Miami Marlins Hitter Has Been a Fish on Fire in Season's Second Half
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For a team on the rise like the Miami Marlins, 2026 has been a huge step forward in terms of stability and hope for the future. Returning to contention a year early in the process, the Fish currently have a record of 64-63, and they are right in the thick of the National League Wild Card race. They trail by four games, with a cluster of teams all in the fray, including the St. Louis Cardinals, Arizona Diamondbacks, and San Diego Padres.
With a myriad of great talent, one hitter has been consistently carrying his share of the load in the lineup. Multi-positional veteran Griffin Conine sports a +1.000 average in on-base and slugging during the second half. For a quick comparison on what that means, the Houston Astros' Yordan Alvarez currently leads all of Major League Baseball with a 1.054 OPS. Meanwhile, Conine may be at 0.933 for the year, but he has been money in August, posting a 1.049 OPS so far.
Only 2 players have an OPS over 1.000 in the 2nd half, min. 100 PA’s:
— Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) August 18, 2026
Yordan Alvarez
Griffin Conine 🐠
Absolutely MASHING for Miami! pic.twitter.com/64uVmWw6ob
That's among the best in baseball and a fantastic trend, especially considering that the second-generation star has achieved that figure since returning from a torn left hamstring that caused him to miss 64 games.
Getting Conine into the Lineup
Since returning to action, Conine's slash line is .273/.360/.591, for a .951 OPS. For the year, he's hit .278, with 14 home runs and 31 RBI in 169 at-bats. For the Fish, the only matter they have with their mashing Marlin is trying to get him the playing time he desperately needs to continue to develop --- and for the club to stay in the hunt.
In Conine's case, manager Clayton McCullough has been mixing and matching him within the lineup as a corner outfielder, first baseman, and designated hitter. With his versatility, solid hitting skills, and ability to consistently get on base, he's a 'weapon' for the Rox and a valuable part of the lineup. So far, that's been the outcome... no matter where he plays. When he's at the dish, he almost always somehow finds his way to a bag.
“We value versatility," Peter Bendix told the Miami Herald. "We have a lot of good players, and it’s not entirely clear the best way to put them together on a nightly basis.”
Right now, it doesn't seem to matter much. He's just trying to find ways to help the team capture some victories and potentially play spoiler in September. As he continues to rack up numbers that are comparable to an All-Star like Alvarez, the more value he brings to the Marlins.
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