Ely Sussman

We saw some of Mesa and Maximo Acosta. If Troy Johnston failed, maybe that would've opened the door for Berry too, but he provided stability in August and September.

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 Detroit Tigers. Starting Lineup CF Jakob Marsee (L) 2B Xavier Edwards (S) C Agustín Ramírez DH Liam Hicks (L) SS Otto Lopez RF Owen Caissie (L) 1B Connor Norby 3B Graham Pauley (L) LF Heriberto Hernández P Janson Junk Click HERE to download the full game notes

I have never seen anything like it. Miami Marlins prospect Jacob Berry, whose value on the field depends entirely on what he provides offensively, is always helpless at the plate early in the season. "Helpless" is a strong word, but you can check his track record—it's been warranted. Early in the 2023 season, Berry was the worst hitter in the Midwest League. Early in the 2024 season, he was the worst hitter in the Southern League. Early in the 2025 season, he was the worst hitter in the International League. Not only worst on his team, but yes, worst in his league (among players who avoided demotion to a lower minor league level). On this date last year, for example, his batting average was .097. To put this baffling trend in its proper context, I'll use wRC+. With ballpark and league factors taken into account, 100 represents average offensive production. During the past three seasons, here is how long it took for Berry to permanently surpass a 50 wRC+ (production at least half as good as league average): June 13 in 2023 June 23 in 2024 May 18 in 2025 This spring, when Berry squandered an extended opportunity in big league camp—he went 1-for-25 in Grapefruit League games—it felt like déjà vu. But to his credit, Berry is off to an uncharacteristically hot start to the 2026 regular season. The best all-around performer in the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp lineup thus far, the switch-hitter enters Saturday with a .333/.405/.472 slash line, one home run, a 141 wRC+ and nearly as many walks (five) as strikeouts (six). He also tops the Marlins MiLB leaderboard with six stolen bases. The Marlins have been very patient with Berry, playing him in an organization-high 369 minor league games since 2023, his first full professional season. Part of that is giving him every chance to make good on their $6 million investment in him, but his ability to hit hard line drives from both sides of the plate is legitimately enticing. Per Prospect Savant, he ranks in the 87th percentile among all Triple-A hitters in whiff rate this season (making contact on five out of every six swings). Berry's batted ball profile is downright sexy right now, with a higher percentage of liners (35.5%) than grounders (32.3%). Under the hood, his expected stats are fully aligned with his real-life production. This comes with a big caveat. Berry is repeating the Triple-A level, where he spent the final month of the 2024 season and all of 2025. It's common for minor leaguers to experience dramatic year-to-year improvement based on familiarity with their environment. After Berry floundered during the first quarter of last season, he hit well throughout the rest of the campaign. And yet, the Marlins never called up the 24-year-old, nor did they protect him in advance of the 2025 Rule 5 draft. He went unselected. Friday's shutout loss notwithstanding, the Marlins offense has been good in 2026 (ranking top 10 in MLB in most categories). Though they're vulnerable against left-handed pitching, Berry is significantly better against righties, so there isn't a clear fit for him on the roster quite yet. Needless to say, if his current rate stats sustain deep into the summer, he will eventually get a taste of the majors. 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 Detroit Tigers. The news on outfielder Griffin Conine is close to a worst-case scenario, with surgery likely required to address the hamstring injury that he suffered on Thursday. Pregame roster moves: 1B Deyvison De Los Santos recalled from Triple-A Jacksonville; OF Griffin Conine (left hamstring tear). 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 3B Graham Pauley (L) LF Javier Sanoja P Chris Paddack Click HERE to download the full game notes

Two weeks into the regular season, the Miami Marlins find themselves in an unfamiliar spot: tied atop the National League East division. Even in such a minuscule sample, it's worth acknowledging for a franchise that for the previous half-decade had a habit of instantaneously falling out of the race. While the local fanbase can't help but feel encouraged by this 8-5 start, it is not motivating them to actually show up to loanDepot park yet. The building was mostly full for Opening Day (32,459), but hasn't even reached half of its capacity since. The Marlins rank 29th among MLB teams in average home attendance so far this season. At 11,713 fans per game, they just barely edge out the Athletics (11,503/game), who host games at a minor league ballpark. Below, I've compared 2026 to every other "normal" season of Bruce Sherman's ownership tenure. Fans were not permitted to attend games in 2020 due to COVID restrictions, and the ballpark's capacity was limited for the first half of 2021 to allow sufficient social distancing, so those seasons have been omitted. The last time that the Marlins got off to such a slow start attendance-wise without a pandemic to blame for it, José Ureña was still anchoring the starting rotation and Lewis Brinson was viewed as a long-term contributor. loanDepot park Attendance, First 10 Games of Season Year Fans/Game Opponents 2024 16,083 PIT, LAA, ATL 2022 15,058 PHI, STL, SEA 2025 14,595 PIT, NYM, WSH 2023 14,507 NYM, MIN, AZ 2018 12,062 CHC, BOS, NYM, PIT 2026 11,713 COL, CWS, CIN 2019 10,542 COL, NYM, PHI There are some legitimate excuses to consider in this case. Historically, Marlins attendance has been very strongly correlated to the day of the week. The numbers skyrocket on weekends. Last season, for example, 16 of the 17 best-attended Marlins home games were on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, with the lone exception being Opening Day (which was celebrated on a Thursday). Every season from 2022-25, Miami's first 10 home games included two full weekends. The calendar has not favored them the same way this year. The only weekend series they've hosted was March 27-29 against the Colorado Rockies, who are widely projected to be MLB's worst team. After the Rockies left town, the Marlins' next opponent was the Chicago White Sox, whose roster is similarly bereft of recognizable big leaguers. On the other hand, the Marlins have been playing high-quality baseball since last summer. How is it that their fan turnout is so comparable to 2018-19 when they fielded some of the least-competitive teams in this stadium's history? If any individual Marlin has the potential to move the needle in terms of attendance, it should be ace right-hander Sandy Alcantara. Conveniently, each of his first three starts coincided with home games. They failed to capitalize on the latter two—his April 1 shutout of the White Sox was the worst-attended Marlins game to date (6,505) and his April 7 encore drew the smallest crowd of the Cincinnati Reds series (8,318). The Marlins spend the next week on the road, followed by a six-game homestand against the Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals beginning on April 17. View full article

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. 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 Chris Paddack (MIA) vs. RHP Keider Montero (DET) on Friday RHP Janson Junk (MIA) vs. RHP Casey Mize (DET) on Saturday RHP Sandy Alcantara (MIA) vs. LHP Tarik Skubal (DET) on Sunday The Marlins rank fifth in MLB with a 113 wRC+ and 13th in MLB with a 3.82 FIP. They are 5-5 in their last 10 games and have a 1-2 record on the road this season. The following Marlins players are on the injured list: Maximo Acosta (10-day IL), Griffin Conine (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 Tigers rank 10th in MLB with a 106 wRC+ and 18th in MLB with a 4.03 FIP. They are 2-8 in their last 10 games and have a 2-1 record at home this season. The following Tigers players are on the injured list: Beau Briske (60-day IL), Bailey Horn (15-day IL), Jackson Job (60-day IL), Parker Meadows (10-day IL), Troy Melton (60-day IL), Reese Olson (60-day IL), Trey Sweeney (10-day IL) and Justin Verlander (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 fourth and final game of Miami's home series against the Cincinnati Reds. Starting Lineup DH Jakob Marsee (L) 2B Xavier Edwards (S) C Agustín Ramírez 1B Liam Hicks (L) SS Otto Lopez RF Owen Caissie (L) LF Griffin Conine (L) CF Javier Sanoja 3B Graham Pauley (L) P Max Meyer 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 third game of Miami's home series against the Cincinnati Reds. It's a rare day off for Otto Lopez. Another loss would drop the Marlins down to the .500 mark for the first time this season. Starting Lineup CF Jakob Marsee (L) 2B Xavier Edwards (S) DH Agustín Ramírez C Liam Hicks (L) 1B Connor Norby RF Owen Caissie (L) LF Griffin Conine (L) SS Leo Jiménez 3B Graham Pauley (L) P Eury Pérez Click HERE to download the full game notes

I'm glad you noted the lack of accountability from McCullough postgame, because that will stain his reputation moving forward. Even in an organization that preaches good process over good results, you're going to alienate not only fans but your own players if you don't own up to a decision that directly flipped an almost-certain win into a loss.

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) Here is a reminder of what the 2025 season leaderboard looked like. FOF SuperSub Sean Millerick 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 Eury Pérez (MIA) vs. RHP Zack Wheeler (PHI) on Friday RHP Max Meyer (MIA) vs. RHP Andrew Painter (PHI) on Saturday RHP Chris Paddack (MIA) vs. LHP Jesús Luzardo (PHI) on Sunday RHP Janson Junk (MIA) vs. RHP Aaron Nola (PHI) on Monday The Marlins rank 14th in MLB with a 99 wRC+ and 13th in MLB with a 3.96 FIP. They are 6-4 in their last 10 games and have a 10-6 record at home 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). The Phillies rank 27th in MLB with a 85 wRC+ and seventh in MLB with a 3.77 FIP. They are 4-6 in their last 10 games and have an 4-9 record on the road this season. The following Phillies players are on the injured list: Kyle Backhus (15-day IL), Jhoan Duran (15-day IL), Max Lazar (60-day IL), Zach Pop (15-day IL) and J.T. Realmuto (10-day IL). View full article

Slater's salary is only slightly above the minimum, for what it's worth. I would find the frustration more understandable if Alderman was hitting the way he's capable of in Jacksonville, but he has stumbled out of the starting gate, too.

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