Fish Bites Episode 41: Exclusive with Marlins CRO Adam Jones

Podcasting has no offseason! Ely Sussman hosts the latest episode of Fish Bites. From Jon Berti’s baserunning and Jarlin García’s untouchable changeup to Lewis Brinson’s homerless streak, we have handpicked Marlins season stats—both positive and negative—that encapsulate the team’s most important developments in 2019 (3:20). Joining us for a rare interview (48:03), Marlins Chief Revenue Officer Adam Jones reflects on all of the “ballpark enhancements” that were implemented a year ago and his ambitious plans for 2020 and beyond.

Enjoy Episode 41!

More of the key stats discussed on the pod include:

• Brian Anderson—8 Defensive Runs Saved at third base and 5 DRS at right field; his playing time split between those two specific positions was unprecedented in Marlins history, and had very little precedent in all of Major League Baseball history.
• Jeff Brigham’s improved stuff—allowed a .178 xwOBA on his slider. That’s right in between renowned closers Roberto Osuna of the Astros (.164 xwOBA) and Carlos Martínez of the Cardinals (.192 xwOBA); Brigham’s average four-seam fastball velocity spiked from 92.9 miles per hour in his September 2018 debut to 96.6 miles per hour this season. Nobody else on the Marlins staff made such a substantial year-to-year improvement in that category.
• Jorge Alfaro—50.4% chase rate, worst on record for a player with at least 250 plate appearances in a season; Alfaro actually improved from 42.9 O-Contact% in 2018 to 52.8 O-Contact% when chasing.
• Wei-Yin Chen—6.59 ERA, second-worst for a Marlins left-hander with 50-plus innings behind only a washed-up Al Leiter in 2005; allowed 43% of inherited runners to score; attacked the zone consistently, but his stuff simply isn’t there. For everybody’s sake, please release him.

Research credit to FanGraphs, Baseball Savant and Baseball-Reference

Like many of the most influential voices within the Marlins right now, Jones was hired by Derek Jeter following the franchise’s change in ownership in 2017. He arrived with ample experience, having previously spent 14 years as director and sports practice leader at Pricewaterhouse.

One of Jones’ top priorities upon arrival was gathering more input from his constituents. According to Wells Dusenbury of the Sun Sentinel, he was a central figure in creating the “Dímelo Miami” campaign.

“What was initially a one-year initiative really has been driven into the core of our organization and how we’re going to authentically engage with the marketplace,” Jones says on Fish Bites.

That fan feedback guided the “ballpark enhancements” during the 2018-19 offseason. And now, after another year of listening, Marlins Park parking rates will drop as much as 25% for 2020.

Speaking on the local television deal between the Marlins and FOX Sports Florida which expires after the 2020 season, Jones continues to negotiate for “a rate we deserve.” He also sees opportunities to produce additional content with media partners that can be monetized more effectively than in years past.

“We want to make sure that we set this organization up for sustainable success,” he says, “making sure that we achieve an outcome on that particular deal and find the right partner to deliver the right product to our fans at the right rate that allows us to fill in the building blocks to a sustainable business.”

The Fish Stripes podcast is home to Miami Marlins shows Fish Bites, Earning Their Stripes and A-Ball with Erik Oas. All new episodes are posted to FishStripes.com/podcasts. You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Podbean, Megaphone or wherever you normally get your pods from.

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