FanPulse: 91% of Marlins fans want blue uniforms worn during regular season

Welcome to SB Nation FanPulse, a survey of fans across MLB. Each week, we send 30 polls to plugged in fans from each team. Marlins fans, sign up HERE to join FanPulse.

I have come to accept that it’s impossible for the Marlins fanbase to unanimously agree on any issue. You also see this across Major League Baseball, other sports and completely unrelated segments of society—our beliefs are influenced by our unique experiences and personal values. Even with a common goal, that doesn’t mean there’s only one route to get there.

So although I cannot speak for everybody, I can speak for almost everybody when I say the Marlins should change their regular season uniform rotation.

The Fish wore five different uniforms in 2019, the first year following their rebrand. Three of those looks lasted beyond a single series, all yielding horrible results (verified by Marlins Communications).

• White jerseys: 15-36
• Gray jerseys: 22-40
• Black jerseys: 16-27
• Players’ Weekend jerseys: 2-1
• Throwback Weekend jerseys: 2-1

Notice that there’s no blue in the above splits. The Marlins have restricted usage of it to Spring Training and batting practice.

Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images

Will bright unis suddenly make the Marlins more talented? Of course not, but it’s an attractive, distinct option that has strangely been underutilized in situations that actually matter.

Overall, approximately 91% of our FanPulse respondents voted for some kind of increase, whether it be wearing blue on a regular basis (54%) or just special occasions (37%). Only 9% prefer the status quo.

At a minimum, we are multiple months away from beginning of the 2020 campaign, ample time for the powers that be to rethink their approach.

This Marlins season was highly anticipated due to the influx of talent arriving to the major league roster. Through a combination of accomplished veterans and top prospect promotions, there ought to be individual excellence all over the diamond. That would be a refreshing departure from 2019, when the club’s lone All-Star representative was a toss-up between an inconsistent Sandy Alcantara and injured Caleb Smith.

However, reality is setting in that an abbreviated season wouldn’t be able to accommodate the usual Midsummer Classic and the festivities surrounding it. Nearly three-quarters of national FanPulse respondents predict that the All-Star Game will not take place.

The 40-round MLB Draft structure is another casualty of the coronavirus pandemic, and a particularly painful one for the Marlins at a time when they’re determined to continue building organizational depth.

MLB has negotiated the rights to downsize it to five rounds, but approximately 53% of fans advocate for including more than that.

As explored on Fish Stripes last week, memorable Marlins like AJ Ramos and Josh Willingham might not have even had professional baseball careers under a system that’s so hostile to amateur players.

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