Ely Sussman

Whatever illness he has been dealing with this week seemingly contributed to the velo dropping so low.

Big Fish Small Pod for Friday, April 19 Ely Sussman shares an interesting adjustment that Miami Marlins left-hander Devin Smeltzer has made while pitching out of the Triple-A Jacksonville bullpen. Would Smeltzer be an upgrade over some of the Marlins' current relievers? Find Big Fish Small Pod on the Fish On First YouTube channel, our new-look Apple Podcasts channel and wherever else you get your pods. FOF's audio programming also includes The Offishial Show, Fish Unfiltered, Swimming Upstream and more. The Fish On First podcast is now being presented by MPT College Consulting! They pride themselves on helping clients navigate the college application process. This includes preparation for standardized testing, guidance through high school, assistance with essays and applications, and choosing the right college. Visit them today at mptcollegeconsulting.com to learn more about their services and schedule a free consultation. Through six Triple-A appearances this season (all in relief), Smeltzer has pitched to a 1.08 ERA and 0.96 WHIP with 11 strikeouts in 8 ⅓ innings pitched. For context, he was used exclusively as a starter by the Jumbo Shrimp in 2023. Following the recommendation of Marlins pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre Jr., Smeltzer has changed his delivery. His vertical release point has noticeably dropped and he has increased the extension he gets toward home plate. The new mechanics have diminished his fastball velocity even more—after averaging 89.0 mph on his heater as a Marlin in 2023, he's currently averaging 86.5 mph. However, that trade-off could be worth it if it translates to added deception and movement. smeltzer ummmmm.mp4 The only left-handed relievers in the Marlins bullpen are Tanner Scott and Andrew Nardi, both of whom have struggled so far this year. Follow Ely (@RealEly) and Fish On First (@FishOnFirst) on Twitter. Join the Marlins Discord server! Complete Miami Marlins coverage here at FishOnFirst.com. View full article

Welcome to FOF's 20th Miami Marlins game thread of the 2024 season. It's gonna be a chilly afternoon at Wrigley Field. After being pushed back due to illness and a rainout, A.J. Puk is slated to start on nine days' rest. SuperSubs can access exclusive game notes here. Pregame roster moves: none. Get your live on-site coverage from Isaac Azout.

Player status updates, insightful stats and more information to fully equip you for today's Marlins game. Here are the latest Miami Marlins game notes, produced by the Marlins communications department and relayed to our loyal SuperSubs. Got thoughts about this matchup? Head over to Fish On First's Marlins game thread. View full article

Marlins news roundup for 4/19/24 On Thursday, the Marlins and Cubs were rained out. Convenient timing in the middle of a stretch when Miami was scheduled to play games on 13 consecutive days. The postponement will be made up on Saturday as part of a split doubleheader. I'm thinking Roddery Muñoz is the leading candidate to serve as the 27th man for the doubleheader. Down on the farm, Triple-A Jacksonville won, 3-1. LHP Devin Smeltzer continues to fare well as a reliever this season, lowering his ERA to 1.08. Double-A Pensacola lost, 5-3. OF Tanner Allen stuffed the box score (4-for-4, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 SB). Nice bounce-back start for RHP Valente Bellozo (5.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 9 K). High-A Beloit won, 7-2. OF Brett Roberts went 3-for-5 with two home runs. Low-A Jupiter won, 6-5. Three stolen bases for INF Jesús Hernández. Here's more Marlins news and content for you: 🔷 In the Miami Herald, Peter Bendix discussed the Marlins' disappointing start to the season with Craig Mish. Bendix says he truly believed the team had a chance to make the postseason this year with young players taking steps forward—he did not specify which particular players and also declined to label anybody as a "building block" for the future. Bendix insists that he's had the full support of owner Bruce Sherman when pursuing roster upgrades and off-the-field investments. In closing, Bendix said, “To Marlins fans—and Marlins skeptics—reading this: thank you for your patience and thank you for your support. I know how much you want to root for a consistently competitive team, and I can assure you we’re working tirelessly to make this happen. We have made tremendous progress in building the organization and I confidently believe we are going to right the ship in the near future.” 🔷 In the latest batch of Marlins injury updates, we learned that Christian Bethancourt (viral illness) is beginning a rehab assignment with Jacksonville tonight and JT Chargois (neck spasms) will begin his own on Sunday. Bethancourt is on track to return from the injured list as soon as he's eligible on Wednesday. 🔷 Jesús Luzardo, Luis Arraez and Tanner Scott could all be valuable trade chips for the Marlins this summer, though not as valuable as originally hoped if they continue to slump, writes Louis Addeo-Weiss. 🔷 On this day 15 years ago, the Marlins defeated the Nationals with another late-game comeback, improving upon their franchise-best 11-1 start to the season. 🔷 MLB Pipeline added Max Meyer to their Top 100 prospects list, joining fellow Marlins pitchers Noble Meyer (No. 51) and Thomas White (No. 97). Meyer is scheduled to start for Jacksonville on Saturday. 🔷 Elsewhere around baseball, Justin Verlander (right shoulder inflammation) will make his season debut today. He reinforces the 6-14 Astros, who to this point have been arguably MLB's most disappointing team. 🔷 Today's MLB game: the Marlins (probable starter LHP A.J. Puk) visit the Cubs (RHP Jameson Taillon) at 2:20 p.m. ET. Taillon is making his 2024 debut after beginning the season on the injured list with a back strain. The Marlins have a 45.2% chance to win, per FanGraphs. 🔷 Today's MiLB schedule: Triple-A Jacksonville vs. Norfolk, 7:05 p.m. ET Double-A Pensacola vs. Rocket City, 7:05 p.m. ET High-A Beloit vs. South Bend, 7:35 p.m. ET Low-A Jupiter at Fort Myers, 7:05 p.m. ET Marlins podcast episodes View full article

THURSDAY'S GAME POSTPONED So you still have until Friday at 2:20 p.m. ET to get Prediction Time submissions in...

Marlins news roundup for 4/18/24 On Wednesday, Trevor Rogers pitched very well (5.2 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K), although it's clear at this point that the above-average fastball velocity he had earlier in his career isn't coming back. Bryan De La Cruz went 9-for-25 with a 1.080 OPS on the just-completed homestand. The Marlins lost, 3-1. In his return to the majors, Declan Cronin took the loss. Postgame comments from Rogers and Skip Schumaker are embedded below. Down on the farm, Triple-A Jacksonville won, 16-4. Every position player in the Jumbo Shrimp lineup recorded multiple hits except for Jonathan Davis. OF Victor Mesa Jr. (Fish On First's #3 prospect) raised his Triple-A OPS to 1.215. Double-A Pensacola lost, 9-2. INF Jacob Berry has only one hit in his last 28 at-bats. High-A Beloit won, 19-4. C Joe Mack drove in seven runs by himself, including a grand slam that came against a South Bend position player. Low-A Jupiter won, 4-3. Second straight scoreless start for LHP Emmett Olson (5.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 5 K). Marlins MiLB affiliates have combined for a .571 winning percentage (28-21 record) this season. Here's more Marlins news and content for you: 🔷 The Marlins are favorites to sign Cuban INF Luis Manuel León, Francys Romero reports. As of March, the Marlins had $1.725M left in their 2024 international bonus pool, per Romero. Signing León would use up most of those funds. Listed at 6'2" and 165 pounds, the 17-year-old was just declared a free agent by Major League Baseball. 🔷 Through six Marlins series, FOF staffer @Daniel Rodriguez sits atop the Prediction Time leaderboard with 10 points. Make series predictions with us all season long when you become a Fish On First SuperSub. 🔷 It took 11 years from when he signed his first professional contract, but Jhonny Pereda made his major league debut. He's the only player so far this season to break through to The Show as a member of the Marlins. Expect Pereda to start a couple more times behind the plate on the upcoming road trip. His future beyond that is uncertain assuming Christian Bethancourt (viral illness) returns to the active roster next week. 🔷 Happy birthday to Pereda, by the way. The Venezuelan catcher turns 28 today. 🔷 On this day 10 years ago, the Marlins topped the Mariners on Giancarlo Stanton's walk-off slam. 🔷 Elsewhere around baseball, Red Sox RHP Tanner Houck threw a shutout against the Guardians. Houck had never previously gone beyond seven innings in any professional start. RHP Jack Leiter, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft, will debut today for the Texas Rangers. Mike Trout and Marcell Ozuna remain tied for the MLB lead in home runs after they each blasted their eighth on Wednesday. Angels reliever Robert Stephenson will miss the entire season with an elbow injury. Stephenson signed a three-year, $33M deal in free agency last winter. 🔷 Join us for a new episode of Fish On First LIVE tonight from 6:30-7:30 p.m. ET on YouTube/Twitter/Facebook. Special guest: Lou Schiff. FOF LIVE is presented by Berger & Hicks. If you’ve been injured as a result of somebody else’s negligence, give them a call at (305) 670-7050. 🔷 Today's MLB game: the Marlins (probable starter LHP A.J. Puk) visit the Cubs (RHP Jameson Taillon). Puk is pitching on eight days' rest after being pushed back due to illness. The Marlins have a 45.4% chance to win, per FanGraphs. 🔷 Today's MiLB schedule: Triple-A Jacksonville vs. Norfolk, 7:05 p.m. ET Double-A Pensacola vs. Rocket City, 7:05 p.m. ET High-A Beloit vs. South Bend, 7:35 p.m. ET Low-A Jupiter at Fort Myers, 7:05 p.m. ET Marlins podcast episodes View full article

Top highlights of pitchers Edward Cabrera and Ryan Weathers from the Marlins' series against the San Francisco Giants (April 15-17, 2024). View full video

Lots of screeching kids in the building today...

Player status updates, insightful stats and more information to fully equip you for today's Marlins game. Here are the latest Miami Marlins game notes, produced by the Marlins communications department and relayed to our loyal SuperSubs. Got thoughts about this matchup? Head over to Fish On First's Marlins game thread. View full article

Welcome to FOF's 19th Miami Marlins game thread of the 2024 season. Getaway day matinee. Great opportunity for the Fish to secure their first series win and first pair of consecutive wins. SuperSubs can access exclusive game notes here. Pregame roster moves: RHP Declan Cronin recalled from Triple-A Jacksonville; RHP George Soriano optioned to Jacksonville. Get your live on-site coverage from Daniel Rodriguez and Noah Berger.

Marlins news roundup for 4/17/24 On Tuesday, Ryan Weathers (6.0 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 10 K, 1 HR) was terrific against the Giants. His season ERA actually rose to 2.70, but his fastball had plenty of life to it, his changeup and sweeper were both valuable putaway pitches, and he even tinkered with a hard slider. Five different Miami players drove in runs. The Marlins won, 6-3. Down on the farm, every affiliate was victorious. Triple-A Jacksonville won, 4-3. LHP Patrick Monteverde (5.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K) had another scoreless start while OF Victor Mesa Jr. went 3-for-4 with a go-ahead home run and walk-off single. Double-A Pensacola won, 1-0. I've taken notice of Blue Wahoos closer RHP Austin Roberts, who has struck out more than half of all batters faced so far this season, including all three that came up in the ninth inning. High-A Beloit won, 11-5. In his Sky Carp debut, OF Mark Coley II hit a grand slam. Low-A Jupiter won, 7-4. OF Colby Shade went 3-for-3 with a walk. Here's more Marlins news and content for you: 🔷 With his former team in town, Marlins assistant general manager Gabe Kapler spoke to Evan Webeck of the Enterprise-Record about his new life in Miami. Kapler says he's working closely with director of player development Rachel Balkovec "helping her navigate a new space" and building up the baseball operations staff, which is "light in some areas" compared to other MLB organizations. Regarding whether he will pursue another managing gig in the future, Kapler said, "I’m open to it. I’m not in a rush...It’s fine for me to just be here and invested right where I am." 🔷 Best wishes to Marlins chairman & principal owner Bruce Sherman, who is recovering from knee replacement surgery. 🔷 On this day in 2009, Cody Ross' ninth-inning home run and Jeremy Hermida's 10th-inning single keyed a comeback win over the Nationals. 🔷 Hector Rodriguez's newest 2024 MLB Draft prospect profile focuses in on Wake Forest RHP Chase Burns. 🔷 Matthew Drake asks: What if the Marlins had a 1950's throwback uniform in Vice colors? 🔷 Elsewhere around baseball, Mookie Betts went 5-for-5 and now leads the majors in batting average (.388) and runs scored (22). The Diamondbacks edged out the Cubs in a wild game that included 18 runs being scored from the fifth inning on. Longtime radio announcer John Sterling retired after parts of 36 seasons with the Yankees. 🔷 Today's MLB game: the Marlins (probable starter LHP Trevor Rogers) host the Giants (RHP Keaton Winn) at 12:10 p.m. ET. I would expect recent call-up Jhonny Pereda to make his MLB debut and catch Rogers. The Marlins have a 52.7% chance to win, per FanGraphs. 🔷 Today's MiLB schedule: Triple-A Jacksonville vs. Norfolk, 7:05 p.m. ET Double-A Pensacola vs. Rocket City, 7:05 p.m. ET High-A Beloit vs. South Bend, 12:10 p.m. ET Low-A Jupiter at Fort Myers, 7:05 p.m. ET Marlins podcast episodes View full article

Welcome to FOF's 18th Miami Marlins game thread of the 2024 season. Jordan Hicks takes the mound with the lowest ERA (1.00) among qualified National League starters. I had not realized how large a gap there was between Jesús Sánchez's actual and expected stats. Maybe that gap begins to narrow tonight? SuperSubs can access exclusive game notes here. Pregame roster moves: none. Get your live on-site coverage from Isaac Azout and Noah Berger.

Player status updates, insightful stats and more information to fully equip you for today's Marlins game. Here are the latest Miami Marlins game notes, produced by the Marlins communications department and relayed to our loyal SuperSubs. Got thoughts about this matchup? Head over to Fish On First's Marlins game thread. View full article

Marlins news roundup for 4/16/24 On Monday, the Marlins made a flurry of roster moves. Max Meyer was sent down to Triple-A Jacksonville while Jake Burger (left intercostal muscle strain) and Christian Bethancourt (viral illness) landed on the 10-day injured list. Edward Cabrera and Otto López both impressed in their season debuts (Jhonny Pereda was selected to take Bethancourt's spot). The Marlins led most of the game, but George Soriano and Andrew Nardi allowed the Giants to rally in the seventh inning. The Marlins lost, 4-3. Down on the farm, Low-A Jupiter OF Mark Coley II was named Florida State League Player of the Week. Coley slashed .400/.464/.760 with three stolen bases during those six games. 🔷 Here's more Marlins news and content for you: 🔷 Marlins president of baseball operations Peter Bendix did not make himself available to local media to explain Meyer's demotion, but he did take some questions from Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. The Marlins could have moved A.J. Puk to the bullpen or optioned Ryan Weathers to the minors instead of Meyer, and those alternatives were "strongly considered." Bendix admits that “I don’t have the exact answer on how to best keep anybody healthy, let alone someone like him. But we’re trying." Bendix's objective is to keep Meyer pitching consistently—for the time being, in three-inning spurts—without reaching an "irresponsible" workload. 🔷 My rebuttal: If the main factor behind the move truly is workload management, Meyer should be contributing to the Marlins bullpen, which has been a f****** disaster in 2024. He had experience as a reliever during his amateur career. This pitching staff is irrefutably better with him than without him and most of Miami's bullpen arms have minor league options as well (including the struggling Soriano and Nardi). Sending down Meyer unjustly deprives him of money and MLB service time while making this cellar-dwelling club less competitive. Especially this early in the season, when you decline to optimize your roster with the best talent, you piss off your own players and signal to your fanbase that the current team is not worth their time and emotional investment. 🔷 We had a long segment about Meyer on the latest episode of Fish On First LIVE. Check it out if you missed the original airing. FOF LIVE is presented by Berger & Hicks. If you’ve been injured as a result of somebody else’s negligence, give them a call at (305) 670-7050. 🔷 As expected, recently DFA'd Matt Andriese cleared waivers and has been outrighted to Jacksonville. 🔷 Elsewhere around baseball, there is somehow still a team that's even worse than the Marlins: the White Sox, who were shut out again and have been averaging only 2.1 runs scored per game this season. 🔷 Today's MLB game: (probable starter LHP Ryan Weathers) host the Giants (RHP Jordan Hicks) at 6:40 p.m. ET. The Marlins have a 46.8% chance to win, per FanGraphs. 🔷 It is Autism Acceptance Night at LoanDepot Park. Our own @Noah Berger discusses his journey with Autism. 🔷 Today's MiLB schedule: Triple-A Jacksonville vs. Norfolk, 11:05 a.m. ET Double-A Pensacola vs. Rocket City, 7:05 p.m. ET High-A Beloit vs. South Bend, 2:05 p.m. ET Low-A Jupiter at Fort Myers, 7:05 p.m. ET Marlins podcast episodes View full article