In September, I was browsing on a sports card website. Very interestingly, I saw lucky bags available. In the lucky bags, there are some Bowman products.
I bought 2 lucky bags. When I opened them, I found an Edward Cabrera rookie card in a 2022 Topps Bowman Chrome hobby lite pack. While seeing this card, I began to think about the Marlins’ pitching performance in the 2023 season.
During the regular season, the Marlins pitching staff had a 4.21 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP. An ERA of 4.21 ranked 16th among 30 MLB teams. Meanwhile, a WHIP of 1.29 also ranked 16th among 30 MLB teams. It seems that the Marlins’ pitching performance wasn’t outstanding. However, the Marlins pitchers threw 1490 strikeouts. In the 2023 season, only 4 teams threw more strikeouts than the Marlins did.
In addition, let’s look at starting pitchers.
The Padres didn’t clinch a spot in the postseason in 2023. However, their starting pitchers had done a great job during the regular season. In 2023, the Padres’ starters had a 3.69 ERA, which is the best among 30 MLB teams. The Marlins starters finished the season with a 4.09 ERA, which ranked 8th among 30 MLB teams. Well, the Marlins’ starters might not be excellent. But, they actually did a good job during the regular season. Why? Let's look at 2 teams. The Braves’ starters owned a 4.36 ERA in 2023 and the Dodgers starting pitchers posted a 4.57 ERA. Remember, these 2 teams each won 100+ games in 2023.
Finally, let’s look at these key starting pitchers.
In the 2023 season, there were 3 pitchers who tossed at least 100 innings for the Marlins. Sandy Alcantara, who won the 2022 NL Cy Young award, made 28 starts, posting a 4.14 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP through 184.2 innings. Jesus Luzardo led the Marlins with 32 starts. He owned a 3.58 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP over 178.2 innings. Luzardo earned 10 wins in 2023 and he’s the only pitcher who had at least 10 wins for the Marlins this year. Braxton Garrett is the other pitcher, who threw 100+ innings. Garrett had a 3.66 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP. Moreover, Edward Cabrera made 20 starts and 2 relief appearances for the Marlins, posting a 4.24 ERA and a 1.44 WHIP over 99.2 innings.
The Marlins were swept in the NL Wild Card Series. However, their 2023 season is actually pretty good. Firstly, they clinched a berth in the postseason. Additionally, their pitchers had done a good job during the regular season. Thirdly, they have reliable starters. Jesus Luzardo and Braxton Garrett each finished the 2023 season with an ERA under 4. Nonetheless, this offseason, the Marlins front office certainly has some work to do. Sandy Alcantara just underwent Tommy John surgery and will miss the 2024 season. He had been the most reliable pitcher for the Marlins over the last few years. In the 2024 season, who will be another pitcher to throw as many innings as Alcantrara did? Additionally, Sixto Sanchez pitched well in 2020, but he hasn’t pitched in the majors since then. Will Sixto Sanchez be back to the rotation at the beginning of the new season? Furthermore, there were some ups and downs for Edward Cabrera in 2023. Will he become more consistent and eat at least 100 innings in 2024? Nevertheless, first thing first, the Marlins will need a general manager.
No comments:
Post a Comment