Louis Addeo-Weiss

During Chris Paddack's time in the major leagues, the lows have largely outweighed the highs. Since an impressive rookie campaign with the San Diego Padres in 2019, his ERA has been north of 5.00. The club he faced on Wednesday night, the Atlanta Braves, has repeatedly been a safe haven through the years. In four career appearances against them, Paddack's 2.14 ERA ranks second-lowest among teams he has encountered a minimum of three times. Paddack owns a 1.32 ERA in three starts against the Cardinals. In the first inning Wednesday night, Jackie Robinson Day around the sport, Paddack's luck against Atlanta seemed like it would persist, setting down the top of the order 1-2-3, including a pair of strikeouts. What followed would be a 28-pitch second inning that prevented Paddack from giving the Marlins the length they needed the night after Eury Pérez only gave the club four innings. After getting Austin Riley to fly out, Ozzie Albies continued his run of torching Miami pitching, blasting a solo home run to get the scoring going for Atlanta. Albies' home run marked his 22nd career blast against the Marlins, tying him with Marcell Ozuna for the sixth most among active players. Atlanta would tack on another run later in the inning when Mauricio Dubón lined a single to left on a hanging, full-count breaking ball that caught too much of the plate. Paddack would, however, settle back into his accustomed groove against Atlanta, firing 1-2-3 frames in the third and fourth. Were it not for a single by another notorious Marlin killer, Ronald Acuña Jr., Paddack would have completed at least five innings for the second consecutive outing. At 92 pitches, Clayton McCullough signaled for another lefty, John King, to finish the frame. Paddack's final line: 4.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 K. After allowing eight runs in his season debut on March 30, Paddack has allowed just five runs (four earned) over his last 15 1/3 innings spread across three appearances. You'd have to go back to the six-start span between May 9-June 7, 2025, the last time Paddack allowed two or fewer runs in at least three consecutive outings. Miami's bats would lie dormant for the first two-thirds of the game, as Bryce Elder fired 5 ⅔ scoreless innings to lower his season ERA to 0.77. The previously mentioned King would falter the following inning, though, when Austin Riley blasted his 16th career home run against Miami. Following a Drake Baldwin RBI single in the latter half of the seventh, Matt Olson, playing in his 801st consecutive game, continued a torrid start to the season, sending the first offering from Andrew Nardi over the right field wall to increase the Atlanta lead to six. Showcasing the resiliency they showed in 2025, Miami would begin to claw back, thanks in large part to Liam Hicks, who hit his team-leading fourth home run of the season. In 18 games to begin the season, Hicks owns a 145 wRC+. Heriberto Hernández, whose misplayed fly ball led to the Olson homer, plated the Marlins third run when he grounded into a fielder's choice. The Marlins fell to Atlanta, 6-3. In 78 lifetime games at Truist Park, the Marlins are a dismal 23-55. The Braves have yet to lose a series through the first three weeks of the 2026 season. Despite the recent skid, manager Clayton McCullough remained steadfast in his belief in his group of guys. "We really like the team we have here, and we have a lot of games to play...so there's a lot to like right now." Looking Ahead Thursday will represent the Marlins' first off-day since April 2, concluding a span of 13 games in 13 days. When they resume play on Friday, they will face off against the Milwaukee Brewers. Janson Junk (0-2, 4.32 ERA) will toe the rubber against his former club. First pitch from loanDepot park is slated 7:10 EST. View full article

The Miami Marlins fell behind early and stayed behind in losing to the Detroit Tigers on both Friday and Saturday. Looking to avoid the sweep on Sunday, they had to feel good about having their ace, Sandy Alcantara, on the mound. Unfortunately, that optimism was quelled by the notion of facing two-time, reigning AL Cy Young award winner Tarik Skubal. For the first two-thirds of the game, the Marlins offense may as well have just stayed home. Carrying a no-hitter into the sixth inning, it would be Austin Slater, in solely due to Skubal's left-handedness, who dunked a single into center field to get Miami in the hit column. Skubal wound up tossing 6 ⅔ innings of one-run ball in Detroit's 8-2 win over Miami, clinching a series sweep. In his four starts to begin the season, Skubal has completed six innings in three of them. In his two prior outings against the Marlins, Skubal owned an ERA of 9.00. Alcantara's afternoon would not be smooth sailing, as the former Cy Young winner allowed seven runs in six innings. In his three starts before Sunday, Alcantara allowed just two earned runs, posting a 0.74 ERA in what has been a resurgent season for him. On the day, Alcantara allowed 15 hard-hit balls, all on each pitch in his arsenal. "Tough series this weekend," noted manager Clayton McCullough. "This is just part of the season, so the positive is that this part is over...All we can try to do is play better tomorrow," continued McCullough. With the loss, Miami falls to 8-8, the first time they've been .500 since Opening Day. In the weekend series, Miami went 0-for-16 with runners in scoring position. After retiring Kevin McGonigle and Gleyber Torres to begin his outing, back-to-back singles would come back to bite Alcantara, as Skubal's battery mate, Dillon Dingler, launched his third home run of the season. Alcantara would settle into the tune of scoreless frames two through four before McGonigle, a .322 hitter in his first big league season, would tag him for his first career home run. On the day, the Tigers would find the outfield seats three times against Alcantara, marking the seventh time he's allowed as many home runs in a single outing. Entering this series, the Marlins offense was above-average in most offensive categories. Whatever excuses you'd like to apply to their struggles at Comerica Park, whether it be the low temperatures, solid quality of competition or absence of newly injured Griffin Conine, the end result was an abysmal output of only three runs. That makes this Miami's lowest-scoring series in nearly a calendar year (3 R vs. SF from 5/30-6/1/25). Looking Ahead The Marlins' road trip will continue with a stop in Atlanta, where they'll meet the Braves for the first time this season on Monday. Eury Pérez (1-1, 5.06 ERA) will look to overcome his road woes in the series opener. In 23 career starts away from loanDepot park, the soon-to-be 23-year-old owns a 5.02 ERA, nearly double the 2.59 mark he's posted at home. Opposing him, Grant Holmes (1-1, 2.55 ERA) will make his fourth career start against Miami, whom he owns a 3.14 ERA against. First pitch from Truist Park is slated for 7:15 EST. View full article

MIAMI — The last time the Marlins started a season 3-0 in 2009, they were still the Florida Marlins. Fast-forward 17 years, and after a name change, a new stadium, and two improbable playoff appearances, the Miami Marlins have joined them along with the 1997 World Series-winning team with three consecutive season-opening victories. The third such win, Sunday's 4-3 defeat over the Colorado Rockies, proved the most meaningful. Entering the bottom of the ninth trailing 3-2, Miami started off the inning with an Xavier Edwards single. Liam Hicks, a late-game replacement and one of the protagonists in Saturday's win, lined out to former Marlin, first baseman Troy Johnston, who turned an unassisted double play. Now down to their last out, Javier Sanoja would keep the dream alive with a two-out double that split the gap in left-center, bringing Owen Caissie, already 4-for-9 with a pair of doubles in this series, to the plate. After taking a first-pitch changeup from Colorado's Victor Vodnik, the Rockies reliever doubled down. Caissie made him pay for it, sending the pitch over the right field wall for a walk-off, two-run homer. "I mean, I kind of blacked out...I don't know if kids imagine that, but it was awesome," said Caissie. "Safe to say Owen Caissie will be in the lineup tomorrow," noted smiling Marlins manager Clayton McCullough. I think it goes without saying that 2026 is a make-or-break year for Max Meyer. The club's first-round pick in 2020, Meyer entered his fourth big league season the owner of a 5.29 ERA in his 25 starts. So, when his first inning of the season yielded three runs, it felt like more of the same. "I was just way too nonchalant out there for the first, and my arm just wasn't on time," said Meyer. "I looked at some video in the third...and I just kind of never got my arm through, and then I was able to pick up the pace a bit, so I felt better in the last couple of innings, for sure." Following that three-run top of the first, Meyer would hold the Rockies scoreless for the next four innings, allowing just a pair of hits. In his five innings of work, Meyer, who threw 81 pitches, walked two and struck out four. Relying primarily on his secondary pitches, Meyer only threw 28 percent fastballs in his season debut, failing to generate a single whiff on his heaters. His slider, though, proved greatly effective, generating whiffs on nine of the 13 swings, averaging just 71.7 miles per hour when put in play. A narrative defining the Marlins' early-season triumphs has been the resilience their players have shown following moments of adversity. Take shortstop Otto Lopez, whose throwing error in the top of the first allowed TJ Rumfield to score Colorado's third run. Batting in the bottom of the inning, Lopez hit an RBI double that saw Miami begin its clawing back. While it may be early, there appear to be signs of something potentially special beginning to blossom here in Miami. "This group is kind of creating their own identity a little bit. This is a new year, but the same type of mentality—just the resiliency," noted McCullough. The Fish would plate another run in the following inning on a sacrifice fly from the newly minted Austin Slater. Advancing to third on that play and making his major league debut, Deyvison De Los Santos made an impact early, doubling in his first career at-bat. Acquired from Arizona in the trade that shipped out A.J. Puk, De Los Santos' calling card is his 70-grade power, something the Marlins should rely on in the absence of Christopher Morel and Kyle Stowers. The comeback, Miami's third one-run win in a row to begin the season, could not have been possible without the help of the bullpen, which fired four scoreless frames in relief of Meyer. In the season's opening series, Marlin relievers combined to throw eight scoreless innings and strike out 15. Looking Ahead The Marlins will continue their opening homestand on Monday, hosting the Chicago White Sox. Chris Paddack will make his Marlins debut in the series opener. Miami and Paddack agreed to a one-year, $4M deal before the start of spring training. Davis Martin will oppose him for Chicago. The first pitch at loanDepot park is slated for 6:40 EST. View full article

The biggest success a team can find in spring training is getting through the month-plus grind with most of its key players healthy. For the 2026 Miami Marlins, that won't come to pass, as it was announced that Kyle Stowers, the club's All-Star representative last season, will start the season on the injured list with a grade-1 right hamstring strain. In what was a breakout 2025 season for him, the former top prospect hit .288/.368/.544/.912, slugging 25 home runs in the process. Limited to all of 117 games, one can only think the Marlins, winners of 79 games, could have found themselves securing a wild card spot had Stowers been more readily available. The club's depth will be tested, too, as it was later announced that Esteury Ruiz would be out 6-8 weeks with a left oblique strain. Acquired in the offseason as a potential bench piece and late-game pinch-runner, Ruiz struggled this spring, hitting .129 with a .446 OPS across 41 plate appearances but also five steals. Not committing to one player, Marlins manager Clayton McCullough noted the roster's versatility as a potential strength. "We feel like we have enough players that can play multiple spots and can move pieces around." One player who could see time out there is Connor Norby, who started in left field on Saturday, homering in his second plate appearance. The questions around Norby have largely centered on his defense, and suffice to say, those concerns weren't quelled when he dropped a line drive in Saturday's 7-4 loss to the Cardinals. The club's swiss army knife last season, newly minted World Baseball Classic champion Javier Sanoja, is a likely candidate, as well,m. He saw parts of 35 games in left, appearing at eight different positions overall. Sanoja's effort would be rewarded with the National League's utility player Gold Glove Award. Let's not forget Griffin Conine, who has shown above-average defense and raw power in parts of two seasons. Conine would go back-to-back with Norby in Saturday's loss. Heriberto Hernández could find himself playing more than initially expected in the wake of Stowers' injury. The 26-year-old posted a batting line 16 percent better than league average in a part-time role in his debut 2025 season, finishing 13th in NL Rookie of the Year voting. Signed with the intention of being the club's primary first baseman, Christopher Morel has 164 games of outfield experience in his four seasons in the Major Leagues, grading out rather poorly at minus-16 DRS. The Game at Hand Sandy Alcantara, set to extend his franchise record as he makes his sixth Opening Day start this coming Friday, Todd the slab for the club's Grapefruit League finale, allowing three runs over 4 2/3 innings pitched in Miami's 4-3 walk-off win over the division rival New York Mets. Prior to a three-run top of the fourth, Alcantara had set down the first nine Met hitters faced, including strikeouts against Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto, and Luis Robert Jr. It would be the former two who would start New York's rally in the top of the fourth. Miami finishes its spring training schedule 11-13. "Nice to end on a winning note," said McCullough. Speaking on how he feels for the start of the season, Alcantara noted the confidence he has in both himself and the team as a whole. "Last year, it wasn't my best year, but I think about it from a positive...I finished strong, finished healthy, I threw 170-plus innings, but you just forget what happened last year, be here today and be out there during the season." Alcantara struggled in his first year coming off Tommy John Surgery, posting a career-worst 5.36 ERA. Amid the news of the Stowers injury, a feel-good story came out of Marlins camp this weekend, as it was announced that Andrew Nardi had made the Opening Day roster. Nardi, who missed all of 2025 with lower back inflammation, owns a career 4.51 ERA in parts of three seasons. In five appearances this spring, the Tennessee native struck out nine, allowed just one hit, and didn't allow a single run. "I feel like I'm back in 2023 again when I was told I made the Opening Day roster for the first time. I'm just excited to get going," reflected a smiling Nardi. That 2023 season saw Nardi establish himself as one of the better left-handed relievers in the sport, posting a 2.67 ERA over his 57 1/3 innings pitched. Not Talked About Enough If the Marlins want to take continued steps forward, suffice to say their forward progression is predicated on how they fare against left-handed pitching. The club's collective .656 OPS against southpaws last season ranked 24th. Even the Colorado Rockies, fresh off a 119-loss season, finished at .679. The biggest offenders here are two of the better position players on the team last season, in Otto López and Xavier Edwards. Among the 57 players with at least 175 plate appearances against lefties in 2025, López and Edwards ranked worst and second-worst at .521 and .564, respectively. While we're not making much of spring training statistics, López has hit .333 with an .833 OPS in a limited, six-plate-appearance sample. Edwards, on the other hand, has seen his struggles carry over into the new year, as he's hit .091 across 11 such plate appearances. Looking Ahead The next time the Marlins take the field, the 2026 regular season will be upon us, as they're set to open the year at home against the Colorado Rockies on Friday, March 27. As noted, Sandy Alcantara will take the ball in his franchise-record sixth Opening Day start. Opposing him, Kyle Freeland will start for Colorado. First pitch from loanDepot park is slated for 7:10 EST. View full article

Kyle Stowers entered the 2025 regular season at the nadir of his career. After being blocked from consistent playing time in Baltimore, he had a golden opportunity to prove himself with the Miami Marlins, but he was failing to capitalize on it. Stowers proceeded to hit .186 with a strikeout rate north of 35 percent as a Marlin in 2024, followed by a more disheartening .175 slugging percentage the ensuing spring. The announcement that he had made the club's Opening Day roster took some—myself included—by surprise. What Stowers did in the season opener would be a precursor to one of the most improbable All-Star campaigns in franchise history. His game-winning RBI single, the first such Opening Day hit in franchise history, was one of numerous clutch moments for the outfielder. While the Marlins' talented starting pitchers underachieved early in the year, as did their speedy leadoff man Xavier Edwards, Stowers would hit .288/.368/.544/.912 en rout to being their lone representative at the Midsummer Classic. Predicting Stowers to earn All-Star accolades again would not be particularly bold. Right-hander Eury Pérez and center fielder Jakob Marsee also come to mind immediately, as does ace Sandy Alcantara, who's been an All-Star twice before. Even shortstop Otto Lopez is overqualified for this conversation given his well-rounded skill set and projected playing time. On the other hand, with apologies to Brian Navarreto and his fellow minor league depth options, I don't want to reach too far in the other direction. Under ideal circumstances and with the appropriate adjustments, which Marlins could improbably play their way to Philadelphia for the 2026 All-Star festivities? The Kyle Stowers candidate: Connor Norby What better place to start than with the player Stowers found himself traded with two summers ago? Upon coming over to Miami in 2024, Norby showcased some of the promise he had in the minor leagues, hitting seven home runs in 36 games, totaling a .760 OPS. At this time last year, he was widely viewed as the club's third baseman of the future. However, after a season that saw him take three trips to the injured list and provide mediocre production when available, Norby's role on the 2026 roster is somewhat uncertain. This spring, the club has sought to make Norby more versatile, starting him at his usual third base along with a pair of appearances at first. A lack of plate discipline is still apparent in his .316/.316/.421/.737 Grapefruit League slash line, but his ability to distribute extra-base hits to all fields is alluring. Although Norby is expected to begin 2026 as platoon partners with Graham Pauley, his role could expand quickly if he rakes the way he's capable of. BABIP-dependent: Javier Sanoja While he certainly played the super-utility role to a tee last season, Gold Glover Javier Sanoja would have to do a whole lot better than the 86 wRC+ he put forth in 2025. A 101 wRC+ hitter in the minor leagues, at least Sanoja's elite contact skills have already translated to the big league level (11.9 K%). There are some signs that the 23-year-old could be turning the corner as a run producer—he slugged .478 after the 2025 All-Star break and homered in the just-completed World Baseball Classic. As long as Sanoja continues to avoid strikeouts, he's capable of sustaining an eye-popping batting average for a half-season sample size. Due to the versatility he has to play practically any position, compiling the necessary reps won't be much of an obstacle. On the mound: Chris Paddack While he may have been a touted prospect, the return on investment in Chris Paddack's parts of seven seasons at the big league level has been a mixed bag. The closest he's ever come to the All-Star conversation was his rookie year of 2019, when he pitched to a 3.33 ERA with the Padres. He has posted a 5.06 ERA since, often missing significant time due to injury. Among 149 pitchers to throw at least 400 innings in the 2020s, Paddack's ERA ranks 143rd. Those results kept him on the job market into February when the Marlins finally signed the free agent to a one-year/$4M deal. "Something I think we all need to be reminded of, even at this level, is, 'Hey man, you're really good. Believe in yourself.' That's something that was told to me in that first Zoom call, and that, 'We're not on the phone to fill a roster spot—we think you can contribute...and we want to help you find that ceiling,'" remarked Paddack. With a defense that will feature the likes of Edwards, Lopez, and Marsee up the middle (and eventually, catcher Joe Mack), Paddack should see some positive regression, especially coming from the Minnesota Twins (minus-11 outs above average) and Detroit Tigers (-4 OAA). The Marlins, on the other hand, ranked seventh-best in that department at plus-17. It is a stretch to say that this proposed positive regression could net Paddack an All-Star nod, but he has looked like a savvy investment for Miami to this point, hurling nine innings across four spring appearances without yielding an earned run. View full article

This isn't an endorsement of small-sample fodder, nor an argument that spring training statistics correlate to the ensuing MLB regular season. In the case of the Miami Marlins, though, their primary catcher of the present and presumed primary catcher of the future have produced a stark contrast in results through the first third of the Grapefruit League schedule. This understandably is drawing even more attention to the already-present narrative that the inevitable transition from Agustín Ramírez to Joe Mack behind the plate should be expedited. The Marlins number two prospect per our rankings, Mack has thrived in his 11 plate appearances thus far, hitting .333/.455/.667/1.122. Meanwhile, Ramírez is off to a feverishly slow start, going 0-for-14 with six strikeouts. No other player in the sport has accrued as many plate appearances as the 24-year-old without reaching base safely. When does the conversation shift to Mack potentially breaking camp with the big league club? "Joe Mack is going to play for us at some point. When that is, I don't know," noted Marlins manager Clayton McCullough. Mack, renowned for his defensive prowess, seemed to realize some of the potential thrust upon him in the batter's box, hitting 21 home runs across Double-A and Triple-A in 2025, OPS'ing a career-best .813. If Mack brought even three-quarters of that offensive output with him to Miami, in tandem with his defense, he would become the franchise's best all-around backstop of the post-J.T. Realmuto era. As for Agustín, there are multiple ways one could approach this. He was one of just four rookies in 2025 to hit 20-plus home runs, finishing sixth in NL Rookie of the Year voting. This isn't to ignore the red flags in his profile, though, as Ramírez walked in just 6.2 percent of his 585 plate appearances (MLB average is 8.4%). He was also considerably better in games started at designated hitter, when he could apply his full focus to his offensive responsibilities. On the whole, his 92 OPS+ made him a below-average hitter. Despite catching in just 73 games last season, Ramírez's 10 errors led all MLB catchers, as did his 19 passed balls. According to Fielding Bible, only Salvador Perez (-15) put up a worse defensive runs saved total than Ramírez's minus-14. His work ethic earns praise from Marlins leadership, yet the early returns this spring are underwhelming. In all likelihood, the Marlins won't budge on their conservative plan unless Mack sustains this pace for the remaining three weeks of exhibition games. The expectation is still that Ramírez and Liam Hicks will form their Opening Day catching tandem. A 2024 Rule 5 draft pick out of the Tigers system, Hicks showed promising plate discipline, OBP'ing .346 across 390 plate appearances. While not known for his defense behind the plate, Hicks certainly feels safer behind the dish than Ramírez, graded out as about an average defender according to DRS, while also appearing in parts of 28 games at first base. Regardless of where he opens 2026, there's a sense that we're on the precipice of seeing Joe Mack impact the Marlins at the major league level. The Game at Hand Chris Paddack made his second spring start for the Marlins on Sunday, tossing two scoreless innings in the club's 3-0 victory over the Nationals. Originally drafted by Miami in 2015, Paddack would be traded to the Padres in the deal that netted Fernando Rodney in 2016. Debuting in the majors in 2019, Paddack owns a 4.64 lifetime ERA over parts of seven seasons. In 2025, his first season post-Tommy John surgery, Paddack pitched to a 5.35 ERA across 158 innings between Minnesota and Detroit. "Really good day for Chris...Really good day to build off of," noted McCullough. Speaking of his experience with the Marlins thus far, Paddack reflected on the highs and lows of his career, spoke about the early discussions he had when meeting with the club prior to signing. "Something I think we all need to be reminded of, even at this level is, 'Hey man, you're really good. Believe in yourself.' That's something that was told to me in that first Zoom call, and that we're not on the phone to fill a roster spot—we think you can contribute...and we want to help you find that ceiling," remarked Paddack. News From Around Camp - Thomas White, the club’s top prospect, has a Grade 1 right oblique strain. McCullough stated that White experienced some discomfort in his spring debut on Thursday. The timeline for his return to play is 3-4 weeks. Setback aside, White appears to be a name who could impact the big league roster at some point in 2026. - Bradley Blalock, acquired by Miami over the offseason from Colorado, is the only healthy arm in big league camp who has yet to make a Grapefruit League appearance. He's slated to make his spring debut in the next couple of days, per McCullough. - Christopher Morel and Griffin Conine swapped spots on the defensive side of the ball, with Conine making his spring debut at first base, and Morel in right field. Morel, while in line to be the club's primary first baseman, is expected to see time at both third base and the outfield at points this season. In 105 games with Tampa Bay last year, he hit .219 with a .684 OPS. View full article

The Miami Marlins will recognize Josh Beckett's contributions to the franchise by inducting him into the team's Hall of Fame this September. A former No. 2 overall MLB Draft pick of the Fish, the Texas right-hander had some inconsistencies during his career, both health-wise and performance-wise, but he peaked as one of MLB's best starters and repeatedly elevated his game in the postseason. Beckett's inclusion in the 2026 HOF class got us wondering: Is he the best homegrown pitcher in franchise history is? Before we get started, we must define what it means to be "homegrown." These are players who were acquired by the Marlins as amateurs either through the draft or international free agency. Since 1992, the Marlins have selected 806 pitchers in the draft and hundreds more internationally. That rules out prominent names like Kevin Brown, Dontrelle Willis, Ricky Nolasco, Aníbal Sánchez, and Sandy Alcantara, as their professional careers commenced with other organizations. This is a discussion reserved for the farm-raised hurlers who had big league success with the organization. To be paid to play baseball professionally is an accomplishment of its own, even more fulfilling if that dream is one day realized at the highest level. But to get to the major leagues and succeed is beyond what most people's imagination would allow for. The "Just Missed" Edward Cabrera (Dominican Republic) would hold the title for best international pitcher signed by the Marlins, as his 7.1 bWAR ranks first among such players. However, being traded to the Chicago Cubs ahead of the 2026 season means we won't be privileged to bask in the fruit of his 2025 breakout. In a career-high 137 ⅓ innings, Cabrera posted a 3.53 ERA, striking out nearly 10 batters per nine innings. In a similarly valuable vein, Brad Penny, worth 8.1 WAR during his Marlins tenure, could potentially have found his way into the conversation had he not been dealt to the Dodgers at the 2004 trade deadline. Penny posted a trio of near-three-win seasons between 2001 and 2004, including a 2003 season where he pitched to a 2.19 ERA in the club's World Series triumph over the New York Yankees. In the years that immediately followed his departure from 2005 to 2007, Penny experienced his longest sustained run of success, pitching to a 117 ERA+ and making a pair of All-Star teams. Among MLB pitchers to throw at least 500 innings in that span, Penny's 11.3 bWAR ranked 21st, sandwiching him between two future former Marlins, Dan Haren and Javier Vázquez. If we're accounting for relievers, as well, then AJ Ramos is worth mentioning. His 6.6 bWAR is the most among all relief pitchers originally drafted or signed by Miami, and his 2.78 ERA trails only Kevin Brown (2.30) and the late-José Fernández (2.58) for third-lowest among pitchers to throw at least 300 innings for the team. The Big Three The aforementioned Beckett drew comparisons to Nolan Ryan and raced through the minor leagues before debuting with the Marlins at the end of the 2001 season. Beckett was one of just eight pitchers to throw 135 or more innings and finish with an ERA below 4.00 in each season between 2003 and 2005. He is best remembered for his series-clinching shutout thrown on three days' rest in Game 6 of the '03 World Series While his body of work leaves some to be desired for this discussion—a 3.46 ERA and 10.7 bWAR in 609 innings—Beckett's place in Marlins lore is firmly entrenched. Beckett was very briefly teammates with another exceptional "Josh," Josh Johnson. Not only is Johnson's 25.8 bWAR the most of any homegrown Marlins arm, but it's also the highest of any pitcher in the franchise's history. At his best, Johnson was on the short list of best pitchers in baseball. Some notes to illustrate this: - Who are the only two National League pitchers to win the ERA title between 2010 and 2014? Clayton Kershaw, who did it every year from 2011 to 2014, and Johnson, who finished with a 2.30 ERA in a seven-win 2010 season. Were it not for a back injury that limited him to 183 ⅔ innings, Johnson had a case for the first Cy Young in franchise history, ultimately finishing fifth. - Of the 91 pitchers to throw at least 500 innings between 2008 and 2011, only the late Roy Halladay (2.59) and Adam Wainwright (2.68) had a lower ERA than Johnson's 2.80, and his 22.4 bWAR between 2008 and 2012 was the ninth-highest mark in baseball. While injuries took their hold of Johnson far too soon, he was a rare breed. And then, there was Niño. José Fernández exuded so much flare and sheer joy when playing the game. He was also among the most automatic pitchers the game had seen to that point. In merely 471 ⅓ innings he threw in his short life, Fernández dominated, posting a 2.58 ERA and even more impressive 2.44 FIP. In each of his four big league seasons, Fernández finished with an ERA and FIP below 3.00. Of the 109 hurlers to throw at least 450 innings between 2013 and 2016, only three—Clayton Kershaw, Max Scherzer, and Fernández—finished with a sub-3.00 ERA and better than 10 K/9. With his death in 2016 at only 24 years old, a dark cloud was cast over the city of Miami and Major League Baseball. It still lingers as we approach 10 years since that fateful September day. And the Winner is... Are we rewarding longevity? Peak success? Unrealized talent? I defer to the former, as many a player can find their way to a successful season or two, but to do it consistently is the true separator. And for that, the distinction of "best homegrown pitcher in Marlins franchise history" goes to Josh Johnson. Not only are Johnson's 916 ⅔ innings the fourth-most in franchise history, but his 3.15 ERA is still third when setting the minimum number of innings to 450. Even on a per-inning basis, Johnson's 0.028 bWAR/IP lightly edges out Fernández's 0.0278. Active Contenders The Marlins have a slew of young, promising arms poised to make an impact on the club. Thomas White and Robby Snelling as big leaguers is all but a formality at this point. Kevin Defrank, though only 17, already boasts a fastball that touches triple digits. Noble Meyer, the club's first-round pick in 2023, has been a mixed bag since turning pro, but there's enough there via his mitigation of hits and ability to induce whiffs to suggest he can be better moving forward. Not yet 23 years old but far removed from prospect status, Eury Pérez already owns a 3.71 ERA and 3.9 bWAR in a hair more than season's worth of innings. Then there's Braxton Garrett, one of the better Marlins pitchers between 2023 and 2024, where he posted a 124 ERA+ and 5.6 bWAR. A rebound 2026 after missing all of 2025 due to injury could see him sneak his way into the conversation. View full article

The case of Edward Cabrera was, for a while, one of unrealized talent. Cabrera epitomized the "if he could just put it all together" player archetype. He posted a 4.32 ERA through his first four big league seasons with an average of just 73.5 innings pitched, which set up last year's age-27 season to be one of the make-or-break variety. Fortunately, for both Cabrera and the Marlins, the pieces began to fall into place. He shone in a career-high 26 starts and 137 ⅔ innings pitched, finishing with a 3.53 ERA. He was the most impactful arm in their rotation. The Marlins capitalized on that breakout by consummating a trade on Wednesday with the Chicago Cubs to send the hard-throwing right-hander to the North Side. The Marlins received a package of three players, headlined by outfielder Owen Caissie, who was arguably the Cubs' top prospect. Infielders Cristian Hernández and Edgardo De Leon rounded out the return. What will trading Cabrera mean for the rest of the Marlins' offseason? Which outfielder becomes expendable? After cashing in such a valuable trade chip to acquire Caissie, the assumption is that the Marlins envision him being the long-term answer in one of the two corner outfield spots. With Stowers occupying the opposite corner and Jakob Marsee in between them, there's now a surplus of viable outfielders. Heriberto Hernández, a minor league signing before last season, impressed with a 116 OPS+ across 294 plate appearances. Platooning with the aforementioned trio to various extents seems to be the plan. Fellow right-handed bat Esteury Ruiz was just acquired last week. President of baseball operations Peter Bendix described Ruiz as a "really helpful, complementary piece," but his inconsistent track record could leave him on the outside looking in should Caissie break camp with the club. Then, there's the Griffin Conine of it all. Sporting a modest .755 OPS in the majors and flashing plus defense at left and right in a limited 54-game sample, Conine presented a compelling case for regular playing time in 2026. Manager Clayton McCullough previously shared that the Marlins want to evaluate him at first base during spring training. But if that transition isn't a smooth one, where would the 28-year-old fit in moving forward? Meanwhile, Victor Mesa Jr. has no clear path to playing time. Mesa was arguably the top outfielder in the Marlins farm system when Bendix arrived. Now, he's buried on the depth chart with only one minor league option remaining. Will the team add a veteran starter? The trading of Cabrera leaves a vacancy in the Marlins rotation. Sandy Alcantara, Eury Pérez and Ryan Weathers are certain to open the season with starting jobs (health permitting). Janson Junk made a compelling case to retain his spot, though his track record prior to 2025 was spotty, to say the least. We haven't seen an effective outing from Max Meyer since Memorial Day. While the Marlins also have Braxton Garrett on the mend from elbow surgery and an underrated farm system, the free agent market presents them with potential Cabrera replacements. Nick Martinez, Chris Bassitt and Zac Gallen are among the unsigned options. The Marlins, too, could replace Cabrera's mind-bending changeup with another if they were to add, say, Lucas Giolito. Shoveling a similar workload as Cabrera in his 145 innings pitched, Giolito finished with a 3.41 ERA across his 26 starts. Should owner Bruce Sherman insist on fiscal conservatism, their second-ranked pitching prospect, Robby Snelling boasted a dazzling 2.51 ERA across 136 innings between Double-A and Triple-A. His arrival at the major league level need not be delayed any further if the Marlins believe his much-improved fastball quality can be sustained in 2026. What happens with Connor Norby? In 36 games to end 2024, Connor Norby hit .247/.315/.445/.760, with signs that this was just the beginning on a long tenure in Miami. The subsequent year was a frustrating one, as Norby dealt with oblique and quad strains, and a broken hamate bone. Even when he was healthy, Norby looked largely overmatched, posting a .689 OPS while also being unable to bolster the reputation regarding his defense at third base. Last month, we opined that Norby's skillset would be best suited in the outfield, but the addition of Caissie complicates that. Do the Marlins give him another chance to get acclimated at third? A down year in 2026 would leave him with marginal value. The club could go in several different directions with the 25-year-old and they'd all be justifiable. View full article