Mr. Marlin watches son, Griffin, shine in Spring Breakout?

JUPITER, Fla. -- The name Conine is a familiar one in Marlins franchise history. Jeff Conine -- aka Mr. Marlin -- was part of both of the club's World Series championship teams.

His son, Griffin, made a name for himself with a solo homer in the Marlins' 3-2 Spring Breakout win over the Cardinals on Friday afternoon at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Jeff, who is a special advisor to Miami principal owner Bruce Sherman, was on hand to see his son go deep.

“He made it today?” Griffin asked afterward. “I didn't know if he was going to make it. It's always fun. It's been great getting to see him on the field this spring. We haven't had a chance to do that yet in pro ball, so it's been a lot of fun, and I love when he's out there.”

Conine ambushed the first pitch of the fourth inning from right-hander Max Rajcic -- St. Louis’ Minor League Pitcher of the Year last season -- sending it a Statcast-projected 405 feet to straightaway center field. Conine then added an RBI single in the fifth that had an exit velocity of 106.1 mph, making it the second-hardest-hit ball of the game.

“Especially in a showcase like this, and in the big league game that he did in spring,” Jeff said, referencing Griffin's March 6 homer vs. the Nationals. “He's worked so hard to get to where he's at, and he's made a lot of great choices swing-wise this offseason, and he's at a great place right now. He says he feels better than he ever has, and it's great to see the hard work pay off.”

Over the offseason, the 26-year-old Griffin made some changes to his swing, including raising his hands to hit like he did at Duke University and Pine Crest High School in Fort Lauderdale. Griffin believes the adjustment has helped him on pitches inside or at the top of the zone -- exactly where Rajcic’s 93.8 mph sinker was located.

Earlier in the day, Marlins director of Minor League operations Hector Crespo mentioned Conine as one of three prospects, in particular, who had stood out in big league camp, according to manager Skip Schumaker’s coaching staff. A non-roster invitee, Conine is 4-for-18 with two doubles, one homer and three RBIs in 12 Grapefruit League games.

“He got an invite and he took advantage of the opportunity,” Jeff said. “That kid works harder than anybody I've ever seen. He's dedicated with everything -- like nutrition, stretching, yoga, baseball.”

Miami acquired Conine from Toronto on Sept. 18, 2020, as the player to be named in the Jonathan Villar trade. Not on the Marlins' Top 30 prospects list, per MLB Pipeline, Conine has yet to make his MLB debut.

During his first season with the organization in 2021, Conine knocked 36 homers between High-A Beloit and Double-A Pensacola, second most in all of Minor League Baseball, but his average (.218) and strikeouts (185) held him back. Last season, he improved his slash line to .247/.355/.462 to go with 20 homers in 110 games between Pensacola and Triple-A Jacksonville.

“We always have great conversations about hitting,” Jeff said. “It's, [I'm his] dad, first and foremost, and over the years, I always ask him first. I always say, ‘Hey, do you mind if I make a suggestion?’ Because I've never wanted to be that dad where, ‘Hey, you’ve got to do this, you’ve got to do that.’ But he always says yes, and we always have great conversations about him.”

Added Griffin: “We have a great balance. He's never been one to over-coach, you know? If anything, it's under, and I’ve got to ask him like, ‘What did you think there?’ Because he's never just going to give me something that he doesn't think I want to hear -- even if it's beneficial. And obviously, I want to hear anything he's got. It's just a successful career and so much wisdom to impart. He picks his spots when he knows I can use something. And we're on the same page, as well. He's on board with everything I've been working on this offseason. He knows it's kind of the last step, what we need to get up there [to the big leagues], so it's been good.”