As Marlins continue to ‘build the foundation,’ will results show up on the field?
Spring has sprung, so naturally optimism abounds. That’s the case with every team in Major League Baseball this time of year.
The Miami Marlins, coming off a 62-100 season and fielding what will most likely be the youngest team in MLB this season, are no different.
“The vibes, the energy, the feeling of optimism here is really palpable,” Marlins president of baseball operations Peter Bendix said Monday before the team’s first full-squad workout in Jupiter.
How long those vibes remain upbeat remain to be seen.
The Marlins are once again going to face an uphill battle in the uber-competitive National League East. There will almost certainly be growing pains as a roster full of fresh faces, along with a first-year manager, maneuver through the season.
But for the time being, the Marlins are betting on themselves that their internal improvements — both with players making strides and the enhancements they’ve made behind the scenes — will pay dividends.
“We’ve got a fantastic coaching staff in place,” Bendix said. “We’ve really invested in technology, invested in different roles, invested in the things that we need to build the foundation of this organization. This foundation is imperative for us to have the kind of success year over year that we know we can get to, that we know every fan wants. ... I can’t wait for that to show up on the field. I can’t wait for that to show up for the fans. It will show up in the form of our players getting better. It will show up in the form of us having better players. And ultimately, it’s going to show up in the form of winning games. And that’s what this is all about. It’s winning games. It’s winning as many games as we possibly can for as long as we possibly can.”
Bendix quickly went to work with overhauling the Marlins’ baseball operations department his first year at the helm. Miami has added more than 100 staff members to the front office. They have revamped how they approach player development. Chairman and principal owner Bruce Sherman said the organization has committed “a tremendous amount to improve the ability of the players to perform.”
But then there’s the roster.
Bendix traded just about every notable name from the team last year in order to restock the farm system and bring in another wave of young players who he believes will help the Marlins have “sustainable success” — the phrase that has been thrown around for years with this team but has never been seen to fruition.
Things aren’t expected to get much better. Miami is projected to have a 1.4% chance to make the playoffs this season.
But the Marlins, understandably, aren’t listening to the outside noise.
“We’re going to win a lot of games, a lot more games than you think we’re going to win this year,” Sherman said. “I’m excited about it. There’s going to be more hustle, more speed, more defense that we’ve seen over the last few years.”
Added first-year manager Clayton McCullough: “I’ve tried not to get too caught up in what’s being said outside. We’re going to focus on what’s in our building and what we have going on, what we need to do to try to get better. And you know what? Let people not talk about us. We’re more than happy to play the underdog role. Just go and do our thing and not worry so much about what people are their expectations are of us.”
One thing is certain: Regardless of the results, there will be enough story lines to follow with the Marlins this season.
There’s the return of ace Sandy Alcantara, who missed all of last season while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. Right-handed pitcher Eury Perez is slated to be back around the All-Star Break, as well. Add in the likes of Ryan Weathers, Max Meyer and Edward Cabrera, and Miami’s rotation has enough talent to keep them competitive if the group can stay healthy.
And then there are the position players who are trying to take the next steps in their development. Shortstop Xavier Edwards and third baseman Connor Norby are at the forefront of that conversation. Edwards hit .328 and stole 31 bases in 70 games with the Marlins last season. Norby posted a .760 on-base-plus-slugging mark with seven home runs, 17 RBI and 29 runs scored in 36 games after being acquired from the Baltimore Orioles ahead of last season’s trade deadline.
Eventually, top prospects such as first baseman Deyvison De Los Santos and catcher Agustin Ramirez will join the conversation, as well.
“We have guys who want to make a name for themselves and prove themselves,” Norby said. “A lot of guys that are hungry. A lot of guys that aren’t at the best version of themselves yet. They’re not at that their highest performance level yet. We’re all trying to get there and help the team win. And I think when everybody’s contributing to that and solely focused on that, everybody’s individual performance rises. I think it’s just going to be a fun team to watch.”
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