After a disappointing end to the 2015 season, the Marlins enter 2016 with a big chip on their collective shoulders. A 71-91 final tally was definitely unexpected for the upstart Miami team envisioned. Miami has notched a 21-17 record so far in 2016 with a 13-7 mark on the road, a near-10-game improvement from last year. An injury to star outfielder Giancarlo Stanton was one of the main reasons for the Marlins underwhelming 2015 season. While Stanton was named an All-Star for the third straight year in 2015, he played in under half the games (74).
This season, Stanton has returned to join the formidable core of second baseman Dee Gordon and starting pitcher Jose Fernandez to form one of baseball’s best young trios. Fernandez was last named an All-Star in 2013 — the same season he won the NL Rookie of the Year — but that can be attributed to his injury-plagued 2015.
Fernandez notched a mark of 6-1 last season before injuring his biceps. Nonetheless, Fernandez is still only 23-years old and was the first major league pitcher in the mordern era to win his first 17 home decisions. Backing up Fernandez in the rotation is two 29-year olds (Tom Koehler and David Phelps) which might be the determining factor on whether or not the Marlins can be a consistent threat in the NL East.
With Fernandez leading the way for the pitching staff and Stanton the headliner in the outfield, Gordon might be the most important piece to the Marlins puzzle.
Unfortunately, he was suspended 80 games earlier this season for a PED bust and will miss the bulk of the year. This was following a tremendous year for the star infielder. Named an All-Star for the second consecutive season in 2015, he was also the MLB stolen bases leader for the second the straight year.
The 28-year old had his most complete season to date as he was both a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger winner in 2015. Gordon is what makes the Marlins hitting rotation run smoothly. His combination of speed and athleticism has established the second baseman as potentially a top-five infielder in baseball. Once he returns to the lineup following his suspension, the Marlins will be a significantly better team.
Best Miami Marlins Betting Lines
For any questions regarding when the Marlins will be playing or who they will be matching up with next, check out the tool below for the most current matchups and betting lines.
Miami Marlins Regular Season Schedule
With a regular season that has the most games of any major professional sport in the United States, there will be plenty of opportunities to wager on the Marlins.
From April to October, and potentially November, this tool will give you the rundown on who the Marlins have played against and who they have matched up well with.
Miami Marlins Regular Season Standings
For the most updated look at the National League standings throughout the season, please refer to the breakout box to see where the Marlins stack up in the NL.
When looking at the standings throughout the season, make sure to also keep an eye on how the other teams in the NL East have been performing to see where the Marlins fit in.
Additionally, a useful idea is to check back in with this tool before you make a wager on the Marlins to see which teams have been sliding and also which squads are on the rise.
Online Tips For Miami Marlins Bettors
The biggest factor going against the Marlins is having to play in one of baseball's tougher divisions. With already three other teams with winning records to start the season (Mets, Nationals and surprisingly, the Phillies), the NL East has established itself as the most successful division in baseball to start 2016.
Though the season is definitely stil very young, the Marlins will have a tough road ahead as they will matchup against these teams on multiple occasions. The healthy additions of Stanton and Fernandez will definitely help but Miami will require an admirable team effort to make some noise.
While 2015 might be an aberration, expectations should be tempered when betting on the Marlins. They were only able to notch winning records against four teams last season (the lackluster Reds, Brewers, Rockies and Giants) so they are definitely still well behind the eight ball in most head-to-head matchups. In addition to the above players, the Marlins also feature some consistent veteran leadership in the form of future Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki and reliable catcher Martin Prado.
While this order won't be one of the best in baseball, there are still some definite building pieces to make Miami an intriguing bet in 2016. Especially so if they can keep up this tremendous early pace.
Before you make your final wager, make sure to peruse the table below to see which of the betting outlets is the best fit for you.
