Ely Sussman

Always seems to be the case haha. I will bravely zag against that sentiment.

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, topped by @Alec Chao. The 2026 leaderboard will be posted on Sunday night and 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. All Fish On First podcasts are 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. View full article

The Miami Marlins surprised pretty much everybody in 2025, placing third in the National League East division despite an extremely inexperienced and inexpensive roster. Will they take another step forward this season, stagnate or regress? On the eve of Opening Day, Fish On First staffers were invited to answer five of my burning questions about the state of the franchise. Thanks to Louis Addeo-Weiss, Isaac Azout, Kevin Barral, Alex Carver, Jeremiah Geiger, Sean McCormack, Daniel Rodriguez and Hector Rodriguez for their participation in the following roundtable. 1. What do you think was the most interesting move that the Marlins made during the 2025-26 offseason? Ely Sussman: I did not expect the Marlins to pay up for a "Proven Closer" like Pete Fairbanks. His $13 million guarantee nearly matches what every other major league free agent signing of the Peter Bendix era has combined to receive. Even accounting for the pre-existing relationship that Fairbanks and Bendix have with each other, it’s a strange way to allocate the club’s limited resources. For this contract to yield any surplus value for the Marlins, the 32-year-old must be healthy and even better than his 2025 form. Louis Addeo-Weiss: Depends on how you define interesting? It’s “interesting” that the team signed a marquee reliever in Fairbanks, but also “interesting” decision to sign Paddack for different reasons. Isaac Azout: “Most interesting” would have to be the Ryan Weathers trade. While I don’t disagree with the premise, I found the timing of the move peculiar. Sure, Weathers could get hurt early yet again and the organization would be left with nothing but their dick in their hand, but it seemed to me his upside was more valuable to Miami than whatever he could return on the market at the time. Still, Peter Bendix was able to acquire four relatively decent pieces for a high-upside yet unknown quantity in Weathers. However, if Weathers performs the way we know he’s capable of in just the first half, he'd be one of the most valuable trade chips in the league. I didn’t loathe the move, but it was by far the most interesting one. Kevin Barral: John King was a solid signing. He isn’t talked about a lot because of the strong spring other pitchers are having, but King has been good and will be used quite a bit as one of two left-handed pitchers in the bullpen. Alex Carver: Chris Paddack. The Marlins put a ton of confidence in Paddack to regain the form they thought they had when they drafted him in 2015 by giving him $4 million and all but guaranteeing him a rotation spot. He came back to Miami after one of his worst career seasons, but the Marlins believed in their ability to get the most out of what has become their prototype pitcher: large frame with a deep arsenal. Paddack bought in to what the Marlins are doing developmentally, including calling pitches from the dugout and the work they are doing with pitch design and had a fantastic spring training campaign, holding down a sub-1.00 ERA and 12/3 K/BB. The 30-year-old enters the season with all gears turning. He could wind up being a steal. Jeremiah Geiger: Signing Christopher Morel to a one-year, $2 million contract. This is a true boom-or-bust signing. The Marlins hope that Morel can return his 2023 form—when he hit 26 HR with the Cubs—and solve the organization’s first base issue. If he doesn’t work out, the Marlins could easily cut ties. Sean McCormack: Trading Edward Cabrera for Owen Caissie and prospects. Daniel Rodriguez: The most interesting move to me was Ryan Weathers since he had the lefty upside in the rotation and trading him came a bit out of left field. Hector Rodriguez: Trading Ryan Weathers to the Yankees for four prospects. I’m a fan of Weathers’ upside, but I understand that the injury history is a concern. It’ll be interesting to see what the Marlins pitching staff looks like without him and Edward Cabrera. 2. Any players returning from the 2025 Marlins who you believe will be significantly improved this season? Ely: The no-brainer pick here is Sandy Alcantara. He allowed 107 runs last season—the most by a Marlins pitcher since 2011—but his command improved and luck evened out during the second half of the season. Conservatively, he should be a strong No. 3-caliber starter this year. The case for Eury Pérez is also pretty obvious given the fantastic quality of his stuff. My bolder pick is Agustín Ramírez. I think he'll be the best offensive player on the team. Louis: Otto Lopez. I can’t imagine he’ll produce as feebly against LHP the way he did in 2025. Isaac: Sandy Alcantara is my first and most obvious choice, so I’ll go in a different direction. Eury Pérez returned from Tommy John surgery last season, and while the surface stats weren’t magnificent, the stuff certainly was. I not only think Pérez will be the best pitcher on this roster, but I also think he has an outside chance to be a National League Cy Young Award candidate. Kevin: I think a full season of Xavier Edwards at second base can be very exciting. He mentioned how that move to second in the middle of the season allowed him to focus more on the offensive side of things. Edwards was a Gold Glove finalist and I think with a full season under his belt at the position, you can see him have a career year. Alex: Sandy Alcantara. After his lost 2024 season, evaluators didn’t expect Sandy to post another Cy Young-caliber campaign last season, but it would’ve been hard to expect him to struggle as much as he did. Sandy’s 2025 was downright ugly as he posted a 5.36 ERA, more than a full run higher than his 2023 totals. His FIP weighed in at 4.28, though. Much of Sandy’s troubles could be attributed to him being unable to command the bottom half of the zone, leading to 46.5% ground ball rate, the lowest he’s posted since 2019. Cutting the usage of his staple slider in favor of a curveball proved to be a disadvantageous change. Back to his norms this spring and during the World Baseball Classic, Sandy posted a 16/2 K/BB and held down a 2.63 FIP in Grapefruit League action. Fully healthy and back to his roots, I expect the Sandy of old will be back in 2026. Jeremiah: It’s no secret that Sandy Alcantara struggled during the first half of last season, posting a ghastly 7.22 ERA before the All-Star break. But he finished strong, with 3.33 ERA in his last 13 starts. I expect him to have a much more consistent 2026. Sean: Otto Lopez. Daniel: Jakob Marsee. He will be the best player on the Marlins with improved offense and defense as the team's everyday center fielder. Hector: Otto Lopez. His glove is already very good, but I want to see his offense take another step in the right direction. He played well in the World Baseball Classic and spring training. I think we could see him have a breakout season. 3. If you ran the Marlins front office, which player would you be most focused on signing to a long-term contract extension? Ely: Joe Mack. There is hardly any precedent for signing pre-arb catchers to extensions, much less ones who haven't even debuted, and that should keep the price down relative to other positions. Mack is a defensive savant who is capable of hitting at an above-average level at his peak. A modest guarantee between $35-45 million with multiple club options could give the Marlins control of him for nearly a decade. In general, it's ridiculous that the Fish have gone this long without extending anybody. Most other low-revenue franchises have gotten the memo that these investments are vital to sustainable winning. Louis: Jakob Marsee. Isaac: Have to double down here. Eury Pérez’s combination of youth, stuff, control, and size makes him a prime extension candidate for any front office. Kevin: Eury Pérez. He will be worth a lot of money if he has a breakout season. The Marlins extension rumors we heard during the offseason haven’t resulted in anything during the spring. It could’ve been all smoke, but Pérez needs to be locked up. Alex: The Marlins have found a way to work magic with left-handed-hitting outfielders. Jakob Marsee was no exception. After earning his way onto the roster thanks to a breakout showing in Triple-A, Marsee matriculated about as best as he possibly could’ve when he slashed .292/.363/.478 in his first 55 MLB games. With a patient, balanced approach, good speed, and the ability to hold down all three outfield spots, he’s looking like a real threat for annual 20/20 campaigns. He’s also four years younger than teammate Kyle Stowers, while being cut from the same cloth that awarded Stowers All-Star honors last season. With another good showing during the first half this year, it would behoove the Marlins to get Marsee on paper. Jeremiah: I would be focused on signing Jakob Marsee to an extension. The outfielder can do it all, offensively and defensively, and was a revelation after making his debut last season. His plate discipline is among the best in baseball. Sean: Robby Snelling. Daniel: Eury Pérez without a doubt. Hector: Eury Pérez. With his talent and youth, I would like to lock him into a team-friendly deal and try to keep him in a Marlins uniform for his prime seasons. 4. Entering the 2026 season, what is this team's biggest strength and biggest weakness? Ely: For the first time in forever, the Marlins should have elite plate discipline. The team made a leap from worst chase rate in MLB during the 2024 season to a top-10 mark in 2025. Kudos to the player development department on that. Specifically, increased playing time for Jakob Marsee, Griffin Conine and Graham Pauley will boost their collective walk rate. Miami's biggest weakness is first base. This is going to be a trainwreck. Louis: Strength—rotation and corresponding depth. Weakness—lack of power throughout, only magnified by the Kyle Stowers injury. Isaac: I would have said the lineup as the team’s biggest weakness, but the organization has proven its ability to mix and match hitters to put them in the best position to succeed. Instead, I’ll narrow it down to the corner-infield spots. First base was a disaster all spring long on both sides of the ball, and I’m still not fully convinced on Connor Norby at third. I expect Graham Pauley to ultimately win the job sometime in late April. The strength looks like the bullpen. I thought it was a strength last season, and they added two quality arms in Pete Fairbanks and John King, one from each side. Along with Calvin Faucher, Tyler Phillips, and some potential high-leverage options waiting in Jacksonville, they could shorten games for this team in a very real way. Kevin: Biggest strength remains the starting pitching and the depth that follows it. Having a rotation of Sandy Alcantara, Eury Pérez, Chris Paddack, Max Meyer and Janson Junk is up there for the best in the NL. Having depth pieces such as Braxton Garrett, Ryan Gusto and Bradley Blalock who can come up if needed are always great to have. Then you have Robby Snelling and Thomas White who are on the cusp of a big league debut. The biggest weakness is at first base. Christopher Morel’s spring training was disappointing despite looking good early on. The first base options behind Morel aren’t bad—there's just a lot of questions regarding their defensive ability at the position. Alex: In multiple ways, the strength of the organization is starting pitching. With an already solid rotation anchored by a former Cy Young winner and a kid who made his starting pitching debut at 18, the Marlins also have two top-100 prospects knocking on the door. Behind them, multiple more young arms litter Miami’s organizational top 30 prospects. The biggest weakness of the organization is corner infield talent. The Marlins will enter the year with a rotation of players who have barely, if at all, played first base. Connor Norby will begin the year as primarily a third baseman, but he may eventually move off the spot if stark improvements are not made. The upper levels of the minors provide little answers for these issues. Deyvison De Los Santos is much more of a bat than a first baseman and will need to bounce back in a big way after a very disappointing 2025. Finding a formidable starting MLB third baseman in the MiLB ranks is a tough exercise; the first name that comes to mind is Aiva Arquette, who has a long way to grow. These are positions and depth the Marlins will need to upgrade drastically. Jeremiah: The strength for the Marlins is their young offensive core. Agustín Ramírez, Jakob Marsee, and Kyle Stowers will all be looking to improve upon good offensive years. Top prospect Owen Caissie will be getting plenty of playing time as well. The weakness is the back half of the rotation. Can Chris Paddack rebound after an awful 2025? Will Max Meyer prove he can stick as a starter? Time will tell. Sean: Biggest strength is the upcoming Triple-A talent, such as Joe Mack, Snelling, White, and Kemp Alderman, with the biggest weakness being the corner infield talent at the major leagues and minor leagues. Daniel: Strength—the outfield with around 4-5 players who realistically could play the position. The bullpen stands out as a clear weakness for Miami. When a team makes the largest bullpen signing in franchise history, it’s usually a direct response to instability in that area. Rather than adding depth to an already strong unit, the move signals that the team is trying to fix a problem. Hector: I think Miami’s biggest strength is their speed. They have a lot of good baserunners who can swipe bags and cause havoc on the base paths. As for their weakness, I think it’s depth in their starting rotation. Sandy and Eury can be an excellent 1-2 punch, but I have less faith in the rest of the rotation. It’ll be interesting to see how Robby Snelling and Thomas White perform if they get their shot in The Show this season. 5. Predict the Marlins' win-loss record and team MVP Ely: The Marlins will finish 78-84. Better run differential than last season, but slightly worse overall record, and they won’t be mathematically alive for a postseason berth quite so deep into September. My team MVP is Eury Pérez. We have seen him look utterly unhittable at times; in 2026, he’ll be doing that much more consistently. Louis: 74-88. Marsee. Isaac: The Marlins will go 80–82. I have Eury Pérez as their MVP, but I’ll go with Otto Lopez here. A Gold Glove–caliber shortstop, I think he’ll break out even more with the bat and find himself regularly hitting at the top of the lineup going forward. Kevin: 82-80 and the MVP will be Jakob Marsee. Alex: With several of their top prospects very close to making their MLB debuts and having exercised good strategy to fill in around what worked well for them last season, the Marlins are looking like a scrappy and potentially surprising team in 2026 as their competitive window starts to fully open. Health permitting, I have the Marlins playing meaningful games once again in September and looking good doing it. 83-79. Jeremiah: I predict the Marlins to finish 82-80, and Kyle Stowers to be the Marlins MVP. Sean: 75-87 and team MVP is Sandy Alcantara. Daniel: 84-78. MVP Jakob Marsee. Hector: 83-79. My team MVP is Otto Lopez. He might not be the Marlins All-Star, but I think he’ll finish the season with the highest WAR on the roster. View full article

One quirk of the 2026 Miami Marlins schedule is that the organization's first minor league game begins before its major league opener. The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp host the Rochester Red Wings this Friday at 7:05 p.m. ET, while first pitch of Opening Day in Miami will be approximately five minutes later. The Jumbo Shrimp announced their initial 30-man active roster on Wednesday afternoon. Don't get too attached to this group, though, as Triple-A rosters tend to churn constantly throughout the course of the season. Seven of our Fish On First Top 30 prospects have been assigned to Jacksonville as indicated in parentheses below. That's without including Maximo Acosta (FOF #15), who will likely be optioned to Triple-A once he recovers from his left oblique strain. Pitchers (15): Garrett Acton, Bradley Blalock, Josh Ekness (FOF #27), Dax Fulton, Braxton Garrett, Cade Gibson, Ryan Gusto, William Kempner, Zach McCambley, Patrick Monteverde, Jack Ralston, Robby Snelling (FOF #3), Jake Walkinshaw, Josh White (FOF #25), Tyler Zuber Catchers (3): Bennett Hostetler, Joe Mack (FOF #2), Brian Navarreto Infielders (7): Jesús Bastidas, Jacob Berry, Deyvison De Los Santos (FOF #28), Nathan Martorella, Cody Morissette, Johnny Olmstead, Jared Serna Outfielders (5): Kemp Alderman (FOF #10), Matthew Etzel, Daniel Johnson, Ethan O’Donnell, Andrew Pintar 7-day IL: Evan McKendry, Jesús Tinoco, Thomas White (FOF #1) Notable prospects who finished the 2025 season with the Shrimp but didn't crack this roster include right-hander Nigel Belgrave and left-hander Dale Stanavich. Expect them to start off with Double-A Pensacola. Pensacola's full roster will be announced next week. View full rumor

The way that I read this decision is, there must be serious concern internally about Hernández continuing to be useful. There were rumblings this spring that his roster spot wasn't fully secure, which I found bizarre. As you presented, OF depth is fine on paper, but adding to it now suggests the front office doesn't feel as confident.

Keep in mind that he went through a full spring training with the Tigers. He's just as prepared from that standpoint as the other Marlins hitters.

The Miami Marlins (deservedly) took some flak throughout the 2010s and early 2020s for seemingly ignoring their history. Fans wanted to reminisce about the franchise's two World Series titles and their favorite players, but the Marlins insisted on highlighting the present and the future at every opportunity. They struck a more appropriate balance entering the 2022 season by raising banners in honor of the 1997 and 2003 squads. Those were displayed atop a videoboard in left field near the foul pole. Just one problem: those banners were positioned in front of giant windows, and on sunny afternoons, they looked practically transparent. After four seasons of this awkwardness, the Marlins have made a few changes. As Fish On First's Isaac Azout observed on Tuesday, the banners are now next to the right field foul pole, in front of concrete instead of glass. The closest seats to them are in Section 302, but nobody's view will be obstructed. While the old banners were primarily white, the new ones are teal. This project was completed in less than a week. Last Tuesday, when loanDepot park hosted the World Baseball Classic final, the banners were still in their original position. Speaking of teal, the club's new alternate uniforms featuring that color will debut this Sunday. View full article

The Miami Marlins' best offensive player from the previous year (Kyle Stowers) and top overall prospect (Thomas White) were both sidelined for a number of weeks to begin the 2026 season. Throughout the franchise's history, I figured that there were many examples of guys who overcame season-opening injured list stints to post extraordinary numbers. Not so much, as it turns out. Barring any additional injuries, Stowers and White could soon find themselves on this list. Honorable mentions For those who do not know the backstory, the man seated in this photo is Marlins fan Andres Salgado. When José Fernández underwent Tommy John surgery in mid-2014, Salgado vowed to grow out his hair until the star right-hander completed his comeback. On July 1, 2015, the day before Fernández's return to the mound, Salgado was invited to Marlins Park where Fernández helped him celebrate the milestone. Fernández performed close to his usual standards after being reinstated from the IL with a 2.92 ERA (131 ERA+) and 2.24 FIP, but the 11-start sample was just too small. Edward Cabrera in 2022 (14 GS) and Henderson Alvarez in 2013 (17 GS) also fall into this category. I wanted to touch on Jazz Chisholm Jr.'s 2022 All-Star campaign as well. He played—and homered—for the Marlins on Opening Day, but did so while having a torn right meniscus. He suffered the injury in spring training and kept it private until a separate lower back issue ended his season prematurely. The Marlins have not always been fully transparent about these things. Perhaps there are other Chisholm-like instances from an earlier era where productive players concealed or gutted through injuries all season long. 5. Dylan Floro, 2022 Initial injury: right rotator cuff tendonitis Season debut date: May 10 Season fWAR: 0.7 Upon returning to the Marlins bullpen, Dylan Floro was lit up for five runs (all earned) in two innings. But he was quietly terrific the rest of the way (2.26 ERA and 2.82 FIP in next 51.2 IP). Following the MLB trade deadline, Floro became Miami's primary closer. 4. A.J. Burnett, 2004 Initial injury: Tommy John surgery Season debut date: June 3 Season fWAR: 2.9 A.J. Burnett worked 120 innings that season with uncharacteristically good control. On August 29, he set a then-franchise record with 14 strikeouts in a game. 3. Xavier Edwards, 2024 Initial injury: left foot infection Season debut date: June 7 Season fWAR: 2.2 Because the Marlins were being overly patient with veteran shortstop Tim Anderson, Xavier Edwards had to wait until July 2 before the window opened for him to play regularly. He excelled on the offensive side of the ball, slashing .328/.397/.423 with 31 stolen bases in 70 games. It nearly took another full year for the Marlins to accept that Edwards was best utilized as a second baseman. 2. Edward Cabrera, 2025 Initial injury: right middle finger blister Season debut date: April 11 Season fWAR: 2.0 For the third time in a four-season span, Edward Cabrera suffered a physical setback during spring training. The Marlins were thin enough on starting pitching that they were willing to endure a 7.23 ERA from Cabrera through the month of April. He rewarded them by turning into the top arm in the club's rotation from May onward. The Marlins sold high on Cabrera during the ensuing offseason, trading the right-hander to the Chicago Cubs for a prospect package. 1. J.T. Realmuto, 2018 Initial injury: lower back contusion Season debut date: April 17 Season fWAR: 4.7 J.T. Realmuto earned the first of his three career All-Star selections. He caught 38.2% of runners who attempted to steal—that mark won't be matched by a Marlin for the foreseeable future given the sport's recent rule changes making stolen bases more difficult to defend. Realmuto finished with 4.7 fWAR. With the exception of Iván Rodríguez's 2003 performance, this is arguably the best season by any Marlins catcher. View full article

Andrew Painter and Justin Crawford are so critical to their future. Could extend their window in the unlikely but non-zero chance that both of them quickly prove to be above-average MLB starters.

The Miami Marlins are reacquiring one of their Rule 5 draft departures. Right-hander Zach McCambley did not make the Philadelphia Phillies' Opening Day roster, so they will return him to the Fish (h/t Todd Zolecki, MLB.com). Meanwhile, fellow right-hander and Rule 5 draftee Matt Pushard is sticking with the St. Louis Cardinals. McCambley and Pushard were both trending toward these fates earlier this month, as I detailed here. Individual ability aside, McCambley had a tougher path to a big league job considering that the Phillies have a deeper and more experienced bullpen than the Cardinals and much more urgency to win games in 2026. In eight Grapefruit League games (7.1 IP), McCambley allowed one earned run, six walks and four strikeouts. He threw only 55.3% of his pitches for strikes. In Pushard's eight games (8.2 IP), he allowed three earned runs, two walks and nine strikeouts. He faced his former organization twice during that span. McCambley has a long history with the Marlins, who selected him in the third round of the 2020 MLB Draft. He spent most of 2025 with Triple-A Jacksonville. In 62 total innings working exclusively in relief (AA and AAA combined), he posted a 2.90 ERA and 2.60 FIP with a 24.3 K-BB% (best of his professional career). His arsenal consists of a four-seam fastball, cutter and sweeper. Expect the Marlins to assign McCambley to Jacksonville again. Health permitting, he's likely to make his MLB debut by season's end. Turning 27 years old in May, McCambley can elect minor league free agency next offseason if he isn't on the Marlins 40-man roster by then. View full article

Fish On First LIVE unpacks the highlights and lowlights from Marlins prospects who played on Thursday and wonders why more fans don't attend Spring Breakout. View full video

JUPITER — Something needed to change. Even with a strong finish from platoon partners Troy Johnston and Eric Wagaman, the Miami Marlins did not get enough production from their first basemen in 2025. Relative to the rest of Major League Baseball, that position provided below-average plate discipline, below-average defense, solid contact but minimal power, culminating in sub-replacement-level production overall. By the end of the calendar year, Johnston was a Colorado Rockie and Wagaman was a Minnesota Twin. Matt Mervis, who opened the season as Miami's primary first baseman, is now a member of the Washington Nationals. Addition by subtraction, right? Maybe not. The Marlins placed dead last among all MLB teams at first base in the 2026 FanGraphs positional power rankings. Based on a blend of ZiPS and Steamer projections and playing time estimates for individual players at the position, no club has a worse outlook than the Fish. That tracks with what transpired during spring training. The only hitter to sign a major league free agent contract with the Marlins this past offseason, Christopher Morel is familiar with many different positions. He has played 97 MLB regular season games at third base, 88 in left field, 74 at second base, 69 in center field, 15 at shortstop, 10 in right field...and none at first base. After struggling to various extents at each of those spots, he's moving even further down the defensive spectrum. Morel's Grapefruit League performance was uninspiring, to put it gently. In 13 games at first base, he was charged with three errors, and that does not fully convey how much of a liability his glove is. He isn't showing much of a knack for adjusting to off-target throws, and at 6'0", his overall "catch radius" is smaller than the average first baseman. During Friday's game at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium, there was a lapse in communication that resulted in a preventable run scoring. With two outs in the top of the fifth inning, Washington Nationals catcher Drew Millas ripped a single to right field. Brady House attempted to score from second on the play. Owen Caissie made a strong, accurate throw home that, barring a missed tag or extraordinary slide, would've nabbed House for the final out of the inning. Unfortunately, Morel cut the ball off. "It's actually a good thing that it happened because you can just use it," Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said postgame. "For the next time, be thinking through these things to aid in your decision-making." The following animation of the play was generated by MLB using player tracking data: kmt4he_1.mp4 These sort of miscues are tolerable if Morel reverts to being the impactful hitter he used to be. In 2023, through the end of July, the former Chicago Cub owned a Kyle Stowers-esque .281/.344/.541 slash line. However, in 301 games since then, he is slashing .197/.284/.371—that's even worse than his Marlins first base predecessors. He recorded only one extra-base hit in 46 spring training plate appearances. His strong exit velocities suggest that those will come more often moving forward, but he continues to be impaired by a career-long whiffing problem. Sometimes when the Marlins oppose right-handed starting pitchers, we will see Liam Hicks at first. If only and Morel could be melded into a single body, they'd be a remarkably well-rounded player, but for the time being, MLB won't improve of such an innovation. Hicks' main deficiency is a lack of power, having ranked in the fifth percentile in hard-hit rate in 2025, per Baseball Savant. Despite concentrating on addressing that over the offseason, he went XBH-less this spring. Very much like Morel, Connor Norby is a newbie at the position and an awkward fit elsewhere on the diamond. His spring training was a mixed bag—he drew only one walk while striking out 34.9% of the time, but he did damage against lefties, which was a notable hole in his profile last year. Griffin Conine is an intriguing wild card. He had the hardest-hit ball of the 2025 Marlins season and topped that same leaderboard in spring games. In an admittedly microscopic sample, he looks like a superior first base defender than the aforementioned options. However, in the aftermath of Stowers' injury, his services will be needed in the outfield initially. At least in part, the Marlins' first-base-by-committee approach is about maintaining the flexibility to hand the car keys to Deyvison De Los Santos later this season. Still just 22 years old, the Dominican prospect has 205 games of Triple-A experience. Despite coming with tantalizing power upside of his own, there shouldn't be any expectations placed upon his 2026 MLB production given his sky-high chase rate in the minors. The Marlins had ample opportunities to bring in a short-term floor-raiser at first base, whether via free agency or trade, and they opted not to. There needs to be accountability if that decision results in them finishing a few games outside of the National League postseason field. View full article

Dub Gleed quietly climbed from rookie ball to the upper levels of the Marlins farm system in 2025, demonstrating strong on-base skills every step of the way. Fish Unfiltered discusses his long-term outlook. View full video

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. Welcome to Spring Breakout week! In the first of many items of Miami Marlins prospect content coming your way, Ely Sussman welcomes Maxfield Lane and Owen Riley of Oyster Analytics onto Fish Unfiltered. They cover each of the five Marlins who rank among the Oyster model's top 100 MLB hitting prospects, intriguing players who missed the cut and what to make of the organization's incredible stolen base volume during the 2025 minor league season. 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. The highest-ranked Marlin on the Oyster's top 100 is Owen Caissie (#46), followed by Andrew Salas (#58), Joe Mack (#73), Dub Gleed (#78) and Maximo Acosta (#99), with Deyvison De Los Santos (#143) being the top unranked hitter in the organization. Here is an expanded overview of Marlins prospects with the best career projections, which you can find under the "prospects" tab of the Oyster Analytics website: In this year's Spring Breakout showcase, Marlins prospects will match up against those from the Houston Astros farm system. The game is being held at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches on Thursday at 12:05 p.m. View full article