2017 Pre-Season Profile: Miami Marlins

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When the Miami Marlins finished their 2016 season, no one cared what their record was because of an unthinkable tragedy.  Will the Marlins be able to recover and have a successful 2017 season?

My 2016 Predictions

3rd in NL East

Giancarlo Stanton will play a full season and hit 55+ home runs.

2016 Results

79-82, 3rd in NL East

Looking at the numbers, the Miami Marlins had a successful season as they once again took a step forward as one of the fun young teams to watch.  However, none of that mattered after the morning of September 25, when ace Jose Fernandez was killed in a boating accident.  This led to that night's game being cancelled (hence only the 161 games played) and one of the most tragic weeks in baseball history as the Marlins struggled to finish the season while missing their emotional leader.  What was an encouraging sign of a bright future for the franchise, 2016 turned into a season that left them lost and wondering where to turn.  As for my Fearless Prediction, once again injuries kept Stanton from playing a full season.  We are still waiting to see what heights he can reach if he could stay on the field fr a full season.

Additions / Subtractions

Jose Fernandez's untimely death left a huge hole in this team that was going to be hard to fill.  On a positive note, the Marlins' roster is mostly unchanged moving into 2017.  They did sign a couple pitchers to try and fill Fernandez's shoes.  Edinson Volquez, following some successful seasons with the Royals, is now considered the ace of the Marlins with fellow newcomer Dan Straily sliding into the #2 spot.

Most Important Hitter

Giancarlo Stanton

Like I have already stated, a full season of a healthy Giancarlo Stanton would be a sight to see.  Unfortunately, this has yet to happen in his young career.  Stanton is the heart of this order and the player that makes it work.  When he isn't in the lineup, the Marlins have few places to turn for power despite a strong lineup.  If they are to be successful in 2017, they need a full season from Stanton.

Most Important Pitcher

Adam Conley

Adam Conley had flashes of brilliance in 2016.  The problem was they were only flashes.  This is fine for a pitcher entering only his second full season in the big leagues, but with Jose Fernandez gone, the Marlins' pitching staff is now looking quite old.  Conley, at 27, is the youngest pitcher in their projected starting five and really the only one that hasn't already hit his ceiling.  Conley showed flashes of being a star in 2016.  They need him to be a star in 2017.

Player to Watch

Brian Anderson

The Marlins continue to sport one of the worst farm systems in all of baseball, only having one player in the Top 100 Prospects (who won't be major league ready for another couple seasons).  This leaves little chance at getting any rookies this season that could have a noticeable impact on the team.  One that might have a chance is infielder Brian Anderson.  If injuries derail the seasons of any of the Marlins' starting infielders, look for Anderson to get a chance to prove himself with the big club.

2017 Prediction

4th in NL East

I love the Marlins' lineup.  From Stanton to Dee Gordon, Christian Yelich, JT Realmuto, and Marcell Ozuna, the Marlins have an incredible young core of hitters.  The problem is their pitching.  Jose Fernandez's death might be one of the most tragic events in recent baseball history.  Not only was he only 24 years old with his entire life, let alone his baseball career, in front of him, but he was one of two or three pillars on which the Marlins were building this franchise.  With his tragic passing, they lost all momentum that may have been built in 2016.  It also left their starting rotation looking like one of the worst in the league.  They need more than Volquez and Straily to stabilize and solidify this pitching staff.  Unless they fix their pitching soon, they might waste the great window they have with their young lineup.

Fearless Prediction

The Marlins will trade for Jose Quintana mid-season.

Like I said, the Marlins need to do something big to fix their rotation.  Jose Quintana is the biggest arm available on the trading market.  The Marlins don't have a farm system to put together a monster package of prospects like other teams have done, but I think they can figure something out to make something like this happen.  Quintana would be a great fit for any team, but considering the Latin presence in Miami, Quintana might be able to appeal to the community at large in a way Jose Fernandez was able to.

2016 Pre-Season Profile: Miami Marlins

The Miami Marlins have a history of either being really good or really bad.  In 2015, they reached a rare position: they were mediocre.  Will 2016 be a step in one direction or another?

Last Season

My 2015 Prediction: 2nd in NL East

2015 Result: 71-91, 3rd in NL East

I was high on the Marlins coming into the 2015 season, however the season quickly went south and turned bizarre when they fired their manager Mike Redmond in favor of their general manager who had never managed before on any level.  I had them in second potentially battling for a Wild Card spot.  Instead, they ended up with 90 losses.  The only thing that kept them from going lower in the standings was how bad the Braves and Phillies were.

2016 Additions / Subtractions

The Marlins always seem to either go all in or sell everyone every offseason.  This offseason looked a little different.  They brought in a solid starter in Wei-Yin Chen and re-signed Dee Gordon.  They really didn't do much more.  They know they have something interesting building in Miami, and these few moves are small pieces that will help the team continue to develop.  The biggest move they made was at manager.  Don Mattingly is a vast improvement over the joke that was Dan Jennings last season.  He will actually be able to lead this team where they need to go.

Most Important Hitter

Marcell Ozuna

Many people say Marcell Ozuna is one of those special talents that can do it all.  The problem is he has yet to put it all together on the field for the Marlins.  For the Marlins to start taking steps forward, a player like Ozuna has to have a breakout season and show what kind of player his talent projects him to be.

Most Important Pitcher

Jose Fernandez

In 2013, Jose Fernandez showed that he has the talent to be one of the best pitchers in baseball.  Then, the dreaded Tommy John derailed his next two seasons.  Now, he is entering 2016 at full strength and should ready to be the superstar again.  This team is currently being built around two superstars: Fernandez and Giancarlo Stanton.  For this to continue, Fernandez needs to get back to that elite status.

Player to Watch

Jarlin Garcia

One problem the Marlins have is they do not have a very good farm system.  Their best prospects are still a few years away also.  The best player in the system that has a chance to make an impact this season is Jarlin Garcia.  He is a 23 year old left-handed pitcher that could get some starts this season for the big club.  Depending on his success, he could figure more into the plans moving forward.

2016 Prediction

3rd in NL East

The Marlins should be better than they were last season, however it shouldn't move them up the standings in the NL East at all.  The NL East has two elite teams, two terrible teams, and the Marlins who are somewhere in the middle.  In the next couple seasons, they might be contenders but not quite yet.

Fearless Prediction

Giancarlo Stanton will play a full season and hit 55+ home runs.

Giancarlo Stanton is a freak.  His only problem so far has been injuries, many of them freak injuries.  He hasn't played a full season since 2011.  Last season, he hit 27 home runs in 74 games.  That is just insane!  He is due to catch some breaks in terms of the injury bug so he can truly show what kind of production he can have.  He was halfway to 55 home runs in less than half the season in 2015.  A full season in 2016 should bring ridiculous production.

2015 Pre-Season Profile: Miami Marlins

The Miami Marlins had a surprising 2014 led by one of the best players on the planet.  Will the Marlins continue to take steps forward, or are they still more laughable than legitimate?

Last Season

77-85, 4th in NL East

Ever since the Miami Marlins went on a spending spree then sold off all their new acquisitions, not much has been expected of them.  In 2014, they at least started to show that they are headed in the right direction.  The emergence of potential future stars like Christian Yelich and Marcell Ozuna showed the league that the Marlins may be in the discussion much sooner than people thought.  Even without superstar Jose Fernandez for most of the season, the Marlins won 15 more games than in 2013, and if it wasn't for a late-season freak injury, they may have also had the NL MVP in Giancarlo Stanton.  (This shot is still the most impressive home run I have ever seen!)

2015 Additions / Subtractions

The list of offseason moves starts mainly with who is not leaving.  When the Marlins were able to ink Giancarlo Stanton to a 13 year deal (with a no trade clause), it was possibly the first time in the franchise's history they have shown a commitment to long term success and spending.  With Stanton signed, the Marlins didn't stop there, remaining active throughout the whole offseason.  As opposed to the 2012 offseason where they went after high end free agents with big price tags, this time around they improved their team with small move after small move.  They traded for Martin Prado to replace departing third baseman Casey McGehee.  They traded for Dee Gordon and Dan Haren from the Dodgers.  They also traded for Mat Latos from the Reds.  Then they signed veterans like Mike Morse and Ichiro Suzuki to fill out the roster and add depth.  With only McGehee and starter Nathan Eovaldi being the only players that saw significant time in 2014 departing the roster, the Marlins definitely looked greatly improved in 2015.

Most Important Hitter

Dee Gordon

In his first full year as a second baseman, Dee Gordon had a career year in 2014, making the All Star Team for the first time and leading the league in triples and stolen bases.  Now, he has been brought over to Miami to be the table setter for their young lineup.  The Marlins are counting on Gordon to continue the progress he made in 2014 and play like one of the best lead-off hitters in the league.  His talent says that he can be and should be.  Having a player like Ichiro, one of the best lead-off hitters maybe of all time, on the roster could help Gordon be great.

Most Important Pitcher

Henderson Alvarez

With Jose Fernandez not quite fully recovered from his Tommy John surgery, and no one knowing if he will be all the way back to 100% this season, it puts a lot of pressure on the rest of the staff to pick up the slack.  This is probably why the Marlins brought in veterans like Mat Latos and Dan Haren to solidify the back end of the rotation, but the majority of this pressure is going to fall on the young shoulders of Henderson Alvarez.  He is capable of shouldering the load as he did in 2014, winning 12 games with a 2.65 ERA.  If he can repeat that production, he and Fernandez will be quite the formidable duo at the top of the rotation for years to come.

Player to Watch

Justin Nicolino

Usually, when you think about the Marlins, you think about young prospects getting a chance to prove themselves (usually before they are ready).  This year's Marlins are not quite that way, with each position fairly set for the year.  One name to watch for, though, is Justin Nicolino.  With so much age ... I mean ... experience ... at the back end of the Marlins' rotation, it is highly likely they decide to move on from one or two of their elder statesmen that are not able to perform like they did in their glory days.  If this happens, look for lefty Nicolino to be one of the first to get a shot to prove himself.

Prediction

2nd in NL East

The Marlins have definitely taken another step forward heading into 2015.  Combine that with a weak division this year, and it is highly plausible to see Miami finishing above .500 and competing for a Wild Card spot through most of the summer, no matter how much they get out of Jose Fernandez.  With a healthy 100% Fernandez, who knows how far this team can go?  This has definitely become a team to watch moving forward, if for no other reason than to see what Giancarlo Stanton is going to do with the bat next.