Miami Marlins first baseman Justin Bour was named the National League Rookie of the Month for September on Monday.
Bour ended his rookie campaign in a big way, and it may have earned him the everyday job to begin 2016. Miami has been searching for a consistent first baseman for several years, and has also been in need of a powerful bat. Bour offers the Marlins protection for Giancarlo Stanton at a low cost.
The slugger hit nine home runs in the final month alone and knocked in 27 runs. Miami was one of the best teams in baseball since August 31st, and Bour is a big reason why. Bour also doubled five times and had a .274 average for the month. It was Bour's most consistent month as a big leaguer thus far.
Bour began his year on a torrid pace with .322 average in May to go along with five home runs. The first baseman experienced issues in June however when he batted only .138. Bour's power disappeared that month as well when he knocked only two balls out of the park.
Slumping after initial success is very common with first year players such as Bour as opposing pitchers make adjustments. The key to success for a young hitter is being able to adjust back to those new attacks. Bour did a fine job of finding renewed success after enduring a long and dismal slump.
Bour increased his numbers in virtually every statistical category over the final three months of the season. During this time, Stanton was out with a broken hamate bone and the lineups featured a myriad of names.
Heading into next season, Bour will undoubtedly work on his defensive game. While Bour held his own at first base, there were several balls that were out of his range. Improving his glove work could make Bour one of the premier first basemen in the game.
