Picked by virtually every prognosticator to finish dead last in the National League East, the Florida Marlins have turned more than a few heads with their play thus far in 2008. In fact, the Marlins find themselves as the pleasant surprise of the National League, currently residing in first place.
On the heels of a 91-loss 2007 campaign, the Marlins franchise found itself in a situation similar to that of years past: Despite plenty of young talent abounding, ownership refused to cough up the extra cash necessary to become a consistent force in the National League. At a shade over $30 million, Florida ended last season with the second-lowest payroll in baseball. It was unfeasible to expect Marlins to compete amid opposing teams spending three to four times their payroll.
So what did Florida's brass do in the offseason to improve for the future? They began the winter meetings with a bang, shipping their cleanup hitter and No. 1 starting pitcher to the Detroit Tigers for six young prospects. Miguel Cabrera led the team in home runs and RBI in 2007, while Dontrelle Willis led the staff in wins and strikeouts. Amazingly, this dropped Florida's payroll to a league-low $21 million - in other words, $6 million less than Alex Rodriguez's earnings this season.
Thus far, the Marlins are relying primarily on their balanced lineup to outslug and outscore the opposition. Hanley Ramirez is one of the most well-rounded and talented hitters in baseball, while potential 30-home run threats Dan Uggla, Josh Willingham and Mike Jacobs round out a lineup that's combined to score in double digits four times this season. Florida's lineup, in fact, ranks among the National League's elite in home runs, batting average and slugging percentage.
The bullpen in South Florida has also been a bright spot so far. Kevin Gregg, fresh off a solid 2007 campaign with 32 saves, has continued to dazzle to the tune of a 2.61 ERA. Renyel Pinto and Logan Kensing, meanwhile, have combined to post a 0.78 ERA in their roles as setup men.
Still, not all baseball experts are convinced that Florida can maintain its current hot streak for an entire season. For starters, the Fish have played the anemic Washington Nationals and Pittsburgh Pirates in 11 out of their first 20 games, going 8-3 against the bottom of the barrel.
Florida also has the youngest and most inexperienced squad in baseball, as the average age of the Marlin regulars is only 27. These factors, combined with the unexpected success of new acquisition Mark Hendrickson (4-1, 3.82 ERA), lead most to believe that this spell of good play will be short-lived.
It's also hard to believe that the Marlins' chief competitors - namely, the New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves - will continue to struggle as they have in the early going. Although all three teams are currently hovering around the .500 mark, it is definitely possible that all three could catch fire at any moment.
With the likes of Johan Santana, Cole Hamels and John Smoltz headlining the rotations of the Marlins' division rivals, Florida's lineup will be sure to encounter some bumps in the road this season offensively. Additionally, it is unfortunate for Florida's young pitching staff that MVP candidate sluggers such as David Wright, Chase Utley and Chipper Jones abound in their division.
Nonetheless, the current play of the Marlins should not be underappreciated or undervalued. Though it is unlikely that this team will follow in the footsteps of the 1997 and 2003 Florida Marlins teams to win the World Series, the vast collection of youth on offense and in the pitching staff should pay dividends for this squad in the near future.
Interestingly enough, nobody from the current Florida Marlins roster remains from their World Series-winning team of five years ago. But so far in 2008, that hasn't seemed to daunt baseball's latest team of rising stars.
