Three reasons to watch the Miami Marlins in 2015
The Miami Marlins seem relevant again! Sure, their chances for a division title pale next to the Nationals'€™ ... but hey, that'€™s why Bud Selig invented not one, but two wild cards in the National League, right? To make sure things stayed interesting for the Marlins and Padres of the world?
Fortunately, even without those wild cards, the Marlins would still be worth watching this season, and no I'€™m not talking about the Home Run Monstrosity. We'€™ve got three real reasons to watch the Marlins this season!
1. Giancarlo Stanton
This one does basically write itself, no? Stanton'€™s a double-barreled object of interest: He'€™s the most powerful hitter on earth and he'€™s coming back from a dreadful beaning that cost him the last few weeks of last season. Stanton still hasn't played more than 150 games or hit even 40 homers in a season. And wouldn't you like to be around when he finally does even more impressive things?
And when I say "€œaround,"€ I mean around.
Because you don'€™t need me to tell you how dramatic and dynamic Stanton can be, I hope you'€™ll instead indulge a hobbyhorse ... Major League Baseball is routinely criticized for not "€œmarketing"€ its players as the NFL and especially the NBA market theirs. Well, baseball'€™s just a different sort of sport.
The only truly exciting thing that Giancarlo Stanton does is hit home runs. Long, majestic, stupendous home runs. The sort of home runs that make you believe in the possibility of enduring peace in the Middle East.
Last season, Stanton played in 145 games and co-led the National League with 37 homers. He homered twice in four games, and the rest of his clouts were singletons. Which means Stanton homered in only 33 games, or in 23 percent of them.
Which is why you just can't market Giancarlo Stanton like you market LeBron James or Russell Wilson. What'€™s more --€“ and I say this from personal experience -- you haven'€™t really enjoyed Stanton until you'€™ve actually witnessed one of his moonshots in person. It'€™s something that you will never forget, but you do have to be there.
So here'€™s my recommendation: Either go to Stanton, or wait for him to come to you. Then see as many games as you can, at the stadium. And just hope he connects.
2. Jose Fernandez
You might recall that in 2013, Jose Fernandez was 20 years old and finished third in the NL Cy Young balloting. It was easily the best season by a 20-year-old pitcher in this century. You might also recall that in 2014, Fernandez was pitching even better --€“ more strikeouts, fewer walks --€“ when he went down with an elbow injury after only eight starts. We all raged against the Baseball Machine!
But now Fernandez is rehabbing and everything'€™s going well and we should see him pitching in real games again at some point this spring. And he won'€™t even turn 23 until the end of July. So instead of hoping for a happy ending, maybe we should just think of 2014 as a relatively brief pause in what still seems like a very happy beginning.
3. Ichiro!
Hey, I'm at least as surprised as you are. You know, that Ichiro Suzuki'€™s still in the major leagues. After all, he'€™s been a below-average major league hitter in five of the last six seasons ... oh, and he turned 41 last fall. Is there still room in the majors for a pinch-hitting specialist? Well, it'€™s sort of a tradition for the Marlins, who employed Lenny Harris until he was almost 41. And you have to admit, it'll be interesting to see Ichiro, one of baseball'€™s classiest players, wearing baseball's gaudiest uniforms since the Astros routinely sported their rainbow livery.
But wait! There'€™s more. It won't happen this season unless somebody gets badly hurt, and it won'€™t happen next season unless this season goes exceptionally well ... but Ichiro does still have an outside shot at 3,000 hits as a major leaguer. He'€™ll be 156 short on Opening Day. Since he'€™s averaged only 119 hits over the past two seasons -- when he actually had regular duties lined up, and was of course younger --€“ his chance of reaching 3,000 this season is exceptionally small. Still, it'€™ll be fun to see him try. And even if that doesn't excite you, there'€™s always Ichiro'€™s combined hits total in Japan and Major League Baseball, which now stands at 4,122. Record or no record, it'€™ll be interesting to watch that number grow. Not that we'€™re hoping anybody gets hurt ...
Miami Marlins
2014 record: 77-85
Playoffs: N/A
Projected 2015 record: 81-81*
Key additions: 2B Dee Gordon, 1B Mike Morse, 3B Martin Prado, SP Mat Latos, SP Dan Haren, OF Ichiro Suzuki, RP Aaron Crow, SP David Phelps
Key subtractions: 3B Casey McGehee, 1B Garrett Jones, SP Nathan Eovaldi, SP Andrew Heaney
*Projected records courtesy of Fangraphs