I think the Marlins have a right to be frustrated. The thing that was supposed to be the factor that thrust them back into the race, that being Sandy Alcantara, hasn't done what it's supposed to. The last year and a half has been leading up to the return of Alcantara, a Marlins hero to this point, and he just hasn't been the same. He currently has a 6.98 ERA, is 4-8, and just today melted down against the D-Backs, which would have been a lot worse of a look had the Marlins not come back and won it. It's confusing everyone, it's confusing the Marlins, it's confusing all the people that were gonna trade for Alcantara, it's confusing Alcantara.
And while the Marlins weren't quite expected to lead the East, it's put them at even more of a disadvantage. Cause they don't have peak Alcantara, they haven't gotten peak Eury Perez, they lost Griffin Conine right when he was about to win a starting spot, and they're without Ryan Weathers for even more time. And, to add insult to injury, they just lost Max Meyer. The plan is going out the window, and we're getting to the point where they could be just trying shit out and hoping it works. Yet...as all this is happening, the Marlins are...on a winning streak. They've won their last 6 games, and 7 out of their last 8. Something, even if it is, like...brief...is happening.
The most important part of the Marlins' season so far is actually forming a solid lineup of people who will likely be sticking around for a while. Going into this season it was pretty much just Jesus Sanchez, but now Kyle Stowers, Dane Myers, Otto Lopez, Liam Hicks and Agustin Ramirez have all felt like everyday guys for this team. Hicks came out of practically nowhere, took advantage of an early injury from Nick Fortes and has made himself a more feasible catching option, hitting .279 with 4 homers and 26 RBIs. Ramirez has been a much needed power bat, with 12 homers and 31 RBIs in 56 games; he and Stowers have upped the power numbers by a ton for this team. Myers is a .300 hitter with great speed; granted, he's 29, and has taken forever to stay put in the majors, but he can continue at this pace and give the Marlins something. Then the Marlins bring up Heriberto Hernandez, another .300-hitting outfielder, and you're seeing the pieces of a really fun, varied team begin to form. Eventually this team will find a perennial first baseman, as neither Eric Wagaman nor Matt Mervis are the answer, but they've got a surprising amount pinned down.
And while the rotation has suffered with the number of holes thus far, you're still seeing some people who know what they're doing. Edward Cabrera is the most crucial one of these. The thing you expect from Cabrera at this point is at least a month or so of injury, and at least a month or so of bad pitching, and then some sweet spot that makes it all worth it. We're currently in that. He currently leads the team in strikeouts with 69, has a 3.78 ERA, and has been excellent all June. Janson Junk is like that too, he went from being a longman to starting, and has been responsible for some really dominant outings in between the occasional shellacking. There are still guys who are solely there to eat innings, Cal Quantrill chief among them, but you're seeing signs of life. And if you're getting offense, sometimes that can win games.
The Marlins' surprise surge has put them ahead of the Nats in the standings. They may have more to them than we all previously thought, and that could lead to something cool eventually.
Coming Tomorrow- The Dodgers flipped him for a 2nd baseman and two relievers that got them a ring. So the fact that he's done anything for the guys they dealt him to is a big deal.
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