Connor Norby nearly hits for the cycle in the Miami Marlins’ 7-2 against over the Cubs
When Connor Norby was traded from the Orioles to the Marlins near the trade deadline on Aub. 1, it was not too far-fetched to think the 24-year old would make an immediate impact on the Marlins lineup.
While he had not had much success in the major leagues with his bat yet, he posted an .842 OPS during Triple A ball in 2023 and hit .293 with a .382 on-base percentage during the 2024 Triple A season.
However, instead of becoming an everyday player in the lineup right away, Norby was optioned to Triple A Jacksonville upon his arrival to Florida— where he was tasked with switching from second base to third base.
Norby demonstrated enough improvement at third base while also continuing his hot hitting to be called up by the Marlins on Aug. 19th.
The former Orioles infielder has looked solid at third base, but it is his hitting that is turning heads in Miami. During the Miami Marlins’ 7-2 win over the Chicago Cubs, Norby accumulated three hits — including a home run, double and single. It was the second time in as many days that Norby hit an opposite-field home run.
“The pull-side power is gonna come the more he is in the league, but it is tough to teach the middle to opposite-field power like he has,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said.
“He’s going to be a really good hitter in this league because of how hard he hits the ball.”
Whenever Norby speaks, it is apparent that he does not try to immerse himself in the results of his plate appearances. Instead he chooses to focus on the process of becoming a better baseball player every single day.
“It’s just how I was raised. I remember being 10 and not having a good day at the plate,” Norby said. “I’d be on a field that Sunday night, after the weekend was over, hitting for another two hours, trying to figure stuff out.”
The former Orioles infielder shoulders high expectations for himself and said that he sometimes struggles to not look at his deficiencies too often due to perfectionist tendencies. But it seems Norby’s practice improvements are translating to the game well. His six extra-base hits through his first six career games with the Marlins tie a franchise record.
While Norby does not possess a beaming voice or a large stature, it is apparent from being around him that he carries a quiet confidence that discloses itself to the world every now and then.
“Baltimore, obviously, it is win now for them, but we’re going to get there soon enough,” Norby said. “I was talking about it yesterday, but once we get all these pitchers back, it’s a pretty good staff that we got when we’re healthy. We got some hitters, even in Jacksonville from what I saw. The future is bright here, and I can say that confidently, and I’m excited to be a part of it.”
This And That
Starting pitcher Adam Oller made his second career start for the Marlins. After his first outing, where he gave up five earned runs through 4.2 innings, Oller had a great showing on Sunday – allowing just one earned run through 5 2/3 innings.
Right-handed relief pitcher Emmanuel Ramirez was optioned to Triple A Jacksonville on Sunday.
Left-handed pitcher Johnathan Bermudez was selected from Triple A
Outfielder Dane Myers was transferred to the 60-day injury list
Shortstop Xavier Edwards MRI came out negative on Saturday, but he is still day-to-day with the back injury.
