Real Big Fish?

Who would've thought that the Miami Marlins would be in first place in the NL East? Granted, it has been a chaotic 2020 season to go with a chaotic 2020 year. Still, the Marlins are sitting at 7-1 despite a good chunk of personnel getting coronavirus from going to a night club in Atlanta.

What's the secret to the sweet-tasting fish? The team has a collective ERA of 3.09, good for sixth in MLB. Yet, manager Don Mattingly has used 25 different pitchers to cover 67 innings (the leader in innings pitched for the Marlins is Sandy Alcantara with 6 2/3). The opener has become a popular strategy in baseball and it appears to be working in South Beach.

There are also some solid bats contributing such as Brian Anderson (two homers, eight RBIs, .387 OBP, .964 OPS) and Jesus Aguilar (three homers, six RBIs, .667 slugging percentage, .979 OPS). However, this Marlins team is fun to watch overall. There's the story of former Olympic speed skater Eddy Alvarez making the team as a 30-year old rookie. There's the fact that this club is finally competitive after all those years with Jeffrey Loria as owner.

Here's a fun fact for you: The Miami Marlins have two World Series titles, yet have never won the NL East. They are also the only team to never lose a postseason series. The Marlins may just shock the world this year by winning more than just the NL East.

!! Olympic medalist @eddyalvarez90 makes an Olympic medalist catch!! □#JuntosMiami pic.twitter.com/7zjpIvJHdJ

— Miami Marlins (@Marlins) August 8, 2020