Marlins P.R

 As the wintry-like weather begins to pierce 🥶, what better time to warm up than with another rendition of an all-Marlins WBC Team. We've given you Marlins Team USA & Marlins D.R 🇩🇴, ahora le toca a la Isla del Encanto. 

Puerto Rico has always been a baseball hot bed, and while not as many Big Leaguers have arrived to the Show of late from the Island, it truly could only be a matter of time, seeing as the sport continues to run through the blood of many Boricua.

The Marlins have felt the strength of Puerto Rican Baseball on a World Championship Team or 2. Let's dive into what an All P.R Marlins Club would look like.

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Javier Vazquez will most certainty head a Pitching Staff, that admittedly will need help Offensively (and a good thing Team P.R will have the fire power at the plate). It's also a good thing Javy Vazquez went on a run like not a lot of Pitchers in Marlins History have. 2011 marked Vazquez's final Season of a storied Career in the Majors, where the Pitcher from Ponce could not have closed his final 12 MLB Starts for the Marlins anymore dominantly. Pitching a minimum 6 Innings in each, the P.R native went 9-3 with an incredible 1.59 ERA over 85 Innings. Vazquez picked up the final victory for the Fish at their old Stadium, a Complete Game in which the Marlins walked-off in the bottom of the 9th, while J.V was prepared to pitch the 10th if necessary.

Inaugural Marlin Luis Aquino, who had fine Seasons in '93/'94 (though mostly out of the Bullpen), would be Team Puerto Rico's Game 2 Starter. Aquino was acquired by Florida from Kansas City just prior to playing their first ever Game.

Jonathan Bermudez would cap the Rotation, strictly because the Lefty was 1 of 4 Puerto Rican Starters we could find in Marlins History. Ricky Bones pitched for 7 Teams and 11 Years in the Majors, the final 2 of those (117 Games all out of the Bullpen) were as a Marlin. Jorge Lopez had a lights out Season in Baltimore in 2022, and the Fish were 1 of 3 Teams the Caguas Righty Pitched for in 2023.

Kiko Calero had one of the more underrated Seasons in Marlins Bullpen History in 2009. El Lanzador de Santurce pitched to a 1.95 ERA in a leverage role out of the Fish Pen, punching out 69 Batters in 60 Innings. While Anthony Maldonado picked up the lone Save in Boricua Marlins lore, just last year.

When talking Puerto Rican Baseball in Marlins History, I believe the conversation has to begin with Ivan 'Pudge' Rodriguez. The Catcher and the glue to the 2003 Marlins World Championship Offense, Pudge's lone Season in Florida is stuff of legends. From Catching 155 Games in '03, the superman like effort during the Division Series, the NLCS MVP. There's a reason the Hall of Famer is Batting 3rd for Team Puerto Rico.

Protecting I-Rod in the P.R Lineup, the big Lefty Bat of Carlos Delgado, whom spent just 1 Campaign as well in South Florida. Delgado still holds Single-Season Marlins Records for a First Baseman with 33 HR's, 115 RBI's and a .981 OPS in 2005. Then represented Puerto Rico along with Pudge, Vazquez and Calero in the Inaugural World Baseball Classic in 2006, after being dealt to the Mets.

Continuing through the heart of the Boricua Order, Mike Lowell is also a 2003 World Champion. One of the biggest fan favorites to ever suit up for the Marlins, Mikey Lowell went to 3 All-Star Games as a Fish, picked up a Silver Slugger in '03, and a Gold Glove in '05.

Speaking of fan favorites, Benito Santiago was the man behind the plate on April 5th, 1993, as the Marlins opened Major League Baseball in the State of Florida. About a week later, Santiago would hit the first Home Run in Marlins History.

Damion Easley has Puerto Rican heritage and provided pop off the Bench for the Fish from '04 to '05. Easley laced 18 Dingers and 39 Doubles as a Marlins Reserve during that time frame.

Wil Cordero was an All-Star & Silver Slugger for the '94 Expos, and 10 years later got into 27 Games for the Defending Champion Marlins (I also saw Cordero hit a monster HR in Vero Beach for the Fish during my first ever Spring Training Game). Henry Cotto was Traded to Florida in June of '93 for Dave Magadon, and finished parts of a 10 Year MLB Career with the Marlins.

Yadiel Rivera played an extremely smooth Shortstop for the Fish (2018-'19), unfortunately the Bat could not land the P.R native in the Lineup too often. Emmanuel Rivera (2024), for what ever reason, found himself in the Starting Lineup a lot during his only 5 month stint with the Team, which even saw the Mayaguez Infielder take the Mound 4 times during blowout Games. Rivera actually makes our P.R Marlins Team as a Pitcher 🤭. Yes, we're out of Puerto Rican Hurlers in Club History.

Kiké Hernandez is a 3 Time World Series Champ, unfortunately for the Dodgers. However, it was the Fish who originally shipped Hernandez to L.A in December of 2014, as Kiké got into all of 18 Games as a Marlin that year (did hit a Grand Slam). Hernandez has played for Puerto Rico in the last 2 WBC's and will bat Leadoff for Marlins P.R 🇵🇷.

In the 2 hole will be a Marlins World Champion. That's right, it's Bobby Bonilla day, as the big Switch Hitter spanked a pair of big Homers from both sides of the plate during the '97 Playoffs. This, after Bobby-Bo picked up 59 Extra Base Hits during the Regular Season of 1997.

Managed by former Marlins Skipper and first ever Puerto Rican Manager in the Big Leagues, Edwin Rodriguez. How do you see Marlins Team Puerto Rico stacking up?