It was 2006, and I was a Marlins fan riff with excitement. The team was going through a crazy, unexpected run at playoff contention with a team full of minor leaguers and prospects. I enjoyed Hanley Ramirez. I enjoyed Dan Uggla. I enjoyed the amazing rookie pitching staff. I was excited to see what Jeremy Hermida could bring after hearing so much about his promise as a major leaguer. Of course I also enjoyed Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis, but they were always there; I could always count on them.
Among the plethora of young talent, there were two players I did not think much of. One was Mike Jacobs, and it turns out years later that I was right; Mike Jacobs is a one-trick pony, and you can easily get a better first baseman than that guy. The other guy I didn’t think much of was Josh Willingham. Hammer looks just like your average slugger, but unlike Mike Jacobs, he’s actually good. Witness Willingham’s wOBA and WAR from FanGraphs over his three seasons with the Marlins.
More Hammer, graphs, and Bonifacio hate over at Marlin Maniac.
