1. Jeff Conine (1993-1997; 2003-2005)
Best Season as a Marlin: 1996 - .293/.360/.484 with 26 home runs, 95 RBIs, 62 walks, .844 OPS, 124 OPS+ and a 4.4 fWAR
Career Stats as a Marlin: .290/.358/.455 with 120 home runs, 553 RBIs, 376 walks, 1,005 hits, .813 OPS, 114 OPS+ and 16.1 fWAR
It would be hard to put together a list of the greatest Marlins players ever and not include the man dubbed "Mr. Marlin." A member of both the 1997 and 2003 World Series Championship teams, Conine is one of the few constants during the Marlins' brief history. He finished third in National League Rookie of the Year voting in 1993, the first season that the Marlins existed. He followed that up by making All-Star Game appearances in 1994 and 1995. Conine's 553 RBIs as a Marlin are third in franchise history.
Best Season as a Marlin: 1996 - .314/.465/.624 with 42 home runs, 120 RBIs, 142 walks, 1.090 OPS, 189 OPS+ and a 6.5 fWAR
Career Stats as a Marlin: .288/.426/.543 with 122 home runs, 380 RBIs, 424 walks, 538 hits, .970 OPS, 156 OPS+ and 15.3 fWAR
Sheffield's numbers are Hall of Fame worthy, though connections to performance-enhancing drugs have kept him out of the Hall of Fame to this point. On paper, though, the production that Sheffield put up was incredible, and the parts of six years that he spent in Miami actually represent the largest chunk of his 22-season career spent with any one team. 1996 was the only time that Sheffield played more than 140 games in a season with the Marlins, and he led the National League in on-base percentage (.465), OPS (1.090) and OPS+ (189) that season. A year later, Sheffield hit .320 with seven home runs and 20 RBIs in the playoffs, helping the Marlins to capture their first World Series title.
Best Season as a Marlin: 2016 - 16-8 with a 2.86 ERA, 137 ERA+, 2.30 FIP, 1.119 WHIP, 253 strikeouts, zero complete games and a 6.3 fWAR
Career Stats as a Marlin: 38-17 with a 2.58 ERA, 150 ERA+, 2.44 FIP, 1.054 WHIP, 589 strikeouts, zero complete games and 14.5 fWAR
A first-round pick in the 2011 MLB Draft, Fernández is probably the most gifted arm to ever pitch for the Marlins. He posted a 2.19 ERA and 2.73 FIP in 2013, winning the National League Rookie of the Year Award and finishing third in NL Cy Young voting at the age of 20. Among qualified starting pitchers, Fernández's 2.58 ERA between 2013 and 2016 is second only to future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw. Fernández's tragic death in September of 2016 at the age of 24 was one of the most difficult moments the sport has had to deal with over the last decade.
Best Season as a Marlin: 2005 - 22-10 with a 2.63 ERA, 152 ERA+, 2.99 FIP, 1.134 WHIP, 170 strikeouts, seven complete games and a 6.5 fWAR
Career Stats as a Marlin: 68-54 with a 3.78 ERA, 111 ERA+, 3.98 FIP, 1.359 WHIP, 757 strikeouts, 15 complete games and 16.9 fWAR
With one of the most unique windups in MLB history, "The D-Train" was a fan favorite in Miami and beyond during the five seasons that he spent with the Marlins. Willis broke into the league in 2003, and won the National League Rookie of the Year Award and was an All-Star in a season where he'd also help the Marlins to capture a World Series title. Two seasons later, Willis led the National League in wins (22), complete games (seven), complete-game shutouts (five) and HR/9 (0.4), finishing second to Chris Carpenter in NL Cy Young Award voting. Willis' star didn't burn for a long time, but he sure was fun to watch at the height of his powers.
Best Season as a Marlin: 2003 - .314/.381/.397 with six home runs, 39 RBIs, 63 walks, .778 OPS, 106 OPS+ and a 4.9 fWAR
Career Stats as a Marlin: .293/.370/.356 with 20 home runs, 271 RBIs, 533 walks, 1,273 hits, .726 OPS, 94 OPS+ and 21.0 fWAR
In 10 seasons with the Fish, Castillo made three All-Star teams and won three Gold Glove Awards. He also led the National League in stolen bases in both 2000 and 2002, and is the franchise's all-time leader with 281 stolen bases. Castillo's 35-game hitting streak in 2002 is the longest in Marlins history.
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