Miami Marlins All-Time 25-Man Roster

The Miami Marlins joined the National League as a 1993 expansion team, and the “Magic City” has seen a number of great players don their colorful uniform.

The origins of the now Miami Marlins can be traced back to a man who built a financial empire on the VCR home entertainment boom of the 1980s.

Everyone remembers “Blockbuster”, the video rental giant from those days? Well it was the CEO of Blockbuster Entertainment who finally brought Major League Baseball permanently to the Sunshine State.

Wayne Huizenga, that Blockbuster CEO, had become involved in ownership of both the Miami Dolphins of the NFL as well as the team’s home at Joe Robbie Stadium during the early 1990s. Huizenga was subsequently awarded both an MLB expansion team, which he named the Florida Marlins, as well as an NHL team, the Florida Panthers, for the 1993 season.

The Marlins Become Champions – Twice

The Marlins were big losers in their expansion season, but soon built up their roster of talent to the point of becoming a near-.500 level team over each of the next three seasons.

In 1997, the club splurged in the free agent market, made some astute deals at the MLB trade deadline, and reached the postseason for the first time as the National League Wild Card team.

Getting hot at the right time, those Marlins would win the World Series in just the fifth year of the franchise’s existence. In that 1997 Fall Classic, the Fish defeated a powerful Cleveland Indians team with a dramatic walk-off in the bottom of the 11th inning of Game 7.

Huizenga was roundly criticized when, instead of using the title as a chance to build a consistent winner, he subsequently sold off most of the veteran talent which had made it possible.

The year after winning that World Series he sold the team to John Henry, now owner of the Boston Red Sox, who would in turn sell to current owner Jeffrey Loria in 2002.

Just six years after that first World Series crown, five after being totally dismantled, the Marlins stunned many in the baseball world by winning it all once again. Astute offseason signings and in-season deals once again added to a few talented homegrown stars, and the Fish won a second World Series championship in the fall of 2003, defeating a dynastic New York Yankees squad in six games.

Despite winning those two World Series crowns within the first decade of their existence, the Marlins, who play out of the National League East Division, are one of only two MLB clubs to never win a division championship.

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In November of 2011, the team officially changed names to the Miami Marlins in an agreement with the city which was largely funding construction of the retractable-domed Marlins Park, which then opened for the 2012 season.

While a number of great players made just a pit stop in Miami, my choices for the Marlins all-time 25-man roster reflect players who spent at least a few years with the club. As I put together these all-time 25-man roster pieces, I like to include at least a couple of relievers. The choice of the second reliever was my most difficult here.

I am quite sure, as always, that you might have a few players who you believe should be included. For instance, I simply couldn’t justify adding 1997 World Series MVP Livan Hernandez. I would love to hear your own selections. After reading through mine, add yours, or any additions and subtractions you would make, in a comment at the end of the piece.

INFIELDERS (6)

Miguel Cabrera (1B/3B) – 1st AVG, 2nd OBP & OPS, 3rd Doubles, 4th WAR & RBI, 5th Hits & HR, 6th Runs, 2x Silver Slugger, 4x NL All-Star, 2003 World Series

Luis Castillo (2B) – 1st Games, AB, Hits, Runs, Steals, Triples, 3rd WAR, 3X NL All-Star, 3x NL Gold Glove, 1997 & 2003 World Series

Derek Lee (1B) – 6th HR & Games, 7th RBI, 8th Runs, 9th Hits & Doubles, 2003 NL Gold Glove, 2003 World Series

Mike Lowell (3B) – 1st RBI & Doubles, 3rd Games & AB, 4th Hits, HR & Runs, 6th WAR, 3x NL All-Star, 2003 NL Silver Slugger, 2005 NL Gold Glove, 2003 World Series

Hanley Ramirez (SS) – 1st WAR, 2nd AVG, OBP, Steals, Doubles & Runs, 3rd HR, 4th Triples, 5th RBI, 2006 NL Rookie of the Year, 3x NL All-Star, 2x Silver Slugger, 2009 runner-up NL MVP

Dan Uggla (2B) – 2nd HR, 3rd Runs, 5th WAR, 6th RBI & Doubles, 7th OPS, 8th Hits, 2x NL All-Star, 2010 NL Silver Slugger

CATCHERS (2)

Charles Johnson – 1st Defensive WAR, 10th WAR, leads virtually every franchise catching category, 1997 World Series

Mike Redmond – 5th Defensive WAR, 2nd in most franchise catching categories, 2003 World Series, managed club parts of three seasons 2013-15

OUTFIELDERS (6)

Jeff Conine – 2nd Games & RBI, 3rd Hits, 4th AB, 5th Doubles, 7th WAR & Runs, 8th HR, 2x NL All-Star, 1997 & 2003 World Series

Cliff Floyd –  3rd OPS, 4th OBP, 6th AVG, 8th WAR, RBI & Doubles, 9th Hits & HR, 10th Games, 2001 NL All-Star, 1997 World Series

Juan Pierre –  2nd Triples, 3rd Steals, 5th AVG, 10th Hits, 13th WAR, 2003 World Series

Gary Sheffield – 1st OBP, SLG & OPS, 7th HR, 9th RBI, 10th Steals, 2x NL All-Star, 1996 NL Silver Slugger, 1997 World Series

Giancarlo Stanton – 1st HR, 2nd WAR, 3rd RBI, 4th OPS, 5th Runs, 2014 NL Silver Slugger, 3x NL All-Star

Christian Yelich – 6th OBP,  8th AVG, 11th WAR, 12th Steals, 2014 NL Gold Glove

Next: Dodgers All-Time 25-Man Roster