The Marlins shed a lot of their talent a few seasons ago and have been rebuilding ever since. They had a record of 57-105 in 2019, which placed them fifth in the NL East, a place they have become familiar with over the past few seasons.
They have a long way to go before competing, but the Marlins can use this season to develop their talent. The pitching staff specifically will need to improve before the Marlins can win more games.
Here is a look at what the Marlins’ pitching rotation could look like if the season isn’t canceled due to COVID-19.
1) Sandy Alcantara
Alcantara is the young ace of the Marlins’ staff. He has pitched in three different seasons for the Marlins and has developed well. In his career, he has an 8-17 record with a 3.83 ERA. Last season, Alcantara represented the Marlins in the All-Star Game.
In 2019, Alcantara went 6-14 with a 3.88 ERA. He started 32 games and was nearly reached 200 innings pitched, finishing with 197.1. Alcantara will be focused on replicating his 2019 season, even if he didn’t get enough run support to register more than six wins.
2) Caleb Smith
Smith is a three-year pro who has pitched for the Yankees and Marlins. The lefty has a career record of 15-18 and an ERA of 4.66. He is 28 years old, but still figuring out how to improve on his craft and become a mainstay in a big-league rotation.
Last season, Smith pitched 153.1 innings and finished the season with a 4.52 ERA and a record of 10-11. It was a decent season for Smith, but he could’ve had a better season if he limited the number of home runs he allowed, as 33 home runs were hit off of Smith.
3) Jose Urena
Urena has been with the Marlins for the entirety of their rebuild, as he has been with the team since 2015. The 28-year-old has posted a career record of 32-43 and an ERA of 4.57. His best seasons were in 2017 and 2018, when he had a sub-4.00 ERA and had 23 total wins over that span.
Last season, Urena struggled. He pitched in 24 games with 13 starts and posted a record of 4-10. Urena had an ERA of 5.21 in 84.2 innings pitched. With the shortened season, Urena will want to get back on track and be a solid pitcher for the Marlins.
4) Pablo Lopez
Lopez is a young arm that the Marlins need to develop. He has a career record of 7-12 with an ERA of 4.76 in two seasons with the team. The 24-year-old hasn’t pitched great, but has some potential.
In 2019, Lopez finished the season 5-8 with a 5.09 ERA. He had 21 starts and pitched 111 total innings, which were both career highs. In 2020, Lopez will look to improve after getting valuable experience his first two seasons.
5) Elieser Hernandez
Another pitcher who has taken the mound for the Marlins for two seasons is Elieser Hernandez. He has a 5-12 record and a 5.11 ERA in his caeer. He has experience as a starter and a reliever in his tenure in Miami.
Hernandez had 15 starts last season and 21 total appearances. He posted a 3-5 record and a 5.03 ERA for the Marlins in 82.1 innings pitched. This season, Hernandez will work on getting better and being a full-time starter.
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