We are just fourth and a half weeks away from Opening Day for the 2023 MLB season, and the Miami Marlins have made some solid offseason moves to add to their current squad. This article will discuss how the Marlins and those moves will put them into the playoffs in 2023.
1.) Pitching
The Marlins pitching is stacked, which is part of the reason they were able to trade Pablo Lopez to Minnesota. The rotation will be led by reigning Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara, who can go seven innings plus on any given night and will keep the Marlins in every game. The issue was always the two thru five starters; this season they have a pretty solid rotation that will include Johnny Cueto, Jesus Luzardo, Edward Cabrera, and Trevor Rogers. One name not mentioned there who could find his way into the rotation is Sixto Sanchez, who looks to be back in shape like he was in 2020 when he pitched really well. I could see all five arms in the rotation finishing the season with double-digit wins, which could help them get to the playoffs. Besides the rotation along the lines of pitching, the Marlins really beefed up their bullpen this offseason, bringing in JT Chargois from Tampa Bay, A.J. Puk from Oakland, and Matt Barnes from Boston. Barnes will challenge Dylan Floro to be the closer for the Marlins in the 2023 season. The addition of those three arms to a bullpen that includes Floro and Tanner Scott will allow Miami not to put as much pressure on their pitching staff so they can go six or seven innings and have a solid option to come in and preserve leads which will lead to more wins for the Marlins in 2023 and allow them to make the playoffs.
2.) Lineup
The Marlins’ lineup in 2023 got better by adding last season’s American League Batting Champion, Luis Arraez, who came over in the Pablo Lopez trade, and they also added Jean Segura from a division rival and the reigning National League Champion Philadelphia Phillies. On top of those additions, they still have Jazz Chisholm, who will move to center field with the addition of Arraez, and they still also have Jorge Soler, Garrett Copper, Avisail Garcia, and Joey Wendle. If all of those players stay healthy this season, the Marlins can contend with any team and put up runs. The one question is can Chisholm play center field? I do not see why he cannot; he is an athletic ball player and can really play anywhere on the diamond. This lineup includes three or four hitters that could hit 25+ home runs this season. Jon Berti is a bat off the bench for the Marlins who can get on base or even be a pinch runner late in games that could help this team in one-run games in the 2023 season, which could help lead them to more wins.
3.) National League East
This season the Marlins will play fewer games against their division which is one of the best in baseball. This season they will play each team in the East a total of 13 times each which will help as six of those games against the Phillies are expected to be played before Bryce Harper returns from his surgery, so that could bode well for the Marlins in picking up wins. The other nice part of not playing their division is they will play other bottom teams around the league that are not expected to be as good this season, so those are now winnable games in the Marlins schedule they did not have last year.
Wrap Up
Last season the Phillies made the playoffs winning 87 games, I don’t think they win as many games missing Harper for the first half of the season, so I think 86 wins for the Marlins could get them in the playoffs. I know that’s a 17-game jump from last season in wins, but the moves the Marlins made this season to get better could just help win them those 17 games to make the playoffs in 2023.
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