Ely Sussman

SuperSubs, comment below with your Prediction Time picks: 1. How many games will the Marlins win in this series? (three-game series) 2. Who will be the Series MVP? (determined by win probability added) Once again in 2026, I will be monitoring Miami Marlins predictions from our valued SuperSubs, Fish On First staffers and livestream guests. Individual article pages like this one will be created prior to every Marlins series and featured prominently on the FOF site. Consistent participation is key if you want to win this annual contest. Submissions only take a few seconds. Scoring system A "perfect" series is worth three points: Earn one point for predicting which team will win the upcoming series Earn one point for predicting the precise number of victories for each team Earn one point for predicting the “Series MVP” who accumulated the highest win probability added (WPA) during the series as calculated by FanGraphs (could pick a player from either team) Here is a reminder of what the 2025 season leaderboard looked like. FOF staffer Sean Millerick currently sits atop the 2026 leaderboard, which will be updated between every Marlins series. If you are a SuperSub, leave a comment with your Prediction Time picks on this page, or join the Marlins Discord Server and submit there. We'll feature them on the upcoming Fish On First LIVE episode and track your points throughout the season! Any picks submitted prior to the first pitch of the series opener will be counted. If you are not a SuperSub, please consider signing up here to support the FOF staff. Series preview notes Probable starting pitchers: RHP Sandy Alcantara (MIA) vs. RHP Chris Bassitt on Tuesday RHP Eury Pérez (MIA) vs. RHP Brandon Young on Wednesday RHP Max Meyer (MIA) vs. LHP Cade Povich on Thursday The Marlins rank 11th in MLB with a 100 wRC+ and 11th in MLB with a 3.91 FIP. They are 4-6 in their last 10 games and have a 11-9 record at home this season. The following Marlins players are on the injured list: Griffin Conine (10-day IL), Pete Fairbanks (15-day IL), Ronny Henriquez (60-day IL) and Adam Mazur (60-day IL). The Orioles rank 13th in MLB with a 99 wRC+ and 22nd in MLB with a 4.48 FIP. They are 3-7 in their last 10 games and have an 6-11 record on the road this season. The following Orioles players are on the injured list: Félix Bautista (60-day IL), Zach Eflin (60-day IL), Ryan Helsley (15-day IL), Yaramil Hiraldo (60-day IL), Jackson Holliday (10-day IL), Heston Kjerstad (10-day IL), Dean Kremer (15-day IL), Ryan Mountcastle (60-day IL), Trevor Rogers (15-day IL), Colin Selby (60-day IL) and Jordan Westburg (60-day IL). View full article

The Miami Marlins are addressing an immediate weakness by promoting somebody who they hope will prove to be a long-term building block. Catcher Joe Mack is being recalled from Triple-A Jacksonville, as first reported by Craig Mish of Marlins.TV following Sunday's loss. The corresponding roster move will be optioning Agustín Ramírez to Jacksonville. The Marlins won't be announcing the move until Monday. Mack was the 31st overall pick of the 2021 MLB Draft. It wasn't until the 2024 season that he began emerging as an impact player in their farm system. Now ranked third on the Fish On First Top 30, he has spent more than a full year at Triple-A. In those 123 games, he is slashing .249/.334/.444 with 21 home runs and nine stolen bases. But the 23-year-old projects to be even more valuable on defense. Minor League Baseball's 2024 Gold Glove award winner at catcher, Mack possesses a plus-plus arm and at least average ability as a receiver, blocker and framer. In 23 games at catcher this season, he has a 29% caught stealing rate (the International League average is 22%). Without Mack's services, the Marlins have allowed an MLB-high 42 steals. They also were the league's worst in that department in 2025. Not only does Mack stand out among Marlins position player talent, he's ranked 50th overall on Baseball America's Top 100 MLB prospects list, 54th on MLB Pipeline's and 37th on Just Baseball's. Meanwhile, second-year backstop Liam Hicks has dramatically boosted his stock, emerging as the Marlins' leading run producer. Mack figures to start the majority of games behind the plate moving forward, but Hicks should get ample playing time at designated hitter and first base while still catching about twice per week. Although demoting Ramírez is entirely justified, the timing of this move came as a surprise because the Marlins had been continuing to give him regular reps. Playing in 31 of a possible 34 games, the "Gus Bus" is slashing .239/.328/.358 (86 wRC+). He has homered only twice despite being gifted with elite raw power. Ramírez is a horrible defensive catcher and he has been since the moment the Marlins acquired him in 2024. The organization has stubbornly kept his full focus on that position rather than attempting to create some versatility with work at first base or the corner outfield spots. That makes him an awkward fit for their active roster now that Mack has been deemed fully ready. Ramírez entered this year with all three of his minor league options intact. View full article

Missing yet another game today 😬 We will look into it...

Here are the latest Miami Marlins game notes, produced by the Marlins communications department and relayed to our loyal readers. These notes apply to the third game of Miami's home series against the Philadelphia Phillies. Starting Lineup SS Otto Lopez C Agustín Ramírez RF Kyle Stowers (L) 1B Connor Norby 2B Xavier Edwards (S) DH Christopher Morel 3B Leo Jiménez CF Esteury Ruiz LF Javier Sanoja P Chris Paddack Click HERE to download the full game notes (preview below)

A pair of bizarre yet impressive streaks came to an end last weekend. The longer and far more publicized streak belonged to Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz. From April 10 through May 1, the reigning American League Rookie of the Year drew walks in 20 consecutive games. He became the first MLB player in nearly a quarter-century to do so (Barry Bonds, 2002-03). Brandon Compton had a 12-game walk streak to close out his month of April. While the duration was modest by comparison, the concentration of his free passes was absurd enough to merit an entire article, in my view. The 2025 Miami Marlins draftee averaged nearly two walks per game, while Kurtz averaged only 1.20, and he did it without the benefit of any intentional walks. Compton's streak ended Friday night, but he promptly began a new one on Saturday. He walked thrice more on Sunday. One month into his season with High-A Beloit, Compton has been the second-most productive qualified hitter in the Marlins organization in terms of wRC+. His on-base percentage is a cool .500. Unsurprisingly, his MiLB-leading 35.4% walk rate is doing most of the heavy lifting. Where are all of these walks coming from and what does this statistical oddity mean for his long-term outlook? Compton is Fish On First's 25th-ranked prospect largely due to his power-hitting potential. We have seen flashes of that in 2026 as he's slugging .434 (the Midwest League average is .401). Utilizing a tiny leg kick, the 22-year-old generates massive exit velocities to his pull side. However, there is no reasonable expectation of Compton becoming the next Kurtz. Drafted fourth overall the year before Compton, Kurtz slugged nearly .700 between minor league ball and the Arizona Fall League. The latter is four inches taller and effortlessly blasts balls over the fence to all fields. With few exceptions, Compton uses the first pitch of his plate appearances to gather information on the opposing pitcher. He has stepped to the plate 82 times this season and put the first pitch in play only once. Using this past series as an example, Compton swung just 10.3% of the time in 0-0 counts. To put that in perspective, the lowest first-pitch swing rate among qualified MLB hitters belongs to Steven Kwan at 9.7%. Compton is a product of his environment to some extent. The Midwest League has a 13.4 BB% this season, which is higher than any other affiliated full-season league. A combination of weather, pitching injuries and umpiring is leading to more pitches missing the strike zone. Only 52.0% of total pitches thrown to Compton have been strikes. Going back to Kurtz as a reference point, his strike rate is 55.3%, and that is despite being universally feared. The left-handed Compton sees the ball well against fellow southpaws, drawing 11 walks in 26 plate appearances. On the other hand, he's still hitless against them (0-15 with 10 K). Showing competency in that area will be an important box for him to check before being considered for a promotion to Double-A. Compton is on pace to draw approximately 146 walks this season, which would obliterate the Marlins MiLB record (114 BB by Kerwin Moore in 1993). Since comprehensive record-keeping across all minor leagues began in 2006, Jack Cust has posted the highest single-season total (143 BB in 2006). All things considered, Cust is a useful Compton comp with a similar skill set and physical attributes. He slashed .242/.374/.439 (123 wRC+) with 105 home runs in 670 MLB games—that'd be an optimistic outcome for Compton's career. View full article

This podcast is brought to you by Jet Ski Rentals of South Florida—offering Miami’s best jet ski and boat adventures. With six jet ski locations and over 120 boats, there’s something for every style and every budget. They’re reservation-based only. To inquire, call 305-990-2192, or check them out online at SFJetskiRentals.com. Make sure to use promo code FISHONFIRST to receive 10% off your next booking. We're bringing you a bonus episode of Fish Unfiltered this week! Ely Sussman and Nate Karzmer react to the call-up of right-hander Josh Ekness, then do an overview of the first month-plus of the 2026 Miami Marlins season. Which players have boosted their stock since Opening Day and which ones have us most concerned? You can find Fish Unfiltered and Fish On First LIVE on the Fish On First YouTube channel, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever else you get your pods. The Marlins completed April with a 15-16 record, sitting in second place in the National League East division. The historic start to Liam Hicks' sophomore season has been a bright spot. Hicks has already exceeded his home run total from 2025 while driving in more runs than any other MLB catcher ever has at this point on the calendar. Otto López and Xavier Edwards have also been in NL batting title contention, forming arguably the best middle infield in the sport. Sandy Alcantara is stabilizing Miami's starting rotation, Janson Junk is comfortably holding onto his own rotation spot, and John King and Michael Petersen are impressing out of the bullpen. After being the Marlins' best right-handed hitter as a rookie, Heriberto Hernández slumped so severely last month that he's been demoted to Triple-A Jacksonville. Although there's no imminent threat of Agustín Ramírez or Jakob Marsee getting sent down, they have each taken significant steps back in terms of both results and underlying stats. Chris Paddack is easily the rotation's weakest link and Anthony Bender has been far too inconsistent to be trusted in high-leverage situations. During the month of May, Ely predicts that Robby Snelling will make his major league debut. Nate predicts that former first-round draft pick Jacob Berry will debut and that Kyle Stowers will rediscover his power stroke with five home runs. View full article

Here are the latest Miami Marlins game notes, produced by the Marlins communications department and relayed to our loyal readers. These notes apply to the second game of Miami's home series against the Philadelphia Phillies. The 20th-ranked prospect on the FOF Top 30, Josh Ekness, has been called up to reinforce the Marlins bullpen. Pregame roster moves: Josh Ekness selected from Triple-A Jacksonville; Cade Gibson optioned to Jacksonville Starting Lineup CF Jakob Marsee (L) RF Kyle Stowers (L) SS Otto Lopez 2B Xavier Edwards (S) C Liam Hicks (L) DH Agustín Ramírez 3B Graham Pauley (L) 1B Connor Norby LF Esteury Ruiz P Max Meyer Click HERE to download the full game notes (preview below)

Here are the latest Miami Marlins game notes, produced by the Marlins communications department and relayed to our loyal readers. These notes apply to the first game of Miami's home series against the Philadelphia Phillies. Starting Lineup CF Jakob Marsee (L) LF Kyle Stowers (L) SS Otto Lopez 2B Xavier Edwards (S) C Liam Hicks (L) DH Agustín Ramírez RF Owen Caissie (L) 1B Christopher Morel 3B Javier Sanoja P Eury Pérez Click HERE to download the full game notes (preview below)

There were zero homegrown hitters in Wednesday's Miami Marlins lineup. Seven of the nine starters were acquired by the organization via trade, including six in classic rebuilding transactions, with the Marlins sending away major league veterans in the process. The cheapest pick-ups of them all? Shortstop Otto Lopez, who's been rapidly accumulating value since coming aboard as a waiver claim, and catcher Liam Hicks, a former Rule 5 draft pick. A Rule 5 pick is a glorified waiver claim, deemed undeserving of occupying a 40-man roster spot by their previous team—much less an active roster spot—and galaxies away from contending for an everyday MLB role. The process is sexier just because we have not seen these youngsters fail in the majors yet, but statistically, the vast majority of them will. The Marlins took a flier on Hicks in December 2024. In the span of a year and a half, the former Detroit Tigers farmhand has come a long way. Hicks opened the scoring in the Marlins' series-clinching victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers and also helped manufacture the run that put his club ahead for good. As a rookie in 2025, the left-handed-hitting Canadian made himself rosterable on the strength of great bat control and swing decisions; as a sophomore, he has put on physical strength and it has only enhanced his offensive profile. Hicks boasts a superb .315/.365/.576 slash line this season while seeing action in 29 of Miami's first 31 games. His solo home run off Tyler Glasnow in the second inning was his farthest batted ball to date (398 feet). As a result of it, he has surpassed his home run total from last season, when he played in 119 contests. Before this uptick in power, Hicks had already established himself as a gifted contact hitter. That was on display again versus Dodgers right-hander Will Klein in the eighth inning. He caught up to an elevated 98 mph fastball and chopped it to the right side, advancing Xavier Edwards to second base. Hicks ranks in the 99th percentile among MLB hitters with a microscopic 7.7% strikeout rate. Edwards would later score on a two-out Javier Sanoja RBI single. Hicks is on pace to produce approximately five wins above replacement in 2026. For context, multi-time All-Star second baseman Dan Uggla, who is the best Rule 5 pick in Marlins history and among the best picks made anywhere in the league so far this millennium, peaked at 4.6 fWAR and 4.4 bWAR. Even anticipating some regression from Hicks as the season unfolds, he is a massive upgrade over every other Marlins catcher of the post-J.T. Realmuto era. From 2019-2025, the Marlins received a total of 4.2 fWAR from their backstops, ranking 29th in MLB, per FanGraphs. Marlins fans continue to clamor for prospect Joe Mack, and understandably so—he has brilliant defensive skills and ample power at the plate. Even a few months ago, it was not unreasonable to view Mack as Hicks' eventual replacement, but that notion is now outdated. So is the notion that Agustín Ramírez is the bigger piece of the franchise's future. Hicks has leapfrogged him as an asset. The best version of this team must have Mack and Hicks frequently in the lineup together, with the latter deployed at first base or designated hitter. We should be getting a peek at that configuration by July, if not sooner. Additional notes - Prior to Wednesday, Sandy Alcantara's career numbers at Dodger Stadium had been hideous, with a 14.46 ERA and eight homers allowed in 18 ⅔ innings pitched. He chipped away at that by limiting LA to two runs in six innings, and that actually undersells his effectiveness because one of those runs scored on an Alex Call pop-up that Otto Lopez lost in the sun. - Sanoja relishes big moments. He entered this game with an elite .891 OPS in 98 career high-leverage plate appearances, as defined by Baseball-Reference. Consider that his overall OPS in the majors is just .680. - In the absence of Pete Fairbanks (nerve irritation), Calvin Faucher has the most ninth-inning experience among active Marlins pitchers. He converted his 23rd career save on Wednesday, but issued three walks in the process (one of those being intentional). He's now up to 12 walks on the season, already halfway toward matching his total from 2025. - The Marlins overcame Faucher's wildness thanks to Edwards' unassisted double play, which involving tagging out Shohei Ohtani, then stepping on first base to retire Freddie Freeman to preserve a 3-2 lead. - In the top of the fifth, Esteury Ruiz took Glasnow deep for what was his first hit as a Marlin. Quite unexpected coming from the wiry outfielder, who had previously homered only twice in his life against MLB right-handers. - Way back on March 28, Owen Caissie went 3-for-4 in a win over the Colorado Rockies, flying out to center field for his lone out of the game. Since then, however, Caissie has made 22 more starts and registered at least one strikeout in each of them. On Wednesday, Caissie broke a tie with Jeremy Hermida (2007) and Jorge Alfaro (2019) to establish a new franchise record: most consecutive starts with a strikeout by a Marlins position player. The Marlins get approximately 49 hours to recuperate between games in advance of Friday's series opener against the Philadelphia Phillies. Their opponent, on the other hand, had their scheduled game postponed due to inclement weather, necessitating a split doubleheader on Thursday, so that'll create a nice rest advantage for the Fish in their attempt to return to the .500 mark. Probable starters for the 7:10 pm game are right-handers Zack Wheeler and Eury Pérez. View full article

Here are the latest Miami Marlins game notes, produced by the Marlins communications department and relayed to our loyal readers. These notes apply to the third and final game of Miami's road series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Can the Fish finally win a series away from loanDepot park for the first time this season? Starting Lineup CF Jakob Marsee (L) DH Kyle Stowers (L) SS Otto Lopez 2B Xavier Edwards (S) C Liam Hicks (L) 1B Connor Norby RF Owen Caissie (L) 3B Graham Pauley (L) LF Esteury Ruiz P Sandy Alcantara Click HERE to download the full game notes (preview below)

Here are the latest Miami Marlins game notes, produced by the Marlins communications department and relayed to our loyal readers. These notes apply to the second game of Miami's road series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Pregame roster moves: Cade Gibson recalled from Triple-A Jacksonville; Pete Fairbanks (nerve irritation) placed on the 15-day injured list Starting Lineup CF Jakob Marsee (L) LF Kyle Stowers (L) SS Otto Lopez 2B Xavier Edwards (S) C Liam Hicks (L) DH Agustín Ramírez RF Owen Caissie (L) 1B Christopher Morel 3B Graham Pauley (L) P Janson Junk Click HERE to download the full game notes (preview below)

Here are the latest Miami Marlins game notes, produced by the Marlins communications department and relayed to our loyal readers. These notes apply to the first game of Miami's road series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Pregame roster moves: Christopher Morel returned from rehab and reinstated from the 10-day IL; Heriberto Hernández optioned to Triple-A Jacksonville Starting Lineup CF Jakob Marsee (L) LF Kyle Stowers (L) SS Otto Lopez 2B Xavier Edwards (S) DH Liam Hicks (L) C Agustín Ramírez RF Owen Caissie (L) 3B Javier Sanoja 1B Connor Norby P Chris Paddack Click HERE to download the full game notes (preview below)

Here are the latest Miami Marlins game notes, produced by the Marlins communications department and relayed to our loyal readers. These notes apply to the third and final game of Miami's road series against the San Francisco Giants. Kyle Stowers will be making his first-ever MLB appearance at first base. Starting Lineup CF Jakob Marsee (L) 1B Kyle Stowers (L) SS Otto Lopez 2B Xavier Edwards (S) C Liam Hicks RF Owen Caissie (L) DH Connor Norby 3B Graham Pauley (L) LF Heriberto Hernández P Max Meyer Click HERE to download the full game notes (preview below)

SuperSubs, comment below with your Prediction Time picks: 1. How many games will the Marlins win in this series? (three-game series) 2. Who will be the Series MVP? (determined by win probability added) Once again in 2026, I will be monitoring Miami Marlins predictions from our valued SuperSubs, Fish On First staffers and livestream guests. Individual article pages like this one will be created prior to every Marlins series and featured prominently on the FOF site. Consistent participation is key if you want to win this annual contest. Submissions only take a few seconds. Scoring system A "perfect" series is worth three points: Earn one point for predicting which team will win the upcoming series Earn one point for predicting the precise number of victories for each team Earn one point for predicting the “Series MVP” who accumulated the highest win probability added (WPA) during the series as calculated by FanGraphs (could pick a player from either team) Here is a reminder of what the 2025 season leaderboard looked like. FOF SuperSub Sean Millerick currently sit atop the 2026 leaderboard, which will be updated between every Marlins series. If you are a SuperSub, leave a comment with your Prediction Time picks on this page, or join the Marlins Discord Server and submit there. We'll feature them on the upcoming Fish On First LIVE episode and track your points throughout the season! Any picks submitted prior to the first pitch of the series opener will be counted. If you are not a SuperSub, please consider signing up here to support the FOF staff. Series preview notes Probable starting pitchers: RHP Chris Paddack (MIA) vs. RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto (SF) on Monday RHP Janson Junk (MIA) on RHP Shohei Ohtani (LAD) Tuesday RHP Sandy Alcantara (MIA) vs. RHP Tyler Glasnow (SF) on Wednesday The Marlins rank ninth in MLB with a 104 wRC+ and 13th in MLB with a 4.02 FIP. They are 4-6 in their last 10 games and have a 3-9 record on the road this season. The following Marlins players are on the injured list: Griffin Conine (10-day IL), Ronny Henriquez (60-day IL) and Adam Mazur (60-day IL). Christopher Morel was just reinstated from the 10-day IL prior to the start of this series. The Dodgers rank first in MLB with a 130 wRC+ and fourth in MLB with a 3.57 FIP. They are 5-5 in their last 10 games and have an 11-4 record at home this season. The following Dodgers players are on the injured list: Mookie Betts (10-day IL), Ben Casparius (15-day IL), Jake Cousins (60-day IL), Edwin Díaz (15-day IL), Tommy Edman (10-day IL), Brusdar Graterol (60-day IL), Kiké Hernández (60-day IL), Gavin Knack (15-day IL), Bobby Miller (60-day IL), Evan Phillips (60-day IL), Blake Snell (15-day IL), Brock Stewart (15-day IL) and Gavin Stone (60-day IL). View full article

Here are the latest Miami Marlins game notes, produced by the Marlins communications department and relayed to our loyal readers. These notes apply to the second game of Miami's road series against the San Francisco Giants. Deploying a very unorthodox batting order, the Marlins are attempting to secure their first winning series away from loanDepot park. Starting Lineup C Agustín Ramírez SS Otto Lopez LF Kyle Stowers (L) 1B Connor Norby 2B Xavier Edwards (S) RF Heriberto Hernández DH Leo Jiménez 3B Javier Sanoja CF Esteury Ruiz P Eury Pérez Click HERE to download the full game notes (preview below)

Here are the latest Miami Marlins game notes, produced by the Marlins communications department and relayed to our loyal readers. These notes apply to the first game of Miami's road series against the San Francisco Giants. Starting Lineup CF Jakob Marsee (L) LF Kyle Stowers (L) SS Otto Lopez 2B Xavier Edwards (S) C Liam Hicks (L) DH Agustín Ramírez RF Owen Caissie (L) 3B Graham Pauley (L) 1B Connor Norby P Sandy Alcantara Click HERE to download the full game notes (preview below)