Are These Miami Marlins As Bad As Many Think They Are?

The Miami Marlins are threatening to loss 100 games this season. Are they as bad as other MLB franchises of the past?

It’s going to be a topic of conversation Miami Marlins fans and the national media are going to ask once the MLB season is over.

How bad is this team compared to other franchises of the past? Where does this roster rank in regard to other Miami teams in history?

"As Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald wrote this weekend, “The Marlins aren’t just losing. They’re losing badly.”"

It’s a sad case for this team and its young players. Losing was never an option this season, it had become the expectation. But when Derek Jeter did his massive overhaul of the organization, the 100-loss plateau may never have been thought of as a “goal” in 2018.

There isn’t a chance of chasing history with another 108-loss season, like in 2008, but the numbers do not lie – this is a bad franchise.

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"“But all of their lopsided defeats could add up to the worst Marlins season ever in terms of negative run differential, breaking the ’98 team’s mark,” Spencer writes. “And if the blowouts continue over the season’s final two weeks, these Marlins could become just the second major league team in the last 25 years to score the fewest runs in their league while giving up the most.”"

If you are a history buff, since the team joined the league in 1993, they and the Pittsburgh Pirates are the only two teams to accomplish a “feat” like that.

It has become something even the players are taking notice of as if losing has become a disease – in a reference to the movie The Natural.

"“Losing is one thing,” said All-Star catcher J.T. Realmuto. “But the games that get out of hand – where we’re down by two and then we’re down by eight in a matter of a split-second – those are the games that weigh on you.”"

Young pitching, a failing bullpen and the lack of a power source in the middle of the line-up, they all have an effect. More perspective is that Miami lost seven games by 10 or more runs. They’ve lost another 24 by five to nine runs. the 57-90 record is not indicative of how this season could have gone.

And talk about keeping star players will remain a hot topic as long as the teams that acquired them are in the playoff hunt.

As of this weekend, the Marlins have been outscored by 221 runs to give them the worst run differential in the NL.

Yikes!

There are 15 games remaining (including the game today against Philadelphia Phillies). As of writing this piece, Miami is already down 1-0 in the second inning. It looks like it might be another hot Sunday afternoon with more records to reach for.

Too bad the records are for futility, not for excellence. That would be too much to ask.

The Miami Marlins are threatening to loss 100 games this season. Are they as bad as other MLB franchises of the past?

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