Miami Marlins vs San Francisco Giants: Opening Day Lineup predictions - April 8, 2022 | MLB 2022

Opening Day is less than 2 weeks away as the National League West Champions San Francisco Giants host the Miami Marlins. Both teams are coming off vastly different seasons in 2021, but hope to take the next step in 2022. For the San Francisco Giants, they come off a season in which they had the best record in Major League Baseball with 107 wins. It's an incredibly impressive feat, considering the San Francisco Giants spent the majority of their games facing off against the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres, who are constantly reloading their arsenals. For the Miami Marlins, they come off a season in 2021 that saw them narrowly avoid finishing in last place in the National League East. The team is entering a new era as owner Derek Jeter has opted to pursue other opportunities due to differences in philosophy, regarding the offseason spending of the organization. Here is a preview of what each team stands to expect heading into Opening Day.

Philadelphia Phillies v Miami Marlins

Opening Day will provide clarity to a lighter San Francisco Giants offense

The Giants have a lot of offense to replace from the 2021 season. They watched power-hitting and versatile fielder Kris Bryant depart to their National League West rival Colorado Rockies via free agency, and team leader and catcher Buster Posey decided to walk away from the game permanently. The San Francisco Giants did sign outfielder Joc Pederson, who is fresh off of a World Series championship with the Atlanta Braves. As Opening Day approaches, the Giants will have to lean on newly extended shortstop Brandon Crawford, first baseman Brandon Belt and outfielder Mike Yazstremski to provide stable, consistent production from game to game. The Giants do have room in the payroll and the prospects in their farm system to acquire talent via the trade market. The team had a lot of success when they acquired Kris Bryant from the Chicago Cubs and could pursue that option again if they find themselves in need of more firepower. Additionally, there are still a couple of offensive pieces on the market. Former New York Mets outfielder Michael Conforto may be a decent pickup for the squad.

The Opening Day pitching rotation will feature new faces for the San Francisco Giants

After losing star pitcher Kevin Gausman to the Toronto Blue Jays via free agency, the San Francisco Giants signed left-handed starter Carlos Rodon to a 2-year pact. The team also brought in former Detroit Tigers pitcher Matthew Boyd in a reclaimation project. Boyd always featured potential to be a quality starter and hopes that a change of scenery will reveal his untapped potential. The Giants expect to send ace Logan Webb to the mound. Webb is coming off an 11-3 season where he pitched to an earned run average of 3.03.

Some new faces are joining the Miami Marlins for Opening Day 2022

The Miami Marlins were relatively quiet in the offseason. There were rumors about trying to acquire Pittsburgh Pirates star outfielder Bryan Reynolds via trade this past winter, but unfortunately, for the Marlins, talks broke down. The team seemed willing to depart with key prospects however, and with Reynolds unwilling to sign an extension with Pittsburgh, perhaps the Miami Marlins can revisit the proposition after Opening Day has kicked off.

The team did, however, manage to make a series of upgrades in the roster. Super-utility man Joey Wendle joins Miami from the Tampa Bay Rays. Wendle brings versitility and playoff experience from his time playing under Kevin Cash and the Rays. The team also added power-hitting outfielders Avisail Garcia and Jorge Soler, infusing a higher quality of Major League and replacing players like Lewis Brinson, who was acquired in the Christian Yelich trade from the Milwaukee Brewers. The Marlins also stand to improve on defense as they acquired Gold Glove-winning catcher Jacob Stallings from the Pittsburgh Pirates. It's a relatively light lineup compared to their division rivals in Atlanta, Philadelphia and New York; however, the Marlins have plenty of room before hitting the luxury tax if they choose to spend it.

The Marlins will rely on their pitching heading into Opening Day

Pitching will continue to be the backbone of the Miami Marlins as they look to ride the battalion of young arms they have assembled during their rebuild. Sandy Alcantara, fresh off a contract extension that will pay the 26-year-old right hander $56 million over five years, will take the ball on Opening Day. Alcantara pitched to nearly four Wins Above Replacement during the 2021 season and was one of the very few bright spots for the organization. The rest of the rotation figures to be solid; however, the team could make the jump to being a top rotation once Sixto Sanchez returns from an injury.

As Opening Day approaches, fans will be very excited to see how managers Gabe Kapler and Don Mattingly enter the season. Who knows what surprises are in store?