Ely Sussman

Luis Arraez didn't have a chance to defend his American League batting title crown because of an offseason trade that sent him from the Minnesota Twins to the National League's Miami Marlins. Instead, he conquered his new domain while elevating his game to even greater heights. Resting on Sunday, Arraez (.354 BA) secured the 2023 NL batting title, finishing 17 points ahead of the next-best qualified hitter (Ronald Acuña Jr., .337 BA). Arraez spent the first half of his age-26 season chasing ghosts, trying to become the first major leaguer in generations to hit .400. That fantasy fell apart once and for all in August during what was arguably the worst month he's ever had at the plate. Freddie Freeman briefly made Arraez sweat, closing the batting average gap between them to single-digit points. However, Arraez went 2-for-5 in his final August game, then created breathing room with three more consecutive multi-hit efforts. Arraez's supernatural contact skills were on full display in September—he hasn't struck out since Sept. 9. Unfortunately, a left ankle sprain sidelined him for the much of that period (he started only two of the final 11 Marlins regular season games). The silver lining is those limited at-bats made it virtually impossible to lose his lead. Even better, his teammates produced enough in his absence to secure a postseason berth. Arraez is the third NL batting champ in Marlins history, joining Hanley Ramírez (2009) and Dee Strange-Gordon (2015). Arraez's .354 BA establishes a new single-season franchise record, surpassing Ramírez's .342 mark. It's also a new personal best for him, shattering the .316 BA that paced the AL in 2022 (Arraez did not have enough plate appearances to qualify in any of his other seasons). In 2022, the Marlins ranked 14th out of 15 NL teams in batting average (.230 BA). Largely because of Arraez's contributions, they vaulted all the way to second place in that category this season (.259 BA), trailing only the dominant Atlanta Braves. Arraez joins DJ LeMahieu as the only players to ever win both an AL and NL batting title, and unlike LeMahieu, he pulled it off in back-to-back years. He figures to be the betting favorite for a three-peat in 2024. Arraez's value to the Marlins goes far beyond being a singles merchant. His enthusiasm is infectious in the clubhouse. His defense at second base is better than advertised. His determination to play through hand and ankle injuries demonstrated his desire to compete. The frequency of his hits and his overall style of play make him highly marketable. There are many intriguing contract extension candidates in Miami. Locking up Arraez long term ought to be a top offseason priority. Photo by Danis Sosa/Fish On First

After 21 MLB seasons and countless accolades, future Hall of Famer Miguel Cabrera has hung up his cleats. Cabrera made it known earlier this year that his age-40 season would be his last, and he was deservedly celebrated everywhere that the Detroit Tigers went in 2023. He capped off his career this weekend at Comerica Park. Most baseball fans will remember Miggy as a Tiger. That's where he won his MVP awards, became his generation's only Triple Crown winner and reached prestigious career milestones (500 home runs, 3,000 hits, etc.). But José Miguel Cabrera got his start in professional baseball when he signed with the Marlins in 1999(!) out of Maracay, Venezuela. He rose through the minor league ranks rapidly and became an everyday starter in the big leagues at age 20. With Cabrera's help, the 2003 Marlins pulled off a stunning midseason turnaround and won the World Series title. There are three moments from Cabrera's five-year Marlins tenure that have aged particularly gracefully: Walk-off home run in MLB debut (6/20/03) 2. World Series home run off of Roger Clemens (10/22/03) 3. Game-winning RBI single during intentional walk attempt (6/22/06) Cabrera's .313 batting average as a Marlin is the highest in franchise history for a player with at least 1,000 career at-bats. Although Luis Arraez will likely unseat him for that distinction next season, Cabrera ranks among the top 10 all-time Marlins in practically every offensive counting and rate stat. And he did all of that before even entering his prime. Cabrera played in Miami for the last time during the July 28-30 series between the Tigers and Marlins. He started all three games as Detroit's designated hitter. The Marlins marketed it as "Miguel Cabrera Weekend" and scheduled their annual Venezuelan heritage celebration to coincide with his visit. Despite the Tigers' mediocrity, Miggy fans flooded the stadium—the announced attendance for that series was 22,354 per game, approximately 56% higher than the Marlins' average turnout. A topic I plan to explore further this offseason: Should the Marlins honor Cabrera by retiring his uniform number? (Obviously, the Tigers will.) After wearing No. 20 as a rookie, he donned No. 24 for the rest of his Marlins tenure (2004-2007). That number is currently assigned to Avisaíl García. As not only a former Miggy teammate but also a fellow Venezuelan, García would presumably cooperate with zero resistance (and frankly, it's possible that García doesn't survive this offseason on the Marlins roster anyway). Following Cabrera's departure from the diamond, Giancarlo Stanton and Brad Hand are the only former Florida Marlins who remain active major leaguers. Cabrera will begin his post-playing career as a special assistant to Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris. Photo by Danis Sosa/Fish On First

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Saturday's Gameshttps://fishonfirst.com/game-coverage/marlins-clinch-2023-playoff-berth/https://fishonfirst.com/at-the-ballpark/inside-2023-marlins-postseason-clinch-celebration/https://mlb-cuts-diamond.mlb.com/FORGE/2023/2023-09/30/3a24301a-ae3c515d-aba5068f-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_16000K.mp4Marlins Podcast Episodes With their 84th win of the 2023 regular season, the Marlins punched their ticket to the MLB postseason. Jazz Chisholm Jr. drove in each of their first two runs. Jon Berti continues to be the hottest hitter on the club, reaching base safely four times. Eight different pitchers patched things together, constantly working under duress but limiting the Pirates to 2-for-14 with runners in scoring position. Tanner Scott sealed the deal by striking out the side in the bottom of the ninth. Although it's only been three years since Miami's last postseason berth, several members of the organization agree that pulling this off under normal circumstances is a "far superior" feeling. Enjoy Chisholm's livestream of the champagne celebration in the Marlins clubhouse.https://www.instagram.com/p/Cx1tqDLOScc/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==The 43-year-old Skip Schumaker is by far the youngest manager to ever lead the Marlins to the postseason. Kim Ng is the first woman to reach this milestone as an MLB general manager and it only adds to the leverage she'll have in contract extension negotiations.Listen back to our postgame Twitter Space, nearly two hours of jubilation about the clinch and trepidation about what lies ahead in October and beyond.NL Wild Card race updates: the Cubs and Reds have both been eliminated. The Marlins hold the second Wild Card spot, half a game ahead of the Diamondbacks.Elsewhere around the majors, the full 12-team postseason field is set. All that's left to determine is seeding. Felix Bautista (Orioles) will undergo Tommy John surgery, likely sidelining him for the entire 2024 season. The Rockies signed Charlie Blackmon to a one-year, $13 million contract extension. That covers what will be his 14th big league season (all of those spent in Colorado). The Reds extended Nick Krall and promoted him to president of baseball operations.All of Sunday's MLB games will begin during the 3 p.m. ET hour. No clue who's pitching for the Marlins, but they'd be wise to stay away from anybody with a prominent role in their postseason plans.Join us for a new State of the Fish after the final out! As usual, speaking priority goes to our loyal Super Subscribers. Please consider signing up for as little as $3 per month to help us deliver the best possible Marlins postseason coverage.https://fishonfirst.com/fish-on-first-updates/super-subscriber-details/The suspended game against the Mets will not be resumed on Monday as scheduled, per USA Today's Bob Nightengale. The Marlins obviously prefer to have an off day instead and fortunately the result of the game isn't necessary to determine a postseason berth. Regardless of whether Miami's next opponent is the Phillies or Brewers, that series opener will be on Tuesday.On this day 20 years ago, the Marlins took NLDS Game 2 from the Giants. Huge performance from Juan Pierre (4-for-5, 3 RBI).https://fishonfirst.com/history/marlins-nlds-game-2-giants-2003/Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic goes in depth on the 2003 campaign, highlighting the team's biggest personalities and most important inflection points.Photo courtesy of Miami Marlins

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The Miami Marlins' magic number to clinch a 2023 postseason berth is down to one! Postgame reaction to Friday's win from Ely Sussman, Kevin Barral, Alex Carver, Alex Krutchik, Daniel Rodriguez and Isaac Azout. Subscribe to the Fish On First YouTube channel to watch video versions of every episode of The Offishial Show. The Marlins did it again. After seven innings of aimless offense against the Pittsburgh Pirates bullpen, a hobbled Luis Arraez helped ignite a rally in the eighth. Josh Bell's double snapped the shutout. Jake Burger's single evened the score at 3-3. Jazz Chisholm Jr.'s sacrifice fly put the Fish in front. Tanner Scott ultimately slammed the door shut. https://fishonfirst.com/game-coverage/marlins-complete-their-41st-come-from-behind-win-inch-closer-to-playoffs/Meanwhile in Milwaukee, the Chicago Cubs found themselves in a similar predicament facing the underbelly of the Brewers pitching staff. They erased their own 3-0 deficit against September call-ups Clayton Andrews and Caleb Boushley to force extra innings. But Boushley buckled down in the 10th and Carlos Santana walked it off in the bottom half of the inning. If Miami wins on Saturday, or if the Cubs and Cincinnati Reds both lose, then the Marlins can pop champagne having secured a Wild Card berth. Follow Ely (@RealEly), Kevin (@kevin_barral), Alex C. (@marlinsminors) Alex K. (@AlexKrutchikFOF), Daniel (@Drodyyy), Isaac (@IsaacAzout) and Fish On First (@FishOnFirst) on Twitter. Complete Miami Marlins coverage here at FishOnFirst.com. Our Fish On First podcast programming includes The Offishial Show, Fish Unfiltered, State of the Fish, Swimming Upstream, Fishology and What a Relief. All new episodes are posted to FishOnFirst.com/podcasts. You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Podbean, Megaphone or wherever you normally get your pods from.

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Thursday's Gameshttps://fishonfirst.com/game-coverage/marlins-mets-9-28-23/Marlins Podcast Episodes Once again, the Marlins offense was silenced by an underwhelming opposing starting pitcher. Once again, they came up with clutch, late-game hits when they absolutely needed them. But this story does not have a familiar ending—the ending won't be written until Monday. After a rain delay of three-plus hours, Thursday's game was suspended. If necessary to determine a postseason berth or postseason seeding, the Marlins will come back to Citi Field and resume the ninth inning on Monday at 1:10 p.m.Jesús Luzardo set a new Marlins single-season record for most strikeouts by a left-handed pitcher (208). Bryan De La Cruz made a crucial baserunning blunder, but did his best to compensate by going 3-for-3 with a walk. Still no action for Luis Arraez (left ankle sprain), who hasn't played a complete game for Miami since September 18.NL Wild Card race updates: the Cubs and Diamondbacks lost. Chicago dropped three straight games in Atlanta by a combined total of four runs. The Marlins lead the Cubs by half a game for the third Wild Card spot.Elsewhere around the majors, J.P. Crawford's two-out, two-run walk-off double kept the Mariners' season alive. The Orioles reached 100 wins and clinched the AL East title.We’ve got a new episode of Fish On First LIVE streaming tonight at 5:30 p.m. ET on /Twitch/Twitter. Super Subscribers, submit your series predictions before first pitch. With chiropractic care and functional health, La Pop takes a preventative approach that optimizes wellness and quality of life for all ages. Find out more here! https://fishonfirst.com/la-pop/Everybody should be available out of the Marlins bullpen tonight, though Edward Cabrera can make a start on regular rest if they want to go in that direction. Following the game, the Fish On First staff will record a special reaction podcast (available on the FOF channel wherever you get your pods).Kevin Barral explains his NL Wild Card Series roster projection. He goes with 13 pitchers and 13 position players.https://fishonfirst.com/analysis/marlins-playoff-roster-projection-2023-wild-card-series/Glenn Geffner's top 10 Marlins wins of the season on View from the Bleachers: Apr. 27 at Braves, May 16 vs. Nationals, May 31 vs. Padres, Jun. 10 at White Sox, Jun. 11 at White Sox, Jun. 22 vs. Pirates, Jul. 5 vs. Cardinals, Aug. 2 vs. Phillies, Aug. 9 at Reds and Aug. 13 vs. Yankees.On this day 10 years ago, a wild pitch capped Henderson Alvarez’s wild no-hitter on the last day of the season. The game was on the verge of going into extra innings when Luke Putkonen's breaking ball went to the backstop, allowing Giancarlo Stanton to scurry home from third.https://fishonfirst.com/history/marlins-henderson-alvarez-no-hitter-tigers-2013/Remember to vote for 2023 Roberto Clemente Award nominee Jorge Soler.Photo courtesy of Miami Marlins

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Wednesday's Gameshttps://fishonfirst.com/game-coverage/marlins-mets-9-27-23/https://mlb-cuts-diamond.mlb.com/FORGE/2023/2023-09/27/8f7bdc4d-7174cd77-a8e9651f-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_16000K.mp4https://mlb-cuts-diamond.mlb.com/FORGE/2023/2023-09/27/2cdea662-5cc25f0b-8e02dfa7-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_16000K.mp4Marlins Podcast Episodes After a very uninspiring effort in the afternoon game, the Marlins eked out the nightcap against the Mets to split Wednesday's doubleheader. Johnny Cueto did a serviceable job going two times through New York's lineup, then the Tanner Scott-less bullpen threw up zeroes the rest of the way (though Pete Alonso came this close to a go-ahead home run in the eighth). A small-ball rally of singles, stolen bases and a Brett Baty error put Miami ahead for good. Matt Moore earned his first win as a Marlin and Andrew Nardi converted his third save.Speaking of Scott, congrats to he and his wife, Maddie, on the birth of their son, Bo.https://www.instagram.com/p/CxuBmhGO9D2/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_linkJon Berti is in the midst of an uncharacteristic power surge. After homering only thrice in his first 124 games of the season, he's done so four times in the last five. That has raised his 2023 slugging percentage by 50 points! Luis Arraez (left ankle sprain) was absent from the doubleheader. Jorge Soler felt "discomfort" at the end of the first game and didn't play in the second. Josh Bell was hit by a pitch on the right leg that clearly affected his running. He's hopeful about playing today.The Marlins will finish a full-length season with a winning record for the first time since 2009. Skip Schumaker joins Jim Leyland (1997) and Jack McKeon (2003) as the only managers in history to be above the .500 mark in their first season with the Marlins.NL Wild Card race updates: the Diamondbacks won, while the Cubs and Reds lost. The Cubs held leads entering the bottom of the eighth, ninth and 10th innings, but the Braves are inevitable. Ronald Acuña Jr.'s 70th stolen base set up the winning run. The Marlins hold the third Wild Card spot thanks to having the tiebreaker over Chicago.Elsewhere around the majors, Gerrit Cole (Yankees) threw a shutout against the Blue Jays, capping off a surefire AL Cy Young-winning campaign. Old friend Pablo López (Twins) racked up 234 strikeouts, even more than Cole and a 60-K increase from his final Marlins season. The Padres are still technically mathematically alive for a postseason berth, but they need to win out and get a lot of help.Next up, the Marlins, Diamondbacks and Cubs conclude their series in New York, Chicago and Atlanta, respectively. Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald spoke to Marlins farm director Hector Crespo about why the organization emphasizes winning seemingly meaningless games in the minor leagues. (I suppose it doesn't fit the Herald's narrative, but the organization-wide MiLB winning percentage was only .485 this season.)Dane Myers has signed on to play for Gigantes del Cibao in the Dominican Winter League (LIDOM). The Gigantes are managed by Marlins bullpen coach Wellington Cepeda.On this day 15 years ago, the Marlins eliminated the Mets from postseason contention, spoiling the final game in Shea Stadium history.Photo courtesy of Miami Marlins