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| "Did you catch that?" "Yes I did." Marlins rookie pitcher Jose Fernandez did it all this year to lead the Arbitration Losers to the title. |
Overview
Head-to-head record: 10-8 (6th place)
Postseason: Won championship
Draft
Best picks: Allen Craig (5th round), Jonathan Lucroy (6th round), Gerardo Parra (16th round)
Worst picks: Matt Kemp (1st round), Johnny Cueto (3rd round)
Season highlights
Team was basically unstoppable after mid-July, winning last four games in regular season and rolling through the playoffs. ... Co-aces Cliff Lee and Jose Fernandez led the way, but pitching was solid top to bottom. ... Martin Prado's hot streak after the all-star break allowed for major positional flexibility when the inevitable injuries arose. ... A potent offense was led by Allen Craig, Matt Holliday and Jonathan Lucroy. ... Was second in the league in points at 1st base, starting pitching and relief pitching and third at catcher and outfield. ... Upset Testosteraun Braun 2-0 in the first round of the playoffs, then knocked off top-seeded Misfits 2-0 in the semifinals. ... Finally lost a week in the championship series, but won the war with a 215-point effort in the decisive week.
In a nutshell
This looked like one of the league's most dangerous teams after the draft, but injuries to Matt Kemp, Johnny Cueto, Angel Pagan, Chase Headley, Neil Walker and others kept them from their full potential for the season's first half. No matter. Shrewd moves by the owner, some players returning to health, and breakout years from Jose Fernandez, Gerardo Parra and Allen Craig led the Losers to the head-to-head title and a runner-up spot in the points race. After having the second pick in the draft and using his jinxing powers against Matt Kemp this year, we'll see how Tim responds to drafting near the bottom next year. It figures that he'll be a threat to repeat.
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