The most efficient top of the batting order for the Miami Marlins

One of the most important things for a team is to have an optimal and efficient batting order. The top of the batting order is especially vital. The lead-off hitter who “sets the table”, the #2 hitter that is often the best hitter on the team, the #3 hitter that is traditionally the best hitter, the “clean-up” power hitter in the #5 spot and the next best at that same spot. Let’s take a look at the top of the batting order for our Miami Marlins.

The Miami Marlins need to have the most efficient top of the batting order to score the most runs possible.

The lead-off spot is very important as I previously mentioned, and that spot on the Miami Marlins belongs to 2B Jazz Chisholm Jr.. I wrote about how important he is to the team before as well. I think that we can safely say that Chisholm is in the right spot in the batting order. He is currently batting .290/.341/.581 and is showing no signs of slowing down. As an elite speedster, he’s right where he needs to be, so we can go as far as to say he’s a contender for the best lead-off hitter in the game. In fact, he leads all current second basemen with 2.0 WAR and is in my opinion the best at the position as well.

The #2 spot in the Miami Marlins batting order is occupied by DH Jesús Aguilar. Aguilar has been red hot as of late, as he is currently batting .277/.333/.426, but he hit .283 with 2 home runs and 4 RBI over the last two weeks and .348 over the last week. Aguilar is good at getting on base and hitting for contact, while also adding some pop with his home runs. This means that he’s in the right spot as well. One can argue that The Fish could use a more consistently great hitter, but for now Aguilar is fine.

What about the #3 spot in the Miami Marlins batting order? It is taken by LF Jorge Soler, who has exploded over the last few weeks. Soler is the quintessential clean-up hitter and in my opinion would be better off at that spot instead. He has lived up to the expectations of being a middle of the order bat with his .429 AVG and 1 home run and 5 RBI last week, and .324 AVG with 4 home runs and 9 RBI over the last two weeks.

The clean-up spot in the Miami Marlins lineup typically goes to RF Avisail Garcia, who unfortunately has been a disappointment this season, Garcia is currently batting .210/.236/.297 and that’s clearly not what The Fish have been thinking by signing him this past off-season. It’s clear that we need a better hitter for one of the #3 or #4 spot, with Soler taking the other one.

The #5 spot has been taken by 3B Brian Anderson, who has also been underwhelming this season. Anderson is currently batting .263/.369/.421, which isn’t bad but is more bottom of the order production.

The Miami Marlins have an above average producing lineup, but one that badly needs another middle of the order bat. Chisholm is the perfect lead-off hitter and Soler is great for the middle of the lineup. Aguilar is solid as well, but it’s the other two spots that need upgrades.