Here is my confession.
My favorite preview to write of all the major sports is the baseball preview. The thought that Major League Baseball’s Opening Day is approaching is exciting.
Brief public service announcement, the team previewed is the Miami Marlins.
Last season was the inaugural season of a new ownership group led by Bruce Sherman and New York Yankees legend Derek Jeter.
They cleaned up the clubhouse, literally.
It began with the Marlins trading Dee Gordon and $1 million in international slot money to the Seattle Mariners for three minor leaguers. Two days later, the Marlins traded Giancarlo Stanton and $30 million in contract relief to the New York Yankees for Starlin Castro and two minor leaguers.
They were far from done.
The Marlins traded Marcell Ozuna to the St. Louis Cardinals for two minor leaguers. The beat went on as the Marlins traded Christian Yelich to the Milwaukee Brewers for Lewis Brinson and three other minor leaguers.
The result after the first year, 98 losses and a per-game attendance figure lower than what the Chicago Cubs draw during spring training.
I will give the first year a pass and this season.
Now, the 2019 season, it is hard to say the season will be better than last however our motto at WORLDWIDEWEST is “Faith in the Game.”
My faith tells me this team with lose 90 plus games again, the good news is they will avoid triple digit loses like last season.
When it comes to the Marlins, I can’t help but realize they are considered a young franchise with only 25 years of existence, two playoff visits leading directly to World Series championships, but have the second-lowest composite winning percentage of any franchise.
This team on the diamond this year, I can not point the finger at who I like in the young moreover potentially good rotation for the Marlins’. I see the upside in 23-year-old Pablo Lopez and 27-year-old Caleb Smith, who owns an impressive fastball and slider”. That is the future.
It may sound cliché however the Marlins’ have to score runs this season, but the catch is more than last. Last season they plated a major league-worst 589 runs.
After trading J.T. Realmuto this offseason, the Marlins have now traded 23 of their all-time top 25 players by WAR. Martin Prado is the next man up in the clubhouse a veteran utility man now on the Marlins’ bench — is the active career WAR leader, with 6.7. That’s 33rd on the franchise list. Brian Anderson, a rookie last year, is next with 3.3 WAR, which is 66th. Anderson gives the fish quality defense and a player the Marlins can build around.
The Marlins will need more than to prevent from being worse than last season. Miami added low impact free agents over the offseason. Center fielder Lewis Brinson who was a top 20 prospect entering last season; need to raise his stock and flat out not swing at everything, his speed is his foundation. Jeter shared it’s not about winning instead the experience when visiting the ballpark.
Curtis Granderson and Starlin Castro are players who will bring valuable clubhouse experience. But if those around them don’t capitalize on a Marlins team that helps you figure out your MLB career. The veterans will feel the pain of a lousy season.
