2023 Marlins Season Review: Joey Wendle

[Ely Sussman]

Relive all of the ups and downs of the 2023 Miami Marlins with our Fish On First Season Review, containing detailed articles about a wide variety of players. The FOF staff analyzes the individual impact that each of them had and what it means for their future with the organization.

This installment focuses on infielder Joey Wendle.

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2023 Timeline

• February 10—announced as team's starting shortstop entering spring training
• April 4—placed on 10-day injured list (right intercostal strain)
• April 26—sent on minor league rehab assignment to Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp
• May 7—activated from 10-day injured list

Season stats: 112 G, .212/.248/.306, 47 wRC+, 2 HR, 7 SB, -0.8 fWAR (age-33 season)

For better or worse, the Marlins had continuity at the shortstop position for the previous half-decade thanks to Miguel Rojas. When an offseason trade sent Rojas to the Los Angeles Dodgers, Wendle was supposed to play a major role in filling the void. He wasn't up to the task.

Wendle was off to an 0-for-8 start at the plate during Miami's season-opening homestand when he injured himself in batting practice. That kept him out for a month. Then it took him another month to record his first multi-hit game of 2023.

Wendle's struggles coincided with a fiery hot streak from Jacob Amaya, who was serving as Triple-A Jacksonville's regular shortstop. The prospect acquired from the Dodgers in exchange for Rojas, Amaya reached base safely in 17 of his first 18 May games, slashing .418/.481/.746 (203 wRC+) during that period.

https://fishonfirst.com/at-the-ballpark/marlins-prospects-jacob-amaya-interview/

But by the time that Amaya finally got called up in mid-June, Wendle had straightened himself out. He feasted during the Marlins' homestand against the atrocious Oakland Athletics and Kansas City Royals—went 9-for-21 in those six games—and used that as a springboard. Wendle found himself in the lineup against practically every right-handed starting pitcher. Amaya was optioned back down to Jacksonville after only four games, with Jon Berti taking over the small side of the shortstop platoon.

Wendle had a track record of good production against righties while he was with the Tampa Bay Rays. His Marlins debut of 2022 was mildly disappointing in that department (.266/.297/.374, 87 wRC+). This season, he plummeted to a new low.

Opponents found that Wendle could be beaten with offspeed pitches (changeups and splitters). Last season, 11.3% of total pitches thrown to Wendle were offspeed pitches. This season, offspeed usage nearly doubled to 20.6%. He did not record a single hit against an offspeed pitch from July 16 through season's end.

https://sporty-clips.mlb.com/cd046790-89aa-438d-82d9-70a6304fb447.mp4

https://sporty-clips.mlb.com/0f1d9bfd-d0c9-4b0e-b289-3562c5dbfd0a.mp4

https://sporty-clips.mlb.com/ea74285a-6cae-44b7-a34c-6adadce67d1e.mp4

Pitchers kept attacking Wendle low and in. He couldn't make contact with those pitches as often as he used to. Wendle's strikeout rate soared from 13.5% in 2022 to 21.1% in 2023, the biggest increase among all National League hitters with at least 300 plate appearances in both seasons, according to FanGraphs.

Joey Wendle's whiff% by zone, 2022 vs. 2023 | Baseball Savant

The Marlins gradually reduced Wendle's role beginning in late August. With Berti and Garrett Hampson both doing well and capable of manning shortstop themselves, the 33-year-old was benched altogether for the final two weeks of the regular season (he didn't start any of their final 10 games with playoff implications).

With all that being said, let's not omit Wendle's contributions with the glove. He played more innings at shortstop in 2023 (754 ⅓) than he had in his previous seven MLB seasons combined, and he held up solidly. He was at his best on backhand plays, generally making accurate throws to compensate for a lack of arm strength.

Wendle accrued six defensive runs saved at shortstop and minus-two Statcast run value. Personally, I split the difference and saw him as slightly above average. Although that wasn't enough to make up for the absence of Rojas, it justified keeping him on the roster.

Future with the Marlins

Former Marlins general manager Kim Ng was a big advocate of Wendle throughout her tenure. Even had she been retained, I doubt there would have been an appetite to offer the free agent anything more than a minor league deal. Wendle rebounding to his career averages in 2024 wouldn't move the needle enough offensively for a Marlins team that just scored the fewest runs in the National League.

The crop of free agent shortstops is extremely weak, "headlined" by Amed Rosario, and the Marlins are thin on assets that could be used in trades without weakening another area of their major league roster. Fascinating dilemma for the new head of baseball operations.

Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images

 

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[Guest]

Wendle should be on his way out.

 

FanPost about options at SS coming this Friday.

[Ely Sussman]

With such a weak SS market, I feel pretty good about Wendle's chances making the Opening Day roster with another team. Returning to the Rays makes a lot of sense given the Wander Franco uncertainty and Taylor Walls having hip surgery a few days ago.