The 24 best players in Miami Marlins history

Right-handed slugger Giancarlo Stanton still possesses as much, or more, pure power as any hitter in baseball, though too much of his time in the Bronx has been clouded by stints on the injured list. Not that long ago, however, Stanton was taking the National League by storm as a young phenom in Miami, and for eight years, he was the face of some pretty exciting Marlins teams. In just shy of 1,000 games with the Marlins the Panorama City, CA native slashed .268/.360/.554 with 267 homers, 672 RBI, 202 doubles, 10 triples, and 36 steals. He led the Majors in both home runs and RBI in 2017 en route to easily being crowned the NL MVP, represented Miami in four all-star games, and become an integral piece of the community in the aftermath of the Jose Fernandez tragedy. Stanton earned a pair of Silver Slugger awards in a Marlins uniform, won the 2016 Home Run Derby, and fans in South Florida almost certainly still daydream about what could have been had the club not traded away all of its assets to initiate a lengthy rebuild. 

Hanley Ramirez had only two Major League plate appearances under his belt when the Marlins acquired him from Boston ahead of the '06 campaign, and he'd go on to become the most successful shortstop in the organization's history. In seven seasons with the team Ramirez slashed an impressive .300/.374/.499 with 148 home runs, 482 RBI, 232 doubles, 26 triples, and 230 stolen bases. He was the National League's Rookie of the Year in 2006, won the batting title in '09, wore a Marlins hat in three all-star games, and took home a pair of Silver Sluggers. Miami dealt him to the Dodgers midway through the '12 campaign as they attempted to begin a rebuild, but Hanley Ramirez, in his prime is still a player this franchise hasn't been able to replicate. 

Righty Josh Johnson is probably not the first name that pops into your head when thinking about all-time great Marlins pitchers, but the Minneapolis, MN native is actually the team's highest-ranked hurler in WAR by a wide margin. Johnson spent the first eight years of his career in Miami and put up an impressive 3.15 ERA with a 1.23 WHIP across 154 outings. He finished his Marlins career with a 56-37 record, struck out 832 hitters in 916.2 innings, and was unbelievably difficult to square up, allowing only 59 home runs in a Marlins uniform. Johnson represented Miami in two all-star games and won the National League ERA title in 2010. 

Luis Castillo debuted for the Marlins in 1996 and became a staple at second base for them for a decade. In 1,128 games with the organization, the scrappy switch-hitter slashed .293/.370/.356 with 192 extra-base hits, 271 RBI, and a franchise record 281 stolen bases. His name is littered across Miami's record books as he's also the team's all-time leader in hits, runs, triples, and walks, and for a long time he was an integral table setter in south Florida. Castillo represented the Marlins in three all-star games, won three consecutive Gold Glove awards from '03-'05, and most importantly was the starting second baseman on the team's 2003 World Series winning squad. 

Southpaw Dontrelle Willis hit the ground running as a rookie with the Marlins, pitching to a 3.30 ERA in 27 starts in 2003 on his way to winning both a World Series ring and the NL Rookie of the Year award as a 21-year-old. After a bit of a sophomore slump, Willis came back better than ever in 2005, leading the National League with 22 wins, seven complete games, and five shutouts, and was only narrowly edged out by St. Louis's Chris Carpenter for the Cy Young award. Unfortunately, the D-Train was never able to replicate that campaign, and after a pair of frustrating seasons that saw both his ERA and WHIP steadily climb he was dealt to Detroit alongside superstar Miguel Cabrera. 

Miami acquired Sandy Alcantara from the Cardinals alongside a handful of other minor league prospects in a high-profile deal that sent outfielder Marcell Ozuna to St. Louis in December of 2017. While the Marlins were confident the right-hander would develop into a long-term member of their starting rotation, I'm not sure they realized just how good he would ultimately become. In his first full big league season in 2019 Alcantara made the all-star team, and he's only gone up from there. In seven starts in the COVID shortened 2020 season he put up a 3.00 ERA and was one of the best pitchers in the National League. The following year he contributed more than 200 innings for the first time and made a league-high 33 starts. Then came the 2022 campaign. In 32 outings,  Alcantara pitched to a 2.28 ERA with an 0.98 WHIP in an MLB-high 228.2 innings. He won 14 games, struck out 207 hitters, made his 2nd all-star team and was easily named the National League Cy Young award winner. The start of the 2023 season was not nearly as kind to him, but he got back on track soon enough, and before he's done will definitely be higher than 6th on the Marlins all-time WAR list. 

Like the aforementioned Dontrelle Willis, right-handed swinging Miguel Cabrera debuted with the Marlins back in 2003 and instantly blossomed into a star. At just 20 years old Cabrera piled up 36 extra-base hits and drove in 62 runs in roughly half a season, and played an instrumental role in Miami's World Series victory later that fall. In the five total seasons, he spent in South Florida, the native Venezuelan morphed into arguably the most dangerous hitter in the sport, slashing .313/.388/.542 with 138 home runs, 523 RBI, and 183 doubles. He wore a Marlins cap in four all-star games, earned a pair of Silver Sluggers, and drove in more than 100 runs for Miami in four consecutive years from '04-'07. Before the 2008 season the Marlins made the difficult decision to trade the face of their franchise, shipping him, alongside Willis, to the Tigers in exchange for six minor league prospects--none of whom really worked out for this organization. 

Miami selected outfielder Christian Yelich 23rd overall in the 2010 draft, and for a while, alongside Giancarlo Stanton and Marcell Ozuna, he helped provide the Marlins with the most complete outfield in baseball. In 643 games in a Miami uniform, the Thousand Oaks, CA native slashed .290/.369/.432 with 59 homers, 293 RBI, 146 doubles, 14 triples, and 72 stolen bases. He earned a Silver Slugger and a Gold Glove while with the Marlins, but never really fulfilled all of the potential the team felt he had. Unfortunately for Miami, as soon as it traded Yelich to Milwaukee he became one of the biggest stars in the game, winning the batting title in each of his first two seasons with the Brewers and being crowned NL MVP in 2018. 

In the late '90s and early 2000s, the most dangerous bat in the Marlins line-up was left-handed swinging Cliff Floyd, who spent six memorable seasons with the club. In 637 games in a Florida Marlins uniform, the Chicago, IL native slashed a fantastic .294/.374/.523 with 110 long balls, 409 RBI, 167 doubles, nine triples, and 90 stolen bases. Floyd drove in more than 90 runs for the Marlins three times, was an all-star in 2001, and most notably helped the organization win its first World Series championship in 1997. 

Second baseman Dan Uggla is one of the greatest Rule 5 draft success stories, as after being plucked from the Arizona system in December of 2005 he became an all-star caliber starter for the Marlins at an important position. In 776 games with the Fish, Uggla slashed .263/.349/.488 with 154 home runs, 465 RBI, 170 doubles, 12 triples, and 19 steals. He was named to the NL all-star team in both '06 and '08, won a Silver Slugger award in '10, and crushed more than 31 homers while driving in 88 or more runs for the Marlins in four consecutive seasons. 

Kevin Brown's presence this high on this list is downright impressive, considering he only pitched in South Florida for two seasons in the mid-90s. In those two years, though, the veteran righty was simply dominant, going 33-19 with a stellar 2.30 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP. He struck out 364 hitters in 470.1 innings, made the all-star team both years, won the ERA title in 1996, and was one of the biggest reasons the Marlins won their first World Series championship in 1997. 

Next up on the list is one of the saddest baseball stories in recent memory and an upsetting case of what could have been. Miami selected uber-talented righty Jose Fernandez with the 14th overall pick in the 2011 draft, and he became a phenomenon from the moment he first stepped on a big-league mound. In 28 rookie starts in 2013, Fernandez delivered a 2.19 ERA in 172.2 innings, making his first all-star team and winning the NL Rookie of the Year award in the process. Tommy John surgery in May of 2014 prevented him from throwing a full season in either '14 or '15, but he came back better than ever in 2016, making his 2nd all-star team and further entrenching himself as one of the premier pitchers in the sport. Devastatingly, in late September that year, he was killed in a boating accident, and it's easy to think about how much he could have accomplished and how different the Marlins future could've been were it not for the unbelievably tragic events that unfolded that night. 

The Marlins acquired third baseman Mike Lowell from the Yankees just before spring training camps opened in 1999, and in hindsight they absolutely fleeced New York in the transaction. None of the three players that went to the Bronx accomplished anything noteworthy in Pinstripes, while Lowell quickly became a highly productive mainstay at the hot corner in Miami. In seven seasons with the Marlins, he slashed .272/.339/.462 with 143 homers, 578 RBI, and a franchise-record 241 doubles. He made the National League all-star team three consecutive times from 2002-2004, won a Silver Slugger and a Gold Glove, and helped Miami win the 2003 World Series---against the organization that traded him away. 

The Marlins took backstop J.T. Realmuto in the 3rd round of the 2010 draft coming out of Carl Albert High School in Midwest, OK, and while it took some time for him to navigate his way through the minor leagues, before long he developed into one of baseball's best catchers. In 540 games in a Miami uniform, Realmuto slashed .279/.327/.442 with 189 extra-base hits, 243 RBI, and 31 stolen bases. He represented the team in the 2018 all-star game--the same year he won his first Silver Slugger--and is yet another example of what could have been for this organization. Marlins fans must still be frustrated over the deal that sent him to their division rivals in Philadelphia, particularly given that the top prospect in return, righty Sixto Sanchez, has yet to really pan out. 

As mentioned earlier, not all that long ago the Marlins boasted a starting outfield of Marcell Ozuna, Giancarlo Stanton, and Christian Yelich that was the envy of baseball. Ozuna in particular enjoyed the best seasons of his career in the middle of Miami's offensive attack. In 653 games with the team he slashed .277/.329/.457 with 96 homers, 361 RBI, 123 doubles, 17 triples, and 11 stolen bases. He qualified for the National League all-star team in both '16 and '17, won a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger in a Marlins uniform, and drove in a career high 124 runs in 2017. Prior to the 2018 campaign Ozuna was traded to the Cardinals in a deal that netted the Marlins future Cy Young award winner, Sandy Alcantara. 

Jeff Conine was one of the original members of this organization when the Marlins first joined the National League alongside the Colorado Rockies as 1993 expansion teams. The versatile right-handed swinging Conine would go on to play parts of eight seasons in Miami across two different stints, and earn the nickname Mr. Marlin in the process. In just over 1,000 games with the club, the Tacoma, WA native slashed an excellent .290/.358/.455 with 317 extra-base hits and 553 RBI. He represented the Marlins in a pair of all-star games, was named MVP of one of them, and is the only player to win World Series rings with Miami in both 1997 and 2003. 

Outfielder Gary Sheffield played for eight different Major League teams during his 22-year career, but he played more games in South Florida with the Marlins than he did anywhere else. In those 558 contests, the right-handed slugger impressively slashed .288/.426/.543 with 122 long balls, 380 RBI, 98 doubles, and 74 stolen bases. He wore a Marlins hat in two all-star games, earned a Silver Slugger, and was a huge piece of the club's 1997 World Series winning squad. Sheffield nearly became the first Marlins player to win the NL MVP award in 1996 when he blasted 42 homers, drove in 120 runs, and led the National League in OBP, OPS, and OPS+. 

Venezuelan-born righty Anibal Sanchez debuted for the Marlins midway through the 2006 season, and for more than a half dozen years he was a valuable member of this team's pitching staff. In 132 starts for Miami he pitched to a 3.75 ERA with a 1.35 WHIP, while earning 44 victories and striking out 676 hitters in 794.1 innings. Sanchez gave the Marlins more than 195 innings in both 2010 and 2011, and Miami ultimately dealt him to Detroit at the deadline in 2012. 

Polarizing right-hander A.J. Burnett spent the first seven seasons of his career with the Marlins, and was one of those players whose personality seemed even larger than his contributions. Burnett took the mound 134 times for Florida and pitched to a 3.73 ERA with a 1.28 WHIP in 853.2 innings. He punched out more than 198 hitters for the Marlins twice,--the same two years he gave the team over 200 innings--earned 49 wins, and fired 14 complete games--including a no-hitter in which he walked nine. He led the National League with five shutouts in 2002 and oftentimes was the definition of effectively wild--he led the league in wild pitches on three separate occasions. 

The Marlins acquired shortstop Miguel Rojas from the Dodgers in December of 2014 and actually traded him back to LA in January of 2023, but in between he put together a nice run as the club's starter at one of the most important positions on the diamond. In 870 games with Miami, the Venezuela native slashed .265/.318/.366 with 184 extra-base hits, 260 RBI, and 46 stolen bases. He never threatened to make an all-star team and wasn't considered an elite player, but every day Rojas seemed to do something to help his team win. He was (and still is) a tremendous defensive shortstop, and in Miami drew rave reviews from his peers for his leadership abilities. 

The Florida Marlins selected catcher Charles Johnson 28th overall in the 1992 draft, nearly a full calendar year before the expansion team played it's first game. The Fort Pierce, FL native reached the big leagues less than two years later, and quickly began a run as one of the better backstops in the National League. In 587 games with the Marlins across two different stints, Johnson slashed .241/.324/.418 with 75 homers, 277 RBI, and 111 doubles. He wore a Marlins cap in one all-star game, won four consecutive Gold Glove awards from '95-'98, and most importantly was an important ingredient of the 1997 team that wound up winning the World Series. 

Spring, TX native Josh Beckett was selected by the Marlins with the number two overall pick in the 1999 draft, and while he didn't quite develop into the dominant ace Miami hoped he would, that didn't stop him from delivering the city some magical moments. In 106 games with the Marlins, Beckett went 41-34 with a 3.46 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP across 609 innings. But when you think of his time in Miami the first thing that comes to mind is undoubtedly his performance in the 2003 World Series. In 16.1 innings against the Yankees in the Fall Classic, Beckett allowed only two runs and struck out 19 hitters. In the deciding game six he threw a complete game shutout on short rest as just a 23-year-old and was later named the series MVP. The Marlins traded him to Boston around Thanksgiving in 2004, but the memories he delivered in South Florida will last a lifetime. 

Right-hander Ricky Nolasco spent the first eight years of his career as an integral member of the Marlins starting rotation, and while he pitched for three other Major League teams, the best days of his career clearly came in Miami. Nolasco is the Marlins franchise leader in starts (197), wins (81), innings (1,225.2) and strikeouts (1,001). He gave Miami 185 or more innings in five out of six seasons from '08-'13, and while he never made an all-star team he was consistently a reliable and steady presence on a starting staff that really needed it. 

First baseman Derrek Lee spent a decade and a half in the Major Leagues, and a large chunk of that was spent in sunny South Florida with the Marlins. In 844 games in Miami, the Sacramento, CA native slashed .264/.353/.469 with 129 home runs, 417 RBI, 159 doubles, 18 triples, and 51 stolen bases. He homered more than 20 times for the Marlins on four different occasions, won one Gold Glove, and most importantly was the team's starting first baseman when they won the 2003 World Series.