Meet the ...
Most bizarre franchise in MLB history? While the Yankees plod along, spending trillions and winning every year, the four Marlin fans remaining in Miami have always been treated to a roller coaster of sorts: either the Marlins are kind of randomly breaking out as a contender or they're mid-firesale.
Last year was different though: the Marlins were supposed to stink, and yet, they didn't. This season, though, as a result of that success, there's a decent chance some of their players will be overvalued for fantasy purposes (hello, Dan Uggla) which might hurt their overall team value. Still, some young sleepers are there and certainly worth your consideration.
The Breakout
Ricky Nolasco pitched a whopping 212 1/3 innings last year, by far the most of his short career. The potential for the Marlins to be a less-than-stellar team is disconcerting for his win totals, of course, but when we look at a post-break stat line that includes 98 K's in 95 2/3 innings and just 12 walks issued, well, it's screaming breakout. Yes, the innings are kind of a nightmare, but with an ADP (average draft position) of 125, you shouldn't be that worried; he's a SP3/4 that's should give you ample upside.
The Bust
I've always liked Matt Lindstrom. He's a fireballer and he's supposedly getting full run at the Marlins closer gig. But ... well, there's always a but. And in this case, there are several. For instance, he only allowed a .260 BABIP. He only allowed two percent of his fly balls to turn into home runs ("allowed" being, um, not realistic of course). That 1.45 WHIP isn't helping matters either. On the bright side, you can get him in the 170th pick range, which makes him a worthy closer gamble, but there's no reason to reach.
Sports
The Lineup
1. Cameron Maybin, CF
2. Jeremy Hermida, RF
3. Hanley Ramirez, SS
4. Dan Uggla, 2B
5. Jorge Cantu, 1B
6. Dallas McPherson, 3B
7. Cody Ross, LF
8. John Baker, C
The Rotation
1. Ricky Nolasco
2. Josh Johnson
3. Chris Volstad
4. Anibal Sanchez
5. Andrew Miller
The Bullpen
CL - Matt Lindstrom
SU - Taylor Tankersley
SU - Leo Nunez
The Skinny
o. Okay, for starters, this is going to be a surprisingly decent pitching staff. Johnson should bounce back to somewhere near his pre-surgery levels (making him an outstanding value pick, even if I don't like how lucky he was when he dominated in 2006). Miller is a future stud but more of a last-round flier than anything. Volstad and Sanchez are a little bit less of a risk but with a little bit less upside. Tankersley seems like a pretty nice flier based on the fact that Lindstrom isn't guaranteed to lock down the gig.
o. I can't quit McPherson, but that's only because he has one of the best baseball names ever. Hermida torments me yearly, so I can't realistically advise taking him as anything other than a late-round outfielder. Uggla is probably overrated for where you'll draft him. Hanley is a stud. And Maybin, well ... *swoon* ... Maybin is awesome. It wasn't last year (as we previously mentioned) and it might not be perfect this year, but there's a chance he could develop in 2009. When I'm sitting there late in my draft and have to choose between him or someone like Juan Pierre, there's not a debate.
Fantasy Baseball Preview: The Marlins originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 24 Feb 2009 21:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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