There is still this decent enough chance that the Marlins sneak into the playoffs this year. A lot of their contemporaries, such as the Pirates and Cardinals, have sunken pretty deeply below them, and they're currently 3.5 games back from the Padres-D-Backs scrum, which...all things considered, is not the worst deficit, especially for a team gaining ground. The D-Backs and Padres, as we know, are inconsistent, can drop the ball for a bit, and can allow for enough room for the Marlins to sneak in. This just takes the Marlins, equally inconsistent, to have a swell that outdoes them. And I guess we're about to see if that can happen.
I think a good way to sum up this Marlins team, just from where the production comes from, is even. This is a pretty concise group of people, with no huge superstars, no egos on the way to a bigger market, and no disconnect between factions. Otto Lopez is having an MVP caliber season as a contact superstar, but I think he knows he's not Babe Ruth. He's a very good player having a great year, and helping this team compete, but he's not a 'carry the team on his back' guy, like Griffin Conine can be in extras. I don't see Joe Mack as that type either, but he has been extremely good on a come-up, with 12 homers and 39 RBIs in 85 games. Mack came in as an alternative to Agustin Ramirez has backup catcher, then when Liam Hicks got traded he got the job fully, and has honestly earned it. He's very good behind the plate, hits for power and is young enough to grow into a cool piece for these teams. Considering that the Marlins' old catching battery is now the Rays' current catching battery, it's nice to see a young catcher who's probably sticking around.
I did not expect Heriberto Hernandez to lead this team in homers this year, nor did I expect Esteury Ruiz to lead this team in steals. But here we are, and it's honestly really cool. Very speedy team honestly, four guys with 20 or more steals. And then you've got Stowers, Caissie, Conine and Hernandez covering the power faction of the team, though 6 different guys have over 50 RBIs, including Javier Sanoja. I just really enjoy how this team has come together as a hitting unit, and it makes me kind of optimistic, even if nothing happens this year.
I think the pitching without Max Meyer has been somewhat worrying, but the old Sandy Alcantara is back, going deep into games, making all his starts and doing exactly what he's supposed to. Alcantara's 13-8 with a 3.50 ERA, and he's looked really good recently. Eury Perez doesn't look bad either, with 142 Ks and a 3.44 ERA in 24 starts. Janson Junk and Ryan Gusto have come around and are pretty steady starting options. They've been letting Tyler Phillips start more games, and he's not too bad, with only a handful of outings where he actually got chased. The bullpen's seen better days though [why did they trade Lake Bachar??] but there's a lot of good young guys getting better.
I think logically this Marlins team is maybe a year away, but they could also get hot enough to chase the competition and sneak into the race. Stranger things have happened, and with this Marlins team having as many facets and strengths as they do, you can't exactly count them out. And so I won't.
Coming Tonight: Despite no longer being on the Yankees, this guy is still an excellent hitting infield option doing his best in a less-competitive market.