Top 10 Best Miami Marlins Players of All Time

The Miami Marlins were founded in 1993 as the Florida Marlins and eventually switched to the Miami Marlins in 2012. The Marlins have won two World Series titles since then, in 1997 and 2003. The team has had many great players over its 30-year history. Listed below are the very best players to have ever worn the Marlins jersey.

Who Are the Best Miami Marlins Baseball Players of All Time?

1. Giancarlo Stanton
2. Hanley Ramirez
3. Josh Johnson
4. Luis Castillo
5. Miguel Cabrera
6. Christian Yelich
7. Dontrelle Willis
8. Cliff Floyd
9. Sandy Alcantara
10. Dan Uggla

1. Giancarlo Stanton

• 2017 National League Most Valuable Player
• Four-time All-Star
• Most HRs and RBIs in Marlins history

Outfielder Giancarlo Stanton is the best Miami Marlins player of all time. He was selected in the second round of the MLB draft in 2007 by the Marlins. The outfielder rose quickly through the minors and made his major league debut in 2010 as a 20-year-old. Stanton played eight seasons in Miami and finished his tenure with the team with a franchise-leading 35.7 Wins Above Replacement (WAR). The slugger hit 267 home runs and 672 runs batted in during his Marlins career, setting franchise records in both categories. 

Stanton also has the highest slugging percentage and most extra-base hits in team history. His best season for Miami came in 2017 when his 59 HRs and 132 RBIs won him the national league MVP award. The outfielder also won two Silver Sluggers and was named to four All-Star games while on the Marlins. After the 2017 season, Stanton was traded to the New York Yankees where he still plays today.

2. Hanley Ramírez

• 2009 National League Batting Title
• Three-time All-Star
• 2006 National League Rookie of the Year

Hanley Ramírez is the best shortstop to ever play for the Marlins. He started his career in the Red Sox’s system though before being traded to Florida prior to the 2006 season. Ramírez went on to play in parts of seven seasons with the Marlins, as he tallied a 26.9 WAR over that span. The Dominican tallied 17 HRs, 59 RBIs, and 51 stolen bases that season,  which led to Ramírez being named the best rookie in the N.L. that season. 

The Marlins shortstop made his first of three consecutive All-Star appearances in 2008. Ramírez’s best season came in 2009 when he finished second in M.V.P. voting. The Marlin led the league with a .342 batting average while also having 24 HRs and 106 RBIs. Ramírez finished his tenure in the top five of most offensive categories for the ballclub. The infielder continued on to play for the Dodgers, Red Sox, and Guardians after he was traded from the Marlins in 2012., and he retired in 2019.

3. Josh Johnson

• 2010 National League ERA Title
• Two-time All-Star
• Over 800 strikeouts with the Marlins

Josh Johnson is the best pitcher and one of the greatest players to ever wear Miami’s colors. The Marlins selected him in the fourth round of the 2002 MLB draft. The Oklahoma native made his debut for Florida during the 2005 season. Johnson went on to have the highest pitching WAR in franchise history, as he earned 25.8 Wins Above Replacement in his eight seasons with the Marlins. The righty started 144 games for Miami, earning a win in 58 of them. 

Johnson also gave up an average of 3.15 runs per nine innings during his career with the Marlins. His best season came in 2010 when the starter had a league-best 2.30 ERA over 183.2 innings. Johnson finished fifth in the NL Cy Young race that season. The pitcher was traded to Toronto following the 2012 season. Johnson finished towards the top of many major pitching categories in Marlins history. He pitched one season for the Blue Jays, marking the last time Johnson played in the MLB.

4. Luis Castillo

• 2003 World Series Champion
• Most games played in Marlins history
• Three–time Gold Glove

Luis Castillo is the best second baseman to play for the Marlins. He signed as a free agent out of the Dominican Republic just before his 17th birthday. The second baseman made his debut for Florida in 1996 but wasn’t a mainstay with the major league team until 1999. Castillo had 22.4 Wins Above Replacement throughout his ten seasons with the Marlins. In 2000, Castillo led the league with 62 stolen bases while batting .334. 

The second baseman led the league again in 2002 when he stole 48 bases. That season saw Castillo earn his first of three All-Star appearances. The switch hitter helped the Marlins win their first-ever World Series in 2003. Castillo earned gold gloves at second base for the 2003, 2004, and 2005 seasons as well. The ten-year Marlin leads the organization in many categories, including games, hits, runs, stolen bases, walks, and triples. Castillo played for the Twins and Mets afterward before retiring in 2010.

5. Miguel Cabrera

• 2003 World Series Champion
• Four-time All-Star
• Franchise leader in Batting Average

Miguel Cabrera was a legendary first baseman for the Marlins in the early 2000s. He started playing for Miami in 2003 and had 36 extra-base hits in 87 games during the championship season. Miggy only played five seasons in Florida but totaled an 18.3 WAR. The Venezuelan played a few different positions for the Marlins, but he eventually settled in as a third baseman. Cabrera earned MVP votes in all five seasons he was a Marlin. 

Throughout his time with the Marlins, Cabrera sported a .313 batting average, the highest career average the team ever saw. The third baseman finished in the top ten in many offensive categories as well. Florida traded Cabrera to Detroit prior to the 2008 season. Cabrera still plays for the Tigers and has earned many accolades, including multiple MVPs and a triple crown.

6. Christian Yelich

• 2014 Gold Glove Winner
• 2016 Silver Slugger WInner
• Top-20 National League MVP finish in 2016

Left fielder Christian Yelich was a great player for the Marlins in the mid-2010s. The California native was selected in the first round of the 2010 MLB draft. The outfielder made his debut for Miami in 2013. Yelich accumulated 17.5 WAR during his five seasons with the Marlins. At just 22, Yelich won a Gold Glove in his second season. His Silver Slugger came in his fourth season when he broke out offensively. 

Yelich continued to develop offensively in 2017 with another 18 HRs and RBIs. Yelich had five productive seasons with Miami where he batted .290 in 643 games. Yeli also had 219 extra-base hits over that span. The Marlins traded Yelich after that season to Milwaukee, where the slugger went on to win an MVP in his first season with the Brewers. 

7. Dontrelle Willis

• 2003 World Series Champion
• 2003 Rookie of the Year
• Two-time All-Star

Dontrelle Willis was originally drafted by the Cubs, but a 2002 trade brought the great pitcher to Florida. The southpaw debuted in 2003 and won Rookie of the Year that year while being a part of the championship team. Willis also posted a 17.2 WAR, the second-highest in franchise history for pitchers, in five seasons with the Marlins. The starter posted a 3.30 ERA in his award-winning rookie season. 

In 2005, Willis finished second in the Cy Young race. The 23-year-old had 22 wins and a 2.63 ERA in 236.1 innings pitched that season. Willis finished his Marlins career as the leader in complete games. He is also second in wins, games started, and innings pitched for the franchise. Willis was traded with Cabrera to the Tigers after the 2007 season. He played for Detroit, Arizona, and Cincinnati as well. Willis officially retired in 2015 after bouncing around in the minor leagues.

8. Cliff Floyd

• 1997 World Series Champion
• 2001 All-Star
• MVP votes in 2001

Cliff Floyd was an epic outfielder who was traded from Montreal to Florida just before the 1997 season. He helped the Marlins win their first World Series in franchise history that same year. Floyd played parts of six seasons with the Marlins and posted an impressive 16.9 WAR. Throughout his time in Florida, he also hit 110 home runs and drove in 409 runs. The left fielders' best season with the Marlins came in 2001 when he had 31 HRs, 103 RBIs, and a .317 batting average.

Floyd played in his only career All-Star game in 2001 and went on to receive consideration for the National League MVP. The left fielder goes down as one of the most consistent hitters in team history. He was also in the top five for batting average and on-base percentage among Marlins. Florida shipped Floyd back to Montreal during the 2002 season. The once-Marlin bounced around the league for a few years before retiring in 2009.

9. Sandy Alcántara

• 2022 National League Cy Young
• Two-time All-Star
• Marlins franchise ERA leader

Sandy Alcántara was traded to Miami after the 2017 season and remains a powerhouse pitcher for the team. Since joining the Marlins, Alcántara has the third most WAR for a pitcher in franchise history (16.6). The righty made his first All-Star appearance in 2019. Alcántara only pitched in seven games the following season before posting a 3.19 ERA in 205.2 innings in 2021. 

2022 was his best season to date, as the starter earned his first career Cy Young award as well as a top-ten MVP finish. Alcántara had 14 wins and a 2.28 ERA over a league-high 228.2 innings pitched. The righty’s 3.19 career ERA as a Marlin is the best in franchise history. He is also in the top ten of many other pitching categories for the franchise

10. Dan Uggla

• 2010 Silver Slugger Winner
• Two-time All-Star
• Second most HRs in Marlins history

Dan Uggla was selected by the Marlin in the 2006 Rule 5 Draft and spent the next several years as one of their best infielders. The second baseman made his debut that season with Florida and was third in rookie of the year voting as a 26-year-old. Uggla played five seasons for the Marlins and accumulated 15.7 WAR. After being named an All-Star in his rookie season, Uggla played once again in the mid-summer classic in 2008. The second baseman hit 32 home runs and drove in 92.

Uggla won a Silver Slugger award in 2010 when he continued his success at the plate. The Marlin had 33 home runs and 105 RBIs, which was good enough to earn him MVP votes as well. Uggla’s 154 homers as a Marlin are the second-most in franchise history. He also finished toward the top of many other offensive categories as well for the Fins. The second baseman was traded to Atlanta following the 2010 season and played in the MLB until 2015.

Honorable Mentions

• Kevin Brown
• A.J. Burnett
• Jeff Conine
• José Fernandez
• Charles Johnson
• Mike Lowell
• Marcel Ozuna
• Aníbal Sánchez
• Gary Sheffield
• J.T. Realmuto

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