The projected chief in DH plate appearances is 21-year-old Deyvison De Los Santos, who’s already had an attention-grabbing profession: Signed out of the Dominican Republic by the Diamondbacks in 2019, taken within the Rule 5 draft by the Guardians in 2023, then swiftly returned to Arizona, and most just lately despatched to Miami within the A.J. Puk commerce final summer time.
De Los Santos is listed at 6-foot-1, 185 kilos, however appears to be like like he hasn’t been measured since he was a young person. He’s bought massive, massive uncooked energy, as evidenced by his 40 residence runs in 137 throughout Double- and Triple-A final yr, however he by no means walks, even in opposition to minor league competitors. He’ll be attention-grabbing to observe, however he has to make the majors first.
The incumbent DH is Jonah Bride. Bride’s path to the majors was circuitous, taking him from a junior school to 3 years on the College of South Carolina, the place he was an OBP-over-power third baseman whose carrying instrument was getting plunked. Bride wore 43 pitches in 186 Division I video games; his nickname at South Carolina was “Hit-Bride-Pitch.”
Now coming into his fourth season within the majors (ish — he’s spent his entire main league profession with the A’s and Marlins), Bride is taking revenge on the entity that brought about him a lot ache: baseballs. The 28-year-old hit .276/.357/.461 in 71 video games, which makes him one in every of Miami’s higher hitters.
Matt Mervis ought to cycle by means of DH as nicely. He didn’t hit a lot in extraordinarily restricted enjoying time with the Cubs, however he additionally didn’t get sufficient of an opportunity to put in writing him off. The Marlins purchased low on Mervis over the winter, buying and selling Vidal Bruján to get him. He’ll strike out lots, however that is additionally a man who slugged .600 within the minors like clockwork, and Miami may as nicely see what he can do.
