Miami Marlins Summer Check Up


Miami Marlins

33-50 (5th in NL East)



Eye Popping Number

.909

The Miami Marlins didn’t have much to look forward to beginning the season. After trading away most of their stars in the offseason, they kept JT Realmuto. Realmuto has continued to be one of the best hitting catchers in the league. Even though he missed the first quarter of the season, injured, since returning he’s been the most valuable catcher in baseball. His .909 on base plus slugging leads all catchers, as does his .307 batting average, his .544 slugging percentage and his 2.2 runs created on the base paths.

Biggest Surprise

There aren’t many surprises on a team that was expected to be terrible this year. With so many open roster spots open, they’ve been able to give ample opportunities to different young players. Brian Anderson has been one of the few players that have given the Marlins hope for the future. While he wasn’t a top prospect, or have an amazing minor league career, he’s certainly acting like he was. His .292 batting average is second on the team, and his .369 batting average is leads the team and is even better than Realmuto’s.

Player to Watch

Uhhh… Realmuto again? Anderson? That’s about it. Lewis Brinson has the highest potential on the team. His 10 home runs have been a sign of his potential, but his .182 batting average shows that there’s still work to be done before he’s a full time MLB player. Justin Bour leads the team in home runs, but it’s only with 13, so not that fascinating. Kyle Barraclough has been fun out of the bullpen. With a 1.02 ERA and a .76 WHIP (Walks + Hits / Innings Pitched), he’s been the best pitcher on the team this year.

What to Watch for at the Deadline

It’s no surprise that the Marlins are hosting a fire sale. They traded away Giancarlo Stanton, Dee Gordon, and Christian Yellich for quarters on the dollar in the offseason. Realmuto could be a different story. With lots of team control, and his elite bat, Realmuto could bring back some top prospects at the trade deadline. Starlin Castro, Bour, and Barraclough would be the other prime targets to be traded. It will be interesting to see if management continues to sell to get rid of payroll, or if they actually try to rebuild their farm system.


*All stats as of 6/30 via fangraphs.com and baseball-reference.com 

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