In a year in which rookie talent seemed to grow on trees, how is it that the preseason National League Rookie of the Year favorite was one of the few that didn't produce big-time? Even quirkier, nearly every Marlins' first-year player outside of Hermida had successful debuts.

 

Like most disappointments, though, injuries were at the root of Hermida's difficult 2006 campaign, as hip and ankle woes limited the right fielder to a meager .700 OPS.

 

He flashed a glimpse of his high upside in a healthy June, batting .345 with 11 doubles, justifying at least some of the hype that surrounded him at the start of the season.

 

Expected to return to full strength in Spring Training, Hermida has the advanced strike-zone judgment, baserunning smarts and budding pop to turn 2006 into a distant memory. Remember, he drew a staggering 111 walks as a 21-year-old at Double-A Carolina. While it would certainly be ironic if Hermida outperformed every second-year Marlins player, including reigning NL Rookie of the Year Hanley Ramirez, it wouldn't be all that surprising, either. Look for a convincing comeback from the five-tool 23-year-old.

 

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20...sp&c_id=mlb

mmmmm a healthy Hermida

I really believe Hermida is the key to this team taking a step forward this season.

a healthy hermida in the 2 hole makes this team very very scary

let's just hope that this year, Hermida will not do what he did last season: take the pitches right down the middle (even with two strikes) and swing at the wild pitches.

Hermy is still my fave player on the team.

 

 

 

I think he'll produce big time this year just so long as that blasted injury bug goes away.

He needs to bounce back from last year. Last year he was predicted to be rookie of the year and flopped. There isnt that much pressure this year, so maybe that will help him.

a healthy hermida in the 2 hole makes this team very very scary

Hopefully Fredi understands that and doesn't put him 7th.

a healthy hermida in the 2 hole makes this team very very scary

Hopefully Fredi understands that and doesn't put him 7th.

 

I have a feeling Gonzalez has a much better idea how to construct a lineup than any one of us here.

a healthy hermida in the 2 hole makes this team very very scary

Hopefully Fredi understands that and doesn't put him 7th.

 

I have a feeling Gonzalez has a much better idea how to construct a lineup than anyone of us here.

don't sell yourself short

If nothing changes and he's healthy, I'd like to see Hermida leading off this year and drop Hanley down to the two hole. Hopefully he turns into the OBP machine we wanted him to in 2006 and give Hanley a chance to drive in some more runs.

a healthy hermida in the 2 hole makes this team very very scary

Hopefully Fredi understands that and doesn't put him 7th.

 

I have a feeling Gonzalez has a much better idea how to construct a lineup than any one of us here.

 

as far as the thread question, Hermida's really the only one with a good shot to raise his hitting stats from last year. Hanley, Uggla, Cabrera, these guys had monster years. Even Hammer and Olivo did as well or better than expected. I suppose Jacobs could bust out a bit.... but Jeremy's certainly the guy with room to climb.

a healthy hermida in the 2 hole makes this team very very scary

It doesn't matter much. What's important about the batting position Hermida is in is if it helps him develop as a player.

a healthy hermida in the 2 hole makes this team very very scary

It doesn't matter much. What's important about the batting position Hermida is in is if it helps him develop as a player.

agreed completely but I would love to see a 360-380 OBP guy with 10-15HR and 20 SB hitting right before Miguel Cabrera. It would be very useful if he can get his eye back (I think mostly confidence honestly that is needed back with health to get the eye back).

 

I just wanna see him happy he is can put up stats of 280-360-440 I would be happy with him this year. It is like a rookie year for him with the many injuries.

From my perspective, it isn't so much who will have a higher BA or HRs or whatever stat you focus on as who can put the ball in play more often, strikes out less (we forget how strike-out prone the 2006 team was), walks more, move runners over more, in short has smarter at bats.

 

If Ramirez or Uggla's numbers (or any other player) more or less stayed the same but they did more "smart" things with their at bats (see above) this would be a fundamentally better team.

 

I had forgotten about Hermida's almost unbelievable 111 walks one season in the minors. I'd rather a guy hit twenty homeruns, struck out fifty times and walked a hundred than 20 homeruns, 100 strikeouts and fifty walks. It's so obviously true I almost didn't *bother posting it*, but with some great numbers put up by alot of youngsters last season I thought it worthwhile to point out one area where improvement isn't always recognized in the stats.

 

 

* = edit

1-Ramirez

2-Hermida

3-Cabrera

4-Willingham

5-Uggla

6-Jacobs

7-Olivo

8-Sanchez

 

 

That would defiently be my lineup if Hermida has a good spring training.

I believe Fredi has hinted that Hanley will be moving down in the lineup

a healthy hermida in the 2 hole makes this team very very scary

It doesn't matter much. What's important about the batting position Hermida is in is if it helps him develop as a player.

agreed completely but I would love to see a 360-380 OBP guy with 10-15HR and 20 SB hitting right before Miguel Cabrera. It would be very useful if he can get his eye back (I think mostly confidence honestly that is needed back with health to get the eye back).

 

I just wanna see him happy he is can put up stats of 280-360-440 I would be happy with him this year. It is like a rookie year for him with the many injuries.

I think it's developing more of an aggressive streak then getting his eye back. He is looking for the absolute perfect pitch to hit when he should be taking what the pitcher gives him. If I were the Marlins hitting coach, I'd get video of Berkman and Swisher to show him some prime patient/aggressive hitters and how they're able to consistently hit while taking a billion pitches and walking constantly. Abreu, Giles, or Helton would work too. I got Hermida down for .271/.354/.428. I think the LHP will hold him down a bit for 1-3 years, but that he'll OPS over .800 vs RHP right away. If he hits .280 overall, he'll easily OPS .800+. I like him batting 2nd too, and then dropping him vs LHP to start the year and hopefully he'll at least hit .250 against them.

I think he needs a big spring and a huge April to get some confidence back. I know he was hurt last year and all, but he would make some really hesitant plays on balls in RF, and that drove me insane. Did you know that Borowski cussed him out on the way to the mound on more than one (a lot more than one) occasion last year? I need to write him a thank you letter.