Nine games into the season and the Fish are 5 - 4. As we talked about earlier, that should keep everyone's hopes pretty high that the playoffs are well within sight.
Even more encouraging than the 5 - 4 record (which admittedly, isn't all that great), is that the pitching has been phenomenal.
The team ERA is 1.36. The team WHIP is 0.94. Most fantasy baseball teams would be happy to have one or two pitchers with those numbers, but if you'd drafted the entire Marlins staff that's what you'd have.
On this first off day, the Marlins have five pitchers with ERAs of 0.00. Two of them are young starters who entered the year surrounded by question marks - Josh Becket (2 - 0, 15 IP) and Dontrelle Willis (2 - 0, 18 IP). Both are striking out more than four batters for every one that they walk.
A.J. Burnett, the third young star on this staff who entered the year surrounded by questions - his related to injury, has been no slouch either, putting up an ERA of 2.40 in 15 innings of work. His complete game against the Phillies this week was encouraging on a number of levels - including that he was topping out in the upper 90s in the 9th inning.
Three series down. Two series wins. Most important of all the Marlins trio of young, talented starters has not only lived up to expectations so far, they've exceeded them.