Was there any way to expect the Florida Marlins would have a better record than the Atlanta Braves at this juncture of the season? After another classic fire sale by the Marlins over the winter, the front office went with a boatload of rookies this spring, many of whom had little or no experience above the Double-A level. While the Braves are 5-21 in June, en route to the worst record in the majors for the month, the Marlins currently have the best June record among National League clubs at 17-7. Equally as remarkable is the staff's 2.76 ERA in June, the best in the majors. Starters Dontrelle Willis, Josh Johnson, Ricky Nolasco and Scott Olsen have three wins each this month, and as a group they are 12-5. The worst ERA among the foursome is Nolasco's 2.62 mark. Rookies Johnson, Nolasco and Olsen had just nine Triple-A starts between them heading into the season, yet each has a winning record and has pitched well under first-year manager Joe Girardi. Most of the rookie regulars are holding their own, led by Rule 5 pickup Dan Uggla. The 26-year-old second baseman, claimed from the Diamondbacks in December, is the team's home run leader and is batting .312 in his first taste of the majors. The Colorado Rockies took Florida's approach a year ago and lost 95 games, but they are 40-38 in the second year of their rebuilding. The 34-41 Marlins are threatening to flirt with the .500 mark this season. The big question is, how will Florida's young hitters and pitchers hold up over the grind of a full season? Marlins hitters and pitchers will have to make adjustments as other teams get to know them and react to their strengths and weaknesses. Young players can have extreme peaks and valleys, especially inexperienced pitchers, so it may be too soon to herald the success of Florida's kids.