Notable Additions: Tim Anderson, Christian Bethancourt, Trey Mancini
Notable Losses: Jacob Stallings, Yuli Gurriel, Jorge Soler
The Marlins made the playoffs for the fourth time in their franchise history but couldn’t get past the Phillies in the Wild Card round. What a shame. Anyway, the Marlins had a good year last season, and it was because of a lot of clutch one-run wins. That type of success is hard to repeat, especially when your batting order took a step back, and your ace is out after getting Tommy John surgery.
Projected Starters
C: Christian Bethancourt
1B: Josh Bell
2B: Luis Arraez
3B: Jake Burger
SS: Tim Anderson
LF: Bryan De La Cruz
CF: Jazz Chisholm Jr
RF: Jesus Sanchez
DH: Avisail Garcia
As a team, the Marlins were 19th in OPS and 22nd in home runs. Jorge Soler was the only Marlin with more than 20 home runs, and he plays for San Francisco now. Jake Burger had 34 total home runs last year but only had 9 with the Marlins after being traded to them. Burger and Arraez are the only two returning players with an OPS above .800 last year, and Arraez is not a home run hitter. Jazz Chisholm is getting more comfortable in center field. Hopefully, he can provide more power for a lineup that desperately needs it. Overall, I give their hitting a 3/10.
Projected Starting Rotation
Jesus Luzardo
Eury Perez
Edward Cabrera
Braxton Garrett
Trevor Rogers
The Marlins rotation is a young and exciting rotation to watch. Unfortunately, Sandy Alcantara will not be pitching this year, but they still have good pitchers to work with. All the starters listed had an ERA lower than 4.25 last season. Three of the five starters had a K/9 of 10 or higher. The average age of this rotation is a little under 25. The rotation has so much potential, and they have already shown some of it last year. I give the Marlins pitching a 5/10.
Tanner Scott is the big draw in this Marlins bullpen. Last year, he had a 2.31 ERA, 2.17 FIP, and 12 saves. This year, he projects to be the Marlins’ closer. His baseball-savant page is booming with red. At 29 years old, Scott has the chance to be one of the elite closers in baseball this season. Outside of him, this bullpen is solid, and I give them a 4/10.
Sock’s 2 X-Factors
Luis Arraez: Arraez had us thinking he would hit .400 last year before his second-half slump. Unfortunately, he had to settle for a .354 batting average. Man, he stinks. Arraez is a pure hitter. He has hit .326/.379/.427 with a 124 WRC+ in his career. He only has 24 career home runs, but when you are the modern-day Rod Carew, that can be excused. He will play a big part in why the Marlins win games this year.
Jesus Luzardo: Luzardo joined the Marlins in 2021 after being considered a failed prospect with the Oakland A’s. Since the start of 2022, Luzardo has a 3.52 ERA, 3.40 FIP, and 328 strikeouts in 279 innings pitched. His fastball touches 97, and he had 208 strikeouts last season. As the Marlins ace this year, I expect Luzardo to put up big numbers again.
Sleeper: Eury Perez: Standing at an impressive 6’8″, Perez was a huge bright spot for the Marlins last year. In 105 innings, he put up a 3.15 ERA with a 1.13 WHIP and 108 strikeouts. He has great fastball velocity and can put hitters away with ease. Turning 21 in April, he will be an ace for the Marlins sooner rather than later.
Prospects to Look Forward to
Max Meyer: Selected 3rd overall in the 2020 MLB draft, Max Meyer has an incredible fastball-slider combo that has led to 199 strikeouts in 172 innings of work in the minor leagues. Sadly, he had Tommy John surgery after making his MLB debut back in 2022. He is slated to return this year, and Marlins fans should still be excited about his arrival back to the big leagues.
Noble Meyer: Unrelated to Max Meyer, Noble Meyer was selected 10th overall in the 2023 MLB draft. Standing at 6’5″, his fastball touches 100 MPH, and he has a wipeout slider to accompany it. It must be a Meyer thing to have a fastball-slider combo. At only 19, he will not make his MLB debut for a while, but when he does, he will be another fantastic piece to the Marlins’ already young rotation.
GM For a Day
I am a huge Eury Perez fan, and I think he should be extended immediately. He has incredible raw potential and has already showcased his stuff by putting up solid numbers in his rookie year. I’m serious when I say I’d give him somewhere around 11 years/200 million. I genuinely think he is that good.
Projected Finish: 74-88, 4th in the NL East, 12th in the NL.
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