Max Meyer can't carry Marlins starting rotation by himself

Saturday's late-inning push by the Marlins proved to be a good omen. They fell to the Phillies that day, extending their losing streak to five, but have since pulled off back-to-back wins, pushing their season total into double digits.

Overall, it was a rough week. There’s a good amount that could be picked at. A lot to be broken up about, if you’re feeling dramatic. Certainly, seeing Griffin Conine go down was a gut punch to any Marlins fan watching, and we wish him the healthiest and speediest recovery after a diagnosis of a dislocated left shoulder.

 

 

 

 

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As Kyle Sielaff reminded us during Monday night's Marlins TV broadcast, “You’re only as good as tomorrow’s starter.” Oh, if wishes were fishes and that proves prophetic, because Max Meyer was, as Marlins skipper Clayton McCullough remarked during his postgame press conference, “gross.”

Facing a Reds team that came to town on the heels of an eye-popping 24-2 onslaught win, Meyer was remarkable for a plethora of reasons. Tied for the second-most strikeouts in a single game in franchise history after racking up 14 of them, the Marlins starter did it in six innings, no less. It was only the 12th instance of a 14-strikeout game in franchise history, a feat accomplished by eight different pitchers. With 18 of his 23 first pitches going for strikes, it was a sight to see.

Despite a lot of moving parts and minimal major league experience, the Marlins offense has performed solidly in 2025. They find themselves below .500 because of erratic pitching. Starting pitching, in particular.

Wouldn’t it be great if every start looked like Max Meyer’s did? The problem is, none of the other starts have met Meyer's standard—after nearly a full month of regular season competition, he is the only Marlins rotation member to make it through the sixth inning.

Starters Braxton Garrett, Eury Pérez and Ryan Weathers are on the injured list, though fortunately Pérez and Weathers are on track to return by the midpoint of the season. The IL also includes relievers Declan Cronin and Andrew Nardi, so even when the bullpen is handed a lead, it feels precarious.

Cal Quantrill is in his first season as a Marlin. He became a full-time starter for Cleveland in 2022 and maintained a 3.38 ERA. Early in 2023, he took a no-hitter into the seventh inning. However, he has missed time since then due to shoulder and triceps inflammation, struggling to regain the control he previously had. Over the last three seasons, including 17 ⅓ innings pitched with Miami, his ERA has ballooned to 5.29. Quantrill will have plenty of opportunities to steady himself, but his latest outing did not inspire much confidence.

It’s difficult, too, when you have relied on the steadiness of your ace for years and he’s finally showing some glimmers of being mortal. Sandy Alcantara has cultivated a reputation as a workhorse who dominates games from beginning to end. He has a strong presence organizationally and in the clubhouse. Sandy took his time rehabbing from Tommy John surgery and 2025 is projected to be a return to form. He does not have his sea legs underneath him yet, lacking some of the usual zip on his fastball.

Edward Cabrera has been a bit of an enigma, a wild card if you will. Cabrera certainly has the stuff. He’s historically fired fastballs that can touch 100 mph and changeups with record-setting velocity. In 2025, he’s relying more on his slider and sinker. His weaknesses have been managing runners and issuing walks, getting behind in the count and staying behind.

On the postgame show following Max Meyer’s walk-less masterpiece, Rod Allen said he hoped that Cabrera "had a chance to take notes during the game” as he prepares to face the same opponent on Tuesday. He has what it takes to sit down hitters if he can get ahead in the count as much as possible.

With bats like Jesús Sánchez back from the IL and the excitement of two new call-ups making a splash, there is plenty to be excited about going into the rest of the week. In between Meyer's starts, it's up to the rest of the staff to keep the Marlins afloat by pitching up to their potential. 

Monday MVP

Highlighting a particular player from the previous week of play

Meyer’s start Monday would be the obvious choice for this week’s Monday MVP, but his outing speaks for itself.

Xavier Edwards is the standout from throughout the week, which included a 12-game hit streak that ended Monday. He notched 18 hits including 4 RBIs, four stolen bases and eight walks in 56 plate appearances. Not bad for 12 days' work.