Ely Sussman

Player status updates, insightful stats and more information to fully equip you for today's Marlins game. Here are the latest Miami Marlins game notes, produced by the Marlins communications department and relayed to our loyal SuperSubs. These notes apply to the fourth and final game of Miami's home series against the Cincinnati Reds. View full article

Serna generates so much more power than Sanoja does despite their physical similarities. His ceiling as a player is far higher. Still waiting on Sanoja to more efficiently translate his speed into valuable baserunning. That would partially close the gap between them.

Offishial News for 8/8/24 On Wednesday, all of Miami's offense came via the home run: two Jake Burger solo shots and a Derek Hill(?!) grand slam. On the mound, Valente Bellozo (5.2 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K, 92 pitches/56 strikes) had a great outing, albeit a somewhat lucky one. His dependency on fly balls has me nervous about his future. Declan Cronin and Andrew Nardi combined to make a mess in the seventh inning, but never relinquished the lead. The Marlins won, 6-4. Down on the farm, Triple-A Jacksonville won, 6-4. 1B/C Agustín Ramírez had a productive night at the plate (3-3, HR, 2 RBI, BB) and Connor Norby played third base for the first time since being acquired. Double-A Pensacola lost, 5-4. Jacob Berry made his professional debut at second base and recorded two hits. High-A Beloit lost, 7-0. RHP Noble Meyer (0.2 IP, 1 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 0 K, 35 pitches/15 strikes) couldn't escape the first inning and finished with only one swinging strike. Low-A Jupiter lost, 10-2. It was even messier for RHP Eliazar Dishmey, who allowed every batter he faced to reach base (0.0 IP, 2 H, 7 ER, 5 BB, 0 K, 36 pitches/15 strikes). Here's more Marlins news and content: 🔷 The Fish On First staff released our updated Marlins Top 30 prospects list on Monday. Now it's your turn! Become a FOF member to submit your personal Top 30 with the option of leaving comments to explain your reasoning. Those submissions will be combined into a public prospect ranking after voting closes on Sunday night. 🔷 The Marlins are hiring area scouts for five different regions: Northeast, Southeast, Mid-Atlantic/Ohio Valley, Midwest/Ohio Valley and South Texas. Joe Frisaro of Man On Second Baseball previously reported that several of the organization's pre-existing scouts were let go following the MLB Draft. 🔷 Updated farm system rankings from Baseball America and ESPN have the Marlins at 18th and 19th, respectively. 🔷 Elsewhere around baseball, the White Sox fired second-year manager Pedro Grifol. He had a 89-190 record (.319 winning percentage). The Padres have won 13 of their last 15 games. Even in a losing effort, Pittsburgh's Aroldis Chapman threw a fastball at 104.7 mph, the top velocity of the pitch-tracking era for a pitch that resulted in a strikeout. The Diamondbacks are similarly hot, victors in 12 of their last 14. They swept a doubleheader from the Guardians with the aid of two Josh Bell homers. Kyle Schwarber (4-4, 3 HR, 7 RBI, BB) singlehandedly led the Phillies past the Dodgers on the scoreboard and past the Guardians in the standings to reclaim MLB's best record. 🔷 Today's MLB game: the Marlins (probable starter RHP Kyle Tyler) conclude their series against the Reds (RHP Hunter Greene). The Marlins have a 40.3% chance to win, per FanGraphs. First pitch at 6:10 p.m. ET. 🔷 Today's MiLB schedule: Triple-A Jacksonville at Toledo, 7:05 p.m. ET Double-A Pensacola at Mississippi, 7:35 p.m. ET High-A Beloit at West Michigan, 6:35 p.m. ET Low-A Jupiter vs. Fort Myers, 6:30 p.m. ET DSL Marlins vs. DSL Mets Orange, 11:00 a.m. ET DSL Miami at DSL Mets Blue, 11:00 a.m. ET Marlins podcast episodes View full article

The Berry-led 2022 draft class is trending toward being the least productive in Marlins history. It's possible to overcome a botched first-round pick, but barring an unexpected player development breakthrough, very little to get excited about regarding that particular class.

Player status updates, insightful stats and more information to fully equip you for today's Marlins game. Here are the latest Miami Marlins game notes, produced by the Marlins communications department and relayed to our loyal SuperSubs. These notes apply to the third game of Miami's home series against the Cincinnati Reds. View full article

Offishial News for 8/7/24 On Tuesday, Elly De La Cruz stole the show again, going 4-for-5 with dynamic baserunning. Max Meyer (4.0 IP, 8 H, 6 H, 3 BB, 2 K, 76 pitches/43 strikes) pitched horribly. Way too many misses over the heart of the plate and only six whiffs against him. Xavier Edwards extended his on-base streak to 23 games. The Marlins lost, 8-2. Down on the farm, Triple-A Jacksonville lost, 9-2. INF Connor Norby went 3-for-5. Double-A Pensacola won, 7-3. They racked up 14 hits in five innings off of knuckleballer David Fletcher. OF Shane Sasaki went 3-for-4 and he's quietly hitting .351 since returning from the injured list. LHP Patrick Monteverde set a season high with eight strikeouts. High-A Beloit lost, 7-1. RHP Karson Milbrandt (3.2 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, 85 pitches/45 strikes) struggled with his control. Bad defense behind him didn't help matters. Low-A Jupiter lost, 9-7. Two walks and an RBI double for INF Carter Johnson. DSL Marlins won, 9-2. INF Joseph Tailor drove in four runs and has reached base safely in 14 consecutive games. RHP Estarlin Francisco (4.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K) allowed only two balls to leave the infield. DSL Miami lost, 6-5. The game was decided on a fielding error by OF Jancory De La Cruz (making the catch would've sealed a 5-4 victory). 🔷 Sean McCormack explains which tweaks the Marlins could make with newly claimed relievers John McMillon and Brett de Geus. 🔷 Andy Slater reports that the PNC Club at loanDepot park will be expanding in 2025 to add five more rows of premium seating behind home plate. 🔷 Aram Leighton of Just Baseball summarizes how the Marlins transformed their farm system at the trade deadline. 🔷 This week, Loud Miami Fan is giving away an autographed Lewis Brinson card from 2018. 🔷 Elsewhere around baseball, Billy Bean, the revered Major League Baseball senior VP of diversity, equity & inclusion, passed away at age 60 from leukemia. Framber Valdez came one out shy of throwing his second career no-hitter. The White Sox beat the Athletics to snap their 21-game losing streak. Next season, the Braves and Reds will be playing a game at the Bristol Motor Speedway. CJ Abrams homered on a pitch up around his chin. 4de9fb73-14e7be64-07efcd8a-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_4000K.mp4 🔷 Today's MLB game: the Marlins (probable starter RHP Valente Bellozo) host the Reds (LHP Andrew Abbott). The Marlins have a 44.7% chance to win, per FanGraphs. First pitch at 6:40 p.m. ET. 🔷 Today's MiLB schedule: Triple-A Jacksonville at Toledo, 7:05 p.m. ET Double-A Pensacola at Mississippi, 7:35 p.m. ET High-A Beloit at West Michigan, 6:35 p.m. ET Low-A Jupiter vs. Fort Myers, 6:30 p.m. ET Marlins podcast episodes View full article

Player status updates, insightful stats and more information to fully equip you for today's Marlins game. Here are the latest Miami Marlins game notes, produced by the Marlins communications department and relayed to our loyal SuperSubs. These notes apply to the second game of Miami's home series against the Cincinnati Reds. View full article

I see where you're coming from on both of these guys. With DLS, the issue will be adjusting to the quality of MLB stuff. Even hundreds of PAs at Triple-A can't prepare you for it. When chasing outside the zone vs. MLB pitchers, it's so much harder to make quality contact. He must get more selective at the plate. Strongly considered putting DLS ahead of Ramirez for the reasons you point out.

Reading the latest FanGraphs report on him, our main disagreement is on his defense. He can be a positive at both infield and corner outfield spots, whereas they have him as a liability. His actions and tools reminds me quite a bit of old friend Brian Anderson, who was a solid 50 FV prior to his shoulder injury.

From the August 5 edition of Fish On First LIVE, Ely Sussman, Daniel Rodriguez and Nate Karzmer discuss the updated FOF Top 30 prospects list. View full video

After being limited to 12 mundane starts in 2024, Luzardo's trade value would be merely a fraction of what it was last offseason. As relayed to Fish On First by the Miami Marlins on Monday, left-hander Jesús Luzardo remains a long way away from returning to full strength. Sidelined by a lumbar stress reaction since mid-June, Luzardo hasn't even begun a throwing progression yet. He'll rest for at least six more weeks before doing so. Thus far, his rehab has only consisted of bike workouts and forearm and shoulder strengthening. Do the math. The MLB regular season is over in less than eight weeks. Luzardo could be playing catch entering the final two, but restarting a progression from scratch, it's a multi-week process before being cleared to face live batters of any kind. Luzardo will not pitch for the Marlins again in 2024. He logged 66 ⅔ innings across 12 starts, falling short of his career averages in ERA (5.00) and FIP (4.26). His 21.2 K% and 37.0 GB% were both new single-season lows as was his average fastball velocity. The Fish had a 4-8 record with him on the mound. Rumor had it that, if healthy, the Marlins front office was going to shop Luzardo aggressively leading up to the trade deadline. Considering what Trevor Rogers fetched with the same amount of club control remaining—and far lower upside—the offers would have been tempting. Come November when the offseason fully commences and Luzardo should be throwing off a mound at full intensity, will trade negotiations resume? Although Peter Bendix is famously "always having conversations," I have a hard time seeing them leading anywhere. Unfortunately for Luzardo, his prolonged injury absence will cost him millions of dollars. Last year, by making every scheduled start and eating 178 ⅔ innings at a very high quality, he earned a $3.05M raise via arbitration, from $2.45M to $5.5M. This time around, his case looks a lot like 2023 Nestor Cortes, who settled with the New York Yankees at a $750k raise. That would put Luzardo's salary at $6.25M for the 2025 season. That suppressed cost is a boon to Luzardo's trade value. However, it also alleviates some of the pressure on the Marlins to move him now. With Luzardo off the table, Bendix was busy flipping productive veterans who were either in the midst of their arb years or about to enter them. Rogers, Jazz Chisholm Jr., A.J. Puk, JT Chargois and Bryan De La Cruz, all of whom would've been in line for significant pay bumps next season, are out of the picture. That leaves the Marlins' books in pristine condition. In 2025, Sandy Alcantara is owed $17.3M and Avisaíl García will collect $12M, but after Luzardo's estimated $6.25M, no other Marlin comes close. The only other player on a fully guaranteed deal is Woo-Suk Go ($2.25M). The upcoming MLB free agent class is shaping up to be pretty deep when it comes to left-handed starters (Max Fried, Blake Snell, Yusei Kikuchi, Sean Manaea, Andrew Heaney, José Quintana, Clayton Kershaw, James Paxton, etc.). If enough of them finish 2024 healthy, there might not be a team eager to trade let's say 150% of the Trevor Rogers package for Luzardo. Having only two years of club control left narrows Luzardo's market to genuine contenders. It would be very unorthodox, but would Luzardo and the Marlins mutually agree to have him participate in the 2024-25 winter ball season, making a few starts in Venezuela, the Dominican Republic or elsewhere to verify that he's back to 100%? Mending from an arm injury, no way; with this being back-related, perhaps there'd be less anxiety. Taking everything into consideration, I expect the Marlins to hold onto Luzardo for the first half of 2025. He can restore much of his former value if he reverts to his No. 2 starter form. While expectations for next season's Fish ought to be low, those aforementioned trade deadline maneuvers filled the upper levels of the farm system with quality prospects. If several of them makes smooth transitions to the majors, it's within the realm of possibility that they're competitive from the get-go and prefer to utilize Luzardo as a pitcher than a trade asset. Shipping him away before Opening Day would dash that dream. View full article

Player status updates, insightful stats and more information to fully equip you for today's Marlins game. Here are the latest Miami Marlins game notes, produced by the Marlins communications department and relayed to our loyal SuperSubs. These notes apply to the first game of Miami's home series against the Cincinnati Reds. View full article

Offishial News for 8/5/24 On Sunday, Edward Cabrera (5.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K, 98 pitches/60 strikes) held the Braves scoreless. He had to grind for it, averaging more than five pitches per plate appearance. Xavier Edwards extended his on-base streak to 21 games—a 2-for-5 day actually lowered his season-long on-base percentage, from .460 to .458. Jonah Bride is also in the midst of a career-best hot stretch, homering in three of his last five contests (only one homer in his previous 114). The Marlins won, 7-0. It was the first shutout they've pitched since May 24 when Braxton Garrett went the distance against the Diamondbacks. Down on the farm, Double-A Pensacola won, 6-4 and 4-3. INF Jared Serna finished his first week in the Marlins organization with a 1.274 OPS and sealed the second victory with a go-ahead RBI double. LHP Robby Snelling (5.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, 63 pitches/48 strikes) had outstanding command in his Blue Wahoos debut. High-A Beloit won, 4-3. INF Josh Zamora went 2-for-4 with a walk. Here's more Marlins news and content: 🔷 Just a few weeks since the previous update, our Fish On First Top 30 prospects list has been refreshed again to incorporate the likes of Serna, Snelling and numerous trade deadline acquisitions. The depth of the Marlins farm system is much improved, though there's still a dearth of high-ceiling players. Beginning on Tuesday, we'll open a new round of public prospect voting where FOF members can submit their own Top 30 lists. 🔷 The Marlins have recently released 27 minor league players to create space for draftees and trade arrivals. Notables include Jonathan Davis and Tanner Allen. Several were due to be minor league free agents following the season anyway, such as Osiris Johnson and Davis Bradshaw. 🔷 Listen back to Sunday's State of the Fish call-in show, reflecting on a chaotic week and the Marlins' surprisingly solid play dating back to the All-Star break. 🔷 Through 36 Marlins series, here's an updated look at the Prediction Time leaderboard. Make series predictions with us all season long when you become a Fish On First SuperSub. 🔷 Anthony Bender has added a four-seam fastball to his pitch mix, explaining to MLB.com's Christina De Nicola that he'll be using it mainly against left-handed batters to change eye levels. 🔷 Happy birthday to Braxton Garrett! The Marlins left-hander turns 27 today. Garrett has a career 110 ERA+ across parts of five major league seasons (all of them in Miami). 🔷 Elsewhere around baseball, the White Sox suffered their 20th consecutive loss. Bob Nightengale of USA Today describes Skip Schumaker as the "leading candidate" to manage the Sox once Pedro Grifol inevitably gets dismissed. The Rangers have lost seven of their last nine, plummeting their playoff odds into the single digits. The Yankees are 6-1 since Jazz Chisholm Jr. made his debut for them. A.J. Puk recorded his first save as a Diamondback, retiring former teammate Bryan De La Cruz for the final out. 🔷 Today's MLB game: the Marlins (probable starter RHP Roddery Muñoz) begin a new homestand against the Reds (RHP Nick Martinez). The Marlins have a 41.3% chance to win, per FanGraphs. First pitch at 6:40 p.m. ET. 🔷 Join us for a new episode of Fish On First LIVE tonight from 5:30-6:30 p.m. ET on YouTube/Twitter/Facebook. FOF LIVE is presented by Berger & Hicks. If you’ve been injured as a result of somebody else’s negligence, give them a call at (305) 670-7050. 🔷 Today's MiLB schedule: DSL Marlins at DSL Rockies, 11:00 a.m. ET DSL Miami vs. DSL NYY Bombers, 11:00 a.m. ET Marlins podcast episodes View full article