2021 Roster Review: Miami Marlins
67-95 (4th in Division; 25th in MLB)
SP Wins: 32 (27th)
RP Wins: 35 (14th)
Saves: 33 (25th)
1+ Save: 3 (Dylan Floro, Yimi García 15, Anthony Bender 3)
100+ Ks: 3 (Sandy Alcantara 201, Trevor Rogers 157, Pablo López 115)
.260+ AVG (min. 350 PA): 2 (Miguel Rojas .265, Jesús Aguilar .261)
65+ Runs: 2 (Jazz Chisholm Jr. 70, Rojas 66)
65+ RBI: 2 (Aguilar 93, Adam Duvall 68 [total: 113, led NL])
10+ HRs: 4 (Aguilar, Duvall 22, Chisholm 18, Jesús Sánchez 14)
5+ SBs: 8 (Chisholm 23, Starling Marte 22 [total: 47, led MLB], Rojas 13, Magneuris Sierra 11, Jorge Alfaro, Jon Berti 8, Duvall, Brian Anderson 5)
BEST BUY: Pablo López
I love the trio of potential aces they have in Miami, but I think Lopez is the best bang for your buck. Alcantara is awesome and the market knows it. Rogers finished nicely and it went a bit under the radar, but the market isn’t sleeping on him. I would likely pay for either at market price, but Lopez will likely dip a bit behind those two.
While he did miss virtually the entire second half due to a shoulder issue, I love that Lopez finished the season on the mound even if it was just 1.7 innings. He was throwing 95-96 and looked healthy in the brief start. Lopez picked up where 2020 left off and had a fantastic 103 innings before hitting the IL and as long as he stays on track health-wise, I see him continuing to be a stud arm with high strikeout capability and great ratios.
ON THE RISE: Max Meyer
The #3 overall pick from 2020 was considered one of a handful of players from that draft who could’ve debuted last year, especially with Miami in the playoff mix. Instead, his pro debut came in Double-A this year where he reeled off 101 innings of an 18% K-BB, 2.41 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, and 3.34 FIP. He was rewarded with a pair of Triple-A starts where he struck out 17 and walked just 2 in 10 innings. The 23-year-old righty will almost certainly start back in Triple-A, but he likely won’t be there for long! He has a chance to be the next young star for the Marlins.
OFF THE RADAR: Lewin Díaz
Diaz flashed his raw power in a 40-game sample during which he had just an 82 wRC+, but also a .246 ISO. At Triple-A, he was at .270 ISO with a 121 wRC+ in 74 games. He is also a solid defender which could earn him additional playing time.
HOT TAKE: Jesús Sánchez hits 35 HR during a breakout season in 2022.
Sanchez got to show off his skills a bit this year, hitting 14 HR with a 116 wRC+ in 251 PA. He did strike out 31% of the time, but still managed a .251 AVG. He has a 21% K% in 730 PA at Double- and Triple-A while hitting .299, so there could be some AVG upside here, too. But the power is undeniable and with playing time, it could deliver a huge HR total.
ICYMI: Anthony Bender had a 29% K% in 61.3 IP, showing closer-worthy skills despite getting skipped over for Floro.
IF THE DH RETURNS: Jesús Aguilar would almost certainly play there with Diaz taking over at 1B. That would be a great fit for them.
They have some scary talented starting pitching down there in Miami.
Is that really a hot take on Sanchez? I feel like 30 would be a fair over/under for him but maybe I have consumed too much of the kool aid myself
It might not be in that his skills are definitely already in place to hit 35, but I still think it qualifies as pretty hot to tab a 2nd yr player for 35 given how rare it is. Just 19 players reached the mark in 2021
This is a good team. I worry about service time manipulation with all teams, but they seemed to pull some shady shit in the back half of the season that puts me off their guys.
If the DH returns? How ’bout we lobby to make sure it never stains the NL the way it has the AL. The DH in unbaseballistic!
I wholeheartedly disagree. Watching pitchers bat is a nightmare and every time we lose a pitcher to injury while batting/running, it’s awful. The strategy piece if WILDLY overrated and there just isn’t any value whatsoever to letting them continue to bat. The game evolves and frankly there should’ve been a leaguewide DH decades ago.