Marlins Skipper Discusses Hitting Fundamentals in Batting Cage Sessions

McCullough’s expectations for year two is very high. The batting cage is a great start for hitters to start elevating their game. Morning in the cages is a player’s philosophy.

"They come in here in the morning, and you know, guys will have a routine," McCullough said. "There are some drills that we're either working to get their swing in the right place, and when they come back here later in the day, trying to put them in a tad more challenging environments."

During the cage sessions, Marlins outfielder Owen Caissie was working effectively on his swing. Caissie was hitting with a medicine ball sitting on top of a bucket. It's a unique approach to help improve his hitting. Caissie is one of those young talents in the Marlins roster who can be a real force this season. 

"He's trying to target a certain part of the zone," McCullough said. "Zone discipline is so important. You're only as good as what you can swing at. 

Maximo Acosta is a 23-year-old Venezuelan native who's a new infielder for the Marlins. Although he played for a bit last season, this is his first full season with the ballclub. The Texas Rangers traded him and several prospects in December 2024 in exchange for Jake Burger.

Acosta only had three home runs last season. He spent most of his time in Triple-A Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp. Acosta was also working in the batting cage. He's making okay and swing adjustments. His strongest asset is his speed. If he can get better as a hitter, then he could be an underrated player to watch out for.

Baseball has evolved. The advance of technology has been massive. Technology is giving players the advantage of seeing where they stand and what they should work on. 

"They have HitTrak going that gives them their batted ball data," McCullough said. "It'll show them the zone location. Exit velocity, launch angle. Be really elite at what we swing. When we swing, being able to impact it most optimally." 

It's a different game of baseball. Players use iPads after every batted ball. Does this bother the skipper? Well, this is what he had to say about it.

"I think it's very easy to somewhat like paralysis by analysis," McCullough said. "Odds are during the season things are going to be off, but you still have to have the ability to go compete against the pitcher." 

Technology and video can be a plus for any player or team, but they can also be an issue. There are pros and cons to everything in sports and life in general.