Marlins Scuffling Toward Finish
The Miami Marlins have declined to the point where they are no longer serious Wild Card contenders. For most of the 2016 season, it looked like they might find themselves playing in a postseason game for the first time since 2003. Yet lately, the team has unraveled, with a plethora of deficiencies coming to light. Giancarlo Stanton, Adam Conley, Justin Bour, and Wei-Yin Chen‘s injuries have played the greatest roles during this streak. With seemingly everything working against them, the Marlins are scuffling towards the finish.
There was little to no doubt Stanton’s injury would have potentially dire consequences for the Marlins. This young Marlins team has never faced the situation of making a run towards the post-season. Doing so without Stanton proved too much to ask. Despite Ichiro Suzuki‘s solid play, there’s been little to no production matching that of the aforementioned Stanton. Marcell Ozuna has struggled, with only eight hits since August 20. He has no home runs and only three RBI over that stretch of games. The first-time All-Star also only had two walks during that time. His batting average has dropped by ten points.
The circus surrounding the acquisition of Andrew Cashner was supposed to be mitigated by success that hasn’t materialized. Cashner’s return to Miami this off-season seems doubtful, as the righty heads towards free agency. In his time as a member of Miami’s organization, the 6’6″ righty’s had a tough time. His mediocre 4.78 ERA has only increased by a trivial .02 points. His WHIP, BB/9, and H/9, however, have all increased by sizable margins, which is conducive to a 1-4 record over seven starts. When considering the Fish gave up their best prospect for Cashner, that performance merits no description other than disappointing.
In the dust of this paucity of success, there have been spots for optimism, such as the consistent production of Christian Yelich. Following hitting .300 for the first time in his third campaign last season, Yelich has one-upped himself. The former Gold Glover has set career-highs in home runs (18), RBI (88), total bases (247), OBP (for now), OPS, and slugging. In the absence of Stanton, Yelich has recorded 23 hits since August 13. He leads the team with 18 RBI since mid-August. Yet, even the former first-round pick has seen his stats take a hit over that time. His average has dropped by .19 points, from .320 to .302.
The Marlins have been better than presumed since the beginning of the season. They even held control of a playoff spot for an extended period of time. However, during their downfall, the team’s been exposed for having difficulty producing. At least when Stanton went dormant, the team benefited simply of his presence. With all things considered, this season has been a positive one in South Florida, with a bright future remaining very possible for this team.
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