MLB preview: Florida Marlins
I'm not going as far with the Marlins as I did in 2009, when I picked them to win the World Series. I'm not even picking them to win their division this time around ... but I think their young talent is still good enough that they'll sneak into the NL Wild Card.
2009 record: 87-75 (6 games back in NL East)
2010 projected record: 89-73 (7 GB)
Probable starters:
C — John Baker
1B — Logan Morrison
2B — Dan Uggla
SS — Hanley Ramirez
3B — Jorge Cantu
LF — Chris Coghlan
CF — Cameron Maybin
RF — Cody Ross
SP — Josh Johnson, Ricky Nolasco, Chris Volstad, Anibal Sanchez, Sean West
CL — Leo Nunez
RP — Brian Sanches, Renyel Pinto
Strengths: Other than in fantasy baseball circles, Ramirez doesn't get enough credit for being one of the game's very few true five-tool superstars. In Uggla and Cantu, the Marlins have two more infielders who have power to burn. Johnson is an extremely promising front-end starter, and Nolasco seems to have put his terrible start to the 2009 season behind him. Coghlan had a great rookie season. If Ross continues to develop his power and Maybin puts his talents to use, the Marlins outfield could turn from a weakness into a legitimate strength.
Weaknesses: I have serious concerns about the bullpen. Nunez gets the closer's job after blowing seven saves and compiling a 4.06 ERA last year. Along with Sanchez, Pinto and Dan Meyer, the bullpen includes veteran hard-throwers like Seth McClung and Derrick Turnbow that can't throw strikes. Between Volstad, Sanchez, West, Andrew Miller and Rick VandenHurk, there's potential at the back end of the rotation, but no one that's produced consistent big-league results. Baker's no better than average at catcher, and if Morrison wins the job at first, he's got zero big-league at-bats.
