Ely Sussman

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 Arizona Diamondbacks. Starting Lineup 2B Xavier Edwards (S) RF Jesús Sánchez (L) SS Otto Lopez DH Agustín Ramírez LF Kyle Stowers (L) 1B Eric Wagaman C Liam Hicks (L) 3B Connor Norby CF Dane Myers P Sandy Alcantara Click HERE to download the full game notes (preview below)

That's the one I wrote last week, and I stand by that. Stowers has heated up recently to make himself the best Marlins candidate. Even with that, some amazing NL outfielders would need to be snubbed to make room for him on the All-Star roster.

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 Arizona Diamondbacks. Starting Lineup 2B Xavier Edwards (S) RF Jesús Sánchez (L) SS Otto Lopez C Agustín Ramírez DH Kyle Stowers (L) 1B Eric Wagaman LF Heriberto Hernandez 3B Connor Norby CF Javier Sanoja P Eury Pérez Click HERE to download the full game notes (preview below)

I am all for "changing the narrative" and keeping great players. There's just a big distinction between middle-aged (by baseball standards) hitters and pitchers. For as much as Sandy has shown during his career to make us trust his durability, it is all too common for pitchers' careers to abruptly fall apart. His first couple months of the season were highly concerning, even with all the caveats about coming back from surgery. Personally, I'm not as convinced of him ever getting back to being a true #1 starter. But I do trust his work ethic to bring him as close as possible to maximizing his potential. It ultimately depends on what offers are out there. In our Sandy rumor coverage so far, we've been focusing on scenarios that bring back young players with extremely high ceilings. A trade wouldn't be worth considering otherwise.

Before trades, injuries and regression to the mean intervene, savor it: this has been the best two-week stretch of Miami Marlins baseball that we've seen since 2023. The Marlins just swept another road series, this time against a postseason-caliber opponent. They scored 24 runs, establishing a new season-high for any series in 2025. Poor starts like the one Janson Junk had on Thursday have become increasingly rare, and Miami's offense and bullpen were able to pick him up, anyway. Even the fielding has improved as the season's midpoint approaches. The Marlins' playoff odds flatlined at 0.0% last month. Their recent 9-4 record will do nothing to preclude the front office from flipping veteran players to other teams if the prospect packages being offered are reasonable. On a macro level, though, this season is trending toward being a legitimate stepping stone to contention rather than a dreary repeat of 2024. Down on the farm, Triple-A Jacksonville lost, 6-2. Joe Mack snapped out of his 40-game homerless streak. Rehabbing from a left wrist sprain, Derek Hill started at designated hitter and went 1-for-4. Expect Hill back with the big league team next week. Double-A Pensacola won, 10-6. Nathan Martorella and Grant Richardson drove in three runs apiece. High-A Beloit lost, 14-5. Low-A Jupiter won, 6-0. Dameivi Tineo was dominant (5.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 9 K, 79 pitches/47 strikes). DSL Marlins lost, 19-3. Anthony Abreu is raking (.260/.439/.600 slash line with 4 HR), but he has already committed seven errors in his first 12 career games at shortstop. DSL Miami won, 7-3. Kevin Defrank (2.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K) had his shortest outing as a pro. Juan Alva (0-2, 2 BB, SB) extended his on-base streak to 15 games. More Marlins news and content below: 🔷 The Marlins signed 20-year-old right-hander Luis Gómez as an international free agent. He'll begin his minor league career in the Dominican Summer League. 🔷 Marlins director of amateur scouting Frankie Piliere joined the Fish Unfiltered podcast to discuss all things MLB Draft-related (subscribe to Fish On First wherever you get your pods). Additionally, Kevin Barral has updates on every member of the 2024 draft class. 🔷 The Marlins announced a multi-year partnership with Sahlen's to become their official hot dog provider. For one game only on July 18 against the Kansas City Royals, loanDepot park hot dogs will be priced at $1 (they are normally $3 each at 3o5 Menu locations and $6 each at The Press Box). 🔷 Cristian Crespo of Just Baseball believes Dane Myers is the Marlin who's most deserving of being selected to the National League All-Star team. I was briefly on the Dane Train as well, but think Kyle Stowers has done enough lately to steady himself and retake the "lead" in that department. In either case, the challenge is finding room on the roster when the NL is so loaded with productive outfielders. 🔷 The Prediction Time leaderboard has been updated through the first 26 series. Become a SuperSub and we'll keep track of your predictions all season long! 🔷 Elsewhere around baseball, former Tampa Bay Rays star Wander Franco was found guilty of sexual abuse of a minor in the Dominican Republic. Franco was given a suspended two-year prison sentence and remains on MLB's restricted list. Current Rays star Junior Caminero became the youngest MLB player to reach 20 homers since Ronald Acuña Jr. (2019) to reach 20 homers before the All-Star break. Bobby Witt Jr. announced that he will once again play for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic next year. Witt was a lightly used reserve during the 2023 WBC, but figures to be USA's primary shortstop this time around. Clayton Kershaw is now just three strikeouts away from 3,000 in his career. Colorado Rockies president and COO Greg Feasel is stepping down after 30 years in their front office. The team's press release cites the desire for a "fresh, forward-looking perspective"—that is amusing because Feasel is being replaced by the owner's son, Walker Monfort, who has spent his entire adult life in the Rockies organization. The second phase of MLB All-Star voting begins on Monday. Here are the finalists at each position. 🔷 Today's MLB game: the Marlins (probable starter RHP Eury Pérez) begin a new series against the injury-riddled Arizona Diamondbacks (RHP Merrill Kelly). It will be Pérez's first time ever facing the D-backs, who sit fourth in the NL West standings despite entering 2025 with championship aspirations. The Marlins have a 40.0% chance to win, per FanGraphs. 🔷 Prior to the game, Fish On First LIVE will preview the Diamondbacks series beginning at 8:30 p.m. ET. FOF LIVE is presented by About The Fans. Check out our new merchandise collection (coupon code fof10 for 10% off). Marlins podcast episodes View full article

Marlins director of amateur scouting Frankie Piliere praises how outfielder Fenwick Trimble has improved his swing decisions and speed since being selected in the fourth round of last year's MLB Draft. View full video

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. Starting Lineup 2B Xavier Edwards (S) RF Jesús Sánchez (L) SS Otto Lopez DH Agustín Ramírez LF Kyle Stowers (L) 1B Eric Wagaman 3B Connor Norby CF Dane Myers C Nick Fortes P Janson Junk Click HERE to download the full game notes (preview below)

Kahlil Watson sits comfortably atop the "headcase" rankings. Actually got off to a very hot start this season at AA! Strikeouts have been piling up recently, though. Maybe gets a cup of coffee with the Guardians next season.

After getting nothing from first baseman Matt Mervis over the previous month, the Miami Marlins had finally run out of patience, designating him for assignment on May 30. It was a classic example of "addition by subtraction." Mervis was acquired by the current Marlins front office and given an outsized role on the team, but they were still willing to concede that it wasn't working out, and that's commendable. This was the Marlins' opportunity to reward one of their young hitters with a promotion...and they went with Heriberto Hernandez?! It was a baffling corresponding move. The 25-year-old outfielder was in the midst of a solid season with Triple-A Jacksonville, slashing .220/.319/.454 (108 wRC+) with a lot of hard-hit balls. However, he also had a career-worst 35.0% strikeout rate. Hernandez had a glaring swing-and-miss issue against both right-handed and left-handed pitching. While I cannot truly speak for everybody, the overwhelming sentiment at the time was that the Marlins were wasting a roster spot on a player who was destined to fail. It took just a few games for Hernandez to begin proving myself and the other skeptics wrong. By FanGraphs wins above replacement, Hernandez (0.5 fWAR) has been the third-most valuable Marlins position player since debuting. He only trails Xavier Edwards and Otto Lopez, who have accrued nearly twice as many plate appearances during that span. He enters Thursday with a .340/.377/.480 slash line (138 wRC+). His 26.4 K% is on pace to be the lowest that he has posted at any level of competition since rookie ball! Moreover, his defense in the outfield corners grades out as above average. Hernandez is coming off his most impactful game as a big leaguer, driving in four total runs against high-quality righty relievers to propel the Marlins to an extra-inning win over the San Francisco Giants. c3d71aba-b9fd0f7c-a26c56b6-csvm-diamondgcp-asset_1280x720_59_4000K.mp4 Hernandez's weighted on-base average (.374) and expected weighted on-base average (.375) are practically identical, so it's not as if he is getting extremely lucky. With few exceptions, though, a player's career batting average in the minor leagues represents the ceiling for what they're capable of doing in the majors, and he was only a .260 MiLB hitter. He continues to have an underlying whiffing problem that should result in more strikeouts moving forward. Regardless of the quality of contact, a .457 batting average on balls in play is unsustainable. Any way you slice it, Hernandez has justified the move to select his contract. The Marlins have other Triple-A outfielders—more conventional "prospects" like Jakob Marsee and Victor Mesa Jr.—making the case to be called up, but they will have to bide their time until trades or injuries create an opening. Hernandez's job ought to be secure for the foreseeable future. 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. Starting Lineup 2B Xavier Edwards (S) RF Jesús Sánchez (L) C Agustín Ramírez 1B Liam Hicks (L) LF Kyle Stowers (L) SS Otto Lopez DH Heriberto Hernández 3B Connor Norby CF Dane Myers P Edward Cabrera Click HERE to download the full game notes (preview below)

The Miami Marlins are getting something in return for Robinson Piña, as announced on Wednesday morning. Designated for assignment shortly after making his major league debut last Friday, Piña is headed to the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for prospect Colby Martin. Piña, 26, was a minor league free agent signing enjoying a nice season in the Triple-A Jacksonville starting rotation (3.47 ERA, 3.73 FIP and .243 BAA in 57.0 IP). Anticipated trades of established big leaguers over the coming weeks figure to create some new openings on the Marlins pitching staff, but evidently, they were not all that interested in giving the Dominican right-hander an extended audition. The Blue Jays will option him to their Triple-A Buffalo affiliate. Martin, 24, was selected by the Blue Jays in the 16th round of the 2024 draft and signed for a modest $75,000 bonus. He has been practically unhittable in his first full season as a pro (1.54 ERA, 2.82 FIP and .079 BAA in 23.1 IP) and recently earned a promotion to High-A. The Pennsylvania native used to be an infielder before converting to the mound full-time last year. Martin's fastball has topped out at 99.3 mph this season and averaged 97. Down on the farm, Triple-A Jacksonville won, 3-2. Scoreless start for Adam Mazur (6.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K, 75 pitches/49 strikes). Jakob Marsee homered for the third straight game, upping his June slugging percentage to .662. Lights-out lefty reliever Dale Stanavich was promoted to the Jumbo Shrimp. Double-A Pensacola won, 9-8. Ryan Ignoffo drove in three runs and Evan Fitterer (3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K, 41 pitches/27 strikes) had his best outing since beginning his transition to the bullpen. Jared Serna (right pinky finger) has been placed on the 7-day injured list. High-A Beloit won, 7-3. Gage Miller homered twice and Emaarion Boyd is up to 30 stolen bases. Low-A Jupiter lost, 6-0. Starlyn Caba played shortstop in his return from a two-month IL stint. He went 0-for-3 at the plate. FCL Marlins lost, 13-3. DSL Marlins lost, 7-5. DSL Miami lost, 7-2. More Marlins news and content below: 🔷 His comments on the last homestand were ominous and now the Marlins have confirmed that Max Meyer is scheduled to undergo season-ending left hip labral repair surgery on Friday. In a best-case scenario, he will be a full-go for spring training (the estimated recovery timeline is 6-8 months). Meyer finishes his 2025 campaign with a 4.73 ERA, 4.41 FIP and .276 BAA in 64.2 IP (12 GS). His performance was more encouraging than those numbers suggest, but he struggled in his final two starts when the Marlins inexplicably let him continue to pitch despite dealing with discomfort. Currently on the 15-day injured list, Meyer can be transferred to the 60-day IL whenever the club needs to make room on their 40-man roster. The Fish On First LIVE panel had more reaction to this setback here. 🔷 Kevin Barral wonders whether a swap of San Francisco Giants top prospect Bryce Eldridge for Sandy Alcantara and Nick Fortes would work for both sides. Jim Bowden of The Athletic continues to be more bullish on Alcantara's trade value, suggesting that the San Diego Padres offer a package of Leo De Vries, Ethan Salas, Humberto Cruz and Braden Nett. 🔷 The Marlins purchased the contract of right-hander Morgan McSweeney from the Staten Island FerryHawks. McSweeney pitched parts of five seasons in the Baltimore Orioles organization (exclusively as a reliever) prior to making the move to independent ball last year. Expect to see the 27-year-old assigned to either Pensacola or Jacksonville. 🔷 On this day in 2000, Cliff Floyd had a pinch-hit walk-off home run to propel the Marlins to a series sweep of the Chicago Cubs. 🔷 Marlins Legends Hall of Fame inductee Jeff Conine participated in a 16-minute documentary reflecting on the 1997 and 2003 World Series championships and some of the top individual highlights and milestones from his playing career. 🔷 Elsewhere around baseball, the No. 2 overall pick from the 2024 MLB Draft, Cincinnati Reds right-hander Chase Burns made his major league debut. He struck out the first five batters he faced. Another early 2024 draft selection, Christian Moore, launched a game-tying home run for the Los Angeles Angels in the eighth inning, following by a walk-off homer in the 10th. The Detroit Tigers became the first team this season to reach 50 wins. 🔷 Today's MLB game: the Marlins (probable starter RHP Edward Cabrera) continue their series against the San Francisco Giants (RHP Logan Webb). The Marlins have a 33.9% chance to win, per FanGraphs. Full organizational schedule below. Marlins podcast episodes 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 first game of Miami's road series against the San Francisco Giants. Starting Lineup 2B Xavier Edwards (S) RF Jesús Sánchez (L) SS Otto Lopez DH Agustín Ramírez LF Kyle Stowers (L) 1B Eric Wagaman C Liam Hicks (L) 3B Connor Norby CF Dane Myers P Cal Quantrill Click HERE to download the full game notes (preview below)

It would be the epitome of a marginal move, but Jeimer Candelario makes so much sense for the Miami Marlins at this juncture. Candelario was designated for assignment by the Cincinnati Reds on Monday midway through a lamentable three-year, $45 million deal. He is certain to clear waivers in the coming days and be released. Once that happens, the Marlins ought to sign the 31-year-old and immediately add him to their big league roster. I'm not going to exaggerate Candelario's credentials—he has never been an MLB All-Star or Silver Slugger, nor does he have any postseason experience. However, he has doubled the career wins above replacement (10.5 fWAR/9.3 bWAR) of any current Marlins position player and more MLB home runs (110) than every infielder currently in the Marlins organization combined. We are only two years removed from him starting games for a stacked Dominican Republic team in the 2023 World Baseball Classic and being one of the most coveted trade chips at the ensuing trade deadline. He'd be a valuable clubhouse presence for a rebuilding Marlins team that is particularly inexperienced on the position player side. The short-term roster fit is simple. The Marlins could DFA seldom-used Jack Winkler as the corresponding move. Winkler is a safe bet to clear waivers and remain with the organization. Candelario would make occasional starts (1B/3B/DH) and pinch-hitting appearances against right-handed pitchers—he slugged .465 against them last season. Potentially as soon as next week, Derek Hill could be ready to return from his left wrist sprain. This season has taught us, unfortunately, that often when one player has mended from an injury, another player goes down. Whether that turns out to be the case again, or if the Marlins have to make an unpopular move like optioning the hot-hitting Heriberto Hernández, they should find a way to keep Candelario around through July, at the very least. If Candelario does not significantly improve upon his Reds production (.113/.198/.213 in 91 PA), then of course, cut him later in the summer and try out other internal options. In the meantime, I think he's worth a shot. Down on the farm, FCL Marlins won, 5-2. Jeremy Almonte and Jose Monserrate each reached base safely three times. DSL Marlins won, 9-6. Diwarys Encarnación had his first career multi-home run game and has taken the outright Dominican Summer League lead with five homers this season. Encarnación has also lowered his strikeout rate from 16.8% in 2024 to 10.8% in 2025. Hopefully the 19-year-old utility player gets a taste of the FCL soon. FCL Miami lost, 3-1. More Marlins news and content below: 🔷 The Minnesota Twins claimed Connor Gillispie off waivers and optioned him to Triple-A. Gillispie was originally acquired by the Marlins as a waiver claim in January. 🔷 DFA'd by the Marlins on Saturday, Robinson Piña remains in limbo. 🔷 On this day in 2000, Preston Wilson and Derrek Lee each homered twice in a Marlins win over the Chicago Cubs. 🔷 Elsewhere around baseball, old friend Trevor Rogers tossed a career-high eight innings in the Baltimore Orioles' shutout win. Cal Raleigh did it again, homering for the 32nd time. The Twins have lost 10 of their last 11 games. 🔷 Today's MLB game: the Marlins (probable starter RHP Cal Quantrill) begin their week out west by visiting the San Francisco Giants (RHP Justin Verlander). Verlander is still seeking his first win of the season. The Marlins have a 38.4% chance to win, per FanGraphs. Full organizational schedule below. 🔷 Prior to the game, Fish On First LIVE will preview the Giants series beginning at 8:30 p.m. ET. FOF LIVE is presented by About The Fans. Check out our new merchandise collection (coupon code fof10 for 10% off). Marlins podcast episodes View full article

I don't see it as a forgone conclusion that the Miami Marlins will trade Sandy Alcantara this summer, but his recent stretch of consistency—which included six more solid innings on Sunday—should at the very least compel several contending teams to submit offers for him. It's up to the Marlins to decide whether those offers are sufficient for a player with his pedigree and upside, or if they would rather revisit talks in the offseason. The quality of the potential trade packages can still fluctuate depending on how Alcantara does between now and July 31. Assuming that the Marlins stick with a conventional five-man rotation, he is on track to make six more starts during that span and only three more at loanDepot park: June 28 at Arizona July 4 vs. Milwaukee July 9 at Cincinnati July 18 vs. Kansas City July 23 vs. San Diego July 29 at St. Louis The Royals are the cushiest opponent of that group in terms of recent offensive production and season-long production against right-handed pitchers. The Diamondbacks are most desperate for pitching reinforcements, though as the fourth-best team in their own division, it's not yet clear whether they see themselves as deadline buyers. The last time that Alcantara had a bad outing was May 28 when visiting the Padres (4.0 IP, 7 H, 6 ER, 4 BB, 0 K), so count on him being particularly motivated for that matchup if it comes to fruition. Down on the farm, Triple-A Jacksonville lost, 6-4. The Jumbo Shrimp clinched the International League first half championship. Jakob Marsee is slashing .412/.474/.853 during his current eight-game hit streak. Double-A Pensacola won, 6-3. High-A Beloit won, 3-2. Low-A Jupiter lost, 16-6. PJ Morlando hit his second career home run. More Marlins news and content below: 🔷 Designated for assignment by the Marlins last week, Connor Gillispie and Robinson Piña remain in limbo. 🔷 Happy 26th birthday to left-hander Dale Stanavich. Drafted by the Marlins in 2022, Stanavich is in the midst of his best minor league season, having posted a 1.29 ERA, 3.04 FIP and .135 BAA in 28 innings out of the Pensacola bullpen. He has recorded strikeouts in 16 consecutive relief appearances. 🔷 The Prediction Time leaderboard has been updated through the first 25 series. Become a SuperSub and we'll keep track of your predictions all season long! 🔷 Elsewhere around baseball, Shohei Ohtani is back to his surreal two-way player feats. He threw a scoreless inning as the Los Angeles Dodgers starter, then tripled and homered. Cal Raleigh is up to 31 home runs, four more than anybody else. Old friend A.J. Puk is out for the season after undergoing an internal brace procedure on his throwing elbow. Puk threw only eight innings for the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2025. The New York Mets optioned catcher Francisco Alvarez to Triple-A. LSU won the Men's College World Series, their second championship in a three-year span. 🔷 Today's MiLB schedule: FCL Marlins at FCL Astros, 12:00 p.m. ET DSL Marlins vs. DSL Phillies Red, 11:00 a.m. ET DSL Miami at DSL Pirates Gold, 11:00 a.m. ET Marlins podcast episodes 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 home series against the Atlanta Braves. Starting Lineup 2B Xavier Edwards (S) RF Jesús Sánchez (L) SS Otto Lopez 1B Eric Wagaman LF Kyle Stowers (L) CF Dane Myers DH Liam Hicks (L) C Nick Fortes 3B Javier Sanoja P Sandy Alcantara Click HERE to download the full game notes (preview below)