Ranking Phillies opponents in National League East
By John Town
No. 4: Miami Marlins
The first (or last) spot on this list shouldn’t be all that surprising. The Marlins won just 63 games last year, fewest in the National League and third-fewest in the majors. Once again, they are projected to finish in the bottom of the NL East by a wide margin.
J.T. Realmuto was one of the few good players that remained after the 2017-18 offseason purge following the purchase of the team by the group led by Derek Jeter. Realmuto requested a trade last offseason, but it wasn’t until this year when he got his wish and was traded to the Phillies. While that trade did boost Miami’s farm system significantly by adding Sixto Sanchez, it cost them their lone 2018 All-Star and the best player on the team.
Brian Anderson was the best player on the team not named Realmuto last year, and he will be one of their key building blocks moving forward. Starlin Castro, Curtis Granderson, and Neil Walker are decent complimentary pieces in the lineup, but no one jumps out as a real threat among them. The Marlins are hoping Jorge Alfaro can build upon his rookie year in Philadelphia, but he still has offensive and defensive issues to work out.
The Marlins pitching staff was quite bad last year with the worst ERA in the NL, and things aren’t looking much better. Jose Urena is their best starter, which says a lot about their rotation. The bullpen, like the rest of the team, is extremely young and will have to work out their kinks at the major-league level.
Considering the other teams Miami has to face in their own division, they could very well be the worst team in baseball this year. Their farm system certainly has gotten a lot better, but that won’t help them win games in a stacked NL East.