2013 Fantasy Baseball: Top 10 Miami Marlins To Draft
2013 Fantasy Baseball: 10 Miami Marlins You'll Want To Know
The 2012 Miami Marlins finished 13th out of the 16 National League teams with a record of 69-93. Despite their record, there were several players on the Marlins with positive fantasy baseball attributes including Jose Reyes, Giancarlo Stanton, Josh Johnson, Hanley Ramirez, Anibal Sanchez, Ricky Nolasco, Emilio Bonifacio, Omar Infante and Mark Buerhle. One season later, all but Nolasco and Stanton are gone, and we’re looking at a team that will be lucky to finish with a .500 record in 2013.
After the largest fire-sale in franchise history (which actually is saying a lot), the Marlins have rid themselves of most of the big names and are clearly playing for the future. As a result of trading their veterans, the Marlins have received plenty of high-potential prospects that will be vying for opening day roster spots. One of the youngest teams in baseball, the Marlins will certainly lack experience. They’ll hope to make up for it with high energy and effort from their young guns.
Although the Marlins won’t be making any kind of noise in the 2013 MLB standings, there will be players you will want to have an eye on down in Miami. By now you’re already familiar with Nolasco and Stanton, but there are eight other players who could contribute to your fantasy baseball championship chase.
Check out the slide show to see who on the Marlins are former first round picks, World Baseball Classic participants, and most importantly, could contribute to you lifting baseball’s version of the Shiva come September.
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#10 OF Christian Yelich
The Marlins’ 23rd overall pick in 2010 enters the 2013 season as Miami’s number two ranked prospect, ranked #13 overall in the MLB. Christian Yelich has won the Marlins’ minor league Hitter of the Year award two years in a row. He projects to be a serious 20-20 threat with a solid batting average and a great glove. The 21-year-old won’t make the team out of Spring Training, but should be on your radar entering the summer. He’s labeled as the team’s best bat in the minors right now.
#9 2B/3B/SS Adeiny Hechavarria
This 24-year-old Cuban infielder will start the ’13 campaign as Miami’s starting shortstop, but has the ability to play second and third as well. Acquired in package from the Toronto Blue Jays, Adeiny Hechevarria is projected to be a bottom-of-the-lineup hitter to start the year. He’s most known for his flashy glove work, but if he can get his average closer to the .312 he hit for the Jays’ Triple-A affiliate in ’12, he should climb Miami’s batting order and produce solid runs and stolen bases. Watch his production early!
#8 RHP Jose Fernandez
Being ranked in the top ten of MLB prospects is a huge feat to accomplish. Jose Fernandez, a 20-year-old from Cuba, also came to Miami from Toronto. Fernandez enters the season as the seventh best prospect in baseball, and is projected by many to be a big league ace eventually. He’ll be in Spring Training with Miami this season, but he won’t make the club until summer at the earliest. Whenever he gets the call to the big leagues, you will want him on your team.
#7 3B Placido Polanco
One of the only true veterans the Marlins will depend on this season, Placido Polanco is a two-time All-Star and former ALCS MVP while with the Detroit Tigers in 2006. After missing nearly half of the season with the Philadelphia Phillies in ’12, Polanco will look to return to his career batting average of .299 while producing solid runs for the Marlins in the number two spot. If he can stay healthy, he will be a solid option at a very thin third base position in fantasy leagues for ’13. Take this for what it’s worth; Polanco, 37, is currently on a one-year contract in Miami.
#6 SP Jacob Turner
The 2009 ninth overall pick came to Miami last summer from Detroit in the Sanchez/Infante trade. Jacob Turner looked a lot better with Miami than he did in his six career starts for the Tigers. He’ll pitch fifth for the Marlins to start the year, but has the ability to contribute quality starts with solid strikeout numbers as a back-of-the-rotation pitcher for your fantasy team.
#5 1B/OF Logan Morrison
Logan Morrison is currently recovering from a patella tendon injury in his right knee that forced him to miss the end of last season. This will be the first time in a few years that LoMo will be at full strength for the team when he finally does arrive. If he isn’t ready for Opening Day, he won’t be out too long. His position eligibility is always a nice bonus, as is his very solid slugging percentage. I’m buying in on a breakout season from Morrison, who figures to get all of the competitive at-bats he can handle, batting cleanup behind Stanton in ’13. May be worth a late draft gamble, or an early free agent to keep an eye on.
#4 SP Ricky Nolasco
Ricky Nolasco needs to get more consistent before he becomes a true reliable fantasy baseball SP. He has shown in some games that he can compete at a high level, while other times he doesn’t look like he belongs in the big leagues at all. The highest paid player in a Marlin uniform in ’13 also finds himself in a contract year (again, take that for what it’s worth), he’ll need to have a strong campaign this season if he hopes to strike it rich in ’14. Don’t draft him, but keep your eyes on him early. He’s in the conversation for most likely to be traded at this year’s deadline, which could help out his value in the second half.
#3 OF Juan Pierre
A real Marlin! Juan Pierre comes home to Miami with his 2003 World Series ring glaring. Pierre is coming off a surprisingly effective ’12 season with the Phillies, where he hit .307 with 37 stolen bases. Could be the steal of your draft, as he's a virtual lock for 40 steals and a worst-case-scenario .270 hitter. Looking for an even better year than last season from Pierre, as he’ll start day one for the Marlins in the same spot he manned for three years before they traded him to the Chicago Cubs (for Nolasco) during the 2005 Marlins fire sale.
#2 RP Steve Cishek
Steve Cishek, a confirmed member of the 2013 USA World Baseball Classic team, will be Miami’s closer this season. If the Marlins can provide enough runs for a save opportunity, Cishek will produce great strikeout numbers and convert save opportunities into actual saves.
#1 OF Giancarlo Stanton
Mr. Marlin himself. If you’ve gone this far in the slideshow, and expected to see anyone but Giancarlo Stanton’s name here, I suggest you ramp up your fantasy baseball research dramatically before your draft. The 37 home runs last season were awesome for fantasy owners, but the .290 average and .608 slugging percentage were the real pleasant surprises. Stanton represents the one true threat in Miami’s lineup, and should see a dramatic raise in walks. He’ll still get his, and for that reason I’m taking him early second round.
