Three months ago, we threw out five milestones the Miami Marlins would need to hit to call 2018 a success. Nearly half way through, it’s time to check in.
Obviously, the Miami Marlins will not be ending their fourteen season long postseason drought in 2018.
Fortunately, there are plenty of other storylines to follow when it comes to rebuilding teams. Soaking up prospect reports from the MLB Draft. Following player development. Caring about the performance of the minor league clubs. Really learning to appreciate the little things, like hitting a timely single or recording one’s first big league win.
Yea, I’m aware that’s likely still too small a consolation for many a Miami Marlins fan. Me too. Tanking is bad for baseball. Derek Jeter did a huge disservice to the city of Miami. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred let him do it. Beat reporters who argue all is sunshine and roses with this franchise, that the rebuild was the only path, continue to mystify me. I’d rather the Marlins played in games that counted too.
But you can definitely make the case the wins mean more to these guys than a team that’s supposed to win. Some of my fondest Marlins memories aren’t from 1997 or 2003. Instead, they’re of Chuck Smith, Kevin Millar, or Ryan Dempster chipping in to record a regular, run of the mill victory.
So there are reasons to watch. And not just for Summer 2018 entertainment value. The road to that elusive postseason berth, or even that next winning season, is currently underway. That being the case, this March I threw out five milestones the new Miami Marlins ownership should hit this season to start building back up trust with their fans. To see if they really should #Re2pectTheProcess, or just wait for the Dolphins and Heat to be #JustGettinStarted on their upcoming seasons.
Three months later, as we near the halfway point of this 2018 campaign, it’s time to check in on the Miami Marlins progress. The next four slides will break down whether this team has shown any reason to buy back in.