It’s not quite a mandate, but not far off: the Miami Marlins must be better in 2022 than they were this season. The organization earned some leeway from its fanbase by snapping a 17-year postseason drought, only to squander it with a cheap, unimaginative winter and perplexing in-season maneuvers. The Fish finished with a 67-95 record, spared from a last-place finish in the NL East thanks to a blatant Nationals tank job.
Improving upon 2021’s major league results is a low bar to clear. The Marlins were among the most unlucky MLB teams—they had the run differential of a typical 72-win team and a BaseRuns record of 74-88.