Are the Miami Marlins in a good spot for the playoff push? 3 reasons why they won't make the playoffs, and 1 hope

The Miami Marlins are tied for the last spot in the wild card with only a handful of weeks left in the season.  The Cubs and Phillies are ahead of the pack but the Diamondbacks, Giants, and Reds are all tied with the Marlins for the final spot.  Do the Marlins have what it takes to make it to the postseason or will they fall to the pressure? There are a lot of factors that could easily go against the Marlins, but as fans have noticed there is one enduring fact that has lasted all season, no matter the odds, never count the Marlins out. The Marlins have overcome many different things this season and seem like a team of destiny, is the dye cast or can they make that final big push to make it to the postseason?

The Marlins just swept the Washington Nationals in a four game set and did so in convincing fashion.  Do the Marlins have the road available to them to make it to the playoffs or will roadblocks get in the way?  There are several different factors that could make it more difficult for the Marlins to make the playoffs and play in October, but there is a glimmer of hope on top of that as well.  Here we will look at three reasons why the Miami Marlins will not be able to make the playoffs this year, and one hope for fans that still can see a path to October. 

Reason number one - Pitching

The Miami Marlins bullpen has not gotten any better than it has been all season, perhaps it has gotten worse.  The Marlins recently dumped Jorge Lopez, as Neil wrote about, who they traded for at the deadline in exchange for Dylan Floro.  The Baltimore Orioles signed Lopez off waivers, returning him to his former team.  

The other trade deadline acquisition to bolster the bullpen was David Robertson and he has struggled to say the least.  Robertson was supposed to be a replacement for struggling closer A.J. Puk, and yet the struggle continued for the Marlins closing games.  Robertson has compiled a 7.50 ERA since joining the Marlins, and has blown three saves in seven chances. 

The two pieces they had hoped to add depth and strength to the bullpen have brought nothing but struggle.  The bullpen the Marlins have currently won’t get it done in the playoffs and bullpen is so important to beat quality teams, so this month will be a struggle.   

Schedule

The Marlins schedule is not doing them any favors as they round out the season.  If they really want to make the playoffs they will have to prove their worth on the big stage.  The Marlins finish the season with several playoff teams surrounding a few easier matchups.  

The Marlins start their schedule Tuesday with the Dodgers in a three game set at home.  They follow up that series with one in Philadelphia to face the Phillies in a three game set.  That series could really have a huge impact on the wild card rankings, and if the Marlins do well they can really help their position.  They follow up that series with a four game set in Milwaukee, and then they return for three game series against the Braves, Mets, and Brewers.  

The Marlins finish out the season on the road with three games against the Mets and three against the Pirates.  That is not the easiest of schedules and the Marlins will have to take advantage of the weaker teams like they did this weekend in DC.

Schedule comparison

The Miami Marlins do have a difficult schedule remaining but they are not alone in that pursuit.  The Marlins are currently tied with the Reds, Diamondbacks, and Giants for the final spot in the playoffs but they are not alone having a tough schedule to finish.  The Reds might have the easiest path but they have to start facing the red hot Mariners.  The Reds also face the Twins and Indians who are playing well and they are on the road more than at home.  

The Diamondbacks have a tough road ahead, probably more difficult than the Marlins.  They face the Cubs 7 times, the Yankees, Astros, and the Giants.  I would say the Diamondback will have to play their best baseball of the season to make the playoffs, and I don’t see it happening.  Finally the Giants schedule is pretty tough, especially to finish out the year.  They start against the Cubs, then they have to face Cleveland, Arizona, then comes the tough end of month slog facing the Dodgers six times and the Padres for a series.  

Yes the Marlins schedule is tough but all those teams have a tough schedule and it comes down to who is hot and when.  Luckily for the Marlins they had their slump in August so now that we got that out of the system they can peak to finish out the season and make it to the playoffs.  It will be an exciting finish either way and all the teams will have a heck of a finish, it will easily come down to the final week of the season.