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After the death of Jose Fernandez, can an up-and-coming Miami Marlins team make a splash in 2017? If so, their pitching needs to help out their young studs.
Last season, the Miami Marlins were hoping for a breakout season in 2016. Unfortunately, the season ended in tragedy with the passing of ace and franchise cornerstone Jose Fernandez. While the loss of their star pitcher was a dark spot for their future, the Marlins still have plenty of young talent to get excited about.
2016 Gave the Fish Plenty to Be Excited About
Their outfield is stellar with the likes of Giancarlo Stanton, Christian Yelich and Marcell Ozuna. Stanton is a superstar who puts up big power numbers each year, and last season was no different. He hit 27 home runs and drove in 74 runs in just 119 games. Yelich batted to the tune of a .298 average with 21 home runs and 98 runs batted in. Ozuna was able to hit the 20 home run plateau with 23 of his own to go with 76 runs batted in.
The young stars aren't just limited to the outfield for Miami. Dee Gordon, the Marlins' second baseman, has shown speed on the base paths. He swiped 30 bases last season and led the National League the two previous seasons. His season was abbreviated by a PED suspension, however. Third baseman Martin Prado led the team in batting with a .305 average and helps provide veteran leadership to a young franchise on the rise. First baseman Justin Bour showed some power with 15 home runs, and shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria was ninth in the NL with 1.9 defensive wins above replacement.
Catcher J.T. Realmuto played well on both ends. He batted .303 and was able to throw out an NL-leading 28 attempted base thieves. He also flashed a little speed with 12 stolen bases, which is not bad for a catcher.
But Their Pitching Needs Help
Pitching was not a bright spot for the Marlins last season. After Fernandez, Tom Koehler led the team in wins with nine and strikeouts with 147. Adam Conley had the best earned run average after Fernandez with 3.85 in 2016. Wei-Yin Chen contributed a 5-5 record with 100 strikeouts and a 4.96 earned run average in 123.1 innings pitched. The pitching staff will have to step up for this to be a successful season in Miami.
Their bullpen was led by closer A.J. Ramos, who racked up 40 saves to go along with his 73 strikeouts in 64 innings pitched. He also put up a 2.81 earned run average and earned an All-Star selection. Their bullpen, however, will give him plenty more help after the acquisitions this offseason.
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Key Acquisitions
The Marlins made some moves to acquire pitching, both starting and relief. Their offense did not need much work with such an All-Star caliber lineup, but if they want to compete, their pitching needs to be ahead of the 2016 staff. With the help of some key acquisitions, the Marlins may be set to improve on their awful 2016 pitching and make 2017 count.
Dan Straily
Dan Straily will be able to help the Marlins rotation if he starts. He made 34 appearances last season (31 starts) and posted a 14-8 record with 162 strikeouts and a 3.76 earned run average in 191.1 innings pitched. With the way the Marlins rotation was last season, this guy needs a chance in the rotation. The numbers he put up last season were good, but they are even more impressive when you see they were put up while playing for a pretty bad Reds team.
Edinson Volquez
Edinson Volquez is a pitcher who has shown he can be very good. Last season, he did not. That does not mean he can't help this Marlins rotation. Last season was not good for Volquez. His earned run average was a bloated 5.37 and he was only able to put up a 10-11 record for a Kansas City team that didn't live up to expectations. If he can stay healthy and return to form, Volquez could be a big acquisition for the Fish.
Brad Ziegler
Brad Ziegler is a reliable reliever who will help the Marlins stay consistent late in games. Ziegler split last season with Arizona and Boston, and pitched very well for the Red Sox after he was acquired. He put up a 1.52 earned run average and struck out 31 batters in 29.2 innings with Boston down the stretch. Ziegler is 37, but age hasn't slowed him down yet. He will bring a veteran presence to the bullpen for the Fish.
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Significant Players Lost
The Marlins have had a pretty good offseason when it comes to keeping players around. There are a few players who left through free agency, but it won't make an incredible impact on the Marlins' chances this season. Unfortunately, their biggest departure came through tragedy at the end of last season and the effects will be felt beyond just this season.
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Jose Fernandez
Fernandez was the ace of the Marlins and the face of the franchise. He made the game fun to watch and was a fan favorite. On top of that, he was one of the best young pitchers in the game. Along with Giancarlo Stanton, the Marlins were building around him. It is tough to see a player of any caliber meet an untimely death. It is even harder seeing a player who meant so much to the people around him and the team he played for.
Jeff Francoeur, Chris Johnson and Jeff Mathis
All three of these players had their time as productive starters in the bigs. Now, they are depth off the bench at best. Chris Johnson had five home runs last season with 24 runs batted in while batting .222. Jeff Francoeur only put in 50 at-bats and recorded one run batted in. Jeff Mathis batted .238 with two home runs and drove in 15 runs in 126 at-bats over 41 games. Their impact was minimal and won't be missed in 2017.
Andrew Cashner
A pitcher who left in free agency, Andrew Cashner did not perform in his time with Miami last season. He went 1-4 with a 5.98 earned run average. He departed for Texas this offseason, which may have done Miami a favor. Cashner at this point may not be able to start the season in Texas because of injury. The Marlins' starting rotation acquisitions are improvements over Cashner on paper.
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Projections
The Marlins have the young stars to improve on their 2016 performance. With an offense with so much potential and a more balanced pitching staff, the Marlins look to compete with the Mets and Nationals for the National League East crown.
Rotation:
Bullpen:
Middle Relief: Hunter Cervenka / Junichi Tazawa / Kyle Barraclough
Long Relief: David Phelps / Dustin McGowan
Setup: Nick Wittgren / Brad Ziegler
Closer: A.J. Ramos
2017 Starting Lineup:
2B Dee Gordon
3B Martin Prado
CF Christian Yelich
RF Giancarlo Stanton
LF Marcell Ozuna
1B Justin Bour
C J.T. Realmuto
SS Adeiny Hechavarria
Predictions:
2017 Record: 81-81
Division Rank: Third
Playoffs: No
While the Marlins will be improved, it will be hard for them to compete with such balanced teams like Washington and New York. Their lineups and rotations are a tier above what Miami has to offer. The Marlins are in a weird spot in the division, sandwiched between two really good teams and two really bad teams. Look for the Marlins to make strides and hopefully be ready to compete in 2018.
