What Marlins owner Bruce Sherman is saying about team’s play and what he’s willing to do

Marlins owner Bruce Sherman, who has taken a much more active role in day-to-day operations since Derek Jeter’s departure in 2021, has been heartened and buoyed by one of the best starts in franchise history.

And Sherman indicated to the Miami Herald this week that he’s willing to provide financial resources to add help at the trade deadline, if the opportunity arises.

The Marlins are 14 games over .500, tied for the best start in team history after 88 games. They entered Thursday’s game against St. Louis with the National League’s second-best record (51-37) and they’re one of only five teams with 50 wins.

Home attendance has been also steadily increasing, with 19,638 and 16,437 attending the first two games of the Cardinals series. Miami’s overall average home attendance is up more than 1,000 per game from 2022 — 12,349 from 11,203.

Tuesday’s win against the Cardinals generated Bally Sports Florida’s highest viewership for a Marlins game since the 2020 season opener.

Sherman this week reiterated what he told reporters in spring training — that he wants to be in a position to a buyer, not a seller, at the trade deadline.

“This has been one of the most exciting seasons in Marlins history, and I am thrilled with what we have accomplished thus far,” Sherman told The Herald on Wednesday. “To see attendance figures on the rise shows South Florida is once again a baseball town.

“I am especially proud of our players and staff for their commitment to winning each and every game. Our club plays hard until the final out, and it has been thrilling to watch.

“The job is not done. We want to be in the 2023 postseason. I am prepared to give [general manager] Kim [Ng] and her staff the resources she needs over the next month to help the club. Thank you Marlins fans for your support.”

MYERS’ RISE

Dane Myers — who this week became just the second player in Marlins history to have multiple hits in his first two MLB games — could end up being a godsend for the Marlins, with Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Jonathan Davis on the injured list.

Myers, a 2017 sixth-round pick of the Tigers out of Rice, was hitting .335 in the minors this season before being promoted to the big-league team this week.

He was selected in the 2022 Rule 5 minor-league draft by the Marlins, thanks in part to savvy scouting by a former employee. Brian Sikorski, an ex-big league pitcher-turned-scout, was working for the Marlins in 2022 when he saw Myers for the first time.

Sikorski had scouted the Tigers organization for many years with the Marlins and previously, the Texas Rangers. The problem was, the Rangers didn’t cover rookie ball at the time, so his first glimpse of Myers was a day at the park in Erie.

“The passion he played with, the energy, the enthusiasm” stood out, Sikorski said. “This is a 26-year-old in AA, kind of old for that level. I did some digging and found he was a former pitcher turned into a position player. I thought, ‘there are some real tools here.’”

Miami, armed with Sikorski’s scouting report, drafted Myers in the minor-league portion of the Rule 5 draft. After opening some eyes in spring training, Myers tore through Double A and Triple A pitching to start the season, with 13 homers, 46 RBI and a .423 on base percentage in 69 games.

Sikorski, who was let go by the Marlins after the 2022 season, is now scouting for the Nippon-Ham Fighters.

DRAFT TALK

In his mock draft, ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel has the Marlins selecting Mississippi shortstop Jacob Gonzalez 10th overall on Sunday night.

“Gonzalez could well go fifth or sixth, so this is near the bottom of his range,” McDaniel said.

The left-handed-hitting Gonzalez hit .327 (.435 on base) with 10 homers, 51 RBI and 18 doubles in 54 games at Ole Miss this past season. He has 40 homers in three college seasons. The Marlins already have multiple shortstop prospects they like, including Kahlil Watson.

Gonzalez is “interesting because the thing you hear from scouts is you don’t see left-handed hitting everyday shortstops coming out of the SEC and the level of certainty you get from that path,” McDaniel told us. “That gets people excited. He’s very good, very likely to make the big leagues. Probably not an All Star, probably never will hit .300 or hit 40 home runs.”

McDaniel lists Maryland second baseman Matt Shaw (whom he has going 14th), Grand Canyon shortstop Jacob Wilson (18th) and Parkview (Georgia) High School Colin Houck (19th) as other players that the Marlins like.

▪ The Marlins’ top remaining outfield prospects have struggled to hit for average in the minors.

Peyton Burdick is at .229 at Triple A Jacksonville; at least he has a .333 on base, plus 15 homers and 37 RBI in 58 games. Jerar Encarnacion, also at Triple A, is at .203 (.316 on base) with 16 homers and 45 RBI in 75 games.

Outfielder Griffin Conine (.260, .377) is still striking out a lot (92 in 219 at-bats), but the power numbers are still good (13 homers, 47 RBI in 66 games).

Meanwhile, it has continued to be something of a struggle for third baseman/2022 first-round pick Jacob Berry, who’s hitting .213 (.270 on base), with three homers and 32 RBI at High A Beloit. Berry was selected sixth overall last June.

“He’s a relentless worker,” Marlins minor league director of operations Hector Crespo said earlier this season. “I know the stat line doesn’t read as well as he would like. He’s been unlucky with some balls in play.”

SKIP’S CHANGES

Among the qualities that players like about manager Skip Schumaker: His level of communication.

“If you’re not playing that day, there’s a text every night before the lineups come out, with the reasoning behind it,” first baseman Garrett Cooper said. “There’s so much more communication that we didn’t have when I was here the last five years. The text gives you a great feeling, especially for a young guy. A young guy who’s not in the lineup two days in a row isn’t left wondering, ‘Did I do something wrong?’ They’re always keeping you in the loop.”

But it goes beyond that, Cooper said:

“Skip is just a really personable, good human being. Family wise, he cares more so how you’re doing at home. In the old days, the manager stayed away from the players. Now he’s like another player. The whole coaching staff is like that. There’s much more contact worrying not only about baseball but more about your life - your wife, kids, girlfriend, anything they can relate to.

“When Skip [was hired by the Marlins], he called me on the phone the next day. You don’t see that in today’s game.”

Schumaker said the importance of being forthcoming with players — and explaining his rationale on decisions - became obvious to him playing for Tony LaRussa.

“Tony was very good at communicating,” he said. “I learned right away how big communication was.”

Schumaker believes that keeping all his players informed about playing time decisions - and other topics - increases the chance of them prioritizing winning over their personal goals.

▪ Marlins catcher Jacob Stallings said several hitters, while standing in the batter’s box facing ace rookie pitcher Eury Perez, have marveled about “how polished and poised he is.” Batters are hitting .213 against him.

Herald senior baseball correspondent Craig Mish hosts Newswire from 11 a.m. to noon weekdays on Sportsgrid. Follow him on Twitter at @CraigMish. Follow Barry Jackson at @flasportsbuzz