Miguel Cabrera, Hanley Ramirez Among Former Marlins still in Playoffs

Sep 28, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera (24) waves to the crowd after the game against the Minnesota Twins at Comerica Park. The Tigers clinched the Central Division Championship by defeating the Twins. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Of course I am disappointed that the Marlins are out of the playoffs and 2014 is over, but there is a lot for Fish fans to be excited about. You will likely hear the number 15 from this site and many others that follow the Marlins over the offseason since that is the number of games that Miami improved upon their 2013 season. We are trending in the right direction and are hopeful that this offseason we can take the next step.

With the playoffs set to start tomorrow, some former Marlins are getting to enjoy a little postseason action. We wanted to keep you updated on your favorite former players and talk about their contributions as we move into October.

Hanley Ramirez:

We will get started with the former Marlins shortstop, Ramirez. While the days of Hanley winning batting titles may be over, Ramirez is certainly productive these days, albeit in a bit of a different way. He is still getting on base, posting a .369 OBP to go along with a reasonable .283 batting average. Those numbers are comparable to fan favorite Christian Yelich (.285, .365 respectively).

His well rounded hitting game also produced 13 home runs, 71 RBI’s, and an OPs of .817. He continues to rake from the Shortstop position proving that good hitting shortstops are important to success. His fielding continues to be shaky according to the advanced metrics, but that is something that we knew when he was still a part of the Marlins.

Hanley will slot in as the everyday shortstop for the Dodgers in the playoffs. He will likely hit somewhere between 2 and 4 in the lineup, and should be an intergal part of the Dodgers post season success. Considering their pitching staff, I would say Hanley has the best chance in his career to make a World Series.

Gaby Sanchez:

The former first baseman for the Marlins is now on the Pittsburgh Pirates and is used mostly as a pinch hitter. He has struggled this season slashing a .229/.293/.385. Those numbers are similar to the ones that caused the Marlins to go in a different direction at first base.

In the event that the Pirates make it to the World Series, Sanchez could get some run as a DH against a lefty, but otherwise look for him to only have only a few opportunities this post-season to make his mark.

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Randy Choate:

Choate spent 2011 and part of 2012 with the Marlins before being sent to the Dodgers in the trade that brought Nathan Eovaldi back (and sent Hanley Ramirez out of town). St. Louis ended up signing the reliever in 2013. After a stellar 2013 season, Choate has struggled this year, doubling his ERA to 4.50.

He is still a lefty specialist and will be depended upon to get 1 or two outs in specific scenarios in which the Cards face lefties late in games.

The Cardinals are always a threat to make it deep into the post season, and after tasting the World Series last year, Choate and the Cards will be looking to return.

John Buck:

Buck is currently the 3rd catcher on the depth chart for the Los Angeles Angels. This took some digging, and frankly, I wouldn’t expect to see much of Uncle Buck this postseason. He may enter the game in a pinch hitting role if the Angels are looking for a strike out/home run at-bat.

His place on the roster is likely insurance in the event of an extra inning game, although he has a solid chance of making a deep run on a very good Angels team.

Josh Willingham:

Willingham is a back-up left fielder and DH who provides some pop and actually manages to get on base a decent amount. His significant disparity between batting average and OBP just serves to confirm his propensity to take walks and increase his value. Of course if he does hit the ball, he doesn’t get on base a lot, falling victim to the fly-ball out too often.

Willingham will get some run in the post-season, but much of that will be how long the Royals can last. They might not make it past the wild card stage, so it could be one and done for this former Marlin.

Miguel Cabrera:

Miggy has had another great season, and his transition back to first base has been seamless. That being said, his gaudy numbers from years past aren’t being replicated, and most believe that he is finally surrendering the MVP mantle to Mike Trout. Make no mistake though, Cabrera is still one of the most feared hitters in the game and anyone that hits more than 25 home runs and posts a batting average over .300, an OBP over .370, and a WAR of 5.3 is still a top hitter.

The Tigers will take on the Orioles, and this could be the best chance for Cabrera to win a World Series title since 2012 when the Tigers were swept in the World….oh wait, that’s right, Cabrera already has a ring with the Miami Marlins from 2003, my bad. Either way I don’t see Cabrera getting a ring this year unless Justin Verlander gets hot in a hurry.

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