Miami's Biggest Free Agent Bust Is Hitting .154 With Zero Home Runs
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The Miami Marlins had a vision in December of 2025 when they signed Christopher Morel. First base would be manned, and the team would have some legitimate middle-of-the-order power. So far, there has been a player on first, but the power and home runs have somehow been left behind.
For a guy who hit 42 home runs with the Chicago Cubs in his first two seasons, the current situation is not what the Marlins hoped for.
Five months into Miami’s decision, Morel is slashing .154/.214/.179. He has zero home runs and one RBI to go with a .393 OPS in 12 games and 39 at-bats. He has 14 strikeouts working against just two walks. His dismal slugging percentage is lower than most pitchers who come to the plate.
For a guy who was hired as a slugger, this is quite the situation.
It Went Wrong From Day One
After all the damning stats, let’s be fair. This is not the way anyone wanted this to go, including Morel. He strained his left oblique during a batting practice on Opening Day, and that cost him about a month of the season.
He spent four games on a rehab assignment at Triple-A Jacksonville before finally returning to the active roster on April 27. Then, he went 0-for-3, and from there it hasn’t gotten any better.
In his nine games since being activated, he has hit .179 with 11 strikeouts in 28 at-bats. Over his last five starts, he’s 1-for-17. Combine all that news with the fact that he has a 1:7 walk-to-strikeout ratio, and well, things just don’t look like they are working out.
The Numbers are Going the Wrong Way
If you combine the spring training numbers with his regular season action, the scenario stays the same: Morel still hasn’t produced. He has one extra-base hit across 93 plate appearances. That brings his slugging to .195 in the 2026 campaign.
His numbers rank among the worst in the MLB, and honestly are unsustainable at any level.
The unfortunate part for Morel is that the tools are there for him. His bat speed and hard contact make him a guy who should produce, but the swing and miss has always been a problem, and for the Marlins, it has become glaringly obvious.
Something has to change and for a team that is sitting 20-25 on the season and fourth in the National League East, it needs to change fast. Maybe a stint in the minors could be useful to work out some issues and gain confidence.
More Than Hitting There’s a Position Problem
Compounding all the hitting trouble, the fact that Morel had never played first base in the Majors, and things aren’t getting any better. The defensive situation just adds to the frustration of this problem. The transition for Morel to first has not gone smoothly.
Half of his starts after returning from the IL have been as a designated hitter rather than at first base. Connor Norby stepped in to fill his missing shoes and has provided a .722 OPS at the position, which certainly isn’t elite, but it is more than Morel has had to offer.
The Marlins didn’t sign Morel for his defensive capabilities. No one expected him to be elite there, but they did expect him to hit and now he hasn’t done that. So the bottom line is that Miami has a guy who is positionless and not hitting.
Does he deserve a spot at the table? Well, he is young and he does have upside. The $2 million is already long gone. On the other side, he is not even a threat right now of producing home runs, or for that matter, even hitting.
This team needs production from every position to stay in the conversation of the NL East. What they are getting from Morel is the opposite of that, and the clock is ticking.
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