O’Brien deserves a chance to build on his solid end to 2018. In 22 games through the month of September, he hit four home runs and slashed a very solid .273/.338/.530, in an admittedly small sample size for the Miami Marlins.
Although O’Brien has earned our respect by getting back to the big leagues by taking the long way around, Steamer projections tell a grim story. O’Brien is projected to finish with a Miami Marlins-worst -0.7 WAR in 2019, on a .196/.264/.378 slashline in 105 games. He’s also projected to lead the team with 18 home runs, but that’s small consolation from a player manning the traditionally power-strong position.