Miami Marlins History: Best Single-Season Hitters

Digging around for something to find without live sports to fall back on sometimes seems to be like swimming in quicksand.

With blessed little in the way of actual team-developments, the Miami Marlins — and the rest of the sports world for that matter — remain in stasis for the immediate future. Any small development takes on grand proportions in relation to how we would react to a much larger development on a “normal” day.

What is there for us to prognosticate about that we haven’t already beat into the ground? Derek Jeter is forgoing his salary until the actual season starts? It was thought until recently that all players in the minor league system would have to do the same, until a recent press release that let us know that they would actually be getting some income. Not like Jeter’s of course, but it’s something.

Oh, did Yasiel Puig come out and say that the Miami Marlins made him an offer? That’s nice, but I’ll take Corey Dickerson over prima donna Puig any day of the week and twice on Sunday. Newsworthy? Again, we’ll take whatever we can get these days. So what’s going on? Are we bloggers at these fan-sites expected to “create” news?

I can’t do anything news-worthy that wouldn’t land me in prison, so I’ll have to dig deep into the old grey matter and try to come up with something that some of you may sort of like….

With that in mind, I decided to look at the best single-season Florida and Miami Marlins through their 27-season major league history. This isn’t a list about the best single-seasons in Marlins history, it’s a list about guys who landed with the team for a single-year and did their best with it. Before I get into the top 10 hitters to spend just one year with the Fish, here’s a look at who just missed the cut, out of 42 single-season Marlins with over 100 plate appearances, ranked by OPS+.

11. Garrett Jones 2014: 100 OPS+
12. Neil Walker 2019: 98 OPS+
13. Luis Gonzalez 2008: 95 OPS+
14. Jorge Alfaro 2019: 95 OPS+
15. Jose Lopez 2011: 95 OPS+
16. Harold Ramirez 2019: 93 OPS+
17. Todd Hollandsworth 2003: 93 OPS+
18. Ross Gload 2009: 90 OPS+
19. Henry Cotto 1993: 90 OPS+
20. Todd Linden 2007: 87 OPS+

As a footnote to this list, Jones, ranked above as having the 11th best single-season Marlins season in history, had an OPS+ of 100, dead-pegged at the National League average. The 10 players on the following pages were the only 10 to gain an “above average” season, as OPS+ defines it.

Jon Berti 2019: 102 OPS+

Jon Berti signed with the Miami Marlins through free agency on December 3, 2018. Already 29-years-old at the start of the 2019 campaign, Berti joined the team as a veteran of four major league games with the Toronto Blue Jays. In 2018, he went four-for-15 with a double, a triple, two RBI, and a stolen base for the only remaining team in Canada.

Expectations were low for Berti, who was extended a non-roster invitation to Miami’s spring training. A seven-for-28 performance and three stolen bases in three tries were enough for the Miami Marlins to keep Berti, at least with their Triple-A level New Orleans Baby Cakes in the Pacific Coast League. In 13 contests for the Cakes, Berti was 10-for-35 with 13 walks, a .490 OBP that kept the Troy, MI native close to a recall to the majors.

On April 20, Berti joined the Miami Marlins and hit .237 in a month of work, with a pair of homers and one stolen base. A strained left oblique put the kibosh on Berti’s coming out party, and laid him up for a month, followed by a month of rehab with the Baby Cakes.

Berti returned to the Miami Marlins proper on August 31, and remained with the parent club through the rest of the campaign. His first nine games back would see him hit .395, going 15-for-38 with six multi-hit games. In 73 games total, Berti hit .273/.348/.406 with six home runs and 24 RBI. He stole 17-of-20 bases, ranking sixth in the National League with an 85 percent success rate.

Adding to Berti’s productivity was his ability to fit in anywhere he was needed on the diamond. He provided more-or-less average defense at all five positions he appeared at, shortstop, third base, and all three outfield positions. He didn’t even make an appearance at his natural position of second base.

Jose Reyes 2012: 109 OPS+

Through the first nine seasons of Jose Reyes‘ major league career, he hit .292/.341/.441 with 370 stolen bases and four All Star selections for the New York Mets. In 2012, he was one of the “new guys” to join the new look and newly named Miami Marlins.

Reyes, a six-foot-even, 195 lb. middle infielder from Santiago, DR, made his major league debut as a teenager, a day before his 20th birthday in 2003, going two-for-four with a double in a 9-7 loss to the Texas Rangers.

Reyes joined the Miami Marlins via free agency on a six-year, $106 million deal, although since you know the context of this slideshow, you realize he only played one season with the club. He led the N.L. with 716 plate appearances, leading the Marlins by appearing in 160 contests. He hit .287/.347/.433 with 11 home runs, 57 RBI, and 40 stolen bases in 51 attempts, while drawing 63 walks to only 56 strikeouts as Miami’s shortstop.

After the all-star break, Reyes put together a 26-game hit streak, going 38-for-104 with 15 extra base hits. On August 20, in a 12-3 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks, Reyes went four-for-five with three doubles and a pair of RBI.

After the close of the season, Reyes was traded away along with Emilio Bonifacio, John Buck, Mark Buehrle, and Josh Johnson to the Toronto Blue Jays for Henderson Alvarez, Anthony DeSclafani, Yunel Escobar, Adeiny Hechavarria, Jake Marisnick, Jeff Mathis, and Justin Nicolino. Reyes played two-and-a-half seasons with the Jays before landing with the Colorado Rockies for a half-season to close out 2015. He played his last three season back where he started, with the Mets.

Bruce Aven 1999: 112 OPS+

Bruce Aven was a five-foot-nine, 180 lb. righty-hitting outfielder from Orange, TX. Initially chosen in the 30th round of the 1994 MLB Amateur Entry Draft by the Cleveland Indians, he made his major league debut with them three years later. In 13 contests with the Tribe that year, he was four-for-19 with two RBI.

The 1998 campaign for Aven was spent mostly on the sideline, as he recovered from season-ending Tommy John surgery in June. In five games, he was three-for-15 with the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons in the International League. During Aven’s rehab, the Indians waived him, and the Florida Marlins took him on October 28.

1999 would see Aven perform well in his only season for the Marlins. His 137 games played would be more than he accrued in his other four major league seasons, with the Indians, the Pittsburgh Pirates, and the Los Angeles Dodgers, and also ranked third on the team. Aven hit .289/.370/.444 for Florida, with a dozen homers and a team-second 70 RBI.

On May 7, Aven put in his most impactful performance of the season in a single plate appearance. Trailing the Dodgers, 3-2 in the top of the seventh inning, Aven hit a pinch-grand slam to set the eventual final score at 6-3. His resultant .390 WPA was his highest such mark of the season by a wide margin.

Aven appeared in all three outfield positions for the Marlins, but he was without a doubt his best in left, where he was worth 10 Zone Fielding Runs better than average, when his 546 innings at the position is pro-rated over a 1200 inning season. After the season ended, the Marlins sent Aven to the Pirates for Brant Brown.

Aven played 72 games with the Bucs, 30 for the Dodgers, and seven more where he started, with the Tribe in 2002. His 1999 for the Marlins was, without a doubt, the best season of his career.

Aaron Boone 2007: 113 OPS+

Aaron Boone is part of one of baseball’s few three-generational families, following grandfather Ray, father Bob, and brother Bret. Nephew Jake could make them the first fourth-generation family, should he get drafted out of Princeton later this year.

Aaron is a six-foot-two, 190 lb. right-handed corner infielder from La Mesa, CA. Initially chosen by the California Angels in round 43 of the 1991 MLB Amateur Entry Draft, he didn’t sign. Improving his draft-stock with a strong collegiate career, the Cincinnati Reds took him in the third round three years later.

Prior to making his way to the Marlins for his age-34 season, Boone played in 969 contests at the major league level for the Reds (668 games), the New York Yankees (54 games), and the Indians (247 games). Following the 2006 season, Boone signed on with the Florida Marlins through free agency for the veteran’s minimum, at the time $925,000 for a player with Boone’s specific service time.

Although Boone only appeared in 69 games for the Marlins in 2007, he slashed .286/.388/.423 with five taters and 28 RBI. Despite collecting less than a third of the plate appearances, Boone tied Dan Uggla for second on the team with 13 HBP. Defensively, Boone put up a .987 fielding percentage in 388 innings at first base, and handled 15 chances at third base without making a flub. Again granted free agency following the season, Boone later played with the Washington Nationals (104 games) and the Houston Astros (10 games).

Todd Zeile 1998: 116 OPS+

Todd Zeile was a third baseman and a catcher by trade. A six-foot-one, 200 lb. product of Hart HS in Newhall, CA, he was initially drafted in the 30th round of the 1983 MLB Amateur Entry Draft by the Kansas City Royals.

Zeile attended UCLA for three seasons following his first selection in the draft, then came back to get chosen in the second round by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1986. He made his major league debut for the club in 1989, but his journey was then only just getting started.

Zeile would go on to appear with a total of 11 teams over his 16-season major league career. In 1998, the season he spent with the Florida Marlins, he neither began or ended the year with the club. He started the year with the Los Angeles Dodgers, then on May 14 was involved in a historical trade along with Mike Piazza. Notably, he and Piazza were traded to the Florida Marlins for Manuel Barrios, Bobby Bonilla, Jim Eisenreich, Charles Johnson, and Gary Sheffield. Piazza played five games in Florida, Zeile stuck around for 66. At the trade deadline, he was sent to the Texas Rangers for Dan DeYoung and Jose Santos.

In 10 of the 11 seasons between 1990 and 2000, Zeile ranked as “above average” in terms of OPS+, with marks over 100. His partial-season OPS+ of 116 with the Marlins represented one of the better stretches of his career. He hit .291/.374/.427 with six home runs and 39 RBI.

Zeile eventually appeared in 2,158 games in total, also playing with the Chicago Cubs, the Philadelphia Phillies, the Baltimore Orioles, the New York Mets, the Colorado Rockies, the New York Yankees, and the Montreal Expos in addition to the teams already mentioned in this story. His combination of power and consistency went under recognized through his career, with zero All Star invitations.

Per Elias Sports Bureau, in the All-Star game era there have been 97 players with 250 career home runs and 2,000 hits, and Zeile is the only one who did not make an All-Star game. – Christina Kahrl, ESPN.COM

Ivan Rodriguez 2003: 120 OPS+

For the first dozen years of his major league career, Ivan Rodriguez backstopped the Texas Rangers. From age 19 through age 30, Rodriguez hit .305/.342/.489 with 215 homers and 829 RBI, stealing 80 bases in 1,479 contests and making nine All Star teams for the American League.

Prior to the 2003 season, 10-time Gold Glover Rodriguez signed with the Florida Marlins for one-year and $10 million.

Now I have to help the Marlins win a lot of games. – Rodriguez, as quoted by Jack Curry in the New York Times.

From 1992 through 2007, Rodriguez failed to make the All Star team only twice, in 2002 for the Rangers, then the next year, his only one with the Marlins. That’s not to say he had a subpar year for the Fish. In 144 games, Rodriguez hit .297/.369/.474 with 16 homers and 85 RBI. He also stole 10 bases and finished with multiple hits in 45 games altogether, including 13 games where he collected at least three.

On April 8, Pudge had a unique batting line in a 4-2 loss to the Mets. In five plate appearances, he walked five times, adding a stolen base for good measure. On July 13, in an 11-4 win against the Expos, he was four-for-four with three doubles and five RBI.

Of course, Rodriguez was instrumental in helping the Marlins to a 91-71 record and their second-ever playoff position, leading the team with a WAR of 4.5. Defensively, Rodriguez joined the Marlins with six seasons of 50-plus percent base-stealers getting cut down by his laser-rocket arm in the bag. For Florida, he fielded at a .992 clip and threw out 33 percent of would-be thieves.

In the postseason, Rodriguez went 21-for-67 with three homers and 17 RBI in Florida’s 17 contests on their way to their second World Series Championship. Pudge was named the NLCS MVP after going nine-for-28 with two homers and 10 RBI in the Marlins’ seven-game series win over the Cubs.

Rodriguez followed his season with the Marlins by joining the Detroit Tigers for the next four-and-a-half seasons. He later appeared with the Yankees, the Houston Astros, again with the Rangers, and the Washington Nationals. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first look, back in 2017. Since then, his sone Dereck has made his major league debut and gone 12-15 with a 4.10 ERA in two seasons pitching for the San Francisco Giants.

Moises Alou 1997: 130 OPS+

Another multi-generational major leaguer, outfielder Moises Alou was an eventual 17-season major league veteran and a six-time All Star.

Alou was originally chosen in the first round of the Pirates in 1986, second overall off the board. Sometimes it’s good to be royalty, but Alou had more going for him than just his pedigree. Although he was never the fastest, the strongest, or the best fielder, he was always above average in all facets of the game.

Alou made his major league debut for the Pirates in 1990, and went one-for-five in two appearances. On August 8, the Prates sent Willie Greene, Scott Ruskin, and a player to be named later to the Expos for Zane Smith. Eight days later, Alou was sent over to complete the terms of the deal.

Alou would play for the Expos in 608 contests over the next six calendar years, hitting .292/.349/.489 with 84 dingers and 373 RBI, also making his first All Star appearance in 1994. On December 12, 1996, five days after being granted his free agency, Alou signed with the Marlins for five years and $25 million.

Alou’s lone season for the Marlins, 1997, would see him appear in a then-career-high 150 games and hit .292/.373/.493, with 23 home runs and a career-best 115 RBI. He also drew a career-second-best 70 walks while striking out 85 times for a pretty good K/BB of 1.21. His 3.5 WAR ranked him second of the Marlins non-pitchers, behind only Charles Johnson’s 4.4 mark.

Through the postseason, Alou went 13-for-57 with three homers and 15 RBI. He saved his best for the seven game World Series against the Indians, going nine-for-28 and clubbing all three homers with nine RBI as the Marlins claimed their first World Series Championship. Following the season, Alou was sent to the Houston Astros for Manuel Barrios, Oscar Henriquez, and Mark Johnson in trade.

Alou played three seasons with the Astros, followed by three with the Cubs, a pair of campaigns with the Giants, and two with the Mets to close out his career after the 2008 season. He retired with 332 home runs in 1,942 career contests.

Hee-Seop Choi 2004: 132 OPS+

Six-foot-five, 235 lb. lefty-hitting first baseman Hee-Seop Choi is a native of Hwasun, South Korea. A well-regarded prospect, Choi was ranked as highly as number 22 in all of baseball, in Baseball America’s pre-2003 poll.

After signing with the Chicago Cubs through free agency, Choi made his professional debut in 2000, and his first major league appearance two seasons later. In 2002, in 24 games for the Cubs, Choi went nine-for-50 from the plate with two home runs. 2003 would see him hit .218 in 80 contests for Chicago, with eight homers and 28 RBI. After the 2003 campaign, the Cubs traded Choi with Mike Nannini to the Florida Marlins for Derrek Lee.

Choi hit .270/.388/.495 in 95 games for Florida in 2004, with 15 home runs and 40 RBI. His 132 OPS+ led the club despite his limited time, just ahead Miguel Cabrera‘s mark of 130. On April 10, Choi lifted two out of the park in a 5-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies.

At the trade deadline, the Marlins traded Choi with Bill Murphy and Brad Penny to the Dodgers for Juan Encarnacion, Paul Lo Duca, and Guillermo Mota. After slashing .238/.328/.419 for LA in just over a season with the club, Choi was selected off waivers by the Boston Red Sox, and later signed as a free agent with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He never appeared in the majors for either club, and eventually signed with the Kia Tigers in the Korean Baseball Organization. In eight years there, he hit .281/.388/.479 with 100 home runs and 393 RBI.

Carlos Delgado 2005: 160 OPS+

Of the 42 one-and-done players to play for the Marlins for a single season, none were even in the same time zone as Carlos Delgado‘s 2005 campaign.

Delgado started his major league career in 1993 with the Toronto Blue Jays, and remained with the club for a dozen seasons in total. In a franchise-second 1,423 games for the Jays, Delgado hit .282/.392/.556 with a team-record 336 home runs and a team-record 1058 RBI.

On January 25, 2005, left-handed hitting Delgado signed a deal to play for the Marlins for four-seasons and $52 million. He led the team with 33 home runs, tied with Miguel Cabrera, and his 115 RBI was one fewer than the young-then-left fielder.

More from Marlins History

• Miami Marlins One-Year Wonder 1B
• Miami Marlins players & the 2023 Hall of Fame
• Former Miami Marlins star is retiring
• Gary Sheffield or Mark Buehrle, will either Marlin make the Hall of Fame?
• Why don’t we see more dynasties? Part 3

As Florida’s first baseman, Delgado hit .301/.399/.582 in 144 contests. His OBP and his SLG led the team, while his batting average ranked third. On May 29, Delgado drew a walk in the second, got to first via a Tom Glavine HBP in the third, scored Juan Pierre on a single in the fifth, then drove in himself, Luis Castillo, and Cabrera with a round-tripper in the seventh of a 6-3 win over the New York Mets.

After the 2005 season, Delgado was traded by Florida with cash to the Mets for Grant Psomas, Mike Jacobs, and Yusmeiro Petit. Delgado played another four seasons of major league ball for the Mets, hitting .267/.351/.506 with another 104 dingers and 339 RBI. After 17 seasons, he had collected 473 moonshots and 1512 RBI. In 2015, he only garnered 3.8 percent of the BBWAA vote to get into the Hall of Fame, falling off the ballot without any fanfare. They still let in Harold Baines, so what do I know?

Thanks for reading.