Over their last 100 games, the Marlins have been among MLB's elite teams

This is the winningest 100-game stretch for the Marlins since the very end of 2022 (final eight games) and 2023 pre-All-Star break (92 games), when they went 58-42.

Why this might be legit

Consistency has been key for the resurgent Marlins. They've played in 32 series over this span, getting swept only once (9/1/25-9/3/25 against the Washington Nationals). Their record is comfortably above .500 both at home and on the road—they actually established an all-time franchise record for consecutive road wins at the beginning of these 100 games.

What's been causing problems for the opposition? The Marlins offense constantly applies pressure. Their 19.5% strikeout rate over the last 100 games is fifth-lowest in MLB and they've stolen 91 bases, which is the fifth-highest total.

The Marlins have won despite never being able to utilize a full-strength lineup. For the first 40 games, dynamic center fielder Jakob Marsee was still in the minor leagues. For the last 45 games, All-Star Kyle Stowers has been sidelined due to various injuries. During their brief overlap in availability, Griffin Conine and Connor Norby were both out. Knock on wood, all of those bats should be taking the field together later this month as Stowers (hamstring strain) gradually increases baseball activities.

To the disdain of baseball traditionalists, Miami's coaching staff began calling every pitch from the dugout on September 19. The early returns have been awesome, with 21 different pitchers combining for a 3.21 ERA (eighth in MLB).

Why this might be a mirage

Tuesday's game was uncharacteristically comfortable for the Marlins. They won at a .566 clip over their previous 99 games despite an overall run differential of zero. That's the underlying performance of a .500 team.

Offensively, the 2025 Marlins leaned heavily on rookies and other pre-arbitration-eligible hitters playing their first full-length MLB seasons. While some of them may continue getting better as they accrue additional experience, it's more common to see regression as the rest of the league interprets their data and learns their tendencies.

Marlins relievers have been extraordinarily clutch since last summer. Is that because of manager Clayton McCullough pushing all of the right buttons, or are they beneficiaries of random variance? They will attempt to continue overachieving in this department without the services of electric right-hander Ronny Henriquez, who'll miss all of 2026 while recovering from elbow surgery.

Sandy Alcantara is a stabilizing force for the franchise, on the mound and in the clubhouse. Only Cristopher Sánchez and Garrett Crochet have averaged more innings pitched per start among MLB qualifiers during this span. The Marlins were open to trading him in the past; now in the final guaranteed season of his contract (and due a pay raise if his 2027 option is exercised), those conversations are highly likely to resume. Can youngsters sufficiently fill his shoes if the front office gets an offer they can't refuse?