Miami Marlins In the MLB Basement in Offensive Production

We are a little over a month into the 2023 MLB season and the Miami Marlins are ranked near or at the bottom in several key offensive categories. There is no reason to panic as the season is young and the Marlins still remain in good position in the National League East but things certainly need to improve if they hope to make it to October. Looking at the makeup of the Marlins from a wide lens the problem that really needs to be addressed is the middle of the lineup.

The most surprising statistic when looking at the MLB rankings for the Marlins is that they are 14th in average and hits, which would seem to say they should be doing very well offensively and yet they aren't excelling in so many areas. Looking at the biggest factors in a teams ability to win a game, hits often come up as a top priority but in addition to that the next biggest factor is RBI and home runs. The Marlins rank 25th in the MLB in home runs with Jorge Soler leading the team with seven, followed by Jazz Chisholm with five.

Being ranked 25th in the MLB in home runs wouldn't be the worst thing so long as you are still driving in runs with your other hits, yet the Marlins rank dead last in the MLB in RBI. The Marlins are 19 RBI behind 25th place in the MLB and 102 RBI behind the first place Tampa Bay Rays. Jorge Soler leads the team as well in RBI with 14 followed by both Chisholm and Garrett Cooper tied for second with 13 each. By comparison the Mets, who are ranked in the middle of the MLB in RBI, have two players with over 20 RBI with 29 and 25.

Overall the Marlins stars need to step up in clutch moments and drive in runs to support the pitching staff as well as the team momentum. Since the Marlins are also tied for last in walks and are 23rd in OBP, they need to truly take advantage of when they have runners on the bases. Soler, Chisholm, Cooper, and De La Cruz all need to increase their run production if this team is going to hang around for the playoffs.