The 2024 Chicago White Sox managed something no team had ever done before. Their one hundred and twenty-one losses were the most ever in a one hundred and sixty-two game schedule. They went the 1962 expansion Mets one game better.
As I’ve already written, the next edition of the Pale Hose could actually be worse. And yet it’s possible that the team that exceeded the sport’s all time loss total won’t even be the worst team in the game.
Inexperienced hitters
The Marlins did manage sixty-two wins last season, How can they fall even further? Well, as they are currently constituted they offer just two starting hitters with much more than a full season of big league experience.
That would be outfielder Jesus Sanchez and catcher Nick Fortes. Gone from the 2024 squad are such capable players as Jazz Chisholm Jr, Luis Arraez, Jake Burger, Josh Bell and Bryan De La Cruz.
Now that’s not to say that none of the newly assembled won’t find their footing in the majors at some point but hoping for that many at once might be too big of an ask.
The starting line up heading to spring training looks like this:
1B – Jonah Bride 2B – Otto López SS – Xavier Edwards 3B – Connor Norby
The outfield and DH – Kyle Stowers, Dane Myers, Griffin Conine and Sanchez. The catcher Fortes.
Not much hitting on the way
The Marlins don’t have a decent hitter in baseball’s top 100 prospects. The best pushing their way to the majors are 21 year old Deyvison De Los Santos who mashed forty minor league homers last year.
The other is catcher/first baseman Agustin Ramirez. He slugged twenty-five homers and put together a combined 845 OPS between Double and Triple-A.
Top Pitchers departed and departing
Once full to the brim with promising pitchers the Marlins have sent a few away (Pablo Lopez, Jesus Luzardo and Tanner Scott). Watched some fizzle (Trevor Rogers).
Some just haven’t reached their potential (Edward Cabrera) and so many have gotten hurt (Eury Perez, Max Meyer, Braxton Garrett, Sixto Sanchez and Sandy Alcantara.
And while the former Cy Young winner Alcantara returns from Tommy John this season, it’s expected he too will be gone by the end of the trade deadline.
Lowest payroll
The Marlins already easily had baseball’s lowest payroll last season. Shohei Ohtani, Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer all made more than the Marlins paid their entire team.
It all adds up to perhaps the worst team ever put on a major league field. The Marlins were already twenty-ninth in attendance last season, barely over a million (1,087,453). It’s hard to see that getting any better.
