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(Miami Marlins)

(Miami Marlins)

2023 Season

Season Recap: The Marlins found the right mix of young talent and experienced leadership in 2023, and punched their ticket to the playoffs. Luis Arraez won the batting championship, slugger Jorge Soler was an All-Star for the first time, and Jazz Chisholm battled through injuries to take another step toward stardom. The team’s only weakness was its starting pitching—which Miami fans expected to be its main strength. But manager Skip Schumaker did a good job juggling his bullpen to win 84 games. The Marlins snagged a Wild Card berth in the final week of the season but fell to the defending champion Phillies, 2 games to 0, to end their season.

October 1, 2023: Luis Arraez finished as the NL batting champion with an average of .354. He became the second player to win batting crowns in the AL and NL, and the first to do so in back-to-back seasons. He led the AL in 2022 with a .316 average.

May 10, 2023: The Marlins beat the Diamondbacks, 5–4, to set a new major league record with their 12th one-run victory in a row. In 2022, Miami lost 40 one-run games.

Season Preview: Offense is still the greatest need for the Marlins, who have put together a very good pitching staff but still have weak spots in the lineup—and several players manning unfamiliar positions. That does not sound like a winning formula and it may not be, but Sandy Alcantara will have something to say about that. He is one of the game’s best pitchers and the leader of a staff that includes Trevor Rogers, Jesus Luzardo, Edward Cabrera, and Johnny Cueto. That could be enough to get the Marlins in the Wild Card mix, but they will also need big years at the plate from Luis Arreaz, Jorge Soler, and Jazz Chisholm.

2022 Season

Season Recap: The Marlins fell short of their goal to reach the playoffs, but gave fans plenty of great moments during 2022. The big news in Miami was the pitching of Sandy Alcantara, who was brilliant from beginning to end. He went 14–9 with a 2.28 ERA and six complete games, and struck out more than 200 batters for the second year in a row. The Marlins could have used a little more punch in their lineup, but young stars Jazz Chisholm, Jesus Sanchez, and Bryan de la Cruz showed they were all capable of hitting 20-plus homers down the road. Jon Berti got a chance to play every day at the age of 32 and won the NL stolen base crown, with 41.

June 18, 2022: Jerar Encarnacion hit a grand slam, stole a base, and threw out a runner from right field in his first big-league game. The grand slam was also Encarnacion’s first hit.

Season Preview: The surprise team in the NL this season could be the Marlins. They have a fine pitching staff headed by Sandy Alcantara, Pablo Lopez, and Trevor Rogers—along with several relievers who can close out games. Newcomer Jacob Stallings is one of the game’s best catchers. Other new names are Jorge Soler, fresh off World Series MVP honors, and slugger Avisail Garcia. Young guns Jesus Sanchez and Jazz Chisholm will look to take the next step toward stardom.

2021 Season

Season Recap: The Marlins hoped to play winning ball in 2021, but injuries to key hitters Jorge Alfaro, Jon Berti, Garrett Cooper, and Brian Anderson held them back. The good news is that several pitchers—including Trevor Rogers, Zach Thompson, Anthony Bender, and Pablo Lopez—showed they were quality big-leaguers ready for big years in 2022. Along with other up=and-coming hurlers, the future looks bright for the Marlins’ pitching staff.

July 11, 2021: Pablo Lopez became the pitcher in history to strikeout the first 9 batters to start a game. Lopez fanned the first 9 Braves who stepped into the batter’s box.

June 2, 2021: Hard-throwing left-hander Trevor Rogers was named NL Rookie of the Month for May. He also won the award in April.

Season Preview: Miami is loaded with hard-throwing pitchers, so opponents will struggle to score runs against them in 2021. Will the team’s hitters play well enough to deliver more wins than losses? That will depend on the trio of Adam Duvall, Brian Anderson, and Jesus Aguilar—who have the power to hit 100 home runs. Starling Marte and Corey Dickerson must stay healthy and set the table for these sluggers.

2020 Season

Season Recap: The Marlins surprised the experts by making it to the playoffs and then shocked the powerhouse Cubs in the Wild Card Series. The team’s amazing run ended in the Division Series against the Braves, who were able to shut down the Miami hitters. Manager Don Mattingly did a brilliant job with his players, who spent the first third of the season dealing with a Covid-19 outbreak. No single star grabbed the spotlight, but the Marlins got good years out of little-known Jon Berti, Miguel Rojas, Brian Anderson, Pablo Lopez, and Brian Kintzler. The team’s young pitching staff heads into the future with several electric arms, perhaps none better than rookie Sixto Sanchez, who was unhittable at times in 2020.

August 26, 2020: John Berti drew a walk against the Mets and then stole second, third, and home. He scored when New York’s catcher lobbed the ball back to the pitcher and just beat the throw back to the plate.

Season Preview: The Marlins have young talent at almost every position. Are they ready to play winning baseball in the majors? With Derek Jeter and Don Mattingly running the club, a spot in the playoffs is not out of the picture. Veterans Jonathan Villar, Jesus Aguilar and Brandon Kintzler will set the example for their young teammates and Miami fans should have fun watching their players grow.

2019 Season

Season Recap: The Marlins lost more games than anyone in the NL in 2019, but that was part of the rebuilding plan. The question is, did their young players take big steps forward? Pitchers Sandy Alcantara, Caleb Smith, Jordan Yamamoto and Pablo Lopez did. Among the hitters, however, only Brian Anderson and Jorge Alfaro proved themselves as stars. The jury is still out on youngsters Isan Diaz, Victor Victor Mesa, Nick Niedert and Monte Harrison—who will hope to crack the lineup next spring.

Season Preview: The Marlins have a long season ahead of them. They have traded their veteran stars for exciting prospects who may not be ready until 2020 or later. A few that are close include outfielder Lewis Brinson, catcher Jorge Alfaro, and pitcher Sandy Alcantara. The familiar names in the Miami lineup include Starlin Castro, Curtis Granderson, and Neil Walker—but there is a good chance they will be in different uniforms by the end of the year.

2018 Season

Season Recap: Miami fans had little to cheer about in 2018, as their team lost 98 games and finished in the NL East cellar. Catcher J.T. Realmuto and outfielder Brian Anderson were the Marlins’ only two above-average players, but many of the team’s prospects got valuable experience during the year. How good are those prospects? Only time will tell.

Season Preview: The Marlins are loaded with minor-league talent, but that won’t help them in the majors in 2018. The club will try its best to avoid 100-plus losses while waiting for the youngsters to reach Miami. In the meantime, fans will be cheering for Lewis Brinson, Brian Anderson, Jose Urena, Jarlin Garcia, and other young stars looking to make a name for themselves in the big leagues.

2017 Season

Season Recap: The Marlins had plenty of hitting in 2017 but struggled on the mound all year long and finished with a 77–85 record. Giancarlo Stanton stayed healthy and had the season everyone thought he could, with 59 homers and 132 RBIs. Marcell Ozuna chipped in with 37 homers and 124 RBIs.

September 30, 2017: Dee Gordon swiped two bases against the Braves to win baseball’s stolen base crown, with 60. Billy Hamilton of the Reds had been in the lead with 59.

August 14, 2017: Giancarlo Stanton blasted his 43rd home run to set a new team record. The old record was 42 by Gary Sheffield.

June 6, 2017: Edinson Volquez pitched a no-hitter against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He won 3–0 and struck out 10 batters.

2016 Season

November 1, 2016: An injury to slugger Giancarlo Stanton ruined any chance the Marlins had of making the playoffs. The death of their star pitcher, Jose Fernandez, added more sadness to an already sad season.

October 5, 2016: The outfield of Giancarlo Stanton, Marcell Ozuna, and Christian Yelich lived up to expectations, and Ichiro Suzuki gave the fans a thrill by collecting his 3,000th. But the season will forever be remembered for the tragic death of Miami’s star pitcher, Jose Fernandez, who was killed in a September boating accident.

2015 Season

October 14, 2015: Had Giancarlo Stanton and Jose Fernandez stayed healthy all year, the Marlins might have finished in first place. With Dee Gordon leading the NL in hitting and steals, and AJ Ramos saving 32 games, Miami had all the pieces it needed to compete for the NL East crown.

October 4, 2015: Dee Gordon led the majors with 205 hits and 58 stolen bases. He also won the NL batting championship with a .33 average.

April 16, 2015: Giancarlo Stanton belted a home against the Mets to become the team’s all-time leader with 155. The player he passed was Dan Uggla.

April 5, 2015: The Marlins are built to win in 2015, with a mix of young talent and veteran stars. The star of the team is Giancarlo Stanton, one of the game’s most fearsome hitters. He is supported by newcomers Dee Gordon, Michael Morse, and Martin Prado. The team also added experienced pitchers Mat Latos and Dan Haren.

2014 Season

November 15, 2014: Casey McGehee was named NL Comeback Player of the Year. McGehee played in Japan in 2013 and led his club to the championship. McGehee hit .289 with 76 RBIs for the Marlins in his return to the majors.

November 1, 2014: The loss of Jose Fernandez at the beginning of the season and Giancarlo Stanton at the end kept Miami fans out of the ballpark at times, but there was plenty to cheer about. Stanton teamed with Christian Yelich and Marcell Ozuna to give the Marlins the most exciting young outfield in the NL, while Henderson Alvarez and Jarred Cosart proved they were ready to be quality starters.

September 11, 2014: Giancarlo Stanton’s season ended when he was hit the face with a pitch, but he still led the NL with 37 homers, 299 total bases, and a .555 slugging average.

March 31, 2014: The Marlins know how to win championships. They suffer through losing seasons while building up a store of young talent, and then trade for veterans to lead them to victory. Although they might lose more than half their games in 2014, it looks like they are getting close to another one of their title runs. Pitcher Jose Fernandez leads a hard-throwing starting staff, and the future outfield of Christian Yelich, Giancarlo Stanton and Jake Marisnick should be in place by midseason.

2013 Season

November 12, 2013: Jose Fernandez was named 2013 NL Rookie of the Year. He had the league’s second-best ERA (2.19) and struck out more batters per nine innings (9.75) than any starting pitcher in the NL.

October 1, 2013: The Marlins might have been the most exciting team that ever lost 100 games in a season. Young pitching prospects Jose Fernandez and Henderson Alvarez had no-hit stuff, while rookies Adeiny Hechevarria, Christian Yelich, Marcell Ozuna, and Jake Marisnick showed they were ready to handle the challenges of everyday jobs in the big leagues.

September 29, 2013: Rookie Henderson Alvarez no-hit the Detroit Tigers on the final day of the season. The game was tied 0–0 in the bottom of the ninth when Miami scored the winning run on a wild pitch.

September 1, 2013: Pitcher Jose Fernandez was named (August) NL Rookie of the Month for the second month in a row. He was the first pitcher to win this honor twice in a row since Josh Johnson of the Marlins in 2006.

August 30, 2013: 21-year-old Jose Fernandez struck out his 167th batter to set a new team record for rookie pitchers. The old record was held by Scott Olsen.

March 30, 2013: The team traded its two “table-setters”—Jose Reyes and Emilio Bonifacio—but brought in Juan Pierre to replace them. He will be on base for young stars Giancarlo Stanton, Marcell Ozuna, and Adeiny Hechevarria.

2012 Season

October 3, 2012: A new stadium and new stars created excitement in Miami early in the year, as the Marlins found themselves in first place in early June. But injuries to slugger Giancarlo Stanton and speedy Emilio Bonifacio made scoring runs difficult, and the Marlins sank quickly in the standings. Stanton did recover to lead the league with a .606 slugging percentage, but the Marlins won only 69 games and finished 5th in the NL East.

April 24, 2012: The Marlins used four different pitchers to face four different hitters in the seventh inning of their game with the New York Mets. Each pitcher walked the batter he faced. That had never happened before in big-league history.

March, 2012: Four new Marlins hope to make the team’s first year in Miami a memorable one. Jose Reyes, Heath Bell, Carlos Zambrano, and Mark Buehrle are among the most talented and exciting players in baseball.

More Go-To Guys

This card shows a very young Robb Nen. His dad, Dick Nen, played for the Washington Senators in the 1960s. (Score)

This card celebrates the no-hitter Kevin Brown threw in his final year with the Marlins. (Topps, Inc.)

This Ricky Nolasco card was an autographed insert in a pack of Topps cards. (Topps, Inc.)

  • Robb Nen — Pitcher
    Born: 11/28/1969
    Played for Team: 1993 to 1997
    Robb Nen used one of baseball’s sharpest-breaking sliders to become a great relief pitcher. He saved 108 games for the Marlins. During the 1997 postseason, Nen appeared in eight games. The Marlins won every one of them.

  • Chuck Carr — Outfielder
    Born: 8/10/1967
    Played for Team: 1993 to 1995
    Chuck Carr was the team’s first leadoff hitter and center fielder. He became the first Marlin to lead the league in a major category when he stole 58 bases in 1993. In three season with the team, he swiped a total of 115 bases.

  • Charles Johnson — Catcher
    Born: 7/20/1971
    Played for Team: 1994 1998 & 2001 to 2002
    Charles Johnson was the league’s top defensive catcher in the 1990s. He won a Gold Glove with the Marlins three times. Johnson also appeared in the 1997 All-Star Game and had 10 hits in the World Series that fall.

  • Kevin Brown — Pitcher
    Born: 3/14/1965
    Played for Team: 1996 to 1997
    During Kevin Brown’s two years in Florida, the Marlins went from a losing team to world champion. He led the NL with a 1.89 ERA in 1996 and went 16–8 in 1997. That year Brown won the final game of the National League Championship Series against the heavily favored Atlanta Braves.

  • Edgar Renteria — Shortstop
    Born: 8/7/1976
    Played for Team: 1996 to 1998
    Edgar Renteria will forever be remembered as the man who delivered the winning hit in the 1997 World Series. Renteria was just 19 when he became the Marlins’ shortstop. He batted .309 as a rookie and was an All-Star in 1998.

  • Antonio Alfonseca — Pitcher
    Born: 4/16/1972
    Played for Team: 1997 to 2001 & 2005
    Antonio Alfonseca was a key member of the Florida bullpen when the Marlins beat the Cleveland Indians in the 1997 World Series. Later, he became the team’s closer. Alfonseca led the NL with 45 saves in 2000.

  • Derrek Lee — First Baseman
    Born: 9/6/1975
    Played for Team: 1998 to 2003
    The Marlins traded Kevin Brown to get Derrek Lee when he was just 22 years old. By the time he was 24, Lee was one of the best all-around first basemen in the league. He won a Gold Glove in 2003 and was a key player on Florida’s championship club that season.

  • Ricky Nolasco — Pitcher
    Born: 12/13/1982
    Played for Team: 2006 to 2013
    The Marlins traded Juan Pierre to get Ricky Nolasco from the Chicago Cubs. After joining the team in 2006, he proved to be one of the team’s top winners. Nolasco also led the Marlins in strikeouts in 2008 and 2009.

  • Trevor Rogers — Pitcher
    Born: 11/13/1997
    First Season with Team: 2020
    The Marlins gave Trevor Rogers a chance to pitch in the big leagues during the 2020 pandemic and he blew batters away. In 2021, he joined one of baseball’s best young group of starting pitchers.

More Fun Facts

This photo shows Miguel Cabrera when he was just 21. (Black Book Partners)

Antonio Alfonseca signed this photo. He not only had a great fastball, but he also was one of the toughest-looking pitchers around. (Author’s Collection)

  • HOW YA FEELIN’ A.J.?
    A.J. Burnett was often injured and unable to pitch when he played for the Marlins. However, when he was healthy Burnett was one of the hardest throwers in baseball. In 2001, he pitched a no-hitter despite walking nine batters. In 2002, Burnett led the NL with 5 shutouts.

  • MIGHTY MIGGY
    Miguel Cabrera hit a game-winning homer in his first game as a Marlin in 2003. Only two other players in history—Josh Bard in 2002 and Billy Parker in 1971—had done that before.

  • IT’S ABOUT TIME
    When Anibal Sanchez no-hit the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2006, it ended the longest no-hitter “drought” in baseball history. Prior to his no-hitter, 6,364 games had been played without one.

  • SIX SHOOTER
    Relief ace Antonio Alfonseca was famous for being the only polydactyly pitcher in the majors. Polydactyly is a condition that causes an extra finger to grow on each hand and an extra toe on each foot. Alfonseca’s grandfather had the same condition. Although his sixth finger did not affect his pitching, he proudly considered it a family emblem.

  • MOUND MAGIC
    In a 2005 game against the Milwaukee Brewers, the Marlins’ pitchers put on a show. At one pointed they retired 28 batters in a row. In all, Florida struck out 22 Brewers in the 12-inning game and won 5–4.

  • FLIPPING FANTASTIC
    When Josh Beckett joined the Marlins, he was unable to get uniform number 19 because veteran Mike Lowell was already wearing it. Instead, Burnett “flipped” his number and wore number 61 instead.

League Leaders

Luis Castillo seems like he’s taking his time in this picture. Usually, he was in a hurry when he was on the bases! (Black Book Partners)

  • Home Runs
    2014 — Giancarlo Stanton — 37
    2017 — Giancarlo Stanton — 59

  • Batting Average
    2009 — Hanley Ramirez — .342
    2015 — Dee Gordon —.333
    2023—Luis Arraez—.354

  • Runs Batted In
    2017 — Giancarlo Stanton — 132
    2021 — Adam Duvall — 113*

    *Also played for Braves

  • Stolen Bases
    1993 — Chuck Carr — 58
    1995 — Quilvio Veras — 56
    2000 — Luis Castillo — 62
    2002 — Luis Castillo — 48
    2003 — Juan Pierre — 65
    2015 — Dee Gordon — 58
    2017 — Dee Gordon — 60
    2022 — Jon Berti — 41

  • Wins
    2005 — Dontrelle Willis — 22

  • Strikeouts
    No Marlin has led the league in strikeouts.

  • Earned Run Average
    1996 — Kevin Brown — 2.58
    2010 — Josh Johnson — 2.30

Marlins in the World Series

YEAR OPPONENT RESULT
1997 Cleveland Indians Won 4–3
2003 New York Yankees Won 4–2

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