Miami Marlins: Looking Back at the 2021 Opening Day Roster

We obviously know how the 2021 Miami Marlins season played-out overall as the Marlins finished fourth in the NL East with a 67-95 overall record. However, what about the players who composed the 2021 Opening Day roster?

Looking Back at the Miami Marlins 2021 Opening Day Roster

The Marlins 2021 Opening Day roster was composed of a few new faces to the organization through offseason signings and trades, as well as a few players who had been in Miami for previous’ seasons.

This will take a look at that 26-man roster, as well as how each player performed with Miami during the 2021 season, starting with catcher.

Catcher: Jorge Alfaro, Chad Wallach

When healthy, Alfaro remained as the Marlins primary catcher throughout the 2021 season, while also seeing time in left field and first base. Appearing in a total of 92 games, Alfaro slashed .244/.283/.342 offensively with four home runs, 30 RBI’s, and eight stolen bases.

Wallach would only appear in 23 games with the Marlins during the 2021 season where the catcher slashed .200/.242/.267 with six RBI’s. Wallach would be selected off waivers in late-July by the Los Angeles Dodgers, and would also see time in the Los Angeles Angels organization as well.

First Base: Jesus Aguilar, Garrett Cooper

Aguilar was a mainstay of the Marlins 2021 everyday lineup at first base before suffering an injury in early-September that ended his season. Appearing in a total of 131 games with Miami, Aguilar slashed .261/.329/.459 with 22 home runs and 93 RBI’s, leading the team in RBI’s while tied for home runs.

Cooper on the other hand appeared in a total of 71 games with Miami this past season, with a majority actually coming in right field. Before suffering a season-ending injury in mid-July, Cooper slashed .284/.380/.465 with nine home runs and 33 RBI’s as an impactful run-producing bat in Miami’s lineup.

Second Base: Jazz Chisholm, Jon Berti

Chisholm began the 2021 season as the Marlins starting second baseman, and finished what was a phenomenal rookie season as the starting second baseman as well. Appearing in 124 total games, Chisholm slashed .248/.303/.425 with 18 home runs, 53 RBI’s, and 23 stolen bases.

Berti was an important player for the early-part of the 2021 Marlins season as many key starters on the roster went down with injuries. Seeing time almost everywhere, but primarily at third base, Berti appeared in a total of 85 games where he slashed .210/.311/.313 with four home runs, 19 RBI’s, and eight stolen bases before suffering a season-ending injury in late-July.

Shortstop: Miguel Rojas

Rojas was the Marlins starting shortstop throughout the 2021 season appearing in a total of 132 games with Miami. Across that span, Rojas slashed .265/.322/.392 with nine home runs, 48 RBI’s, and 13 stolen bases as the Marlins hits leader during the 2021 season.

Third Base: Brian Anderson

Anderson began the 2021 season as the Marlins starting third baseman, but only appeared in 67 total games due to a season shortened by injuries. Anderson slashed .249/.337/.378 with seven home runs, 28 RBI’s, and five stolen bases during the 2021 season before suffering a season-ending injury in late-August.

Left Field: Corey Dickerson, Lewis Brinson

Dickerson began the year as the Marlins starting left fielder, and appeared in 63 games with Miami where he slashed .283/.324/.380 with two home runs and 14 RBI’s. Traded mid-season to the Toronto Blue Jays, Dickerson would go-on to appear in 46 games with the Blue Jays.

Brinson also saw a majority of his time in left field for the Marlins in 2021, while also seeing time in both center and right field. Brinson would appear in 89 games with Miami this past season in which he slashed .226/.263/.376 with nine home runs and 33 RBI’s.

Center Field: Starling Marte, Magneuris Sierra

One of the most-impactful members of the Marlins lineup for the first-half of the season, Starling Marte appeared in 64 games with Miami during the 2021 season in which he slashed .305/.405/.451 with seven home runs, 25 RBI’s, and 22 stolen bases. Marte was traded to Oakland at the 2021 MLB Trade Deadline where he would go-on to play in 56 games with the Athletics.

Sierra also spent time in left and right field, but a majority of his time with the Marlins came in center field. Sierra would appear in 123 games with the Marlins in which he slashed .230/.281/.268 with five RBI’s and 11 stolen bases.

Right Field: Adam Duvall

Duvall was one of the top run-producers for the Marlins this past season slashing .229/.277/.478 with 22 home runs and 68 RBI’s, while tying for the team-lead in home runs with the previously mentioned Aguilar. Duvall was traded to Atlanta at the 2021 MLB Trade Deadline where he would play a key role for the Braves winning the 2021 World Series.

Bullpen: Yimi Garcia

Cemented as the Marlins closer entering the 2021 season, Garcia would appear in 39 games with Miami this past season in which he posted a 3-7 record with a 3.47 ERA and 15 saves. Pitching a total of 36.1 innings with 35 strikeouts and 13 walks, Garcia was traded to the Houston Astros at the 2021 MLB Trade Deadline where he would appear in 23 games.

Bullpen: Dylan Floro

Acquired from Los Angeles in the offseason, Floro appeared in a career-high 68 games with the Marlins posting a 6-6 record with a 2.81 ERA. Emerging as Miami’s closer toward the end of the season, Floro collected 15 saves, as well as 62 strikeouts to 25 walks.

Bullpen: Richard Bleier

Bleier would appear in 68 total games with the Marlins during the 2021 season in which the left-hander posted a combined 3-2 record with a 2.95 ERA. Bleier pitched a total of 58 innings, and walked only six batters compared to 44 strikeouts.

Bullpen: Adam Cimber

Cimber appeared in a total of 33 games with the Marlins this past season before being traded to the Toronto Blue Jays. Across those 34.1 innings, Cimber posted a 1-2 record with a 2.88 ERA with 11 walks and 21 strikeouts.

Bullpen: Anthony Bass

Bass appeared in 70 games with the Marlins during the 2021 season in which the right-hander posted a 3-9 record with a 3.82 ERA. Pitching a total of 61.1 innings, Bass struck out 58 batters compared to 24 walks.

Bullpen: John Curtiss

Curtiss pitched a total of 40 innings across 35 appearances with the Marlins in which the right-hander posted a 3-1 record with a 2.48 ERA. Striking out 40 batters compared to nine walks, Curtiss was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers at the 2021 MLB Trade Deadline where he appeared in six games.

Bullpen: Ross Detwiler

Detwiler would appear in 46 games with the Marlins where the southpaw posted a 2-1 record with a 4.96 ERA. Pitching a total of 45.1 innings, Detwiler allowed 15 walks, while striking out 56.

Bullpen: Zach Pop

Pop posted a strong rookie season in which the right-hander appeared in 50 games with the Marlins. Pitching a total of 54.2 innings, Pop posted a 1-0 record with a 4.12 ERA with 24 walks and 51 strikeouts.

Bullpen: Paul Campbell

Acquired in the 2020 Rule 5 Draft, Campbell only appeared in 16 games with the Marlins pitching a total of 26.2 innings. Campbell posted a 2-3 record with a 6.41 ERA across that span with 10 walks and 26 strikeouts.