Phillies vs Marlins: Miami set to become a bottom dweller once more?

Continuing with my preview of the NL East (I’ve already looked at the Mets and the Nationals), we now drift towards a team that quite surprisingly cracked the playoffs last season: the Miami Marlins. An organization that always seems to give the Philadelphia Phillies fits during the regular season, the question is can they replicate their stunning 2020 form here in 2021.

The short answer? Probably not.

Diving a little deeper into the Marlins organization and what so routinely keeps them towards the bottom of the NL East, the simple reality is that they just don’t spend enough money to be competitive compared to the likes of the Phillies, Mets, Braves, and even the Nationals. While their playoff run and eventual playoff series win was an inspiring story, it was likely more so a result of the MLB’s wonky shortened season, as opposed to them developing into a perennial postseason contender.

The Phillies shouldn’t fear the Miami Marlins in 2021.

Taking a look at some of their notable offseason additions from this past winter, they’re uninspiring to say the least:

-RHP Anthony Bass

-LF Adam Duvall

-LHP Gio Gonzalez (minor league deal)

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If anything, the possibility of Gio Gonzalez turning into a reliable option for Miami this season has me the most intrigued. Outside of that, the Marlins simply didn’t do a whole lot to bolster their ball club this offseason, despite their very recent postseason run.

The one major addition that is worth highlighting when discussing Miami is of course that of Kim Ng, the longtime baseball executive who is now the team’s general manager. I loved the move when it was first announced, and I genuinely think Ng can get the Marlins back on track here over the next 3+ seasons. However, when it comes to 2021, she simply hasn’t had enough time to work her magic.

The Phillies obviously have far more top-end talent compared to the Marlins, and their payroll absolutely dwarfs Miami’s. The one spot where the Marlins could see themselves edge out Philly though is in the rotation, as they possess a fairly exciting group of young starters at the moment (Sixto Sanchez, Sandy Alcantara, and Pablo Lopez to name a few).

Ultimately speaking, the Phillies should feel comfortable about their chances of finishing above Miami in 2021. However, the Marlins are absolutely the type of team that’s destined to “steal” a few wins away from Philly this season. In a division that projects to be hyper-competitive, Joe Girardi needs to do his very best to make sure his clubhouse is locked in mentally every time they square off against his former club.

Miami finishing well below .500, while the other four teams in the NL East battle it out for postseason honors feels like the most likely outcome this season.