Are Marlins prepared to contend again in 2024?

This story was excerpted from Christina De Nicola's Marlins Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

JUPITER, Fla. -- With Grapefruit League action coming to a close after Sunday's 5-1 win over the Mets, let the real games begin.

After surprising the baseball world with a National League Wild Card berth in 2023, the Marlins are out to prove they can run it back this season. It might sound like a broken record, but it won’t be easy for several reasons.

Miami will be without ace Sandy Alcantara (Tommy John surgery) and All-Star slugger Jorge Soler (signed with San Francisco). The NL East is once again expected to be among the toughest divisions, and NL clubs that missed out on the postseason (Giants, Padres and Reds) have added difference-makers. But the Marlins have things working in their favor. The starting-pitching depth is better than it was a year ago, and bounceback candidate Tim Anderson joins a lineup returning everyone except Soler.

“I feel really good about the team right now,” president of baseball operations Peter Bendix said. “I learned that we have a lot of really good pitching, probably even more than I would have guessed coming into spring. Some guys [are] making really positive impressions, and I feel really excited about what we can do one through five, even with some injuries and some guys coming back from being hurt that we expect to be back fairly soon. Just feel really good about the depth of the team.”

What needs to go right?
If the 2023 Marlins taught us anything, it's that injuries can be overcome if others pitch in. Miami reached the postseason despite prolonged absences from the likes of Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Trevor Rogers, but it caught up to the club in the NL Wild Card Series without Alcantara and Eury Pérez. In '24, everyone must do their part -- from guys in new roles like A.J. Puk and Ryan Weathers to newcomers Anderson and Christian Bethancourt.

Great unknown
It's one thing to look dominant during Spring Training and another to keep it up during a six-month season. How will Puk hold up as a starter for the first time in his big league career? He has dealt with arm trouble in the past, including elbow nerve irritation for nearly a month last year. In four Grapefruit League starts, Puk allowed just two earned runs in 13 2/3 innings with 23 strikeouts and four walks. How much of that can be attributed to opposing lineups seeing his updated arsenal for the first time? Puk is just one of several pitchers whose workload will be monitored.

Team MVP will be …
Miami doesn't make the postseason in 2023 without reigning two-time batting champion Luis Arraez, who posted a 1.028 OPS in wins and a .676 OPS in losses. He is the sparkplug atop the lineup and the heartbeat within the clubhouse. When Arraez could barely walk during the NL Wild Card Series because of a right ankle sprain, the lineup struggled to get going. If Arraez continues to spray hits, that will set up plenty of RBI opportunities for Josh Bell, Jake Burger and Chisholm.

Team Cy Young will be …
When Alcantara went down last September, southpaw Jesús Luzardo stepped up to become the de facto ace by posting a 1.47 ERA over his final three starts. The hometown kid will get his first Opening Day assignment on Thursday, and deservedly so. Luzardo has become a leader inside the clubhouse, and with injuries to Braxton Garrett, Edward Cabrera and Pérez, Miami will need him to become a workhorse. He has the potential after finishing with the eighth-highest fWAR among NL qualifying pitchers last season.

Bold prediction
The Marlins might not return to the postseason, but they will have candidates for Comeback Player of the Year between right-hander Sixto Sánchez and Anderson. Sánchez, who was once one of baseball's top pitching prospects, hasn't appeared in an MLB regular-season game since 2020 because of two shoulder surgeries. Former American League batting champion Anderson has something to prove after an injury-affected '23 turned him into one of MLB's worst hitters.