Marlins History: Top 5 Marlins Offensive Seasons in Franchise History

April 4, 2012; Miami, FL, USA; A jumbotron displays an opening day game logo prior to the game with the St. Louis Cardinals and Miami Marlins at Marlins Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

The Marlins short 20 year history have been marked by incredible success and soul crushing disappointment often in close succession, 97-98, 03-05, 11-12. The Marlins have won two World Series but they never have had a history of outstanding success in the free agent market but they have been able to trade and draft their way to incredible success. Fangraphs.com rates a 5+ WAR player as a super star and potential MVP candidate, but the Marlins have never won a MVP or Cy Young award.

In the spirit of the Thanksgiving season I want to recount the best seasons the Marlins should be thankful for. So in no particular order here at the five best offensive seasons in Marlins history.

Oct 16, 2013; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Tigers third baseman Miguel Cabrera (24) during batting practice prior to game four of the American League Championship Series baseball game against the Boston Red Sox at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

Miguel Cabrera 2006 6.4 WAR, 5^th in the MVP

Now that he’s in Detroit and that putting up Ruthian numbers people seem to forget that he used to be a Marlin. 2006 is one of the best seasons by a Marlins player ever and one of the best cases for bolstering the value of sabermetrics. By conventional methods his 26/114/.339 triple crown stats are impressive but not nearly as impressive as his deeper stats. To begin with a .339 batting average hides an incredible .430 OBP only one point lower than Pujols’ .431 for the NL lead. His wOBA at .415 and wRC+ at 153 are world beating numbers.

In the world of excessive strikeout rates his 16.0% and 12.7 BB% highlight how impressive Miggy was in 2006 and that he had a legitimate case to win the MVP that year. If the sabermetrics revolution was as well established as it is now Cabrera would have had a better case.

April 15, 2012; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Marlins third baseman

(2) rounds the bases after hitting a two run home run in the eighth inning against the Houston Astros at Marlins Park. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Hanley Ramirez 2008 7.2 WAR, 11^th in the MVP

Hanley in 2008 is one of the best examples of what having an athletic freak with such ridiculous hand-eye coordination be a baseball player. To begin with he had a 30/30 season and slashed .301/.400/.540. A wOBA over .400 and a wRC+144 also point to how impressive his season was.

The 2008 season was one the Marlins better years since that elusive 2003 World Series win. Hanley’s MVP-esque season played a huge role that year for the Fish. Along with Dan Uggla supplying the power to a lineup that has been traditionally very bereft of sluggers.

Sheffield’s .250 average in 1997 was the only time he hit below .290 in the past 12 seasons, but the Marlins won the World Series.

Gary Sheffield 1996 6.5 WAR, 6^th in the MVP

Sheffield in 1996 was a victim of his environment, playing in spacious Pro Player Stadium having to face Maddux, Smoltz and Glavine in the division and playing the peak of the steroids era and with the Blake Street Bombers in full effect in Colorado. Here are the players that finished ahead of Sheffield in the NL MVP voting in 1996:

• Ken Caminiti, who has admitted to steroid use.
  
• Barry Bonds, a heavily speculated steroids users. (Bonds has never tested positive for steroids or failed a drug test.) His lawyer said Bonds did admit to steroids use in his career.
• Mike Piazza who has been surrounded by suspicion.
• Ellis Burks and Andres Galarraga that combined for 87 HR that year playing at Coors Field
• Chipper Jones at the peak of his powers in a year that the Braves made it to the World Series.

It would be fair to say that an argument could be made that Gary Sheffield in 1996 all considered had one of the best offensive seasons of the 1990s. 42 HR and .310 ISO are a great start, a 1.089 OPS and 185 wRC+, which are just silly numbers. Not to mention a 21.0/9.7 BB/K ratio. Just insane.

Aug 2, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Marlins right fielder Giancarlo Stanton (27) connects for a base hit during the first inning against the Cleveland Indians at Marlins Park. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Giancarlo Stanton 2012 5.7 WAR, 24^th in the MVP.

Sure the Marlins on won 69 games, and Giancarlo missed a month. season, but could you imagine how bad 2012 would’ve been if the Marlins didn’t have Giancarlo in the middle of the order. Marlins have lots of things to say about Giancarlo but three stats highlight his 2012, .318, .608 and 28.9%; ISO, slugging and HR/FB rate respectively. Giancarlo hit 37 HR in 2012 while playing in only 123 games, if he had closer to 150 games played, hitting like he was he could have hit more than 45 or close to 50 dingers.

Giancarlo’s 2012 was impressive because he showed us a flash off what he can be, a monster, a punisher of baseballs. I think both that scoreboard in left field and Jamie Moyer are still smarting because of what Giancarlo did to them.

In the Marlins short history, they’ve had many successful MVP-like seasons, but have nothing to show for them, in terms of collecting hardware at the end of the season. Which of these do you guys remember as the best offensive season in Marlins history? Drop a comment and let us know your thoughts.