Series Preview: Atlanta Braves vs Miami Marlins – Marlin Maniac’s Take

Sunday marks the day many baseball fans have been itching to get here for many weeks.  The St. Louis Cardinals visit the Chicago Cubs Sunday night at 8pm ET.  Jon Lester gets the ball for the Cubs and Adam Wainwright for the Cardinals.  But enough about that game, Monday is the day we see all teams on the field.

The Atlanta Braves take on the Marlins in Miami on Monday afternoon – first pitch is scheduled for 4:10pm ET.  Julio Teheran will get the ball for the Braves while Henderson Alvarez will pitch for the Marlins.

To preview this match-up and the series, we reached out to our good friends at Marlin Maniac to catch up with the Marlins team, maybe get some insight and to hear their thoughts on the series.  Below is the Q&A I did with their Editor, Ehsan Kassim.

Tomahawk Take: New to the roster this year is Dee Gordon, Michael Morse and Ichiro Suzuki.  With a very solid outfield with Christian Yelich, Marcell Ozuna and Giancarlo Stanton, how do you see your lineup stacking up in the NL East? What about in line with the entire MLB?

More from Tomahawk Take

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• Atlanta Braves Acquire Lewin Diaz from the Orioles
• Atlanta Braves 2023 Preseason Top 30 Prospects List: 6-10
• Braves News: Giving the bullpen some love, Trevor Bauer reinstated, more
• Atlanta Braves: Which offseason moves have other NL East teams made?

Marlin Maniac:

The Marlins did a decent job of improving their ballclub over last season. Last year’s infield was the worst in baseball, so while there is talk of improvement from the infield, there was not any way they could be much worse than last season. The infield is still a weak spot compared to other contending teams. The team is likely around a 82-85 win team in my opinion. I think it will take around 87-90 wins to win either of the wild card spots.

I do have the Marlins finishing ahead of the Mets, for second place, in the National League. But they are not ready to compete with Washington just yet. If Jose Fernandez were starting the season with the team, my entire tune would have been different. But two or three months without him hurts the teams chances.

TT: In this opening series, the Braves will probably see Henderson Alvarez, Mat Latos and Tom Koehler – is that your thoughts as well? – How do you see these guys stacking up versus the Braves lineup?

MM: Alvarez is the Marlins de-facto ace until Jose Fernandez returns and he earned that role with his pitching last season. He won’t strikeout a lot of hitters, but induces weak contact groundballs and doesn’t give up many home runs. Latos is going to be different pitcher than the one that he was at his peak with the Padres and Reds, as his velocity diminished last season and did not seem to bounce back drastically during the spring. Koehler is starting the finale for the Marlins and should be the 5th starter on most teams, but with the turmoil in the Marlins rotation this spring, will be starting the third game of the season. He’s the best strikeout guy on the Marlins, though he’s not great at collecting them either.

TT: Now that Dan Haren has settled down a little and is willing to pitch for the Marlins, are you OK with him/a fan of his?  From how this situation started, he probably put a bad taste in Marlins fan’s mouths right off the bat.  How well will he do for the Marlins this year?

MM: I was always hoping Dan Haren would be traded or would retire. He was a good pitcher back in the day, but is a shell of himself. I’m not sure he’s a better option than some of the guys the team has on the team right now. But with Haren now on board, I’m anticipating the chance to see him pitch. Can he turn things around from his two previous seasons of struggles pitching at Marlins Park? Should be interesting. Right now, he’s like the 5th starter for the Marlins, so it’s not like a lot is expected out of him.

TT: What’s up with this Pulled Pork Mac ‘N’ Cheese Sandwich? Your owner, Jeffrey Loria, is all about trying new things for his fan base…is this just another one of his crazy moves and are you in favor of his “ideas”

MM: I’m not sure this is Loria’s idea and I’m probably not on board with 50% of his ideas. But this one, I am going to have to give a shot. That sounds pretty good, but could be a disaster. Hmm, that sandwich is symbolism for the Marlins upcoming season?

TT: Tell me about the Jarred Cosart situation and what all we know as of now.  Your pitching rotation may take a little hit

MM: Jarred Cosart was fined for making bets with illegal bookmakers, but the MLB found no proof that he was betting on baseball. My suspicion the entire time was that Cosart was betting on the NCAA tournament, so I was not overly worried he’d be found of much wrong doing. This means Cosart’s spot in the rotation will be unaffected. Due to a blister, and not the investigation, Cosart will pitch on the fifth turn of the rotation, instead of the second spot.

TT: How do you foresee this 3-game series ending?

MM: I think behind a pumped home crowd, the Marlins win on opening day and the second game of the season. The Shelby Miller–Tom Koehler matchup seems a bit lopsided tilted towards the Braves. They end up winning the finale and denying the Marlins a chance at a perfect season.