Ely Sussman

After getting another lefty tonight, the tentative outlook is 7 righty starters over the next 8 games. And if you dare look even further down the road, the Brewers and Cardinals currently have only one lefty each in their rotations.

I get where you're coming from. Slater is receiving particularly harsh treatment due to combo of him being placed in the leadoff spot and the fact that Marlins fans have no fond memories of him to fall back on the way they can with players returning from last season's team. Somebody is getting squeezed off the roster next week to make room for Stowers and I'm quite confident it won't be Slater. For everybody's sake, hope he drives in a run or two tonight to ease the tension.

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 Cincinnati Reds. Sandy Alcantara enters Tuesday as one of only five qualified MLB pitchers with an immaculate 0.00 ERA. The Marlins are tied atop the National League East division. Starting Lineup RF Austin Slater C Agustín Ramírez CF Jakob Marsee (L) SS Otto Lopez LF Heriberto Hernández 1B Connor Norby 2B Xavier Edwards (S) DH Leo Jiménez 3B Javier Sanoja P Sandy Alcantara Click HERE to download the full game notes

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 Cincinnati Reds. The Marlins enter Monday holding a half-game lead atop the National League East division. Starting Lineup RF Austin Slater C Agustín Ramírez CF Jakob Marsee (L) SS Otto Lopez LF Heriberto Hernández 1B Connor Norby DH Xavier Edwards (S) 2B Leo Jiménez 3B Javier Sanoja P Janson Junk Click HERE to download the full game notes (preview below)

Prior to Monday's game, the Miami Marlins recalled right-hander Ryan Gusto from Triple-A Jacksonville, as Craig Mish of Marlins.TV was first to report. He will temporarily fill Pete Fairbanks' roster spot while the veteran righty reliever is on the paternity list. Gusto, 27, has been limited to six total regular season appearances since the Marlins traded for him last July due to a right shoulder impingement. In his 2026 debut with the Jumbo Shrimp, he tossed five innings of three-run ball, racking up seven strikeouts. The Marlins have used Gusto exclusively as a starting pitcher, but their rotation is at capacity for the time being. There's a solid chance he appears out of the bullpen against the Cincinnati Reds on Monday considering that four active Miami relievers (Anthony Bender, Calvin Faucher, John King and Andrew Nardi) have worked back-to-back days. With Gusto resting for the past five days, he can be counted on to provide as much length as the club needs. The highest-paid reliever in Marlins history on an annual basis, Fairbanks had been as good as advertised prior to Sunday's game. Chris Paddack was originally listed as the club's starting pitcher against the New York Yankees, but in the midst of a lengthy rain delay, they decided to deploy Fairbanks as an opener. That way, he could contribute while also catching an early flight to be home for the birth of his third child. Fairbanks allowed a three-run home run to Ben Rice during his one inning of action. Overall, he has a 6.75 ERA and 4.19 FIP with two saves. Fairbanks can spend up to three days on the paternity list. Expect him to be reinstated on Thursday. View full article

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) Recent history tells us that the Miami Marlins are difficult to predict, but that won't stop us from trying. Welcome to a new season of Prediction Time. Once again in 2026, I will be monitoring the prognostications 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) Here is a reminder of what the 2025 season leaderboard looked like. FOF staffer Kevin Barral currently sits atop the 2026 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) and LHP Brandon Williamson (CIN) on Monday RHP Sandy Alcantara (MIA) and LHP Andrew Abbott (CIN) on Tuesday RHP Eury Pérez (MIA) and RHP Brady Singer (CIN) on Wednesday RHP Max Meyer (MIA) and RHP Rhett Lowder (CIN) on Thursday The Marlins rank third in MLB with a 132 wRC+ and 10th in MLB with a 3.67 FIP. They have a 5-1 record at home this season. The following Marlins players are on the injured list: Maximo Acosta (10-day IL), Ronny Henriquez (60-day IL), Adam Mazur (60-day IL), Christopher Morel (10-day IL), Esteury Ruiz (10-day IL) and Kyle Stowers (10-day IL). The Reds rank 25th in MLB with a 78 wRC+ and 21st in MLB with a 4.30 FIP. They have a 3-0 record on the road this season. Their roster includes former Marlins outfielder Dane Myers. The following Reds players are on the injured list: Caleb Ferguson (15-day IL), Hunter Greene (60-day IL) and Nick Lodolo (15-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 New York Yankees. There is rain in the forecast this afternoon, so we may experience the first weather delay of the 2026 Marlins season. Starting Lineup RF Austin Slater DH Agustín Ramírez CF Jakob Marsee (L) SS Otto Lopez LF Heriberto Hernández 1B Connor Norby 2B Xavier Edwards (S) C Liam Hicks (L) 3B Javier Sanoja P Chris Paddack Click HERE to download the full game notes (preview below)

NEW YORK — It has been more than 8.5 years since Giancarlo Stanton last competed in a Miami Marlins uniform. That is an eternity in the baseball world. So when approximately 20% of "Yankees Trivia" participants selected anybody other than Stanton as the Marlins' all-time home run leader, I gave them a pass. It's understandably difficult to process that a player who was traded away shortly after his 28th birthday had enough time to set that record (among numerous others for offensive excellence). Stanton didn't homer against his former club on Saturday night, but he is well-positioned to earn Series MVP honors after stealing a base to help manufacture a run in the seventh inning and putting the Yanks ahead for good with a two-out, two-run single in the eighth. Although the latter moment proved more consequential, Stanton's success on the bases was particularly noteworthy considering that a series of injuries have sapped his agility. Since 2024, he ranks dead last among MLB players with a 24.3 ft/sec Sprint Speed (min. 100 "competitive runs" tracked by Statcast). He had not even attempted to steal in a regular season game since 2020. With Stanton on first base and the Yankees leading 5-4, he noticed inexperienced first baseman Connor Norby playing far behind him and extended his lead accordingly. He was more than 30 feet off the bag by the time that right-hander Calvin Faucher released the ball. Catcher Agustín Ramírez was slow to notice Stanton in motion, delaying his transition from receiving to throwing and resulting in a glacial 2.44-second pop time. "If they're gonna give it to me, I gotta go get it," Stanton told reporters postgame. "I put that one on me," Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said. "Just felt like there was less likelihood that he would go," so Norby was directed to back up, maximizing his range to cover a potential ground ball to the right side of the infield. On the next pitch, J.C. Escarra fittingly grounded out to the right side, advancing Stanton to third. Then, a passed ball by Ramírez allowed Stanton to score a crucial insurance run. As for the go-ahead single, it was an unremarkable batted ball by Stanton's extraordinary standards. On the seventh pitch of his bases-loaded battle against right-hander Michael Petersen, he hit a grounder to the left of second base at 92.9 mph. Once again, the Marlins' defensive alignment proved problematic. Playing Stanton to pull, shortstop Otto Lopez couldn't range quite far enough to his glove side to make that play. The Yankees went ahead 8-6 and ultimately won by a 9-7 final score. 41k55u_1.mp4 The three players traded to Miami in exchange for Stanton—Starlin Castro, José Devers and Jorge Guzman—are long gone from the Marlins organization. None of them even work in affiliated baseball anymore. Meanwhile, the Yankees continue to receive good, albeit part-time production from the 36-year-old designated hitter. He has a 125 wRC+ since the trade, not to mention a 147 wRC+ in the MLB postseason, which his new club qualifies for on a near-annual basis. There was a cash component of the deal as well. The Yankees took responsibility for 90% of the $300 million that Stanton was still owed at the time, with the Marlins agreeing to assist with the back end of his contract. Those payments began this year—$10M in 2026, $10 in 2027 and $10M in 2028. In stark contrast, no current Marlins position player makes a salary above $2M (Christopher Morel). In 20 career games against his original employer, Stanton has generally been held in check with a .222/.333/.389 slash line and two long balls. The Yankees narrowly hold the edge in those head-to-head matchups with an 11-9 record. View full article

NEW YORK — In the two previous Miami Marlins losses of 2026, observers could recognize early what the outcome would be. Saturday night followed a much different script, as a 4-0 lead suggested that they were firmly in control midway through the game. Alas, largely capitalizing on their visitor's inability to find the strike zone, the Yankees scored nine runs over their final four trips to the plate in a series-clinching victory. A Marlins bullpen that had been fantastic during the club's opening homestand has plummeted back to earth. Andrew Nardi, Anthony Bender, John King, Calvin Faucher and Michael Petersen combined to throw more balls (47) than strikes (45) in relief of Max Meyer. "Credit to them," Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said complimenting New York's offense. "They really got a really good approach and are very stubborn with what they're looking for. They showed that and did a good job or working some good at-bats with what we know are some really good pitchers that we have." Marlins Bullpen ERA IP H R ER BB SO HR BF Nardi 4.50 0.1 0 1 1 3 1 0 4 Bender (BS, 1) 7.71 0.1 2 2 2 0 1 0 4 King, Jo 0.00 0.2 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 Faucher 0.00 1.0 0 1 0 1 2 0 4 Petersen (L, 1-1) 6.75 1.0 1 3 2 3 0 0 7 Totals 13.50 3.1 3 7 5 7 5 1 21 Close friends Meyer, Weathers equally underwhelming This was supposed to be the main storyline of the game, right? Marlins teammates from 2023-25, Meyer and Ryan Weathers are both under the microscope, as the former tries to preserve his spot in the starting rotation and latter tries to ingratiate himself to a new organization that holds itself to the highest standard. Another interesting twist: Meyer describes Weathers as "one of my best friends last year," so he was excited to see their pitching schedules align this way. Weathers started the night on an impressive note, striking out unorthodox leadoff man Austin Slater on three pitches. However, from that point forward, a Marlins lineup that generally stunk against left-handed starters in 2025 founds its spark. With two outs in the first inning, Heriberto Hernández caught up to a 99 mph fastball and drove it to the right-center gap for a two-run triple. The Marlins stretched their lead to 3-0 in the next inning with an assist from the Automated Ball-Strike challenge system. Slater was initially called out on strikes to end the top of the second, but the 3-2 pitch was overturned to ball four after review. That set up an Agustín Ramírez RBI single. It was an inefficient outing for the talented left-hander, throwing 88 pitches in just 3 ⅔ innings. Meyer held the Yanks scoreless entering the fifth, but that was misleading. He allowed baserunners in all but one of his innings and never really found his rhythm. The bottom of the third was particularly adventurous. The first two batters reached base in front of Aaron Judge, who punished a middle-middle changeup with a 112 mph exit velocity. Fortunately for Meyer, it was directed to center field, so 387 feet later, Jakob Marsee had room to run it down for a long, loud out. Later from the frame, with the bases loaded, Meyer fell behind 3-0 in the count to Giancarlo Stanton, but rallied back to induce an inning-ending popout. More notes and takeaways - The Marlins had nine more hit than the Yankees (15 to six), but their baserunners totals were very similar due to all of the free passes. Going back to Friday's game, the Fish have tied a franchise record by issuing 21 walks in a two-game span. - Agustín Ramírez wasn't gun shy after carelessly getting picked off late in Friday's game. He showed good awareness in the fourth inning, taking third base on Jakob Marsee's single when he noticed that the base was unoccupied. An errant throw allowed him to score on the play. At the plate, he went 2-for-3 with a pair of walks, raising his season wRC+ to 131. - In the second inning, Leo Jiménez recorded his first hit as a Marlin, a soft, well-placed grounder off of Weathers. He added another infield single in the sixth. - Speaking of Weathers, let's do a brief check-in on the prospects who the Marlins acquired in exchange for him. Outfielders Brendan Jones (.750 OPS) and Dillon Lewis (.250 OPS) and infielder Dylan Jasso (.833 OPS) have each begun 2026 with Double-A Pensacola. High-A infielder Juan Matheus went 0-for-4 with four walks in the Beloit Sky Carp's season-opening doubleheader on Saturday. Sunday's series finale is scheduled for 1:35 p.m. ET, but inclement weather in the forecast puts that start time and the game itself in jeopardy. If they're able to play through the raindrops, the starting pitchers will be Chris Paddack (Marlins) and Max Fried (Yankees). While Paddack was shelled for eight runs (all earned) in his season debut, Fried owns a shiny 0.00 ERA on the heels of back-to-back scoreless starts. table { border-collapse: collapse; width: 80%; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; } th, td { border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 8px 12px; text-align: center; } th { background-color: #f2f2f2; font-weight: bold; } td:first-child { text-align: left; color: #3366cc; } tfoot td { font-weight: bold; background-color: #f9f9f9; } 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 New York Yankees. It's going to be the coldest game of the Marlins' season thus far, with the temperature potentially dipping below 50 degrees by the later innings. Starting Lineup RF Austin Slater C Agustín Ramírez CF Jakob Marsee (L) SS Otto Lopez LF Heriberto Hernández 1B Connor Norby 2B Xavier Edwards (S) DH Leo Jiménez 3B Javier Sanoja P Max Meyer Click HERE to download the full game notes (preview below)

NEW YORK — The Miami Marlins didn't need Eury Pérez to do too much on Friday. A complete game by his friend and mentor Sandy Alcantara combined with a scheduled off-day left Miami's lights-out bullpen as fresh as possible. Against a high-powered New York Yankees lineup, it was more important to avoid the big mistake than to provide length. Pérez ultimately did neither. The 22-year-old right-hander issued six walks to the Yankees in their sold-out home opener after previously never topping four in a major league start. He held them to only two hits, but the first of which was an Aaron Judge two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning, giving the Yankees a lead they would never relinquish. With a final score of 8-2, it was the Marlins' largest margin of defeat of the young 2026 season. This was not a "cold weather" game, per se, but it was much colder than what Marlins players are accustomed to. The first-pitch temperature of 58 degrees was lower than any other that Pérez has experienced in the big leagues. "A little bit of cold out there," Pérez admitted via interpreter after the game. "Not an excuse—want to say that." Manager Clayton McCullough attributed Pérez's struggles primarily to his inability to land his secondary pitches for strikes. However, fastball command was similarly (and uncharacteristically) poor. Five of the six pitches that culminated in walks were four-seam fastballs, as was Judge's based-loaded hit-by-pitch, which drove in the final run off the Marlins starter. The next start for Pérez will come against the Cincinnati Reds, who entered Friday with MLB's second-highest walk rate, so that outing could follow the same script if he doesn't make mechanical adjustments. More notes and takeaways - The strike zone was also elusive for Marlins relievers. Tyler Phillips walked two batters and spiked a curveball for a run-scoring wild pitch. Michael Petersen walked another and Lake Bachar contributed two of his own. The club's 11 total walks exceeded their total from the first six games of the season combined. - The Marlins' only runs came courtesy of solo homers. Unlikely power source Xavier Edwards hit his in the first inning. Although he's a switch-hitter, all five of Edwards' home runs in the big leagues have been blasted from the left side of the plate. Owen Caissie homered in the fifth inning. Both of them came off of Will Warren four-seamers. - Facing his former team, Jazz Chisholm Jr. enjoyed his best offensive game of 2026. He went 1-for-3 with a double, a walk and two stolen bases. - Griffin Conine and Jakob Marsee collided when pursuing a fly ball in the bottom of the first. Conine lost his sunglasses, but made the catch and both players stayed in for the entire game. - With the Marlins' chances of rallying practically zero in the ninth inning, Agustín Ramírez took second base on defensive indifference, then made the penultimate out of the game in embarrassing fashion. "Tough place to lose an out," McCullough said tersely. The series continues Saturday at 7:05 p.m. ET. The probable starters are Max Meyer for the Marlins and left-hander Ryan Weathers, who was dealt from the Fish to New York in January. It'll be Weathers' first time pitching in pinstripes, though he has prior experience in this ballpark from 2024, when he went five scoreless innings in a Marlins victory. 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 New York Yankees. It's the Yankees' 2026 home opener. Starting Lineup CF Jakob Marsee (L) 2B Xavier Edwards (S) DH Agustín Ramírez C Liam Hicks (L) SS Otto Lopez RF Owen Caissie (L) 1B Connor Norby LF Griffin Conine (L) 3B Graham Pauley (L) P Eury Pérez Click HERE to download the full game notes (preview below)

The Miami Marlins announced on Thursday that right-handed reliever Garrett Acton has been traded to the Minnesota Twins. In return, they received right-handed reliever Logan Whitaker. The Marlins claimed Acton off waivers from the Colorado Rockies in February and optioned him to Triple-A Jacksonville last month. Prior to being designated for assignment, he made two scoreless relief appearances for the Jumbo Shrimp, leaning almost entirely on his mid-90s four-seam fastball and high-80s slider. He spent the vast majority of 2025 (his age-27 season) with Triple-A Durham, where he performed solidly (3.68 ERA and 4.01 FIP in 58.2 IP). Acton has also made seven major league appearances (all as a reliever), posting a 10.80 ERA and 11.19 FIP in those 6 ⅔ innings pitched. Turning 25 next month, Whitaker split last season between High-A Cedar Rapids and Double-A Wichita. He spent nearly two months on the injured list, which limited him to 38 ⅓ innings pitched (25 G/0 GS), but he was highly effective when available, posting a 2.11 ERA and 2.90 FIP. That includes a 1.21 ERA if you ignore his season debut. He also worked three scoreless innings in Grapefruit League games this spring. Selected in the 19th round of the 2024 MLB Draft out of North Carolina State University, Whitaker is listed at 6'6", but only gets approximately six feet of extension during his delivery. He attacks hitters using his four-seamer and changeup, with occasional sliders and cutters mixed in. Whitaker should be joining Double-A Pensacola's roster this weekend. Through six games in 2026, the Marlins bullpen has been phenomenal. It's unclear who would be first in line for a call-up in the event of injury or overuse. Left-hander Cade Gibson has looked shaky for the Jumbo Shrimp through one week of action. Right-hander Josh White has fully proven himself in the minors, but lacks MLB experience. View full rumor

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) Recent history tells us that the Miami Marlins are difficult to predict, but that won't stop us from trying. Welcome to a new season of Prediction Time. Once again in 2026, I will be monitoring the prognostications 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) Here is a reminder of what the 2025 season leaderboard looked like. There is currently an eight-way tie atop the 2026 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) and RHP Will Warren (NYY) on Friday RHP Max Meyer (MIA) and LHP Ryan Weathers (NYY) on Saturday RHP Chris Paddack (MIA) and LHP Max Fried (NYY) on Sunday The Marlins rank second in MLB with a 140 wRC+ and second in MLB with a 2.58 FIP. They haven't played on the road yet this season. The following Marlins players are on the injured list: Maximo Acosta (10-day IL), Ronny Henriquez (60-day IL), Adam Mazur (60-day IL), Christopher Morel (10-day IL), Esteury Ruiz (10-day IL) and Kyle Stowers (10-day IL). The Yankees rank 20th in MLB with a 91 wRC+ and first in MLB with a 1.89 FIP. They haven't played at home yet this season. In addition to Weathers, their roster includes former Fish Giancarlo Stanton and Jazz Chisholm Jr. The following Yankees players are on the injured list: Gerrit Cole (15-day IL), Carlos Rodón (15-day IL), Clarke Schmidt (60-day IL) and Anthony Volpe (10-day IL). View full article

Members of the 2025 Miami Marlins MLB Draft class are on the cusp of an important career milestone, as they'll be experiencing their first Opening Day as minor leaguers. Because this draft class was comprised only of college players, the vast majority of them have unsurprisingly progressed to full-season MiLB affiliates. None of them are on an especially fast track, though—do not expect to see them on the Marlins major league roster until 2027 at the earliest. INF Aiva Arquette (Round 1): assigned to High-A Beloit (injured list) OF Cam Cannarella (Competitive Balance Round A): assigned to High-A Beloit OF Brandon Compton (Round 2): assigned to High-A Beloit OF Max Williams (Round 3): assigned to Low-A Jupiter (injured list) INF Drew Faurot (Round 4): assigned to High-A Beloit 1B/OF Chris Arroyo (Round 5): assigned to Low-A Jupiter LHP Joey Volini (Round 6): assigned to High-A Beloit RHP Jake Clemente (Round 7): assigned to Low-A Jupiter INF Emilio Barreras (Round 8): assigned to Low-A Jupiter LHP Kaiden Wilson (Round 9): assigned to FCL Marlins (injured list) UTIL Jake McCutcheon (Round 10): assigned to Low-A Jupiter RHP Jadon Williamson (Round 11): assigned to Low-A Jupiter C Wilson Weber (Round 12): assigned to High-A Beloit RHP Chase Renner (Round 13): assigned to FCL Marlins RHP Carson Laws (Round 14): assigned to High-A Beloit UTIL Josh Hogue (Round 15): assigned to Low-A Jupiter (injured list) LHP RJ Shunck (Round 16): assigned to Low-A Jupiter RHP Xavier Cardenas (Round 17): assigned to High-A Beloit LHP Hayden Cuthbertson (Round 18): assigned to High-A Beloit RHP Peyton Fosher (Round 19): assigned to High-A Beloit RHP Cannon Pickell (Round 20): assigned to High-A Beloit The Beloit Sky Carp's season opener, which was originally scheduled for Thursday, has been postponed due to inclement weather. The Jupiter Hammerheads will play their opener in Daytona at 6:35 p.m. ET. The Florida Complex League season doesn't begin until May 2. View full article