About a week ago, it may not have seemed as though the Florida Marlins had much life left in them. They were four games under .500 and seven out of the Wild Card lead with a losing series away from becoming instant sellers at the trade deadline.
Flash forward a week later, surprise! The Marlins have reached their first goal of getting to .500 now comes the Wild Card. They control their own destiny as they embark on taking care of the Braves, Giants, and Padres before the deadline and to gain ground in the standings.
But already, this team has shown flashes of their championship counterparts in 2003. Here’s why the comparisons are vastly similar.
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Return of Miracle Marlins: How This Year’s Marlins Compares To 2003
Rockies-Marlins: Colorado Squanders Chances, Loses Series
The Rockies were in a good spot. They had chased Josh Johnson from the game and had runners on first and third with only one out in the seventh inning.
As has been the case far too often in 2010, the Rockies failed to tie the game, despite a Seth Smith bullet up the middle with the bases loaded that was snagged by Marlins reliever Jose Veras.
The Rockies did get the tying run home in the eighth inning when Jason Giambi plated Jonathan Herrera on a single to center field.
The Rockies then got the next two batters on base. With no one out, Ian Stewart, who had homered earlier in the game, hit into a rally-killing double play.
The situation screamed bunt. But with Stewart swinging a hot bat, bunting seemed like telling John Elway to hand the ball off in the fourth quarter.
It could have been a good end to an otherwise disappointing four-game set in Florida, but Jhoulys Chacin, flailing in his bullpen role, gave up a triple to Emilio Bonifacio.
After walking the next two hitters to load the bases, Chacin gave up a base hit to Ronnie Paulino to give the Marlins their second walk-off victory of the series.
The Rockies’ road does not get any easier. They head to Philadelphia to play the two-time defending NL Champions, who will begin the series with Roy Halladay on the mound.
The Rockies fared as well as could be expected against Josh Johnson, but that does not mean they will light up the scoreboard against the Colorado native.
The Rockies are in desperate need of at least a series split in Philadelphia. Losing three of four, or worse, getting swept could be devastating to a team that has just started to show its true potential.
On the flip side, if the Rockies can find a way to squeak out a win on Friday night, it would put them in a good position to try and win the series.
After all the struggles, if the Rockies take three-of-four in Philadelphia, they will come home from the longest road trip of the season with a 5-6 record, something that cannot be complained about considering the pitching that the club faced.
For more on the Rockies visit RockiesReview.com
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Scouting Florida Marlins 2010: First Round Draft Pick Christian Yelich
Remember the name Christian Yelich. You may very well be watching him in a Florida Marlins’ uniform in a few years. The Marlins were very ecstatic to see Christian Yelich’s name still on the draft board at number 23.
Interestingly, the Marlins have had a tendency to draft tall, high school pitchers from California. In addition, the Marlins’ draft philosophy has always been to pick the best player available in the first round. In my opinion, I believe they followed through on that philosophy.
Christian Yelich is a left handed hitting first baseman/outfielder out of Westlake High School in Westlake Village.
Advanced scouts have compared Yelich’s swing to former big leaguer Mark Grace. Even though his main position in high school was first base, the Marlins strongly believe that they can convert him into a very good defensive outfielder. At 6’4″ and 190 pounds, he has tremendous speed, which definitely factored into the Marlins decision to draft him. Many advanced scouts also believe that he will gain more power as he physically gets stronger.
Not only have the Florida Marlins been very high on this super talented young player, but so has Baseball America and Keith Law from ESPN.com. The fact is, Baseball America had Yelich ranked at No. 52, while Keith Law ranked Yelich at No. 26.
According to Yelich, he was genuinely surprised that the Marlins decided to pick him.
“I knew they had interest, but not this kind of interest. It’s definitely a welcome surprise.”
It is no secret that the Marlins organization has done an outstanding job drafting and developing players over the years.
Of course like any Major League organization, they have had their fair share of first-round disappointments such as Brett Sinkbell in ’06, Jeff Allison in ’03, and Jeremy Hermida in ’02. However, many of the team’s draft picks have gone on to have a tremendous amount of success in the Major Leagues such as Josh Johnson, Josh Beckett, and Adrian Gonzalez.
The Marlins have come to the realization that they need more left handed hitters in their farm system. As a result, Yelich is the 2nd lefty hitting position player taken since catcher Kyle Skipworth in ’08. In high school, Yelich batted an impressive .451 with 14 doubles, two triples, nine homers, and 25 runs batted in for Westlake High this season. The only legitimate concern with Christian Yelich is his funky throwing motion.
Therefore, the Marlins have promised to correct his throwing motion by making it more fundamentally sound.
“He has a little bit of an odd throwing motion that we’ll try and smooth out. It’s not anything that will prevent him from playing the outfield,” said Vice President of Player Development and Scouting Jim Fleming. “We really love the bat. There are a lot of tools there, still some growth to go. He’s got a nice frame. He’s going to fill out and be a big man. There are a ton of things to like about this kid. He’s our kind of guy.”
The Marlins have an excellent track record, so therefore you must trust their judgment and their ability to evaluate prospects. Yelich has been on the Marlins radar for quite some time. Hopefully, his development will go according to plan and he will meet expectations.
High school draft picks are considered as high risk high reward players. Therefore, an organization is always taking a calculated risk and gamble by drafting and signing a player out of high school. Since the current front office took control in 2002, the Marlins have selected seven high school players, including three pitchers in the first round.
This will be another draft pick in which you can go back and evaluate in a few years. The question is will this draft pick be categorized as a success or a bust in the future? Only time will tell.
The bottom-line is the Marlins will give it their best shot. The Marlins’ ability to draft the right players and develop them into quality major leaguers will continue to determine how much success they have in the future.
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New York Yankees Trade Rumors: Price for Cody Ross Too High
The Yankees have had scouts watching the Marlins lately as the two teams have discussed a couple of players, but OF Cody Ross is one name that keeps coming up in the papers.
According to George King and Mark Hale of the NY Post, the Yankees and Marlins are not anywhere near a deal yet because the asking price for Ross is too high. The Post hasn’t said what the Marlins have asked the Yankees for, but they did report that they have asked the Braves for former Yankee LHP Mike Dunn in a deal.
Ross, 29, is in the fifth full season of his career, is an outfielder who can play all three positions, and is earning $4.5 million this year. That last part is why the Marlins are likely to deal him. He’s the fourth highest paid player on their team and is arbitration eligible after this season, which will only make him more expensive.
So maybe the Marlins are asking a lot for Ross now, but it is likely that the asking price will come down, at least slightly. It might not drop to a level the Yankees are comfortable with, but it is Brian Cashman’s style to monitor the situation until he is moved.
Ross would be perfect for the Yankees as a right handed platoon with outfielder Curtis Granderson. Ross has a career OPS-plus of just 106, not terrible, but that number jumps to 136 against lefties. Meanwhile the Yankees fears about Granderson hitting lefties has been all too real. Granderson’s OPS-plus against southpaws is a lowly 65.
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July 18, 2010: Yankees Trade Rumors: Discussing Ross, Nunez, Helms with Marlins (0)
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Marlins Ace Josh Johnson Ready To Make History
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Ever go to a restaurant where they have a fish tank with lobsters swimming around? The helpless creatures are just waiting for the inevitable pot of boiling water. They’re only in there for show and are going to be eaten eventually.
Batters facing Florida Marlins ace Josh Johnson this season can empathize with those helpless premium dinner entrees. They can slap, bunt, and swing all they want. They can extend the at-bat with foul balls. They can take their sweet old time going in and out of the box trying to break the pitcher’s momentum.
No matter what they do they can’t hit Josh Johnson.
Johnson has cooked batters this season to the tune of 130 strikeouts against 128 innings of work with a 1.62 ERA, and a 10 – 3 record on an average club. The Marlins are currently in the middle of the pack in the NL with a 45-47 record, 9.0 games back in the N.L. East. Additionally the Marlins have one of the worst defensive units in baseball. With 72 errors thus far, they only trail the Nationals (77).
Whether it’s a 96 mph fastball, a vicious slider, or a sinking change-up, players aren’t going to touch first base often and rarely, if ever, cross home plate when JJ is pitching.
In his 19 starts this season he has given up more than two runs a mere three times. Three! The most runs he gave up all season was four, and that was in the season opener against the Mets in April.
Johnson is gaining steam towards his first Cy Young. The Rockies’ Ubaldo Jimenez has been struggling of late.
His case will only strengthen if the Marlins turn it out around in the second half and close in on the division. Regardless, he is having one of the best seasons in recent history.
Johnson’s 2010 season has a chance to go down as one of the best of the decade for a starting pitcher.
Pedro Martinez’s 2000 season, when he went 18-6 with a 1.74 ERA and 284 strikeouts, comes to mind, as does Randy Johnson in 02′, when he went 24-5 with a 2.32 ERA and an amazing 334 strikeouts.
To say that Johnson’s year thus far isn’t on par with those legendary marks in baseball history is blasphemy.
Johnson is easily among the top three pitchers in all of baseball, and arguably the best. The fact that he’s still just 26 years old just isn’t right. The guy is going to get even better.
Terrifying, I know.
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Will the Florida Marlins Be Buyers or Sellers at the MLB Trade Deadline?
As the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline approaches, the question is, will the Marlins ultimately become buyers or sellers? The team is currently 10.5 games out of first place in the National League East Division with the Braves, Mets, and Phillies ahead of them.
Also, they are seven games back in the National League wild card race. My prediction is that they are going to be sellers at the deadline, which will be to the chagrin of many Marlins fans. The season is pretty much over and it would take some kind of cataclysmic disaster and a miraculous downfall by the teams ahead of the Marlins, in order for the Marlins to get back in the conversation.
The fact is,they need to acknowledge the cold hard facts. The team looked listless and uninspired. Most importantly, they need to give their talented young players the necessary amount of Major League experience. The Marlins should take advantage of the opportunity to analyze and scout some of the young prospects the team currently has in its system.
For example, I think it would be a good idea to give Logan Morrison an opportunity to prove himself as the Major League level. Therefore, it’s time for some of our young players to face the music.
The Marlins have been extremely disappointing and frustrating to watch this season. The biggest reason why the team has struggled this season is because of the terrible bullpen in which the front office put together over the offseason. The bullpen has caused cardiac arrests and the increase of Pepto Bismol.
The bottom line is, they failed miserably in putting together a legitimate bullpen. They have the second worst bullpen in baseball, right behind the Arizona Diamondbacks. Believe it or not, only Arizona has more blown saves this season than the Marlins. As a result, the Marlins have blown 13 save opportunities, while Arizona has blown 14 saves.
In addition, the team has committed the second most errors in baseball, with 71 on the season. Another aspect the Marlins have struggled mightily in this year is the situational hitting department. For example, with runners on second and third with two outs, the Marlins have failed to come through in this type of situation.
Also, the clutch hitting factor has been absolutely nonexistent. All of these glaring weaknesses summarize why the Marlins are sitting in fourth place in the National League four games under .500 with a record of 42-46. Despite the team’s struggles in certain offensive categories and despite the team’s erratic defense, the biggest problem has been the bullpen.
Don’t be shocked if the Marlins ultimately decide to deal Jorge Cantu, Cody Ross, Ricky Nolasco, Nate Robertson, and even slugger Dan Uggla.
I think the Marlins should hang on to Uggla because of his tremendous power. He leads all National League second basemen in home runs with 16 and he has done a nice job driving in runs. I still believe you need to have a legitimate power source in your lineup. I strongly believe Dan Uggla’s value is irreplaceable.
There is no way you are going to be able to replace his power at second base. However, if they were to hypothetically move Uggla to another team, then they would have last year’s NL rookie of the year, Chris Coghlan, move to second base. Coghlan has bounced back from a rough start to the season. He is currently hitting .270 with 87 hits, five home runs and 28 runs batted in.
I’m completely against the idea of moving Coghlan from the outfield to second base, especially because his infield defense is basically just as mediocre as Uggla’s. I don’t see how this potential position move would improve the team.
Interestingly, what has become very apparent is the fact that Marlins are starting to change their offensive philosophy. The focus is beginning to shift toward situational hitting and moving runners over. As a result,their goal is to develop more consistent and productive hitters such as rookie sensation Gaby Sanchez, who is batting an impressive .302 on the year.
Except for Dan Uggla, the Marlins should be opened to trading Cantu, Ross, and Nolasco as long as they can receive sufficient value in return. I don’t want to see any salary dump deals.
As we approach the deadline, the Marlins have some very tough decisions to make. It will be very interesting to see which prospects the Marlins decide to promote as the season moves on. Will Logan Morrison get called up? Will Cameron Maybin get another shot to prove himself?
The Marlins will be open to making deals with the goal in mind toward building and planning for the future. You can take that to the bank. At this point, it is all about 2012.
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MLB Trade Rumors: Yankees Talk Cody Ross, Wes Helms With Marlins
There are a couple of reports out that have the Yankees discussing a deal with the Florida Marlins.
Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports had one which he states the Yankees have discussed OF Cody Ross with Florida, but notes that a deal for Ross may be a longshot as he expects their asking price to be too high for the Yankees.
Rosenthal said that it is more likely that the two sides could work out a deal for closer Leo Nunez .
Nunez is a 26-year-old who has spent his career with the Royals and Marlins. He became a full-time closer last season and has had a great year in 2010.
In 39 appearances, he has a 3-2 record with a 2.87 ERA and 21 saves. Nunez is under team control for two more seasons after this one.
Joe Frisaro of MLB.com also has a report out that said the Yankees and Marlins have been discussing a deal for veteran IF/OF Wes Helms .
The Yankees like Helms because he is a right-handed bat that can fill in for Alex Rodriguez at third base occasionally. He can also play first base and the corner outfield spots as well.
The Yankees, who have had scouts watching the Marlins this weekend, would love to acquire all three players, but out of the three Helms is the most likely they would get.
General manager Brian Cashman has identified the teams most pressing need is a veteran who can backup A-Rod.
He’s also said that while he would like to add a reliever or two, their cost is typically too high and that he would rather improve the bullpen internally.
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MLB Trade Rumors: Five Florida Marlins Who Could Be Dealt
Fredi Gonzalez is gone, but the Florida Marlins keep losing ground.
As the Atlanta Braves slowly walk away with the National League East, the Fish remain 10 games out of first, and four games below .500.
With the Midsummer Classic in a few days, Larry Beinfest and Co. must decide whether to become a buyer or seller.
Can the team pull off a win streak and stay in the race?
At this point in time, it appears to be the latter.
Word within the organization expresses the sentiment that everyone but Hanley Ramirez and Josh Johnson is on the market to be traded.
Ramirez, who will be the NL’s starting shortstop in the All-Star game for the third straight year, feels like his sub-par season could be at fault.
“Cody [Ross], he’s blaming it on me if he gets traded, because we’re not winning,” he said. “I need to go to Home Depot and buy a rake.”
Best Pitcher in Major League Baseball—And His Name Isn’t Halladay
I’ve been thinking about writing some MLB articles, and this is the first one of what I hope to be many.
So far this MLB season, when I hear about the best pitchers in the game, I hear about Roy Halladay (Phillies), Johan Santana (Mets), Felix Hernandez, and Cliff Lee (Mariners), but let me bring up the guy who I think is the best pitcher in baseball, Josh Johnson.
Johnson is the Marlins ace pitcher at this point in time, and he’s only 26 years old. So far this season, Johnson is 9-3, with a 1.70 ERA (best in the majors), and 123 strikeouts. Those numbers are very impressive. Let’s compare him with Roy Halladay. Halladay is 10-7 this season, with a 2.33 ERA, and 119 strikeouts. So if you look at it, Johnson has a better record and ERA, and more strikeouts than Halladay does.
Another factor that comes into play is the two teams these two pitchers play for. Halladay is on a very talented Phillies squad, although they have been having a lot of injuries. Still, the Phillies probably have more talent even when injured than the Marlins do when healthy.
Johnson has great power on his pitches, but he also has a great ability to control the movement of the ball. Honestly, I really do believe he is the best pitcher in the majors right now, he just doesn’t get recognized as much because he plays for the Marlins, and when he doesn’t start they don’t get a lot of convincing wins.
Thoughts?
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2010 MLB All-Star Roster: Josh Johnson Should Be the NL Starting Pitcher
Don’t get me wrong.
Ubaldo Jimenez’ no-hitter counts for something. So do his major league-leading 14 wins. Same goes for Roy Halladay’s perfect game and major league-leading seven complete games.
But the pitcher who deserves the starting nod for the National League All-Star team plays for the Florida Marlins.
That’s right, the same team that rarely captures national attention unless the manager gets fired or it trades away a star player.
Josh Johnson is the most dominant hurler in baseball during the “Year of the Pitcher.”
Ask the Los Angeles Dodgers, who failed to score a run on him through eight innings in a 4-0 loss Wednesday night.
Johnson did not allow a hit through the first four frames. He held the Dodgers to six hits and one walk. He struck out eight and lowered his earned-run average to 1.70.
For those keeping score, the second-best ERA in the majors is Jamie Garcia’s 2.17 clip.
That’s 47 points higher.
To prove how dominant Johnson, June’s NL Pitcher of the Month, has been look at the other statistics.
The 6’7″, 250 pounder hasn’t allowed more than two runs in a start in almost two months. He’s given up four runs in a game only once all season, which was during the opener at Citi Field against the New York Mets.
Every Johnson outing since then has been a quality start. Over the 15 games his ERA stands at 1.38.
His 123 strikeouts are third in the majors, behind only Tim Lincecum and Jered Weaver.
Although his record shows that he’s just 9-3, it’s not his fault. Until Wednesday night’s four-run second inning, the Marlins had scored just five runs over his last four starts.
During that span, JJ struck out at least seven batters during each of those contests—33 in all—while walking two.
Even more remarkable is the history attached to what he has accomplished.
From May 13 to June 26, Johnson went eight consecutive starts throwing at least six innings and giving up no more than one earned run. Only two other pitchers had accomplished that over the past 100 years: Bob Gibson (11 straight in 1968) and J.R. Richard (eight straight in 1979).
When Halladay pitched his perfect game, what got overlooked was Florida’s ace’s line: seven innings, seven hits, six strikeouts, one walk, and an unearned run in a 1-0 loss.
Philadelphia Phillies manager Charlie Manuel has seen the Marlins pitcher enough since his return from Tommy John surgery in 2008, which came in less than 11 months, to convince him.
And if all of this was not enough reason for the 26 year old to become the National League starter in Anaheim, the outing against the Dodgers closes out his half.
Last year when he made the All-Star team for the first time in his career, Johnson remained in the dugout because he had pitched on that Sunday.
Come Tuesday, it doesn’t have to be that way.
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