COVID-19 outbreak, a .500 record, still in playoff hunt. A look at the Marlins after 20 games

A statement season-opening series victory followed immediately by a week in quarantine after 18 players and two coaches tested positive for COVID-19. A roster turnover that has never been seen before in Major League Baseball. Twenty-three consecutive days on the road. A six-game winning streak and a five-game losing streak.

And somehow, through all of that, still in control of a playoff spot.

The first third of the Miami Marlins’ 2020 season certainly has had its share of twists and turns.

The Marlins on Saturday finally hit the 20-game mark of this 60-game season with their 5-4 loss to the Washington Nationals in the first game of a doubleheader in the nation’s capital. The result puts Miami at 10-10 on the year and keeps the Marlins in second place in the National League East, a spot that would have them in the playoffs in this season played under the scope of a global pandemic. The Atlanta Braves, at 15-11 entering Saturday, lead the division. The Mets, Phillies and Nationals all have sub-.500 records.

Here’s a look at how the Marlins’ first month unfolded.

Maneuvering the outbreak

The Marlins became Exhibit A for how COVID-19 can impact a team. They spent a week in a Philadelphia hotel trying to control the outbreak that started to spread three days into the season.

What has resulted since:

▪ 77 roster moves. This included adding an MLB-record 17 new players to the roster ahead of their first game back against the Baltimore Orioles on Aug. 4. The previous record for most new additions between games: 12 by the Angels in September 2014.

▪ 51 players have appeared in at least one game, one more than the Marlins used over 162 games in 2019. Only 12 players have been on the active roster for all 20 games to start the season. Only three — Brian Anderson, Jesus Aguilar and Jonathan Villar — have appeared in all 20 games.

▪ 11 Marlins players have made their MLB debuts. Seven are among of the organization’s top-30 prospects: Outfielder Jesus Sanchez (No. 4), first baseman Lewin Diaz (No. 8) outfielder Monte Harrison (No. 10), pitcher Nick Neidert (No. 11), pitcher Jorge Guzman (No. 24), pitcher Jordan Holloway (No. 25) and pitcher Alex Vesia (No. 30).

▪ Two players from the group that tested positive for COVID-19 who have since returned to the roster in shortstop Miguel Rojas and catcher Jorge Alfaro. More are anticipated to return when the Marlins begin their next homestand on Friday.

And yet, here stand the Marlins with a .500 record as reinforcements start making their way back to the active roster.

They won their first five games when they returned to the field, sweeping the Baltimore Orioles in four games and taking their first game against the Mets. Miami then went 1-3 over the final four games of their three-plus week road trip, 1-5 on their homestand and 1-1 to start their five-game set against the Nationals.

Who has impressed?

▪ Pablo Lopez and Elieser Hernandez: Lopez and Hernandez entered the 2020 season as the Nos. 4 and 5 starters in the Marlins’ rotation. They left the week-long quarantine as the Marlins’ de-facto top-two pitchers with Sandy Alcantara, Caleb Smith and Jose Urena sidelined by COVID-19.

Both have impressed. In eight starts (four apiece), the duo has combined for a 2.36 ERA (11 earned runs over 42 innings) with 49 strikeouts against just eight walks.

▪ Jesus Aguilar: The slugging first baseman, one of a handful of veteran acquisitions this offseason, leads the Marlins with 22 hits and 16 RBI, is tied for the team lead in doubles (four) and home runs (four), and is tied for second with eight runs scored.

▪ Magneuris Sierra: The speedy outfielder got one of the final Opening Day roster spots and was expected to primarily be a defensive replacement and pinch-runner. He’s proved much more valuable to the Marlins, especially after the mass roster turnover. Sierra is hitting .310 on the season (9 for 29) with three doubles, a triple, seven RBI, seven runs scored and four stolen bases.

▪ Eddy Alvarez: The Miami native and Christopher Columbus High alumnus made his MLB debut six and a half years after winning a silver medal in short-track speedskating at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. The utility infielder has a .206 batting average with six runs scored through 11 games and has been stellar defensively at second base, shortstop and third base.

Who has disappointed?

▪ Everyone from the Christian Yelich trade: Second baseman Isan Diaz opted out of the season. Pitcher Jordan Yamamoto didn’t even throw nine innings over three starts while putting up an 11.42 ERA. Monte Harrison struck out in more than half his plate appearances and hit .133 overall during his first big-league stint. Lewis Brinson is hitting .087 this year and .180 for his MLB career.

▪ The bullpen: While there have been the occasional bright spots, the Marlins’ makeshift bullpen that lost eight of its original members due to the COVID-19 outbreak has collectively struggled through the first 20 games of the season. The numbers: An 4.77 ERA, 4.36 walks per nine innings and a .248 batting average against.

▪ Corey Dickerson: The veteran outfielder, a career .284 hitter over seven-plus MLB seasons, has high expectations for himself. He hasn’t lived up to them yet in 2020. Dickerson is hitting just .234 with one home run, two RBI, six runs scored and nearly as many strikeouts (12) as hits (15) over 63 at-bats. Dickerson has said that he normally doesn’t start worrying about stats or slumps until he has about 100 at-bats under his belt. But in a 60-game season, he doesn’t have the luxury of time on his hands.