With just a month-and-a-half left in the MLB regular season, nothing matters more than the big picture. Of course, that refers to earning a playoff berth. But that does not mean we shouldn't break out the microscope and appreciate some of the other things teams have been able to accomplish in 2023, particularly where the Miami Marlins are concerned.

Despite currently being one game out in the National League Wild Card race, this resilient group has given fans several reasons to be proud and optimistic for the future.

They have a 64-61 record and are on the verge of surpassing their win total in each of the last two seasons (69 and 67, respectively). Luis Arraez was legitimately pursing arguably the most hallowed statistic in baseball, a .400 batting average, in early July and is still in position to earn his second-straight batting title. 20-year-old Eury Perez has an ERA under 3.00 through his first 14 career starts. Jorge Soler is swinging his way towards a 40-home run campaign, which would make him only the third Marlins player, behind Giancarlo Stanton and Gary Sheffield, to ever achieve such a feat.

While the attendance numbers may only mildly reflect it, these are fun and historic times for South Beach baseball. And it's long overdue. To that point, this club and fan base has come too far to finish just short of the postseason. Miami general manager Kim Ng must do everything in her power to push this franchise into the third and final Wild Card slot.

Fortunately, the looming Sept. 1 date for roster expansion offers the front office a golden opportunity to improve. With the final stretch upon us, we have to take a look at two moves the Marlins must make to ensure that 2023 is not merely just a step in the right direction.

Call up reliever Anthony Maldonado

Miami's pitching staff has not lived up to its full potential this season, but it is still keeping the team in games. Moreover, 2022 NL Cy Young Sandy Alcantara is regaining his top form with two complete games since the All-Star break. There are just maybe one or two tweaks needed to round out a postseason-worthy arsenal.

That includes promoting right-handed reliever Anthony Maldonado to the MLB roster. Late-season X-factors are not often an organization's 26th-ranked prospect (per MLB.com), but this unknown has earned a role in the Marlins' bullpen. He has a dominant 2.16 ERA in 25 appearances for Triple-A Jacksonville.

Maldonado has a dangerous slider that can overpower batters, per Fish on the Farm, and has an impressive 53 strikeouts in just over 33 innings of work. The 25-year-old saw his road to The Show hit a bit of a snag after missing over a month with a hip injury, but he has recently returned and is in prime position to make the jump to Miami for September call-ups.

Maldonado can provide crucial depth and help prevent the team's other young arms from breaking down near the end of this playoff push. Manager Skip Schumaker will be happy to have some extra maneuverability when he eventually joins the Marlins. Ng shouldn't prolong that day for much longer.

Marlins must promote infielder Xavier Edwards

If you consider the fact that one of the club's biggest weaknesses is defense, this move becomes harder to justify. But it feels downright impractical not to infuse more firepower into the lineup for the final stretch. And Xavier Edwards has been absolutely torching pitchers in the minor leagues.

The 2018 first-round draft pick (San Diego Padres) is batting .359 with a .912 OPS in 87 games for the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp this year and also went 8-for-21 in a brief run with the Marlins back in May. It's time for Edwards to be given a bigger MLB opportunity.

I know what you're thinking, Fish fans. Where will he play? As stated before, fielding can be an issue for Schumaker's squad. There are already multiple guys playing out of position, and Edwards would have to follow a similar path if he were to carve out an everyday role. The 24-year-old recently made his first start at shortstop in Triple-A and is admittedly a work-in-progress. This risk, however, is worth taking for Kim Ng and the Marlins, especially when weighing the options.

Joey Wendle has actually been a plus defender at short in 2023, but he is giving the team little on offense. The veteran is hitting .233 with an unsettling .270 on-base percentage and 65 OPS+. With just one homer and 16 RBIs, September games are unlikely to be won off his bat.

Although Miami ranks fourth in baseball with a .260 overall batting average, it cannot afford any automatic outs this late in the year. The margin for error is too slim and the stakes are too high.

The Marlins' present takes priority over the future. In these two cases, though, handing over the reins to prospects could be what it takes to make the 2023 season the most glorious one the franchise and city has enjoyed in two decades.