Franchise Timeline

2020

“Why not us?” may have seemed an overly optimistic chant by the Marlins at the time MLB announced the 2020 season would be shortened to 60-games due to the coronavirus pandemic. To the players, coaching staff and front office, it turned into a prophetic battle cry. The Marlins were one of the most exciting stories across professional sports, reaching the playoffs in 2020 after finishing 57-105 in 2019. Miami finished 31-29 for the first winning season the franchise enjoyed since 2009. The club finished second to the Braves in the National League East, and secured the organization’s first playoff appearance since 2003.

Following a challenging start to the season, the Marlins resumed play on August 4 at Baltimore and secured five straight wins, improving to 7-1. When they beat the Orioles, 8-7, on Aug. 6, manager Don Mattingly became the Marlins’ all-time wins leader, surpassing Jack McKeon (281). Mattingly finished the season with 307, and was voted the N.L. Manager of the Year by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Mattingly joined McKeon (2003) and Joe Girardi (2006) as the third Marlins’ manager to win the BBWAA award.

The challenges of the pandemic resulted in the Marlins making 174 roster moves, and they used 61 different players, including 18 who made their MLB debuts in the season. With a blend of veterans and high-end prospects, the Marlins’ rotation became the club’s strength. Sandy Alcantara emerged as the ace, posting 3.00 ERA in seven starts. Pablo López was the most reliable, making 11 starts, with a 3.61 ERA. And rookie sensation Sixto Sánchez made his MLB debut on Aug. 22, and he finished with a 3.46 ERA in seven starts. On Sept. 13, Sánchez threw a seven-inning complete game in a 1-0 win over the Phillies in Game 1 of a doubleheader.

On Aug. 31, the Marlins acquired center fielder Starling Marte from Arizona, and outfield prospect Griffin Conine from Toronto, son of former Marlins’ great, Jeff Conine. The Marlins clinched their playoff berth on Sept. 25, defeating the Yankees’ 4-3 in 10 innings in New York. In the playoffs, the Marlins’ swept the Cubs at Wrigley Field in the best-of-three N.L. Wild Card Series, but they were swept in three-games by the Braves in the N.L. Division Series, played at Minute Maid Park in Houston.

On Nov. 13, the Marlins made a historical hiring, naming Kim Ng as general manager. She becomes the first woman GM in MLB history.