The Athletic ranks the Miami Marlins at #15, tied with Toronto
>T-15. Miami Marlins (15.0)
Record: 19-22
Last Power Ranking: 17
>One reason to believe in this team: Three good starters, two good middle infielders, just waiting for the outfield.
Quick, what’s the best middle-infield combo in baseball, and how many pairs of teammates would you guess before landing on Otto Lopez and Xavier Edwards? Because, through the weekend, Lopez ranked third among major-league shortstops in fWAR (behind only Bobby Witt Jr. and Elly De La Cruz) and Edwards ranked fourth among second basemen (behind Brice Turang, Brandon Lowe and Nico Hoerner).
Sandy Alcantara, Max Meyer and Janson Junk have been a solid top three in the rotation, and the Marlins are top 10 in bullpen ERA (and expected ERA). If you believe in the inevitable surge of their young outfield — which has been awful so far — then maybe there’s room to get even better, and the NL wild-card race has plenty of room for a surprise contender like this one. — Jennings