Ely Sussman

Hard to remember the last Marlins team that had SEVERAL hitters who are brand new to the majors producing so well. Ramirez, Hicks and Hernandez all fit that description. Especially impressive considering that Hicks and Hernandez were acquired for nothing.

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 Cincinnati Reds. Starting Lineup 2B Xavier Edwards (S) RF Jesús Sánchez (L) SS Otto Lopez C Agustín Ramírez LF Kyle Stowers (L) 3B Connor Norby 1B Liam Hicks (L) DH Heriberto Hernandez CF Dane Myers P Eury Pérez Click HERE to download the full game notes (preview below)

On Él Big League Show, former Marlins executive Adrian Lorenzo explains what he still wants to see from Agustín Ramírez before banking on him having long-term success. 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 first game of Miami's road series against the Cincinnati Reds. Starting Lineup 2B Xavier Edwards (S) RF Jesús Sánchez (L) C Agustín Ramírez DH Liam Hicks (L) LF Kyle Stowers (L) 1B Eric Wagaman 3B Connor Norby CF Derek Hill SS Javier Sanoja P Janson Junk Click HERE to download the full game notes (preview below)

By "unlikely" All-Stars, I mean Miami Marlins representatives who were furthest down the list of plausible candidates entering the regular season of their selection. Announced as a National League reserve on Sunday night, Kyle Stowers is certainly in that conversation. Prior to 2025, Stowers had a career slash line of .208/.268/.332 in 117 MLB games, amounting to -0.9 fWAR. Through 84 games this season, his OPS has shot up 266 points to reach this milestone. He needed every bit of that improvement to crack the NL roster, otherwise his outfield spot would have gone to the very deserving Juan Soto and the Marlins' rep would've come from another position. Trevor Rogers entered 2021 with lousy results in his seven previous MLB starts and hardly any upper-minors experience. He shoved in spring training that year, so I wouldn't consider his rookie All-Star nod to be quite as surprising. Coincidentally, Stowers and Rogers were traded for one another last year. Browsing through every All-Star in Marlins history, 2006 Dan Uggla looks like the only player whose breakout was more difficult to forecast. He was famously a Rule 5 Draft pick. It's extraordinarily rare for such players to immediately become everyday starters, much less high-quality ones. I still have long-term concerns about Stowers, who ranks in the fourth percentile among MLB hitters in whiff rate. He's not even an average defender or baserunner, so when his bat slumps, the other aspects of his game can't compensate for it. However, the strides he's made since 2024 are impressive, particularly his adaptability to barrel several different pitch types. The game power seems legitimate, albeit streaky. The Marlins ought to be thrilled. Down on the farm, Double-A Pensacola won, 4-3. Dax Fulton's curveball was awesome throughout his outing (7.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 86 pitches/52 strikes), consistently landing in the strike zone to get him ahead in counts and also inducing some chases below the zone. Longtime MiLB starting pitcher Evan Fitterer recorded his first career save in chaotic fashion, as embedded below. High-A Beloit lost, 1-0, and lost, 7-6. Jake Brooks quietly has a 2.66 ERA over his last eight starts. Low-A Jupiter won, 7-2. More Marlins news and content below: 🔷 To kick off our MLB Draft week coverage, Sean McCormack updated his mock draft through the first 43 picks, which includes Marlins selections at No. 7 and No. 43. 🔷 Alex Carver sees Clarke Schmidt's season-ending injury as an opportunity for the Marlins and New York Yankees to link up on a starting pitcher trade. (Personally, I think Alex is a bit optimistic about how much talent the Marlins would get in return in these scenarios.) 🔷 More than halfway through the minor league season, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com highlights Jakob Marsee (Jacksonville), Kemp Alderman and Robby Snelling (Pensacola), Eric Rataczak (Beloit) and Liomar Martínez (Jupiter) as MVPs of their respective affiliates. 🔷 The Prediction Time leaderboard has been updated through the first 29 series. Become a SuperSub and we'll keep track of your predictions all season long! 🔷 Elsewhere around baseball, the Washington Nationals have shaken things up, firing both general manager Mike Rizzo and manager Dave Martinez. Rizzo and Martinez were critical to the club's 2019 World Series title, but the Nats have MLB's second-worst record during the 2020s (ahead of only the Colorado Rockies). An interesting twist to this: Washington holds the first overall pick in Sunday's MLB Draft. The Cleveland Guardians have lost 10 straight games. They've been held to two runs or fewer in eight of those losses. Here are the complete MLB All-Star rosters. Several replacements will likely emerge over the course of this week for players who are sitting out due to injuries or throwing schedules. 🔷 Today's MLB game: the final Marlins road trip of the first half begins with a visit to the Cincinnati Reds (probable starters RHP Janson Junk and RHP Brady Singer). Elly De La Cruz leads his club by large margins in homers, runs scored, RBI, stolen bases and fWAR. The Marlins have a 44.7% chance to win, per FanGraphs. First pitch at 7:10 p.m. ET. 🔷 Prior to the game, Fish On First LIVE will preview the Reds series beginning at 5:30 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

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 Milwaukee Brewers. 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 Hernández 3B Connor Norby CF Dane Myers P Edward Cabrera 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 home series against the Milwaukee Brewers. 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) CF Dane Myers 3B Javier Sanoja P Cal Quantrill 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 home series against the Minnesota Twins. 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 Derek Hill 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 second game of Miami's home series against the Minnesota Twins. Starting Lineup 2B Xavier Edwards (S) RF Jesús Sánchez (L) SS Otto Lopez C Agustín Ramírez LF Kyle Stowers (L) 1B Eric Wagaman DH Liam Hicks (L) 3B Connor Norby CF Dane Myers P Janson Junk Click HERE to download the full game notes (preview below)

That's why they play the games, right? Going all the way back to the 2024 MLB trade deadline, it seemed so simple to forecast that the Miami Marlins would be out of the postseason race in 2025 as well. They still are, as of this writing, but sustaining their recent excellence for a few more weeks would change the calculus. The Marlins can wait until much closer to the July 31 deadline before officially picking a lane. However, this will very likely culminate in making short-term sacrifices to optimize their chances of winning in 2026 and beyond. While unusual, it's possible to go that route and stay in contention anyway. President of baseball operations Peter Bendix—cut from the same cloth as other former Tampa Bay Rays executives—is an unemotional decision-maker. There are few, if any, untouchable players on the current Marlins roster. "We're always having conversations," as Bendix loves to say. On the other hand, a lot of Miami's top talent is pre-arbitration eligible, so inexpensive and far away from free agency that it would be illogical to shop them at this juncture. The following 10 Marlins players ought to be available for the right price. I have ordered them based on the likelihood of getting moved prior to the deadline. All historical comps were also midseason trades. RP Anthony Bender 2025 stats: 2.21 ERA, 4.07 FIP, .169 BAA and 0.0 fWAR in 36.2 IP (36 G/0 GS) Contract: $1.42 million in 2025; arb-eligible in 2026-27; free agent in 2028 Anthony Bender has never fully recaptured the magic from the first half of his rookie campaign, but he's an effective high-leverage option against right-handed batters. Bender has the longest major league track record among Marlins relievers and he is the only one who has already entered his arbitration years. The Fish can potentially get comparable production from internal options. Yielding the highest hard-hit rate of his career and compiling fewer strikeouts than ever, he'd be best suited for a team with strong infield defense. Historical comp: Oakland Athletics trade Sam Moll with international bonus pool money to Cincinnati Reds for Joe Boyle (2023) OF Jesús Sánchez 2025 stats: .248/.317/.407, 7 HR, 8 SB, 100 wRC+ and 0.5 fWAR in 63 G Contract: $4.5 million in 2025; arb-eligible in 2026-27; free agent in 2028 Jesús Sánchez's slash line this season is almost identical to last season and his overall career average, though the underlying details are more exciting. He has trimmed his strikeout rate to 22.2% and his expected weighted on-base average is a personal best. He smokes the ball...when he has the platoon advantage. The 27-year-old continues to be unplayable against left-handed pitchers. The Marlins have several promising outfielders with their Triple-A affiliate in Jakob Marsee, Victor Mesa Jr. and Andrew Pintar who could use second-half reps in the majors. There is also Double-A Pensacola's Kemp Alderman, who has plus-plus raw power comparable to Sánchez. Between them and Griffin Conine returning from a shoulder injury in 2026, they're in a position to use outfield depth to address other areas. Historical comp: Pittsburgh Pirates trade Daniel Vogelbach to New York Mets for Colin Holderman (2022) SP Cal Quantrill 2025 stats: 5.42 ERA, 4.58 FIP, .283 BAA and 0.5 fWAR in 73.0 IP (16 G/16 GS) Contract: $3.5 million in 2025; free agent in 2026 The Cal Quantrill experience has been odd. He signed a one-year deal with the Fish presumably under the impression that he would get the chance to re-establish himself as a solid starting pitcher. Although his rotation spot has been secure, there's been zero faith in him once opposing lineups turn over for a third time. At least he's demonstrating that his 2024 walk issues were an anomaly. Given his pending free agent status, there is a greater urgency for the Marlins to trade Quantrill than any of their other players. But I do not have him atop this list because I'm unsure if any contender actually wants him. He could be an August waiver wire guy, unloaded for simple salary relief, which wouldn't count as a deadline deal, in my opinion. Historical comp: Texas Rangers trade Michael Lorenzen to Kansas City Royals for Walter Pennington (2024) SP Edward Cabrera 2025 stats: 3.41 ERA, 3.83 FIP, .228 BAA and 1.0 fWAR in 71.1 IP (14 G/14 GS) Contract: $1.95 million in 2025; arb-eligible in 2026-28; free agent in 2029 This season began inauspiciously for Edward Cabrera with yet another injured list stint and a 7.23 ERA through the end of April. He has been fantastic ever since. The right-hander's control is suddenly very reliable and his curveball has emerged as an elite offering. Any doubts about him being a viable starter have been squashed—the question moving forward is how close he can come to reaching his top-of-the-rotation ceiling. The Marlins have entertained trade offers for Cabrera in the past. Aided by his ongoing stretch of consistency and the dearth of impact arms on the market this summer, his value has spiked. Whereas Bender, Sánchez and Quantrill are likely to be goners by month's end, Cabrera is closer to a toss-up. Historical comp: Oakland Athletics trade Sonny Gray with international bonus pool money to New York Yankees for Dustin Fowler, James Kaprielian and Jorge Mateo (2017) RP Calvin Faucher 2025 stats: 4.31 ERA, 3.79 FIP, .235 BAA and 0.2 fWAR in 31.1 IP (35 G/0 GS) Contract: $776k in 2025; arb-eligible in 2026-29; free agent in 2030 One of Bendix's first acts as Marlins POBO was acquiring Calvin Faucher from his former employer. Faucher's best attribute has been long ball prevention, allowing only two home runs in his last 85 innings pitched. In the midst of his first full season at the major league level, the 29-year-old has endured a few ugly blow-ups, but he'd have a role in any team's bullpen down the stretch. He leads Miami with eight saves in 2025. With so much club control still ahead of him, Faucher's fate largely depends on how he performs in July. The better he does, the more likely the Marlins get what they deem to be satisfactory compensation. Historical comp: Oakland Athletics trade Lucas Erceg to Kansas City Royals for Mason Barnett, Jared Dickey and Will Klein (2024) SP Sandy Alcantara 2025 stats: 6.98 ERA, 4.69 FIP, .260 BAA and 0.3 fWAR in 80.0 IP (16 G/16 GS) Contract: $17.3 million in 2025, $17.3 million in 2026 and $21 million club option in 2027 ($2 million buyout) On the heels of great spring training, Sandy Alcantara had us all overly confident in what his first post-Tommy John season would look like. There have been few bright spots for the former NL Cy Young award winner thus far. Crucially, though, he's been injury-free and attacking the strike zone with increasing regularity. Even on his best days, Alcantara has maxed out at six innings in his starts. There are certain to be suitors attempting to buy low on Alcantara, banking on him improving as he gets farther away from surgery. With the Marlins having MLB's lowest payroll this season and hardly any future commitments, they should be willing to eat as much of his contract as possible to sweeten the return. Ultimately, it will be tricky to reach a consensus on what Alcantara is worth at this complicated stage of his career. Historical comp: Nothing comes particularly close, but...Colorado Rockies trade Ubaldo Jiménez to Cleveland Guardians for Drew Pomeranz, Joe Gardner, Matt McBride and Alex White (2011) C Nick Fortes 2025 stats: .243/.288/.359, 2 HR, 0 SB, 78 wRC+ and 0.5 fWAR in 45 G Contract: $1.86 million in 2025; arb-eligible in 2026-28; free agent in 2029 Nick Fortes remains an above-average defender behind the plate and his bat has perked up a bit this season. Even during rough patches, you can count on him to put balls in play (career 16.3 K%). You're right, Kevin: he has value! This homegrown Marlin is expendable because of encouraging strides that the club's young catchers have made. A player like Fortes at another position would appear earlier in this article, but it is uncommon for contenders to make midseason catching changes. Historical comp: Chicago White Sox trade Matt Thaiss to Tampa Bay Rays for Dru Baker (2025) OF Derek Hill 2025 stats: .233/.300/.370, 2 HR, 6 SB, 86 wRC+ and 0.6 fWAR in 24 G Contract: approx. $780k in 2025; arb-eligible in 2026-28; free agent in 2029 After crushing left-handed pitching last season (.994 OPS), Derek Hill has flopped with the platoon advantage in limited action this season (.494 OPS). At least you know what you're getting with him as a baserunner (97th percentile in MLB) and rock-solid center fielder. As mentioned in the Jesús Sánchez blurb, the Marlins have plenty of outfield reinforcements on the cusp. Hill seems to be standing in the way. His appropriate place on this list is muddled by the possibility of him exiting as a waiver claim rather than a real trade. Historical comp: Detroit Tigers trade Jonathan Davis to Marlins for Brady Allen (2023) RP Ronny Henriquez 2025 stats: 2.85 ERA, 3.92 FIP, .218 BAA and 0.3 fWAR in 41.0 IP (38 G/0 GS) Contract: $778k in 2025; pre-arb in 2026-27; arb-eligible in 2028-30; free agent in 2031 Another player originally obtained by the Marlins via waivers, Ronny Henriquez leads their pitching staff in relief appearances. His whiff rate is in the 96th percentile among all qualified big leaguers. Henriquez just turned 25 last month and has another half-decade of club control left. Those factors would preclude most players from being on the trade market, but the rules are different for relievers. Despite his inexperience, the Dominican right-hander would probably fetch a better package than any other Marlins RP. Historical comp: Chicago Cubs trade Scott Effross to New York Yankees for Hayden Wesneski (2022) OF Dane Myers 2025 stats: .298/.355/.415, 4 HR, 13 SB, 116 wRC+ and 1.2 fWAR in 57 G Contract: $769k in 2025; pre-arb in 2026; arb-eligible in 2027-29; free agent in 2030 Dane Myers has asserted himself as the Marlins' primary center fielder. He has standout athleticism, including a plus-plus arm. With that being said, Myers has been the beneficiary of a sky-high .371 batting average on balls in play during parts of three MLB seasons—that will come down eventually. Marlins fans have grumbled about how he's frequently placed at the bottom of the lineup, but that's where he profiles best once the BABIP normalizes. To be clear, Myers is the least likely trade candidate covered in this piece. However, in addition to the organization's aforementioned outfield depth, he's worth including because of his age (29). If the Marlins believe that his career is peaking right now slightly ahead of the rest of their core, they'll be open-minded. Historical comp: Washington Nationals trade Lane Thomas to Cleveland Guardians for for Alex Clemmey, Rafael Ramirez Jr. and José Tena (2024) View full article

It is a down year for National League rookies. There just have not been many rookie-eligible players getting regular playing time and doing well with it. Two of the exceptions? Miami Marlins catcher/designated hitter Agustín Ramírez and Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Chad Patrick. If you're reading this, you know all about Ramírez. He leads all rookies—AL and NL combined—with 13 home runs this season. He has posted a 110 wRC+ so far with underlying batted ball data suggesting his production will be even better than that moving forward. However, because of the "DH penalty" and poor defensive performance in the games he catches, Ramírez is on pace for only 0.6 fWAR. Even if we assume his batted ball luck eventually improves and he continues to avoid injuries, BBWAA voters will ding him for that lack of all-around value. The door is very much open for Patrick, a member of the Brewers rotation since Opening Day who's quietly up to 2.0 fWAR already. He is 24 ⅔ innings clear of any other NL rookie while maintaining a 3.51 ERA. His strikeouts have perked up recently. On the other hand, the Brew Crew has lost five straight games with him on the mound. The 26-year-old is Milwaukee's probable starter for Saturday's contest at loanDepot park. Patrick's rotation mate, Jacob Misiorowski, could have a "quality over quantity" argument for the award when it's all said and done. The Marlins unfortunately won't get to face him in this series. It'd still be helpful to Ramírez's candidacy if they roughed up Patrick, especially if Gus produces a few runs himself. Down on the farm, Triple-A Jacksonville lost, 10-5. Graham Pauley is on a heater. He homered twice, both times off one of baseball's best left-handed pitching prospects, Noah Schultz. The Jumbo Shrimp went with yet another bullpen game. Matt Pushard and Anderson Pilar combined to allow eight runs despite neither of them being able to complete a full inning. Double-A Pensacola won, 2-1. Splendid pitching from Robby Snelling (5.0 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K, 87 pitches/55 strikes) and two scoreless frames apiece from Nigel Belgrave and Josh Ekness. High-A Beloit won, 12-5. The Sky Carp drew 13 walks. Jacob Jenkins-Cowart hit his first High-A homer. Low-A Jupiter won, 7-4. PJ Morlando went 2-for-3 with two walks and a stolen bases. DSL Marlins lost, 6-5. Diwarys Encarnacion has driven in 26 runs in 23 games. DSL Miami won, 17-1. Three scoreless innings from Kevin Defrank. Every Miami position player had at least one RBI. More Marlins news and content below: 🔷 Eury Pérez (6.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K, 80 pitches/51 strikes) dominated the Minnesota Twins for his first major league win in more than two years. 🔷 The Marlins signed right-handers Richard Jiménez and Ramon Sánchez, who had been released while pitching in rookie ball for the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays, respectively. Because of their previous MiLB experience, these are not considered international amateur signings. 🔷 Sean McCormack explained the various ways that Edward Cabrera has improved this season. 🔷 Ethan Hyatt of Just Baseball proposed a trade sending Cabrera and Jesús Sánchez to the Toronto Blue Jays for Joey Loperfido, Jake Bloss and Alan Roden. I don't think that'd be enough value nor enough youth to satisfy the Fish. 🔷 Kevin Barral reported on where Otto Lopez (Canada), Agustín Ramírez (Dominican Republic) and Valente Bellozo (Mexico) stand regarding 2026 World Baseball Classic participation. 🔷 The Prediction Time leaderboard has been updated through the first 28 series. Become a SuperSub and we'll keep track of your predictions all season long! 🔷 Elsewhere around baseball, Cleveland Guardians right-hander Luis Ortiz is being investigated by Major League Baseball because of two pitches he threw earlier this season that received unusual gambling activity. The Blue Jays completed a four-game sweep of the New York Yankees to take over first place in the American League East standings. Following another Atlanta Braves loss, the Marlins retook third place in the NL East. 🔷 Today's MLB game: the Marlins (probable starter RHP Sandy Alcantara) host their series opener against the Brewers (RHP Quinn Priester). Alcantara has terrific career numbers against Milwaukee in six previous appearances (2.25 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 26 K in 32.0 IP). The Marlins have a 48.5% chance to win, per FanGraphs. Full organizational schedule below. 🔷 Instead of broadcasting on this Fourth of July holiday, Fish On First LIVE already aired on Thursday night. Enjoy the replay if you couldn't make it in real time. 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

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 Minnesota Twins. Starting Lineup 2B Xavier Edwards (S) RF Jesús Sánchez (L) SS Otto Lopez C Agustín Ramírez LF Kyle Stowers (L) DH Heriberto Hernández 1B Liam Hicks (L) 3B Connor Norby CF Dane Myers P Edward Cabrera Click HERE to download the full game notes (preview below)