The Year: 2020
W/L Record: 115-47
Run Differential: 801 RS vs. 473 RA +310 Runs
Awards: NL ERA Leader: Brett Hunter 1.84, NL Win Leader: Donovan Pace 22, NL Cy Young Award: Donovan Pace
All Stars: 3B Julio Ramos, SP Donovan Pace, SP Max Roberts, SP Brett Hunter
League Leading Stat Categories: 2.99 Bullpen ERA, 17 Complete Games, .736 Defensive Average, 2.62 ERA, .212 Opponent OBP, .276 Opponent Batting Average, .321 Opponent Slugging Percentage, 2.31 Team Starter ERA, 74% Quality Starting Percentage, 473 Runs Allowed
Lineup/Bench Rotation/Bullpen
SS Elvis Andrus Donovan Pace
CF Tim Henneberry Brett Hunter
3B Julio Ramos Keith George
1B Duque Ortega Max Roberts
LF Dave Brubaker Greg Attaway
C Jose Ceballos CL Jime Cusse
RF Dusty Hess SU Santos Rodriguez
2B Wilmer Flores SR Andy Corban
SR Emmanuel Solanda
MR Dan Ruhl
LR Micah Travi
1B Samuel Stillman
3B Erick Himmerstein
SS Jeff Buckley
C Jeff Churgin
IF Craig Winters
OF Alec Fifield
The Key Players: Well let's get things out of the way early on this: This was a pitching team. That shouldn't come as any surprise, for all intents and purposes the early Marlin stadium might as well have been built in Death Valley. It was a pitcher's wet dream and a haven for almost any type of pitcher. It was in this place that hitters went to die that one of FCM's all-time royalty made his living. It isn't an overstatement to say that Donovan Pace, if he had been a real player, might be talked about in the same way Koufax is talked about. He was absolutely brilliant year in and year out. We're talking about a guy with twice as many Cy Young awards as the next closest guy in the Hall of Fame. He holds records that will never be broken like recording 352 wins in his career. 17 all-star appearances. A career ERA of 2.55. I could go on, but suffice to say this guy was special. Since this is the last time we'll be placing a Marlins team on this list, it's time to talk Donovan Pace.
Donovan Pace had some truly special years and while 2020 wasn't his best, it was in the upper echelon. No, at his best Pace was a little better. In fact, that may have happened in 2021 when he went 24-3 with a 1.93 ERA. Scratch that, as amazing as that is, check out 2017: 21-4, a 1.67 ERA, 260 innings pitched, 267 strikeouts, only 34 walks, a .193 opponent OBP, 8 complete games, 7 shutouts. The guy just couldn't be stopped. He struck out over 4300 batters in his career versus only 800 walks. He pitched 72 shutouts in his career. He even managed to have a season's worth and more of starts in the playoffs. In 45 games he went 18-10 with a 2.83 ERA, pitched 312 innings, struck out 333 batters, had an opponent OBP of just .192, and threw 7 more complete games. It was a truly amazing career.
In 2020 Pace won the Cy Young and had a damn fine season to earn it. One could argue, however, that his teammate might have truly deserved the honor. Before we get to that let's talk about Pace in 2020 - he pitched 245 innings and posted a 22-4 record to go with a 2.27 ERA. He struck out 247 batters and walked only 42, gave up a meager .186 OBP to his opponents, pitched 6 complete games,
and had 4 shutouts. However, like I said, it could be argued that he wasn't the best team on his own team in 2020 much less the entire league.
Pace's rotation running buddy for a long time was Brett Hunter and he had a very impressive 2020. He pitched significantly less innings at 200 but the future HOFer posted a 1.84 ERA and a 15-5 record. He struck out 139 and walked 54 and held his opponents to a .209 OBP. He was also much more effective in the postseason in what was ultimately a losing effort to the New York Yankees.
Rounding out the excellent rotation was All-Star Max Roberts who pitched 194 innings and struck out 151 batters on his way to a 13-5 record and a 2.23 ERA. His injury at the end of the year might have been a key reason the Marlins weren't able to finish the season with the championship. Roberts was a fringe HOF contender in his own right as he put up a very impressive career between Florida and Toronto, two of the better franchises during the era he pitched. Keith George posted a 2.84 ERA in 206 innings with 184 strikeouts and a 16-10 record. Lastly was youngster Greg Attaway and Micah Travi who manned the 5th spot in the rotation. The bulk of the innings went to Travi who pitched 175 innings with a 12-7 record and a 3.14 ERA. Attaway only had 30 innings but he posted a 1.52 ERA and a 1-0 record.
The bullpen wasn't stacked with big names but it did have a very effective season. Closing out games was Jim Cusse who pitched 75 innings, struck out 45, went 5-5 and saved 39 games in 45 chances with a 2.63 ERA. Setting him up was lefty Santos Rodriguez who also sported a 2.63 ERA in 51 innings with 60 strikeouts, a 6-1 record, and 2 saves. The setup men were Andy Corban and Emmanuel Solanda. Corban managed to go 11-0 on the season with 3 saves and a 3.01 ERA. Solanda went 8-3 with 2 saves and a 2.18 ERA. Finally was middle reliever Dan Ruhl who pitched 91 innings and went 2-4 with 5 saves and a 3.86 ERA.
This team was built on pitching - that's just what they did. It was the backbone of the Florida dynasty for a long time and that came with pros and cons. The pro end of it was that they could cycle through just about any arm and turn them into elite producers. The downside was that their hitters suffered mightily for the same reason. This dynamic really hurt them, in my opinion, from hoisting more championships than they probably deserved. The 2020 Marlins are on here, in part, because this was the quintessential Marlin build under Hokey. The problem with that is, that it means it's time to talk about a pretty pedestrian offense.
If there was a lead horse in this offense it was probably shortstop Elvis Andrus. He had a very good season with a .289/353/406 slash line and a .759 OPS. He had 36 doubles, 7 homeruns, 10 triples, scored 127 runs, drove in 68, and stole 69 bases. He wasn't an elite defender but his play at the top of the lineup created a lot of runs that might not otherwise have been created. With a pitching staff like this, every run was very important to winning games.
The other two players who had good seasons for the team were 3B Julio Ramos and LF Dave Brubaker. Ramos had a strong history of production but 2020 wasn't particularly kind to him. He posted a .278/352/441 slash line and a .793 OPS. He hit 20 home runs, 24 doubles, scored 86 runs, and drove in 90 runs. He also played absolutely excellent defense at third base. Brubaker was a trade acquisition from San Fran lead by a package highlighted by future HOFer Jorge Vasquez. Brubaker ultimately became a bit of a bust on his potential with 96-83-75-94 vitals, but he had a good year for Florida. He slashed .293/378/479 with a .857 OPS and hit 11 homeruns, drove in 59, scored 61, and walked 48 times versus only 43 strikeouts in 350 atbats.
Rounding out the lineup was a group of pretty average players. Tim Henneberry, Dusty Hess, and Alec Fifield held down the other two OF spots next to Brubaker. The combined for a .295 batting average, 23 home runs, 52 stolen bases, 173 runs scored, and 185 RBI. Duque Ortega played first and managed to hit only .234 with 17 homeruns and 76 runs and RBI. Jose Ceballos was a very nice defensive catcher who posted a solid .292 batting average, 17 home runs, 74 runs, and 74 RBI. Lastly was Wilmer Flores who hit .276 with 9 home runs, 18 stolen bases, 71 runs, and 58 RBI.
One thing that can be said about this group is that they were outstanding defenders. The team's .736 defensive average was outstanding, so while this group didn't hit much, they sure as hell helped their pitchers in other ways.
Interview with the Owner: Hokey's Thoughts
What Sets Them Apart: The 2020 Marlins are on this list as the last representative of the Florida dynasty. Their greatest call to fame is a simple one - the 1-2 punch at the top of their rotation that defined their team. Brett Hunter and Donovan Pace are probably the best 1-2 punch the league has ever seen and they stayed together for over a decade in Florida. Two amazing Hall of Fame players, one of which is easily the best pitcher in FCM history. As with most Florida teams they were also surrounded by other talented arms like Keith George and a near HOFer in Max Roberts. The offense was pretty average, but given their home ball park that should be expected. But that pitching staff? Amazing. They allowed less than 500 runs the entire season - 200 less than league average! A truly remarkable group from a remarkable dynasty.
Coming Next: 11th Best Team in FCM History: Beware the Boz
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