JUPITER, Fla. -- Fresh off their first postseason appearance in 17 years, the Marlins have picked up where they left off while also showcasing their deep farm system. Entering Friday, Miami has gone 34-13-8 in Grapefruit League play the past two springs.

The Marlins will rely on a combination of young starting pitching, a veteran-laden lineup and a revamped bullpen to replicate the success of 2020 in the competitive National League East. All three facets of the ballclub have come as advertised thus far. The lone position-player battle -- that of Jazz Chisholm, ranked as the team's No. 4 prospect by MLB Pipeline, and Isan Díaz at second base -- will come down to the wire.

"I've been pretty happy with what we're doing fundamentally," manager Don Mattingly said during a Zoom call. "I feel like we've made a lot of really nice plays in the outfield, cutting balls off to keep guys at singles. The chances that we've had to run the bases -- we've had some mistakes, but that seems like they always are on the bases. I like our aggression. I think we've thrown the ball pretty well. I've liked our at-bats, probably could have scored more, but I still like our at-bats and the quality and the way guys are going about it.

"And we're fairly healthy, knock on wood. I think in general, you're always wanting things to be better. I want us to pitch better, I want us to do this better, you want to do everything better as a manager. But in a general sense, I feel pretty good about where we're at right now. If we had to start in a day or two, I'd feel comfortable starting the season at this point."

With Opening Day scheduled for Thursday at 4:10 p.m. ET against the reigning American League champion Rays at Marlins Park, here's an overview of Spring Training storylines.

Best development

Miami will only go as far as the pitching takes the club in 2021, and if Grapefruit League play is an indicator, there is a lot to look forward to. Sandy Alcantara, Pablo López, Elieser Hernandez, Trevor Rogers and top prospect Sixto Sánchez have flashed their potential during Spring Training. Then there's the depth with No. 12 prospect Nick Neidert, rookie Daniel Castano and others waiting for their turns.

"I would say our young starting pitching is our greatest strength, and I think we've seen it out here for the last several weeks," Marlins general manager Kim Ng said during a Zoom call earlier this week. "They've all shown their glimpses, and fairly consistently given that this is Spring Training, what they're capable of."

Unfortunate events

As of Friday, the Marlins avoided injury to members of their projected Opening Day roster. Edward Cabrera, ranked as MLB Pipeline's No. 68 overall prospect, never got a chance to compete for a spot in the rotation because of an inflamed nerve in his right biceps. The 22-year-old right-hander continues to rehab, but he has yet to begin throwing.

Third baseman Brian Anderson, a homegrown product and extension candidate, has struck out 17 times with no walks this spring. The middle-of-the-order bat has just two extra-base hits in 15 Grapefruit League games.

Player who opened eyes

Anthony Bender, a 26-year-old righty who spent 2020 posting a 1.64 WHIP in the independent league, logged 10 strikeouts over seven scoreless innings entering Friday. The non-roster invitee has allowed just one hit and two walks, and his fastball sits at 98 mph.

"He's a guy that I don't want to say came out of nowhere, but he sort of did, and he's been really impressive," Ng said. "The other night, I was watching him, and he gave up the hit, and he actually hit his glove, like he was annoyed that he gave up a hit, his first hit in Spring Training. I did chuckle to myself. But I think that tells you where his mindset is, and that he has had a great spring."

Wow moment

Chisholm, MLB Pipeline's No. 66 overall prospect, opened Spring Training and the second base competition with quite the bang: He called his shot, predicting an opposite-field leadoff homer to begin Grapefruit League play. The 23-year-old's blend of confidence, swagger and personality are infectious.

"I haven't really been thinking about the competition, I've just been going out there trying to get better every day and work my hardest to be the best player that I can be out there," Chisholm said during a Zoom call earlier this week. "So that's not really been going through my mind, and I've just been going out there to be myself every day."

In case you missed it

The Marlins made it their offseason priority to bolster the bullpen, and they did so by adding proven arms in Anthony Bass, Dylan Floro, Ross Detwiler, John Curtiss and Adam Cimber. Rule 5 Draft picks Paul Campbell and Zach Pop are also in the mix.