2024 Pre-Season Profile: Miami Marlins

 #24

The Miami Marlins slipped into the playoffs in 2023 to everyone's surprise.  Could they do it again in 2024?

2023 Predictions

#17 - 4th in NL East

MIH - Jazz Chisholm Jr.

MIP - Sandy Alcantara

PTW - Eury Perez

FP - Sandy Alcantara will win a second straight Cy Young.

2023 Results

#15 - 84-78, 3rd in NL East, lost in NLWC

Highest WAR (Position) - Luis Arraez

Highest WAR (Pitcher) - Jesus Luzardo

Rookie manager Skip Schumaker found some of that Marlins magic in year one at the helm.  In one of the toughest divisions in baseball, Miami found some success despite Sandy Alcantara not finishing the season, needing Tommy John and keeping him out for this season as well.  Jesus Luzardo stepped up and showed some of the promise that made him a top prospect back in the day.  Also, Luis Arraez continued to just hit.

Additions / Subtractions

The Marlins continue to play the low budget game.  Many of their veterans have moved on and are replaced by different veterans.  So out is Yuli Gurriel, Joey Wendle, Jean Segura, and (most notably) Jorge Soler.  Brought in is veteran shortstop Tim Anderson, joining mid-season pickups last season in Jake Burger and Josh Bell to fill these holes.  The pitching staff remains pretty much the same.

Most Important Hitter

Avisail Garcia

It's rare the Marlins throw money at a player, and when they do it's rarely much.  With that said, when they signed Avisail Garcia to a 4 year, $53 million deal two years ago, it was a big deal.  Now, halfway through the contract, Garcia has only played 135 games with very little production.  The biggest question with the Marlins this season is if they can score runs.  They let a lot of production walk out the door and need someone to step up and replace it.  If Garcia can find some new life in his career, stay healthy, and show a small sign of why he was given that contract, the Marlins lineup might be okay.

Most Important Pitcher

A.J. Puk

The strength of this Marlins team is their pitching, even without Sandy Alcantara this season.  Jesus Luzardo, followed by phenom Eury Perez, can be a pretty good 1-2 punch.  Then there's A.J. Puk.  Puk was supposed to be the ace of the A's staff by now.  Instead, after struggling in the bullpen, he was traded to Miami for a change of scenery.  Last season, Puk had limited success splitting time as the closer.  Now, the Marlins are giving Puk a chance to fulfill his potential as a starter.  At 6'7" with velocity from the left side, we still could see Puk take off.  If he does, this rotation truly shows some great depth.

Prospect to Watch

Max Meyer

Another pitcher that could help that depth is Max Meyer.  The Marlins have one of the worst farm systems in baseball, ranking 29th with only 1 prospect in the Top 100 (and he's still a couple years away).  However, Max Meyer is a wild card.  The 3rd overall pick in the 2020 draft, Meyer was my Prospect to Watch in 2022.  He was poised to break out until he went down with the dreaded Tommy John in his second big league start.  Now he's finally healthy again, and he has another chance to show what he can be.  If he gets back to where he was before the injury, the Marlins have another solid starter.

2024 Predictions

4th in NL East

The Marlins always seem to find a way to be relevant, but it looks like it could be hard to get there this year.  They just lack offense.  Their pitching is great, but can they make up for the lackluster lineup.  There are too many teams on the rise for the Marlins to compete, especially without their best player this season.

Fearless Prediction

Half of the Marlins Opening Day lineup will not be on the roster by the end of the 2024 season.

When you try to build a lineup through veteran bats, they get traded away if your season goes south.  If they don't look like they have a shot, there's a good chance we see a mass exodus mid-season of players like Tim Anderson, Josh Bell, Jake Burger, and Avisail Garcia.

2021 Pre-Season Profile: Oakland Athletics

 #8

Every year, the Oakland Athletics seem to outperform other teams loaded with more star power and big contracts.  Will 2021 continue their run of seemingly anonymous success?

2020 Predictions

#9 - 2nd in AL West, WILD CARD, lose in Wild Card Game

MIH - Marcus Semien

MIP - Liam Hendriks

PTW - Jesus Luzardo

2020 Results

#5 - 36-24, 1st in AL West, lost in ALDS

The A's once again put together a stellar regular season even though it was short.  Taking the crown in the AL West with a bad year from their 2019 MVP candidate in Marcus Semien and without a full season from their best player in Matt Chapman, the A's showed just how much of a collective team they are.  With that said, when everything was on the line in the playoffs, they couldn't beat the Astros even though they were by far the superior team in the regular season.  This seems to be the next step for the A's; turn regular season success into postseason success.

Additions / Subtractions

It may be a challenge for the A's to improve much this season considering what they lost this offseason.  Marcus Semien and Liam Hendriks, two of their most productive players over the last few seasons, signed free agent deals elsewhere.  Outfielder Robbie Grossman also moved on.  To replace Semien at shortstop, they traded away DH Khris Davis for veteran shortstop Elvis Andrus in one of the more fascinating trades of the offseason.  They also signed Trevor Rosenthal and Sergio Romo to help fill the void in the bullpen left by Hendriks.  The only other significant move made was signing Mitch Moreland as a possible DH and depth option.

Most Important Hitter

Matt Olson

Matt Olson is another player that wasn't stellar for the A's in 2020, but he is a cornerstone of their lineup.  A Gold Glove caliber first baseman, Olson has also shown some great pop in the heart of the order.  He has the potential to continue to grow into a superstar, but he has to bounce back from the lackluster 2020.  The Two Matt's (Olson and Chapman) are the keys to so much of what the A's do in 2021.  Since they proved last season they could survive extended stretches without Chapman, that makes Olson the pick here.

Most Important Pitcher

Jesus Luzardo

The A's have a lot of unassuming but productive talent in the lineup that can match up with anyone.  If they lack one thing, it is an ace that can go toe-to-toe with any team out there.  Chris Bassitt had an outstanding year in 2020, but he is reaching the back half of his career so who knows how long that will keep up.  The future ace of this staff needs to be Jesus Luzardo.  It may be a little too early to place huge expectations on a guy like this as he is only entering his age 23 season, but he has the dynamic stuff to be a star in the league.  He was just about average in 2020, finishing with a 98 ERA+.  He needs to take a huge leap forward and be the stopper that rotation desperately needs. if they plan on having the postseason success they have been missing.

Prospect to Watch

A.J. Puk

It's about time for the A's to start retooling their farm system.  They currently boast no prospects in the Top 100 and sit in the lower third of the league in terms of overall farm system.  With all that said, I think it is finally time for A.J. Puk to break out.  This 6'7" lefty has been on the verge of stardom for several years now, but some injuries have delayed his arrival.  Now he is about to turn 26 years old and has fallen out of the Top 100 simply because who knows if he can stay healthy.  His stuff is electric though, and if he can finally put it all together, watch out!

2021 Prediction

1st in AL West, lose in ALDS

This season has the potential to look very similar to Oakland fans.  They are going to have an excellent regular season, aided by a potentially softening division.  Then they will get to the playoffs and run into some juggernaut superteams and not stand a chance.  I think playoff appearances might be the peak for this team as it is currently constructed.  Going beyond that would be an over-achievement they have not been able to reach quite yet.

Fearless Predictions

Before Opening Day 2022, Matt Chapman and Matt Olson will be traded, a new ballpark deal is done, or the A's will announce a relocation.

Both Matts are under club control with the A's through the 2023 season.  With the trajectory their careers are headed, it is only a matter of time before the A's look to unload them at their peak value before they have to pay them too much, especially considering their lackluster farm system.  Either that, or something in their situation in Oakland changes that helps them bring in more revenue and allows them to sign someone to a long term deal.  Or they get ready to leave town.  In the next 12 months, it is very likely that one of those three things happens.