Starling Marte not trying to be Marlins’ ‘superhero,’ but his production is undeniable

Starling Marte insists he doesn’t go searching for the big play. The Miami Marlins’ veteran center fielder merely wants to make a contribution to the team’s success — put the well-hit ball in play, be efficient on the basepaths, be a steady defender.

But insist as he might, the quiet yet productive Marte has shown his ability to make a loud impact when his team needs him, looking like the stabilizer at the top of Miami’s lineup the Marlins hoped to have when they traded for him last August.

Look no further than Friday’s 4-1 win over the San Francisco Giants, when Marte took an 0-1 changeup from Wandy Peralta in the eighth inning and drilled it 427 feet to left-center field for a go-ahead three-run home run.

It was Marte’s fourth hit this season in late and close situations, defined as a plate appearance in the seventh inning or later when the batting team is either leading by one run, tied, or has the potential tying run on base, at bat, or on deck.

Marte has scored five of the Marlins’ 15 runs this season in those situations.

“I don’t look for those moments,” Marte said shortly after the latest of those moments. “I think I can do the job in those moments, but I don’t look to be the superhero type of guy.

“As long as we win the game, that’s the most important part.”

The Marlins have been winning as of late, taking five of their past six games heading into Game 2 of their three-game set with the Giants on Saturday.

Marte, the only Marlins player to start every game this season, has played a significant role in that success. Heading into Saturday, he leads the team in hits (16) and runs scored (13) and is second in on-base-plus-slugging percentage (.937).

“Obviously he’s been really consistent,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “He just keeps rolling. So, yeah, he’s looked really good. I think we’re finally getting to see him play, ready to see him play over a full season. I think, long as he stays healthy here, he’s gonna see a really good player.”

Diving deeper, Marte’s approach at the plate is evolving as well. According to Statcast:

▪ Marte’s 91.8 mph average exit velocity is on pace to be the best of his career (previously 88.6 mph in 2019).

▪ He’s hitting more line drives (35.1 percent, compared to a 24.9-percent career average) and far less ground balls (32.4 percent, compared to a 52.1 percent career average).

▪ He ranks among the top 20 percent of MLB in expected batting average (.321, 87th percentile) and hard-hit rate (51.4 percent, 83rd percentile).

“A lot of hard work is keeping me doing what I’m doing right now,” Marte said. “Of course there’s going to be failure on the road, but I think just to be consistent and doing what I’m doing, and having trust.”

He’s making his mark defensively, too. FanGraphs has Marte ranked as the fourth-best defensive center fielder so far this season. He’s also one of three outfielders with multiple defensive outs above average through the first two weeks of the season, according to Statcast. The Tampa Bay Rays’ Brett Phillips and Manuel Margot are the others.

“It’s a complete package with Star,” Mattingly said.