Marlins: Being Thankful for a Plethora of Young Arms

As the Marlins and the rest of Major League Baseball celebrates Thanksgiving, the organization should be thankful for its young pitching staff.

If there is one thing the Miami Marlins organization should be thankful for, it’s the youth that u=is abundant on every level of this organization. From Batavia to South Florida, there are young players looking to make an impact that hopefully leads to a trip to The Show at some point in the near future.

Like every other MLB team this holiday season, the blessings are many for the Marlins, despite a 57-105 record in 2019 and a lack of production from the offense in so many categories. But ever the optimist, there is help on the way, potentially as soon as March.

That alone should crack a smile from a patient fan base and a front office that hopes the third season of this new plan to build the franchise from its foundation pays off. As Richard Justice of MLB.com points out in his most recent piece, pitching is the real reason the Marlins should be thankful as the group of talented arms will soon pay off after struggling last season.

“With Sandy Alcantara, Jordan Yamamoto, Pablo López and top prospect Sixto Sanchez, there are a lot of really interesting young arms in this organization,” Justice writes. “They all have some work to do, but it’s not hard to envision one of the more dynamic young pitching staffs in MLB in a year or two.”

More from Marlins News

• Miami Marlins news: Another target gone
• Why didn’t the Miami Marlins sign JDM?
• Miami Marlins rejected Boston‘s trade offer
• Miami Marlins are pursuing Michael Conforto
• Miami Marlins need to spend to win

I told a friend of mine, who covers minor league baseball, I believe the Marlins have the arms to become a different version of the Atlanta Braves from the 1990s. I also think there may be some truth to the notion that the players who are moving up in the minors may be better than some of the talent already on the team’s Major League roster.

He did not scoff at the idea, but he wasn’t completely on board with the whole notion, either.

Sanchez, Edward Cabrera, and Nick Neidert are the next wave of young arms to process through Double-A and Triple-A before making a trip to Miami. Then, there are still plenty of pitchers to call on down the road in Braxton Garrett, Trevor Rogers, and Jorge Guzman. Cabrera, Garrett, and Rogers were part of the organization before the new ownership group led by Derek Jeter took over.

It’s also a tip of the cap to Jeter for knowing what he is doing in producing the idea that pitching will win championships down the line long before the franchise looked to add more in-field talent.
Neidert could crack the starting rotation out of Spring Training. Cabrera and Sanchez should make their debut during the season. Guzman may still be groomed as a closer of the future – at least I hope so.

If the Marlins continue on this path – which may be altered slightly this offseason if Jeter determines he can find a decent bat for a less than sizeable trade, then maybe one of these pitchers gets dealt over the winter. Until that happens, the Marlins front office should be thankful for the riches of its pitching staff and the future that looks bright on the mound.