Miami Marlins take step back in 2018 to move forward
By David Hill
Can anyone on the Miami Marlins get the opposition out?
While the Miami Marlins were able to find pieces on offense, the same really could not be said for the pitching staff. When Jose Urena allowed a home run on the first pitch of the season, it set a tone for the 2018 campaign.
To illustrate the Marlins issues on the pitching side, not a single pitcher who had at least 35 innings last season was better than league average. All 15 of those pitchers failed to post an ERA+ over 100 in 2018. In fact, of the 29 different players to take the mound for the Marlins last year, only Sandy Alcantara and Nick Wittgren posted an ERA+ above 100.
Those issues were particularly felt in the starting rotation. Dan Straily and Wei-Yin Chen may not have been considered part of the long term for the Marlins, but the hope was that they would pitch well enough to draw interest in the trade market. While there were a couple of nibbles on Straily, those trades did not happen. In fact, Chen’s disastrous performance away from Miami made him an untradeable commodity.
Yet, as bad as the Marlins pitching was, all was not lost. After an ugly incident when Urena threw at Ronald Acuna to lead off the game, he was on fire. Over his final seven starts, Urena posted a stellar 1.80 ERA and a 0.911 WHiP over 45 innings, while posting a 6-0 record. If that final seven weeks of the season is any indication, Urena may be ready to step forward as a viable part of the Marlins rotation.
The Miami Marlins need to find something for their pitching staff. If Urena and Alcantara can be a part of the Marlins future rotation, that will make their next steps easier.