The last NL East team I will be previewing are the Miami Marlins. The Marlins are coming off an amazing season that absolutely no one saw coming. They finished last year in 2nd place with a 31-29 record, after starting the season with a severe COVID outbreak that could’ve derailed the entire season for everyone. Last year they were the team of destiny, in a way, because they were the ultimate underdogs. And up until last season, both of the times they made the playoffs they won the World Series. Last year was the first time they made the playoffs and didn’t end up winning the World Series. Now, moving on, they definitely made steps forward to be a better team, but did they make enough moves to make themselves a playoff contender? Let’s take a look.
Projected Starting Rotation
| 1 | Sixto Sanchez |
| 2 | Sandy Alcantara |
| 3 | Pablo Lopez |
| 4 | Trevor Rogers |
| 5 | Elieser Hernandez |
Their rotation has been coming along nicely over the the past 3 years. One name that stands head and shoulders above the rest is Sixto Sanchez. Sixto is a young ace out of the Dominican Republic who grew up idolizing Pedro Martinez. And his stuff on the mound is Pedro-esque. He will most definitely be in the conversation for NL Cy Young winner at the end of the year. Another name to keep an eye on is Sandy Alcantara. Alcantara was the first of the Marlin’s young arms that came along that has paid off. He’s not the ace anymore, as Sixto is the ace of the future for the Marlins, but he’s still a good #2 starter. Lastly, is underrated Elieser Hernandez. He is someone who has flown under the radar for a couple of reasons; 1) he’s on a rebuilding Miami Marlins team and 2) they’ve been hiding him in the bullpen. Now, he’s going to have a chance to be a starter for a full season and the Marlins will be able to see if he’s better suited as a starter or not. One thing is for certain, as long as the starting rotation for the Marlins is good, they will not finish last in the standings.
Projected Line-Up
| 1 | LF Corey Dickerson | L |
| 2 | CF Starling Marte | R |
| 3 | 1B Jesus Aguilar | R |
| 4 | 3B Brian Anderson | R |
| 5 | RF Adam Duvall | R |
| 6 | SS Miguel Rojas | R |
| 7 | 2B Isan Diaz/Jon Berti | L/R |
| 8 | C Jorge Alfaro | R |
| 9 | P Pitcher | – |
The Marlins’ line-up has a lot of potential, especially when you take into account the prospects they have lurking in the shadows. Right now, the line-up isn’t as terrifying from a pitcher’s perspective, as it should be. But there are players that standout. First is Adam Duvall, who is trying to get an everyday job after having a heck of a season last year with Atlanta. Duvall is a player that fits well into the Marlins model because he plays multiple positions, so that whenever a top prospect is ready for the big leagues, they can slide in and if he’s blocking them Duvall can slide over to another position. Next, Jesus Aguilar, who is someone that help brings the clubhouse together. Aguilar is someone that can build the bridge between the young Latin players and the older veterans in the clubhouse. He also can mentor the young Latin players and he is still a productive bat. I don’t expect the line-up to be that good, no disrespect, but I just don’t think they have enough bop in the lineup.
2021 PECOTA NL East Projections
According to PECOTA, last year’s Marlins team was a fluke. Although, I agree to certain extent, I don’t believe the Marlins will finish last this year. As a matter of fact I think they finish with 79-82 wins this year. I have them finishing better than PECOTA has them, but they will not be as good as they were last year. the hitting is just not there yet. I have them finishing in 4th place, ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East standings.
