Meanwhile, Back in Last Place

Last night's game in Syracuse was very ho-hum, and there's not a great deal to write about in regards to it. So instead, I'm gonna talk about the last-place Marlins.

Statistically, they're not the worst team in baseball...but NOMINALLY? Damn close. At least teams who are statistically bad, like the Reds and Orioles, have a few landmark players going for them. What do the Marlins have? J.T. Realmuto, Justin Bour and Starlin Castro. That's it. I'm not really exaggerating.

And the sad part is, even if they DO get traded in a month or two, none of them are really having terrific seasons. I mean, they're good, and Bour is hitting home runs, but...these guys were never supposed to be the ones to hold up the team. The Marlins were better as an ensemble piece, a lineup of varied stars...SORT OF LIKE HOW THEY WERE LAST YEAR. The team was only a few pieces away from getting back to dominance, so going backwards made even less sense. But apparently giving away all of the great hitters was easier than trading for better pitchers.

Starlin Castro is having another alright season, though. Is he as good as he was last year for the Yankees? No. He's not hitting near as many home runs, and he's still striking out quite a bit. Bour and Realmuto are pretty nice, but I imagine they'll want out soon. There's promise in the lineup right now, like Brian Anderson and Derek Dietrich, but I don't even know if they'll carry the team after the bigger vets leave. Lewis Brinson certainly won't, as he's striking out way too much. The pitching's in bad shape, with only Caleb Smith giving in good numbers.

This team is in a dire position, especially in comparison to last year, and they're unfortunate enough to be in last in a division where the top 3 teams are excellent, and even the 4th place team is borderline good. And I don't know when the Marlins will be able to be good again. Which, the year of a ownership change, is not a good sign.

Coming Tonight: Possibly another game recap. I'll be seeing a much better AAA affiliate tonight, so maybe it'll warrant a post. It's the last one, though.