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Miami Marlins
Overall: 106
Title track: 37
Ownership: 121
Coaching: 121
Players: 88
Fan relations: 105
Affordability: 56
Stadium experience: 64
Bang for the buck: 100
Change from last year: -10
Oh, boy, where do we start on the state of the Miami Marlins? Miami is still among the lower third of all franchises, and it's sinking -- an additional 10 spots since last year's rankings. Jeffrey Loria remains one of the least-liked figures in all of sports -- and he's done little in 2015 to change hearts and minds, especially since $325-million-dollar-man Giancarlo Stanton sat on the bench with a hand injury for half the season. On the plus side, the home run statue-mobile still looks cool.
Franchise Rankings
As we have for the past 13 years, we asked fans to vote on their favorite teams, then ranked all 122 sports franchises from top to bottom.
Full rankings: 1 to 122 | MLB ranks | NBA ranks | NFL ranks | NHL ranks
What's good
Fans haven't given up on that shiny new stadium yet (despite what the attendance records say); the Marlins' stadium experience is close to the top half of our rankings. Past championships don't hurt either -- the team remains 37th in title track. And despite a 30-point drop in the players ranking this year, the Marlins still have two bona fide stars and a nucleus of exciting young talent. Stanton, when he's playing, is among the premier sluggers in the game, and fans breathed a sigh of relief when Jose Fernandez returned to the mound in 2015 and was as dominant as ever. These two players, among of a handful of others, provide some hope for a third title in South Florida.
What's bad
The management in Miami remains among the worst in sports. Loria actually improved his standing this year, moving from dead last to second to last. Congrats! Meanwhile, the coaching rating took a dive from the mid-80s all the way down to 121. Apparently, that's what happens when you have two managers on the payroll who are no longer actually managing the team (ahem, Ozzie Guillen and Mike Redmond) and you promote(?) your general manager to field manager despite his lack of any professional experience -- and then, almost inevitably, push him back into the front office by season's end (if he doesn't turn you down, anyway). Hey, at least Guillen is a free agent again! Maybe Loria can finally get a return for that annual paycheck ...
What's new
The drain at the top of the franchise has put a damper on nearly every other aspect. Coaching took the biggest hit this year, but the Marlins' players ranking dropped 30 places, too. Fans know they're watching an exciting core of young players, but a lack of leadership has contributed to disappointing results in terms of wins and losses. The stadium, though not too far over the MLB average in price, doesn't provide much bang for the buck when the team isn't winning. So, no, it doesn't look good for this franchise. Still, the club has won championships before despite its management. With luck, it could happen again.
Miami Marlins
Overall: 106Title track: 37
Ownership: 121
Coaching: 121
Players: 88
Fan relations: 105
Affordability: 56
Stadium experience: 64
Bang for the buck: 100
Change from last year: -10
Oh, boy, where do we start on the state of the Miami Marlins? Miami is still among the lower third of all franchises, and it's sinking -- an additional 10 spots since last year's rankings. Jeffrey Loria remains one of the least-liked figures in all of sports -- and he's done little in 2015 to change hearts and minds, especially since $325-million-dollar-man Giancarlo Stanton sat on the bench with a hand injury for half the season. On the plus side, the home run statue-mobile still looks cool.
Franchise Rankings
As we have for the past 13 years, we asked fans to vote on their favorite teams, then ranked all 122 sports franchises from top to bottom.Full rankings: 1 to 122 | MLB ranks | NBA ranks | NFL ranks | NHL ranks
What's good
Fans haven't given up on that shiny new stadium yet (despite what the attendance records say); the Marlins' stadium experience is close to the top half of our rankings. Past championships don't hurt either -- the team remains 37th in title track. And despite a 30-point drop in the players ranking this year, the Marlins still have two bona fide stars and a nucleus of exciting young talent. Stanton, when he's playing, is among the premier sluggers in the game, and fans breathed a sigh of relief when Jose Fernandez returned to the mound in 2015 and was as dominant as ever. These two players, among of a handful of others, provide some hope for a third title in South Florida.
What's bad
The management in Miami remains among the worst in sports. Loria actually improved his standing this year, moving from dead last to second to last. Congrats! Meanwhile, the coaching rating took a dive from the mid-80s all the way down to 121. Apparently, that's what happens when you have two managers on the payroll who are no longer actually managing the team (ahem, Ozzie Guillen and Mike Redmond) and you promote(?) your general manager to field manager despite his lack of any professional experience -- and then, almost inevitably, push him back into the front office by season's end (if he doesn't turn you down, anyway). Hey, at least Guillen is a free agent again! Maybe Loria can finally get a return for that annual paycheck ...
What's new
The drain at the top of the franchise has put a damper on nearly every other aspect. Coaching took the biggest hit this year, but the Marlins' players ranking dropped 30 places, too. Fans know they're watching an exciting core of young players, but a lack of leadership has contributed to disappointing results in terms of wins and losses. The stadium, though not too far over the MLB average in price, doesn't provide much bang for the buck when the team isn't winning. So, no, it doesn't look good for this franchise. Still, the club has won championships before despite its management. With luck, it could happen again.
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