The Marlins have earned a reputation of making the most out of having the least. The fact is that you don't win 87 games in the major leagues without some bona fide talent. We all know the two stars, Hanley Ramirez and Josh Johnson, but where else can you find some impact fantasy players on this team? The largest unknown this spring is how the pitching rotation will turn out. Here is what you can expect from the Marlins pitching rotation.
Josh Johnson
Lots of strikeouts, few walks, a low ERA, and 15 wins are what helped Johnson become the clear cut ace of the Marlins and quite a few fantasy squads last season. If he shows that he can put together another similar year, he will be uttered in the same breath as other first tier starters. Draft him as your No. 2 this season, and hope for ace like numbers once again.
Ricky Nolasco
Nolasco saw his ERA jump nearly a run-and-a-half to over five last season. A good sign, though, is that he maintained a decent WHIP at 1.25, struck out 195 batters, and amassed 13 wins. This appears to be one of those times where ERA is a misleading number. All his other key statistics were better or only slightly worse than 2008. It is safe to expect Nolasco to hit double-digit wins and strikeout nearly 200 batters again.
Anibal Sanchez
Sanchez only made sixteen starts last season after suffering a shoulder injury that forced him to the disabled list. The good news is that he looked much better after he came back from the DL than before. He won three games in nine starts and had an ERA of 2.68. While he did look solid, he has never reached the potential that seemed to be there after going 10-3 with a 2.83 ERA as a rookie in 2006 at age 22. Since then, Sanchez has not been able to get his pitches under control and has walked about five batters per game on average. Sanchez may be worth a late round flier in deeper leagues because of what he is capable of; just don't expect the 2006 version.
Sean West
It was a promising start to the 2009 season for West when he went 3-2 with a 3.38 ERA after his first seven starts. The rest of the season saw West struggle to stay consistent while failing to make it into the seventh inning in any of his starts in the second half. Keep in mind that West was only 23, and he will likely continue to show improvement. It is reasonable to expect 10 wins and an ERA in the low fours for West. This makes him a late round pick with some sleeper potential.
- Hanley Ramirez (SS) - The consensus No. 2 pick in all of fantasy baseball.
- Josh Johnson (SP) - Pitches like an elite pitcher but isn't drafted like one.
- Dan Uggla (2B) - A low average but good power numbers for a second baseman.
- Chris Coghlan (OF) - Sleeper alert! Owners will be happy with the value Coghlan provides.
- Ricky Nolasco (SP) - A solid middle tier pitcher.
- Anibal Sanchez (SP) - Try and forget about 2006; it appears that those days are over.
- Cameron Maybin (OF) - Overhyped last season. Underhyped this season?
- Gaby Sanchez (1B) - Only worth a shot if he lands an everyday job, and you need a bench player in a deep league.
- Sean West (SP) - A guy to keep an eye on. Will probably start as a free agent in most leagues.
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