Miami Marlins week in review: Where things stand heading into the All-Star Break
The All-Star Break is finally here, and the Miami Marlins have certainly put themselves in a position few thought they could achieve.
Miami enters the break with a 53-39 record, the second-best mark in the National League behind only the Atlanta Braves, who have an MLB-best 60-29 record.
How would Marlins general manager Kim Ng sum up the team’s first 92 games?
“Excited,” Ng said. “It’s fun to watch all of these guys be as committed to each other as they’ve been committed to the plan and things that we’ve been talking about since Spring Training, and they’re seeing that the work is really paying off. Seeing their confidence build with each and every sort of mind-boggling thing that they’re able to accomplish, it’s really been quite a season. So hopefully they feel the same and that nothing is really too tall for them at this point.”
There’s a lot to like about what the team has done so far. The 25 comeback wins. The five walk-offs. The 21-6 record in one-run games.
There’s also a lot left to accomplish. Miami still has 70 games left in the regular season when play resumes on Friday. The trade deadline is a few weeks away. A daunting August schedule will likely show where this team truly stands.
But for now, the team can take a moment to reflect on what it has accomplished so far.
Luis Arraez’s value goes beyond chase for .400
Miami Marlins All-Star second baseman enters the All-Star Break with an MLB-leading .383 batting average. The possibility of finishing the season hitting .400 is still within reach with 70 games left to play, giving Arraez the chance to do something that hasn’t been done since Ted Williams in 1941.
But Arraez’s meaning on this team goes far beyond the batting average and base hits.
And, really, that number isn’t the end-all, be-all for Arraez. His ultimate goal is helping the Marlins make the postseason, a goal that is within reach.
He doesn’t focus on his individual results. Instead, his energy is devoted to the process that gets him there and what those results do in the grand scheme of the team results.
For more on Arraez, click here.
Game recaps from this week
▪ Monday — Marlins 5, Cardinals 4: A three-run seventh inning backed Braxton Garrett’s strong start in a series-opening win.
▪ Tuesday — Marlins 15, Cardinals 2: Miami’s offense attacked the Cardinals early and often for an easy afternoon win.
▪ Wednesday — Marlins 10, Cardinals 9: A back-and-forth game ended with a wild walk-off.
▪ Thursday — Cardinals 3, Marlins 0: Eury Perez ended his first half on a high note, but the Marlins’ bats were silent in the series finale against St. Louis.
▪ Friday — Phillies 4, Marlins 3: Philadelphia rallied for three runs in the ninth to take the series opener.
▪ Saturday — Marlins 5, Phillies 3: Miami got its redemption after a tough series opener to even the series against Philadelphia.
▪ Sunday — Marlins 7, Phillies 3: Three early home runs and a stellar start from Jesus Luzardo led to a series-clinching win ahead of the All-Star Break.
Dane Myers’ stellar first week in the big leagues
The phone call came around 7 a.m. Monday, and Dane Myers wasn’t sure what to think at first.
“I thought it was a dream,” Myers said, “but it was true.”
Within a span of a few hours, Myers would be on a flight from Jacksonville to Miami. He was being called up to the Marlins.
One day later, Myers made his MLB debut and quickly made an impact.. Myers played the final five innings of the Marlins’ 15-2 rout of the Cardinals, replacing an injured Jonathan Davis, and going 2 for 3 at the plate with an RBI and two runs scored.
His success continued the rest of the week. Myers started each of the final five games of the homestand and is hitting .409 (9 for 22) with one double, one home run, six RBI and five runs scored. He has logged multiple hits in four of his first six games.
For more on Myers’ journey to the big leagues, click here.
In case you missed it
▪ That wild final play in the Marlins’ walk-off win over the Cardinals on Tuesday? Here’s a breakdown of it from the vantage point of each player involved.
▪ Why the Marlins sent Eury Perez back to the minor leagues and the plan moving forward.
▪ Marlins prospect Nasim Nunez was named MVP of the All-Star Futures Game on Saturday.
▪ Despite insisting they would prioritize hitters early, the Marlins used the No. 10 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft to select right-handed high school pitcher Noble Meyer.
Upcoming Marlins schedule
Monday-Thursday: All-Star Break
Friday: Marlins @ Orioles, 7:05 p.m.
Saturday: Marlins @ Orioles, 7:05 p.m.
Sunday: Marlins @ Orioles, 1:35 p.m.
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