Fish Stripes - 2016 Miami Marlins Season PreviewCovering the Marlins every day in our own wayhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/52814/Screen_Shot_2018-12-07_at_12.32.35_PM..png2016-04-04T19:00:04-04:00http://www.fishstripes.com/rss/stream/107916572016-04-04T19:00:04-04:002016-04-04T19:00:04-04:002016 Miami Marlins Season Preview: Game Coverage
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<figcaption>Catch all Marlins games with Fish Stripes! | Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>What we've gathered here today for...</p> <p>Hi there.</p>
<p>My name is Thomas Bennett. I've also been known to go by Michael, but we already have a Michael, and <a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2016/3/31/11334152/2016-miami-marlins-season-preview-meet-fish-stripes?_ga=1.28533436.1205850096.1453180675">he's the boss</a>, so I guess I'll just stick with my other name. I have been bestowed the great honor of heading up the game coverage team this season.</p>
<p>Unlike Scott and Michael, I have not been a <a href="https://www.fishstripes.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Marlins</a> fan for long. I have lived in or near Seattle for most of my life, and thus have had a long and sad attachment to the <a href="https://www.lookoutlanding.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Mariners</a>.</p>
<p>You may wonder, then, why I do not write about the Mariners. Well I do, sporadically, on my own blog. I decided before last season that I wanted to write more often. Jeff Sullivan, celebrated baseball blogger, once said that "Writing is a muscle, you have to keep using it, or else it gets weak." Writing is strengthened when you write about something you have a passion for...baseball is one of those things for me. In fact, I had written a brief fanpost on Lookout Landing about Ichiro's signing with the Marlins, and when I came over here to see the reaction, I saw the help wanted sign. Michael brought me on for game coverage last year, and here I am, typing to you.</p>
<p>Though I didn't start out as a Marlins fan, it didn't take me long to become one. Probably less than a month before I was legit happy (or sad) with outcomes. I think the reason it happened so quickly was three-fold. First, I was covering the team and thus felt obligated to watch. I took in way more Marlins baseball then I did Mariners baseball last year and am poised to do so again with no regret. I can name the 40 man roster for the Marlins without looking, can't say the same about the Mariners.</p>
<p>Second, the team was full of likable characters. José Fernández. Dee Gordon. Ichiro. Giancarlo Stanton. Justin Bour. Dan Haren. Carter Capps. Miguel Rojas. Derek Dietrich. The results were dissapointing, to be sure, but I enjoyed watching these guys and others ply their craft.</p>
<p>Thirdly, I came to admire the fan base. There is arguably no other fan base in baseball that can say they've been through everything you guys have been through, and I found myself wanting the Marlins to do good for the diehards who've stuck with the team through everything; <i>despite</i> everything.</p>
<p>Maybe someday I will earn the right to call myself a diehard Marlins fan. For now, I'm just a Johnny-come-lately fan, finding myself caring about Miami's fortune or disaster. Trust me, I did not see this coming. At least no one can accuse me of jumping on the bandwagon when the going is good. Who knows, it might get good this year. We're about to find out together!</p>
<p>Here is what you can expect from our game coverage team this season.</p>
<h5>Game Threads</h5>
<p>Every game will have an open game thread where you can come and chat about the game with Fish Stripe authors and other Marlins fans. The posts attached to said threads will have information about the game at hand: Pitching match-up, line-up for the day, interesting notes and a bold prediction by the writer du jour concerning the final score.</p>
<p>My major focus overseeing game coverage this season will be consistency. Last season saw some gaps in coverage; this year, we've essentially doubled our game coverage staff to the point where you will see a different writer every day. There will be a dizzying amount of new "faces" initially; but this should greatly help us meet the goal of being the best Marlins site for all your gameday needs.</p>
<h5>Game Recaps</h5>
<p>After each game, the writer of the day will post a re-cap of the game's events if you happened to miss it (or you want to reminisce on an amazing victory), complete with a WPA chart courtesy of our friends at Fangraphs.</p>
<h5>Series Previews</h5>
<p>Familiar face Mark Laming and soon to be familiar face Zach DiSchiano will be switching back and forth previewing the Marlins upcoming opponents. These will include brief interviews with an author from said opponent's SB Nation blog; really looking forward to these personally!</p>
<h5>Ichthyomancy + Heroes and Zeroes</h5>
<p>Ichthyomancy is a long tradition here at Fish Stripes, a prediction game based upon in game results that is tallied throughout the season. Kevin Kraczkowski will reprise his role as Ichthyomancy host and will have more post-game coverage in the form of Heroes and Zeroes. You can read about both <a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/sbn_entries/preview/11117129" style="background-color: #ffffff;">here</a>. Kevin will be around for the whole season this go round. If for some reason he is not, however, I assure you we will pick up the slack. We certainly have the manpower to do so!</p>
<p>We've all waited patiently for the season and it's finally here. Pull up a chair and watch all the Marlins games with Fish Stripes!</p>
https://www.fishstripes.com/2016/4/4/11359116/2016-miami-marlins-season-preview-game-coverageThomas Bennett2016-04-01T09:00:05-04:002016-04-01T09:00:05-04:002016 Marlins Season Preview: Community interaction
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<figcaption>Fans of the Marlins and readers of Fish Stripes can be involved too! | Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>There are many ways for you, the readers of Fish Stripes, to get involved in our community! Here are some of the things we want to push for 2016!</p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.fishstripes.com/">Miami Marlins</a> will have the usual consult of fans at each of their games. The suspicion is that Miami did not do enough to drastically change the expected attendances heading into 2016. But while Miami plans to appeal to its fans with just the product on the field, here at Fish Stripes, we want our readers and fans to be just as involved with the team here on the site as we are! And while content that the authors of Fish Stripes provides will take up the majority of the website, you guys have many avenues in which your voice can be heard!</p>
<h5>Comments</h5>
<p>The comments section of every piece is the most obvious location for where you can be heard as a Fish Stripes reader. Each of us is keeping an eye on the comments section to respond to your questions and comments about what you read. We encourage our readers to share their opinions about what we discussed in our posts. However, when <a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2011/11/1/2528875/same-fish-kind-of-new-stripes">I first started on this site</a>, I wanted to emphasize that I wanted this to be a place for intelligent discussion. There is a place for emotion, and that is here too, but if you want to make a discussion point or an opinion, you have to have the right stuff to back it up.</p>
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<p id="paragraph8" class="pgh-paragraph" style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-family: 'Mercury SSm A', 'Mercury SSm B', Georgia, serif; margin-top: 1em; line-height: 19.2px; color: #292929; font-size: 16px;">Sabermetrics is not just about numbers, but rather about logic and rationality. As an example, here is what the community guidelines on <a href="http://www.draysbay.com/" data-ref-index="8" style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: #0e82c5; font-weight: bold;">DRaysBay</a> say:</p>
<strong style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">1. We like logic.</strong> We're not a "numbers-first" site -- we're a facts and logic site. You don't have to understand advanced stats to understand logic and to make a rational argument. We encourage debate and discussion, since there is rarely only one "correct" side to a debate, but you'd better be ready to argue with facts and not your gut.
<p id="paragraph9" class="pgh-paragraph" style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-family: 'Mercury SSm A', 'Mercury SSm B', Georgia, serif; margin-top: 1em; line-height: 19.2px; color: #292929; font-size: 16px;">Again, the goal here is to not make a "numbers-first" site, but rather one that is logic-first. You can discuss anything, but you need to have the evidence to back it up, and that is all that we can expect from the authors on the site and the community as a whole.</p>
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<p>Fish Stripes is a <i style="font-weight: bold;">facts and logic site</i>, just like DRaysBay and so many other wonderful SB Nation communities. If you have an opinion to say, I am happy to hear it, but to have a discussion, you need to have <i style="font-weight: bold;">evidence</i> to back that up. It does not have to be numbers, it does not have to be data, but it has to be evidence. This is the key to open discussion, and that is what I want in our comments section here at Fish Stripes.</p>
<p>That being said, there are a couple of other rules to note in the comments and elsewhere on the site:</p>
<p><b>1) No politics or religion:</b> This will be 100 percent enforced. It is simply not the place to have this discussion.<br><b>2) No personal insults:</b> Think of your discussions here as being discussions you would have in a bar among other folks. If you say something that you think would liable to get you punched in a bar, you've probably crossed the line.<br><b>3) No advertising your stuff:</b> If it is relevant to the discussion, you can put links to your own articles, but the editors reserve the right to delete comments that are blatant advertising of your own product/work.<br><b>4) Bring your evidence:</b> Like I said before, if you want to discuss something, you better have some evidence to back your point!</p>
<p>If we follow these four rules, we can have fun discussing Marlins baseball here.</p>
<h5>Game Threads</h5>
<p>The Game Threads are a special place for Fish Stripes readers to join the writers in enjoying a Marlins game at the same time. Think of it like watching the game with your friends! SB Nation's live commenting allows us to get together every evening and watch the game live and comment. The rules are a little laxer in terms of cursing and other things, but the general principles above still count and will be enforced.</p>
<p>On our end, we will make certain that we get Game Threads up in a timely fashion for every contest to make sure that they are ready for you guys to sit back, grab a cold one (if you're of age) and watch the Fish with your friends. And we will be sure that some of our friends will be there every day as part of the journey!</p>
<p>In addition, we will be once again bringing back Ichthyomancy, everyone's favorite Marlins prediction game! Predictions should be made in the game threads as our head Ichthyomancy judge requests. Stay tuned for more about that soon!</p>
<h5>FanPosts</h5>
<p>Comments and Game Threads are awesome, but what if you think you have more to say? What if you think you have to write a lengthy response to something you read on here or elsewhere on the web about the Marlins? The <a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/fanposts">FanPosts section</a> is for you!</p>
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<p>This is where you can go to get to the FanPosts section. If you think you have something to write that is worthy of an article, with the sort of length, analysis, and attention to detail that you expect from Fish Stripes, we encourage you to post your thoughts! This is where you can be heard and seen and where your own fellow readers can get into a discussion about your thoughts on the Marlins!</p>
<p>FanPosts let you drive the conversation! Instead of commenting on whatever we write, you can bring up your own topics, your own research, and your own opinions on something and let the writers and other readers respond. The FanPosts are about you and the Marlins!</p>
<h5>FanShots</h5>
<p>Did you find something cool about the Marlins that you just have to share with the community? Did you spot the best video of the latest <span>Giancarlo Stanton</span> moonshot? The best Jose Fernandez Defektor GIF yet? Or just an interesting article that you wanted to make note of? <a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/fanshots">FanShots</a> are the place to do it!</p>
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<p>That red box is where we have our FanShots section. Right underneath, we've made it as easy as possible to create a FanShot. Just copy a link to a video, article, image, or whatever you want into the [+FanShot] button and click and you've just made your first FanShot!</p>
<p>Keep in mind, if you want to link to an article or a picture or something, <i style="font-weight: bold;">please use our FanShots section</i> and do not post a FanPost. This keeps both sections clean and filled with the types of things our editors are looking for in fan content!</p>
<p>What are we here at Fish Stripes going to do about FanPosts and FanShots? Well, we're going to highlight the very best of our community! Every few days, we will peruse the FanPosts and FanShots and point out and promote the very best to the Front Page! If you take a look at that last picture, we will also put those posts in our <i style="font-weight: bold;">Fish Favorites</i> section, complete with our choice of our most beloved FanPosts and FanShots! This is where you can have your work featured not just on the side of our site, but front and center! Many of our writers got their start in the FanPosts section, so getting noticed may just be the next step to you writing for us in the future!</p>
<p>Let us know what else we can do for you guys to make this community the best Marlins community on the web! Give us your thoughts!</p>
https://www.fishstripes.com/2016/4/1/11340958/2016-miami-marlins-season-preview-community-guidelinesMichael Jong2016-03-31T17:19:19-04:002016-03-31T17:19:19-04:002016 Marlins Season Preview: Meet Fish Stripes!
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<p>Now that you have met the 2016 Miami Marlins, you should meet the 2016 Fish Stripes squad! What should you expect this year from me and the rest of the team!</p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.fishstripes.com/">Miami Marlins</a> are starting the 2016 season with some interest in their campaign, as Miami may have an outside shot at contention. But while the Marlins start up their quest for the playoffs, the staff here at Fish Stripes is going to be here, watching the games, providing you daily coverage, and keeping track of all things Marlins. Here at Fish Stripes, we plan on continuing our coverage of the team keeping with the standard that we have set in the last few years since I took over the site before the 2012 year.</p>
<h5>About Me</h5>
<p>Regular readers who have met and spoken with me know who I am, but for those who are more new to the website, I am a lifelong Marlins fan. I grew up in south Florida, and back in 1996, I started watching the Marlins at the age of nine because they were one of the few sports teams readily available for a kid who did not have cable at his house. I took a liking to guys like <span>Gary Sheffield</span> and <span>Jeff Conine</span>, Marlins from nearly the original team who lead the early charge, along with guys like <span>Kevin Brown</span>, who was more recently acquired. That fan experience led to the 1997 season, one of the most glorious sports memories for me to date. I still vividly recall Bob Costas's call on Edgar Renteria's single to drive home the winning run in Game 7 of <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/world-series">the World Series</a>. I shudder with goosebumps when I remember <span>Livan Hernandez</span> yelling out "I love you Miami!" when he won the MVP award.</p>
<p>Flash forward several years later and I remained a big fan. The 2003 season was bar none my fondest memory in terms of sports, because I endured the difficulties of the post-1997 fire sale and rebuild and truly felt like the 2003 team was<i style="font-weight: bold;"> my team</i>. I enjoyed tracking the Marlins after that through 2005, and the disappointment I felt when that second fire sale happened was tremendous. Now it was an older me, a me who grew up with this crew of young guys, who was watching them be traded away piece by piece. It was heartbreaking.</p>
<p>So when the 2006 squad played well, it was almost like that 2003 team all over again. Once again, it was a team that I watched from the start, the first true era I could watch from the beginning and comprehend. There is a reason I will always defend <span>Hanley Ramirez</span> and <span>Dan Uggla</span> to this day, and it is because those two helped support the groundwork of the era of Marlins baseball I am most familiar with. The 1997 team is a foggy, flashing set of memories, like my baby steps. The 2003 team was filled with irrational, wonderful happiness, but it was a team of visceral emotions rather than thought. The 2006 era Marlins was the first group I truly traced <i>and</i> understood.</p>
<p>After a short period away from the game, I rekindled my interest in baseball via sabermetrics. I learned more and more about the statistical side of baseball and grew to love it, and I wanted to bring that type of voice to Marlins coverage. I started working at <a href="http://marlinmaniac.com/">FanSided's Marlin Maniac</a>, a site that I helped create from the ground up. For two-plus years, it was essentially me and a small cadre of writers who worked on the website to grow it from the ground up with FanSided's help. It was tireless, thankless, and fun, but it was beginning to cut into my day job. At the time, I was in medical school, and time was limited. But when I was approached by SB Nation to head the premiere Marlins blog on the internet, I could not pass up the opportunity. I introduced myself and the new Fish Stripes back then, and since then I have been trying to keep up one of the best Marlins communities on the web!</p>
<h5>What to Expect from Fish Stripes</h5>
<p>Fish Stripes is a place where you can watch Marlins baseball with like-minded fans. It is a place where you can catch up on Marlins news. It is a place where you will hear unique, interesting analysis on the Marlins, mostly with an analytic bent. Moreover, it is a place to join up all of these different things under one convenient banner. Fish Stripes isn't "the Marlins numbers blog" or "the Marlins message board" or "the Marlins news site;" it's <i style="font-weight: bold;">everything</i> that you could want as a Marlins fan.</p>
<p>As such, we plan on providing you unique content on a daily basis. Here is what you can expect to see on Fish Stripes.</p>
<p><b>Marlins Morning News:</b> Formerly known as Fish Bites, this is our daily morning link dump. Here we feature news links for the Marlins from Monday to Friday, along with links to what happened the day before right here on this site. We also provide links all around baseball. We encourage readers to comment on the news of the day and, if so inclined, discuss anything else off-topic right here. The authors are always looking around to read your comments, and we'll be around to respond!</p>
<p><b>Daily Analysis:</b> Whether it's about the latest bit of news or commentary or unique, interesting research, you can expect me to put out daily articles with an analytic bent here on the site. The expectation is one to two articles per day, usually posted once in the morning and once in the afternoon if possible.</p>
<p><b>News Coverage:</b> Everyday, we will have our group of fantastic news writers point out the latest in terms of what went on in the world of the Marlins. Whether it is just a daily ink that needs discussion or it is breaking news for the big transactions and injuries, you can count on Fish Stripes to be ready and present to provide you coverage.</p>
<p><b>Game Threads:</b> Game coverage is a staple among all SB Nation websites, and Fish Stripes is no less diligent in that department. We have a revamped game coverage crew who will be present for commentary and viewing of each and every evening's games and ready to provide recaps for each Marlins win (and losses, I suppose, too).</p>
<p><b>Ichthyomancy:</b> Ichthyomancy has been a difficult thing to keep track of in the last few years for the site, but we strive to bring this tradition every season for the diehard Fish Stripers. We're working to bring this back again with more staff available for this critical role.</p>
<p><b>Injury Reports: </b>John Butterworth has already begun the process of weekly injury reports, and we're hoping to continue that throughout the year. The Marlins have plenty of players whose injury situations are critical to watch, so weekly reports are a must.</p>
<p><b>Prospect/Draft Coverage:</b> We are working on staffing this aspect of our website once more in time for the draft. In the meantime, I will be providing coverage as well.</p>
<p>In the days to come, we will feature more introductory pieces for some of our other writers as well, so keep an eye out for those this coming weekend! In addition, tomorrow we will talk more about what <i style="font-weight: bold;">you</i>, the reader, can do here at Fish Stripes and how we can serve you as well. And get ready, Marlins fans, because baseball and Opening Day is almost upon us! Keep your eyes glued to Fish Stripes all season long for the best coverage possible!</p>
https://www.fishstripes.com/2016/3/31/11334152/2016-miami-marlins-season-preview-meet-fish-stripesMichael Jong2016-03-30T15:00:05-04:002016-03-30T15:00:05-04:00Everything you need to know about the 2016 Marlins
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<figcaption>Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/a/mlb-preview-2016"><img src="https://cdn2.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/6265545/banner-mlb-season-preview-2016.0.png" style="width:100%;"></a></p>
<p>The Marlins are heading into the 2016 season with hoping to compete for a playoff spot and trying to stay fully healthy for that run.</p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.fishstripes.com/">Miami Marlins</a> head into the 2016 campaign full of optimism despite many signs pointing against them. The team is dependent on two star players who figure to provide roughly a quarter of the team's total expected wins above replacement, both of whom have major health questions heading into the season. The team's young core has developed in some areas (<span>Christian Yelich</span>, <span>Adeiny Hechavarria</span>) and faltered in others (<span>Marcell Ozuna</span>). It is expecting a lot in terms of a repeat campaign from <span>Dee Gordon's</span> All-Star turn in 2015. At the same time, Miami has an opportunity, and it has made at least some moves towards that opportunity. With a few bounces of good fortune, the team could find itself in the competing realm of National League teams.</p>
<h5>Key Additions / Departures</h5>
<p>Here's what you missed if you were asleep on the Marlins since October.</p>
<p><b>Key Additions:</b> SP <span>Wei-Yin Chen</span> (free agent signing), 1B/3B <span>Chris Johnson</span> (free agent signing), P <span>Edwin Jackson</span> (free agent signing)</p>
<p><b>Key Departures:</b> SP <span>Henderson Alvarez</span> (non-tendered)</p>
<p>The Marlins were mostly quiet during the offseason in terms of new players, but they did make one major move. <a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2016/1/12/10756374/miami-marlins-wei-yin-chen-free-agent-signing-five-year-80-million-contract">The signing of starter Wei-Yin Chen</a> was a decent move at market rate that got Miami what they most needed: a capable starting pitcher without significant talent and durability questions. Every one of the Marlins' starters either had major questions about how good they were or whether they could stay healthy all season; Chen has stayed healthy in three of his four seasons and consistently been an above average pitcher in each of those years. The signings of Johnson and Jackson were veteran additions at little cost for players upon whom the Marlins will likely not depend much.</p>
<p>The one major loss on the roster, ironically, was a starting pitcher on whom Miami leaned significantly until last season. Henderson Alvarez missed essentially the entire 2015 season with shoulder issues that required surgery, and Miami figured it would not be worth the money to pay to see if Alvarez could have a healthy recovery in enough time to earn a rotation spot.</p>
<p><b>Other Transactions:</b> Dee Gordon <a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2016/1/14/10771572/miami-marlins-sign-dee-gordon-to-five-year-50-million-extension">signed a five-year contract</a> with Miami, locking him onto the team until 2020 with a team option for 2021, keeping him in the core of the franchise for the relatively cheap cost of $50 million total.</p>
<h5>The Roster</h5>
<p><b>Starting Lineup:</b></p>
<p><b>Catcher:</b> <span>J.T. Realmuto</span> (<a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2016/2/25/11111112/2016-miami-marlins-season-preview-j-t-realmuto/in/10791657">preview</a>)<br><b>First Base:</b> <span>Justin Bour</span> (<a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2016/2/26/11118044/2016-miami-marlins-season-preview-justin-bour/in/10791657">preview</a>)<br><b>Second Base:</b> Dee Gordon (<a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2016/2/29/11129546/2016-miami-marlins-season-preview-dee-gordon/in/10791657">preview</a>)<br><b>Third Base:</b> <span>Martin Prado</span> (<a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2016/3/1/11137128/2016-miami-marlins-season-preview-martin-prado/in/10791657">preview</a>)<br><b>Shortstop:</b> Adeiny Hechavarria (<a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2016/3/2/11141546/2016-miami-marlins-season-preview-adeiny-hechavarria/in/10791657">preview</a>)<br><b>Left Field:</b> Christian Yelich (<a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2016/3/3/11142426/2016-miami-marlins-season-preview-christian-yelich/in/10791657">preview</a>)<br><b>Center Field:</b> Marcell Ozuna (<a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2016/3/4/11143494/2016-miami-marlins-season-preview-marcell-ozuna/in/10791657">preview</a>)<br><b>Right Field:</b> <span>Giancarlo Stanton</span> (<a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2016/3/7/11143686/2016-miami-marlins-season-preview-giancarlo-stanton/in/10791657">preview</a>)</p>
<p><b>Rotation:</b></p>
<p>1. <span>Jose Fernandez</span> (<a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2016/3/9/11170390/2016-miami-marlins-season-preview-jose-fernandez/in/10791657">preview</a>)<br>2. Wei-Yin Chen (<a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2016/3/10/11170896/2016-miami-marlins-season-preview-wei-yin-chen/in/10791657">preview</a>)<br>3. <span>Tom Koehler</span> (<a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2016/3/11/11171032/2016-miami-marlins-season-preview-tom-koehler/in/10791657">preview</a>)<br>4. <span>Jarred Cosart</span> (<a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2016/3/14/11217976/2016-miami-marlins-season-preview-jarred-cosart/in/10791657">preview</a>)<br>5. <span>Adam Conley</span> (<a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2016/3/15/11223768/2016-miami-marlins-season-preview-fifth-starter-adam-conley-david-phelps-edwin-jackson/in/10791657">preview</a>)</p>
<p><b>Bullpen</b></p>
<p><b>Closer:</b> <span>A.J. Ramos</span> (<a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2016/3/16/11224644/2016-miami-marlins-season-preview-aj-ramos/in/10791657">preview</a>)<br><b>Setup:</b> <span>Mike Dunn</span>, <span>Bryan Morris</span> (<a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2016/3/17/11225560/2016-miami-marlins-season-preview-mike-dunn-bryan-morris">preview</a>)<br><b>Remaining Bullpen:</b> Edwin Jackson, <span>Brad Hand</span>, <span>David Phelps</span>, TBA (<a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2016/3/21/11274118/2016-miami-marlins-season-preview-remaining-pitchers/in/10791657">preview</a>)</p>
<h5>Prospects</h5>
<p>The Marlins' prospects are <a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2016/2/11/10963948/miami-marlins-one-prospect-keith-law-100">ranked among the worst in baseball</a>, with the entire system rated as the second-to-worst in the league ahead of only the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.halosheaven.com/">Los Angeles Angels</a>. The club has been gutted by bad trades, and it has not helped that the team's highest selection in recent years, prep righty <span>Tyler Kolek</span>, has run into major problems in his development. Before the 2016 season, he was the <a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2016/3/7/11169756/2016-miami-marlins-prospects-preview-tyler-kolek/in/10791657">highest-rated prospect on the team</a>, but he <a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2016/3/28/11313460/miami-marlins-morning-news-top-prospect-kolek-to-have-elbow-examined">might miss significant time with a potential elbow injury</a>.</p>
<p>The Marlins' <a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2016/3/4/11160636/2016-miami-marlins-prospects-review-consensus-top-10-rankings">consensus prospect rankings</a> show that the team is weak on elite, proven talent or high-minors guys guaranteed to be contributors. The team only landed Kolek among guys in top-100 lists, and the team's most recent first-round selection, first baseman Josh Naylor, was a questionable choice to start.</p>
<p><b>Consensus Prospect Rankings:</b></p>
<p>1. Tyler Kolek<br>2. Josh Naylor (<a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2016/3/10/11189006/2016-miami-marlins-prospect-preview-josh-naylor/in/10791657">preview</a>)<br>3. <span>Jarlin Garcia</span> (<a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2016/3/24/11296732/2016-miami-marlins-prospect-preview-jarlin-garcia/in/10791657">preview</a>)<br>4. Stone Garrett (<a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2016/3/28/11314726/2016-miami-marlins-prospect-preview-stone-garrett/in/10791657">preview</a>)<br>5. <span>Kendry Flores</span></p>
<h5>Bottom Line</h5>
<p>The Marlins are looking at a season that will likely land them in a lightly-populated middle tier in between the National League elite competitors and the league's bottom of the barrel. The team is not as bad as those rebuilding squads; Miami actually has elite Major League talent ready and able to contribute, though injuries to those players may leave them closer to that level. At the same time, the club lacks depth all across its positions and its pitching staff, which separates it from the best teams in the league who are five deep in good pitchers or eight deep in decent starters and have positional versatility.</p>
<p>Where does that leave Miami? In our projection, Miami figures to have about <i style="font-weight: bold;">20 Wins Above Replacement</i> from their position players and <i style="font-weight: bold;">14 WAR </i>from their pitchers. If you consider that a replacement level team would be expected to win 48 games, this adds up to <i style="font-weight: bold;">82 wins</i> for the Marlins by the end of 2016, which is fitting for the expectation of them being in that middle tier. Can Miami muster the good luck to get a few more victories in their pocket to compete for a playoff spot? Would Jeffrey Loria and company be content with 82 wins? How about you, are you happy with a .500 season for Miami in 2016? Let us know!</p>
https://www.fishstripes.com/2016/3/30/11332580/2016-miami-marlins-season-preview-everything-you-need-to-know-aboutMichael Jong2016-03-28T09:00:06-04:002016-03-28T09:00:06-04:002016 Miami Marlins Prospect Preview: Stone Garrett
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<figcaption>Rob Foldy/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The Miami Marlins have an outfielder in the low minors with some extreme talent and holes in his game coming off a fantastic 2015 season.</p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.fishstripes.com/">Miami Marlins</a>' <a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2016/3/4/11160636/2016-miami-marlins-prospects-review-consensus-top-10-rankings">consensus rankings</a> for prospects put a pitcher at the top of the list who still has a shiny prospect sheen. <span>Tyler Kolek</span> was <a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2016/3/7/11169756/2016-miami-marlins-prospects-preview-tyler-kolek">our consensus best-ranked player</a>, and he was ranked first on five out of the six sources that we used for the list. The <a href="http://www.minorleagueball.com/2016/1/9/10743380/miami-marlins-top-20-prospects-for-2016">sixth list</a> was SB Nation's <a href="http://www.minorleagueball.com/">Minor League Ball's</a> John Sickels, and in his infinite wisdom, he went out on a limb and chose Stone Garrett, the 20-year-old outfielder from Texas who just finished a season in the New York Penn League. It was an aggressive choice in the sense that Garrett had not been a huge name before the 2015 season, but with the kind of year he had dominating for the Batavia Muckdogs, it is not surprising.</p>
<h5>History</h5>
<p>Stone Garrett was drafted in the eighth round of the 2014 draft, the same draft in which Miami selected Kolek with the second pick. Garrett was taken out of George Ranch High School in Richmond, Texas, continuing yet another in a long line of selections from Texas and midwestern locations for director of scouting and player development Stan Meek. Apparently Garrett's stock was vacillating between a potential first-round draft pick and someone who might drop because of concerns with his swing. Eventually, of course, the latter occurred.</p>
<p>Garrett immediately started playing rookie ball alongside Kolek with the Gulf Coast Marlins, though his first season was unimpressive. He did nothing out of the ordinary, struggling facing professional pitching for the first time. He showed some propensity to strike out and difficulty differentiating balls from strikes. These were not only somewhat expected from him given his scouting report before the draft, but it is also not surprising for a high school selection known as an athletic specimen with rawer talent.</p>
<h5>2015 Season</h5>
<p>The 2015 season was when Garrett put himself back on the map. He was promoted to short-season ball with Batavia in the Penn League, and he absolutely mashed there. Among qualified hitters, he had <i style="font-weight: bold;">the best batting line in the league</i>, hitting .297/.352/.581 (.423 wOBA, 167 wRC+). He led the league in home runs with 11 and has the best ISO in the league at .284. Only one player even came close to the same line, and he was three years older than Garrett. In fact, the next player under 20 years of age had a line only 36 percent better than league average.</p>
<h5>Scouting Report</h5>
<p><iframe frameborder="0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oRiKN0RqrFE" height="315" width="560"></iframe> <iframe frameborder="0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YlKQKmtdeIE" height="315" width="560"></iframe></p>
<p>The concern initially for Garrett was that his swing was a bit long, leading to problems with strikeouts and not being able to harness what should be some nascent power. The power problem clearly was not an issue last season, as he dominated Batavia's pitchers and launched their balls everywhere, but the strikeouts were still abundant at a near 25 percent rate. In looking at the swing, his mechanics look clean and repeatable without a significant problematic warm-up mechanism or stride. There does not seem to be a whole lot of lower body movement, and some more hip rotation could help unlock further strength. The swing is a little long, but it is not anything unusual from other players at the big league level. Garrett's frame is slight, so he could certainly bulk up and add some more power.</p>
<p>However, his athleticism is what enticed a lot of folks, including Miami. His frame lends itself to good movement speed, and his raw foot speed is strong. He has the athletic ability to get to baseballs playing center field, where he currently is getting the bulk of his work. However, his reads are purportedly poor, and if he does grow, it may take away some of his ability to cover range. The thought is as of right now that he projects as a below-average fielder and perhaps may end up in a corner. This is especially due to a below average arm. However, on the basepaths he may be a weapon, though he has yet to utilize his speed in that fashion. His leads are not thought out yet and he has yet to grasp heady baserunning to take advantage of his strong foot speed.</p>
<h5>Outlook</h5>
<p>Garrett will likely start the 2016 season in his first foray in full season ball, Low-A Greensboro. There is not fantastic precedent to speeding hitting prospects like him beyond Low-A within one season, so unless he completely tears the level apart, it is unlikely Miami will promote him beyond that. <span>Christian Yelich</span> was a year younger at each level (he did not spend significant time in short-season ball) and spent an entire year in Low- and High-A before his 2013 stint in Double-A and eventual promotion. <span>Marcell Ozuna</span>, who may be a more apt comparison as a raw outfield power hitter, spent all of his age 20 season in Greensboro and got a full run at Jupiter at age 21 before receiving a very early age-22 call-up in 2013.</p>
<p>As a result, Garrett will likely get plenty of time to work up the ladder and improve incrementally as Miami waits for his skills to improve. He needs to get better reads of pitchers at the plate and balls in the outfield while perhaps shortening up the swing enough. With a shorter swing and some growth, he may be able to really kick up the power game in his athletic build. However, the move to higher levels of competition may be enough to expose his fatal flaws and stymie his development.</p>
<p><b>Likely 2016 Level: </b>Low-A Greensboro<br><b>Major League ETA:</b> 2019</p>
<h5>Blurbs</h5>
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<p><span>He’s one of the strongest players in the organization, and his natural strength and plus bat-speed allow him to generate backspin and take the ball out to any part of the park. The swing’s length leads to swing-and-miss, but his approach has improved, leading him to see more pitches and draw more walks. </span></p>
<p>- <a href="http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=27918">Baseball Prospectus</a> staff</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p><span>Eighth round pick in 2014 made rapid progress, power is genuine, runs well, still working on contact issues. Garrett and Josh Naylor below are the two impact bats in this system.</span></p>
<p>- John Sickels, Minor League Ball</p>
</blockquote>
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<p><span>His best fit will end up being in left field as a result. He’s an above-average runner, giving him another weapon to up his offensive game. His ceiling is high, though his defensive limitations put pressure on his approach and contact development to project better than a fringe starting option.</span></p>
<p>- Dan Farnsworth, <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/evaluating-the-2016-prospects-miami-marlins/">FanGraphs</a></p>
</blockquote>
https://www.fishstripes.com/2016/3/28/11314726/2016-miami-marlins-prospect-preview-stone-garrettMichael Jong2016-03-24T09:00:06-04:002016-03-24T09:00:06-04:002016 Miami Marlins Prospect Preview: Jarlin Garcia
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<figcaption>Marc Serota/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Another year, another level up for the Marlins' third-best prospect by expert consensus. Where will Jarlin Garcia end up by the finish of 2016?</p> <p>In our look at the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.fishstripes.com/">Miami Marlins</a>' <a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2016/3/4/11160636/2016-miami-marlins-prospects-review-consensus-top-10-rankings">consensus top prospects</a>, Jarlin Garcia ranked third on the list behind two young, inexperienced, highly-drafted pups in <span>Tyler Kolek</span> and Josh Naylor. Whereas those two guys were picked in the draft with large expectations, Garcia was an international signing, one of the few the Marlins actually have made in recent years. Garcia did not come terribly heralded, but he has slowly climbed the ranks to the point where he is considered the Marlins' likely best mix between prospect upside and readiness.</p>
<h5>History</h5>
<p>Garcia was an international signing from the Dominican Republic in 2010. The Fish picked him up for a $40,000 bonus, and as of right now that has been worth it. He started off in rookie ball and has made a methodical climb up the levels. His first eye-catching performance was in the New York-Penn League, where he dominated in short-season ball with Batavia in 2013. From there, he has taken it a year and a level at a time in full-season play, putting up strong peripheral numbers in 2014 with Low-A Greensboro.</p>
<h5>2015 Season</h5>
<p>The 2015 campaign brought similarly good performances that seemed normal for Garcia's steady climb. After a mixed bag in Greensboro in terms of ERA versus his underlying numbers, he left no questions in 2015 about his work in High-A Jupiter. His strikeouts dropped down to 17.2 percent, but he maintained a low walk rate and posted a 3.06 ERA and 3.05 FIP on unsuspecting Florida State League hitters.</p>
<p>Things were not as pretty moving up to Double-A, as his seven-start stint had more strikeouts and walks and an overall worse performance.</p>
<h5>Scouting Report</h5>
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<p><iframe src="http://m.mlb.com/shared/video/embed/embed.html?content_id=543264283&topic_id=162303066&width=400&height=224&property=mlb" width="400" height="224" frameborder="0">Your browser does not support iframes.</iframe></p>
<p>When watching Garcia, the first thing you can easily notice is the visible amount of "snap" he seems to have on the delivery. The windup and approach is slow, but the arm motion comes out quickly and violently, and there is a lot of head-snapping to the third-base side. It makes for a poor visual on his delivery and is what most people consider "violent" in describing his motion.</p>
<p>The motion does add some amount of deception to it, and that may help to complement Garcia's decent offerings. He has a fastball that sits low-90's and, as seen in the video, can touch 95 mph. His second-best pitch is a change-up that he seemingly developed significantly since last season, establishing it as his next go-to pitch. The change has good velocity difference; based on limited Pitch F/X data from before Spring Training, he seems to have about a seven mph difference with the velocity. His curveball is his next best pitch, but the delivery makes it so that he loses touch on the pitch for stretches, as was the case in 2015, when he had to "re-develop" his feel for the pitch. The slider is his final offering and has been described as strictly mediocre.</p>
<p>Garcia right now appears to be a two-pitch guy with a developing third pitch, but the problem also comes with the consistency and long-term health concerns for his delivery. The motion opens him up, kicks him further than desired to the third-base side, and has his arm falling behind and snapping to make the pitch. It's an all-out effort throw, which is concerning for potential future elbow problems. These sorts of risks have experts thinking Garcia may be doomed for the bullpen, where a lesser pitch arsenal is more acceptable and he can use his motion for short stretches at a time. At the same time, the ceiling as a starter is low, as Garcia still has no strong out pitches to get same-handed hitters out. This leaves him as a control-type guy who pounds the strike zone to garner value, which is more limited to a back-end starter.</p>
<h5>Outlook</h5>
<p>Garcia has been optioned to Double-A and rightfully so. He did not display dominance at that level, and the jump from the low minors to Double-A is the biggest one to make. Garcia may have been able to get away with a deceptive delivery and decent fastball in the low minors, but guys who reach Double-A are either veterans or better prospects, and that level of competition may better pick up his stuff and force him to diversify his game.</p>
<p>Still, it is too early to be concerned enough to convert him to a reliever. He is 23 years old, and while the motion is likely something the Marlins will have a hard time weaning, Garcia has not gotten hurt during his run thus far. Provided no huge warning signs stick out this year, Garcia should be allowed to do his thing and see how he develops in Double-A. If he can maintain control and improve on his command and placement of secondary pitches, he could see a cup of coffee in 2016 in the rotation. If he struggles at this level, however, it could warrant an early look at a bullpen move with potential for later inning work.</p>
<h5>Blurbs</h5>
<blockquote>
<p><b style="box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: #292929; font-family: 'Mercury SSm A', 'Mercury SSm B', Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;"><span>4) <span>Jarlin Garcia</span>, LHP, Grade B-/C+: </span></b><span>Age 22, posted 3.06 ERA, 69/23 K/BB in 97 innings in High-A, 4.91 ERA with 35/17 K/BB in 37 innings in Double-A. 90-95 fastball, good curve and improved change, command can get sloppy but when he’s on he looks like a steady number four starter, perhaps more. </span></p>
<p>- John Sickels, <a href="http://www.minorleagueball.com/2016/1/9/10743380/miami-marlins-top-20-prospects-for-2016">Minor League Ball</a></p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p><span>While Garcia’s upside isn’t massive, he looks like a mid-rotation starter—and feasibly more if the change flashes plus on a more consistent basis. This is the name that received the most differing opinions when finalizing this list, though, and there could be more volatility than the profile suggests.</span></p>
<p>- <a href="http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=27918">Baseball Prospectus</a> staff</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p><span>The delivery limits how much growth he has in front of him for me, and as a result I think he ends up being a solid reliever with late-innings potential. In the meantime, his fastball control will allow him to get more reps in the rotation, with a move likely to happen as he maxes out his potential in the rotation this year or next.</span></p>
<p>- Dan Farnsworth, <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/evaluating-the-2016-prospects-miami-marlins/">FanGraphs</a></p>
</blockquote>
https://www.fishstripes.com/2016/3/24/11296732/2016-miami-marlins-prospect-preview-jarlin-garciaMichael Jong2016-03-23T14:01:02-04:002016-03-23T14:01:02-04:00Fantasy Baseball: Marlins you should know.
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<figcaption>Real baseballs do not appear in fantasy baseball. | Rob Foldy/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The obvious ones and the not so obvious.</p> <p>For those of us who watch the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.fishstripes.com/">Marlins</a> regularly, what follows might not be a surprising list of players expected to have an impact in fantasy baseball this year. What may surprise you, however, is the <b>number</b> of Marlins players who could make a positive contribution. More perhaps then you would expect for a team projected by many to go .500 at best.</p>
<p>This is the time of year where we will get more then just Marlins fans perusing our pages, looking for any little tidbit to get themselves ahead in the increasing lucrative fantasy game. If that's you, you're in luck. Every relevant Marlin, for fantasy baseball purposes, will be listed here. If you are a Marlins fan and you think you know everything there is to know about the Marlins and fantasy baseball, then you'll want to skip to the bottom of the article where I just might have something of interest for you. For the rest, read on.</p>
<p>"Fantasy relevant" is a relative term, of course. For example, I have played in an 18 team league over the past five years or so and <span>Adeiny Hechavarria</span> is very much relevant in that league (as a shortstop who can at least provide you with some average). However, in a normal 10-12 team league, he's entirely off the radar, not offering enough in multiple categories to be worthy of consideration.</p>
<p>As with most predictions, I can't tell you with certainty who amongst this group will help you win a title. If I could do that, I'd be like dystopian Biff from Back To The Future Part 2, walking around in silk kimino and picking on any McFly I could find. Follow the advice that best suits your specific needs.</p>
<h5>First round consideration</h5>
<p><span>Giancarlo Stanton</span> is the only Marlin you might realistically select in the first round. Despite injuries that have limited his playing time over the past five seasons, he remains an elite power threat in a game that no longer sees many players with the potential to hit 40 or more home runs. If home runs are a priority category for you due to the aforementioned scarcity of big time clubbers, it's hard to go wrong with Stanton. I'm sure there are plenty of people willing to bank on the idea of a "<span>Barry Bonds</span>" effect that may turn Stanton's season from a great year into a legendary campaign.</p>
<h5>Second/third round consideration</h5>
<p>Now you get into draft strategy dependent territory. Some people like to take the best player left on the board, while others are targeting specific positions. While it's unlikely (but not unheard of) that your competition targets stolen bases in the first round, it's not unlikely at all that they'd give it thought as early as the second, and you should too. If you're not of the mind to punt the category, there are few players in the major leagues that can be counted on to give you elite stolen base totals. Only seven players had more then 30 last season. Only three had over 40.</p>
<p><span>Dee Gordon</span> led them all with 58. You can rest assured that he will continue to run and run often. Is another 50 stolen base campaign worth a second round pick? Maybe not by itself, but last season those who took a flyer on Gordon were also rewarded with a major boost in the batting average and hits categories, and a decent contribution to both runs and on base percentage. I feel confident in saying that he will not be the NL batting champion for a second year in a row, but he should still be a plus in the aforementioned categories and special in the stolen base department. Don't wait longer than round three if you want Dee, as chances are he won't be there.</p>
<h5>Later round starter consideration</h5>
<p><span>Jose Fernandez</span> is going to make a lot of people very happy this year I think. Many people will shy away from due to his injury history, but he's going to be a steal pitching like the staff ace that he is after the traditional work horses are gone. If you are a wise fantasy player, you're coupling him with a historically more reliable ace (or two) as damage control. Know the crowd you're drafting with. Paying close attention to their first few picks should tell you a lot about whether to expect him to be around in the sixth round, when many other aces may have fallen and you might think about grabbing him.</p>
<p><span>A.J. Ramos</span> is the unquestioned closer heading into the 2016 season, thanks to <span>Carter Capps</span>' ill fortune. He was solid last season and should be so again, but don't reach for him, or any closer for that matter. Every year, a random closer gets 40 plus saves. Maybe that's Ramos this year, and you'll feel smart if he was the first closer you drafted (because you were wisely stocking up on more important positions beforehand).</p>
<p><span>Christian Yelich</span> has the promise of a five tool player, but he needs to hit the ball in the air more consistently to really be counted on to drive the ball. Thus, he makes for a nice fourth outfielder for fantasy purposes, with his combination of promise and reliability. Personally, I wouldn't count on him as a regular unless you were stacked in the power/run producer categories.</p>
<p>Wei-Yin Chen should be an excellent addition to a Marlins pitching staff that desperately needed some consistency behind Fernández. In fantasy, his middling numbers may warrant consideration, but there are too many pitchers on the board ahead of him in most standard leagues with higher upside. If he ends up being one of your three best pitchers, I will posit that you are probably doing something wrong. He will probably provide some value in most of his starts and in all likelihood will end up with double digit wins and a lower ERA then his career 3.72 mark. Once again, utilization comes down how your team has been built when it comes time to call <span>Wei-Yin Chen's</span> number.</p>
<h5>Strong bounce-back candidate</h5>
<p><span>Marcell Ozuna</span> will be better this year. I believe he will be a legitimate third starting outfielder and those who reach for him as such will be rewarded. He will provide both home runs and RBIs, which can be hard categories to keep covered via the waiver wire. Particularly useful in leagues where batter strikeouts do not count against you.</p>
<h5>Sleepers</h5>
<p>I am hopeful that <span>Justin Bour</span> goes full superstar this year; I recognize that it's not likely. Still, you may have room on your roster for a 20-30 home run first baseman, particularly if you have a platoon counterpart to spell Bour on days he's facing left handed pitching.</p>
<p><span>J.T. Realmuto</span> has potential growth in his stick and on the base paths. I wouldn't be in the least surprised if he ends up being one of the 10-12 most valuable catchers in standard leagues by season's end.</p>
<h5>Deep League</h5>
<p><span>Tom Koehler</span> is a paragon of consistency at a level that makes him useful to the Marlins and useful to fantasy players in deep leagues. <span>Jarred Cosart</span> has seemingly lived off of his upside his entire career and is worth a coin flip in a deep league rotation to start off a season. I'm not as high on <span>Adam Conley</span> as others here might be, but he was useful in his rookie season and may get the opportunity to continue to impress if given the fifth starter gig. All three are useful streaming options in all formats.</p>
<p>Adeiny Hechavarria, as mentioned at the top of the article, ended up being a useful player in my deep league last season. The waiver wire can be thin in an 18 team league as the season wears on, and oftentimes if you have a starter go down or perform poorly, you don't have much recourse. Hech doesn't offer much beyond batting average and the occasional hot streak, but sometimes that's enough when compared to the rest of the field.</p>
<p>You may recall that <span>Steve Cishek</span> was the closer here at the beginning of last season. He collapsed and Ramos took the job. This happens every year, which is why it's important to not bank on one or two so-called "elite" closers with gaudy numbers from the previous season. Though it's not anticipated, if Ramos were to face a similar fate, the first man up up initially may be longtime Marlin <span>Mike Dunn</span>. <span>Bryan Morris</span> may also be in the mix as a part of a committee. Recently demoted <span>Kyle Barraclough</span>, who was closing for St. Louis in the minors last season before being brought over in the Cishek trade, may also ultimately be in consideration.</p>
<p><span>Derek Dietrich</span> might have some value as a spot starter against right handed pitching, particularly as a middle infielder with double digit pop, but he wont be anything more then that unless there is an injury or trade. A name to keep an eye on whilst perusing the waiver wire.</p>
<p><i>We are gauging interest in a Fish Stripes fantasy baseball league. If we get nine other teams (beside my own), I will run a league this year (via Yahoo). The only prerequisite is that you are a member of Fish Stripes. If you're interested, leave a comment or send me a message via the e-mail listed in </i><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/Thomas%20Bennett?_ga=1.47171168.632010155.1452094016">my profile</a>.</p>
https://www.fishstripes.com/2016/3/23/11193910/miami-marlins-fantasy-baseballThomas Bennett2016-03-23T09:00:03-04:002016-03-23T09:00:03-04:00Marlins Season Preview: OOTP 17 Simulation Season
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<p>The good developers of the newest version of Out of the Park Baseball, OOTP 17, sent us a copy and told us to go wild. Here we preview the 2016 regular season and show off where your Miami Marlins might end up.</p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.fishstripes.com/">Miami Marlins</a> are heading into the 2016 season with a lot of expectations placed by themselves on themselves. The pundits have them at varying levels of "meh" heading into this season. Truthfully, it is sometimes hard to say where exactly this team will end up.</p>
<p>Sometimes, you just want a computer to tell you the answers, and with <a href="http://www.ootpdevelopments.com/out-of-the-park-baseball/">Out of the Park Baseball 17</a>, you can!</p>
<p>OOTP 17 is the latest installment of the series that is well-regarded as the single best simulation game in all of baseball and perhaps all of sports. I have had the pleasure of getting a copy of each year's release for the past few seasons and have never been disappointed in the results (disappointment in the Marlins' results, on the other hand, has happened). OOTP 17 appears to be no different. OOTP brings some hard-hitting new features in for their latest edition, most notably a license with the MLB Players Association to go along with their established licenses with MLB.com and MiLB.com. Now, not only can OOTP provide you with actual team names (legally from the onset!) and team logos, but they can also provide you realistic player faces for each of the guys.</p>
<p>The realism of these faces can vary. Babyfaced <span>Christian Yelich</span> does not look all that different at all!</p>
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<p>However, Dee Gordon's picture has lost some of his real-life charm, I feel.</p>
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<p>Nevertheless, this is a great addition to an already fantastic game. Rosters are fully stocked with all the right players, and a number of other features are notable in the game. It is a must-purchase for any baseball simulation fan!</p>
<p>As far as the Marlins and simulation goes, we decided to take two approaches to simulating games for the 2016 season. In this first approach, we are going to simulate an entire year of the Marlins as the real team has built them, with the only exception being the inclusion of <span>Kyle Barraclough</span> (rated way too high by our scout in this game to drop off of the Major League roster) in the bullpen. All players will have the same roles, and we will even use the same batting lineups and rotation, right down to the notorious switch for <span>Jose Fernandez</span>. Trade decisions will only be made if offered by other teams; I will not insert my own trade offers to avoid my own management getting in the way. Similarly, I will only adjust the roster as needed for injury.</p>
<p>We simmed the entire year, and what follows is the recap for the 2016 Miami Marlins season!</p>
<h5>2016 Miami Marlins Season Recap: OOTP 17 Edition</h5>
<p><b>Preseason</b></p>
<p>The preseason rankings for the Marlins were as expected. In the NL East, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.federalbaseball.com/">Nationals</a> were expected to win 91 games and take the division, with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/">New York Mets</a>, defending NL champs, at 84 wins. Miami was placed third with 81 wins to their name. The team landed a top-ten expected NL hitter in <span>Giancarlo Stanton</span>, who was projected by the OOTP system to hit 44 homers in 574 at-bats. Oddly enough, the system expected two top-ten pitchers in Fernandez and...<span>Jarred Cosart</span>? OK then!</p>
<p>The prospects list landed two players in the top 100. One of the names was as expected, pitcher <span>Tyler Kolek</span>, who was ranked 94th. But the other name was an oddity: Yefry Perez, a third base prospect whom our own scout saw as a one-star player only. He is 19 years old and recently played rookie ball, so there is plenty of time to find out I suppose. The previous year, Perez hit .266/.333/.357 in a repeat rookie ball campaign. OK then!</p>
<p><b>April</b></p>
<p>The Marlins started the season as one might expect, with a relatively nondescript 11-13 record. Nothing about <span>Jose Fernandez</span>, however, was "nondescript." He was dominant to start the campaign, throwing five starts to begin the season and putting up 38 1/3 innings with an astonishing <i style="font-weight: bold;">0.70 ERA</i>. Fernandez struck out 41 batters in those 38 frames with just five walks to his name. He racked up 1.5 wins to start the season! I actually had to be more careful by installing a probably realistic 100-pitch count limit on Fernandez so that the Marlins would not run him ragged to begin the season! <span>Wei-Yin Chen</span> was also dominant with a 1.97 ERA and 1.2 WAR in his first 32 innings as a Marlin. <span>A.J. Ramos</span> got hurt and was out three weeks with a sprained ankle and <span>Bryan Morris</span> and <span>Mike Dunn</span> did not replace him well.</p>
<p>Offensively, the Marlins got a hot start from <span>Justin Bour</span>, who hit seven homers and batted .325/.378/.637 to start the year. They got a cold start from Giancarlo Stanton, who hit just one homer and batted .231/.302/.321 to start the year. Ugh.</p>
<p><b>May</b></p>
<p>What a difference a month makes! The Marlins went on a stellar run to start the month, picking up five wins in a row en route to a dominant 19-9 record for May! They were led by Giancarlo Stanton, who loves the month of May and really displayed it this time around. Stanton batted .333/.450/.737 with 11 home runs en route to Batter of the Month honors! He went from replacement-level one month to worth 2.2 wins by the end of May, keying a massive comeback by the Marlins' offense.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, while Chen and Cosart cooled off after strong first months, Jose Fernandez continues his romp through the majors. Fernandez finished the month with 85 strikeouts and eight walks in 70 1/3 innings, complete with a 1.15 ERA and 1.91 FIP. He's been the best pitcher in baseball since the start.</p>
<p><b>June</b></p>
<p>Remember when the Marlins were really good in May? They were <i style="font-weight: bold;">even better</i> in June! The Fish racked up an even bigger winning streak, tallying an amazing 14 wins in a row during the month, from June 9 through June 23. The Marlins went more than two weeks without losing a game! Overall, the team was 20-6 on the month, and this pulled them to an overall record of 50-29 in just three months! Consider that the Marlins of the previous season won just 71 games all year!</p>
<p>Again, leading the way was its star talent, Jose Fernandez. He owns a 1.58 ERA and 2.31 FIP. His strikeout rate leads all of baseball, while he has walked batters at the sixth-lowest rate in the game. He is second only to <span>Clayton Kershaw</span> right now in terms of Wins Above Replacement!</p>
<p><b>July</b></p>
<p>I submitted my ballot for the All-Star Game with three Marlins on the starting vote tally. Stanton, Fernandez, and Ramos (1.93 ERA, 16 saves, 0.7 WAR) deserved votes, but Christian Yelich, <span>Martin Prado</span>, and <span>Adeiny Hechavarria</span> (on the back of Andrelton Simmons-level defensive numbers) could have also gotten recognition. In the end, the three for whom I voted all earned All-Star bids, though none were voted the starters in the game. Stanton did start as the designated hitter, going 0-for-2 unfortunately.</p>
<p>Take a look at the All-Star baseball cards for those guys!</p>
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<p>Not every picture is perfect, but damn, look at Fernandez's line!</p>
<p>As for the rest of the month, the team suffered through a 10-16 month, but remained close to the Wild Card race. The club finished up only 1.5 games back of the Mets for the second Wild Card, and those two teams figured to go head-to-head plenty of times to settle the score. The bad record was not due to Stanton, who finished the month with another NL Batter of the Month award. He hit .330/.415/.807 in July with 12 home runs to his name, bringing his season total to 30. He stands as the NL home run leader over <span>Michael Conforto</span>, but is behind two players in the AL for the overall crown.</p>
<p><b>August</b></p>
<p>Here is where we run into some trouble. Jose Fernandez wrapped up the month of August with a 1.56 ERA in 184 innings pitched. He owns 214 strikeouts versus just 31 walks. By their WAR model, he is the second-best pitcher in baseball. The Marlins are in the thick of the pennant race, 2.5 games back of the San Francisco Giants for the second Wild Card. But by every indication, Miami would shut down Fernandez once he hit an innings limit, and so he has. David Phelps was promoted to the rotation, and Miami will go short a man if they hit the playoffs.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Giancarlo Stanton remains on a tear, as he finished the month with 37 homers to his name to lead all NL players. If it weren't for the fact that Bryce Harper was tearing up baseball, Stanton would be the leading MVP candidate.</p>
<p><b>September/October</b></p>
<p>Boy did the Fish seemingly feel the absence of Fernandez. The Marlins finished the season 88-74, a huge moral victory for a team that could have easily suffered on a down year. Stanton capped a 7.6-win season and a 45-homer campaign, finishing the year with a .282/.390/.585 (.400 wOBA). Fernandez's year ended at 184 innings and 6.2 WAR. He won the ERA title by a country mile, but finished fourth in pitcher WAR. But ultimately, the Marlins fell short of the Wild Card, finishing three games out of the Giants.</p>
<p>That was your 2016 season, as brought to you by OOTP 17! If you want to pick it up (and you should), go <a href="http://www.ootpdevelopments.com/out-of-the-park-baseball/">here</a> and buy it for only $39.99! You can also <a href="http://store.steampowered.com/app/402430?_ga=1.162656828.1857822024.1458672412">pick it up on Steam</a> for 10 percent off until March 29!</p>
https://www.fishstripes.com/2016/3/23/11285952/2016-miami-marlins-season-preview-ootp-17-simulation-seasonMichael Jong