Marlins chasing Rays' 'secret sauce'

ST. PETERSBURG -- If there's one takeaway from this weekend's Citrus Series sweep, which culminated in Sunday afternoon's 3-2 loss at Tropicana Field, it's that the Rays should serve as a model for the Marlins.

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Over the last three seasons, Miami has gone 2-14 against its instate rivals. During that span, Tampa Bay snapped a five-year playoff drought and hasn’t missed out since, winning the American League East twice and reaching the 2020 World Series.

"Obviously they have a secret sauce that you’ve got to crack into," general manager Kim Ng said. "I think they are a shining example of a smaller-market club getting the very best out of every single one of the 26 players that they put out on the field, or the 28. I think that one of the most compelling things when I watch this club is that they are pedal to the metal. They are savvily aggressive, and they just play a really great brand of baseball. I think in a lot of ways for other clubs, they're an aspiration. They're not a flash in the pan, year in and year out, and I think that's what everybody's trying to get to."

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While the Marlins advanced to the National League Division Series in a shortened 2020, they were never in the race this time around despite a mediocre NL East. Early injuries tested the pitching staff and lineup. In Saturday night's 7-3 loss, Miami watched as Tampa Bay clinched another title in a highly competitive division.

This season marked Year 4 in the Marlins’ build under new ownership, and internal expectations were high after the 2020 run. Still, pundits picked them to finish at the bottom of the standings, where they currently reside.

The Rays' winning formula heavily relies on pitching depth and a top farm system. The Marlins have both of those things. The next step is finding the same consistency.

Rays right-hander Shane Baz (MLB Pipeline's No. 20 overall prospect) went 5 2/3 scoreless innings in his second Major League start on Sunday. Marlins righty Edward Cabrera (No. 30) struggled in a 40-pitch first inning in Friday's 8-0 loss, then settled down to go two solid frames after that. Jesús Luzardo, a former Top 100 prospect for the A’s, followed the same pattern in Sunday’s finale. After a 30-pitch, two-run first, Luzardo shut down the second-best lineup in the Majors over the next three innings.

“I think they're a lineup that really grinds guys out,” said Luzardo, who faced the Rays in the 2019 AL Wild Card Game. “They're a lineup that they'll be aggressive at times, and they'll kind of wait you out at times. They kind of get a feel. They've got some young guys, some older guys. They have a lot of experience over there. They made it deep in the postseason, so they know what they're doing. They have a good approach, and they're just someone you've got to mix and match with a lot.”

Both organizations boast five Top 100 prospects. Some will be part of the core moving forward, while others may be shipped to bolster the roster. The Rays, for example, used their prospect capital to acquire designated hitter Nelson Cruz. Their roster has a mix of players selected in the MLB Draft (Brandon Lowe), signed internationally (Wander Franco) and dealt for (Mike Zunino).

When the Marlins believe they are in a position to seriously contend, they could do the same. In the meantime, Miami has used the second half of the season to see which young players it can depend on in 2022. Second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr., who collected two hits on Sunday, and lefty Trevor Rogers are no-doubters. Outfielder Jesús Sánchez and first baseman Lewin Díaz have shown flashes, with the latter going deep against Nick Anderson in the ninth on Sunday. Miami dealt Anderson as part of a package for Sánchez in 2019. Outfielder Bryan De La Cruz has been a pleasant surprise since joining the organization.

“As you watch their club play, they play extremely hard, guys get out of the box all the time,” manager Don Mattingly said. “The defense in the outfield really shows. They all throw well, they're really athletic in the outfield. They're aggressive. They do a lot of things, honestly. They have some speed, they've got some power. They can go right, left on you. A lot of different looks out of their bullpen, so I guess you're right. Kind of Rays baseball.”