Miami Marlins: Looking back at the 2009 Florida Marlins

When taking a look back at the year-by-year history of the Miami Marlins, the last time the franchise was above .500 over a full 162-game season was back in 2009 with the-then Florida Marlins.

Yes, the Marlins made the postseason recently by finishing 31-29 during the shortened 60-game 2020 season. However, as you can see, it was not over a full 162-game season.

The Marlins would finish the 2009 season with an 87-75 overall record, good for second in the NL East. Looking back as well, the Marlins .537% win-loss percentage in 2009 is the third highest in franchise history, behind only 1997 and 2003, the two years that the Marlins won the World Series.

One of the best years in the franchise’s history, the club enjoyed success in 2009, despite not making the postseason. While you may remember a few players from that team from either what they did that year or after, just who was on the 2009 Florida Marlins?

Which players were on the 2009 Florida Marlins?

Infield

The Marlins middle infield of 2009 NL MVP runner-up Hanley Ramirez (led NL with .342 AVG and led Marlins with 7.3 WAR) and Dan Uggla combined for 55 home runs, while starting first baseman Jorge Cantu also joined Ramirez that year as the lone Marlins with 100+ RBI’s. Emilio Bonifacio and John Baker also started primarily at third base and catcher, while Ronny Paulino, Ross Gload, Wes Helms, and Nick Johnson all saw 150+ at-bat’s during the 2009 season as well.

Outfield

The outfield was headlined from left-to-right by 2009 NL Rookie of the Year winner Chris Coghlan, Cody Ross, and Jeremy Hermida, a group that combined to hit 46 home runs with each player posting an OPS above .700. In addition to those three, Cameron Maybin and Brett Carroll also saw a significant number of appearances.

Starting Rotation

The ace of Florida’s 2009 rotation was Josh Johnson, a first-time All-Star who posted a 3.23 ERA across 33 starts, while also ranking second on the team with a 6.7 WAR. Ricky Nolasco, Chris Volstad, and Sean West also made 20+ starts that season, while Anibal Sanchez, Andrew Miller, and Rick van den Hurk were also key members of the rotation.

Bullpen

Closer Juan Carlos Oviedo led the Marlins with 26 saves during the 2009 season, while Matt Lindstrom also added 15. Multiple others also saw a signifiant number of appearances with five other relievers all pitching 50+ innings in 2009 – Renyel Pinto, Kiko Calero, Dan Meyer, Burke Badenhop, and Brian Sanches.