It's Dane Time

[Kevin Barral]

On Monday, the Miami Marlins selected the contract of Dane Myers. Myers, 27, slashed .335/.423/.533/.956 with 13 home runs and 46 RBIs in AA and AAA. Since his arrival to Jacksonville, Myers slashed .440/.494/.707/1.201 and made a statement to receive an opportunity in the majors. In the wake of Jazz Chisholm Jr. suffering an oblique strain, Miami placed him on the 10-day IL and called up Myers as the corresponding roster move.

"I was in bed," said Myers about receiving the call-up news around 7 am. "I got a call from a front office person and woke me up. I thought it was a dream, but it was true." He took a 10:45 flight to Miami.

Myers, who had previously been in the Tigers organization, was selected by the Marlins in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 Draft this past offseason. A converted pitcher, he credits some of his 2023 success to mechanical changes, but cutting down his strikeout percentage has also been a huge factor. He's gone from a 32.6% K% to a sub-15.0% K% in one season.

"Just getting into a good spot to hit just really playing relaxed," said Myers. "Being able to play my game has helped me a lot this year."

A big inspiration to Myers is his mother—she raised him and his three siblings as a single mother.

"She was shocked," said Myers. "She's been dreaming about the day for a while too. She was happy."

Myers has his family and friends in town to see him make his major league debut.

Myers played five different defensive positions with Pensacola and Jacksonville (1B/3B/LF/CF/RF). His promotion allows Miami to sit out Bryan De La Cruz and Jesús Sánchez on certain days. They can also give Jean Segura some rest days if it seems that he is burnt out or struggling. Myers wasn't in Monday's lineup, though.

For more on Dane Myers and his path to the big leagues, make sure to check out the latest edition of Swimming Upstream where he goes into detail on his adjustments, come up to the major leagues, and even making the transition from pitcher to hitter.

 

 

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