Fortes worked on changes to his stance and swing this offseason, and Marlins manager Skip Schumaker is expecting more offense from him this season, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports.
Analysis: It would be hard for Fortes' offense to get worse in 2024 after he stumbled to a .562 OPS through 323 plate appearances last year, a significant decline from the .696 OPS he posted in 2022. The Marlins like his work with the pitching staff though, and offseason addition Christian Bethancourt has a career .622 OPS in the majors, so the starting job behind the plate likely still belongs to Fortes.
Nick Fortes Catching for Miami in Game 1
Fortes will start at catcher and bat ninth Tuesday in Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series versus the Phillies.
Analysis: Fortes and Jacob Stallings both struggled offensively this year for the Marlins, but Fortes will get the call behind the plate in Tuesday's NL Wild Card Series opener as Stallings rides the pine.
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