 11/04/2004 5:59 AM ET
Top Fish prospect swimming in AFL
Hermida gets his at-bats in against tougher pitching
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| Jeremy Hermida, pictured in 2003, was the Marlins' No. 1 selection in the 2002 First-Year Player Draft. (Greensboro Bats)
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Participating in the Arizona Fall League has numerous benefits for prospects.
Off the top of his head, Marlins vice president of player development and scouting Jim Fleming quickly reels off three reasons why prized minor leaguer Jeremy Hermida will improve from his AFL experience.
"These games will replace the at-bats he missed because of his pulled hamstring," Fleming said of Hermida's injury-shortened regular season. "And the pitching he is facing in Arizona gives him a little more of a Double-A slant. Also, this exposes him to good players in the league."
Hermida missed a chunk of the season at Class A Jupiter because of an aggravated hamstring, reducing him to 91 games. When in the lineup, he was productive, batting .297 on 340 at-bats with 10 home runs and 50 RBIs.
For the Desert Dogs, Hermida has already compiled 78 at-bats, and he carried a .269 average after 18 games.
With a few more weeks left in the AFL season, Hermida likely will hit about 150 times. Add that to his regular-season totals, and he will get about 500 overall at-bats.
The Marlins' first-round pick in 2002, Hermida is a left-handed-hitting outfielder and expected to open 2005 at Double-A Carolina. From there, his next step will be determined by production. There is a chance he could see his first Major League action sometime in 2005. But he is considered 1 1/2 years away from being ready for the big leagues.
In Arizona, Hermida is getting a taste of pitchers at Double-A and Triple-A levels.
For the most part, the Marlins' top minor league prospect is holding his own.
After an early AFL hot stretch, Hermida's numbers have tailed off a bit. He has three home runs and 16 RBIs with 13 runs scored and a .500 slugging percentage.
What's troubling the Georgia native are off-speed pitches.
Fleming said Hermida has been a bit anxious, and at times he is getting fooled by breaking pitches and changeups.
"They are pitching backwards to him," Fleming said.
Instead of starting Hermida off with fastballs, pitchers are being more crafty. Adjusting to the higher level of pitching is the next challenge for Hermida.
To remain effective, Hermida needs to show more patience and not chase or rush swiping at pitches.
The Marlins' organization has several players on the Desert Dogs, including center fielder Eric Reed.
Because he is recovering from a broken wrist, Reed is considered a taxi-squad player, meaning he can only play on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
After a slow start, Reed is batting .263 through eight AFL games. One of the fastest players in the Marlins' organization, the left-handed hitter has swiped four bases. Joe Frisaro is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
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