Matt Mervis, recently traded from the Chicago Cubs to the Miami Marlins, was on a flight to South Florida for his father's birthday during the transaction. Unaware of the trade until he purchased WiFi on the plane, he expressed excitement for the new opportunity. Despite being a former top prospect, Mervis struggled in the MLB with a .155 batting average and acknowledged his mental and mechanical challenges last season, hoping this new chapter with the Marlins will allow him to recover and thrive in his career.
I just happened to buy the WiFi on the plane and saw those texts. Just flying down here for vacation and just happened to be a couple miles from the stadium. ... I was very excited. I love my time with the Cubs. They treated me great. But some guys just need a fresh start and change of scenery, so I'm hoping that it works out for me.
They gave me my opportunities. In '23, I just had some bad luck. I hit the ball hard a lot right at people. And last year, I think I just tried to prove that I deserved to be there and got out of my approach, swung at some bad pitches.
I would say [my struggles were] more things that I could control. This past season, I swung far more often than I should. I got out of my approach at the plate.
Mervis said the struggles were both mental and mechanical. He swung and missed 33.7 percent of the time, well above the league average.
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