MIAMI -- Throughout their comparatively young franchise history, the Marlins’ organizational philosophy has always been to build around strong starting pitching.

It was true in the infant years of the franchise in 1992, and both the 1997 and 2003 World Series championship teams had dominant starters.

The Marlins have always had coveted starters, many who enjoyed success in South Florida. But among the best, who had the best seasons?

Here are the top five individual pitching seasons in Marlins history.

1. Dontrelle Willis, 2005
Key fact: Willis’ 22 wins remain a franchise record, and he’s the lone 20-game winner in club history

The complete D-Train was on display in Willis’ brilliant 2005 campaign. The charismatic left-hander was at his best in an otherwise disappointing year for the Marlins. Willis paced the Major Leagues in wins (22), complete games (seven) and shutouts (five). With a 22-10 record and 2.63 ERA, Willis remains the only 20-game winner in Marlins history. He finished second in the National League Cy Young Award voting to Chris Carpenter of the Cardinals. Not dominant in terms of striking out batters, Willis was simply a well-rounded performer in '05. He logged his share of innings -- 236 1/3 -- which is second to Kevin Brown’s 237 1/3 for a Marlins mark. His five shutouts matched A.J. Burnett (2002) for the most in a season. Hitting-wise, Willis also was impactful. He batted .261 with one home run, 11 RBIs and 14 runs scored. An All-Star, Willis posted a FanGraphs WAR of 6.5.

2. José Fernández, 2016
Key fact: Shattered club's single-season strikeout record with 253

Fernández’s final season had many in the industry wondering if he was about to become the best pitcher in the sport. That will always be an unknown, because the energetic right-hander was killed in a boating accident on Sept. 25, 2016. His death came five days after perhaps his best big league start. On Sept. 20, the hard-throwing right-hander tossed eight shutout innings, allowing just three hits with 12 strikeouts in a win over the Nationals. Fernández finished with a 16-8 record, 2.86 ERA and 6.3 fWAR. An All-Star in '16, Fernández was overpowering. His 253 strikeouts are the franchise's single-season high, well past the 209 mark set by Ryan Dempster in 2000. Fernández’s 12.49 strikeouts per nine innings also is a Miami seasonal record that will be tough to beat. Fernández was on an innings limit that year and finished with 182 1/3 in 29 starts. An entertainer on the mound, Fernández and David Ortiz of the Red Sox had a classic showdown at the 2016 All-Star Game at San Diego. Big Papi, in his final season and All-Star Game, drew a full-count walk against Fernández in a memorable moment.

3. Kevin Brown, 1996
Key fact: Holds Marlins' season ERA record (among starting pitchers) with a 1.89 mark

Pitch to contact was pretty much Brown’s mantra in 1996. The right-hander struck out 159 batters in 233 innings and had a 6.1 strikeouts-per-nine rate. It’s hard to argue with his overall results because Brown was tough to hit and even tougher to score runs against. His 1.89 ERA was the best in the Majors, and it remains a Marlins season mark. An All-Star, Brown had a 17-11 record, and he also led the Majors with three shutouts and a 0.94 WHIP. At age 31 in '96, Brown was at his peak, and he was arguably the best pitcher in the NL. His numbers support that claim, but he fell just short in winning the Cy Young Award. The '96 NL Cy Young went to John Smoltz of the Braves after the Hall of Famer went 24-8 with a 2.94 ERA and 276 strikeouts in 253 2/3 innings. Still, Brown’s big year gained plenty of attention. Along with finishing second in Cy Young Award voting, Brown was 22nd in NL MVP Award voting.

4. Carl Pavano, 2004
Key fact: Pavano’s 18 wins were a Marlins record until Willis in '05

Early in his career, Pavano was mostly known for giving up Mark McGwire’s 70th home run and being traded for Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez. The Marlins acquired Pavano from the Expos in July 2002 as part of a deal that sent Cliff Floyd to Montreal. Pavano played a big role on the Marlins’ '03 World Series team. But the right-hander had his breakout season in '04, when he went 18-8 with a 3.00 ERA in 31 starts. The 18 wins became a short-lived Marlins record, because Willis broke it in '05. A workhorse, Pavano earned his only All-Star appearance in '04. There was nothing flashy about Pavano’s best season -- he struck out 139 and walked just 49. A free agent after the campaign, Pavano signed a four-year, $40 million contract with the Yankees. But his tenure in New York didn’t go as planned, as he dealt with injuries and never recaptured his All-Star form.

5. Josh Johnson, 2009
Key fact: Johnson logged a career-best 209 innings in 33 starts

In an injury-marred career, which included three Tommy John surgeries, Johnson enjoyed his prime years with the Marlins. The ace of the staff in 2009 and '10, Johnson was an All-Star both seasons. While he paced the NL in ERA at 2.30 across 183 2/3 innings in '10, Johnson was more of a workhorse the year prior. That’s why Johnson’s '09 season is highlighted on this list over his '10 numbers. In '09, Johnson posted a 15-5 record with a 3.23 ERA in 209 innings. It was the only 200-plus-inning season of his career. Johnson’s FIP that year was 3.06. Armed with one of the best sliders among NL right-handers, Johnson struck out 191 and had an 8.2 strikeouts-per-nine mark against a 2.5 walks-per-nine. Johnson’s big year came after he recovered from his first Tommy John surgery. After that season, he signed a four-year, $39 million extension.