There is one reason (and it is really big) that you could make that Luis Castillo should be near the top of the all-time Miami Marlins list.  Castillo is one of three players who won both of the Marlins’ World Series rings.  Well, sort of.

Coming from the San Pedro de Macoris of the Dominican Republic, Castillo is one of the many on the long list of infielders to come from this baseball factory of a town.  Signed as an Amateur Free Agent in 1992, Castillo made it to the Marlins in 1996 and bounced back and forth between the Minors and Majors until 1998.  Castillo played for Florida in 1997 in the season but was optioned back to the Minors in late July and was not on their World Series-winning roster but did receive a ring for his service that year.

In 1999, Castillo was elevated to Florida’s starting Second Baseman, and he stayed in that role until 2005.  Castillo was a demon on the basepaths, leading the NL in Stolen Bases in 2000 and 2002, and would become a three-time All-Star (2002, 2003 & 2005).  His defense would also become a calling card, winning three Gold Gloves in a row from 2003 to 2005, and while he was not a power hitter by any stretch, he did hit for average, collecting five .300 years as a Marlin before he was traded to Minnesota in the 2005/06 offseason.

As of this writing, Castillo is still the all-time franchise leader in Games Played (1,128), Runs Scored (875), Hits (1,273), Triples (42), and Stolen Bases (281).

As of this writing, the man we are anointing as the greatest Pitcher in Marlins history is Josh Johnson, the lefthander who went to two All-Star Games.

Johnson made his MLB debut in 2005, appearing in four Games, and he was fourth in Rookie of the Year of voting in ’06 on the strength of a 12-7/3.10 ERA year.  Injuries and Tommy John surgery held him to a combined 18 Games in 2007 and 2008, but in 2009, he emerged as the staff ace, going to the All-Star Game with a 15-5 record and a 3.23 ERA.  This was good, but the year after is what placed Johnson this high on the list.

The southpaw repeated as an All-Star and led the NL in ERA (2.30), ERA+ (180), and FIP (2.41).  Johnson was fifth in Cy Young voting, and it looked like he could lead the Marlins for years to come, but he was again injured, through most of the year, this time with back issues.  2012 was not a great year for Johnson, and he was one of the many players who was traded to the Blue Jays at the end of the season in a transaction that will be mentioned often on this list.

With all due respect to Johnson, the fact that he is the man we have placed in this spot is more a reflection of the business practices of the Marlins and the relative youth of the organization.  

Seriously though, how weird is it that Johnson is the top Marlins hurler, with led than 60 Wins and not having anything to do with the team's two World Series wins!  What a strange team.

When we talk about the Marlins players, like we did with Giancarlo Stanton, the real good ones are often traded to avoid paying expanding salaries.  This would also be the case with Hanley Ramirez, but it is also the method in which he arrived.

After playing only two Games for the Red Sox in 2005, he was traded at season's end to Florida as one of the many players sent in exchange for Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell.  Ramirez became an instant player with the Marlins, winning the National League Rookie of the Year.  The Shortstop had no sophomore slump, increasing his stats and finishing tenth for the MVP.

Ramirez had similar stats in 2008, but he was an All-Star this time, and he led the NL in Runs (125).  He would go to All-Star Games in the next two years, with his 2009 being especially remarkable, as he won the Batting Title (.342) and finished second for the MVP to the legendary Albert Pujols.  

The Marlins would do what was typical for them, and they traded Ramirez when they could no longer afford him, with the Dodgers being his landing place, although the Marlins was where by far Ramirez was most successful.

As good as Giancarlo Stanton was, it is Ramirez who is the current franchise leader in Offensive bWAR, a testament to his abilities and a knock on his below average defense.  Ramirez had 1,103 Hits, a .300 Batting Average, and 148 Home Runs.

Drafted in the 2^nd Round of the 2007 Amateur Draft, Giancarlo Stanton would move quickly through the Marlins organization, debuting at age 20 for the parent club in 2010.

Stanton immediately showed off his power game, smacking 22 Home Runs as a rookie in 396 Plate Appearances, and two years later, he won his first Slugging Title (.608) with a trip to his first All-Star Game.  After a sub-par by his standard 2013, Stanton roared back, winning the Home Run (37) and Slugging Title (.555) and was second for the MVP.

Stanton missed many games due to injuries in both 2015 and 2016 but responded with the year of his life and what is to date the best season ever by a Marlin.  He led the NL in Home Runs (59), RBIs (132), Slugging Percentage (.631), and he ran away with the MVP.

As would be the case with the Marlins (which you will see often as you look down this list), the team looked to distance themselves from his growing contract, and to no surprise, the Yankees would be his landing spot.  As of this writing, Stanton is the all-time franchise leader in Home Runs (267), RBIs (672), and bWAR (35.7).