After some wheeling and dealing over the off-season by Miami Marlins general manager Dan Jennings, the team was hopeful that the results would turn them into a contender in the National League East. But unfortunately for the Marlins, the start of the 2015 Major League Baseball season hasn’t been what they envisioned. The Marlins are off to a putrid 3-11 start and they’ve only managed to win one series so far this season. The Marlins are also 2-9 against opponents from the NL East.
Mike Redmond
Marlins manager Mike Redmond is in his third season in Miami. Redmond was handed a young and inexperienced team that lost 100 games in 2013, but they overachieved last season as they won 77 games. And when you couple that with all of the new Marlins acquisitions, the bar of expectations has been raised in South Florida.
Giancarlo Stanton
The Marlins lineup is anchored by right fielder Giancarlo Stanton who is fresh off of inking a 13-year, $325 million extension in the off-season as he is one of the premier sluggers in Major League Baseball. Via trades, the Marlins acquired second baseman Dee Gordon from the Los Angeles Dodgers and utility man Martin Prado from the New York Yankees along with signing first baseman Michael Morse in free agency to put some protection around Stanton in the lineup. The acquisition of Gordon is paying off so far as he is batting .390 with a .403 on-base percentage. Gordon has also stolen six bases so far this season as he is one of the fastest runners in baseball. Gordon’s speed at the top of the Marlins lineup is expected to help Stanton see more pitches to hit as pitchers fear the threat of him stealing bases. But Stanton hasn’t gotten off to an electric start as he is batting just .260 with a trio homers and 12 runs batted in.
More than anything the Marlins have been done in so far by their starting pitching or lack thereof. The Marlins team earned run average of 5.28 is 14th in the NL and they are also near the bottom of most statistical categories on the Senior Circuit. In the off-season, starting pitcher Mat Latos was acquired by the Marlins from the Cincinnati Reds and he was expected to be a part of Miami’s foundation in their starting rotation. But through three starts this season, Latos is 0-3 with an earned run average of 10.24 and he has yet to pitch at least six innings in any of his starts. Marlins starting pitcher Tom Koehler is coming off of a start this past Sunday against the New York Mets where he surrendered seven runs in just 3.1 innings of work. Marlins relief pitcher Steve Cishek is coming off of a season in which he saved 39 games. But so far this year Cishek is 0-for-2 in save opportunities with an earned run average of 19.29. The Marlins are holding out hope that the 2013 NL Cy Young Award winner in starting pitcher Jose Fernandez will return to the club at some point this season, but his brethren have not been holding it down without him.
Jeffrey Loria
The Marlins slow start has the rumor mill swirling already in South Florida as the team could be close to moving on from Redmond unless the players begin to turn it around as team owner Jeffrey Loria has shown in the past impatience with his club. In 2012, the Marlins came into the season with tremendous expectations as they began play in a new ballpark (Marlins Park), a new logo, and a new name as they were no longer the Florida Marlins. But after a 69-93 finish in 2012, Loria had a fire sale as the only star player left was Stanton. And after the slow start this season Loria could be ready to pull the trigger once more.
But more than ever Loria needs to exercise patience with his team as with so many new players, it will take some time for the Marlins to properly gel. Stanton is returning after his 2014 MLB season was cut short after being hit in the face late last season by a pitch. Stanton is playing with a protective guard over the left side of his face this season and he has to be a bit tentative as pitchers are going to try him on the inner part of the plate more than ever. But what we have seen in the past from Stanton is a player that can get hot and when he does, he can put a team on his back for a very long time. Gordon and Stanton will work well together once they figure out the timing of one another while Prado and Morse along with shortstop Adieny Hechaverria and outfielder Marcel Ozuna will be a big part of the Marlins lineup as well. And aside from the lineup, the Marlins starting pitching has to come around if they are going to get going.
The Marlins were swept in a four-game series over the weekend by the Mets who are playing some of the best ball in Major League Baseball right now. The Marlins have already spotted the Mets an eight-game lead in the National League East, but there is plenty of time remaining in the season as we haven’t even reached the quarter pole yet. What the Marlins must do is get back to the basics of playing fundamental baseball that begins with solid starting pitching, good defense, and the little things on offense such as driving in runners that are in scoring position and things can get turned around for them. The other key for the Marlins should be to win their next series which they are in the middle of as they dropped the first game of it on the road against the Philadelphia Phillies and from there to see where they are by the end of the month. But it is still to early for Loria and crew to push the panic button on this team.
Source: Baseball-reference.com
Leave A Comment