Marlins week in review: Perspective on where Miami stands 10 games into the season

The Miami Marlins went 1-2 against the New York Mets this weekend. They are 4-6 to start the season, a season in which the team says it is in “win now” mode. The offense hasn’t scored runs consistently. Starting pitchers are walking a lot of batters.

The sky is falling. Or at least that’s how it can be perceived by scrolling through social media.

But is it?

The Marlins don’t feel that way. Not yet. To them, and around baseball in general, true evaluations of teams aren’t being made yet.

“Everyone likes to overreact,” first baseman Garrett Cooper said. “There is always an outcry over a team that is not hitting to start the year. … I’m not going to panic because I know how baseball works. You go through hot and cold stretches.”

With that, two points of perspective:

First, seven of Miami’s first 10 games of the season came against the Mets, a team that is coming off a 101-win season in 2022 and a team that essentially everyone expected and projected to be better than the Marlins. Miami went 2-5 in those seven games.

Its other three games? Miami took two of three against the Minnesota Twins, who have won five of their other six games so far this season.

“The schedule didn’t do us any favors,” Marlins general manager Kim Ng said. “I thought we had a good series against Minnesota. ... I think it’s early. We’re a work in progress.”

Second, Miami isn’t the only team in this predicament. Take a look at the rest of the league.

The Houston Astros, who won the World Series last season and have made it to at least the American League Championship Series each of the past six seasons? They’re also 4-6, splitting a four-game series with the Chicago White Sox and then losing two of three to both the Detroit Tigers and Twins.

The perennial powerhouse Los Angeles Dodgers? They’re 5-5, losing five of eight games they have played against the Arizona Diamondbacks and sweeping a two-game series with the Colorado Rockies.

The Philadelphia Phillies, who won the National League pennant last year and who the Marlins face next to close out their first road trip of the season? They’re 3-6 after being swept by the Texas Rangers, dropping two of three against the New York Yankees and winning two of three against the Cincinnati Reds.

The St. Louis Cardinals are 3-6. The Seattle Mariners are 4-6.

You get the point.

Now, the Marlins do need to figure some things out. They are tied with the Kansas City Royals for last in runs per game (2.7) and are 27th out of 30 teams in on-base-plus-slugging (.664).

How they progress or regress over the rest of this month — the Marlins’ remaining six series in April are against the Phillies, Diamondbacks, San Francisco Giants, Cleveland Guardians, Atlanta Braves and Chicago Cubs — should give a better gauge of what to expect long-term.

“As far as finding an identity, I think the team will show you that hopefully within the first couple months,” first-year manager Skip Schumaker said, “but I don’t think there’s a set date of ‘This is who we are by this time.’”

Game recaps

▪ Monday — Twins 11, Marlins 1: Johnny Cueto left with injury in the second inning and the game spiraled from there.

▪ Tuesday — Marlins 1, Twins 0: Sandy Alcantara needed just 100 pitches for a shutout, and Avisail Garcia gave him the only run of support he needed with a home run.

▪ Wednesday — Marlins 5, Twins 2: Jesus Luzardo pitched a gem and the offense provided support late as Miami won its first series of the season.

▪ Friday — Mets 9, Marlins 3: Edward Cabrera walked seven and didn’t make it through three innings as command eluded him again.

▪ Saturday — Mets 5, Marlins 2: Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit a home run, but the Marlins once again played from behind and the offense once again missed on key opportunities.

▪ Sunday — Marlins 7, Mets 2: Bryan De La Cruz drove in four and Braxton Garrett and the bullpen behind him were solid as Miami salvaged the series finale.

Arraez-ing to the occasion

Second baseman Luis Arraez so far has been just about everything the Marlins had hoped he would be when they acquired him from the Twins in that January trade for Pablo Lopez and a pair of prospects.

Through Sunday, Arraez is hitting .471 with a 1.067 OPS, two doubles, three RBI, four runs scored and has five walks against just three strikeouts. He has safely reached base at least once in all nine of his starts and has been on base at least twice in eight of those nine outings, including six multi-hit games.

“His bat-to-ball skills are elite,” Schumaker said. “He doesn’t take a pitch off, whether it’s offensively or defensively. We knew he was going to hit. Everybody knows he’s going to hit, but defensively, he’s been really good.”

More stories from the week

▪ Miami Marlins’ Jazz Chisholm Jr. on ‘frustrating’ ejection: ‘I was really being selfish’

▪ A look back at the bond between Arraez and Lopez

▪ Jorge Soler is showing his power potential early

Schedule for this week

Monday: Marlins @ Phillies, 6:40 p.m.

Tuesday: Marlins @ Phillies, 6:40 p.m.

Wednesday: Marlins @ Phillies, 4:05 p.m.

Thursday: OFF

Friday: Marlins vs. Diamondbacks, 6:40 p.m.

Saturday: Marlins vs. Diamondbacks, 4:10 p.m.

Sunday: Marlins vs. Diamondbacks, 1:40 p.m.