Louis Addeo-Weiss

Admit it, you thought the 2025 Miami Marlins would be bad. It's okay—I did, too. And yet, they finished a year with disaster in the forecast at 79 wins and played meaningful baseball late into September. With a pipeline of projectable minor league talent expected to make an impact, the prospects for a competitive Marlins club in 2026 seem within reach. However, the organization cannot solely rest on the laurels of what they already have. What reinforcements can they bring aboard to continue moving the needle in the direction of postseason contention? Stating the obvious, certain marquee names are unrealistic for the Fish, whose revenue streams pale in comparison to most other MLB franchises. They would inevitably get outbid for the likes of Kyle Tucker, Kyle Schwarber, Pete Alonso and Edwin Díaz. Rather, I'll be highlighting several free agents who have less leverage and more inconsistent track records, but intriguing skill sets nonetheless. SP Dustin May Key 2025 statistics: 4.96 ERA, 4.88 FIP, 132.1 IP, 1.42 WHIP Regardless of how 2025 played out, there was a time in the not-too-distant past when Dustin May was among the more exciting young pitchers in baseball. The flame-throwing right-hander pitched to a 3.10 ERA in 191 ⅔ innings of work over parts of five seasons from 2019-2023, but an injury history highlighted by Tommy John surgery in 2023 kept fans wondering what would be of May once fully healthy. The result was a 4.96 ERA split between the eventual world-champion Los Angeles Dodgers and wild card-bound Boston Red Sox. While not the outcome May would have liked, there remains light beneath the paltry results. For one, May threw a career-high 132-plus innings, and with reports from May himself that an elbow issue that cut his season short is now healed, confidence in him assuming a similar or possibly even higher workload isn't out of the realm of possibility. Two, age is still a friend, as May will pitch 2026 in his age-28 season. For the Marlins' sake, May's suspect track record of health and recent subpar season make him affordable, even by their conservative spending standards. The prospect of a healthy and more productive May could be a welcome addition to a club expected to part with some of its current pitching staff. RP Andrew Chafin Key 2025 statistics: 2.41 ERA (177 ERA+), 3.46 FIP, 5.1 BB/9 If you've followed my work here, you know I've been on the "sign Andrew Chafin" train for the past several years. After another productive season in 2025, I'm still buying a ticket. While he didn't make his season debut until May 3, Chafin didn't miss a beat, pitching to a sub-3 ERA with Washington before finishing the year with an even better sub-2 ERA in his brief time with the Angels. As was the case in Washington, Chafin's underlying metrics suggest luck—he issued walks at the highest rate of his career—but the larger body of work says otherwise. In 542 career innings pitched over his 12 seasons, Chafin owns a 3.30 ERA and 3.35 FIP. Chafin isn't without concern. His fastball velocity continues to deteriorate, ranking merely in the fourth percentile among MLB pitchers this year. But with uncertainty surrounding the status of Andrew Nardi, who missed all of 2025 due to injury, Chafin represents a cost-effective—emphasis on effective—option for Miami in 2026. 1B Nathaniel Lowe Key 2025 statistics: .689 OPS (94 OPS+), 18 HR, 10.2 BB% If the 2026 Marlins want to emulate the 2002 "Moneyball" Oakland A's, then Nathaniel Lowe could be their Scott Hatteberg. The version of Lowe that the Nationals got in 2025 (.665 OPS) would have most running for the hills, but upon arriving in Boston on August 18, he resumed his old ways, hitting .280 with a 114 wRC+ and helping the Red Sox reach the postseason for the first time since 2021. Lowe brings a Silver Slugger, World Series championship, power, and a career 10.9-percent walk rate to the table despite a career-worst season. The Sox designated him for assignment on Tuesday rather than pay a projected $13.5 million salary in his final year of arbitration eligibility, so he should be attainable for a significantly lower price than that. Lowe can provide a boost to a Marlins team whose first basemen ranked 28th with a 83 wRC+ in 2025. Better than having Eric Wagaman atop the club's depth chart at the position. 1B Rhys Hoskins Key 2025 statistics: 90 G, .748 OPS (108 OPS+), 11.6 BB% Similar to Lowe, Hoskins would provide the Marlins with an injection of offense that they severely need at first base. Profile-wise, the two are eerily similar, sporting above-average plate discipline with above-average over-the-fence power and negative defensive value as strictly 1B/DH types. The difference, however, is in age, as Hoskins will enter his age-33 season in 2026, sporting a 102 OPS+ over the last two seasons with Milwaukee. Despite being two years his senior, Hoskins can still very much turn on a fastball. Among the 261 MLB hitters with at least 100 plate appearances ending on four-seamers in 2025, Hoskins' 59.7-percent hard-hit rate ranked 31st. Against all varieties of fastballs, he whiffed only 18.6% of the time (compared to his 27.6 whiff% overall). A notorious Marlins killer in his younger days, perhaps it's time for Hoskins to make amends by joining the Fish. View full article

The sight of Josh Simpson warming in the Marlins bullpen this season was the equivalent of a tornado siren in the Midwest. With only a few minutes of advance notice, you had to brace for a potential catastrophe. The Marlins mainly used the rookie left-hander in low-leverage situations, when Simpson's performance was unlikely to impact the outcome of the game. But there was a notorious exception against the Boston Red Sox on August 15 that made fans question manager Clayton McCullough's sanity. Simpson was brought in to face the top of Boston's lineup with the score tied in the bottom of the ninth inning. He threw only two of his 12 pitches for strikes, allowing back-to-back-to-back batters reach safely in a losing effort. Simpson clung to a spot on the Marlins active roster for more than half of the 2025 season thanks to his handedness and breaking ball shape. Unfortunately, he did not capitalize on the opportunity. A 32nd-round pick in the 2019 MLB Draft out of Columbia University, Simpson toiled for parts of six seasons in the minors before debuting on June 21. In 31 games with Miami, he pitched to a 7.34 ERA, fifth-worst among the 238 relievers to throw at least 30 innings in 2025. Simpson's teammate, George Soriano, boasted the worst such mark, finishing the year with an 8.35 ERA. On the whole, the league hit .272 with an .841 OPS against Simpson. For context, that output mirrors the season of Colorado Rockies All-Star Hunter Goodman, who hit .278 with an .843 OPS. Although Simpson was more effective versus lefties, his control was still an issue and the mistakes that he made in the strike zone were costly—the majority of their hits (seven out of 12) went for extra bases. b2j4yo.mp4 With end-of-season roster moves looming, Simpson is in jeopardy of losing his 40-man spot. His closest historical comps may convince the Marlins front office to sever ties. Only 13 pitchers in MLB's modern era have appeared in 30 games and posted an ERA of 7.00 or worse in their first season. Colorado's Ryan Rolison also earned that unwanted distinction in 2025. Of the 11 qualified pitchers who came before Simpson and Rolison, six of them failed to see big league action following their first year. That includes 1953 Chicago Cubs right-hander Tom Simpson, who is seemingly unrelated to Josh. Marlins fans will remember the one who wound up having the most substantial career—Juan Carlos Oviedo (formerly known as "Leo Núñez"). After debuting to the tune of a 7.55 ERA in 2005, he appeared in 308 additional games. From 2009-2011 with the then-Florida Marlins, he pitched to a respectable 3.86 ERA (107 ERA+). Oviedo's 92 saves ranked ninth among relievers in that span. With that being said, there is ample evidence that Simpson is a better pitcher than his surface-level statistics bely. This season, Simpson's ERA was nearly three runs higher than his 4.45 expected ERA (xERA). Per Baseball Savant, his gap between those figures was 17th-largest among the 578 MLB pitchers with at least 50 batted ball events. Simpson's whiff rate was above average and he induced the second-most grounders on the Marlins staff, trailing only Tyler Phillips. 1.mp4 For the Marlins to take another step forward in 2026, they cannot merely rely on improvement from their internal options. They should be motivated to seek upgrades via the free agent market, particularly to reinforce a bullpen that finished with a 4.28 ERA (22nd in the majors). In today's environment, MLB teams churn through more pitchers than ever before, which bodes well for Simpson's chances of resurfacing in the big leagues. Whether he reports to spring training with the Marlins or another organization, though, the 28-year-old will need to demonstrate that he's made tangible adjustments. View full article

What is a "good" baseball player? It's difficult to answer that concisely because a player's production can be shaped in various ways and still yield significant positive value to their respective team. For instance, we know Adam Dunn—the hulking slugger who played 14 years in the big leagues—was a poor defender, amassing 168 runs below average, according to Rfield. We also know that Dunn was a force in the middle of the order, offsetting his 28.6-percent strikeout rate with a 15.8-percent walk rate to go with his 462 home runs. He was 24-percent above average at the plate, according to OPS+. In totality, Dunn was a "good" player, though nowhere near as impactful as his power numbers would suggest. Only one of nearly 400 BBWAA voters endorsed him during his lone year on the Hall of Fame ballot. Through the lens of advanced metrics, we aim to refine our understanding of what makes a player either good or bad by objectively quantifying their impact in different facets of the game. Contrast the aforementioned Dunn with the Miami Marlins' own Otto Lopez. The former waiver claim has been 12-percent below average in terms of OPS+, and he did not sniff Rookie of the Year votes nor All-Star selections during his first two seasons of regular MLB playing time (both of which Dunn received). Yet, Lopez has comfortably outdone Dunn in Baseball-Reference wins above replacement over those equivalent periods of their careers, 6.1 bWAR to 4.5 bWAR. In 2025, Lopez's 3.5 bWAR trailed only Kyle Stowers (3.6) for the Marlins team lead. Miami may not have been playing meaningful baseball late into September without Lopez solidifying their shortstop position. A versatile player coming up through the Toronto Blue Jays system, Lopez quickly established himself at second base upon arriving in Miami in 2024, grading out at plus-9 defensive runs saved. While starting 95 of his 106 games at second, he flashed positional dexterity when asked, logging 52 innings at second, 38 at third, and 10 in the outfield. Lopez assumed full-time shortstop duties on May 21 of this year when the struggling Xavier Edwards suffered a minor injury. By season's end, not only was he seen as competent there, but Lopez had joined the company of MLB's elite shortstop defenders, grading out at plus-7 defensive runs saved to go along with the 6 DRS he put up in just 32 games at second prior to transitioning. Former teammate Cal Quantrill even had this to say about Lopez's sure-handedness: "Otto can pick it...It's such a boost on the mound when you get an out that you may not have deserved. It's exciting...Sometimes, I think I'm more pumped up out there than they are when they make the play." There's also the baserunning aspect of his game. Lopez is 35-for-45 (77.8%) on stolen base attempts since coming over to Miami, right around the league average 78.4 percent success rate over that span. It's one way of explaining why he's been worth five runs on the bases, according to Rbaser—tops among all Marlins players since 2024. Beyond proving himself as a difference-making fielder at a premium position, Lopez also experienced an uptick in power this season. He is one of just 14 players since the start of 2024 with 20-plus home runs and three-plus dWAR. Lopez is a good player who would fit on any team. The well-roundedness of his skill set gives him the opportunity to contribute in practically any game situation. The presence of Lopez should not preclude the Marlins from exploring all avenues to improve their roster this offseason, even at shortstop. However, let this be a reminder that the 27-year-old is one of the organization's most valuable assets moving forward. View full article

MIAMI—If the 2025 Miami Marlins were not playing for October themselves, the best they could do on the season's final day was make sure the Mets suffered the same fate. For the Mets, who committed over $1 billion in new player contracts during the previous offseason, a victory on Sunday was absolutely vital to their playoff hopes. After enduring last-day keel-overs against the Fish in both 2007 and 2008, would this be the third installment of that arc? Behind five erratically effective innings from Edward Cabrera and a four-run bottom of the fourth, history indeed repeatedly itself. In front of a sell-out loanDepot park, Miami closed out their thirty-third season of play by defeating New York 4-0. With the win, Miami concludes the season 79-83, a 17-win improvement year over year. The Marlins also won the season series 7-6 over the Mets, marking the first time since 2017 that they've done so. After being a season-best 21 games over .500 through play on June 12, the Mets began a free fall that would see them go 39-54 over their final 93 games of play. The team sported a 4.93 ERA over that stretch, which would see their five-and-a-half game lead in the NL East dwindle to the point of having to win and hope for the opposite to happen for their NL Wild Card hopeful foes in Cincinnati. Although the Reds did their part by stumbling to a 4-2 loss, the Mets failed to capitalize. When Tyler Phillips—acquired for pocket change on the eve of the season—induced the ground ball double play off the bat of Francisco Lindor, there stood $765 million man Juan Soto in the on-deck circle. 94d9eac3-f26b11d4-a8996f0e-csvm-diamondgcp-asset_1280x720_59_4000K.mp4 Continuing a breakout season with his 26th start, Cabrera walked five in his five shutout innings, lowering his season ERA to 3.53 over a career-high 137 ⅔ innings. "I'm very thankful for this season, the best of my career," noted Cabrera. When asked about what changed for him in 2025, Cabrera remarked on the consistency he showed, something that eluded him in years past. "I was battling a lot of injuries in the past. This season, I was able to stay healthy and do my best out there." That consistency manifested in better on-field results as well, as Cabrera allowed three or fewer runs in 20 of his 26 starts. As they did in Friday's win, Miami needed just one inning to do the requisite damage at the plate, putting up four runs in the bottom of the fourth thanks to run-scoring extra-base hits from Eric Wagaman, Brian Navarreto, and Javier Sanoja. The Mets' best opportunity came in the top of the fifth. After a walk to Juan Soto to load the bases, Pete Alonso, who confirmed his intent to opt out following Sunday's game, lined out to Sanoja to extinguish the threat. On the day, New York went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position. The end of Miami's 2025, while overachieving against the expectations most had set for them, still leaves many pontificating on the what-ifs: What if Sandy Alcantara delivered a full season of the performance he showed in the second half? What if Kyle Stowers didn't get hurt and miss extended time? What if the team added at the trade deadline? The list goes on. As we turn the page towards 2026, here's a note from first-year manager Clayton McCullough: "To have seen so many take advantage of opportunities and watch this group as the season continues to progress, they really enjoy playing with each other. There's a desire to win and a belief in themselves...And I think we have a lot of confidence heading into an important offseason for the guys in there and our staff as we continue to look to get better." View full article

The notion of the 2025 Miami Marlins as a playoff team has always felt like a pipe dream. However, a well-timed winning streak still kept them mathematically alive in the pursuit of the National League's third Wild Card spot entering play on Wednesday. That in itself has made their season a success considering the non-existent expectations. Looking to keep the dream alive, the Fish turned to Ryan Weathers in just his eighth start of the season and third since returning from a left lat strain that cost him three months. In keeping with the theme of inclement conditions—rain forced Tuesday's opener into an hour-plus delay—Weathers cast a dark cloud over his club's October aspirations, surrendering five runs over 4 ⅔ innings, including three home runs allowed in Philadelphia's 11-1 rout over Miami. The Phillies, deploying a Bryce Harper-less and J.T. Realmuto-less lineup, hit a franchise record eight home runs on the evening, a mark that also stands as the most allowed in a single game by Miami pitching. After the Marlins got out to an early 1-0 lead in the second, courtesy of an Eric Wagaman RBI single, the Phillies' power barrage commenced. Kyle Schwarber, one of the top NL MVP candidates, blasted his 55th home run of the season over the center field wall of Citizens Bank Park to even the score in the bottom of the third. Edmundo Sosa, Philadelphia's utility infielder, tacked on his first of three home runs on the evening in the fourth, only to be followed by a Bryson Stott blast two batters later. "I thought for the most part he threw well," manager Clayton McCullough said of Weathers. Sosa became just the seventh player with a three-homer game against Miami, and first since Shohei Ohtani's historic three-homer, ten-RBI game that saw him become the first member of the 50/50 club on September 19 last season. Bryce Harper had one of the six prior such games against the Marlins in his MVP-winning 2015 season. Putting the game firmly out of range for the Marlins to mount a comeback, there was a four-home run bottom of the seventh that saw Schwarber hit his second of the evening, and 56th of the season, inching himself within two home runs of Ryan Howard's franchise record 58 in 2006. Howard would go on to be named the league's MVP that season. Lost in the sounds and images of balls caroming off the bleacher seats was the outing put forth by a former Marlin, Jesús Luzardo, who fired seven innings of one-run ball. In the process, Luzardo became the fourth Phillies pitcher with a start against the Marlins of 10 strikeouts, zero earned runs, zero walks, joining current teammates Aaron Nola (2020) and Zack Wheeler (2021), and also the late Roy Halladay (2010). Looking Ahead The Marlins will close out their season series against the Phillies on Thursday. Janson Junk (6-3, 4.27 ERA) will oppose Walker Buehler (9-7, 5.13 ERA) in the finale. In his previous outing on September 19, Junk held the Rangers to one run over seven innings. First pitch from Citizens Bank Park is slated for 6:05 EST. For the Marlins to still have a pulse in the Wild Card race by then, they will need the Arizona Diamondbacks to lose their Thursday afternoon contest to the Los Angeles Dodgers. View full article

This shouldn't be happening, and it doesn't make sense. That is what I have been telling myself amid this late-season surge from the Miami Marlins. And yet, despite still being four games under .500 and having a run differential of minus-82, the Marlins are still clinging to life in the NL Wild Card race as the last week of the 2025 regular season approaches. Sunday's 4-2 victory over the Texas Rangers (79-77)—who still had playoff aspirations of their own entering the weekend—extended the Marlins winning streak to six, including 10 of their last 11. In conjunction with a Reds win and a Mets loss, the Marlins now find themselves for four games out of the third Wild Card spot. Miami is tied with the Cardinals (76-80) and also looking up at the Diamondbacks (79-77) and Giants (77-79). Setting the tone, Eury Pérez proved imposing, striking out a season-high nine and allowing just a pair of hits in his four innings of work. Pérez threw 88 pitches on the day, generating 16 whiffs. The 22-year-old lost a potential fifth inning of work when a dropped third strike to Josh Jung got away from catcher Brian Navarreto, forcing Pérez to throw an additional nine pitches. Despite pitching to a pedestrian 4.20 ERA since returning from Tommy John surgery, the former top prospect has a lot to keep fans salivating over. His .197 opponent's batting average ranks eighth-best among pitchers to throw at least 90 innings this season. Opposite of him, Merrill Kelly, making his third start of the season against Miami and first since being acquired from Arizona, was tagged for three runs over his 4 ⅓ innings. Shortstop Otto Lopez opened the scoring with an RBI double in the top of the fourth, his 20th of the season. Lopez's 77 RBI are the most by a Marlins middle infielder since Starlin Castro's 86 in 2019. Following him, Heriberto Hernández kept the train rolling, driving in López for his 10th RBI of the month. One inning later, Agustín Ramírez knocked Kelly from the game when he doubled home Jakob Marsee and made a bit of history in the process. Ramírez tied Iván Rodríguez's franchise record for the most extra-base hits by a catcher in a season, with 55. In adding to the "this shouldn't be working" narrative, first-year manager Clayton McCullough turned to George Soriano to lock down a save in the bottom of the ninth. Belying the 8.55 ERA that he carried into Sunday, it took Soriano all of 12 pitches to do just that. Collectively, Marlins pitchers allowed only seven earned runs during their 30 frames at Globe Life Field (2.10 ERA), compiling 27 strikeouts compared to eight walks. Those are encouraging results for the club's first series utilizing their new pitch-calling system. Looking Ahead The Marlins will travel to Philadelphia, where they'll start a three-game series against the NL East champion Phillies on Tuesday. NL Cy Young contender Cristopher Sánchez (13-5, 2.66 ERA) will look to continue his stranglehold on Miami, having posted a 1.27 ERA in 35 ⅓ innings of work against them. First pitch from Citizens Bank Park is slated for 6:45 EST. View full article

MIAMI—When facing MLB competition, Adam Mazur has not yet come close to justifying the hype that once surrounded him as a prospect. The 24-year-old, former second-round pick entered play on Sunday with a career 7.04 ERA. Perhaps his 13th career start will later be remembered as a turning point. The Marlins' bats were no match for the Tigers pitching staff, as the prospective AL Central champions shut them down in Detroit's 2-0 victory to avoid the sweep. However, Mazur did everything in his power to keep the Fish in the game. "It's just a building block. Obviously, it's not done, but it's a step in the right direction," said Mazur after throwing six innings of one-hit, two-run ball. Keider Montero, making his first start since July 25, allowed just three hits over five scoreless frames, backed up by four goose eggs courtesy of the trio of José Urquidy, Tommy Kahnle, and Will Vest. Detroit pitching scattered seven hits on the day, with none accounting for extra bases. Despite having baserunners in seven of the nine innings, it wouldn't be until Eric Wagaman in the bottom of the seventh that Miami had a runner reach scoring position. "When (Detroit) got some traffic out there, they made some pitches in crucial spots, and it became the difference today," said manager Clayton McCullough. The difference in question came early, as a Colt Keith ground ball deflected off the glove of Wagaman at first base in the top of the second. A play that should've ended the inning instead resulted in three separate errors. Upon retrieving the ball, second baseman Maximo Acosta threw errantly to third in an attempt to catch lead runner Gleyber Torres, allowing Torres to score. When left fielder and Saturday's hero, Troy Johnston, bobbled the ball upon its caroming off the wall, that gave Keith an extra 90 feet. As the pitcher of record for this display of defensive futility, Mazur became the first Marlins pitcher since Edward Cabrera nearly a year to the day (9/13/24) to lose a start of at least six innings pitched and allow zero earned runs. Now 70-80, Miami needs to win out over their final 12 games to finish above .500 (the longest winning streak in franchise history is only nine games). Looking Ahead With an off-day on Monday, the Marlins will travel to Denver, where they'll begin a three-game series against the Colorado Rockies. Eury Pérez (6-5, 4.57 ERA) will take the ball for Miami in Tuesday's series opener. Kyle Freeland (4-15, 4.97 ERA) will oppose him for Colorado. First pitch from Coors Field is slated for 8:40 EST. View full article

MIAMI—Eury Pérez and Jakob Marsee. Two names, who, if they continue doing what they've done to this point in their young major league careers, could eventually find themselves receiving the honor that longtime second baseman Luis Castillo did on Sunday when the Marlins inducted him into their team's Hall of Fame. Pérez and Marsee topped the bill in Miami's series finale against the Blue Jays, with the former carrying a shutout into the seventh inning of a 5-3 win to avoid the sweep. The Fish claimed their 61st victory of the season a month earlier than the 2024 team did. Striking out four over his six-plus innings of work on a career-high 94 pitches, 12 of Pérez's 18 whiffs on the day came on the four-seam fastball, a pitch that entered play with a plus-14 run value. In 14 starts since returning from Tommy John surgery, the 22-year-old owns a 3.44 ERA. Miami would get out to an early lead when Eric Wagaman tagged Toronto starter Kevin Gausman (6 IP, 4 R) for a solo home run in the top of the third. After an abysmal July that saw him OPS a mere .424, Wagaman has responded with a .928 OPS in August, with home runs in each of the club's last two Sunday contests. Fast-forward to the fifth inning, Marsee—already the owner of 15 extra-base hits and 20 runs batted in to that point—lined a three-run triple into the left-center gap of loanDepot park. Marsee's 23 RBI are the most through a player's first 23 games to begin their career in franchise history, besting his teammate, Liam Hicks, who had 17. Looking to complete the seventh inning for the second time in his career, Pérez allowed a Bo Bichette ground ball to sneak by Wagaman at first base. He then walked Ty France after getting ahead 0-2. Upon entering and inheriting the two runners to face Daulton Varsho, Lake Bachar would be tagged for a three-run home run which cut the Marlins' lead to 4-3. Needing insurance in the bottom of the seventh following the Varsho home run, Agustín Ramírez's single up the middle did just that, increasing the Miami lead to two. Ramírez also became just the fourth catcher in franchise history to steal 10-plus bases in a single season. He has done it with impressive efficiency (only 2 CS). The tension reached a climax in the top of the eighth. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., playing in his first game in six days, stepped to the plate as a pinch-hitter representing the go-ahead run. Ronny Henriquez got him to pop up. The day after firing 32 pitches, Tyler Phillips entered in the top of the ninth, ultimately locking down a 1-2-3 save, needing just six pitches to do so. Looking Ahead The Marlins will continue their nine-game homestand on Monday when they welcome the Atlanta Braves. Monday's starter for Miami, Edward Cabrera (6-7, 3.52 ERA), will hope for more of the same against Atlanta after having struck out 11 and allowed just a pair of hits over eight innings against them back on August 8. Spencer Strider (5-11, 5.24 ERA) will oppose him for Miami. First pitch from loanDepot park is slated for 6:40 EST. View full article

"Baseball is a game of inches." "The baseball will always find you." For Dane Myers and Jakob Marsee on Sunday, these two classic lines couldn't have been any truer. With the Marlins leading 1-0 with two outs in the bottom of the fourth inning, Wilyer Abreu drove a ball into the right-center gap of Fenway Park. Myers, making just his 13th start of the season in right, tracked the ball into his mitt. However, his impact with the wall jarred the ball loose and into the Marlins bullpen. What could have been an inning-ending, highlight-reel catch turned into Abreu's 22nd home run of the season. Fast-forward four and a half innings later to the top of the ninth, and Myers, already 0-for-3 on the day, sent a sweeper from Greg Weissert over the Red Sox bullpen to tie it at three apiece. Miami had previously inched closer when Liam Hicks punched a pinch-hit RBI single past Alex Bregman. Marsee entered the game in the eighth, facing newly acquired Red Sox reliever Steven Matz. Already off to the hottest start that any player has ever had to their Marlins career, he had arguably his most impactful moment yet, sending a two-run home run into the right field stands. Three outs shy of dropping their ninth game in 11 tries, Miami wouldn't relinquish that 5-3 lead, fending off the Red Sox to avoid a sweep and snapping a three-game losing streak. Ironically enough, it ended via a fly out to none other than Dane Myers. "It took a lot of contributions from the whole group today," noted Clayton McCullough. "I think I blacked out for a second...When you win, especially with a packed crowd here (at Fenway), it's pretty special," noted Marsee. Through his first 62 plate appearances, Marsee is hitting .377 with a 1.242 OPS. Before all of the late-inning heroics, the Marlins got off to a hot start, with Eric Wagaman taking Boston's ace, Garrett Crochet, deep in the top of the third. At 453 feet, Wagaman's blast was the longest by a Marlin thus far this season, per Statcast. As he has done all season, Crochet would settle down to hold Miami to just the one run over his seven innings of work. Among all qualified AL pitchers, only Tarik Skubal (2.42) has a lower ERA than Crochet's 2.43. Fortunately for the Marlins, Janson Junk nearly matched Crochet, pitch-for-pitch, striking out six and matching a career-high with seven innings pitched. A noted control artist, Junk has allowed just nine free passes in his 82 ⅓ innings pitched. "The velocity was back, the breaking stuff was crisp, and he was efficient," said McCullough. At 96.6 mph, Junk's fastball to strike out Masataka Yoshida matched his hardest-thrown pitch of the season. Though only generating nine whiffs on the day, Junk averaged just 12.4 pitches per inning. The tandem of Tyler Phillips and Anthony Bender followed suit with scoreless eighth and ninth innings of their own, highlighted by Bender's fourth save of the season. Looking Ahead The Marlins return to Miami, where they'll open up a nine-game homestand starting with the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday. Eury Pérez (5-3, 3.58 ERA) will start the opener for Miami. In his lone start versus St. Louis back on July 6, 2023, Pérez struck out seven over six innings of one-run ball. Matthew Liberatore (6-10, 4.08 ERA) will oppose him. First pitch from loanDepot park is slated for 6:40 EST. View full article

A core philosophical tenet of mine is that we're all capable of change. It does a disservice to the willpower and intellectual capacity of human beings to assume their present flaws will continue to define them. That applies to baseball as well and specifically my views on Xavier Edwards, the ballplayer. As recently as late May, I was under the impression that Edwards was an overall liability to Miami's competitive aspirations. Over his first 42 games played this season before a mid-back injury sent him to the injured list, Edwards' 79 wRC+ and .292 SLG ranked 23rd and 24th, respectively, among the 24 MLB hitters with at least 190 plate appearances to that point. The latter figure was not particularly surprisingly considering his minor league track record—the short switch-hitter had homered in only .68% of his MiLB plate appearances. One could look past Edwards' lack of power when he was running better-than-average strikeout and walk rates with 70-grade speed. Where I really took umbrage with Edwards' game was on defense. While primarily a second baseman in the minors, Edwards began auditioning at shortstop during Miami's 100-loss 2024. With the presumption that the 2025 season would also prioritize development over competitiveness, he was basically awarded the job entering the new year. The idea of Edwards at SS looked doomed from the start. With frequent weak, inaccurate throws and awkward footwork, there were no indications that he would convert enough plays there to stick there. The comparison between Edwards and Otto Lopez, even in a brief sample, was night and day. The numbers were just as unflattering as the viewing experience. In 69 games to end the 2024 season, Edwards graded out at minus-14 total zone runs and minus-8 defensive runs saved. His minus-10 outs above average (OAA) placed him 33rd among the 34 players with at least 200 chances at shortstop that season. Despite the narrative that an offseason throwing program would address his main deficiency, the first quarter of 2025 was a continuation of what we had previously seen (-7 OAA). In a vacuum, the next step seemed obvious: move Edwards back to his natural second base position. However, why would the Marlins tinker with Lopez, who had amassed 14 defensive runs saved there between 2024 and 2025? Thankfully, Lopez had versatility in his background, including 52 innings of commendable play at shortstop the previous year. Upon returning from the injured list on May 31, Edwards would pinch-hit and finish the game at second, while Lopez became the club's primary shortstop. From there on out, Edwards took off. There have been 26 qualified MLB second basemen since that final May day. Edwards ranks fourth among them in wRC+ (132) and third in fWAR (2.3 fWAR). He's simply performing at an elite level. Edwards' elusive first home run of the year came on July 12. Specifically during the span of games from that point forward, he has recorded more extra-base hits (13) than strikeouts (12). While the Marlins' batting order has been in constant flux, he has entrenched himself in the leadoff spot. The shift in Edwards' defensive quality was apparent instantaneously. He could one day threaten for a Gold Glove on the right side of the diamond. At 2B in 2025, Edwards has been plus-4 total zone runs, plus-seven OAA and plus-seven DRS. The position swap was mutually beneficial. Lopez's play improved as well, as his elite defensive metrics transitioned seamlessly to shortstop (5 DRS), along with a modest uptick in his production at the plate. As for the Marlins collectively, since May 31, they're 35-31, an 86-win pace over a full season. Improved play in multiple aspects only forces us to ponder the question of where Miami would be if it had gone with such a defensive alignment all along. Regardless of where their future fortunes may lie, if he keeps up this type of play, Xavier Edwards is who I want manning second base for the Miami Marlins moving forward. View full article

MIAMI—Following one of the most exciting games in franchise history on Friday, the Miami Marlins shut out the New York Yankees on Saturday thanks to six dominant innings from Eury Pérez and a pair of Agustín Ramírez home runs. On Sunday, a day when the club inducted Jack McKeon—who managed the club that usurped those Yankees in the 2003 World Series—into the Marlins Legends Hall of Fame, Edward Cabrera picked up where the aforementioned Pérez left off, twirling six brilliant frames of his own. A 7-3 victory completed a sweep of the Yankees for the first time in the Marlins' existence. Less than two months ago, the Marlins had plummeted as far as 16 games under .500. Remarkably, they've just reached the .500 mark for the first time since April 15. After allowing a home run to Trent Grisham to lead off the contest, Cabrera retired 18 of the last 20 hitters faced, striking out seven to pick up his fifth win of the season. Since the start of May, Cabrera's 2.32 ERA is ninth among the 72 pitchers to throw at least 80 innings in that span. "I truly believe a home run early doesn't completely define the game," noted Cabrera through interpreter Luis Dorante Jr. Wryly joking that "everything" was working on the day, particularly impressive was Cabrera's curveball, which generated eight of the 15 total whiffs he had on the day. Cabrera held the Yankees at bay. Meanwhile, for Luis Gil—the reigning AL Rookie of the Year, who was making his season debut—outs would be anything but easy to come by. After escaping a 24-pitch first inning without any damage, Gil was tagged for three runs in a 28-pitch bottom of the second. In the outburst, recently recalled Troy Johnston, making his first career start at home, laced an RBI double into the gap to tie the score at 1-1. Xavier Edwards and Kyle Stowers would join in on the fun with run-scoring plate appearances of their own. Miami's patience paid off, forcing Gil to concede favorable counts and free passes. The right-hander would be charged with five runs over 3 ⅓ innings of work, walking four and striking out three. Taking that 3-1 lead into the bottom of the fourth, it would be Stowers, the team's lone All-Star, who broke the floodgates open when he sent his 25th home run of the season over the right field wall. Facing Brett Headrick, the home run marked Stowers first all season to come against a left-handed pitcher (and just the second of his career). "I think Kyle should be in that conversation," said McCullough when asked about Stowers as a potential NL MVP candidate. Through 406 plate appearances this season, Stowers owns a .948 OPS and 158 wRC+. The Yankees' most legitimate comeback attempt came when former Marlin Jazz Chisholm Jr., launched a two-run homer in the top of the seventh to cut the score to 6-3. In typical Marlins do-not-quit fashion, they would tack on an insurance run in the bottom half when Jakob Marsee hit a ball over the head of Grisham for an RBI triple. Selected from Triple-A at the beginning of this series in the aftermath of the Jesús Sánchez trade, Marsee is the first player in franchise history to draw at least four walks and have four extra-base hits through his first three career games. "Very impressive start," noted McCullough. "The number of pitches he's seen, the control of the zone, the discipline, and he's getting off some good swings as well." Looking Ahead The Marlins homestand continues on Monday when they welcome the Houston Astros for the first of a three-game series. Sandy Alcantara (6-9, 6.36 ERA) will continue a Marlins tenure most assumed would end at the trade deadline. Jason Alexander (1-1, 7.36 ERA) will oppose him for Houston. First pitch from loanDepot park is slated for 6:40 EST. View full article

The Miami Marlins have been quiet ahead of Thursday's MLB trade deadline with the exception of shipping Nick Fortes to the Tampa Bay Rays, though their 2-0 win over the St. Louis Cardinals should help facilitate additional moves. One potential trade chip in particular elevated his value to a contender. Making his 21st and potentially final start in a Marlins uniform, Cal Quantrill tossed five scoreless innings at Busch Stadium on Wednesday. Concluding July with a 2.92 ERA across his five starts, Quantrill lowered his season ERA to a more respectable 4.79, highlighted by a surge of just one total run allowed over his last three appearances. As Miami's lone pending free agent, the 30-year-old is certainly being made available to the highest bidder. "His stuff was as crisp as it's been all season," said manager Clayton McCullough. Each of Quantrill's seven hardest-thrown pitches of 2025 came on the evening. He topped out at 97.1 mph. In the batter's box, all the Fish would need came on Jesús Sánchez's 10th home run of the season in the third inning against Miles Mikolas (6 IP, 2 ER). At 439 feet, Sánchez's long ball was the second-farthest hit ball in Busch Stadium this season, trailing only Sean Murphy's 440-foot shot back on July 11. In 11 career plate appearances against Mikolas, Sánchez owns a .400/.455/1.200 slash line. "I was searching for a fastball middle-away, but reacted to the changeup," said Sánchez, who finished July with an .819 OPS. Miami's bullpen got some defensive help courtesy of a pair of plays from third baseman Graham Pauley and shortstop Otto Lopez. The speed-challenged Yohel Pozo was victimized in both instances. On the mound for the first of those two, Tyler Phillips threw 2 ⅓ scoreless innings in the combined shutout, finishing the month of July with a minuscule 0.59 ERA. With the win, Miami, now 52-55, clinched their fifth consecutive series win, their longest such streak since 2017, and concluded a 15-10 month of July. In a year most forecasted to be one where victories would be hard to come by, first-year manager McCullough's club is currently playing at a 79-win pace. Since the start of June, the club's 3.51 ERA is fifth in all of baseball. "This group has a lot of confidence in their abilities since they left spring training. We just didn't play well at the outset," continued McCullough. Looking Ahead It's an off-day for Marlins players and coaches on Thursday, but arguably the busiest day of the entire year for the front office. Fish On First will provide full coverage of whatever moves they make prior to the 6:00 p.m. trade deadline. The Marlins will fly home to begin a three-game series with the defending American League champion New York Yankees to open up the month of August. Friday's projected pitching matchup is Janson Junk (5-2, 3.28 ERA) squaring off against All-Star Carlos Rodón (11-7, 3.18 ERA), but neither team will be listing their pitchers until the dust settles after the deadline. First pitch from loanDepot park is slated for 7:10 EST. View full article