Uncustomed Heroes of 2020: Marlins

 

2020 was the year that the Miami Marlins A.) ended their 17-year-long playoff drought, and B.) were handed their first ever playoff series loss.

The Marlins' rise over the course of the 2020 season was one of the most inspired and welcome developments of a very depressing year. Look at those young Marlins go! Look at them take down the Cubs in a playoff series! Feel-good baseball at its best. Despite being walloped by Atlanta in the NLCS, the Marlins accomplished more this postseason than anyone ever thought they would this year, and it's worthy of merit.

For instance, the biggest deal of the trade deadline was a Marlins deal. Starling Marte, who was already having a nice season in Phoenix, was sent to Miami in exchange for Caleb Smith and Humberto Mejia. Marte responded with some huge early moments for the Marlins, hitting .245 in 28 games with 13 RBIs and 4 homers, before breaking his hand and bowing out for the postseason. Which may have led to the Marlins' earlier ouster. 

2021 Prediction: Someone signs him to a multi-year deal, he hits 30 home runs and yet the home fans still aren't satisfied. 

After splitting 2019 between both sides of Pennsylvania, Corey Dickerson got a contract to be the starting left fielder for the Marlins, and took what could have been a death sentence and made it a compliment. Dickerson hit .258 with 17 RBIs and 50 hits during the regular season, and had 4 hits and 3 RBIs in the postseason. While not quite as good as his 2017 All-Star year, he's still a sharp tool to have.

2021 Prediction: A higher average, more offensive production, and gelling into a sort of Josh Reddick-type role with this soon to be contender.

After a breakout season in 2019, Jon Berti had a similar year this year, though not quite as showy. Berti led the team in steals with 9, had 14 RBIs in 31 games, and had 2 more steals in the Wild Card series. Still a very sneaky, under-the-radar talent for this team.

2021 Prediction: The contact hitting continues. 50 steals, as well.

Of the entire rotation this year, including Sandy Alcantara and Sixto Sanchez, perhaps the guy who had the best year is the one nobody was thinking about last year- Pablo Lopez, essentially the fifth man of the five-man rotation. Lopez had a much stronger 2020, with a 6-4 record, a 3.60 ERA and a club-leading 59 strikeouts. It's an impressive run into leadership that hopefully will keep up.

2021 Prediction: Loses ground to Sanchez, Alcantara and a to-be-determined rotation threat [maybe Jordan Yamamoto gets his stuff back together], but still wins 10 games.

The revolving door that is Miami's ninth inning keeps on spinning. The latest veteran to take the closing gig for the Fins was Brandon Kintzler, former Minnesota and Washington relief asset. Kinztler did a bang-up job in the ninth this year, with 12 saves and a 2.22 ERA in 24 appearances. Not bad for a thirty-five year old journeyman.

2021 Prediction: Gets a relief gig somewhere, though I doubt it'll be as starry as this year. Perhaps eighth-inning setup work with the occasional save.

In the period of the season immediately after the Marlins returned from COVID-enforced isolation, Jorge Alfaro was still on the IL, probably still with symptoms. So the Fins turned to former Pirates catcher and lovable dugout presence Francisco Cervelli to start behind the plate, and he did a hell of a job, hitting .245 in 16 games with 7 RBIs and 3 home runs. Once Alfaro returned, Cervelli's playing time phased out, and another concussion effectively ended his career. He will be missed as a backstop presence in the game.

Speaking of journeyman bench players, Matt Joyce is still in the league, and after an impressive year as an OF/Bench type in Atlanta, he embraced a similar role in Miami, getting outfield time when he could but mostly just embracing time at the plate. Joyce's .252 with 14 RBIs in 46 games wasn't bad. He got a few postseason hits, too.

2021 Prediction: A minimized bench role in a larger market team will signal the end of the line for Joyce.

My pick for unsung relief asset of the year for the Marlins is James Hoyt, a Cleveland relief option passed to Miami in an effort to plug up the leaking bullpen after COVID evidently attacked it rather mightily. Hoyt only allowed 2 earned runs in 24 innings, and had a 1.23 ERA to show for it, as well as 20 Ks, a bullpen-high mark. 

2021 Prediction: A few more earned runs, but still a reliable bullpen presence. 

2020 was...slightly less disappointing for former can't-miss-yet-missed-constantly prospect Lewis Brinson. For one thing, he did manage to hit over the Mendoza line this year, even if it was a .226 average. He still garnered 24 hits and 12 RBIs, but it's a low amount for a guy who may have to fight for a starting gig in 2021 with two second-year stars. 

2021 Prediction: After another slow start, the Fins finally give up on him.

At least the Marlins have their other young outfield trade return from 2017, Magneuris Sierra, who's done marginally better than Brinson. Sierra, though hampered by injuries this year, hit .250 with 7 RBIs in 19 games, and hit .280 in the postseason with a few much needed hits. 

2021 Prediction: Sierra will get a starting spot and keep it.

Thanks to the absence of Isan Diaz, the Marlins had room to bring up one of their two incubating rookie prospects. Jazz Chisholm was flipped for Zac Gallen, and already it's looking like the Marlins shouldn't have bit that trade- Chisholm, while at least fun, couldn't hit for average in 2020, with a .161 average in 20 games, despite some decent infield numbers. If Chisholm wants to chase Diaz and Berti for 2nd next year, he's gonna need to find some offensive ability.

2021 Prediction: Won't be a starter, at least not immediately, but he's probably gonna get a few more crucial hits, which will draw eyes to him.

Similar to Chisholm is the other rookie prospect the Ms brought up this year, Monte Harrison, the last of the four prospects in the Yelich deal to make the majors. I can see why the Brewers dealt Harrison as well- at the time of the trade, they already had Trent Grisham and Tyrone Taylor to do the same one-dimensional power hitting that Harrison did this season. In 32 games, Harrison hit a measly .170 with 26 strikeouts and only 8 hits. After a bit, he was used mainly as a pinch runner, which says a lot.

2021 Prediction: Winds up in another city after the Marlins give up on him, and THEN he'll figure out how to hit. 

Coming Tomorrow- I genuinely have a lot of Mets to talk about.