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 fourth and final game of Miami's home series against the Atlanta Braves. Pregame roster moves: acquired Rece Hinds from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for Zach McCambley and optioned Hinds to Triple-A Jacksonville; recalled Graham Pauley from Jacksonville; placed Leo Jiménez on the 7-day concussion IL; transferred Robby Snelling to the 60-day IL Starting Lineup 2B Xavier Edwards (S) DH Liam Hicks (L) SS Otto Lopez LF Kyle Stowers (L) CF Jakob Marsee (L) 1B Christopher Morel RF Owen Caissie (L) C Joe Mack (L) 3B Javier Sanoja P Sandy Alcantara Click HERE to download the full game notes (preview below) 05.21.26 vs. ATL - Marlins Game Notes.pdf

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

SuperSubs, comment below with your Prediction Time picks: 1. How many games will the Marlins win in this series? (three-game series) 2. Who will be the Series MVP? (determined by win probability added) Once again in 2026, I will be monitoring Miami Marlins predictions from our valued SuperSubs, Fish On First staffers and livestream guests. Individual article pages like this one will be created prior to every Marlins series and featured prominently on the FOF site. Consistent participation is key if you want to win this annual contest. Submissions only take a few seconds. Scoring system A "perfect" series is worth three points: Earn one point for predicting which team will win the upcoming series Earn one point for predicting the precise number of victories for each team Earn one point for predicting the “Series MVP” who accumulated the highest win probability added (WPA) during the series as calculated by FanGraphs (could pick a player from either team) FOF SuperSub Nicholas Milton and FOF staffer Jeremiah Geiger are currently tied atop the 2026 season leaderboard, which will be updated between every Marlins series. If you are a SuperSub, leave a comment with your Prediction Time picks on this page, or join the Marlins Discord Server and submit there. We'll feature them on the upcoming Fish On First LIVE episode and track your points throughout the season! Any picks submitted prior to the first pitch of the series opener will be counted. If you are not a SuperSub, please consider signing up here to support the FOF staff. Series preview notes Probable starting pitchers: RHP Eury Pérez (MIA) vs. RHP Freddy Peralta (NYM) on Friday RHP Max Meyer (MIA) vs. RHP Christian Scott (NYM) on Saturday TBD (MIA) vs. TBD (NYM) on Sunday The Marlins rank 19th in MLB with a 97 wRC+ and 13th in MLB with a 3.94 FIP. They are 3-7 in their last 10 games and have a 15-15 record at home this season. The following Marlins players are on the injured list: Griffin Conine (10-day IL), Ronny Henriquez (60-day IL), Leo Jiménez (7-day IL), Adam Mazur (60-day IL) and Robby Snelling (60-day IL). The Mets rank 27th in MLB with a 89 wRC+ and sixth in MLB with a 3.67 FIP. They are 7-3 in their last 10 games and have a 11-15 record on the road this season. The following Mets players are on the injured list: Francisco Alvarez (10-day IL), Reed Garrett (60-day IL), Justin Hagenman (60-day IL), Clay Holmes (60-day IL), Francisco Lindor (10-day IL), Ronny Mauricio (10-day IL), Tylor Megill (60-day IL), A.J. Minter (60-day IL), Dedniel Núñez (60-day IL), Jorge Polanco (10-day IL), Luis Robert Jr. (10-day IL), Kodai Senga (15-day IL), Jared Young (10-day IL). View full article

Here are the latest Miami Marlins game notes, produced by the Marlins communications department and relayed to our loyal readers. These notes apply to the second game of Miami's home series against the Atlanta Braves. Starting Lineup 2B Xavier Edwards (S) SS Otto Lopez LF Heriberto Hernández 1B Christopher Morel CF Esteury Ruiz RF Kyle Stowers (L) DH Connor Norby 3B Leo Jiménez C Joe Mack (L) P Braxton Garrett Click HERE to download the full game notes (preview below)

Here are the latest Miami Marlins game notes, produced by the Marlins communications department and relayed to our loyal readers. These notes apply to the first game of Miami's home series against the Atlanta Braves. No actual pregame roster moves, but Kevin Barral brings us some other news from loanDepot park: Starting Lineup 2B Xavier Edwards (S) DH Liam Hicks (L) SS Otto Lopez LF Kyle Stowers (L) RF Owen Caissie (L) CF Jakob Marsee (L) 1B Connor Norby C Joe Mack (L) 3B Javier Sanoja P Max Meyer Click HERE to download the full game notes (preview below)

SuperSubs, comment below with your Prediction Time picks: 1. How many games will the Marlins win in this series? (four-game series) 2. Who will be the Series MVP? (determined by win probability added) Once again in 2026, I will be monitoring Miami Marlins predictions from our valued SuperSubs, Fish On First staffers and livestream guests. Individual article pages like this one will be created prior to every Marlins series and featured prominently on the FOF site. Consistent participation is key if you want to win this annual contest. Submissions only take a few seconds. Scoring system A "perfect" series is worth three points: Earn one point for predicting which team will win the upcoming series Earn one point for predicting the precise number of victories for each team Earn one point for predicting the “Series MVP” who accumulated the highest win probability added (WPA) during the series as calculated by FanGraphs (could pick a player from either team) FOF SuperSub Nicholas Milton and FOF staffer Jeremiah Geiger are currently tied atop the 2026 season leaderboard, which will be updated between every Marlins series. If you are a SuperSub, leave a comment with your Prediction Time picks on this page, or join the Marlins Discord Server and submit there. We'll feature them on the upcoming Fish On First LIVE episode and track your points throughout the season! Any picks submitted prior to the first pitch of the series opener will be counted. If you are not a SuperSub, please consider signing up here to support the FOF staff. Series preview notes Probable starting pitchers: RHP Max Meyer (MIA) vs. RHP JR Ritchie (ATL) on Monday LHP Braxton Garrett (MIA) vs. LHP Martin Pérez (ATL) on Tuesday RHP Janson Junk (MIA) vs. LHP Chris Sale (ATL) on Wednesday RHP Sandy Alcantara (MIA) vs. RHP Spencer Strider (ATL) on Thursday The Marlins rank 18th in MLB with a 97 wRC+ and 12th in MLB with a 3.85 FIP. They are 5-5 in their last 10 games and have a 14-12 record at home this season. The following Marlins players are on the injured list: Griffin Conine (10-day IL), Ronny Henriquez (60-day IL), Adam Mazur (60-day IL) and Robby Snelling (15-day IL). The Braves rank second in MLB with a 115 wRC+ and 11th in MLB with a 3.85 FIP. They are 7-3 in their last 10 games and have a 16-7 record on the road this season. The following Braves players are on the injured list: Ronald Acuña Jr. (10-day IL), Dylan Dodd (15-day IL), Joe Jiménez (60-day IL), Sean Murphy (10-day IL), Spencer Schwellenbach (60-day IL), AJ Smith-Shawver (60-day IL), Hurston Waldrep (15-day IL), Joey Wentz (60-day IL), Eli White (7-day IL) and Danny Young (60-day IL). View full article

This podcast is brought to you by Jet Ski Rentals of South Florida—offering Miami’s best jet ski and boat adventures. With six jet ski locations and over 120 boats, there’s something for every style and every budget. They’re reservation-based only. To inquire, call 305-990-2192, or check them out online at SFJetskiRentals.com. Make sure to use promo code FISHONFIRST to receive 10% off your next booking. Fish On First staffers react to the latest Miami Marlins series and prepare you for what lies ahead. Sunday's show was hosted by Ely Sussman and featured panelists Nate Karzmer, Louis Addeo-Weiss, Sean Millerick, Alex Carver and Isaac Azout. The following topics were covered: Marlins on verge of falling into last place Eury Pérez showing no signs of turnaround Jakob Marsee's best series yet Joe Mack's control of the running game Elite production from middle infield of Xavier Edwards and Otto Lopez Previewing and predicting the next series against the Atlanta Braves You can find Fish Unfiltered and Fish On First LIVE on the Fish On First YouTube channel, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever else you get your pods. Our next FOF LIVE episode will be Thursday at approximately 10:00 p.m. ET following the Marlins-Braves series finale. View full article

Here are the latest Miami Marlins game notes, produced by the Marlins communications department and relayed to our loyal readers. These notes apply to the third and final game of Miami's road series against the Tampa Bay Rays. Starting Lineup 2B Xavier Edwards (S) C Liam Hicks (L) SS Otto Lopez LF Kyle Stowers (L) DH Connor Norby CF Jakob Marsee (L) 3B Leo Jiménez RF Owen Caissie (L) 1B Christopher Morel P Eury Pérez Click HERE to download the full game notes (preview below)

Tuesday afternoon at loanDepot park, on the verge of making history, Anthony Bender's fate was in his hands. Atlanta Braves shortstop Ha-Seong Kim chopped a 1-2 sinker back to the mound. Bender carefully tossed it to Christopher Morel at first base, completing a perfect fourth inning for the Miami Marlins...and a ninth consecutive perfect inning for himself. The veteran right-hander, spread out across nine separate relief appearances, retired 27 batters in a row. Let's call it a "hidden perfect game." The 28th batter, Ronald Acuña Jr., snapped the streak when he led off Tuesday's fifth inning with a double. The streak began against Willy Adames in San Francisco. Here is the full play-by-play account of Bender's pitching beginning then and continuing up until the Acuña double: Strikeout on April 25 Groundout, lineout, flyout on April 26 Popout, flyout, groundout on April 28 Strikeout, strikeout, flyout on May 2 Forceout, groundout on May 5 Groundout, flyout, strikeout on May 8 Groundout, groundout, strikeout, groundout, flyout, groundout on May 14 Groundout, strikeout, lineout on May 16 Strikeout, groundout, groundout on May 19 Even in such a small sample, this degree of dominance is incredibly rare. There are more than 400 MLB pitchers, according to FanGraphs, who logged at least five innings from April 26 through Monday. Bender was the only one of them who didn't allow any baserunners during that span. Across parts of five MLB seasons, he had never previously made it more than halfway to a hidden perfect game until now. I do not have sufficient research tools to verify it, but this is probably the first hidden perfecto in Marlins history. I ran several queries with the Stathead streak finder looking for comparable performances and couldn't find any instances of more than 24 straight batters retired. Bender achieved his perfect results even without perfect execution. He hung sweepers to J.T. Realmuto (May 2) and Luke Keaschall (May 14) that were hammered 353 feet and 356 feet, respectively. Both fly balls were caught on the warning track. But those were the only mistakes that had the potential to go for extra-base hits. That Keaschall matchup was also the only three-ball count any opponent worked against Bender during the streak. That's remarkable for a pitcher whose lifetime walk rate is slightly worse than the MLB average. One limitation of Bender's game is his inability to entice batters to offer at pitches outside the strike zone. He ranked in the seventh percentile among MLB pitchers in chase rate last season, per Baseball Savant, and similarly resides in the fifth percentile in 2026. It's crucial for him to trust his stuff in the zone, and he's been doing much more of that as this year has progressed. Bender has always had huge platoon splits. Entering Tuesday, his career OPS allowed to right-handed batters was .528 compared to .755 to left-handed batters. In limited exposure to lefties this season, he's been better than ever (.644 OPS). The only extra-base hit has been a double off the bat of Jazz Chisholm Jr. way back on April 5. Very similar to teammate John King, he's leaning into unpredictability when at a platoon disadvantage—his sweeper, sinker and slider usage rates have been nearly identical against lefties. Aside from pending free agent Pete Fairbanks, Bender is the Marlins' most obvious midseason trade candidate. He's earning a $2.81 million salary with one more year of arbitration eligibility remaining. The bullpen is a strength for the Fish, ranking ninth among MLB teams in fWAR and sixth in ERA, with plenty of intriguing depth at Triple-A. Regardless of where they stand in the postseason race a couple months from now, they could move the 31-year-old and promote from within and not necessarily hurt their competitive chances in the process. While it's premature to discuss potential suitors in depth, the Chicago Cubs are a logical landing spot for Bender. They whiffed on a pair of free agent reliever signings last offseason—Hunter Harvey and Phil Maton due to injury and ineffectiveness, respectively. Additionally, their pitching staff has allowed homers at the second-highest rate in the league, whereas Bender is consistently stingy in that department (including 0 HR in 18.2 IP this season). View full article

Fish On First LIVE discusses the special skill set of Marlins prospect Kemp Alderman. Slashing .308/.385/.503 with seven home runs for Triple-A Jacksonville, Alderman has begun playing first base this season in addition to his usual right field. 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 Tampa Bay Rays. The Marlins haven't won a series at Tropicana Field sine 2018. Starting Lineup 2B Xavier Edwards (S) DH Liam Hicks (L) SS Otto Lopez 1B Christopher Morel LF Kyle Stowers (L) 3B Connor Norby CF Jakob Marsee (L) RF Esteury Ruiz C Joe Mack (L) P Janson Junk Click HERE to download the full game notes (preview below)

This is what I recorded for that series

SuperSubs, comment below with your Prediction Time picks: 1. How many games will the Marlins win in this series? (three-game series) 2. Who will be the Series MVP? (determined by win probability added) Once again in 2026, I will be monitoring Miami Marlins predictions from our valued SuperSubs, Fish On First staffers and livestream guests. Individual article pages like this one will be created prior to every Marlins series and featured prominently on the FOF site. Consistent participation is key if you want to win this annual contest. Submissions only take a few seconds. Scoring system A "perfect" series is worth three points: Earn one point for predicting which team will win the upcoming series Earn one point for predicting the precise number of victories for each team Earn one point for predicting the “Series MVP” who accumulated the highest win probability added (WPA) during the series as calculated by FanGraphs (could pick a player from either team) FOF SuperSub Nicholas Milton currently sits atop the 2026 season leaderboard, which will be updated between every Marlins series. If you are a SuperSub, leave a comment with your Prediction Time picks on this page, or join the Marlins Discord Server and submit there. We'll feature them on the upcoming Fish On First LIVE episode and track your points throughout the season! Any picks submitted prior to the first pitch of the series opener will be counted. If you are not a SuperSub, please consider signing up here to support the FOF staff. Series preview notes Probable starting pitchers: RHP Janson Junk (MIA) vs. RHP Jesse Scholtens (TB) on Friday RHP Sandy Alcantara (MIA) vs. RHP Nick Martinez (TB) on Saturday RHP Eury Pérez (MIA) vs. RHP Drew Rasmussen (TB) on Sunday The Marlins rank 17th in MLB with a 98 wRC+ and 11th in MLB with a 3.87 FIP. They are 4-6 in their last 10 games and have a 6-12 record on the road this season. The following Marlins players are on the injured list: Griffin Conine (10-day IL), Pete Fairbanks (15-day IL), Ronny Henriquez (60-day IL) and Adam Mazur (60-day IL). Fairbanks is expected to be reinstated during this series. The Rays rank 14th in MLB with a 99 wRC+ and 15th in MLB with a 4.02 FIP. They are 8-2 in their last 10 games and have a 14-4 record at home this season. The following Rays players are on the injured list: Joe Boyle (15-day IL), Michael Grove (60-day IL), Gavin Lux (10-day IL), Steven Matz (15-day IL), Ryan Pepiot (60-day IL), Manuel Rodriguez (60-day IL), Edwin Uceta (60-day IL) and Steven Wilson (60-day IL). View full article

Here are the latest Miami Marlins game notes, produced by the Marlins communications department and relayed to our loyal readers. These notes apply to the third and final game of Miami's road series against the Minnesota Twins. Braxton Garrett will be pitching in the big leagues for the first time in nearly two full years. Pregame roster moves: Braxton Garrett recalled from Triple-A Jacksonville; Josh Ekness optioned to Jacksonville Starting Lineup 2B Xavier Edwards (S) C Liam Hicks (L) SS Otto Lopez LF Kyle Stowers (L) 1B Christopher Morel CF Jakob Marsee (L) DH Leo Jiménez RF Owen Caissie (L) 3B Javier Sanoja P Braxton Garrett Click HERE to download the full game notes (preview below)

That's because Stowers won MVP and you picked X for that one!

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 Minnesota Twins. Starting Lineup 2B Xavier Edwards (S) 1B Liam Hicks (L) SS Otto Lopez RF Kyle Stowers (L) 3B Connor Norby CF Jakob Marsee (L) DH Christopher Morel C Joe Mack (L) LF Heriberto Hernández P Eury Pérez Click HERE to download the full game notes (preview below)

This podcast is brought to you by Jet Ski Rentals of South Florida—offering Miami’s best jet ski and boat adventures. With six jet ski locations and over 120 boats, there’s something for every style and every budget. They’re reservation-based only. To inquire, call 305-990-2192, or check them out online at SFJetskiRentals.com. Make sure to use promo code FISHONFIRST to receive 10% off your next booking. Fish On First staffers react to the latest Miami Marlins series and prepare you for what lies ahead. Thursday's show was hosted by Ely Sussman and featured panelists Jeremiah Geiger and Sean Millerick. The following topics were covered: Robby Snelling (UCL sprain) lands on injured list Braxton Garrett knocked out in the second inning Marlins lineup limited outside of Xavier Edwards, Liam Hicks and Otto Lopez Kemp Alderman breathing down Christopher Morel's neck Why are Marlins using Pete Fairbanks so rarely? Previewing and predicting the next series against the Tampa Bay Rays You can find Fish Unfiltered and Fish On First LIVE on the Fish On First YouTube channel, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever else you get your pods. Our next FOF LIVE episode will be Sunday at approximately 6:30 p.m. ET following the Marlins-Rays series finale. View full article

Christopher Morel just had his best moment as a Miami Marlin. Frankly, there aren't any other nominees. Sunday afternoon against the Washington Nationals, with one out in the bottom of the eighth inning and the game tied 2-2, Morel stepped up to the plate. His task: drive the ball deep enough to score Esteury Ruiz from third base. Morel delivered, getting just enough of Gus Varland's 0-2 slider to bloop a single into center field. His first RBI of the 2026 season was a game-winner. The 26-year-old free agent acquisition has been limited to nine games thus far due to an oblique strain that he suffered on Opening Day. It's unreasonable to hold that against him—oblique injuries have become increasingly prevalent in baseball, impacting even the best-conditioned athletes. That being said, Morel has blatantly failed the eye test both before and after his absence, with discouraging results to boot. In the meantime, other internal options have emerged as better candidates to fill the role that was originally envisioned for him. How much more of this are the Marlins willing to tolerate? There are several different tiers of major league free agent signings. Morel is an example from the lowest tier—talented enough to receive guaranteed money, but so unproductive that the team had all the leverage. On the heels of back-to-back sub-replacement-level seasons, the burden of proof has been on him from the beginning to demonstrate that things would be different this time. The only consistent aspect of Morel's game through the years has been lightning-quick bat speed. That remains intact. Since comprehensive tracking began in 2023, his career average has been approximately 76 mph; in 2026, he's averaging 75.7 mph (second-highest among Marlins players). However, Morel is not generating any in-game power whatsoever. During spring training, he registered one measly extra-base hit in 46 plate appearances. In 47 additional opportunities across minor league rehab and MLB regular season action, he hasn't increased that total. Combining all of those reps, he is slugging .195 in 2026. If Morel is not bringing the threat of homering to the table, he doesn't belong at the table. He has always and will always strike out in abundance, perennially ranking below the 10th percentile in whiff rate. And he is the epitome of the word "positionless." The Marlins have prepared him primarily at first base since signing him because he has proven to be a liability at every other infield and outfield spot during his career. By all accounts, that transition has gone poorly. Half of his starts since being reinstated from the IL have come as Miami's designated hitter. Morel was supposed to have an outsized importance to the Marlins at the beginning of the season while some of their top hitting prospects incubated at Triple-A Jacksonville. But now, Joe Mack has joined the big league club. The Marlins have (appropriately) thrown him in the deep end, starting him behind the plate in six of his first seven games on the active roster. That has freed up their leading run producer, Liam Hicks, to primarily play first base. Connor Norby, who entered this year in a similar situation as Morel, has looked far more adept at his new position while tightening up his plate discipline. There is no case for either of them to sacrifice playing time in favor of Morel. Plus, reinforcements are on the way. Griffin Conine (hamstring tear) is on track to return by month's end. He can fake it at first base at least as well as Morel, and there's no comparison between them as outfield defenders or hitters (.262/.325/.454 slash line for Conine since 2024 vs. .203/.287/.357 for Morel during that span). Most specifically, Kemp Alderman makes Morel expendable. The organization's reigning Minor League Player of the Year generates the exit velocities of an "elite power merchant," as Eli Ben-Porat of Baseball America explains. Alderman was striking out constantly early this season, but the 23-year-old has reduced his K rate to a manageable 22.5% in May. And yes, he is learning 1B as well, starting there three times in his last eight games. Last week, the Marlins cut bait with right-hander Chris Paddack as soon as it became apparent that they had young players who were more deserving of his role. Their $4 million investment in Paddack did nothing to further their pursuit of a postseason berth, but admitting that error is preferable to subscribing to the sunk cost fallacy and sustaining more damage out of stubbornness. Morel is not at the end of his leash quite yet. Conine has several more boxes to check in his rehab process and Alderman needs to put together a larger body of work showing he can make contact against premium stuff. It's crucial that Morel rediscovers some of his pop in the meantime. View full article