Ely Sussman

Marlins Podcast Episodes Luis Arraez finished eighth in NL MVP voting, appearing on 22 of the 30 BBWAA ballots. It's the second straight year that a Marlins player has received NL MVP votes (Sandy Alcantara placed 10th in 2022) and the best finish for any Marlin since Giancarlo Stanton won the award himself in 2017.In an "unprecedented collaboration" between Minor League Baseball and the Mexican League, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos will host a two-game exhibition series against Sultanes de Monterrey next April. The exhibitions will take place right before the start of Pensacola's 2024 regular season schedule.Fish On First caught up with former Marlins pitcher Pablo López on Thursday at his pickleball event encouraging pet adoption. Elsewhere around baseball, MLB owners voted unanimously to allow the Athletics to move from Oakland to Las Vegas. They'll still play the 2024 season in Oakland, but it's unclear what will happen from 2025-2027 while they wait for the Vegas ballpark to be constructed. Commissioner Rob Manfred also announced that Atlanta will host the 2025 MLB All-Star Game (the Texas Rangers are hosting in 2024). The Braves made a six-player trade to acquire White Sox reliever Aaron Bummer. This season, Bummer had by far MLB's largest ERA-to-FIP disparity among qualified relievers, so they're clearly anticipating that will normalize moving forward.I stated previously that the Marlins erred in allowing Jorge Soler to hit free agency without issuing him a qualifying offer (which he almost certainly would have rejected). Bruce Sherman says that although Peter Bendix "had an opinion" on that situation, the call was made by assistant general managers Brian Chattin, Dan Greenlee and Oz Ocampo (h/t Christina De Nicola, MLB.com). Discouraging start to the offseason between that and Troy Johnston's 40-man roster snub.Speaking of Johnston, Hans Herrera has a new FanPost ranting about the Rule 5 protection deadline and where the Marlins roster currently stands.More transactions seem inevitable in advance of today's non-tender deadline. Marlins players Luis Arraez, Jesús Luzardo, Tanner Scott, Jacob Stallings, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Jesús Sánchez, A.J. Puk, Trevor Rogers, Garrett Hampson, JT Chargois, Steven Okert and Anthony Bender are eligible for arbitration in 2024. The Marlins can cut them with no strings attached if they feel any of them aren't worth their projected arb raises.Fish On First has partnered with the Marlins Discord server! You can join the server for free to participate in around-the-clock Fish talk. There is also a private channel reserved for our valued Super Subscribers.The Red Black Green Baseball Blog featured Nasim Nuñez in their series on Black MiLB players. Jorge Soler (DH), Luis Arraez (2B), Jake Burger (3B) and Tanner Scott (RP) are on the 2023 All-MLB ballot. Vote for them through Sunday.Photo by Michael Zagaris/Oakland Athletics

Marlins Podcast Episodes Wednesday's winter ball notes: CF Dane Myers (LIDOM) went 1-for-2 with three walks and two stolen bases.Brant Brown is joining the Mariners coaching staff, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports. After serving as Marlins hitting coach in 2023, Brown will have a "larger role" with his new club, according to Craig Mish of SportsGrid. This is the first known departure from Skip Schumaker's staff and it means the Marlins will be searching for their fourth hitting coach in as many seasons. They had a poor offense under Brown's tutelage, but several players insisted that his extensive scouting reports of opposing pitchers and personalized game plans put them in a position to be the best version of themselves.Elsewhere around baseball, MLB's competition committee has proposed reducing the pitch clock with runners on base from 20 seconds to 18 seconds. ESPN's Jeff Passan observes that only 14% of all 2023 pitch-clock violations came with runners on base, so the league sees it as an opportunity to continue trimming the fat from games.The latest episode of focused on Brown, Schumaker and the Marlins' 40-man roster moves. With chiropractic care and functional health, La Pop takes a preventative approach that optimizes wellness and quality of life for all ages. Find out more here! https://fishonfirst.com/la-pop/Fish On First has partnered with the Marlins Discord server! You can join the server for free to participate in around-the-clock Fish talk. There is also a private channel reserved for our valued Super Subscribers.The lone BBWAA writer to include Eury Pérez on his National League Rookie of the Year ballot, Jordan Shusterman of FOXsports.com, explains why he has such a high ceiling.Today at Miami Shores Tennis Club, old friend Pablo López is hosting a free event benefiting a local animal shelter.The NL MVP voting results will be announced tonight. I'm curious to see how many ballots include Luis Arraez (voters select their top 10 players). It would be a surprise if any other Marlins received votes.Photo by Kevin Barral/Fish On First

During the 2023 Miami Marlins season, Fish On First stayed connected with our paid Super Subscribers on a daily basis using a "Twitter Circle" for private conversations and exclusive updates. Well, that Twitter feature was officially discontinued in October 2023. Although the transition is slightly inconvenient, I think this is ultimately for the best. The Marlins Discord server is much better suited for hosting this special community. All Marlins fans are welcome to join the server itself for free, which already has hundreds of people in it. Within the server, there is a dedicated channel (fof-super-subscribers)—you will be manually added to the channel once I confirm that you are an active Super Subscriber. Sign up for as little as $3 per month to support what we do and enjoy additional year-round perks! /fish-on-first-updates/super-subscriber-details/Photo courtesy of Miami Marlins

Marlins Podcast Episodes Tuesday's winter ball notes: Dane Myers went 0-for-1 as a pinch-hitter in a rare Gigantes del Cibao loss.Congrats to RHP Anthony Maldonado and OF Victor Mesa Jr. on being selected to the Marlins 40-man roster. However, their special moments were overshadowed by the perplexing decision not to select 1B Troy Johnston. The most productive hitter in the Marlins farm system since turning pro in 2019, Johnston is now eligible for the upcoming Rule 5 Draft.Skip Schumaker edged out Brian Snitker (Braves) and Craig Counsell (formerly of the Brewers) to win NL Manager of the Year. Well deserved for the steady leader who guided the Marlins to one of their best regular seasons in franchise history. Six different managers received first-place votes and six of the 30 BBWAA writers left Schumaker off of their ballots entirely. Here is his interview on MLB Tonight upon receiving the news.Listen to our latest Fish On First Twitter Space—hosted by Kevin Barral—reacting to Tuesday's events.Elsewhere around baseball, Padres chairman and owner Peter Siedler passed away at age 63. More so than most MLB owners, Siedler allowed the passion for his team override the temptation to maximize his profits, and that made him extremely popular among Padres fans. All seven players who were issued qualifying offers rejected them. Join us tonight at 7:00 p.m. ET for a new edition of Fish On First LIVE on /Twitter/Twitch. Special guest: Isaac Shapiro (aka "Sevento"). With chiropractic care and functional health, La Pop takes a preventative approach that optimizes wellness and quality of life for all ages. Find out more here! https://fishonfirst.com/la-pop/Joining the Marlins Hot Stove Show for his first post-Tommy John surgery interview, Sandy Alcantara was in good spirits. He insisted that elbow discomfort played no role in his disappointing 2023 season—the injury didn't occur until his final start. Alcantara expressed optimism about coming back "stronger and better" in 2025. Max Meyer showed us a glimpse of his own Tommy John recovery. Remember to bookmark the Fish On First injury/rehab tracker for year-round updates on Marlins players.Kevin Barral writes about Nasim Nuñez, who just got done with an extra-long, "monotonous" 2023 season.Happy birthday to RHP Andrew Lindsey (24) and RHP Lester Nin (20). Both of them pitched for the FCL Marlins this past summer.Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images

Fish On First vows to provide more free Miami Marlins coverage than any other outlet, but for this to be sustainable, consider joining our group of paid Super Subscribers. Sign up for as little as $3 per month, or customize a higher price if you're feeling generous! We make it worth your investment with the following year-round perks: Super Subscriber-only giveaways (Marlins tickets, t-shirts, etc.)Access to the Super Subscriber-only channel within the Marlins Discord serverAccess to our Marlins GIF DatabaseMarlins news scoops and sneak peeks at upcoming contentPriority to speak on our Twitter Spaces and to appear as a special guest on Fish On First LIVEFrom MLB spring training through the postseason, enjoy daily Marlins game notes and participate in Prediction Time prior to every Marlins series opener.

Marlins Podcast Episodes Peter Bendix and Bruce Sherman addressed the media at LoanDepot Park on Monday while introducing Bendix as Miami's new president of baseball operations. To me, the most notable takeaway was that Kim Ng's former assistant general managers, Brian Chattin, Oz Ocampo and Dan Greenlee, were involved in the POBO search process. They each attended the press conference and all indications are that they'll be retained by Bendix (at least for this offseason). As embedded on top of this page, The Offishial Show is back on a weekly schedule! Every Tuesday throughout the year, listen to me, Fish On First staffers and special guests discuss all things Marlins. Subscribe to the Fish On First channel wherever you get your pods.Elsewhere around baseball, Gunnar Henderson and Corbin Carroll were announced as the AL and NL Rookie of the Year, respectively. Eury Pérez earned one third-place vote on the NL side, courtesy of Jordan Shusterman of FOXSports.com. The Astros have promoted bench coach Joe Espada to be their new manager, taking over for the recently retired Dusty Baker. Espada spent the first eight seasons of his post-playing career (2006-13) with the Marlins organization. Craig Counsell's longtime bench coach, Pat Murphy, is expected to be named Counsell's successor in Milwaukee. That would leave the Padres as MLB's lone managerial vacancy. Tonight's BBWAA award announcement will be AL/NL Manager of the Year. Skip Schumaker is likely to win the NL hardware. Check out the coverage on MLB Network beginning at 6:00 p.m. ET.Also, 6:00 p.m. ET represents the deadline for MLB teams to file reserve lists for all major and minor league levels as a precursor to next month's Rule 5 Draft. Eligible prospects selected to their club's 40-man roster will be protected from all phases of the Rule 5, while those moved to the 38-man Triple-A reserve list will be safe from the draft's minor league phase. As outlined in my Marlins offseason blueprint, I recommend selecting Victor Mesa Jr., Troy Johnston, Nasim Nuñez and Anthony Maldonado to the 40-man.Christina De Nicola of MLB.com makes the case that Schumaker deserves the NL MOY award for pushing the right buttons. "He played matchups on the mound and at the plate to set his players up for success, and also had to monitor his young rotation's workload," she writes. De Nicola also details the progress Luis Arraez has made in rehabbing from an end-of-season ankle injury.Brian Dunleavy of Marlin Maniac recommends Eduardo Rodriguez, Hunter Renfroe, Victor Caratini and Paul DeJong as free agent targets for the Marlins. Jorge Soler (DH), Luis Arraez (2B), Jake Burger (3B) and Tanner Scott (RP) are on the 2023 All-MLB ballot. Vote for them through this Sunday.Photo courtesy of Miami Marlins

Relaunching The Offishial Show on a new weekly schedule, Ely Sussman discusses notable Miami Marlins prospects who could be selected to the 40-man roster on Tuesday (4:00). Then, Fish On First staffers Noah Berger and Isaac Azout report on what they heard from Peter Bendix and Bruce Sherman during Monday's press conference (22:30). Subscribe to the Fish On First YouTube channel to watch video versions of every episode of The Offishial Show. Bendix's complete presser is embedded below (apologies for the low volume on it). Follow Ely (@RealEly), Noah (@Trainboy100), Isaac (@IsaacAzout) and Fish On First (@FishOnFirst) on Twitter. Complete Miami Marlins coverage here at FishOnFirst.com. Our Fish On First podcast programming includes The Offishial Show, Fish Unfiltered, State of the Fish, Swimming Upstream, Fishology and What a Relief. All new episodes are posted to FishOnFirst.com/podcasts. You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Podbean, Megaphone or wherever you normally get your pods from.

Relive all of the ups and downs of the 2023 Miami Marlins with our Fish On First Season Review, filled with detailed articles about a wide variety of players and big-picture topics. The FOF staff analyzes the individual impact that each of them had and what it means for their future with the organization. This installment focuses on reliever Huascar Brazoban. 2023 TimelineMarch 1—reported to spring training after being delayed by visa issueJune 13—optioned to Triple-A JacksonvilleJune 17—recalled from Triple-A JacksonvilleAugust 3—optioned to Triple-A JacksonvilleAugust 5—recalled from Triple-A JacksonvilleAugust 14—placed on 15-day injured list (left hamstring strain)September 21—sent on minor league rehab assignment to Triple-A JacksonvilleSeptember 26—activated from 15-day injured listSeason stats: 50 G/0 GS, 58.2 IP, 4.14 ERA, 3.94 FIP, 1.43 WHIP, 0.4 fWAR (age-33 season) Huascar Brazoban had been one of MLB's oldest rookies in 2022. It was a triumph of Miami's pro scouting staff that he rose all the way to the big leagues after nearly five years away from affiliated ball. He was a cool story during the latter half of a lost season. Entering this year, the Marlins wanted to find out whether he could be a meaningful contributor to a competitive team. The answer was "yes." In an era where most relievers are conditioned to hit the showers after a single inning of action, the Marlins' usage of Brazoban was refreshingly unconventional. In 19 of his 50 games pitched, he was tasked with recording four or more outs. Although it was an unglamorous role—he only had the satisfaction of finishing off two Marlins wins—he provided substantial value. Particularly early in the season, Brazoban showed improved control. During a month-long scoreless streak (April 14-May 14), he issued only four walks and no hit batsmen over 15 innings of work. Compared to his rookie campaign, the Dominican right-hander was better at putting away hitters in two-strike counts—opponents had a collective .125/.239/.158 slash line in those situations. https://sporty-clips.mlb.com/d6272ebb-7dbe-4b90-8554-ee06187ae606.mp4https://sporty-clips.mlb.com/0b066dd5-c518-41d0-8204-d4a85d323a1d.mp4https://sporty-clips.mlb.com/b5d57ad0-77ec-40c2-b48b-c471db826f99.mp4By the end of the aforementioned scoreless streak, Brazoban had pitched in 19 of Miami's first 41 games, tying him for the team lead. Perhaps it's not a coincidence that his effectiveness waned the rest of the way (5.60 ERA in final 31 G). Brazoban's aesthetically pleasing changeup was his most effective pitch, generating an impressive blend of whiffs and soft contact. It was his primary weapon against lefties, accounting for 40.0% of his total pitches against them. Even so, his bottomline results were mediocre when at a platoon disadvantage. Batters OPS'd 200 points higher from the left side. There is still room for Brazoban to improve in other facets as well. He inherited the most baserunners of any Marlins righty despite not being good at stranding them (37.5% of them scored). He also struggled to manage the running game. Brazoban's opponents went a perfect 11-for-11 on stolen base attempts, taking bigger leads against him than any other Marlins pitcher, per Baseball Savant. Both of Brazoban's demotions to the minors were cut short by injuries to other Marlins pitchers. The only two appearances he actually made for Triple-A Jacksonville came in September while making his way back from his own IL stint. Future with the MarlinsWith all three of his minor league options intact and a pre-arb salary, Brazoban's place in the Marlins organization seems secure heading into 2024. As long as he maintains mid-90s fastball velocity and decent strike-throwing ability, he's likely to earn a spot in the Opening Day bullpen. From there, I will be curious to see how the 34-year-old adjusts his pitch sequencing to maximize the value of his changeup. Brazoban's best work could still be ahead of him. Photo by Kevin Barral/Fish On First

Relive all of the ups and downs of the 2023 Miami Marlins with our Fish On First Season Review, filled with detailed articles about a wide variety of players and big-picture topics. The FOF staff analyzes the individual impact that each of them had and what it means for their future with the organization. This installment focuses on left-hander Braxton Garrett. 2023 TimelineMarch 29—made Marlins Opening Day roster as a relieverApril 3—optioned to Triple-A JacksonvilleApril 4—recalled from Triple-A JacksonvilleOctober 4—started Game 2 of the NL Wild Card SeriesSeason stats: 31 G/30 GS, 159.2 IP, 3.66 ERA, 3.68 FIP, 1.15 WHIP, 2.9 fWAR (age-25 season) Too often when analyzing pitchers, we act like "crafty" and "great" are mutually exclusive. Braxton Garrett provided plenty of evidence to the contrary this year. Garrett was genuinely great for a Marlins team that achieved a postseason berth despite flimsy starting rotation depth. The Marlins opened the 2023 campaign with a rotation of Sandy Alcantara, Jesús Luzardo, Edward Cabrera, Trevor Rogers and Johnny Cueto. That relegated Garrett to a nebulous long man role. Before they could complete one full turn of the rotation, the injury bug bit: Cueto exited his first outing early with right biceps tightness. Garrett was selected as his initial replacement. Defying even the most optimistic prognostications, he made every scheduled start from that point forward. It wasn't all smooth sailing for Garrett. Adversity struck on May 3 when the Marlins hosted the mighty Atlanta Braves. The Braves erupted for seven runs off of Garrett in the second inning and 11 runs total (all of them earned). "I just didn't execute my game plan," Garrett said postgame. "That's it. Pitches weren't good. Everything stunk." Garrett seemingly bounced back in his next start against the Arizona Diamondbacks, though you wouldn't be completely convinced by the final line (5.1 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, 1 HR). The walls caved in as he attempted to navigate their order for a third time. The Marlins lost and his earned run average climbed to 5.97. Garrett truly solidified his rotation spot when he took the mound again on May 14 vs. the Cincinnati Reds. The soft-tossing southpaw stunningly struck out six of his first seven batters faced. The game was still scoreless when he exited in the sixth inning, but the Marlins rallied late to win. From May 14 through the All-Star break, Miami won 10 of Garrett's 11 starts. https://mlb-cuts-diamond.mlb.com/FORGE/2023/2023-05/14/b1464415-1ceb14d8-2152d82e-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_16000K.mp4Garrett's availability to pitch as much as he did was vital and unexpected. His previous single-season career high for MLB/MiLB innings pitched was 125. Including the postseason, he pushed himself to 162 ⅔ this year without compromising the quality of his performance. In 2023, Major League Baseball's average four-seam fastball velocity was 94.2 mph, according to Baseball Savant. Meanwhile, the fastest pitch that Garrett threw all season was 93.0 mph. How did he compensate for that? Sharp command and a deep pitch mix. Garrett utilized six different pitch types this year. His sinker was typically his most-used offering, but he would lean more heavily on his slider or newly engineered cutter in certain matchups. For two months in the middle of the season, he completely shelved his four-seamer. His change-of-pace curveball was his least effective pitch, but he found appropriate times to incorporate it at least once during every appearance. Garrett made himself very difficult for opponents to predict. Garrett's success is also a story of collaboration. All 2,480 pitches that he threw in 2023 were received by Nick Fortes. They began working as a battery while playing for the 2019 High-A Jupiter Hammerheads and that familiarity is now paying dividends at the highest level. Future with the MarlinsAlthough he's gotten big league reps in four separate seasons, Garrett has accumulated less than two full years of MLB service time. That means entering 2024, he still isn't eligible for arbitration. He is poised to be among the best bargains in baseball once again if he can match this season's workload. Has Garrett already hit his ceiling as a solid No. 3 starter? The next step for him is demonstrating that he can continue getting outs as his pitch count climbs. Opponents combined for a Ronald Acuña Jr.-like .349/.419/.621 slash line when Garrett was 76 or more pitches into his starts, per Baseball-Reference. The Marlins still have one more minor league option to use on Garrett in the future if necessary. Health permitting, he's a lock for an Opening Day rotation spot. Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images