Top 50 Miami Marlins
Along with the Colorado Rockies, the Florida Marlins came into existence in 1993, although they have been far more successful than their expansion counterparts.
The Marlins won the Pennant in only their fourth year of existence, but surely, they could not beat the New York Yankees for the World Series! Florida did precisely that, shocking the world, and then they surprised everyone by conducting a fire sale, dismantling the team, and starting from scratch.
Florida again built a good team in 2003 and once again befuddled the baseball world by winning their second World Series. True to form, they repeated what they did after 1997 by cost-cutting and getting rid of the parts that won it for them.
Since that time, the Marlins changed their team name to the Miami Marlins but have remained to operate as a small market team.
This list is up to the end of the 2024 regular season.
Note: Baseball lists are based on an amalgamation of tenure, traditional statistics, advanced statistics, playoff statistics, and post-season accolades.
Kevin Millar arrived in Miami in 1998 as the ultimate baseball outcast. Undrafted and forced to start his professional journey in the independent leagues, he famously served as a replacement player during the 1995 spring training, a decision that permanently barred him from the Major League Baseball Players Association. Despite this "union-less" status, he operated with a specialized, blue-collar intensity that transformed him from a $5,000 minor-league purchase into one of the most reliable bats in South Florida. After a brief stint in the Majors in 1998, Millar reached a plateau of efficiency as a part-time player, eventually forcing his…
Alex Gonzalez arrived in Miami in late 1998, stepping into a clubhouse still smelling of the championship champagne from the year before, and the fire sale that followed. He was the young, slick-fielding prospect meant to solidify the shortstop position for a new era of Marlins baseball. In 1999, Gonzalez quickly rose to success, making the All-Star Team as a 22-year-old rookie. He combined gap power and defensive range that the organization believed would make him a star. However, early on, a key flaw emerged: complete resistance to the walk. That season, he had a career-high 155 hits but a…
Tanner Scott had five nondescript seasons with the Baltimore Orioles before he was traded to the Marlins, where he had the best run of his career. His first season in Miami (2022) was largely consistent with his previous endeavors; however, in the subsequent season, the control he had been striving for throughout his career fully manifested. In 2023, Scott achieved an extraordinary level of statistical impact, posting a 9-win campaign and an impressive 2.31 ERA. He demonstrated comprehensive mastery in high-pressure situations, leading the National League in both Win Probability Added (WPA) and Championship Win Probability Added (cWPA). He became…
We are very aware that Luis Arraez has only been with Miami for one year, but as we have said before: The Marlins have not been around long. They don’t keep good players when it is time for them to get paid. Luis Arráez arrived in Miami in early 2023 with a specialized task: prove that his American League batting title wasn't a product of the Twin Cities climate. Acquired in a high-leverage swap for Pablo López, Arráez operated with a bat-to-ball precision that hasn't been seen in South Florida since the days of Luis Castillo. Arráez spent much of…
Steve Cishek arrived in Miami as a fifth-round pick in 2007, a gangly right-hander whose sidearm delivery and sinking velocity made him an immediate intrigue for the organization's bullpen. After a brief run in 2010, in which he threw over four scoreless innings, he returned in 2011 to become a permanent fixture in the late innings. While he showcased an ability to induce ground balls and missing bats, his 2012 transition to closer sealed his status as a top late-inning reliever. Taking over for struggling Heath Bell, Cishek led the National League with 62 games finished, recording 15 saves. His…
Mike Redmond arrived in South Florida in 1992 as one of the first building blocks of the expansion Marlins, signing as an undrafted free agent out of Gonzaga. While he didn't carry the "first-round" pedigree of his teammates, he operated with a gritty, professional durability that kept him in the organization for over a decade. After six years of grinding in the system, Redmond hit an immediate impact peak in May 1998, going 3-for-3 with a home run in his first major league game. He demonstrated complete strike zone control during his rookie year, batting.331 and showing his bat was…
Mark Kotsay came to South Florida in 1997 as the top amateur, after winning the Golden Spikes Award and College World Series at Cal State Fullerton. Drafted ninth in 1996, he quickly reached the majors in under a year. In 1998, Kotsay excelled defensively, leading all Major League outfielders with 20 assists. He had a strong, cannon-like arm that discouraged baserunners. Despite team struggles after the veteran purge, Kotsay's rookie season was impressive, batting .279 with 11 home runs and a 3.9 bWAR, the highest on the team. He demonstrated complete control of center field, showing that his amateur skills…
Henderson Alvarez arrived in Miami as a central piece of the massive 2012 trade with Toronto, a young right-hander with a heavy sinker and a flair for the dramatic. While his residency in South Florida was ultimately cut short by the recurring fragility of his shoulder, he operated with a specialized efficiency that made him, for a brief window, the most dominant arm in the rotation. After missing the first half of 2013 due to shoulder inflammation, Alvarez achieved his peak performance on the season's last day. He delivered a masterful no-hitter against the Detroit Tigers, a remarkable feat that…
Oft-injured with the Toronto Blue Jays, Al Leiter bolted from the Jays as a Free Agent in 1996 for the sunnier skies of Florida. It was there that he was finally healthy and showed what he was capable of all along. In 1996, he had his most successful year in professional baseball, posting 16 wins and a career-low ERA of 2.93. On May 11, he demonstrated exceptional command of the mound by pitching a no-hitter against the Rockies, a significant milestone for the young franchise. That summer, he achieved a historic milestone by earning his first All-Star selection, demonstrating that when…
The Marlins plucked Antonio Alfonseca, a right-handed prospect plucked from the Montreal Expos organization in the minor league phase of the draft. While he was physically unique, possessing six fingers on each hand due to polydactyly, he operated on the mound with a heavy, specialized sinker that made him one of the most polarizing closers of his era. In 1997, Alfonseca achieved team success as a rookie with 6.1 scoreless postseason innings, helping the Marlins win their first World Series. He demonstrated mastery of his sinker in subsequent years, reaching a career-high in 2000, with 45 saves that summer, earning…
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Pat Rapp arrived in South Florida in 1993, a right-handed starter from the Giants in the expansion draft to help build the Marlins’ rotation. Though he later became a journeyman across leagues, he demonstrated durability during the franchise’s early years, providing essential support for a growing expansion team. Rapp had his best season in 1995, posting a 14-7 record and an excellent 3.44 ERA. He demonstrated complete control of the mound on September 18, 1995, when he authored a one-hit shutout against the Rockies at Coors Field, a rare achievement that remains one of the most dominant pitching performances in…
Josh Willingham, an unnoticed 17th-round pick, initially played as a middle infielder before switching to catcher to speed up his journey to the majors. He later established himself with the Marlins as a power-hitting outfielder. Following a brief debut in 2004 and a localized setback due to a forearm fracture in 2005, Willingham attained the pinnacle of individual recognition during the 2006 season. Elevated to the starting left field position amidst a significant roster overhaul of the team, he authored an impressive rookie campaign, recording 26 home runs and 74 RBIs. He demonstrated complete command of the strike zone, finishing…