The Miami Marlins have produced one of the best synergies on display this season. Miami had high expectations for 2023, thanks to the potential the team already possessed and Skip Schumaker's great managerial abilities.
Last night, they got a much-needed win against the Pittsburgh Pirates to start off the series on a bright note. Josh Bell's two-run double helped the unexpected Fins defeat the Pirates 4-3 on Friday night, advancing them closer to a postseason berth.
An MLB analyst took it to speak highly of Miami's performances this season, albeit exclaiming that they never really had a good offense going into the 2023 season. But against all odds, the experienced and the young blood came together to fire on all cylinders.
"They are already fighting long odds, they're without Sandy Alcantara and Eury Perez. They have one of the worst offenses, yet they are competing for playoff berth" - Ken Rosenthal via Foul Territory
Miami overcame the Pirates, and the Chicago Cubs lost in Milwaukee in 10 innings, lowering the magic number needed to secure the third and final wild-card place in the National League to one.
Since they last won the World Series in 2003 by defeating the New York Yankees in six games, two decades of losing and irrelevance have followed. The always-upbeat Schumaker, who has emphasized to his team not to use exhaustion as an excuse, may be changing that.
Miami Marlins turned up the heat with their offense and are looking to make it to the playoffs
After serving as the Los Angeles Dodgers' hitting coordinator for the previous four seasons, Brant Brown has displayed a knack for demystifying complicated subjects in his debut season with the Marlins.
He breaks down complex analytical data into its most basic components using heat maps and visual aids. Under his helm and guidance, Miami's offense improved a lot.
In their four games against the Nationals, Miami caught glimmers of their offense's first-half success. Over the course of the series, they collected 50 hits, including 14 extra-base hits, and scored 31 runs, which served as a testament to Brown's amazing strategies. The Miami Marlins have drawn a potentially significant break during the year's final weekend as they compete for their first playoff appearance since the COVID-shortened 2020 season.