2011 MLB Preview: Florida Marlins

2010 Record: 80-82

Lineup:

1. Chris Coghlan OF
2. Omar Infante 2B
3. Hanley Ramirez SS
4. Mike Stanton OF
5. Gaby Sanchez 1B
6. Logan Morrison OF
7. John Buck C
8. Matt Dominguez 3B

The Marlins have a young talented bunch once again in their lineup. Obviously Hanley is the star here. There is nothing he can't do. He can steal bases, hit for average, and hit for power. The guy behind him (Mike Stanton) is only 21 years old and hit 22 HRs last year. SOme scouts are predicting him to his 35+ HRs this season, which is amazing for his age. If that turns out to be true, he and Hanley will be one of the best 3/4 combos in the MLB. Another guy to keep in eye on is Gaby Sanchez, he had a very good year in 2010 with a .273 BA with 19 HRs and 85 RBIs, and that was only his first year getting regular at bats (plus he is 27). So, like the rest of this lineup his number could only improve.

Pitching:

1. Josh Johnson
2. Ricky Nolasco
3. Javier Vazquez
4. Anibal Sanchez
5. Chris Volstad
CL: Leo Nunez

Josh Johnson is a stud. The problem is he hasn't gotten much support recently. In 2010 Johnson only went 11-6, but it should've been much better with a 2.30 ERA. With the lineup improving I think he can rack up some more wins this year. Plus, like everyone else on the Marlins, he is young (27), so he still has his best years in front of him. I am not a big believer in Ricky Nolasco. He won 14 games last year, but had an ERA of 4.51. He does strikeout a lot of guys, but is prone to just getting lit up. Vazquez is getting old (35), but he is back to where he belongs in the NL East. I think you will see improvement from him after having an ERA over 5.00 last year. Anibal Sanchez finally seemed to get in a groove last season and racked up 13 wins and a mid 3.00 ERA. I feel like he has been around for awhile, but is only 27. I am a big Nunez fan, as a closer. He has electric stuff, and though he has struggled at times I think he could turn into something special.

Overall:

It's hard not to like the Marlins. The are young, fast, and can hit for power. I think they will improve last years record, but it could be tough to make the playoffs with the Braves and Phillies in their division.

2011 Record: 85-77