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The Team Spirit Extra Innings website begins where the Team Spirit books end.
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Updates
2023 Season
Season Recap: The Marlins found the right mix of young talent and experienced leadership in 2023, and punched their ticket to the playoffs. Luis Arraez won the batting championship, slugger Jorge Soler was an All-Star for the first time, and Jazz Chisholm battled through injuries to take another step toward stardom. The team’s only weakness was its starting pitching—which Miami fans expected to be its main strength. But manager Skip Schumaker did a good job juggling his bullpen to win 84 games. The Marlins snagged a Wild Card berth in the final week of the season but fell to the defending champion Phillies, 2 games to 0, to end their season.
October 1, 2023: Luis Arraez finished as the NL batting champion with an average of .354. He became the second player to win batting crowns in the AL and NL, and the first to do so in back-to-back seasons. He led the AL in 2022 with a .316 average.
May 10, 2023: The Marlins beat the Diamondbacks, 5–4, to set a new major league record with their 12th one-run victory in a row. In 2022, Miami lost 40 one-run games.
Season Preview: Offense is still the greatest need for the Marlins, who have put together a very good pitching staff but still have weak spots in the lineup—and several players manning unfamiliar positions. That does not sound like a winning formula and it may not be, but Sandy Alcantara will have something to say about that. He is one of the game’s best pitchers and the leader of a staff that includes Trevor Rogers, Jesus Luzardo, Edward Cabrera, and Johnny Cueto. That could be enough to get the Marlins in the Wild Card mix, but they will also need big years at the plate from Luis Arreaz, Jorge Soler, and Jazz Chisholm.
2022 Season
Season Recap: The Marlins fell short of their goal to reach the playoffs, but gave fans plenty of great moments during 2022. The big news in Miami was the pitching of Sandy Alcantara, who was brilliant from beginning to end. He went 14–9 with a 2.28 ERA and six complete games, and struck out more than 200 batters for the second year in a row. The Marlins could have used a little more punch in their lineup, but young stars Jazz Chisholm, Jesus Sanchez, and Bryan de la Cruz showed they were all capable of hitting 20-plus homers down the road. Jon Berti got a chance to play every day at the age of 32 and won the NL stolen base crown, with 41.
June 18, 2022: Jerar Encarnacion hit a grand slam, stole a base, and threw out a runner from right field in his first big-league game. The grand slam was also Encarnacion’s first hit.
Season Preview: The surprise team in the NL this season could be the Marlins. They have a fine pitching staff headed by Sandy Alcantara, Pablo Lopez, and Trevor Rogers—along with several relievers who can close out games. Newcomer Jacob Stallings is one of the game’s best catchers. Other new names are Jorge Soler, fresh off World Series MVP honors, and slugger Avisail Garcia. Young guns Jesus Sanchez and Jazz Chisholm will look to take the next step toward stardom.
2021 Season
Season Recap: The Marlins hoped to play winning ball in 2021, but injuries to key hitters Jorge Alfaro, Jon Berti, Garrett Cooper, and Brian Anderson held them back. The good news is that several pitchers—including Trevor Rogers, Zach Thompson, Anthony Bender, and Pablo Lopez—showed they were quality big-leaguers ready for big years in 2022. Along with other up=and-coming hurlers, the future looks bright for the Marlins’ pitching staff.
July 11, 2021: Pablo Lopez became the pitcher in history to strikeout the first 9 batters to start a game. Lopez fanned the first 9 Braves who stepped into the batter’s box.
June 2, 2021: Hard-throwing left-hander Trevor Rogers was named NL Rookie of the Month for May. He also won the award in April.
Season Preview: Miami is loaded with hard-throwing pitchers, so opponents will struggle to score runs against them in 2021. Will the team’s hitters play well enough to deliver more wins than losses? That will depend on the trio of Adam Duvall, Brian Anderson, and Jesus Aguilar—who have the power to hit 100 home runs. Starling Marte and Corey Dickerson must stay healthy and set the table for these sluggers.
2020 Season
Season Recap: The Marlins surprised the experts by making it to the playoffs and then shocked the powerhouse Cubs in the Wild Card Series. The team’s amazing run ended in the Division Series against the Braves, who were able to shut down the Miami hitters. Manager Don Mattingly did a brilliant job with his players, who spent the first third of the season dealing with a Covid-19 outbreak. No single star grabbed the spotlight, but the Marlins got good years out of little-known Jon Berti, Miguel Rojas, Brian Anderson, Pablo Lopez, and Brian Kintzler. The team’s young pitching staff heads into the future with several electric arms, perhaps none better than rookie Sixto Sanchez, who was unhittable at times in 2020.
August 26, 2020: John Berti drew a walk against the Mets and then stole second, third, and home. He scored when New York’s catcher lobbed the ball back to the pitcher and just beat the throw back to the plate.
Season Preview: The Marlins have young talent at almost every position. Are they ready to play winning baseball in the majors? With Derek Jeter and Don Mattingly running the club, a spot in the playoffs is not out of the picture. Veterans Jonathan Villar, Jesus Aguilar and Brandon Kintzler will set the example for their young teammates and Miami fans should have fun watching their players grow.
2019 Season
Season Recap: The Marlins lost more games than anyone in the NL in 2019, but that was part of the rebuilding plan. The question is, did their young players take big steps forward? Pitchers Sandy Alcantara, Caleb Smith, Jordan Yamamoto and Pablo Lopez did. Among the hitters, however, only Brian Anderson and Jorge Alfaro proved themselves as stars. The jury is still out on youngsters Isan Diaz, Victor Victor Mesa, Nick Niedert and Monte Harrison—who will hope to crack the lineup next spring.
Season Preview: The Marlins have a long season ahead of them. They have traded their veteran stars for exciting prospects who may not be ready until 2020 or later. A few that are close include outfielder Lewis Brinson, catcher Jorge Alfaro, and pitcher Sandy Alcantara. The familiar names in the Miami lineup include Starlin Castro, Curtis Granderson, and Neil Walker—but there is a good chance they will be in different uniforms by the end of the year.
2018 Season
Season Recap: Miami fans had little to cheer about in 2018, as their team lost 98 games and finished in the NL East cellar. Catcher J.T. Realmuto and outfielder Brian Anderson were the Marlins’ only two above-average players, but many of the team’s prospects got valuable experience during the year. How good are those prospects? Only time will tell.
Season Preview: The Marlins are loaded with minor-league talent, but that won’t help them in the majors in 2018. The club will try its best to avoid 100-plus losses while waiting for the youngsters to reach Miami. In the meantime, fans will be cheering for Lewis Brinson, Brian Anderson, Jose Urena, Jarlin Garcia, and other young stars looking to make a name for themselves in the big leagues.
2017 Season
Season Recap: The Marlins had plenty of hitting in 2017 but struggled on the mound all year long and finished with a 77–85 record. Giancarlo Stanton stayed healthy and had the season everyone thought he could, with 59 homers and 132 RBIs. Marcell Ozuna chipped in with 37 homers and 124 RBIs.
September 30, 2017: Dee Gordon swiped two bases against the Braves to win baseball’s stolen base crown, with 60. Billy Hamilton of the Reds had been in the lead with 59.
August 14, 2017: Giancarlo Stanton blasted his 43rd home run to set a new team record. The old record was 42 by Gary Sheffield.
June 6, 2017: Edinson Volquez pitched a no-hitter against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He won 3–0 and struck out 10 batters.
2016 Season
November 1, 2016: An injury to slugger Giancarlo Stanton ruined any chance the Marlins had of making the playoffs. The death of their star pitcher, Jose Fernandez, added more sadness to an already sad season.
October 5, 2016: The outfield of Giancarlo Stanton, Marcell Ozuna, and Christian Yelich lived up to expectations, and Ichiro Suzuki gave the fans a thrill by collecting his 3,000th. But the season will forever be remembered for the tragic death of Miami’s star pitcher, Jose Fernandez, who was killed in a September boating accident.
2015 Season
October 14, 2015: Had Giancarlo Stanton and Jose Fernandez stayed healthy all year, the Marlins might have finished in first place. With Dee Gordon leading the NL in hitting and steals, and AJ Ramos saving 32 games, Miami had all the pieces it needed to compete for the NL East crown.
October 4, 2015: Dee Gordon led the majors with 205 hits and 58 stolen bases. He also won the NL batting championship with a .33 average.
April 16, 2015: Giancarlo Stanton belted a home against the Mets to become the team’s all-time leader with 155. The player he passed was Dan Uggla.
April 5, 2015: The Marlins are built to win in 2015, with a mix of young talent and veteran stars. The star of the team is Giancarlo Stanton, one of the game’s most fearsome hitters. He is supported by newcomers Dee Gordon, Michael Morse, and Martin Prado. The team also added experienced pitchers Mat Latos and Dan Haren.
2014 Season
November 15, 2014: Casey McGehee was named NL Comeback Player of the Year. McGehee played in Japan in 2013 and led his club to the championship. McGehee hit .289 with 76 RBIs for the Marlins in his return to the majors.
November 1, 2014: The loss of Jose Fernandez at the beginning of the season and Giancarlo Stanton at the end kept Miami fans out of the ballpark at times, but there was plenty to cheer about. Stanton teamed with Christian Yelich and Marcell Ozuna to give the Marlins the most exciting young outfield in the NL, while Henderson Alvarez and Jarred Cosart proved they were ready to be quality starters.
September 11, 2014: Giancarlo Stanton’s season ended when he was hit the face with a pitch, but he still led the NL with 37 homers, 299 total bases, and a .555 slugging average.
March 31, 2014: The Marlins know how to win championships. They suffer through losing seasons while building up a store of young talent, and then trade for veterans to lead them to victory. Although they might lose more than half their games in 2014, it looks like they are getting close to another one of their title runs. Pitcher Jose Fernandez leads a hard-throwing starting staff, and the future outfield of Christian Yelich, Giancarlo Stanton and Jake Marisnick should be in place by midseason.
2013 Season
November 12, 2013: Jose Fernandez was named 2013 NL Rookie of the Year. He had the league’s second-best ERA (2.19) and struck out more batters per nine innings (9.75) than any starting pitcher in the NL.
October 1, 2013: The Marlins might have been the most exciting team that ever lost 100 games in a season. Young pitching prospects Jose Fernandez and Henderson Alvarez had no-hit stuff, while rookies Adeiny Hechevarria, Christian Yelich, Marcell Ozuna, and Jake Marisnick showed they were ready to handle the challenges of everyday jobs in the big leagues.
September 29, 2013: Rookie Henderson Alvarez no-hit the Detroit Tigers on the final day of the season. The game was tied 0–0 in the bottom of the ninth when Miami scored the winning run on a wild pitch.
September 1, 2013: Pitcher Jose Fernandez was named (August) NL Rookie of the Month for the second month in a row. He was the first pitcher to win this honor twice in a row since Josh Johnson of the Marlins in 2006.
August 30, 2013: 21-year-old Jose Fernandez struck out his 167th batter to set a new team record for rookie pitchers. The old record was held by Scott Olsen.
March 30, 2013: The team traded its two “table-setters”—Jose Reyes and Emilio Bonifacio—but brought in Juan Pierre to replace them. He will be on base for young stars Giancarlo Stanton, Marcell Ozuna, and Adeiny Hechevarria.
2012 Season
October 3, 2012: A new stadium and new stars created excitement in Miami early in the year, as the Marlins found themselves in first place in early June. But injuries to slugger Giancarlo Stanton and speedy Emilio Bonifacio made scoring runs difficult, and the Marlins sank quickly in the standings. Stanton did recover to lead the league with a .606 slugging percentage, but the Marlins won only 69 games and finished 5th in the NL East.
April 24, 2012: The Marlins used four different pitchers to face four different hitters in the seventh inning of their game with the New York Mets. Each pitcher walked the batter he faced. That had never happened before in big-league history.
March, 2012: Four new Marlins hope to make the team’s first year in Miami a memorable one. Jose Reyes, Heath Bell, Carlos Zambrano, and Mark Buehrle are among the most talented and exciting players in baseball.
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League Leaders
Marlins in the World Series
YEAR | OPPONENT | RESULT |
---|---|---|
1997 | Cleveland Indians | Won 4–3 |
2003 | New York Yankees | Won 4–2 |