FG on Fox: The Surprisingly Okay Marlins

We have room to appreciate only so many surprises at once. We’re all getting our heads around the Blue Jays leading the AL East, with the Rays in last and the Red Sox lousy. The Brewers continue to lead the NL Central, with the Cardinals fighting to stay over .500 and the Pirates fighting to get there. The Dodgers might hurt their necks from looking up at the Giants, and over in the AL West, the Astros might be in the basement, but for several weeks they’ve played like one of baseball’s best teams. There’s a lot going on, and the Marlins have never been particularly visible, but if you glance over at the NL East standings, you’ll notice it’s not just about the Nationals and Braves.

These Marlins would be interesting if they were hanging around without having suffered the nightmare scenario. It would be remarkable if the Marlins were 34-31 with a healthy Jose Fernandez. But, when Fernandez got hurt, the consensus was that the Marlins were finished. They were already considered a long shot with one of the best pitchers in the world. As soon as Fernandez went down, the Marlins were forgotten, having lost 50% of their superstars. Yet still they haven’t gone away, and as close as they are to the division lead, they’re also presently in a playoff position. If the playoffs started tomorrow, the Marlins would take on the Braves for the right to face the Giants.

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