Where did things go wrong? Moments that had the biggest impact on Marlins’ 2021 season
The state of the Miami Marlins entering the offseason can be summed up in five words by Derek Jeter.
“We need to be better,” the Marlins’ CEO said Saturday.
One year after reaching the playoffs in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Miami once again finished with a losing season. They went 67-95 in 2021, the sixth-worst record in baseball this season.
Not what Jeter wanted to see four years after taking over the franchise.
“I expect us always to compete,” Jeter said. “We competed last year. We were in the playoffs last year. I expected us to compete this year. I expect us to compete next never. I never really get into ‘we’re this close’ or ‘we’re this many years away.’ ... When you’re competing, you compete to win. We have talented players here in Miami. We have talented players coming up, but talent doesn’t win games. You have to execute.”
With the season over, here’s a look back at some of the moments that went wrong this season:
Early injuries to the rotation
Injuries hampered that plan from the onset. Sixto Sanchez sustained a shoulder injury at the alternate training site and never threw a pitch in a live game. Elieser Hernandez went on the 60-day injured list twice, first with biceps inflammation and then with a calf sprain. Pablo Lopez missed the entire second half of the year except for Sunday’s finale with a rotator cuff strain. Trevor Rogers missed a start due to a back injury and then a full month while tending to family medical emergencies.
As a result, the Marlins had a franchise-record 18 pitchers make at least one start and had 10 bullpen games during the course of the season to pick up holes in the rotation.
Even with that, Marlins starting pitchers had a 4.08 ERA this season, which ranked 13th in baseball. Eight of the 12 teams ahead of them are in the playoffs and three of the four who missed were in the playoff race until the final week of the season.
As the roster stands, the Marlins have Sandy Alcantara, Lopez, Rogers, Sanchez, Hernandez, Edward Cabrera and Jesus Luzardo as the front-runners for five rotation spots next season.
The inconsistent offense
The Marlins finished in the bottom five in the league in runs scored (623), OPS (29th, .671), batting average (28th, .233), home runs (28th, 158).
Miami also created its share of self-inflicted wounds on the basepaths. While the Marlins ranked fourth in baseball with 106 stolen bases, they also led the league with 23 runners picked off and were sixth with 29 runners caught stealing.
“We have to figure out ways to score more runs,” Jeter said. “We have to be more consistent with that.”
Which brings us to the offseason.
Both Jeter and general manager Kim Ng have mentioned the Marlins will be active this offseason. And they need to be. Adding an impact bat or two to the lineup to round out the young core that showcased itself this season — a group that includes Lewin Diaz, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Jesus Sanchez and Bryan De La Cruz — will be paramount to Miami’s offense taking the next step.
Jeter’s pitch to these potential targets:
“Just talking to guys who have gone through free agency, I think a lot of them — at least the smart ones — take a look at the organization,” Jeter said. “How far you’ve come, where you’re headed and how it looks. ... It’s telling the story of how much progress we’ve made and the more questions that the potential free agents ask, the better.”
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The 1-8 road trip
Manager Don Mattingly called it a “nightmare.”
Prior to embarking on their third and final three-city road trip — three games against the Boston Red Sox, two more against the Toronto Blue Jays in Buffalo and four with the Pittsburgh Pirates in late May and early June — the Marlins were three games under .500, at 24-27, and still in realistic reach in the NL East race.
Any chances to make a run seemingly ended after this trip.
Miami was swept by the Red Sox and Blue Jays and won just one of four against Pittsburgh, a 1-8 road trip that dumped them to 25-35. They never got closer than seven games of .500 the rest of the season.
That road trip also showed a small glimpse of a larger theme: The Marlins struggled on the road this season. They went just 25-56 away from loanDepot park this year compared to a 42-39 mark at home.
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Fallout after the trade deadline
With the Marlins well out of contention once July rolled around — they were hovering around 10 games back of first place at the beginning of the month — Miami shifted to being sellers at the trade deadline, dealing players on expiring contracts for prospects or project players with a focus of getting a gauge on the future.
Gone by the end of July: The entire starting outfield of Starling Marte, Corey Dickerson and Adam Duvall as well as relievers Yimi Garcia and Adam Cimber.
Brought back in return: Luzardo, De La Cruz, infielder Joe Panik, and open slots in the starting lineup and the back end of the bullpen for rookies to get extended looks in key spots.
With most of the team’s veteran position players gone by the July 30 trade deadline, the Marlins used a rookie-laden roster for the final two months. They went 23-36 down the stretch.
“There’s going to be bumps in the road,” Jeter said. “That happens for everyone, but I think everyone coming up here at the end of the year and getting some experience is a key part. ... We’re hopeful that the guys that got experience this year come back ready for spring training improved.”
This story was originally published October 4, 2021 at 12:49 PM.
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