​Pretty much the entire of the first half of the season has been quite the surprise for the 52-45 Miami Marlins.However, amid a season of extreme highs and lows for the Marlins, five things in particular stand out as shockers for the South Florida squad.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAfter hitting a rut early in the season, the year was shaping up to be another dismal one for Miami. However, the turnaround since has been the most shocking of this MLB season.After winning five of their first six contests to open the season, the Marlins quickly found themselves in a downward spiral. They first fell below .500 with a loss to the Atlanta Braves on April 15, and they fell as low as 22-29 with three straight losses to the Braves about a month later.“To think that we weren’t going to hit a rough patch at some point is, I think that’s just unrealistic,” Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said. “A major league season is full of adversity. It’s full of stretches that ebb and flow.”AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHowever, following a five-game losing streak, Miami opened June by sweeping NL East opponents, the Washington Nationals, on the road, setting the Marlins on a path to being the hottest team in the MLB.Before getting swept in their last series before the All-Star break at home, the Marlins had won 26 of their last 34 games and swept five series in that time frame. It was a dramatic flip that has, without a doubt, stunned the league.Miami’s latest win streak is not only impressive because of how it started, but also because of how it stacks up to the rest of the league, as well as the history of the franchise.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIn June, the Marlins secured 20 wins for just the second time in franchise history, and they were the first team to do so across the MLB this season. They boast the best record in the league (26-11) since June 1.The achievements — and the 20-6 record in June — are even more of a surprise coming off Miami’s 11-18 month of May and 11-15 April. July has not started off quite as well (6-5), and the Marlins will look to turn that around after the break, despite some tough series ahead.While he was never expected to have a mediocre year after his standout campaign last season, Otto Lopez has dominated in a way that no one anticipated. The shortstop leads the MLB in batting average (.334) and multi-hit games (40).AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIn addition, the 27-year-old set a Marlins franchise record for most hits (127) before the All-Star Break. The previous record set in 2023 was 126 by Luis Arraez.Lopez earned his first All-Star spot this season, as well.One of the most impressive wins for the Marlins this season was a recent series sweep of the Seattle Mariners. The Mariners led the AL West before the matchup. However, Miami was looking to ride its momentum after sweeping the Athletics, and the Marlins did just that.With the wins, the Marlins not only secured back-