Miami Marlins Spring Training Battles 2020: Rotation Back Half

Miami Marlins pitchers and catchers will report to the team facility in Jupiter for Spring Training on Wednesday. As camp begins, there are a number of positions up in the air, including in the starting rotation.

The Marlins top-three starters should be fairly set for 2020. Lefty Caleb Smith looked like the Marlins’ ace at times last season and is the odds-on favorite to start on Opening Day versus the Philadelphia Phillies on March 26th.

Smith went 10-11 last season and posted a 4.52 ERA and 1.22 WHIP with 168 strikeouts over 153.1 innings pitched. Smith was dominant to start 2019, going 3-0 with 56 strikeouts and a 2.11 ERA over his first 42 2/3 innings pitched. That lasted through mid-May, then he regressed some. If not for a June injury, Smith might have been the Marlins’ All-Star representative. He struggled in September, but is looking for a bounce-back to start 2020. Will Caleb Smith be the Ace We Deserve?

Sandy Alcantara will also be a fixture in the front end of the rotation for the Miami Marlins in 2020. The 2019 All-Star for the club, Alcantara went 6-14 with a 3.88 ERA and 1.31 WHIP with 151 strikeouts over 197 1/3 innings pitched. He wasn’t great post-All-Star, going 0-3 with a 6.91 ERA in July, but Alcantara finished the season with a strong September (2-2; 2.59 ERA).

The No. 3 starter should be Pablo Lopez. He finished 2019 with a 5-8 record. Lopez posted a 5.09 ERA and 1.24 WHIP with 95 strikeouts over 111 1/3 innings pitched. But his major issue last season was a right shoulder injury that put him out of the rotation from mid-June to late-August. Lopez struggled when he made it back to the bigs in August, going 0-3 with a 7.01 ERA and 1.50 WHIP. He’ll need to rediscover his pre-injury form to solidify his spot in the rotation.

Jordan Yamamoto flashed onto the scene in 2019 with a sterling start versus the St. Louis Cardinals. Yamamoto tossed seven scoreless innings in his Major League debut. He then followed that performance with seven more. Through his first six starts with the Marlins, Yamamoto was 4-0 with just six earned runs in 34 innings pitched.

The 23-year-old came back to earth over his next seven starts, losing five straight decisions and seeing his ERA balloon to 4.87. Yamamoto finished 2019 strong, though, striking out 10 over six scoreless innings of work in Citi Field versus the Mets. He finished 2019 with a 4-5 record, posting a 4.46 ERA and 1.14 WHIP with 82 strikeouts over 78 2/3 innings pitched.

If he can find his early form during spring training, Yamamoto will be a lock for the starting rotation. He’s likely to get slotted into that No. 4 starter role.

Elieser Hernandez is the other prime candidate for the backend of the rotation. In 2019, Hernandez went 3-5 with a 5.03 ERA and 1.23 WHIP with 85 strikeouts over 82 1/3 innings pitched. The big problem for the 24-year-old Venezuelan righty was the penchant for giving up the long ball. In 2019, Hernandez surrendered 20 home runs. His 2.2 home runs per nine innings was the highest such mark on the team.

Hernandez made 15 starts in 2019 and made six appearances out of the bullpen. Those six appearances didn’t go well, as he posted a 0-1 record with eight earned runs over 7 2/3 innings pitched. Although the numbers as a starter were better, Hernandez will need to prove to Marlins manager Don Mattingly that he’s a long-term starter for this club. If not, he may be slotted into a long reliever role for 2020.

Robert Dugger was called up to the big club in August of 2019 as an injury replacement. Dugger started the first game of a double-header in New York, but was knocked around for six earned runs in five innings pitched. The 24-year-old showed his mettle with a solid bounce-back performance in his next start. Versus the Cincinnati Reds at the end of the month, Dugger tossed seven scoreless innings.

Dugger finished 2019 with a 0-4 record with the Marlins, posting a 5.77 ERA and 1.45 WHIP with 25 strikeouts over 34 1/3 innings pitched. One of his major issues late last season was surrendering walks. Dugger issued 17 free passes in 2019. He’ll need to demonstrate stronger command during spring training if he’s going to stick with the club.

On Twitter this offseason, Dugger showed he’s added 15 lbs of muscle and added several MPH to his stuff. That would certainly help him stick with the big club.

Jose Urena bounced between the bullpen and the starting rotation last season. A regular starter prior to 2019, Urena finished the season with a 4-10 record. He posted a 5.21 ERA and 1.47 WHIP with 62 strikeouts over 84 2/3 innings pitched. He made 13 starts and 11 appearances out of the bullpen, including finishing eight games and registering three saves.

Urena struggled in 2019 after pitching well in the two years prior. In 2018, Urena finished with a 9-12 record, posting a 3.98 ERA and 1.18 WHIP with 130 strikeouts over 174 innings pitched. In 2017, his record was 14-7 with a 3.82 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 113 strikeouts over 169 2/3 innings pitched.

If the Miami Marlins keep Jose Urena in 2020, it seems as if it will be as a starter according to MLB.com reporter Joe Frisaro.