Marlins want to raise level of expectations

MIAMI -- Early signs of the expected "Marlins Way" is coming into focus.

The club is instituting a team mentality and taking the necessary steps to reach a championship level.

Marlins president of baseball operations Michael Hill made it clear from the outset the expectation is to win.

"That's our goal," Hill said. "I actually like it when people don't pick us. I like flying under the radar. I know the 25 guys in that clubhouse believe in one another. I believe in the talent in that clubhouse. Anything can happen when you have good pitching and timely hitting. That's our expectations."

When you endure three straight last-place finishes and are coming off a 100-loss campaign, the subject of winning doesn't always carry much weight.

"We say winning, but it's still playing the game the right way," Hill said. "It's playing championship-style baseball. More so than saying winning, it's how do you win? And the components that go into winning.

"It's not so much speaking about winning. It's just about raising the level of expectation of what is acceptable to be a big leaguer and to win championships."