich Aurilla, a guy with a multi-year career and respectable numbers, you betcha.

 

I'm glad he's a Marlin. I wonder how others feel.

Offensively and Defensively he is doing all a Marlin fan can ask him to do

I love the guy. I have to admit that I was one of the people that didn't think he was all that great, but he's proven me wrong and I am happy that he did. His defense has been very solid and his approach at the plate has been outstanding. I hope he stays in the 2-hole when Hermida comes back. We can put Hermida behind Willy.

 

Shadez

Uggla

Miggy

Willy

Hermida

Jacobs

Olivo

Abercrombie

Watching him play, you can't help but like Uggla. He's such an underdog, and up to this point he's far exceeded any reasonable expectations. I've gotta say he's among my favorite of the new Fish.

I'm not ready to pronounce him an all-star, but I'm confident we won't have to give him back to his rule-5 seller.

 

I need to wait a few more ABs before I'm confident in keeping him in the 2-hole when Hermida comes of the DL.

I root for the underdog as you do. This guy physically...facially...looks like an underdog, and he's obviously on paper an underdog to make any MLB roster long term. I'd like to see the guy do as good as he's done the first 20 games for the next 300 games. I'm not ready to say whether he belongs in MLB or not, but I'm hopeful and rooting for him.

:ramp

 

So far so good. I've been on the bandwagon for a very long time, just ask MarlinsLou.

Uggla is awesome.

 

When I saw that he won the job at 2nd, I couldn't help but think "oh sh*t, we're screwed" but thankfully I was wrong :thumbup .

He's had a nice 3 weeks, but let's not proclaim him the solution to 2B yet. I think he is playing at his ceiling right now, .273/.342/.439. I would love it if that line was the same in July. Once he starts seeing teams second and third times I expect some major adjustments, but we shall see. I'm encouraged by his BB/K (6/8), and his defense is a tad better then I anticipated. I'm glad he is taking the most of this amazing opportunity he has been handed. Good for him.

 

I know he is super hot right now so some of you will not get the analogy, but overall, I give Uggla a nice shot to be the next Ty Wiggington type player. That's a big improvement from what I thought coming into the season. And really, if he can turn into a fringe starter/nice bench power infield threat, that's an excellent Rule 5 pickup and a nice player for the Marlins for multiple seasons. It fills a need. We need more complimentary guys like this to the core. I wish we had a "Dan Uggla" centerfielder to hold down the fort and atleast offer hope.

 

I'm cautiously optimistic. Still to early.

OK, I'm game. Uggla doesn't belong in the big leagues.

 

Uggla and Hanley Ramirez have been the biggest surprises for me so far. Everyone expected Hanley to have the tools, but needed some additional seasoning in the minors. He has shown he belongs.

 

Honestly, I gave Uggla a 50-50 chance of sticking with the club and perhaps a 20% chance of starting. He has shown so far he certainly can play at this level. His range and consistency in the field is not too shabby and he is really starting to adjust to big league pitching.

 

I still don't believe he's our long term answer to 2B, but he certainly would be a very nice utility infielder with some pop off the bench.

I was defending him from the start too, figured if he could hit even a LITTLE it might make up for his defensive shortcomings.

 

Turns out his defense might not be as poor as advertised, and his hitting may even be a little better than advertised.

 

Still early though, true.

Pleasant surprise is all I can really say right now.

Here was the thinking I used on Uggla and still use.

 

He is not a star in the making, calling him the next Jeff Kent is misguided, and hoping to have a long and productive career is foolish...but that doesn't mean he can't have 3-4 peak years with above average production for a second-baseman.

 

If the Marlins are going to have to build a winning team on an -at best- midlevel budget (and let's face it, that's the case even with a new stadium) there can't be superstar prospects at every position. As I see it, the Marlins have three blue-chip position players in Hanley, Hermida and Cabrera, a very good while he's in his prime player in Josh Willingham and two "jury's still out" players in Uggla and Jacobs. Now, that leaves only centerfield and catcher (and hey, Olivo's not exactly sucking) as the positions to fill, but both of those positions are premium. If we can have solid contributors like Uggla helping us win on a budget, it allows the team to spend more to plug areas of need where help might not be readily available at anything but a steep price.

 

I'm not saying I'd take a team of nine Dan Uggla's, but any franchise in our position that hopes to win needs at least a few guys like him surrounding world-class talent. I'm glad to see that so far he's holding his own and making me look brilliant for extolling his virtues.

You will get no arguments from me. The guy has been absolutely amazing thus far :thumbup

his freaking name is uggla

It has only been 3 weeks so lets not declare him a success yet. But I found myself in the pre-season stating his faults because he was talked up far too much. mid-high .700s OPS is about what I would expect, with more hits and less walks than he is showing thus far, and that is what he is showing.

I got no reasons to complain so far..

 

When Hermida gets back, Id still like Uggz in the 2 hole...

 

Take some pressure off Hermida(kind of like a Ryan Howard/Chris Shelton situation), and keep Uggla in a spot where he has done his best at(I assume his numbers in the 2 hole are better than the 6/7 hole)

 

In the long run, I would like Hermida higher in the lineup, but for now, let him find his swing and then move him up....

I seem to be in the minority in this, not sure why, but I think Hermida needs to stay in that # 2 spot. He was meant to be a # 2 hitter and I hope he holds down that slot for the next 10 years with the Fish.

 

We considered Hermida to be struggling in his short 20 ABs in 2006, yet he still had an OBP north of .400. Simply put - we need the guy who gets on base better to bat in front of Cabs.

He's my baby marlin, but it's kinda pointless for me to textually display his success because we all see it everyday.

I still think his future is as a utility guy with this club, but that's fine. I love the guy.

 

He is going to be our Rob Mackowiak and there's nothing wrong with that.

For the momeny Uggla is our 2nd basement...Solid baseball is what we get from him. He isnt flashy with the glove like Castillo isnt a huge power threat like Kent nor is he gonna make headlines every nite. he is dependable with the bat and the glove no more is needed for now. If someone down the line comes up and becomes the next Joe Morgan. wonderful! until then We are just fine with Dan Uggla

Somebody tell me now the whole team doesn't belong in the big leagues

 

So far, its been a disaster.

Uggla has been great so far. Hopefully he will keep it up :thumbup .

While I started this thread and like the kid's tenacity, I have to agree it's too early to proclaim him the Marlins' second baseman for now and the future. But as Lou said, he is making the most of the opportunity afforded him and for that he gets a thumbs up from me.

 

A lesser guy might have caved when stories appeared that Andino was getting playing time at 2B, or become tentative at the plate after going 0-11 over a four day span, his average getting perilously close to the Mendoza line. But give the kid credit, that hasn't been the case. Instead, one game at a time he's added almost 70 points to his BA and continues to make good contact, even when making outs. I suspect he's going continue to show the Fish, and its fans, that he belongs and that he can play in the pressure cooker of MLB.

he plays his heart oout which is all you can ask for