Last winter, the Marlins inked superstar, Giancarlo Stanton, to an historical contract. This winter, Don Mattingly was signed on to manage the club for the next 4 seasons. Over and over the new skipper has iterated his goal and passion to make Miami a championship team. Many believe the team is just not there yet; maybe analysts are right, but taking a step back to observe the potential of the Miami roster spells playoffs even as early as 2016. Every building team needs a young star to build around; well the Fish have two in Stanton and Jose Fernandez. A playoff team also needs a good manager; Miami has one. But, the most important piece of a championship squad is a great pitching staff.
Aside from Jose Fernandez, the Marlinsâ pitching staff isn’t great, but neither bad. The last few years Miami has been middle of the road in team ERA. This offseason, after losing Henderson Alvarez to the free agent market, the Marlins made a bold move in signing southpaw Wei-Yin Chen. The former Baltimore starter has gone 27-14 with a 3.54 ERA the last two seasons, showing great potential and consistency (at least 185 innings). He will be a solid backboard to ace hurler, Fernandez. Behind them the Fish have Tom Koahler (pitched at least 187 innings of work the last two campaigns), Jarred Cosart (only 25, won 13 games as a rookie in 2014). Side note, the Marlins have Tyler Kolek (former #1 overall pick) who could be a big league starter in the next year or so. The key to a great bullpen is a great closer; the Marlins have one in A.J. Ramos. The 27-year-old saved 32 games in 2015 with a K/9 of 11.1, and also was 7-0 with an ERA of 2.11 in 2014. Unfortunately, set up man, Carter Capps, is out for the season for Tommy John, leaving the Marlins with nothing else to talk about in the pen other than A.J. However, their powerful lineup, plus Mattinglyâs brilliance with shaping a great lineup, could make up for the lack of pitching.
The NL game is about small ball, and contact hitting when it comes to offense. Having a sufficient leadoff hitter is crucial. The Fish have arguably the leagueâs best in Dee Gordon, who won the NL silver slugger at second in 2015, while capturing the batting title as well. Then in the middle of the lineup comes Stanton, who needs no introduction. Martin Prado at 3rd base has been a solidified .290 hitter since 09.â Christina Yelich in left field has proved to hit for power and average (hit .300 in 15â and has had 30 doubles each of the last two seasons). Marcell Ozuna (CF) and Adeiny Hechaverria (SS), have both showed signs of good hitting (Ozuna powered 25 homers in 14â, Adeiny hit .280 in 15â). The catcher position is a mystery, and Justin Bour at 1st needs to prove he can come through again. Finally of course Miami has the old fire cracker, Ichiro, coming off the bench.
However, despite there being a few holes in a slim 40-man roster, the Marlins are one of the most talented non-playoff teams. If, and if is a contingency, Don Mattingly and the Fish can do some right things, as well as having a little luck on their side, 88 wins with a wild card spot may not be that crazy of a prediction. Unlike many teams on the playoff bubble the last few years (Oâs, Red Sox, Padres, White Sox), the Marlins have an MVP-type player and CY Young-type pitcher to keep them from falling into a losing skid. In 2015, analysts were concerned with the Marlinsâ offensive production, but Mattingly is a genius when it comes to the lineup, so he might just propel the Marlins over the hump in 16.â
