Call to the pen
Fansided

2020 MLB GM Ratings: The National League East

By Bill Felber

COLLEGE PARK, MD - JANUARY 18: Washington Nationals General Manager Mike Rizzo holds the World Series trophy during the game between the Maryland Terrapins and the Purdue Boilermakers at Xfinity Center on January 18, 2020 in College Park, Maryland. (Photo by G Fiume/Maryland Terrapins/Getty Images)
COLLEGE PARK, MD - JANUARY 18: Washington Nationals General Manager Mike Rizzo holds the World Series trophy during the game between the Maryland Terrapins and the Purdue Boilermakers at Xfinity Center on January 18, 2020 in College Park, Maryland. (Photo by G Fiume/Maryland Terrapins/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 6
Next
(Photo by Marc Serota/Getty Images)
(Photo by Marc Serota/Getty Images) /

MLB GM Ratings: Mike Hill, president of baseball operations; -0.7 games

Hill is in the midst of his second tenure running the Marlins front office. The GM from 2008 through 2013, he was re-appointed prior to the 2016 season and retained when Derek Jeter became team president.

Given Miami’s surprisingly strong on-field performance, the question is how much Hill’s front office had to do with it. The answer: Not much, really. Their Pythagorean record, a calculation of what the Marlins should have done based on runs scored and allowed, was 26-34. That’s five games worse than their actual record.

The Marlins, in other words, were mostly lucky.

At least Hill didn’t get in the way. Driven largely by COVID-elated exigencies, his administration made an astonishing 51 personnel moves, the most significant of which was the promotion of pitcher Sixto Sanchez to the big leagues in August. Sanchez won three of his starts with a 3.46 ERA, netting 1.1 WAA to Hill’s credit, and established himself as a future luminary.

By no means did everything go nominally. In February, Hill signed free agent Matt Joyce and got a powerless .252 batting average for his money. Joyce rated out at -1.0 WAA. The negative moves out-numbered the positive ones 27-18 – six were value-neutral – but hill’s team survived by the grace of God.

The Marlins were 11-8, .579, in one-run games. That’s not a repeatable skill, but it is a desirable one.

Here is the annual short-term performance rating of the Marlins front office since Hill was re-appointed president and GM prior to the 2016 season:

  • 2016:     –  3.4
  • 2017:     -10.2*
  • 2018:     -20.5
  • 2019:     -10.0
  • 2020:     –  0.7

*This was a greater loss than the margin by which the Marlins failed to qualify for post-season play.

Home/NL East