Atlanta Braves vs. the NL East in 2017: Miami Marlins

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Sep 28, 2016; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Marlins right fielder Giancarlo Stanton (left) relief pitcher A.J. Ramos (center) and first baseman Xavier Scruggs (right) waves to the fans after their last home game of the year at Marlins Park. The Mets won 5-2. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports /

While I have the most curiosity about the Phillies for 2017 in the NL East, the Miami Marlins are also a mixed bag… and that might be the case even if they didn’t have a huge hole to fill in their rotation.

The Marlins should have had a pretty solid season in 2016, and could have competed for the second Wild Card position until they faded don the stretch.

Turns out they could blame some of that on their play against the Atlanta Braves, who mostly owned them… 11-7 last season. Turn that record around and their 79-82 mark becomes 83-78.

But there was an entirely different reason for their finish of 2-4 in the last week of the season. The heart and soul of their team was ripped away with the death of Jose Fernandez. That event caused lingering damage then, and it continues to reverberate for purely baseball reasons now.

On the field, the position players remain identical to those who finished up the year. But it’s the pitching staff that is in chaos… a situation that likely will not change for quite a while.

Let’s dig in.

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