Why the Miami Marlins Will Be the Surprise of MLB in 2012

It seems as if many teams start spring training with high hopes, and such has been the case for the Marlins in the past. Young players full of promise have often been the talk of the spring, but this year the Marlins have a veteran-laden roster with superstar power on the field and in the dugout with new manager Ozzie Guillen. 

The Marlins have the lineup to create runs with speed and power as the top of the order will feature Jose Reyes and Emilio Bonifacio, two of the fastest players in the league. In addition, the middle of the order can easily produce over 100 home runs with Hanley Ramirez, Mike Stanton, Logan Morrison and Gaby Sanchez. 

Then there's a much improved pitching staff. The return of ace Josh Johnson cannot be overstated. Johnson had a ridiculous 1.64 ERA when he injured his shoulder after nine starts and was out for the season. The addition of innings-eater Mark Buerhle, combined with Anibal Sanchez coming off another solid year, and the Marlins find themselves with a top-five staff in the National League. The bullpen posted 30 wins last season (good for third in all of baseball) and a 3.44 ERA which ranked seventh overall. Now throw in All-Star closer Heath Bell, and the bullpen could be downright intimidating. 

If there could be one Achilles heel for this team, it could very well be their defense. The right side is solid with Infante and Sanchez. The left side of the infield can make the spectacular play as good as any duo in the league, but Reyes and Ramirez often find themselves with very high error totals, especially on errant throws. In the outfield, Bonifacio can cover tons of ground in center, and will have to bail out his young corner outfielders, who are relatively slow of foot. This could cause some issues in the spacious new ballpark, but Stanton and Morrison can be forgiven for their defense if they produce monster years with the bat. 

In a division that features the Phillies and Braves, the Marlins need to do something big to contend this year. Obviously, keeping their key players healthy (Johnson, Ramirez, Morrison and Stanton all missed considerable time last season) is step one, but signing Reyes, Bell and Buerhle will solidify a roster built to make the playoffs now. With tremendous fan support expected in year one of the new stadium, the Marlins can make the playoffs and become the biggest story in baseball in 2012.