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With Wei-Yin Chen finally purged from the Marlins roster, Ely reflects on his complicated tenure with the team (4:35) and what it means for future free agent pursuits (9:40). Aram Leighton makes his return to Fish Bites (11:30), conducting an exclusive interview with Blue Jays outfield prospect Griffin Conine (that’s right, Jeff Conine’s son!). The 2019 Midwest League home run champion looks forward to his first full pro season, details his rollercoaster collegiate career and shares memories of growing up among major leaguers.
Enjoy Episode 49!
Born on July 11, 1997, Griffin Conine seems to be the youngest person with a direct connection to the Marlins’ first World Series championship team. He spent much of his early childhood around major league clubhouses—Griffin was 10 years old when Jeff finally completed his playing career.
Though drafted by the Fish in 2015 (31st-round pick out of Pine Crest High School), the younger Conine didn’t begin establishing himself as a legitimate pro prospect until the summer leading into his sophomore year at Duke University. He admits to developing bad habits at the plate as a draft-eligible junior in 2018, but a midseason power surge propelled him back up to the second round (No. 52 overall).
Conine still considers the selection and signing with the Blue Jays to be the highlight of his career thus far.
He’s been quick to translate his tools into production. After a 50-game suspension—tested positive for a banned substance—made him begin 2019 in extended spring training, Conine reported to the Low-A Lansing Lugnuts and mashed: .283/.371/.576, 22 HR, 64 RBI in 348 PA. That home run total led the entire Midwest League (thankfully, none came against the Marlins’ Clinton affiliate).
Conine is projected to spend most of his upcoming age-22 season with High-A Dunedin in the Florida State League. MLB Pipeline ranks him as the top outfielder in the Blue Jays farm system and 15th overall on their Blue Jays prospects list.
Aram’s February interview with Jeff Conine is also posted to the Fish Stripes podcast feed and embedded below:
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.
NEW: Fish Bites episodes are also airing on SLAM Radio (SiriusXM channel 145) every Monday at 5 p.m. ET.
Follow Fish Stripes (@fishstripes), Griffin (@Griffin_Co9), Aram (@AramLeighton8) and Ely (@RealEly) on Twitter. Full coverage here at FishStripes.com.