Nick Fortes is in the middle of the best stretch of his career, at the time of the interview with the Cuban Baseball Digest the catcher was hitting .412 in his last seven games and seems to have wrestled away the starting catching job from Jacob Stallings.
The fourth round selection from the University of Mississippi is slashing .242/.293/.323/.616 with three homeruns and 13 runs batted in on the season. Although Fortes does not have impressive numbers on the campaign he seems to have found the right time to find his stride.
The Cuban-American backstop is a big part of the Miami Marlins six game winning streak and catalyst in the fish 35-28 start. Miami is only 3.5 games out of first place and Nick Fortes has done his part in putting the Marlins in that position.
Cuban-American Nick Fortes talks to our @yusseff305 on his recent hot streak and the interesting possibility of playing for Cuba in an international event.#pelotacubana #MakeItMiami pic.twitter.com/5gU3PpsgFL
— Cuban Baseball Digest (@CBaseballDigest) June 6, 2023
Over the last seven games you’ve hit .412, what adjustments have you made at the plate to attain these results?
I’ve raised my hands a little and spread out a little more. I’m trying to be a little more handsy and trying to work more up the middle a little bit more. I’m also trying to be more disciplined and that chasing pitches that I shouldn’t be.
How has inconsistent playing time affected you at the plate?
I don’t think it has really hurt me at all. All the work I do in the cage with Brant ( Brown), Mabes (John Mabry) and Hardy keeps me ready for everyday that I’m in their. I also take a lot of pride with the work that I do in the cage, that continues to keep me ready for everyday.
Being of Cuban descent, how does it feel play in Miami?
It’s awesome, you know. It’s something that I grew up around as a kid and it’s familiar to me. I have family down here and my parents are only a short drive away. Yeah, so it’s pretty cool to be playing down here.
Recently the Cuban Federation announced that they would be allowing in the future Cuban-Americans to play with the national team in international events. Would you be interested in playing for Cuba?
I’m not sure to be honest with you. I haven’t thought that far ahead. It would be pretty cool, but right now I’m focused on the day to day. It would be a cool opportunity.
Do you have any goals for the rest of tge season?
Shoot honestly, just to be able to put together good at-bats, play good defense and help this team win. We are on a good little streak now, so I just want to continue to do everything in my power to help us win.