Marlins' Misner comes through for Mesa
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MESA, Ariz. -- Kameron Misner has been in a bit of an offensive slump, but Friday’s massive, no-doubt homer may prove to be the hit that gets him back on track.
The go-ahead, two-out blast in the bottom of the eighth was the difference as Mesa topped Salt River, 3-2.
Misner began the day 2-for-15 (.133) over his past five games and was 0-for-3 through the first seven frames. However, the 23-year-old’s fortunes changed when he got a 2-1 pitch he could handle and deposited it deep over the left-field wall.
“Been struggling a little bit,” the Marlins' No. 22 prospect said. “Just looking for something to put a good swing on, hit it hard, and he gave me a pitch to do that. I was lucky enough to hit it hard.”
Although his numbers may not jump off the page as Misner is hitting just .192 in Arizona, the 6-foot-4, 218-pound outfielder has shown off his ability to drive the baseball during his time with the Solar Sox. Seven of his 10 hits have gone for extra bases, and four have left the yard.
The 35th overall pick from the 2019 Draft, Misner is coming off an up-and-down first full season. He played the bulk of the year with High-A Beloit and finished with Double-A Pensacola, hitting a combined, .253/.355/.433 with 12 homers and 57 RBIs over 102 games.
Misner struggled out of the gate, hitting .200 in May before running into some rough patches in the middle of the summer, but he was able to finish the season on a high note, batting .324 in August and .327 in September.
“Slow, but good,” Misner said of his 2021 campaign. “Started off a little slow, got hot toward the end, but I wouldn’t take anything back from it. Learned a lot.”
Misner has continued the learning process in Arizona and has enjoyed gleaning information from members of various organizations, a unique opportunity presented by the AFL.
“It’s great,” he said. “It’s great being with other organizations, other guys, learning approaches and just different things that they preach.”
After being shut out on Thursday night, Mesa wasted no time scratching a run across on Friday. No. 1 Blue Jays prospect Gabriel Moreno came through with a two-out single to left in the first inning, scoring JJ Bleday (Marlins No. 5) and giving the Solar Sox an early lead.
Ninth-ranked Brewers prospect Joe Gray Jr. tied the game for the Rafters with a solo homer to left, his first, in the second inning, but Mesa’s Logan Davidson (A's No. 12) put his club back on top with a run-scoring single in the bottom half of the frame.
Mesa held its lead until D-backs prospect Cooper Hummel tied the game via a sacrifice fly in the sixth. However, Misner ultimately provided the game-winner in the eighth.
“Just keep improving, keep improving the things I do well and getting better at the things I don’t do well,” Misner said of his goals for the remainder of the Fall League. “Just consistently playing good and playing hard.”