David Schoenfield Ranks Marlins 20th in ESPN Rankings

"May 4, 2014; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Marlins starting pitcher Jose Fernandez (16) throws during the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Marlins Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports The final word: OK, I love the outfield: Stanton, Yelich and Marcell Ozuna. Stanton is the oldest of the trio at 25 and all three have All-Star potential. I love Jose Fernandez, but he’s not going to be back until late June or so and we don’t if he’ll be back at full throttle. I think there’s a good chance they get very little out of Latos and Haren. The middle infield defense is more flash than substance, at least according to the metrics. The depth is worrisome. Young teams can take big leaps in a hurry but I wonder if the Marlins need another year to consolidate the talent. Prediction: 79-83"

A 79-win season is not something many Marlins fans want to see. While it is a 2-game improvement over the 2014 season, it’s not a .500 record and won’t be anywhere near enough to contend for a playoff spot.

I’m not going to knock David’s prediction of 79-wins, as he provides sound reasoning for why he doesn’t believe in the Marlins. It’s not like he took a random number out of the air and said “this is how many games the Marlins will win.”

I do respectfully disagree with his record prediction for the Fish. I’d peg the Marlins around a 82-85 win team, depending on how a couple of players progress and how the Marlins fair with injuries. The team lacks depth, so an injury to one of the starters could be fatal to the team’s playoff chances.

As David does point out, the Marlins outfield is excitable and are likely the best outfield unit in all of baseball. If Jose Fernandez returns to dominant form, he’s also one of the more exciting players in baseball.

Hopefully the Marlins can prove David wrong, but he makes a very compelling case on why he doesn’t believe in the Marlins.