Marrero Worked His Way from the Bottom to the Top

He’s grown up in tough situations, but that never seemed to stop Marrero with following his dreams. Deven Marrero may not be a power bat, but it’s clear that he is always up and ready to play when he needs to. Although we haven’t seen much of him in Boston, he was definitely a player to watch in the minors. His time to shine on the team is just beginning. He may not be a rookie but he has definitely earned his place in the hearts of Red Sox Nation.

Arizona State Alumni

One of the top shortstops in the nation, Marrero was rising above standards. He was taken in the first round, 24th overall, in the 2012 draft. He had a great 3 years at Arizona State before entering the MLB. Every time he stepped up and showed that he was a valuable teammate, he was rewarded. Below is a list of Marrero’s college achievements:

  • 2012 First Team Pac-12 All-Conference
  • 2012 First Team Academic All-District VIII
  • 2012 Pac-12 All-Academic Second Team
  • 2012 Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List
  • 2011 Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year
  • 2011 First Team Pac-12 All-Conference
  • 2011 Cape Cod League All-Star
  • 2011 ABCA Second Team All-West Region
  • 2011 Second Team Academic All-Pac-10
  • 2011 Second Team Academic All-District VIII
  • 2010 Collegiate Baseball First Team Freshman All-American
  • 2010 NCBWA Second Team Freshman All-American
  • 2010 Honorable Mention Pac-12 All-Conference
  • 2010 All-Tempe Regional Team

Family Comes First

It takes a special person to be able to overcome the obstacles that Marrero has conquered. He grew up in a house full of female role models while his father is in prison.

“I play for them and try to support them so they can go through life with ease because they’ve been through enough pain,’’ Marrero added. “It’s in my blood to take care of my girls. That’s all I live for. I love those girls to death and they deserve the world.”

Marrero does everything possible for his family. He wants them to experience all of the love possible. Luckily, Deven had grown up with Eric Hosmer. Hosmer’s father quickly became that special figure in Marrero’s life. They’re family to him. To see the struggles he’s been through and still comes out to be his best is inspirational. Though Marrero’s father was not very prominent in his life from behind bars, Deven still credits him for his success.

“I actually wrote him a letter and sent him one of my baseball cards the day I made it to the big leagues,” Marrero said. “I just wanted to tell him that with all the bad stuff he did, he also did a lot of good. He created me and made me who I am. The hard work that I put into my game now is what he instilled into my brain.”

Looking into the Future

There is no doubt Marrero is a true shortstop, but as of now he plays mainly at third base for the Sox. He knows that eventually his time will come and when it does he will do the best he can. With Bogarets appearing in trade rumors, it seems as though his time may come sooner than he thinks. The biggest step Marrero believes he needs to take is working on his plate placement when up at bat. But every year it gets better and better.

“We all go through our struggles,’’ he added. “This is probably the hardest sport to play in the world, hands down, but I’ve never thought about quitting or anything like that. This is what I know. I want to play as long as I can and when it’s over, I probably want to coach.”

His life is baseball. It’s a special situation to find a person that wants to stay within the sport in any way that he can. To see that he loves baseball so much shows Red Sox Nation that he is a promising player.

Sources

The Boston Globe

MLB

Arizona State Baseball