How the Miami Marlins Can Take the Next Step into NL East Contention This Season
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The Miami Marlins are 13-15 entering a tough matchup with the Dodgers in Los Angeles over the next three days. Coming off a series loss to the San Francisco Giants, the Marlins still find themselves second in the National League East, but 6.5 games be hind the MLB leading Atlanta Braves.
To this point, it's been a rollercoaster of a season. The Marlins have lost four of the last five series after starting the season 5-1, and are entering a gauntlet of a series out west. Despite being just one game better than last season's mark at this juncture in the season, there are plenty of positive signs.
The pitching staff has posted the 14th-best ERA in the league, headlined by Sandy Alcantara's return to dominance and Max Meyer's strong step forward. Offensively, that's where it gets dicey, and where the team can improve the most.
Miami has flown under the radar offensively in terms of average this season. The team ranks sixth in baseball in batting average, second in stolen bases, and fourth in on-base percentage. Where the wheels finally fall off is the slugging.
The Marlins have hit 20 homers this season, which is good for 26th in the league, but three different teams have hit twice as many. Catcher Liam Hicks leads the team with five this season, but no other player has more than three.
Compare that to the Braves, who boast five players with more than three homers. The long ball clearly isn't the driving factor for Miami's offensive game this season, but it's been worse than expected.
The Marlins finished 27th in homers last season, but with the addition of Owen Caissie, and
Agustín Ramírez with another season under his belt, the expectation was more power. Unfortunately, the team has yet to reap the rewards it hoped for, but that doesn't mean the offense can't produce.
With More Power Production, Marlins Can Turn Offense Into a Force This Season
Miami's Xavier Edwards has taken off this season. He's not a power guy, but he's been a huge offensive piece this season. The 26-year-old leads the National League in batting average at .343 and on-base percentage at .425.
Otto Lopez and Hicks both have .314 batting averages through 27 games this season, tied with former Marlin Luis Arraez. This edition of the fish can hit, but the long ball has evaded them and kept them from turning into the offensive powerhouse they're capable of.
Looking forward, the team will rely heavily on Ramírez and Kyle Stowers for this production. With Stowers back from his hamstring injury, expect this trend to be more positive for the Marlins moving forward. He led the team with 25 homers last season and is more than capable of replicating that success early this season.
If Miami can put together some more power production, once the Braves fall back to earth, this team has the talent to shock people, and make the NL East a little more interesting this season.
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Jeffrey is a sports writer located in Louisville, Kentucky, with a passion for sports, writing, and storytelling. He has hundreds of published articles across various platforms, including Kentucky Today, The Baptist Courier, FanSided, and more. Jeffrey is a senior at Indiana University Southeast pursuing a B.S. in Journalism/Media with a Minor in Writing. He has a beautiful wife, dog, and firstborn child on the way.