69-93. That was the record for last year’s Miami Marlins. It was just another disappointing season under manager Don Mattingly. Things seemed to be at a breaking point. How could you have the NL Cy Young Award winner throwing for your team, and not even win 70 games? The breaking point arrived, and after seven years, the Marlins parted ways with Mattingly. After a disappointing tenure, the Marlins were left looking for a new manager. They landed on Skip Schumaker, another former MLB player. It was well received by many. But even those that praised the hire believed it would take a few years before the team could be good. But Schumaker’s team has had other thoughts. They now sit at 42-33, good for second place in the NL East. This Miami Marlins team might be the biggest surprise in MLB this season.
A Rapid Turnaround
Perhaps none of this would be happening right now, without the bat of a man who was a Minnesota Twin last year. His acquisition was a bold move, as they traded a really good pitcher in Pablo Lopez. Allow us to introduce you to Luis Arraez. Arraez has been on fire and has received national media attention from all over thanks to hovering around a .400 batting average all season. His old-school contact hitting style is rare in today’s game. He may not have much pop in his bat, but he can definitely make contact with that baseball.
Anotha’ one.
Luis Arraez is currently hitting .401. 🤯 pic.twitter.com/SdLDCNlfAC
— MLB (@MLB) June 21, 2023
It isn’t just Arraez carrying the team, there have been other surprises as well, like A.J. Puk. Puk was considered a bust by many before being traded to Miami. He has been arguably the best arm in the Marlins bullpen.
Speaking of the bullpen, when your NL Cy Young winner, Sandy Alcantara, has been uncharacteristically bad, you would expect this team’s win total to fall. It would be perfectly reasonable to see that if your best player is having a bad year. Instead, these Marlins have picked him up, and keep finding ways to win, This is a rare sight for Marlin fans because it felt like at times early in the season, if the Marlins would have a bad stretch of games, they would likely just give up. But under new management and newfound youth with the influx of new players, it is hard not to root for these guys.
Another inspiring story has been Jorge Soler. Soler had a rough season last year. But he has found his power, and is providing the power the Marlins need for their offense. Soler has 21 home runs so far this season, and barring any injury he could go for many more.
Are the Marlins MLB’s Biggest Surprise?
Are these Miami Marlins the biggest surprise of the year? So far they are at least one of the top three biggest. The only reason why they aren’t getting any more love is because they do not lead their division. The Atlanta Braves currently have the NL’s best record and lead the Marlins by six games. It’s unfair that their strong play is stealing attention away from this Marlins team.
These Marlins weren’t supposed to be anything special. Their win total was estimated to be at 75.5 wins coming into the season. That would be the fourth-lowest estimated win total in their own division. So far this year they are nine games over .500 with a lot of ball left to play. They are still trailing the Braves, but they are still in a good position to contend for a wild card spot, or perhaps even chase down Atlanta. Even if they barely miss out, it’s certainly a feel-good story so far.
Photo Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
Players Mentioned: Pablo Lopez, Luis Arraez, A.J. Puk, Sandy Alcantara, Jorge Soler
Managers Mentioned: Don Mattingly, Skip Schumaker
