Nolesmarlins' Power Rankings Week 3

1. Boston: They are number one with a bullet by a hair over the Mets because of the way they just absolutely dominated the Yankees. The balance of power appears to have shifted in the AL East. (LW:7)

2. NY Mets: The Mets are the class of the National League, but they'll have to settle for the Wild Card if they can't beat the Braves. (LW: 1)

3. LA Dodgers: They are going to have one heck of a fight with the Dbacks and the Padres this year, but they should prevail on the strength of their pitching. Imagine how good they will be when they get Schmidt back to form. (LW: 4)

4. Detroit: Gary Sheffield has had a horrendus start. It would be a shame for all concerned if they had to cut him, but this team still made the World Series last year without him. (LW: 2)

5. Atlanta: One of the NL's best offenses. Tim Hudson is back in a big way, which is not good news for the NL East. (LW: 9)

6. San Diego: They are neck and neck with Tampa Bay and Colorado with having the worst uniforms in baseball. They should go back to the brown pinstripe ones they had in the early 90's. (LW: 6)

7. Minnesota: Maybe it won't be a two team race after all. (LW: 8)

8. Cleveland: Travis Hafner would win the MVP this year if it weren't for Arod. However, the Indians should finish the season better than the Yankees. (LW: 3)

9. Milwaukee: If this winning keeps up, Milwaukee will become baseball crazy by July. They just need to stay healthy. (LW: 16)

10. NY Yankees: Only here because of Arod. No excuse for this team to be below .500 with the talent they have. (LW: 17)

11. Oakland: Their excellent starting pitching will be key in their battle with the Angels to win the AL West. (LW: 14)

12. Baltimore: They probably won't even challenge for the division if the Red Sox keep it up, but the Wild Card could be within reach. (LW: 18)

13. ChiSox: Buehrle's no-no was a sweet one. But he is going to have to be that good every time he pitches if the bats remain asleep. If, and thats a big if, the bats do wake up they might challenge for a playoff spot. (LW: 20)

14. Arizona: 3-7 in the last 10 probably signifies that this might not be their year. (LW: 5)

15. LA Angels: Losing Howie Kendrick for a little bit doesn't help, especially since the injury bug doesn't seem to be biting the A's. (LW: 10)

16. Florida: 6 game losing streak doesn't help but Dan Uggla just caught on fire. Big series against the Braves this week. (LW: 12)

17. Houston: This recent hot streak has brought them to second place in their division. (LW: 21)

18. Cincinnati: It's weird seeing Junior in right field. (LW: 13)

19. Toronto: Just can't seem to take the proverbial next step. They probably need a decent midseason acquisition to compete with the Sox for the AL East or win the Wild Card. (LW: 11)

20. St. Louis: They had a decent run that ended with a World Series title last year but the Cards might not be competitive for a season or two. (LW: 15)

21. Pittsburgh: Adam Laroche is killing this team. He is their Jorge Julio at first base. (LW: 19)

22. Texas: Just another American League also-ran. This would be a decent time for them to come together because this is a fairly week division. (LW: 23)

23. Seattle: Felix Hernandez going to the DL is unfortunate. (LW: 22)

24. Colorado: Remember when Coors Field was sold out every night? They could do it again if they actually get a winner there. (LW: 24)

25. SF: Believe it or not, this crappy team is actually above .500 (LW: 29)

26. Philly: Ryan Howard will turn it around, hopefully when its way too late. (LW: 26)

27. TB: B.J. Upton should be in the lineup every day. (LW: 25)

28. KC: What were they thinking when they signed Gil Meche? (LW: 28)

29. Gnats: Well they wore off their welcome in DC rather quickly... new ballpark next year should help, though. (LW: 30)

30. Cubbies: Too bad Dlee has to play on this crappy team. Lou Pinella just looks perfect in a cubs uniform. (LW: 27)

Obermueller to make Marlin debut

Wes Obermueller will make his Marlin debut in the final game of this series against the Washington Nationals as today's starter. The 30 year old journeyman pitcher will get his first MLB start since 2005 when he pitched for the Milwaukee Brewers.

Obermueller had a solid spring training, but was not able to crack into the rotation and instead was optioned to AAA Alburqurque. He was recalled yesterday in order to shore up the Marlins starting pitching, which has seen not only Josh Johnson go down to start the season, but also Sergio Mitre has been placed on the DL.

For the Isotopes, Obermueller is 0-1 with a 2.45 ERA. In his last start he gave up one run in seven innings.

Marlins Snap Losing Streak

The Marlins won 9-3 tonight as they beat the Nationals on the heels of another late inning loss this season, this latest one coming on 14 innings from last night.

The Marlins got tons of hits, including a homer from Hanley Ramirez and a MLB first home run for Jason Woods, who took over 1B for the ailing Mike Jacobs.

Miguel Cabrera, who took BP this afternoon, sat out and Aaron Boone replaced him in the lineup.

The Marlins rode Anibal Sanchez for 5 innings on his way to his second win and got four solid innings of relief from Matt Lindstrom and Randy Messenger. Scott Tyler, the recent callup from AA Carolina, did warm up in the pen but did not make his MLB debut quite yet.

The win snaps a six game losing streak and helps the Marlins regain some footing. Hopefully, this will help the Marlins get their bearings back and start a streak in the other direction.

Nolesmarlins' Power Rankings Week 2

OK boys and girls, time for Power Rankings Version 2.0. Lots of movement this week.

1. NY Mets: They only keep this spot because nobody else has shown a strong case to supplant them. Once Carlos Delgado wakes up their lineup should easily be the scariest in the National League. (Last Week: 1)

2. Detroit: Most complete team in the majors. Solid starting pitching, one of the best bullpens in baseball, great young hitters, great veteran hitters, excellent coaching stafff... need I say more? (Last Week: 6)

3. Cleveland: Taking two out of three from the Angels in Milwaukee (uhh why?) shows me that these guys may be something special (Last Week: Incomplete)

4. LA Dodgers: 8-2 in their last 10 games. I think that justifies a decent rise in the rankings (Last Week: 11)

5. Arizona: Came back to earth slightly, but still a very talented team. (Last Week: 3)

6. San Diego: Their FO is the undisputed king of putting together a bullpen. (Last Week: 7)

7. Boston: Looks like the AL East may be theirs for the taking due to Toronto and NY's injury woes. (Last Week: 12)

8. Minnesota: They are good, but the AL Central is going to be a two team race. (Last Week: 5)

9. Atlanta: To be completely honest, they may be pretty good, but they didn't really impress me this weekend against the Marlins. (Last Week: 4)

10. LA Angels: Bet they can't wait for Colon to come back... (Last Week: 2)

11. Toronto: That buzzing you hear is the sound of the dreaded injury bug. (Last Week: 8)

12. Florida: It helps if you throw strikes. If not for Jorge Julio, this team would be 8-4 (Last Week: 10)

13. Cincinnati: I'm really liking their new uniforms. Can't wait to see Josh Hamilton in that lineup. (Last Week: 17)

14. Oakland: Marco Scaturro's walkoff was pretty cool... it's not every day that someone gets the best of Mariano Rivera. I have a hunch these guys are going to have a hot month soon. (Last Week: 15)

15. St. Louis: If they weren't in the NL Central, they would finish below .500 (Last Week: 13)

16. Milwaukee: Better than I expected. They finally have a rotation beyond Ben Sheets. In a weak NL Central, that might be the difference (Last Week: 19)

17. NY Yankees: On the bright side, at least these pitchers were injured early so they have time to recover before the stretch run. (Last Week: 9)

18. Baltimore: Don't be too impressed by their recent successes, those 7 wins came against such powerhouses as Tampa Bay and Kansas City. Nonetheless this is the biggest chance they have had to make the playoffs in this decade. (Last Week: 26)

19. Pittsburgh: Seem to have taken the next step. (Last Week: 20)

20. Chi Sox: They just don't scare anybody anymore. (Last Week: 14)

21. Houston: Nice turnaround, but don't expect it to last. (Last Week: 27)

22. Seattle: Safeco Field is the most underrated ballpark in the majors. Felix Hernandez would look great in a Marlins uniform. So would Ichiro, by the way. (Last Week: 23)

23. Texas: That would be pretty cool if Gagne had a comeback year. (Last Week: 22)

24. Colorado: Light years away from competing due to the quality of this division. (Last Week: 21)

25. Tampa Bay: Whats up with Kazmir? They won't go anywhere without him. (Last Week: 25)

26. Philly: Seeing this team down here makes this fish fan very happy. (Last Week: 18)

27. Cubbies: In the past 100 years has there been anything more pathetic in the entire world than the Chicago Cubs? (Last Week: 16)

28. KC: Well at least they still have those sweet fountains in the outfield and some of the best barbecue in the country. Cheer up, Kansas City... some day the Royals will be good again. (Last Week: 25)

29. SF: Yuck (Last Week: 28)

30. DC: That shutout of Atlanta was pretty nice. (Last Week: 29)

Sorry they came out so late this week, but unlike those waterheads over at the big websites I don't do this for a living.

Marlins' Pitching Has Wins Walking Away

The talent is there, but the execution simply is not. The Marlins starters last season put on quite a show, grabbing double digit wins for all 5 starters - 4 of them being rookies.

Yet, this season is off to a rocky start. Don't think so? Sure, the Marlins are 6-6 and some of those losses could easily be wins if not for dodgey reliever, Jorge Julio. Still, take a look at some of the stats put together by our own MarlinAddict:

           Pitches  Strikes  %Strike  BB
Sanchez      108       54     51%      6
Lindstrom     28       15     54%      2
Pinto          4        2     50%      0
Messenger     16       10     63%      0
Gregg         26       14     54%      2
  Totals     182       95     52%      8

Those stats are from last night's starters against the Astros. You can't expect to beat very many teams by throwing only 52% of your pitches for strikes.

Of course, giving a hitter another chance like the Marlins did to Ensberg last night didn't help either.

Three of our pitchers have WHIPs over 1.8 (Sanchez, Olsen, Mitre). The Marlins are last in the league with a 1.62 WHIP as a team. It comes down to throwing strikes and having better command of your pitches. The most obvious case is Jorge Julio, who is all but unserviceable these days. Rick Kranitz is stressing, for example, that Olsen use his fastball more in the early part of the game and to just go after hitters.

Kranitz, credited for a lot of the success for the young staff last season, has his work cut out for him this season. He has to teach the pitchers to overcome bad habits and help guide them into growing as professionals. Right now, simply throwing strikes is hurting the Marlins chances to win games.

Marlins on Verge of First Place

With last night's game being postponed due to rain, the Marlins missed out on an opportunity to tie the Braves for first place in the NL East.

Today, they get that same opportunity passed before them. No wonder the Braves are opting to push the makeup date back to a later time; this Marlins team has its bats and the momentum to possibly take the series.

Scottie Olsen will take on Tim Hudson, the Braves ace in what looks to be an early season primetime matchup that will figure into who will be the NL East frontrunner. At least for the time being.

Right Said Fredi Needs to Say No to Julio

Just say no.

That is what Fredi Gonzalez is faced with as his first major obstacle as manager comes to bear upon him. And that "no" is not only directed at Jorge Julio's ego but also towards Larry Beinfest, the man who hired Gonzalez.

In this instance one can ask, would Girardi keep rolling Julio out there when it is evident that this guy can't find the plate with a GPS locator?

Julio, to give illustration to this point, has thrown 112 pitches in the 3.2 innings he has pitched this season. That is 5.6 pitches per plate appearance. Hitters are batting .769 against him and he has given up 10 hits, 6 earned runs, 4 doubles, and 6 walks. Oh yeah, and NO strike outs to go along with a blown save and pending the completion of last night's game, that could double.

Beinfest pulled the trigger on a deal that brought Julio to Miami for only Yusmeiro Petit, a solid pitching prospect who could prove to be a serviceable starter. The Marlins traded from a position of wealth, starting pitching, to shore up what looked like a big gaping hole to some - the closer's role.

Yet, what makes this deal even more redundant at the moment is that not only is Julio struggling with his control, but the Marlins have found a couple of options to end games with - Lee Gardner and Henry Owens. Both easily went out there and grabbed their first major league saves while Julio, who currently has 99 MLB saves, can't find his first one of the season and has had more opportunities. In fact, Gardner cleaned up Julio's mess - and Gonzalez made the call on that.

So, why continue?

The Marlins could realistically have only 1 loss right now if not for Julio's lack of control.

Fredi Gonzalez has to talk with his GM and basically come up with another option for Julio. He needs to be demoted to where he can work on his control, as it seems he is suffering from bad mechanics, at the very least, or possibly has just lost confidence in his fast ball. Whatever the case may be, the Marlins cannot afford to have him learn on the job - that isn't what they acquired him for. They traded for Julio to come in and close games and so far, he can't even close up one hitter.

Just say no, Fredi. Say no to Julio and say no to Beinfest. If this situation takes a turn for the worse, it will be on the field first and ultimately, that is how your performance will be determined. The Marlins couldn't fire two managers in a row.

Nolesmarlins' Power Rankings Week 1

Alright, since most of us Marlin fans feel that ESPN, SI, and Fox Sports tend to be biased against the Marlins because of our perceived lack of fans, I am going to do my own weekly version every Tuesday for Marlinsnation.com. I'm sure you have seen these things before on the big websites, so there is no need for me to explain that the rankings will be entirely subjective.

So lets start the show:

1. NY Mets: Absolutely dominated the Cardinals in the opening series. Jose Reyes could be one of the best leadoff men of all time

2. LA Angels: Good pitching, sick offense, easy AL West. Not saying they are going to win the pennant, but start printing those playoff tickets.

3. Arizona: Proud owners of 2007's first winning streak... will go for 6 games in a row tonight. Decent young team in a very exciting NL West.

4. Atlanta: They're BAAAAAACK!!!! Brad McCann is the best catcher in the NL

5. Minnesota: Decent start, but should move down in the coming weeks due to the ultra-competitive AL Central. They remind me of the Mariners of the late '90s with the best pitcher and two of the best hitters in the AL... and not too much else.

6. Detroit: Defending AL Champs seem to be slightly better on paper by acquiring Gary Sheffield.

7. San Diego: Excellent pitching but they need to score more runs.

8. Toronto: A.J. Burnett needs to find consistency in order for the Blue Jays to compete... if he does, they have a decent shot to win the division.

9. NY Yankees: AROD is on a mission, however their shoddy pitching will be their downfall.

10. Florida: Yeah I said it. Cabrera, HRam, Jacobs, and, well, pretty much the entire team is crushing the ball. De Aza is a surprise frontrunner for NL ROY. Need to figure out the Jorge Julio situation if they want to remain competitve.

11. LA Dodgers: Excellent pitching staff, but could definately use another hitter. Look for them to pursue Ichiro or Andruw Jones once the M's or/if the Braves fall out of contention.

12. Baahston: DiceK (or whatever you want to call him) is the real deal. Need a real closer so they can fully utilize Papelbon's potential.

13. St. Louis: Gotta give the champs some love. Should make the playoffs in the weak NL Central no matter what. However, they are the worst defending champs since the 1999 Padres.

14. Chicago White Sox: 2005 champs are looking ok. Probably won't win the division but should be a thorn in the side of the AL Central all season.

15. Oakland: Excellent young pitching staff should give the AL some headaches.

16. Chicago Cubs: New superstar + same pitchers = same results. And to think they say that they are cursed... I would go with incompetent.

17. Cincinnati: Actually leading the NL Central right now. Probably will rise in the rankings and compete until September...but fall flat on their faces after giving it a good effort. Some things never change.

18. Philly: Talent prevents me from ranking them lower. They seem to start this way every year. Just like in Cincy and the North Side, some things never change... no matter what Jimmy Rollins says.

19. Milwaukee: They have some high hopes for their team in sausage and beer land... I just don't see it. Yeah, Ben Sheets is an excellent starter and Geoff Jenkins has three homers so far, but not much else to report.

20. Pittsburgh: A decent start, but remember these are the Pirates. Should compete one day soon though; just look at what happened in Detroit. These fans deserve a winner for once.

21. Colorado: Yet another decent start by an anonymous team. It will be interesting to see how the removal of the humidor affects mile high baseball.

22. Texas: Good hitting, crappy pitching. They have had the same problem for more than 10 years. Hey guys, I think it's time to sign a pitcher.

23: Seattle: Can't get much of an impression because of all of those missed games but the only legitimate bright spot on this team seems to be 21 year old pitcher Felix Hernandez

24. KC: Roughed up Curt Schilling which is always an accomplishment. Alex Gordon, the future in Kansas City, has had a horrid start to his career (I should know, I have him on my fantasy team). Good young team but unfortunately for them they reside in the toughest division in baseball. If they were in the AL West they might actually have had a shot at the playoffs.

25. Tampa Bay: Wow, that Japanese third baseman plays some sick defense! This team is only a year or two away from becoming a title contender. The AL East better watch out.

26. Baltimore: Well, they're the Orioles... they should occupy this spot for the entire season, just like the past ten years. Peter Angelos makes Jeff Loria look like Arte Moreno.

27. Houston: And to think they are only two years removed from a NL Pennant. At least we know where Roger Clemens WON'T pitch.

28. SF: If not for Barry Bonds and a beautiful ballpark they would draw less than the Marlins. Barry Zito was one of the most pointless free agent signings in recent history.

29. Washington: Well, they suck. Nothing much else to say.

INCOMPLETE: Cleveland: For obvious reasons. They are the class of the AL Central so they should enter next week pretty high up there

Alright everyone, that about wraps it up. Questions? Comments?

Van den Hurk Gets the Call

Ricky Nolasco was placed on the DL with a sore right elbow. One of the key concerns was Nolasco was not getting the velocity he had last season on his pitches. The Marlins are expecting him to return in a few weeks.

In the meantime, we will just have to deal with Rick Van den Hurk being called up to make his major league debut against the Brewers tonight.

Of course, I am being fascetious as Van den Hurk has quietly been one of the Marlins top prospects. A native of the Netherlands, the "Dutch Destroyer" is 6'5" 195lbs with great velocity. The 21 year old was supposed to start the season at AA Carolina, but was told not to throw prior to his scheduled start.

Van den Hurk has a 5-12 record with a 3.47 ERA over 4 minor league seasons. He was signed by the Marlins out of their Dutch academy when he was only 17, turning scouts' heads at an early age.

In Winter ball, he put together an impressive stint for the Waikiki BeachBoys in Hawaii Winter Baseball. Van den Hurk went 2-2 with a 3.60 ERA and tossed a league-leading 63 strikeouts, also holding opponents to a .162 batting average. He also twice won Player of the Week honors on his way to the HWB All-Star team.

In 8 combined starts last season, split between the GCL Marlins and the Jupiter (A) Marlins, he had a 14.79 K/9IP as well as a .92 WHIP and 1.80ERA.

Van den Hurk has been touted as a very strong prospect with a pretty high ceiling as a starter. He will get the chance to at least get his feet wet tonight. The question is, will he prove to be another Marlins diaper dandy and make a case to stick with the big club? We'll see.

Ramirez, Willingham Injured; Tankersley Set to Return?

Hanley Ramirez left yesterday's game after a ground out reporting of stiffness in his right hamstring while Josh Willingham was scratched before the game due to lower back stiffness.

The Sun-Sentinel is reporting that both players are day to day, and neither is expected to return to the diamond tonight against the Brewers.

Both players, however, disagree and seem keen on getting back out on the field. It will most likely be a game time decision for Fredi Gonzalez, but don't expect him to rush either player back.

Miguel Olivo is out with a thumb injury that luckily did turn up negative after further examination.

On the positive side, Taylor Tankersley threw a shutout inning for the A Jupiter Hammerheads and seems to be progressing and getting ready for a return to the big club real soon.

Marlins 4-2, 2-0 on Season Series

The Marlins completed their home opening series against the Phillies with a 6-4 win over division rival Philadelphia.

Scott Olsen gets his 2nd win, and Mike Jacobs launched his 2nd home run of the season; both players helping the Marlins stake their claim as the new power in the NL East.

Ok, it's early, but there really isn't any reason to deny the possibility that the Marlins could take the division. In fact, any team you put forward for the division title has flaws, so why not the Marlins?

Interestingly, the reliever position has been the most beleaguered part of the team. Julio's blow up cost the Marlins the series sweep against the Nationals, while Nolasco's tune up on Friday pretty much cost the Marlins their home opener.

And Julio's latest implosion today against the Phillies is something to watch. Lee Gardner came in and cleaned up Julio's bases-loaded mess and got the first save for the team this season. "Wholio" still has yet to earn his first save for the Marlins. Yet, the reason why this situation will be something to watch is because Larry Beinfest brought Jorge Julio in to be the team's closer, costing the Marlins Yusmeiro Petit and some cash. If Julio's control continues to diminish, and his command on his pitches as well, the Marlins will be looking for another closer and it seems the answer, short term, is Lee Gardner. Let's hope this will not cause another rift in the organization between front office and management. Stay tuned.

Marlins 2-0 to Start Season

The Marlins did it again, scoring 9 runs against the Washington Nationals, to take the second game of the series. The Marlins will go for the sweep at 1:05pm tomorrow, on FSN.

Miguel Cabrera is continuing his early season tear - after 2 games he is hitting .714 with 5 RBIs. Where is Chris Berman to do his ridiculous season projections for Miggy's stats?

Scott Olsen got the win, but gave up 5 BBs in the process. Still, he went 2/3 with a double and an RBI to help his own cause - that will help him escape some criticism for now. Still, the kid has #1 stuff and the mentality to meet the task, too.

Henry Owens looked solid in his Marlins debut, and relieved the 8th inning.

Marlins Win Big on Opening Day 2007

The Florida Marlins got a good start to the 2007 season with a 9-2 win over the Washington Nationals, who were very hospitable to their guests serving up a couple of home run pitches for the Marlins to crash the opener.

Two mammoth home runs, one from Miguel Cabrera and another from Dan Uggla, assured the Marlins victory while Dontrelle Willis worked the plate to keep the Nats from threatening. For Dontrelle, that is 6 IP with 3 K's, 1 BB and allowing only 7 hits in his 2007 debut for the win.

This is also a win for the managerial debut of Fredi Gonzalez, the former farm hand for the Marlins that caught on with the Braves and Bobby Cox's staff in Atlanta. Surely it will be one for him to remember.



The Marlins also got some pretty good performances from Hanley Ramirez, and rookie centerfielder Alejandro de Aza. Ramirez went 4-6 with 1 RBI and 4 runs - he is looking to build upon his ROY campaign of last season.

De Aza was a shock in spring training, as he continued to hit the ball and play an excellent CF while also displaying his lightning speed. Donning #7, the first positional player on the Marlins to do so since Pudge Rodriguez, he put together a great display going 2-4 with a triple and scoring 2 runs.

This was the first opening day in Washington, DC since 1971 - and the Marlins made the best of it.

Marlins 2007 Preview: Experts Still Don't Get It

The 2006 Marlins accomplished things only imaginable if you played a full season on an XBox. They had several rookie of the year candidates - Scott Olsen, Josh Johnson, Hanley Ramirez, Dan Uggla, Josh Willingham. They set the franchise record for runs scored. They contended for a wildcard berth while fielding a team that cost less than one year of service from Alex Rodriguez.

They did all of this fielding not only a roster full of rookies, but a rookie manager as well.

So, what kind of expectations are in place for the Marlins of 2007? Not a repeat of last season, but regression.

Pretty much every expert has picked the Marlins to finish with a similar record to last season (78-84) at best, but for the most part they all agree that the Marlins won't sniff a playoff spot. I think I can see why - they don't even know who is on the Marlins roster this year.

ESPN tops off all the predication for prediction by asserting their "expertise" on baseball forecasting the Fish to go anywhere from 68-94 to 76-86. It doesn't take much to undercut their credibility - it's ESPN for God's sake! Yet, to give the full effect, here are a couple of things to monitor:

• They picked Cody Ross to start CF because, "Likely to break camp because he's out of options."
• For Eric Reed they claim, "Thirteen HRs in 269 ABs with the Reds in '06." Um, huh? Reed played for the Marlins minor league AAA affiliate Alburquerque Isotopes in 2006 - and he damn sure never hit 13 home runs (5 instead). They also pegged him for coming off the Marlins bench. I guess they forgot about the Marlins signing Aaron "Bleepin'"Boone.

What about Fox Sports? For their preview, written by Ken Rosenthal, there doesn't seem to be much to endorse. There is the safe prediction that the Marlins will hang around .500 but will not improve much beyond that. To his credit, Rosenthal at least mentions de Aza - the Marlins opening day centerfielder - whereas ESPN never does.

Still, in his preview piece, Rosenthal points out that the Marlins centerfield spot will be a huge hole - as he flops between Eric Reed and Alex Sanchez as the Marlins choice.

Well, Reed was optioned back to AAA and Sanchez was released.

Interestingly, Rosenthal also has praise for de Aza, "2B Dan Uggla might not be the only former Rule 5 draft pick to wind up as a Marlins regular. CF Alejandro De Aza, 23, has had an impressive spring. He can hit, play defense and has speed. He'll open the season at Double-A Carolina, but don't be shocked if he winds up in the starting lineup by May or June as the team's center fielder if Eric Reed or Alex Sanchez struggles."

So, guess that hole isn't as big as he once thought, huh?

Still, he can't seem to accurately recall the Marlins relievers from last year to this year as he claims only Pinto and Messenger are left. He forgot to mention Tankersley, the Marlins lefty rookie who made quite a splash last season, as well as Carlos Martinez and Logan Kensing - both of which are injured but expected to return sometime this season.

And of course there is the typical doom message about us losing Dontrelle Willis - for which he gives no reason why the Marlins would deal him. ESPN, on the other hand, picks him to be the Marlins bust for this season.

All in all, the experts on both these sites/media companies (both of which cover baseball and will telecast the games nationally) do a very poor job of correctly assessing the Marlins talent pool, let alone who is actually in that talent pool. What is more, they do not cite any specific reasons for their predictions. They don't chart any historical patterns for rookies and their production. There is no attempt at examining trends or even using any shred of evidence whatsoever.

Should the Marlins expect dropoffs from some of their players? Yes. But could they expect someone to come out of nowhere? Yes. Can this team repeat their record last season? Yeah. I still don't get why experts love picking the Mets and Phillies when the former has an aging starting staff and the latter has demonstrated to only hit at home and not on the road (.274 home, .260 on the road).

If everyone is picking other teams to improve, why not the Marlins? After all, the Phillies are adding Wes Helms to their roster to play 3B - he couldn't crack the starting lineup with the Marlins last year!

So, ignore the talking heads like you did last year. After all, they didn't get it in 2006, they won't get it in 2007.