Marlins' nutrition team working to improve players' health

They can request their go-to boosts – from nutrient-rich peanut butter balls to Drip Drop slushies – at the “Snack Shack.” Or they might find a chocolate banana peanut butter protein shake waiting for them in the kitchen.

“I’m Erika’s biggest fan,” catcher Rob Brantly said. “She goes above and beyond to make sure that the players have everything they need in the area of nutrition. … I’m very happy that when I came here, our dietitians have been first class and top notch.”

Brantly would be referring to Major League dietitian Erika Gonzalez-Rebull, who is part of a five-person nutrition team that has received a major investment from the Marlins’ front office.

It’s not just about feeding the ballplayers, but educating them on the importance of recovery and sleeping. It’s also about keeping them properly hydrated. All of this directly translates toward the goal of reducing inflammation and injury as much as possible.

As the saying goes: The best ability is availability.

Gonzalez-Rebull, director of nutrition Bryan Snyder, Sarah Katz, Lian Tapia and Olivia Minicucci are responsible for guiding the ballplayers across the organization. Snyder floats between the affiliates and Miami, while Gonzalez-Rebull is in charge of the Major League club. Tapia is full-time at the Dominican Republic academy, and Katz and Minicucci are based in Jupiter.

“We’re all pieces to the puzzle in the development of a player, and I feel like our staff, interdisciplinary-wise, we really say, ‘How can we complement each other’s work to make the best player possible?’” said Gonzalez-Rebull, who returned to the Marlins this offseason for her second stint with the hometown team and her seventh overall MLB season.

First and foremost is the quality of the food.

Entering his 15th year working in professional sports but first on a full-time basis in baseball, Snyder has seen the discipline evolve. Regardless of the sport, the same snacks — from Goldfish crackers to Nutri-Grain bars — were being offered.

The Marlins want to do better.

“Where the guys train in the offseason, they’re working with personal chefs and trainers and strength coaches and people who also place an emphasis on the right kind of foods, or at least they try to,” Snyder said. “ So the players come back with higher expectations and standards as well, and so it’s very difficult to meet those standards with players, depending on financial resources and things like that.

“This Spring Training and this year, it’s been amazing, the resources that we’ve been able to provide those guys with, being able to do that, because it’s not a cheap endeavor.”

The Marlins work with the professional sports catering company Pivot Culinary to provide two meals a day — usually breakfast and lunch — during Spring Training and three meals during the regular season.

Gonzalez-Rebull will write up menus two weeks in advance and give them to Pivot, which will then purchase ingredients based on nutritional specifications. Menus are generic, but players can build their plate to meet needs.

A starting pitcher, for example, will increase his carbohydrate intake leading up to start day. Across the board, diets include healthy fats and protein for recovery. According to Snyder, the daily caloric range is as low as 2,800 and as high as 4,000.

“We coordinate with every guy depending on their goals, and we’ll implement plans that help best support them for performance and recovery,” Gonzalez-Rebull said. “We guide them through that process. And they all have different goals in terms of improving body composition, weight gain, weight loss, and we help support them in those goals.”

To meet those objectives, finding the best ingredients is essential.

Miami is pushing to be one of the only teams in professional sports to have a seed oil-free kitchen with no processed foods. It has partnered with local suppliers for fresh produce. The organization even imported a beehive for honey. The group jokes that a cow will be grazing in the outfield grass soon enough.

As important as the ingredients are the experiences.

Snyder and Gonzalez-Rebull want the kitchen to represent the diversity inside the clubhouse. So next to the typical fare is a spread laid out with some of the players’ favorite dishes from back home.

The Marlins also hired a local vendor to set up an “action station” on a daily basis. There has been everything from coal-fired pizza to wagyu burgers made from scratch in front of the players. Gonzalez-Rebull hopes it brings the joy back into eating.

“The food’s been great,” outfielder Kyle Stowers said. “It’s my first spring here in Jupiter, so I have no basis on what things used to be like in the past, but in comparison to things I have experienced, this has been great.

“Erika has done a fantastic job. I really do want you to put that down whatever you’re writing, because she has done a fantastic job. No one works harder than her in this building. She’s great attitude, great spirits, and really just wanting to help people out however they need. I think that matters.

“When you start building a winning culture, it’s everyone. It’s more than just the players. It’s everyone from staff, front office, coaching staff. Obviously, the play on the field is what everyone sees, but it’s really cool to be able to highlight someone behind the scenes who’s kind of working their tail off for us.”