Bringing An “Edge,” Connor Norby Serving as Spark for Miami Marlins

DENVER — Since arriving as a member of the Miami Marlins, Connor Norby has put up plenty of numbers to show why he can be a part of the team’s future. However, there is an aspect to Norby that doesn’t show up in the box score, and yet is so important to Marlins manager Skip Schumaker.

“He understands what pitchers are doing to him,” Schumaker said.

“He knows his strengths. He knows his weaknesses. He works on his weaknesses every single day. He’s a guy that’s not content, and he plays with some edge.

I feel like we needed edge in that clubhouse. I feel like we need edge on that going to be when we start the game, and he provides it. He’s never going to give in, and I think we need more guys like him, playing the game the right way.”

That edge in the clubhouse is translating on the field as well, where, entering Thursday’s series finale at Coors Field, Norby has hit safely in his first nine games as a Marlin.

That’s the second-longest hitting streak to begin a stint with the Marlins in franchise history (trailing only the 12 games pieced together by Gary Sheffield in 1993 and Juan Pierre in 2003).

Norby’s eight extra-base hits through his first nine games are tied with Charles Johnson (April 2-14, 2001) for the franchise record in that department as well.

None of this is much of a surprise to Schumaker, who saw what Norby could do as a member of the Baltimore Orioles earlier this season when he took the Marlins deep on an opposite-field shot in south Florida.

“When you’re watching him and advancing him, you see the juice and the power is middle and the other way,” Schumaker said. “I don’t know how he does it, but he takes the inside pitch and he drives it the other way. And that’s really tough to advance, because a lot of teams want to pound inside because they know that he can go the other way. There are a lot of guys that can’t do what he does when he’s juicing balls for extra base hits the other way when it’s middle in. He’s very smart.”

What Schumaker saw before the Marlins landed him (and outfielder Kyle Stowers) in a trade deadline deal that sent Trevor Rogers to Baltimore is now coming to fruition in south Florida. In his first 35 plate appearances with Miami, Norby is slashing .344/.400/.688.

Those numbers are better than the first 32 plate appearances he put in Baltimore before the trade, slashing .188/.188/.406, but Norby has learned much he believes since making his MLB debut on June 3.

“The game is super fast at this level,” Norby said. “I think having failure, and you need it in this game for sure, but you also need some success, which I was fortunate to have both in my brief stints with them (Orioles). I had both, so I can learn from both.”

The 24-year-old Norby has become somewhat of an advice whisperer to the new Marlins who have made their MLB debuts in his time with the club, including his wisdom to Griffin Conine earlier in the week about the importance of slowing things down rather than getting caught up in the awe of making the big leagues.

“Day one is so hard. Your mind’s in a million different places. Your heart’s racing like it never has, like your adrenaline’s beyond what you even thought it would be at the time, and there are so many emotions,” Norby said, recalling his own debut.

“It’s hard. It’s so hard. But I said day two is when it starts to feel like baseball, and every day after starts to feel more and more like baseball and like a normal day.”

Producing in the batter’s box is starting to feel normal for Norby, a second-round pick of the Orioles in 2021, with the Marlins, but he knows there are still plenty of learning opportunities ahead.

“I’m still working on stuff, and I’m still trying to get to that point where I’m feeling good and feeling comfortable in the box consistently,” Norby explained.

“But I think what’s helping me right now is just trying to put up good at-bats and team at-bats and not give away anything. I don’t want to be an easy out for that guy on the mound.”

Even with the hot start, Norby knows slumps will come, and hitting streaks don’t last forever. However, he’s also adamant that he will put in the work to be a part of the Miami core that looks to be a key to the rebuilding efforts in south Florida.

“You can work all day, all night, every day, harder than anybody else, and you’re still never going to perfect it. And it’s the constant strive for that that keeps everyone going,” Norby said.

“What’s helping me right now is just keeping it simple. Pitchers are really good at this level. You’re the best at the plate, and they’re the best of the best on the mound. You have to trust yourself, your thoughts, your process, your work that you put in, but try not to do too much. Just play your game.”

If what Norby has shown in the early part of his Miami career is an indication of the edge he can bring on and off the field, playing that type of game looks to be a nice fit for the Marlins in the near future.