Louis Addeo-Weiss

The Marlins have used 10 different second basemen in 2024, most of whom remain under club control. The San Diego Padres have constructed a team full of shortstops. On the other end of the spectrum, there's the Miami Marlins, who lack a proven solution at the most premium infield defensive position. Instead, via trades, waiver claims and internal development, they have accrued considerable depth at the other middle infield spot, second base. Although this is not the backbone of a contending team, it's a positive development nonetheless to have a handful of affordable and controllable players with redeeming qualities. Ahead of the 2025 season, the Marlins can pencil in Connor Norby, Xavier Edwards and Otto Lopez as key infield contributors. Lopez has been their primary starter at 2B in 2024, while Norby and Edwards played the position frequently during their minor league careers. Utilityman Vidal Bruján has had the third-most 2B starts this year behind only Lopez and Luis Arraez, however, he's been a replacement-level hitter who has exhausted his minor league options. The Marlins may lean toward non-tendering him this offseason, in large part because of the emergence of Javier Sanoja, the versatile 22-year-old who earned the organization's Minor League Player of the Year award. Even Jonah Bride made a pair of starts at 2B, though he profiles as a corner infielder moving forward. Let's begin with Norby. He is a bat-first guy by way of a career .860 minor league OPS and a comparable .848 mark in the first 30 games of his Marlins tenure. He'll be a staple of their everyday lineup for the foreseeable future. Where to deploy Norby defensively? Two-thirds of his starts in the minor leagues (270 of 402) came as a second baseman, and his below-average arm strength suggests that second base would best suit him. So far with the Marlins, he has been at third base almost exclusively and graded out poorly there, amassing minus-4 defensive runs saved (a -24 DRS pro-rated over a full season). This past Sunday was an exception to the norm, but generally speaking, he's been plagued by inconsistency. 1.mp4 Also worth noting, Norby started 59 MiLB games between both corner outfield spots. Perhaps he could emulate the career of Ian Happ and find a permanent home there if it's in the best interest of the team's defensive alignment. Edwards has filled the Luis Arraez-sized void atop Miami's batting order. All but nine innings from him on the defensive side of the ball have come as the team's shortstop. While he has seized the opportunity at the plate, Baseball-Reference (-12 total zone and -8 DRS), FanGraphs (-5.3 UZR/150) and Statcast (-10 OAA and 6th-percentile FRV) all paint the picture of him being miscast at SS. His average 79.6 mph throws from the 6-spot pit him 53rd among 58 different fielders to attempt an assist at the position. 1.mp4 On the contrary, Lopez has graded out exceptionally well defensively, currently tied for fourth in total runs saved among second basemen, per Fielding Bible. The question is whether the volatility of his bat merits regular playing time, especially when there are suitable alternatives. He endured an 80-game homerless stretch from May 14-September 6 this season—his 60 wRC+ in that span ranked last among 153 hitters to take at least 300 plate appearances. Even with a solid finish to his campaign, Lopez has a mediocre 86 wRC+ overall. The Marlins must find creative ways to get their best possible position player talent on the field together without sabotaging their run prevention. The team was outscored by 223 runs through their first 156 games, in large part due to pitching injuries, but defensive miscues no doubt exacerbated the issue. While welcoming back Sandy Alcantara and others to the mound would raise the team's floor, aspirations of being genuinely competitive should be reserved until we see some evidence of Norby, Edwards and Lopez effectively co-existing on the diamond (and a larger sample of Sanoja's body of work). So, did we answer the question of "who" or "what" is on second for the Marlins in 2025? In keeping with the classic Abbott and Costello bit, that is for you to discover for yourself. View full article

A pair of James Wood homers and strong Mackenzie Gore hand Marlins another series loss despite a close call in ninth. Undeniably talented as a former No. 3 overall draft pick, Washington Nationals left-hander MacKenzie Gore has yet to show his full potential, pitching to a career 4.40 ERA entering Sunday's start. When facing the 2024 Miami Marlins, though, the hard-throwing southpaw has looked more like Steve Carlton than JP Sears. After limiting the Fish to one unearned run over 6 innings in Washington's 4-3 win over Miami, Gore now owns a 2.22 ERA across 4 career starts against them. This season alone, Gore allowed just two earned runs over his 19 innings pitched. That 0.95 ERA is tied for the fifth-lowest by any pitcher with a minimum of three starts against a single opponent. With the win, the Nationals conclude the season 11-2 against Miami, finishing with an all-time best .846 winning percentage against them. That dominance was largely fueled by their pitching staff, which collectively posted a 2.07 ERA (another single-season record for this NL East rivalry). Across the Diamond Looking to right the ship following a two-start stretch where he allowed 10 earned runs, Adam Oller kept it close, surrendering three runs over his five innings of work. With several questions surrounding the state of the Marlins rotation headed into 2025, Oller could be doing just enough to stick with the organization entering next spring training. Allowing just one hit his first time through the order, the Nationals tacked on runs in the fourth and fifth innings to take a lead they would not relinquish. Another name to keep tabs on as we turn the page to next season, Jonah Bride, continued his own personal carpe diem, racking up a pair of hits including his seventh home run of the season in the top of the seventh. Since the start of play on July 4, Bride has hit .270/.359/.431/.790 over 206 plate appearances. Bride's second run of the day would contribute to a ninth-inning rally by Miami before Nick Fortes flew out to James Wood to end the game. Two days shy of his 22nd birthday, Wood penned his first career multi-HR game. Both were no-doubters with projected distances of 435 feet and 426 feet. Notable in Wood's second blast was the fact that it marked the first allowed this season by Declan Cronin, a span of 282 plate appearances. Cronin was three batters short of matching Kelvin Herrera's 2014 mark of 285 hitters faced without allowing a home run, which remains the most in baseball over the past decade. Looking Ahead Upon departing D.C. and concluding a 1-6 road trip, the Marlins (55-95) travel back to Miami to commence their final homestand of the season. Resuming play against the Dodgers on Tuesday, the Fish will send Darren McCaughan (0-0, 7.06 ERA) to the mound in the series opener. McCaughan is coming off a previous outing that saw him go a season-best 5 innings, allowing 3 runs and taking a no-decision against the Nationals on September 12. First pitch from loanDepot park is slated for 6:40 EST. View full article

The 91st Marlins loss of the season came at the expense of another inconsistent Adam Oller start and featured a milestone home run by Andrew McCutchen. "It's not how you start, it's how you finish," as the saying goes. In the case of Adam Oller on Tuesday night, the story was more nuanced than that. While his outing was underwhelming on the surface—allowing six runs over five innings—that does not tell the whole story. After allowing a pair of runs in the bottom of the first, the Marlins right-hander settled in, holding Pittsburgh scoreless over the next three innings. The end, however, would come when Andrew McCutchen, now in his 16th season in the Majors, blasted his 20th home run, a three-run blast in what accounted for his 319th career long ball. McCutchen becomes the 87th player in the expansion era (1961-present) to have 20 or more home runs in at least 10 different seasons. And when manager Skip Schumaker is running out a lineup void of Connor Norby—a late scratch after fouling a ball off his foot in Monday's 3-2 loss—Miami was well behind the starting gun in their eventual 6-4 loss. Norby has hit .312/.354/.636 with six home runs in 19 games since joining Miami. The Marlins would make it interesting at points, plating a pair of runs in the sixth, including an RBI double off the bat of Kyle Stowers. He also doubled in his previous plate appearance, snapping an 0-for-24. Miami would plate a fourth run in the ninth before Pittsburgh closer Aroldis Chapman locked down his second save in as many days. Javier Sanoja batted leadoff for Miami and made his first career start at shortstop in place of a resting Xavier Edwards. Sanoja drew a walk against Chapman on Monday and this time lined a 101.6 mph heater to the opposite field for a single. Additionally worth noting, George Soriano struck out four Pirates in three scoreless innings of relief to author what was arguably the finest of his 20 Marlins appearances this season. Now 37 games under .500, Miami (54-91) is closing in on their fourth 100-loss season. Looking Ahead The Marlins will bid farewell to Pittsburgh in 2024 when they conclude their series against the Pirates on Thursday. Jonathan Bermúdez (5.79 ERA) will make his first career Major League start in place of the injured Max Meyer. Bailey Falter (7-7. 4.45 ERA) will face Miami for the first time since the beginning of the season when he allowed 6 runs over 4 innings on March 31. First pitch from PNC Park is slated for 12:35 EST. View full article

After being drummed by 14 on Friday, the Fish scored early and often to put themselves back in the win column. MIAMI—"Injuries! Get your injuries!" Following a 16-2 blowout loss to the NL East-leading Philadelphia Phillies on Friday, the Miami Marlins had been broken and battered in a more literal sense as well. Hoping to avoid their 90th loss of the season on Saturday, they announced 11 pregame roster moves, which included placing three more players on the injured list. Inarguably the most intriguing of those corresponding moves was recalling INF/OF Javier Sanoja from Triple-A. Hitting .291 with 14 stolen bases all while manning both middle infield and center field spots on the diamond for Jacksonville, it took just one pitch for the 5'7", 150-pound prospect to make an impact. Pinch-hitting for David Hensley and facing Taijuan Walker, the first pitch of Sanoja's big league career would turn into an RBI fielder's choice that plated a pair of Marlins runs. "It is a moment everyone dreams of," noted Sanoja following Miami's 9-5 victory. "It was quick. I got ready, wanted to be aggressive, and was lucky to get the RBI." Sanoja became the 68th player to appear for the Marlins in 2024. He's by far the youngest of those 68, having just turned 22 years old earlier this week. Impressive in the win was Miami's ability to get to Aaron Nola. Out-pitched by Darren McCaughan, no less (4.2 IP, 2 ER), the Fish tagged Nola for five runs in his 4 ⅔ innings of work. With the loss, the veteran right-hander is now 5-12 with a 3.72 ERA against the Marlins, including an 0-4 skid dating back to 2022. Miami also improved to 5-7 against the Phillies in 2024. For only the fifth time this season, Miami's offense produced three long balls. Connor Norby (2-for-5, 3 RBI) and Jonah Bride each mashed their sixth home runs of the season, with Norby's being a first-inning, two-run blast off the former All-Star Nola. Miami's third and final dinger was Otto Lopez's first since May 13, snapping a stretch of 319 consecutive homerless plate appearances. Lopez would finish the day a triple shy of the cycle. With Marlins closer Calvin Faucher being among those placed on the IL earlier in the day, Jesús Tinoco finished the contest by tossing a clean ninth inning. The announced crowd of 23,189—boosted by Nicaraguan heritage-themed festivities—was the largest drawn to loanDepot park since Opening Day. Looking Ahead The Marlins and the Phillies will face off for the final time in 2024 when they close out their four-game series on Sunday. Philadelphia will send Seth Johnson (2.70 ERA in his MiLB career) to the mound to make his Major League debut. Scratched from his planned Friday start with migraine-like symptoms, Edward Cabrera has been deemed good to go for Miami it what will be his first outing since August 31. First pitch from loanDepot park is slated for 1:40 EST. View full article

Marlins fend off Giants in ping-pong affair by the Bay to clinch rare series win. To call the beginning of Kyle Stowers' tenure with the Marlins a "rough start" would be the understatement of the 2024 season. In his first 16 games with the club from July 31 to August 18, Stowers hit .096/.175/.096 with a 40.4% strikeout rate. Among the 198 hitters to take at least 50 plate appearances in that span, only his opposition in Sunday's 7-5 Marlins win, Patrick Bailey, had a lower wRC+ (-59) than Stowers (-19). Maybe the pressure of trying to impress your new club was detrimental for the former Stanford product. "Some mechanical adjustments that needed to be made, losing my backside a little bit," noted Stowers when discussing those early struggles. And maybe, it is best to simply allow time to paint a fuller picture. Stowers collected three hits on August 19, jumpstarting a stretch that saw him enter Sunday with a .993 OPS to close out the month of August. It appears September could be more of the same. With Miami trailing 2-1 at the hands of Logan Webb—owner of a career 2.67 ERA against the Fish entering play—Stowers attacked a well-placed Webb changeup for his third home run on the road trip. That capped off a four-run fifth inning in which all of the Marlins runs came with two outs. Across the Diamond Having to swim their way upstream in the victory, Darren McCaughan's afternoon started with him surrendering Mike Yastrzemski's 100th career home run. He also issued hit-by-pitches to three batters, becoming the 13th different Marlins pitcher to do so. Settling in as best he could, McCaughan would allow four runs (three earned) over his four-plus innings of work. d4f73982-ebeac5d2-cb1809c8-csvm-diamondgcp-asset_1280x720_59_4000K.mp4 A highlight on the mound came by way of the bullpen. Starting with Xzavion Curry, the relief corps delivered 4 ⅔ perfect innings, striking out nine in the process. Bookending that group, Calvin Faucher upped his total to 230 batters faced without allowing a home run in 2024. In taking two out of three from the Giants, the Marlins won a series for the first time since their pre-trade deadline visit to Milwaukee (July 26-28). Looking Ahead Tuesday will see the Marlins back home as they begin their penultimate series against the Washington Nationals. Max Meyer (3-4, 5.44 ERA) will check the final team off his NL East checklist as he makes his first career start against Washington in the opener. Patrick Corbin (4-12, 5.50 ERA) will try and keep the good times a-rolling, having allowed just one run over his previous two starts. First pitch from loanDepot park is slated for 6:40 EST. View full article

Bats mount a ninth-inning rally to win in Griffin Conine's memorable first MLB start. Throughout his 16-year career, Jeff Conine—like many a hitter past and present—enjoyed hitting in Colorado. In 156 career plate appearances between Mile High Stadium and Coors Field, Mr. Marlin hit an unfathomable .418 with a 1.260 OPS. On Tuesday night, Conine was back in the building to watch his son, Griffin Conine, make his first career Major League start. This game would go on to generate storylines aplenty: Kyle Stowers' first Marlins home run, Roddery Muñoz again being plagued by the long ball, Mike Baumann becoming just the second pitcher in MLB history to appear with five teams in a single season, and an exhilarating, ninth-inning comeback. However, let's turn our focus first to the junior Conine. Like his father—a 58th-round pick who came to the Marlins in the 1992 expansion draft—Griffin's road to the big leagues was anything but smooth. Originally drafted by Miami in the 31st round back in 2015, Conine opted instead to attend Duke, hitting 31 home runs between his sophomore and junior seasons before receiving a $1.35M signing bonus after being selected in the second round by the Blue Jays. What should've been his first full professional season in 2019 was abbreviated by a 50-game suspension after testing positive for a banned substance. Then in 2020, minor league ball was canceled due to the COVID pandemic. Conine would find himself coming home when the Marlins acquired him at that season's trade deadline. Now, four years and 448 minor league games later, Conine's dream was fully realized at age 27 when he struck out in his big league debut in Miami's 3-2 loss to Colorado Monday. But when the time came for his first Major League start the following night—a 9-8 win for Miami (48-84)—you would think he was a seasoned veteran. Batting in the top of the sixth, Conine saw a hanging curveball from Cal Quantrill (5.2 IP, 4 R) and sent it into the right-center gap, ultimately ending up with a triple for his first career hit. Per Statcast, Conine's 415-foot hit would have cleared the fences in any other MLB venue. Conine would put a bow on a night he and his family would never forget with a leadoff double in the top of the ninth, ending the evening 2-for-3. Conine also had a walk and an outfield assist earlier in the game. "It was good to have a full day, full routine," he noted. Notes from Across the Diamond Lasting just 1 ⅔ innings, Roddery Muñoz continued to fall victim to the home run, surrendering three more while facing only 13 total batters. His 26 home runs are the most allowed by any Marlins pitcher in their first 18 career games, with no one else allowing more than 16. Fortunately, the Marlins offense had access to the Coors effect, highlighted by five unanswered runs in the top of the ninth that played out as such: Griffin Conine doubles David Hensley singles; Conine to third Connor Norby walks Jake Burger doubles; Conine and Hensley score Pitching change Jesús Sánchez homers; Norby, Burger, Sánchez score Of note, too, was Kyle Stowers, who broke a 79-plate appearance homerless streak to begin his Marlins tenure when he led off the fourth inning with a blast for Miami's second run. Stowers, who later added a triple, is hitting .348 (8-for-23) since August 19, including back-to-back multi-hit games. Including left-hander Jonathan Bermúdez and right-hander Mike Baumann, who both pitched in relief of Muñoz, the Marlins have now used 64 different players in 2024, continuing to build upon their single-season franchise record. Looking Ahead The Marlins continue their four-game series in Colorado on Wednesday when they send Max Meyer (3-3, 5.44 ERA) to make his first career start against the Rockies. Kyle Freeland (3-6, 5.76 ERA) will meet the Marlins for the seventh time in his career, owning a 3.60 ERA in six prior appearances. First pitch from Coors Field is slated for 8:40 EST. View full article

Oller provides some light beneath the darkness for a broken and beaten Marlins rotation and Norby continues to blossom in win. MIAMI, FL—What do you get when Sandy Alcantara, Jesús Luzardo, Braxton Garrett and Eury Pérez each go down with extended injuries? You're left with a starting rotation so ill-equipped to face big league hitters, it makes the Continental Army at Valley Forge look formidable. Entering play Sunday, Miami Marlins starters had a collective 5.25 ERA. That's third-worst in franchise history, trailing only 2007 (5.58) and 1998 (5.40). Their arms have totaled a league-worst 24 quality starts with 16 different individuals toeing the rubber at least once as a rotation member. To have Adam Oller—now in his eighth big league organization and the owner of a career 7.21 ERA—making starts in late August is a microcosm of one of the more hard-to-watch seasons in franchise history. Thankfully, there is a sort of randomness endemic to baseball that keeps us coming back. The same Chicago Cubs lineup that erupted for 14 runs in Saturday's drumming of Miami was limited by Oller to just one over 5 ⅔ innings. The right-hander's outing served as a rare feel-good moment for the 2024 club in their 7-2 win over the Cubs. Notable was Oller's fastball, a pitch he used 72 percent of the time in helping him punch out six batters, the most by a Marlins starter since Edward Cabrera's eight back on August 4. Since the start of play on August 5 through Saturday, Miami's 5.86 ERA starters ranked 28th among the 30 clubs. Notes from Across the Diamond The Miami offense erupted for seven extra-base hits in the win, matching the season-high posted on August 21. Undoubtedly, the most notable of those magnificent seven was Connor Norby's first-pitch, lead-off home run in the bottom of the first. While the rest of the Marlins lineup managed just four hits off Chicago starter Javier Assad (7 IP, 3 R), Norby seemed to have the crafty righty figured out, adding a third-inning double to his tally in what saw him collect a career-best three hits, ultimately falling just a triple short of the cycle. Norby's six extra-base hits are the most through a player's first six games with the Marlins in franchise history. Of note, too, was the continued suppression of the long ball by Declan Cronin and Calvin Faucher. Now at 264 and 216 hitters faced, respectively, Cronin and Faucher have yet to allow a home run this season. Kelvin Herrera in 2014 was the last MLB pitcher to face as many hitters as Cronin has in a single season without letting any of them leave the yard. Looking Ahead The Marlins will head Rocky Mountain high as they trek to Denver to begin a series against the NL West cellar-dweller Colorado Rockies. Edward Cabrera (2-5, 5.65 ERA) will take the ball for Miami in Monday's series opener. First pitch from Coors Field is slated for 8:40 EST. View full article

Cabrera again struggled to find the strike zone, spoiling an otherwise solid effort from the offense as the Marlins settled for a split in Philly. Good teams will always find a way to beat you. Call it trite deference, but the concept of regression to the mean generally tends to win out more often than not. Fortunately, for the Phillies, Edward Cabrera was their task at hand if they were to avoid a two-game sweep at the hands of the Miami Marlins, thirty games under .500 with the prospects of playoff baseball long in the rearview. Keeping it Cabrerian, the hard-throwing right-hander struggled to find the strike zone, walking four in Miami's 9-5 loss to the East-leading Philadelphia Phillies, now 39-22 at home. He was tagged with six earned runs, matching the total he had allowed in his five previous starts combined. Cabrera has now walked 35 in just 59 ⅓ innings pitched this season, right in line with his career 5.3 BB/9. "Fastball command is the biggest weakness right now...Only threw first-pitch strikes fifty percent (10-for-20) today," noted manager Skip Schumaker. Jonah Bride Has a Day There is such a thing as capitalizing on an opportunity at regular playing time, and then there is what Jonah Bride has been doing. Driving a career-best four runs in the loss, including three on a home run in the top of the first, Bride is now hitting .276 with an .852 OPS in 105 plate appearances this season, including a .967 OPS in the month of August. He has reached base safely in all 15 of the games he's played since the MLB trade deadline passed. Bride, 28 years old and acquired for cash considerations from Oakland in the prior offseason, appears to be playing himself into a potential role for 2025. Schwarber Comes Through in Grand Fashion Entering the evening 0-for-his-last-18 dating back to August 9, it felt inevitable for Phillies OF/DH Kyle Schwarber to come through in a big way. Following a first-inning strikeout, Schwarber came to the plate with the bases loaded and Philadelphia trailing 5-2 in the bottom of the fourth. Upon what looked like a miscommunication between Cabrera and catcher Ali Sánchez, the right-hander left a 94 mph changeup over the heart of the plate, a pitch Schwarber sent in the left field seats for a grand slam, giving the Phillies a lead they would never relinquish. The Phillies clearly had a plan against Cabrera. Each of their first 15 batters took the first pitch they saw, patiently waiting for an advantageous count if not a free pass altogether. Assuming that Cabrera remains in the Marlins rotation through season's end, he could have up to eight more outings to show he belongs in their future plans. However, it will be difficult to change anybody's mind about his viability as a starter after so many examples of being derailed by poor control. Of Note - In 54 career starts, Cabrera has now walked four or more hitters in 16 of those outings. Miami is now 7-9 in those games. - Groanin' over Cronin: After pitching to a minuscule 1.21 ERA through June 5, the other side of the coin has bit Declan Cronin (0.2 IP, 4 H. 3 ER) hard, as the Miami reliever has posted 5.84, 8.03 and 12.60 marks in June, July and August, respectively, raising his season ERA to 4.79. His 7.96 ERA since June 8 appears misleading, though, as Cronin had a 1.87 FIP from that date through August 13. - Kyle Stowers' struggles with the Marlins lived to see another day Wednesday, as the outfielder acquired in the Trevor Rogers trade struck out three more times, bringing his total to 22 in 49 PA since joining Miami. Looking Ahead From the City of Brotherly Love to the burrow of Queens, the Marlins will continue their intradivision trek Friday when they open up at Citi Field for a three-game, weekend set against the Mets. Roddery Muñoz (2-6, 5.67 ERA) will meet the Mets for the third time in his young career, turning in two of his better starts at the Major League level when he previously faced them. Opposite him, Sean Manaea (8-5, 3.44 ERA) will look to right the ship against Miami, as he has a career 5.85 ERA in four starts against the Fish. First pitch is slated for 7:10 EST. View full article

Recently traded by the Miami Marlins, San Diego Padres right-hander Bryan Hoeing discusses how he has handled the midseason transition to a new team and the change he has already made to his pitch usage. View full video

Meyer shows flashes of his April self, Burger continues his torrid pace as Marlins win despite close call in the ninth. MIAMI, FL—Skip Schumaker's first notable remark following Sunday's 7-6 thriller of a win over the Padres says all you need to know about the Miami Marlins over the last four days: "If I'm gassed, I can't imagine what those guys feel." After losing not one, not two, but three consecutive games in extra innings, the Marlins temporarily found themselves faced with the prospect of a fourth consecutive day of free baseball. Andrew Nardi was clinging to a 7-6 lead with two outs in the top of the ninth. Already the author of a hat trick at the plate with three strikeouts, Ha-Seong Kim squared up Nardi's fastball and hit a deep fly ball to left field. It deflected off the wall and then Kyle Stowers' glove, ultimately rolling over the wall. And just like that, the Marlins had blown another lead late. Or did they? Upon umpire review, the ruling was changed to a ground-rule double. Even without touching the ground, because the ball had impacted the wall before Stowers, it was to be treated as a ball in play. 44475ad1-0537bfb3-aca4ce7f-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_4000K.mp4 One batter later, in relief of Nardi, George Soriano locked down the victory over the Padres. It was redemption on a personal level as well considering Soriano was on the mound for the blown save in Friday's 9-8 loss. Marlins Bats Cease Dylan Entering Sunday amid a five-start stretch where he has allowed just six hits and one run—including a no-hitter on July 25—Dylan Cease had been in a groove unlike any other in recent vintage. However, Miami would figure Cease out early, plating a pair of runs in the bottom of the first courtesy of RBI singles from Jonah Bride and Otto Lopez. But the first was merely an appetizer for the entree that awaited in the bottom of the second. Scoring their first run of the inning on a throwing error by shortstop Ha-Seong Kim, Jake Burger continued a torrid run of hitting (1.036 OPS since July 2) when he drilled a Cease fastball into the center field ivy. It was his 22nd home run of the season and fifth in his last five games. Going 3-for-4 in the win, Burger now has a 1.284 OPS in the month of August. The Padres ace would settle in enough to make it through five innings, with only two of his five runs allowed being earned. Meyer Strong in Victory In his fourth start since being recalled from Triple-A, Max Meyer resembled the pitcher who allowed just four runs over his first three starts to begin the season...at least during his initial trip through San Diego's order. Meyer allowed 4 runs over a career-best 6 ⅓ innings pitched en route to his third win of the season. The former first-round pick started the afternoon retiring the entire Padres lineup in order before allowing a Luis Arraez single to begin the fourth. Meyer would surrender runs in fifth and sixth before a David Peralta double would put the lid on a four-run outing for the Marlins right-hander. "He on the attack...he threw fastballs down and away...Overall, just a very good outing when we needed length," noted Schumaker. Dating back to Thursday, the Marlins bullpen had thrown 13 ⅔ innings in the three games prior to Meyer's start on Sunday. Sánchez provides insurance With Miami leading 5-4 in the bottom of the seventh, Jesús Sánchez ultimately proved the difference with his two-run home run off San Diego's Yuki Matsui, tying a season-high with fourteen in the process. The Padres would make it a one-run affair once again, though. Half an inning later, and nearly ten years to the day of his only home run at loanDepot park (then Marlins Park) on August 12, 2014, Donovan Solano took Andrew Nardi over the left field wall for a two-run blast of his own. 0c575a88-cdec4387-5cd5ceb5-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_4000K.mp4 Of Note - Some minor controversy ensued following an inning-ending double play that saw Jake Cronenworth take an aggressive slide into the second baseman Lopez, resulting in a clearing of the benches albeit a brief, uneventful one. - 'Ole stomping grounds: Luis Arraez picked up his fifteenth career three-hit game at loanDepot park Sunday, including a single to break up Meyer's no-hitter in the top of the fourth. Looking Ahead When Miami resumes play Tuesday, they will do so when commencing their final series of the season in Philadelphia, where they take on the division-leading Phillies. Taijuan Walker (3-3, 5.60 ERA), the owner of a 3.10 ERA in 12 career starts against the Marlins, starts the opener for the Phillies. First pitch from Citizen's Bank Park is slated for 6:40 EST. View full article

Fish get improbable series split via rare shutout win. Back on April 23, Max Fried needed just 92 pitches to shut out the the Miami Marlins. The lineup he faced 107 days later was almost unrecognizable and inarguably less talented, yet the Braves left-hander would be anything but efficiently brilliant. Making his first start since July 11 following a stint on the injured list with forearm neuritis, Fried battled reduced fastball velocity and command issues, tying a career-high with five walks and being charged with 5 runs in his 3 ⅓ innings. This would prove more than enough for Edward Cabrera and Co., as Miami would ride a six-run fourth to a 7-0 victory to secure a series split in Atlanta. With the win, Miami concludes a winning road trip going 5-4 and improving to 42-70 overall. "I'm really proud of the group," noted manager Skip Schumaker. "A lot of those guys are really just meeting each other for the first time...To put out that effort, you would never know what our record is." Cabrera Figures Out the Braves After struggling to a 4.85 ERA in his first three career starts against them, Edward Cabrera put forth his best effort opposite the Braves the fourth time around. Featuring a fastball that routinely touched 98 mph, Cabrera showed no ill effects after departing his last start with a knee injury. He limited Atlanta to just 3 hits over 5 scoreless innings, striking out 8, walking a pair, and throwing a season-high 98 pitches en route to first career win over the Braves. Illustrative of Cabrera's dominance Sunday are the 18 whiffs he generated. The only real scoring threat against Cabrera came on an Austin Riley second-inning double initially thought to have scored Jorge Soler on a play ultimately challenged and overturned. "He's got top-5 stuff in the league. Fastball 95-to-98 mph," Schumaker said. "We had a lot of (relievers) down, so for him to provide five innings was big for us." Bats Do Damage After failing to capitalize on three walks in the first three innings, the Marlins broke through against Fried in what would ultimately turn out to be a six-run top of the fourth. Newly claimed Cristian Pache opened the scoring with his first Marlins hit, singling home Emmanuel Rivera (2-4, R) before a pair of run-scoring at-bats courtesy of Ali Sánchez and Xavier Edwards, the latter now hitting .382 after another multi-hit day Sunday. The hit of the day, though, would come courtesy of Jonah Bride, whose third home run in five games increased the Miami lead to 6. Of Note - The win saw Miami pitchers shut out the opposing team for the sixth time this season. It was their first shutout since May 24. - Sunday marked the thirteenth multi-hit game of the season for Xavier Edwards through 31 games played. Luis Arraez had the same number of such games in his first 31 games to begin the 2023 season. Edwards' .382 average is the fourth-highest through a player's first 31 games of any season in Marlins history. - Welcome back: Since commencing his second go-around with Miami, Jesus Tinoco has yet to allow a run over three appearances (3.1 IP). Looking Ahead Miami will resume play at home on Monday when they begin a four-game series against the Cincinnati Reds. Roddery Muñoz (2-3, 5.45 ERA) will get the first look at Cincinnati in the series opener. First pitch from loanDepot park is slated for 6:40 EST. View full article

The Miami Marlins had a busy trade deadline, stripping their roster of veteran assets to uplift a feeble farm system to respectability. The 2024 MLB trade deadline has come and gone, and with it, the Miami Marlins underwent a facelift. Already buried in the standings and destined for one of the worst seasons in franchise history, they negotiated with contenders to clear their selves in exchange for younger, more controllable talent that sets them up for success in the near and distant future. In a sell-off that unofficially began with the dealing of Luis Arraez to the Padres on May 4, Miami offloaded nine players from their big league roster over six days from July 25-July 30. Miami kicked off deadline festivities when they sent RP A.J. Puk to the Diamondbacks in return for INF Deyvison De Los Santos and OF Andrew Pintar. Two days later, INF/OF Jazz Chisholm Jr. was dealt to the New York Yankees for a three-player package that included INF/OF Abrahan Ramírez, C/1B Agustín Ramírez, and INF Jared Serna. On deadline day, Bendix cashed in two years of ensuing control of Trevor Rogers to the Baltimore Orioles for a return of INF/OF Connor Norby and OF Kyle Stowers. JT Chargois would be sent to Seattle for his second stint with the Mariners (3.00 ERA, 2021) with SP Will Schomberg going the other way. 1B/DH Josh Bell would see his way out, too, as he was sent to Arizona in his third consecutive trade deadline dealing. Miami will receive cash considerations or a player to be named later in the exchange. OF Bryan De La Cruz became a Pittsburgh Pirate, addressing an outfield with a collective 93 wRC+ through July 30, netting Miami RHP Jun-Seok Shim and INF Garret Forrester in return. RP Huascar Brazoban stayed in the NL East, moving from Miami to Queens to join the New York Mets in exchange for INF Wilfredo Lara. Inarguably, though, the most notable move made by the Fish came when the long-awaited Tanner Scott sweepstakes crowned a winner, with AJ Preller and the San Diego Padres acquiring the best available reliever and swingman Bryan Hoeing in exchange for SPs Robby Snelling and Adam Mazur, INF/OF Graham Pauley, and INF Jay Beshears. "Peter Bendix aced his first test as Marlins general manager," noted ESPN's Paul Hembekides. What was once a largely barren minor league pipeline has now been rejuvenated. Here are my favorite attributes of each of the newest Marlins. Deyvison De Los Santos: Raw Power From being left unprotected in last year's Rule 5 Draft to being the crown jewel of the A.J. Puk trade, De Los Santos has had a whirlwind last seven months. Looking at his numbers this season, though, you would be hard-pressed to assume as such, hitting 14 home runs in 38 games at AA Amarillo before a promotion to AAA Reno that saw him continue to torch minor league pitching to the tune of a .588/.926 (SLG, OPS) clip. For lack of hyperbole, the power is real, receiving a 70-grade on FanGraphs 20-80 scouting scale, and De Los Santos further proved that, homering in each of his first two games with AAA Jacksonville following the trade. Of the 263 players across all minor league levels with at least 350 plate appearances, no one has more than De Los Santos' 30 home runs. Did we mention that he has done all of this at just 21 years old? Eschew the questions surrounding his defense, and Marlin fans have to be salivating at the prospect of seeing De Los Santos bringing his light-tower power to loanDepot park in the not-so-distant future. Andrew Pintar: Plate Discipline While his 60-grade speed is his best tool, I am deferring to Pintar's plate discipline following a lower-body injury (foot/ankle) sustained last season. The second piece coming back in the Puk trade, Pintar, while boasting an inconsistent track record in the minor leagues, has managed to show an aptitude for plate discipline. Of the 50 hitters in the Advanced-A Northwest League, the outfielder sported the eighth-best walk rate (13.8%), all while slugging .512. He still has a lot to prove at the higher levels of the minors, but a simultaneous harnessing of his eye and 50-grade power could prove the difference between him being a big-league regular or a reserve. Agustín Ramírez: Raw Power The prospect of a catcher with plus power is an alluring one regardless the era in baseball history. Never hitting more than nine home runs in any prior season, the 22-year-old broke out with 16 in 58 games for Double-A, with his .570 slugging percentage ranking first among the 80 Eastern League hitters with at least 250 plate appearances. Ramírez does not profile as a quality catcher long term, not unless his blocking and framing improve. Despite those concerns, given Miami's lack of an answer at the position and the fact that he is already at Triple-A, Ramírez may be on the verge of reaching the Majors. Abrahan Ramírez: Plate Discipline I am sure what I am about to say will surprise you, but I will say it anyway: it is hard to project teenage ballplayers. Now, dry humor aside, onto the other Ramírez. Not yet playing above the Complex League, what sticks out in the 19-year-old's first 400 plate appearances is the almost-Soto-like eye at the plate, as evidenced by a 17.8% BB rate. While it remains to be seen if he can produce offensively outside of taking pitches, a .447 on-base percentage and 161 wRC+ are great regardless of where you do it. Jared Serna: Bat-to-ball Serna is striking out in just 16 percent of his minor league plate appearances (72nd among 865 minor leaguers to take at least 1,000 PA since 2021), and doing so while crushing 41 home runs in 316 games. A 120 wRC+ at Advanced-A Hudson Valley after repeating the level in 2024 saw him make the jump to Double-A following his arrival in the Jazz Chisholm Jr. trade. A strong offensive performance there could see his stock rise further. Although seeing a majority of his innings in the minors at shortstop, Serna profiles more as a second baseman long term, thus the current-45/future-60 field grade. Connor Norby: Power Buried in a treasure trove of Orioles hitting prospects that at one time included Jackson Holliday, Gunnar Henderson, Colton Cowser, and Jordan Westberg, Connor Norby seemed the most expendable. Seeing him included in the deal for Trevor Rogers was not much of an eyebrow-raiser as much as that it only took dealing Trevor to acquire him. After a strong start a la a .785 OPS upon being drafted in 2021, Norby proved his worth with back-to-back 20 home run seasons, highlighted by four home runs in nine games at Triple-A Norfolk to put the power on a terrific 2022 season. After an 80-game stint at Norfolk where he hit at a 32-home run pace in 2024, Norby struggled in two abbreviated big league stints, striking out in nearly 38 percent of his plate appearances before being dealt on deadline day. Of the 15 players acquired by Peter Bendix and Co., and despite an optioning to Triple-A upon being acquired, Norby and his plus-power feel to be the best balance of right-now impact that looks to be a long-term asset. Kyle Stowers: Raw Power In Kyle Stowers, the Marlins got a lot of power, but quite a bit of swing-and-miss to boot. In his big league career of just 172 plate appearances, Stowers has struck out in 33.7% of his trips to the plate, including a golden sombrero in his Marlins debut on July 31. When he has connected, though, Stowers has shown above-average power and exit velocity, already putting 10 balls in play at or above 100 mph. For a team long starved of young, controllable power, Stowers has the potential to provide that beginning immediately. Will Schomberg: Swing-and-miss After signing with Seattle as an undrafted free agent in 2023, Schomberg quickly showed a profile susceptible to extremes. What could be a better example of this than the right-hander boasting the seventh-highest BB/9 (4.48) and fifth-highest K/9 (11.31) among 94 minor league hurlers with at least 90 innings pitched? He has also allowed 14 hit by pitches, contributing to the variance between Schomberg's 2.83 ERA and 4.23 FIP. Acquiring a starter who's limiting hitters to a sub-.200 batting average aligns with Bendix's ethos of acquiring the best possible player, and for someone like JT Chargois, it is hard to argue he could have done any better. Jun-Seok Shim: Fastball Coming back with Garret Forrester in the trade with Pittsburgh for Bryan De La Cruz, aged just 20, not playing above the Florida Complex League, and having missed all season due to a shoulder injury, Shim and his electric fastball feel more apocryphal than reality. Normally sitting 94-96, Shim's fastball has touched 100, drawing comparisons to long-time Korean hurler Chan Ho Park. This offering is largely why his eight-inning introduction to pro ball saw him strike out 13 (14.63 K/9). The development of a third pitch to compliment his fastball/slider combination—particularly the curveball—will prove the difference between whether he projects more in the rotation or as a reliever, but Miami should first hope to see him in game action before making any rash decisions. Garret Forrester: Plate Discipline Daulton Varsho's unique skillset of being a capable big league catcher whilst playing Gold Glove-caliber outfield defense gives credence to the notion that today's athletes are better than ever. If Garret Forrester, a catcher/third baseman, were to even replicate approximately half the value Varsho has, consider it a win for Miami. While the power well is largely dry early in his pro career, Forrester's knack for drawing walks is anything but. Showing that his Bondsian .552 OBP in 29 PA in A-ball was anything but an anomaly, Forrester posted a .413 mark in 34 games at the same level in 2024. Whether his future is behind the plate or at one of the corner infield spots, the Oregon State alum should have no problem ascending up the ranks of Miami's system, giving them an element of advanced patience that the current iteration of the big league club sorely needs. Wilfredo Lara: Defensive versatility The Marlins acquired Lara—one year removed from an OPS north of .800 in the Florida State League—for a 34-year-old reliever in Huascar Brazoban. While the potential is still there for more pop, boasting a future 50-grade raw power at just age 20, Lara's biggest present strength is his positional versatility, as he has seen extensive time at all three non-first base infield spots, as well as all three outfield spots. Marlins fans grew fond of Jon Berti in his time here, so the prospect of a utility guy with power would easily make him a fan favorite should the bat continue to develop. Robby Snelling: Slider What is Robby Snelling? He's arguably the most polarizing player featured in this piece. A left-hander whose fastball routinely sits 90-94, Snelling is yet to harness his command, as evidenced by a current-20 grade. In his brief introduction to Double-A to conclude 2023, Snelling walked 5.2 batters per nine, showing the misleading nature of a 1.56 ERA juxtaposed by a 3.98 and 4.84 FIP and xFIP. Repeating Double-A to begin 2024, while still walking hitters at a concerning clip (4.1/9), Snelling now did so with the advent of allowing more home runs (1.7 HR/9). Currently, the southpaw's slider is his best offering, grading out as equal to his fastball (45). However, should the command issues not resolve themselves, Snelling's best-case scenario could be as a long reliever/spot starter. Adam Mazur: Slider From one pitcher in Snelling, who someday hopes to be in the big leagues, to one who was pressed into action in 2024, we meet Adam Mazur. The Padres fifth-ranked prospect prior to coming over in the Tanner Scott deal, Mazur's first taste of the show has been anything but smooth, as he has pitched to a 7.49 ERA in his first eight starts. Despite this, though, there is a lot to like with Mazur. For starters, the command is elite, walking just 1.7 per nine in 151 ⅓ minor league innings. While his command has largely abandoned him early in his Major League career, Mazur's slider—boasting good arm-side run—has played up, as hitters are batting just .216 with a 21.1% hard-hit rate. If he can resume throwing strikes as prolifically as frequently as he has shown capable of, pairing his slider with a fastball that can touch 98 mph could make him someone to watch as Miami trudges through this rebuild. Graham Pauley: Game Power Another guy who has gotten a taste of the Majors in 2024, Pauley has shown throughout his pro career a good balance of above-average power and, at times, advanced plate discipline. His game power showed itself in his 13-game stint with San Diego in 2024, hitting a pair of home runs as Padre fans were briefly greeted by a swing that eerily mirrors that of another former California superstar, Corey Seager. Given his lack of a position, Pauley's best way of sticking in the Majors is predicated on him continuing to hit for power. Jay Beshears: Arm While we noted Graham Pauley largely being a man without a defensive home, Jay Beshears and his 60-grade arm are what could see him stay at shortstop after primarily playing second while at Duke. While he struggled offensively upon promotion to Advanced-A Fort Wayne, further refinement of his defensive skills should see him continue to ascend through the minors, and the return of his line drive power will likely prove the difference in whether or not he ever sees time in the Majors. View full article