2003 Marlins

The Florida Marlins somehow have two World Series titles in around twenty seasons, despite never winning their division. Meanwhile, the Brewers, Expos/Nationals, Mariners, Rockies, and Padres have zero titles in 200+ seasons of existence. The 1997 Marlins was probably the more talented roster, featuring young players that would go on to be stars (and maybe featured some Hall of Famers): Kevin Brown, Gary Sheffield, Edgar Renteria and more. However, we needed to make the 2003 Marlins first! As kids that mainly grew up in the Chicago suburbs, that epic Bartman-feuled collapse and the corresponding Marlins upset of the Yankees was the first truly magical postseason most of us saw (or most painful, depending if you're a pro or anti Cubs fan).

Something many of us forget is the Cubs and Marlins dispatched a pair of 100 win teams in the first round (Atlanta and San Francisco), and the Marlins did all this without a true power hitter or an OB 10 in the lineup! A balanced team with a solid rotation and weak bullpen, the Marlins truly are a case of a manager getting hot with his rolling (or fortunate that the other manager keeps giving up big hits off his own chart).

Hopefully you enjoy this underdog team!

Lineup: There is no star power (or really, power) in the Marlins lineup. Miguel Cabrera was in his rookie season and has a weak 6 OB. Mike Lowell, David Lee, and Jeff Conine aren't in their best years, although Ivan Rodriguez was a centerpiece for this team. Their real strength: speed! Juan Pierre and Luis Castillo give the Marlins a devastating 1-2 punch at the top of the order, followed by lower OB numbers but some real pop behind them to push across some runs. Managers will need to be ready to play small ball if they want to win with this squad!

Rotation: The Marlins have a couple of solid tier 2 starters at the top of the rotation. Beckett and Dontrelle have lower controls, but good strikeout ranges! Redman is a solid #3 starter (tier 3, decent control) and Penny's tier 4 self slots in adequately as a #4 starting pitcher. The biggest weakness is the lack of high IP guys in the rotation, as the Marlins will be forced to turn to their bullpen every game barring a huge barrage of offense. While not a flashy rotation, similar to the batting order, it's solid and can get the job done.

Bullpen: The addition of Ugueth Urbina propelled this Marlins team to World Series glory, as there's no way this team goes on their run with the other members of this bullpen heavily featured. Spooneyberger and Looper are slightly below average middle bullpen guys, but passable. Almonza is a mess, not only with a low control, but giving up a HR off of his chart! I have a feeling it'll be a common strategy to try to get two innings out of Urbina for many close games.