The Marlins will rely on team speed in 2019

The Miami Marlins will have one of the fastest teams on the base pads in Major League Baseball this coming season according to MLB.com.

The Marlins may not win many games in 2019, but that will not stop them from being one of the fastest teams in Major League Baseball this coming season.

The organization already knew it would lack power throughout the lineup, which was further affected by the trade that sent catcher J.T. Realmuto to Philadelphia before the start of Spring Training. The plan was simple, hit the ball better, get on base and move runners around.

In other words, score runs without trying to win games with one swing of the bat. This season should prove the Marlins will have speed on the base pads, which could make them an exciting team to watch.

"“Before the 2019 regular season begins, MLB.com is ranking the fastest teams in baseball,” writes David Adler of MLB.com.More from Marlins NewsMiami Marlins news: Another target goneWhy didn’t the Miami Marlins sign JDM?Miami Marlins rejected Boston‘s trade offerMiami Marlins are pursuing Michael ConfortoMiami Marlins need to spend to win“Using Statcast’s Sprint Speed leaderboard, which ranks every player based on his average maximum-effort speed, we compared all 30 Major League rosters to see who’ll be putting the fastest team on the field.”"

In his rankings, the Marlins are fifth with a speed score of 7.9, which trails the Royals, Rays, Phillies and Nationals.

The Marlins will have a different lineup this season compared to last year, the first without heavy hitters Giancarlo Stanton, Marcell Ozuna, and Christian Yelich in a team uniform. The lack of productivity at the plate showed last year, as Miami finished with a 63-98 record, good for fourth worst in MLB.

It all starts with outfielder Lewis Brinson, who figures to be in centerfield once again after a blistering start to the 2019 Grapefruit League. Surprisingly, Jorge Alfaro is regarded as one of the faster players on the team’s roster.

Per examination by MLB.com, he MLB average sprint speed is 27 feet per second. The 30 ft/sec threshold marks elite speed. Only a handful of players each year have a sprint speed that fast. The slowest runners can average 23 ft/sec or less. Players are judged on how they move around the bases.

"“The Marlins’ recent rebuilding efforts netted them some speed via the trade market. Brinson’s exciting tools made him the centerpiece of last winter’s Christian Yelich deal, and Alfaro is one of just two catchers to average over 28 ft/sec last season … even though the only faster catcher is the one he was traded for, Realmuto,” Adler added."

"“Still, the Marlins have a sizable competitive speed advantage over most teams at backstop.”"