Why 2022 Is Suddenly Looking Like 1996 For Miami Marlins

The Miami Marlins went into 2022 with hopes to climb above .500, but more moves are needed to contend. Just like the 1996 team.

This offseason, the Miami Marlins made a series of moves via trade and free agency to turn their roster into a contender. Unfortunately, it hasn’t been enough, and it’s clear that more help is needed to make this team truly relevant, even with a recently expanded playoff field.

Obviously, this sentence was written in 2022. But the funny thing is I could have told you the exact same thing in 1996.

Alright, there is one major difference. The 1996 Miami Marlins actually made an aggressive upgrade at center field. The 2022 club? Not so much. Still, it was an offseason highlighted by a couple major free agent signings, and the addition of a serious defensive upgrade. In 1996, it was Kevin Brown, Al Leiter, and Devon White coming to town. In 2022, Avisail Garcia and Jorge Soler were brought in, as was catcher Jacob Stallings.

The 1996 Miami Marlins were much more talented than the 1995 version. And as disappointing as they have been, you’d be blind not to recognize that this 2022 roster is much more talented than the one Miami closed 2021 with. Same goal, same result.

What I find really interesting is that it is really looking like Marlins fans could be left with almost the exact same positives at the end of this season. The 1996 team sent three players to the All-Star Game: Brown, Leiter, and Gary Sheffield. The pitching duo of Brown and Leiter was the backbone of that team, with Brown turning in one of the most dominant seasons by any pitcher in recent memory, and Leiter having one of the best season of his career to that point. So good was Brown that he actually led the team in WAR, despite Sheffield hitting 42 HRs with a slash line of .314/.465/.624.  If there was any doubt he was one of the best hitters in the game coming into 1996, Sheffield erased them very quickly.

Thus far in 2022, Sandy Alcantara and Pablo Lopez are doing an excellent Brown and Leiter impression. Both are actually top five at the moment in betting odds to take home the NL Cy Young. There’s a compelling case to be made that the only reason Brown lost that award in 1996 was that he played for a losing team. It’s easy to see the same thing happening to either Alcantara or Lopez. As for a star hitter? Sheffield’s 42 HR mark feels safe, but fans have to be thrilled from what they’ve seen from Jazz Chisholm. He’s having an All-Star worthy year, and has cemented himself as the face of the franchise.

However, that 1996 team couldn’t get it done, even if they played well enough for stretches to flash their potential. Those three weren’t enough to carry the team though, and a lot more offensive thump was needed. Sheffield needed a Moises Alou and Bobby Bonilla- two hitters who had not just the potential, but a good chance to be better than him. Brown and Leiter made teams take a series against the Marlins seriously, but those two could only help forty percent of the time.

Again, that sounds a lot like this 2022 team. Sandy and Pablo need someone in this rotation to step up and stay healthy as a dominant No. 3. Jazz is a joy to watch, but it’s clear that the best season he’s capable of isn’t enough to elevate Miami into a playoff contender.

Following 1996, the Miami Marlins went out and made those additions, and the rest is history. Fans can only hope that the current ownership follows that blueprint, and makes those needed changes for 2023.