MLB SHOWDOWN 2018 SET -- Miami Marlins

Well this took a lot longer than anyone expected, but work and personal life have been hell lately and my Showdown-creating has hit a wall. Fortunately, I received A LOT of help from Matt (make sure to follow along with the amazing Showdown league he's been simulating while not picking up my slack) and the worst team in 2018 Showdown is ready to be unveiled -- the Miami Marlins! Losers of somehow "only" 98 games, the Marlins are the burning trash-heap you'd expect after Derek Jeter gutted the squad for (frankly) not-so-good prospects. As a result, rather than fielding an outfield with Stanton, Ozuna, and Yelich...... well, just look below, it's brutal. Also two of their best hitters, Realmuto and Dietrich were similarly jettisoned this offseason, so don't expect the team to look too much better in the 2019 set!

Honestly, I think my favorite part of these cards is the design. We felt the all-black was a bit much (and redundant with the DBacks and White Sox), while the Orange also felt off (and not unique in the set either). We settled on the sweet, aqua-like blue found in the Marlins M. I think it makes the players and logo pop while really capturing the "ocean" feel of the Marlins! Maybe after the Set is complete we'll look at doing a "what if" Marlins featuring the team if they hadn't made all their bone-headed trades so we can get a GOOD team with these gorgeous design. Also major shoutout to Matt on making the Dietrich you see here, which has jumped STRONG into my "drafting because it looks amazing" list!!

And so, without further ado, your 2018 Marlins!!

Lineup:

YIKES -- definitely a lineup that could've used a couple of MVPs and a Gold-Glove power hitter in the OF, although Dietrich and Anderson are more than capable cards that could definitely be drafted (Anderson is basically a draft lock for Showdown). Realmuto is one of the best catchers in the game and the highlight of this team. He's got speed, pop, and good on-base on the offensive side, mixed with a great defensive arm. Starlin Castro makes the fourth and final "decent" batting card on this squad before the barrage of OB 5 hitters begins. Unfortunately, that continues to the brutal bench below. Holaday actually is my catcher in Matt's league - gotta love that +9 arm for a mere 50 points!

Rotation: The Marlins do not have a deep rotation, but at least Urena is an acceptable Tier 4  guy at the top. 

It's all downhill from there though, with four Tier 5 starters, three with Control 1 and one who surrenders an own-chart HR. This team will get pulverized by the Nationals, Braves, and Phillies within the division for the 2018 Set... no wonder a frustrated Urena plunked Acuna!

Bullpen: Maybe one of the biggest surprises of the set was the "usefulness" of Marlins' relievers! Sure, there aren't any all-stars in here, but Adam Conley is a solid, dependable Tier 3 and Guerrero is a 10 point pitcher who doesn't give up a HR (although he's a Tier 7, so he's going to have some LONG innings). Barraclaugh is also a cheap but useful back-of-the-bullpen guy for drafts, although he's going to be stuck as the closer for this dreadful team.

And there's the Marlins!!! The Padres should be coming soon too and Bob's nearly done with the Rangers -- so after a hiatus, hopefully we get the set really humming along to its conclusion in July! Sorry for the delay and hope you enjoyed this (dreadful) addition to the 2018 set!