Mike Stanton might have prodigious power, but first baseman Logan Morrison should be the next big bat to make a difference in the Marlins’ lineup.

Morrison, 22, is closer than Stanton to being ready to hit major league pitching. Morrison has above-average raw power, but what scouts consistently point to as his most impressive attribute is his approach to hitting. He has a flat swing, works the middle of the field, stays balanced and does an outstanding job with his pitch recognition, which is why he walked (63) more than he stuck out (46) in Double-A Jacksonville.

“He probably stood out more while I was there than Stanton,” said an American League scout. “But once you look at Stanton’s age (19) and look long term, you go with Stanton. Morrison just hits, and everything he hits he centers consistently.”

After missing the first two months of the season with a fracture in his right wrist, Morrison didn’t come back swinging for the fences. He stayed with his gap-to-gap approach and hit .277/.411/.442 in 79 games with eight home runs for Jacksonville. 

But the power is there. He’s big (6-foot-3, 245 pounds), he’s strong and he can drive the ball out of the park regularly in batting practice. Several scouts predict he’ll hit 20-25 home runs per year during his peak.

Yet for right now, Morrison is more adept at driving doubles into the gaps.

“Morrison’s going to be an everyday first baseman in the big leagues,” added another scout. “He’d be a perfect third hitter in the lineup with Stanton hitting fourth.”

With Hanley Ramirez locked up through 2014, the emergence of Chris Coghlan and the continued development of Cameron Maybin, the future additions of Morrison and Stanton have the potential to make the Marlins one of the best offensive units in baseball in the near future.