Miami Marlins
2015 Win/Loss Record:
71-91, 3rd in National League East
Last Postseason
Appearance: 2003
Last World Series
Championship: 2003
Key Arrivals: None
Key Departures: Henderson
Alvarez (P)
Manager: Don
Mattingly, 1st Year, W/L (446-363 in 5 years
with Dodgers)
Overall Review: One things is
guaranteed: if the Marlins ever make the postseason again, you know for sure
they are going to win it all. In the 23-year history of the franchise, the team
has made the playoffs only twice (1997, 2003) but both times they won the World
Series. However, this probably won’t be the year for the third. The team still
has a way to go before they catch the Mets and Nationals, but they are making
progress.
There were no big free agent
signings or trades, not many players came but not many left, either. So you
want you saw in 2015 is pretty much what you’ll get this year as well. But
that’s not necessarily a bad thing as there is a lot of potential on the
roster.
Offense: Let’s start with right-fielder
Giancarlo Stanton. A broken wrist limited him to 74 games last year, but during
those games, he still smashed a remarkable 27 home runs and drove in 67 RBIs.
If he can stay healthy for an entire year, 50 homers is not out of reach. A
.265 average is adequate with those power numbers. Next we have second baseman
Dee Gordon, the speedster at the top of the lineup. A .333 average with 58
stolen bases is most impressive. However, Gordon must improve his base-stealing
instincts as he was caught stealing 20 times last season. And he needs to draw
more than the 25 walks he had in 2015 as well.
First baseman Justin Bour also
provides some power to complement Stanton. Last season, Bour batted .262 while
hitting 23 home runs and adding 73 RBIs. And then there’s left-fielder Christian
Yelch, a .300 hitter who stole 16 bases while hitting seven home runs and
adding 47 RBIs. Adeiny Hechavarria is an outstanding defensive shortstop who
can also hit for a decent average (.281). Seven of the starting eight for Miami
are less than 28 years old, the only exception is third baseman Martin Prado.
If the Marlins can keep these guys around for a while, that third World
Championship might only be a few years away.
Pitching: There’s a lot of promise with
Miami’s pitching staff as well. Look for 23-year old Jose Fernandez to have a
break-out year and be the staff ace by the All-Star break. In 11 starts in
2015, Fernandez posted a 6-1 record with a 2.92 ERA. He also struck out 79
batters in 64 2/3 innings. Look for improvement for Jarred Cosart as well. Last
year he only went 2-5 with a 4.52 ERA but he figures to get more starts this
season and could benefit from more run support from the Marlins' potent bats. Also slated for the rotation are Tom Koehler (11-14, 4.08, 137),
Adam Conley (4-1, 3.76, 59) and David Phelps (4-8, 4.50, 77).
In relief, Miami has A.J. Ramos
as their closer, his second year in the role. Last season, he saved 32 games,
posted a 2-4 record, a 2.30 ERA and struck out 87 batters in 70 1/3 innings.
He’ll have help from Carter Capps who pitched 30 games in relief, won his only
decision, struck out 58 batters in only 31 innings and had a most impressive
1.16 ERA. He will be Ramos’s set-up man.
 |
| Miami's second baseman, Dee Gordon |
Prediction: After dumping some very
expensive contracts during the off-season of 2012-13, the prospects and young
players on the Marlins’ roster are gaining the experience necessary to
transform into a contending team. While I’m pretty sure they’ll finish third in
the division, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if they can put everything
together and challenge for a wild card spot. Time will tell.
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