The Marlins franchise has become synonymous with its expert status in the field of developing fine, young talent and then trading it away to other teams in exchange for more youth. This strategy isn’t necessarily by choice, as poor ticket sales prevent the team from having the ability to sign big names.

Despite this lowball strategy, the Marlins have two World Series since their debut as a franchise in 1993. This is considered very successful by all means, as many larger budget teams (i.e. the Mets, the Dodgers, etc.) haven’t won a single World Series in the same period. Marlins pitching has been largely responsible for these championships, and we’re now going to look at the top 5 pitchers in Florida Marlins history.

5. Carl Pavano – You gotta love it when a guy who plays on a team for only two seasons can be considered one of the top pitchers in their team’s history. That’s right, Pavano played with the Marlins during the 2003-2004 seasons before bolting for a big contract with the Yankees. Unfortunately for the Yankees, he’s turned out to be a major bust, but his best season by far came just before he left. A career .500 pitcher with an ERA nearing 4.50, Pavano had an extremely good season in 2004, in which he went 18-8 with an ERA of 3.00 and a WHIP of 1.17. He also happened to hit 2 HR’s that year, if that means anything. Pavano finished his stint with the Marlins with a 33-23 record and a 3.64 ERA, which is good for 5th on the Marlins best pitchers of all-time.

4. A.J. Burnett – Burnett was actually a member of the Marlins for seven seasons, although a number of injuries makes his numbers a bit lower than you’d think. In his seven seasons, Burnett never won more than 12 games with the Marlins, and finished his career with the Marlins with a 49-50 record. Burnett’s best year came back in 2002, when he finished 12-9 with a 3.30 ERA. That year, he threw 204 innings and struck out 203 while only allowing 153 hits, finishing with a BAA of .209. Burnett has always had nasty stuff; unfortunately injuries have prevented him from making more starts and truly showing what he’s got.

3. Kevin Brown – Brown’s stint in Florida was pretty short-lived, but Kevin Brown was one of the best pitchers in baseball during his time as a Florida Marlin. In his first season as a Marlin, Brown had an incredible 1.89 earned run average and a WHIP below 1. His win-loss record that season (17-11) is misleading considering his exceptional ERA. His second season was a bit worse, but still stellar by all standards, as Brown had a 16-8 win loss record with a 2.69 ERA. Had Brown spent a few more seasons with the Marlins, he probably would have placed higher on this list.

2. Josh Beckett – Now a pitcher with the Boston Red Sox and an All-Star a few times over, Beckett is most well known for his heroics as a Marlin during the 2003 World Series against the Yankees. During the 2003 playoffs, Beckett had an incredible 2.11 ERA, and is largely responsible for the Florida World Series win that season. As a Marlin, Beckett averaged nearly a strikeout per inning, fanning 607 batters in 609 innings pitched, and allowing just 529 hits during his time with the team, well below one per inning.

1. Dontrelle Willis – Geez, what’s happened to Dontrelle? Ever since he left the Marlins, he’s been terrible. But for purposes of this list, he’s the #1 pitcher in Florida Marlins history. His longevity (he’s made 162 starts, 31 more than the next closest), and his personality have made him a fan favorite down here in Miami. Dontrelle finished his career with the Marlins with a 68-54 record (more wins than anybody in franchise history) and a 3.78 ERA. But Willis will be remembered for his one truly dominant year in which he finished as the runner-up for the NL Cy Young Award behind Chris Carpenter. That year, Willis finished 22-10 with a 2.63 ERA. Not to mention, Dontrelle was the best hitting pitcher in franchise history. In fact, there were times when he’d be used as a pinch hitter. Now that’s embarrassing. But he finished his career with a .233 BA and 8 HR’s.

Not too far behind are current Marlins Josh Johnson and Ricky Nolasco. Johnson is having one of the best seasons in baseball, and Nolasco is finally looking like the Nolasco of last year after a slow start. Both could easily replace Pavano at #5 (if not more) with another good season.

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3. Enough of the Steroids Drama, MLB!
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5. Barry Bonds

Category: Baseball Players, Baseball Team• Tags used in this article: 2003 World Series  Boston Red Sox  Dontrelle Willis  Florida Marlins  Josh Beckett  Josh Johnson  Kevin Brown  Ricky Nolasco 

Baseball articles on the web based on related keywords: 2003 World Series  Boston Red Sox  Dontrelle Willis  Florida Marlins  Josh Beckett  Josh Johnson  Kevin Brown  Ricky Nolasco