This is the first article that I've written in over two months, so how could you be expecting anything but an ultra-spicy prediction. The MLB landscape has changed drastically in 2020. Most notably, this shortened regular season (60 games long) will yield 16 playoff teams, the top 2 teams from every division in addition to the two wild card slots for each league. Combine this with the unfortunate possibility of any player contracting COVID-19 and the unnatural ramp up for players to be in "mid-season form" already, and the playing field seems leveled quite a bit. With this in mind, I now present my case for your 2020 MLB playoff bound Miami Marlins.
To start, let's look at their underrated starting rotation. In their past three games, since August 5, the Marlins have only allowed one earned run. The Marlins have a nucleus of starting pitchers that all haven't even reached the age of 30 yet. Jordan Yamamoto, Elieser Hernández, José Ureña, Caleb Smith, Sandy Alcantara, and Pablo López contain the perfect balance of major league experience and fast healing bodies that may prove to be extremely key in a fast-paced season that has proved to be taxing on the body already. Many pitchers aren't fully stretched out, which is why many pitchers are struggling to keep the same velocity on their fastballs this season.
Sandy Alcantara is the gem of this bunch. He represented the Marlins in the 2019 MLB All-Star game and finished the regular season with 197.1 innings pitched, a 3.88 ERA, and 151 strikeouts. The Atlanta Braves just lost their ace, Mike Soroka, to a torn Achilles, which is a big reminder that no matter how many bullpen pitchers you have, starting pitcher depth is priceless, because the season has so many twists and turns. I have faith all 6 of these Marlins have the arm strength and grit to pitch through at least 5+ consistent major league innings per start and keep their team within striking distance, which brings me to the next topic, the offense.
The Marlins added outfielder and career .286 BA hitter, Corey Dickerson, to the lineup. Dickerson's biggest knock has been health concerns, which a shortened regular season can only help in 2020. His 162-game projection using last season's numbers in 34 total games played would've landed Dickerson with an absurd 38 HR, 162 RBI, and 62 runs scored. Needless to say, in his short stint with the Phillies, Dickerson was on fire. He's a veteran presence for a young team who isn't afraid to swing the bat.
The team also took a risk on first baseman, Jesús Aguilar, who after an All-Star 2018 season, just couldn't rediscover the magic in 2019 between the Brewers and Rays. His batting average fell by nearly 40 points. That said, he has huge pop, with 47 home runs the past two years combined despite the slump. Miami was dead last in all the MLB in the power department last season, with a mere 146 HR in 162 games as a team. The introduction of the National League designated hitter this season might allow Aguilar to solely focus on his approach at the plate. For only $2.575 million dollars this season, who wouldn't roll the dice on a comeback? He already has three home runs in four games to begin the 2020 season.
Finally, there's Jonathan Villar. Another one-year contract addition this offseason with plenty of speed. He played every game for the Baltimore Orioles last season at multiple infield positions and ended with 24 HR, 73 RBI, and 40 SB! He's a switch hitter which makes him so valuable for any lineup construction.
These are three bats that should gel nicely with the longstanding Marlin stat sheet stuffers, Garrett Cooper, Brian Anderson, and Harold Ramírez. I expect their offense to take an enormous step forward this season, and with so many contract years throughout the lineup, the incentive to give it all they got is there.
Yes, I know this team went 57-105 in 2019. I'm not making the case that Miami is a primed contender for the World Series. They are still years away from being considered in that tier. However, with the unprecedented rule changes in 2020, I think the primary beneficiary is a team like the Marlins. The Braves and Nationals are most likely going to be the playoff representatives that come out of the NL East. But here's a team, in the Marlins, that will be playing struggling and/or young organizations like the Mets, Orioles, and Blue Jays for nearly a quarter of their season. If they can capitalize during these series and play close to .500 ball against the mid-tier contenders like the Phillies, Red Sox, and Braves, they should be in good shape. Call me crazy, but this team will earn a wild card spot in 2020, and shock all those who thought this team was nothing but a laughingstock. As of August 5, 2020, the team is 5-1 out of the gates.
