Three things Marlins fans should be thankful for

This year has obviously been a tough one for the Miami Marlins and their fans, but there’s always something to be thankful for, especially on Thanksgiving. Let’s take a look and see what Marlins fans should be thankful for on Thanksgiving.

1. Outfield

The Marlins have one of the most talented outfields in all of baseball. All three outfielders, Christian Yelich, Marcell Ozuna, and Giancarlo Stanton, are all under the age of 28. These three players are the centerpiece of the Marlins roster. Yelich won a Silver Slugger Award, and he had the best year of his career by far. He is definitely one of the Marlins franchise players, in fact, he might be the Marlins franchise player. Ozuna improved drastically last year, and his cannon arm along with his powerful bat should go a long way for the Marlins. Stanton has been the Marlins main source of power for some time, and after his explosive performance in the Home Run Derby last year, he should be the source of power for many years. The Marlins outfield is capable of carrying this team into the future, and they’ll be key to the future success of the Marlins.

2. Don Mattingly

After having seven managers in ten years, Miami seems to have finally found a long-term manager in Don Mattingly. Mattingly led Miami to an eight-win improvement from 2015, as the Marlins had 79 wins in 2016 compared to 71 the year before. Miami was two games away from finishing .500, and they were in playoff contention until late in September. Mattingly had the Marlins in serious contention for a wild card spot in July, which was something Miami failed to do with those previous seven managers. Mattingly has the Marlins on the verge of making the playoffs, and he will be able to do wonders for some of Miami’s young talent in the future.

3. Capable Veterans

Martin Prado and Ichiro are two veterans that helped steer the ship last season. Ichiro was a dependable fourth outfielder, and him reaching 3,000 hits was a shining moment for the team. Ichiro was effective for the Marlins, even at the age of 43. His ability to fill in nicely for any outfielder should come in handy for the Marlins in 2017. Prado had one of the best years of his career. His was an everyday starter at third base, and he was reliable at the top of the order. Prado also served as a leader for the team, as he served as a player manager in the final game of the season. His leadership and his impact on the lineup should be appreciated, and fans should hope he’s able to produce the results he put up last year again in 2017.