Mallee on the Mike Stanton start tonight in Philly

John Mallee, the Florida Marlins’ hitting instructor, has been all the over place at the Greensboro Grasshoppers’ NewBridge Bank Park and John knows a thing or two about the phenom from the Fish that is set to make his Major League debut tonight in Philadelphia……..

from www.mlb.com:

PHILADELPHIA — Raw power is hard to contain.

Mike Stanton flexed his might so regularly at Double-A Jacksonville that he has earned a big league callup at age 20. The slugger, who projects to start in right field, will make his MLB debut for the Marlins tonight against the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park.

At 20 years and 212 days old, Stanton will be the second youngest player in Marlins’ history to reach the big leagues. The only player to get there faster is Miguel Cabrera (20 years, 67 days).

Power pushed the former football player quickly through the Minor League ranks. He spoke loudly at Jacksonville, belting 21 home runs and driving in 52 runs in 52 games. The low-keyed native of Sherman Oaks, Calif., has also improved his hitting for average, as he hit .311 for the Suns.

“The main thing is he showed the desire to get to where he wanted to go,” Jacksonville manager Tim Leiper said. “He has a desire to be great.”

Few players, if any, have had more power at the Minor League level in recent years than Stanton. Stanton reminds some in the industry of Mark McGwire.

How quickly the 6-foot-5, 235-pound former football player enjoys big league success will depend on how well he commands the strike zone, said John Mallee, the Marlins’ Minors hitting coordinator.

“Michael is a guy with power who is starting to develop into a hitter,” Mallee said.

With such a big body, Stanton will have the challenge of “staying small.” A key for him will be to not expand his strike zone, looking to be overly aggressive by chasing pitches. If he keeps a compact swing, watch out, because he has sensational bat speed.

Stanton is the Marlins’ most touted homegrown prospect since Cabrera in 2003.

“Miguel back then had more of an inside-out swing, and he was a line-drive hitter, who went to the opposite field,” Mallee said. “He was more of a right-center. He could command the strike zone more at that age.”

from the Florida Marlins’ site at mlb.com………