Ely Sussman

Why won't the team accept that Cueto is a sunk cost?After years of stubbornly relying on internal, mostly inexperienced starting pitching options, Miami Marlins principal owner Bruce Sherman opened up his wallet so that his front office could add the accomplished and eclectic Johnny Cueto on a one-year, $8.5 million contract via free agency. The Marlins paid what was the going rate for an elderly back-end starter, anticipating some regression from his 2022 campaign with the Chicago White Sox—3.5 bWAR in 158.1 IP—but still counting on him to be an efficient innings eater and positive clubhouse presence. The Marlins were wrong, and now their stubbornness is manifesting itself in a different way. Cueto has been returned from rehab and reinstated from the 60-day injured list. He initially landed on the IL on April 4 with right biceps tightness, then suffered a sprained ankle during his initial rehab assignment. During his time away, the 37-year-old cut off his signature dreadlocks and put on some weight. He embarked on a fresh rehab assignment one month ago to reinforce a contending Marlins team with serious rotation depth concerns. Just one problem: he's washed up. https://sporty-clips.mlb.com/4716c077-a4ca-4773-93ba-07bbeab2c388.mp4https://sporty-clips.mlb.com/f80e057f-c467-442f-9054-e0f442c4cc91.mp4https://sporty-clips.mlb.com/892f9961-ac2c-48fd-9b65-966a2fc26fe5.mp4I really wanted this to work, as I imagine many of you did, but Cueto has nothing to contribute. Often one of the first places we look when evaluating starting pitchers is earned run average, but that isn't applicable to rehab assignments. ERA is fickle over such a limited sample size. I won't even reference ERA in Cueto's case. Rather, the Marlins (or any other MLB team) should be putting a greater emphasis on fielder independent pitching (FIP), quality of stuff and command when assessing a veteran's readiness to return. Cueto has not checked any of these boxes. There are more than 2,000 pitchers in Minor League Baseball this season who have thrown at least 20 innings. Cueto's 10.81 FIP across 29 frames is the worst of them all. We have advanced MiLB stats available going back to 2006 via FanGraphs and Cueto's FIP is third-highest for any single season during that span (min. 20 IP) behind only 2022 Jordan Sheffield (11.71) and 2011 Ian Snell (11.10), both of whom played in more extreme hitter-friendly environments. To be crystal clear, Cueto is struggling to this extent against minor leaguers—two starts with Double-A Pensacola and five with Triple-A Jacksonville—and now he's being bumped up to the highest level?! Home runs are largely responsible for inflating Cueto's FIP. Perhaps the most astonishing stat I've come across: he has allowed more homers in seven MiLB games this year (16 HR) than he did in 25 MLB games last year (15 HR). While there have been a few "unlucky" wall-scrapers, there have been just as many wall-bangers that could've flown out with the help of a gentle breeze: https://sporty-clips.mlb.com/2cac4143-f60b-40ca-ada2-b465ab79dcb2.mp4https://sporty-clips.mlb.com/d90407b7-5891-44d5-8ae7-55ec429dd1d4.mp4Cueto has an expansive pitch mix including a sinker, four-seamer, cutter, changeup, slider and a break-in-case-of-emergency curveball. He used everything he's got during his rehab starts and everything was getting barreled. The only mildly encouraging note from Saturday's Triple-A outing is he averaged 90.7 miles per hour on sinkers and four-seamers combined, slightly above where he had previously been. However, even that falls below his 2022 average (91.4 mph) and would place in the bottom 10% of current major leaguers. Cueto still has the ability to throw the ball over the plate, topping a 60% strike rate in every rehab start. Consistently down the middle, though seldom on the corners (lousy command). I wholeheartedly recommend him for the 2024 Home Run Derby, if it's not too soon to apply. Perhaps Adolis García would be interested in hiring him. Initially, the Marlins will utilize Cueto out of the bullpen, Craig Mish of SportsGrid reports, presumably to mop up in low-leverage situations. Some will say it's a worthwhile experiment considering how solid the two-time All-Star was only a year ago. Bring him into games that are already out of reach and see if something clicks. If nothing does, part ways once an injured arm like Edward Cabrera, Matt Barnes or Andrew Nardi is ready to come off the IL. What I'm trying to tell you is that the 2023 version of Cueto is not even qualified for that thankless role. Name a random Jumbo Shrimp pitcher—Devin Smeltzer, Daniel Castano, Chi Chi González, Jeff Lindgren, Enmanuel De Jesús...they are all better than Cueto right now and similarly stretched out. If the Marlins are so underwhelmed by them, go outside the organization for an alternative and show some urgency to improve a roster that's capable of being the franchise's best in 20 years. Including the remainder of his 2023 salary and the buyout of his 2024 club option, Johnny Cueto is owed more than $5 million. The Marlins made a poor investment, but hey, that's baseball. As much as it would hurt to let a healthy pitcher walk at this stage of the season, they're tempting fate by enabling somebody who could make their staff substantially worse. Photo courtesy of johnnycueto47/Instagram

First-half splits that I would've never seen coming entering 2023.The biggest understatement in Fish On First's young history: this Miami Marlins season has gone differently than anticipated. Even if you dared to dream of them ascending to 14 games above .500, this probably is not the "formula" you had in mind. Inevitably, there are injuries that upend the depth chart, but putting those aside, I spent some time reflecting on how the 2023 season has strayed furthest from my pre-Opening Day expectations. Honorable mentions on this topic include Jean Segura's struggles (would've made the cut if not for his two-week hot streak entering the break), Eury Pérez's 2.36 earned run average (even more awe-inspiring for somebody who skipped Triple-A), and minor league Rule 5 Draft pick Dane Myers starting as many games in center field (five) as Jesús Sánchez, Bryan De La Cruz and Peyton Burdick combined. Without further adieu, read my top five biggest surprises below. 1) Sandy Alcantara's 4.72 ERA—There was inevitably going to be some regression from Alcantara's Cy Young campaign, and you figured the rest of the league would be working diligently to find something in his tendencies that they could exploit. That being said, his first-half results were worse than anybody could have reasonably feared. He has already allowed more earned runs than he did during the entire 2022 season! The most glaring difference has been the effectiveness of his changeup, which after accruing a minus-25 run value last year, according to Statcast, is now his biggest liability (plus-6 RV). 2) 21-6 record in one-run games—The Marlins don't have a veteran manager or an untouchable closer or superb defensive replacements or a home crowd that intimidates visitors, so how come they're thriving in late-and-close situations? With 70 games to go, rookie skipper Skip Schumaker is just three shy of matching his predecessor, Don Mattingly, in one-run wins. Although some of this turnaround is inexplicable and frankly unsustainable, Schumaker and his coaching staff deserve some credit for sufficiently preparing their players for what to expect in specific matchups and for using the players who are best suited for those high-leverage moments. https://mlb-cuts-diamond.mlb.com/FORGE/2023/2023-07/05/72461d97-b6f6114f-95c55d0b-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_16000K.mp43) Luis Arraez hitting .383—It has been decades since the last time a qualified MLB hitter owned as high a BA as Arraez does entering the All-Star break. The Marlins paid a steep price to acquire him from the Minnesota Twins largely because they valued his high floor—Arraez's supernatural bat control makes him practically slump-proof. Even with the advantageous rule change restricting infield shifting, the 26-year-old is bursting through his perceived ceiling. Most emphatically on April 11 (4-for-5 vs. PHI) and June 16 (5-for-5 vs. WSH), Arraez has carried the Marlins to key victories. /game-coverage/marlins-nationals-highlights-luis-arraez/4) Jon Berti stealing only nine bases—En route to leading the majors with 41 steals in 2022, Berti once amassed nine on a single road trip! By limiting pitcher disengagements with the rubber and increasing the size of the bases, his task was supposed to get even easier this season. He has actually received more playing time at age 33 while reaching base safely at a similar rate. And yet, he's attempting thefts less than half as often. The Marlins collectively rank tied for 19th among MLB teams with 56 SB. 5) Jacob Stallings out-hitting Nick Fortes (by wRC+)—I was one of the many voices who called upon the Marlins to make Fortes the club's primary catcher this season. They obliged and Fortes has demonstrated that he's the (in addition to being the far more impactful baserunner). But there's no sugarcoating it: Fortes has blown his opportunity to establish himself as Miami's long-term starter by being terrible in the batter's box (52 wRC+ to Stallings' 61 wRC+). Only seven extra-base hits in 66 games?! Fewer barrels than his rookie year, more strikeouts, fewer walks, more groundballs...everything has trended in the wrong direction. He's been particularly vulnerable to breaking balls (.135 BA and .189 SLG in 74 AB ending with them). Let's say the Marlins have an opportunity to acquire an above-average catcher at the trade deadline without mortgaging too much of their future. I really think optioning Fortes to Triple-A is more likely to be the corresponding move than cutting Stallings.Photo by Danis Sosa/Fish On First

Today's Marlins news roundup also includes a report on the "tentative plan" for the handling of Eury Pérez during the second half of the season.Sunday's Games/game-coverage/marlins-phillies-home-runs-jesus-luzardo/https://mlb-cuts-diamond.mlb.com/FORGE/2023/2023-07/09/fa2f9646-afe3da2d-12e650cd-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_16000K.mp4Marlins Podcast Episodes Sunday's Marlins MiLB notes: After a sixth straight multi-game, OF/INF Xavier Edwards (Jacksonville) leads the International League with a .368 batting average. C Austin Allen, OF Peyton Burdick, OF/1B Jerar Encarnación and 1B Troy Johnston all homered, putting them in a four-way tie for the Marlins minor league lead in that category with 18 each. Edward Cabrera was supposed to begin a rehab assignment with Jupiter, but did not appear in either game of their doubleheader. LHP Josh Simpson began his own rehab with the Hammerheads and struggled (0.2 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 20 pitches/13 strikes). It was another big day for 1B Torin Montgomery, who continues to lead the Florida State League in on-base percentage by a massive margin. INF Carlos Santiago's first hit since coming back from a PED suspension was a walk-off single.The Marlins head into the All-Star break having won four of their last five series. Miami's 53-39 is second-best in the entire National League behind only the Braves. Dane Myers posted a 175 wRC+ during his first week in the majors, all but cementing himself as the club's stopgap center fielder until Jazz Chisholm Jr. returns from injury. Jean Segura ended his first half on a very high note as well, reaching base safely in 12 straight games since coming back from his own IL stint (122 wRC+).With their Day 1 MLB Draft picks, the Marlins selected prep RHP Noble Meyer (10th overall), prep LHP Thomas White (35th overall) and Ole Miss OF Kemp Alderman (47th overall). I was lukewarm on these picks in the moment considering that Meyer and White will command the majority of the team's entire bonus pool, but they're growing on me. Extraordinary upside./news/mlb-draft-marlins-noble-meyer//news/mlb-draft-marlins-thomas-white-kemp-alderman/The "tentative plan" for recently optioned Eury Pérez involves him making abbreviated minor league starts to stay in rhythm while limiting his workload, leading to a call-up in early August, Aram Leighton of Just Baseball reports. It's completely unclear who will fill his Marlins rotation spot in the meantime as Edward Cabrera still needs to be stretched out and Johnny Cueto looks unfit for upper-minors competition, much less MLB.Rewinding to Saturday, INF Nasim Nuñez won the Larry Doby Award as MVP of the Futures Game. Nuñez was playing with a heavy heart, Savannah McCann of Baseball America writes, after recently losing his grandfather to lung and prostate cancer. Nuñez dedicated the game to him. Elsewhere around the majors, the Rays, Guardians, Rangers, Orioles, Astros and Blue Jays occupy the current American League postseason spots. The Braves, Reds, Dodgers, Marlins, Diamondbacks and Giants would be going to October on the NL side if the season ended today.Revisiting Marlins vs. Phillies series predictions, Alex Aguirre and Carlos Acosta made perfect picks. We'd love for you to participate in Prediction Time with us coming out of the break. Become a Fish On Fist Super Subscriber for as little as $3 per month and you're in./super-subscribers/marlins-prediction-time-leaderboard/Just like last year, our MLB Draft reaction show drew a huge audience. With many well-regarded college bats still on the board, the Meyer pick caught most of us off guard. 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! Entering the All-Star break, the Marlins have 74.3% playoff odds, per FanGraphs. Light schedule today. DSL Marlins (11:00 a.m. ET) are at home, while DSL Miami (11:00 a.m. ET) are on the road. Day 2 of the draft commences at 2:00 p.m. ET. The Marlins pick next at No. 78 overall.You've seen Marlins players do their "just keep swimming" celebration on the basepaths throughout this season, right? Our partners at BreakingT have designed a t-shirt for it! Buy yours here.On this day 15 years ago, Hanley Ramirez capped off his 5-for-6 night with an 11th-inning, game-winning home run against the Dodgers.Photo courtesy of billythemarlin/Instagram

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Nuñez made the most of his limited time on the field by driving in three runs, stealing a base and completing the game-sealing double play.Infielder Nasim Nuñez and left-hander Patrick Monteverde represented the Miami Marlins proudly during Saturday's All-Star Futures Game at T-Mobile Park, with the former becoming the first Marlin in the event's history to earn MVP honors (the Larry Doby Award). Ranked ninth on the Fish on the Farm Marlins top prospects list, Nuñez came off the bench for the National League in the bottom of the fifth inning and played second base the rest of the way. His lone plate appearance came in the sixth. With the bases loaded and one out, he padded the NL's 2-0 lead by lining a 97 mile-per-hour sinker to left field and clearing the bases. https://sporty-clips.mlb.com/910403b5-0320-407e-beb8-0442b1d16a41.mp4Two pitches later, Nuñez stole third base without a throw. No surprise there—the Pensacola Blue Wahoo leads all Marlins minor leaguers with 33 steals this season and has only been caught thrice. FOTF's 13th-ranked prospect, Monteverde took the mound with one out in the seventh and final inning. After allowing a single to Drew Gilbert, he secured the shutout victory by getting Edgar Quero to ground into a 6-4-3 double play. Fittingly, Nuñez was right in the middle of it. https://sporty-clips.mlb.com/6ea172a3-5c02-4d64-9e70-5223d9db899b.mp4In a quarter-century of Futures Game exhibitions (the event began in 1999), there has never been a Marlin selected as MVP...until now. Congrats to Nuñez on this awesome milestone! Nuñez took the field wearing custom cleats painted by Adrian Lorenzo, the Marlins senior director of international operations. @MLBLife/TwitterEvery Larry Doby Award winner has gone on to have a Major League Baseball career with the exception of Brennan Davis (2021), who's still just 23 years old and has ample time to join the club. Nuñez is unlikely to play for the Marlins this year, but expect him to be selected to their 40-man roster in the offseason and enter 2024 in competition for an Opening Day job. Photo courtesy of MLB

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Today's Marlins news roundup also includes DJ Svihlik's 2023 draft preview.Thursday's Games/game-coverage/marlins-cardinals-highlights-eury-perez-nolan-arenado/https://mlb-cuts-diamond.mlb.com/FORGE/2023/2023-07/06/008202d2-a3dc97ee-ed0600a6-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_16000K.mp4Marlins Podcast Episodes Thursday's Marlins MiLB notes: It's been a lousy season for RHP Ronald Bolaños (Jacksonville), but he was excellent in this one (6.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K). INF Nasim Nuñez (Pensacola) heads off to the Futures Game with a .211/.330/.289 slash line, four home runs and 33 stolen bases in 76 games. Beloit overcame an early 4-0 deficit to win in extra innings. INF Ian Lewis (Jupiter) finally hit his first home run of the season. DH/LHP Janero Miller (DSL Miami) had one of the best games of his young career, going 2-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base.Even in a losing effort, Eury Pérez finished the first half of his rookie season on a high note. He enters the break with a 2.36 ERA and 3.72 FIP in 53.1 IP for the Marlins. Pérez became the first 20-year-old since Marlins legend José Fernández to throw so many pre-All-Star break innings.Jonathan Davis (right meniscus surgery) is expected to need 3-6 months to recover, so he's doubtful to return for the Marlins this season.Marlins principal owner Bruce Sherman tells Craig Mish and Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald that he's prepared to allocate more resources leading up to the trade deadline (i.e. increase payroll) in pursuit of a postseason berth. Elsewhere around the majors, the Phillies come into Miami riding a 12-game road winning streak after sweeping the mighty Rays at Tropicana Field. The Reds swept a four-game series from the Nationals to reach a season-best 10 games over .500. We’re back with a new episode of Fish On First LIVE tonight, streaming at 5:30 p.m. ET on /Twitch/Twitter. Super Subscribers, submit your series predictions before first pitch. 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! The Marlins have a 47.6% chance to win their series opener against the Phillies, per FanGraphs. Double-A Pensacola (7:35 p.m. ET), Low-A Jupiter (6:30 p.m. ET), FCL Marlins (12:00 p.m. ET) and DSL Marlins (11:00 a.m. ET) are at home, while Triple-A Jacksonville (7:04 p.m. ET), High-A Beloit (7:40 p.m. ET) and DSL Miami (11:00 a.m. ET) are on the road.Daily Luis Arraez batting average update: he enters today at .388. He went 1-for-3 with a double in his only previous matchup with Phillies starter Zack Wheeler. Additionally, Arraez is hitting .422 in home games this season and .379 in night games.You've seen Marlins players do their "just keep swimming" celebration on the basepaths throughout this season, right? Our partners at BreakingT have designed a t-shirt for it! Buy yours here.Joey Wendle came on Fish Unfiltered to reflect on every step of his professional baseball career and specifically why the Marlins have improved so much from last season to this season.Marlins senior director of amateur scouting DJ Svihlik touted the in the 2023 MLB Draft class.Hector Rodriguez continues pumping out draft prospect profiles of players who might be available with the Marlins' first-round pick. Find them all here.MLB Pipeline picked 2010 as the best draft class in Marlins history and the 2014 selection of Brian Anderson as the franchise's best individual pick of the last decade. Happy 26th birthday to Marlins RHP M.D. Johnson. The 2019 draft pick has progressed to Double-A Pensacola, posting a 3.58 earned run average in 70 career minor league games (52 starts)./farm/m-d-johnsons-unique-road-to-the-show/

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Hitting for contact is all the rage in the Marlins organization in 2023, including at the Low-A level.You read my recent Xavier Edwards article, right? That was actually supposed to be a Javier Sanoja article, but Edwards' proximity to the big leagues and the Miami Marlins' sudden center field vacancy gave him priority. Now, it's time to show some love to Sanoja. He may be undersized and under the radar, but he's putting together a fascinating age-20 season, and just like Edwards and Luis Arraez, his success has been fueled by his ability to put balls in play. Miami's 38th-ranked prospect according to Fish on the Farm, Sanoja was signed out of Venezuela as an international free agent in 2019. Due to COVID, he had to wait more than two years to make his Minor League Baseball debut. Sanoja immediately demonstrated special contact skills, striking out only once in his first 85 career plate appearances in the Dominican Summer League. He finished that 2021 campaign with the lowest strikeout rate among DSL qualifiers. Now, he's continuing to do it stateside, where we have more data and video with which to analyze how he's doing it. It has been an impressive 2023 season for Sanoja overall, posting above-average production at the plate (103 wRC+) against mostly older competition while being challenged defensively, rotating between center field, second base and shortstop (primarily CF). But let's zoom in on his last 30 days: Baseball-ReferenceAside from an anomalous day in Daytona on June 18, he's been getting his bat on practically everything. It is genuinely entertaining to watch Sanoja fight for his life in two-strike counts. Some examples: June 8—Sanoja fouls off back-to-back, up-and-in fastballs at 98 miles per hour, then waits long enough on a changeup to keep it fair down the left-field line for a triple.https://sporty-clips.mlb.com/cbbde6c6-f88e-4341-aab5-d92f029652a7.mp4https://sporty-clips.mlb.com/e6e38452-dc51-4390-9e68-eb16edf27761.mp4https://sporty-clips.mlb.com/9dd8162f-1439-435f-a1a9-3627b427fa73.mp4June 9—Sanoja somehow spoils a fastball up around his chin before singling on a curveball low and away.https://sporty-clips.mlb.com/1b9dcc3c-e0dc-4e20-8b0b-53bb9fde0017.mp4https://sporty-clips.mlb.com/06274a68-56f9-4ae9-9e0a-25e86ebef0ed.mp4July 2—Sanoja fouls off a curveball and shows a good eye by taking a fastball that's a few inches outside, then blasts his first home run of the season.https://sporty-clips.mlb.com/3f28c730-3126-462d-99db-87263970974f.mp4https://sporty-clips.mlb.com/5ff9cb34-2fb0-4a08-9e51-947aef7ddc6e.mp4https://sporty-clips.mlb.com/d526114d-8bf4-4459-b192-5b3e72bf449d.mp4The Marlins recognize that they have something in Sanoja. I say that because he has started all 76 Hammerheads games this season, including a handful of doubleheaders. This wouldn't be the case if there were other prospects on Jupiter's roster that the organization felt deserved lots of reps for themselves. He's being prioritized. Sanoja's average exit velocity of 85.9 mph would only rank in the fourth percentile among MLB hitters while his max exit velo of 106.4 mph would put him in the 23rd percentile. How much more strength can be pack onto his five-foot-seven frame to get those numbers up? Defensive performance will be crucial to his future—over-the-fence power isn't as much of a pre-requisite if he's a valuable up-the-middle fielder. In High-A Beloit, Sanoja's main positions—CF, 2B and SS—are being manned by Osiris Johnson, Yiddi Cappe and Kahlil Watson, respectively. Perhaps Johnson gets a few more weeks to turn his season/career around (after all, he is a former second-round draft pick). But if Sanoja's next 30 days look similar to his last 30, I expect him to be promoted. Photo courtesy of Jupiter Hammerheads

Today's Marlins news roundup also includes injury updates on Jonathan Davis and Matt Barnes.Wednesday's Games/game-coverage/marlins-cardinals-walk-off-error/https://mlb-cuts-diamond.mlb.com/FORGE/2023/2023-07/05/b0b2f24b-1e8f6497-24e3bfd2-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_16000K.mp4Marlins Podcast Episodes https://open.spotify.com/episode/2kAOXJEWyRItoI1lHvUbEv?si=2KdALfc9RMaszumui5n6TQWednesday's Marlins MiLB notes: CF/2B Xavier Edwards (Jacksonville) stayed scorching hot, going 3-for-4 with a home run and a walk. Scoreless start for LHP Jake Eder (Pensacola), though his control and fastball velocity were lacking (5.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 5 BB, 4 K, 85 pitches/48 strikes). RHP Eli Villalobos cleared waivers, got outrighted to the Blue Wahoos and struck out three in relief of Eder. 1B/3B Jacob Berry (Beloit) continues trending in the right direction, going 3-for-5 with three doubles. Ronald Hernández (.479 OBP) and Marco Vargas (.473 OBP) are on-base machines for the FCL Marlins. There's ample playing time available for either of them with Low-A Jupiter whenever the Marlins decide to challenge them with tougher competition.Joey Wendle was credited with a single on his walk-off dribbler against Jordan Hicks. Dane Myers made his first major league start and played the entire game in center field. The Marlins have racked up 30 runs in this series for three straight victories, matching the win total they had vs. the Cardinals at LoanDepot Park from 2018-2022 combined (h/t Loud Marlins Fan).Jonathan Davis is undergoing right meniscus surgery today. Matt Barnes (left hip impingement) had a setback following Monday's rehab appearance. At the very least, the Marlins will have to complete this week without him./news/tracking-miami-marlins-injury-rehab-updates/Elsewhere around the majors, old friend Pablo López threw a shutout for the Twins, the first complete game of his career. López upped his strikeout total to 138, the third-highest in MLB this season. With the Mets down to their final strike, rookie Francisco Álvarez launched a game-tying solo home run. Mark Canha would later deliver the decisive RBI triple. For the first time in 2023, the underachieving Padres swept a three-game series. Yankees reliever Jimmy Cordero has been suspended for the rest of the season for violating MLB's Joint Domestic Violence policy.Although Jorge Soler isn't participating, Cuba will be well represented at the Home Run Derby. Luis Robert Jr., Adolis García and Randy Arozarena are doing it along with Pete Alonso, Mookie Betts, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Julio Rodríguez and Adley Rutschman.The Marlins have a 50.0% chance to win their series finale against the Cardinals, per FanGraphs. Double-A Pensacola (7:35 p.m. ET), Low-A Jupiter (6:30 p.m. ET) and DSL Miami (11:00 a.m. ET) are at home, while Triple-A Jacksonville (7:04 p.m. ET), High-A Beloit (7:40 p.m. ET) and DSL Marlins (11:00 a.m. ET) are on the road.Daily Luis Arraez batting average update: he enters today at .384. He has no prior history with Cardinals starter Jack Flaherty. Additionally, Arraez is hitting .416 in home games this season and .373 in night games.Kevin Barral interviewed Braxton Garrett about his career year and what he'll be working on during the second half of the season.Into the multiverse: On , Sean Millerick and I chose key decisions from Marlins history that we would undo if we had the power to.Hector Rodriguez continues pumping out MLB Draft prospect profiles of players who might be available with the Marlins' first-round pick. Find them all here.Glenn Geffner's View from the Bleachers make the case that adding a starting pitcher should be the Marlins' top trade deadline priority. Subscribe to his daily Substack to read more.There's a new alternative to Twitter called Threads! You can follow Fish On First there. Congrats to old friend Brian Anderson and his wife Alex on the birth of their son, Baker.Toby Srebnik vents about LoanDepot Park's "unfriendly attitude" toward fans during batting practice.