Kevin Barral

MIAMI, FL—For Owen Caissie, who the Marlins acquired as the centerpiece in the trade that sent Edward Cabrera to the Chicago Cubs, his first full season at the major league level has been filled with plenty of ups and downs. He had a .469 OPS in April, followed by a strong month of May with an .835 OPS, then another slow stretch during the first half of June. Friday against the San Francisco Giants was a showcase of his all-around potential. Caissie's three-RBI night was what the Marlins needed to take the series opener by a final score of 4-3, getting back to .500. Caissie got things going right away in the bottom of the first inning, hitting his eighth home run of the season off Giants starting pitcher Landen Roupp. It marked his third-longest home run of the season at 401 feet. He has now hit a home run in back-to-back games. If you go on Caissie's Baseball Savant page, you may be surprised to notice that he ranks in the 78th percentile among MLB players in sprint speed. That came into play in the bottom of the third inning when he decided to bunt on the third pitch of the at-bat. He was clocked at 29.8 ft/sec running down the first base line and beat the throw to reach safely. "I just felt like doing it," Caissie said postgame. "It was a horrible bunt I laid it down and just ran." "If you see something where the defense is maybe giving you an opening there to be willing to take a shot, whether to get yourself on base to start an inning or move some guys around," McCullough said. "Owen maybe was trying to get that little further down the line, but he got it out there, and I applaud him and the other guys for thinking about the team." Caissie only had 29 plate appearances against left-handed pitching going into Friday's series opener, posting a .192/.276/.269/.545 slash line and 58.6% strikeout rate. He was given an opportunity against Giants reliever Sam Hentges in the bottom of the seventh inning with runners on second and third. On the second pitch, Caissie hit a sacrifice fly deep enough to score Javier Sanoja and give the Marlins a 4-3 lead, which would be the difference. The 23-year-old finished the game going 3-for-3 with three RBI and was a triple shy of the cycle. "I love that they have confidence in me," Caissie said. "It gives me a lot of confidence that they can roll me every day, no matter what. It's honestly a blessing and I'm never going to take that for granted." The Marlins had the option of going with Max Meyer as their starting pitcher, but opted to give him an extra day of rest and go with a bullpen game. That would work out, but things got dicey. In the top of the second inning, Daniel Susac hit a sacrifice fly that tied the game, 1-1. Despite the Marlins taking a 2-1 lead in the fifth inning thanks to a Caissie's RBI double, Rafael Devers hit a game-tying 413-foot homer to the upper deck in right field. The Giants took a 3-2 lead in that same inning as Casey Schmitt hit an RBI single. Thankfully, the Marlins got right back into it when Esteury Ruiz was hit by a pitch, Javier Sanoja knocked in a base hit and Liam Hicks found a hole on the right side of the infield for his 53rd RBI of the season. Marlins closer Pete Fairbanks worked a 1-2-3 top of the ninth to notch save number 10 of the season and the 100th in his career. After a turbulent start to Fairbanks' season, he is finally beginning to settle in. On the season, he has a 6.43 ERA, 4.66 FIP, 4.32 xFIP, 12.43 K/9 and 4.71 BB/9. "Watching videos from a few years past to make sure I'm hitting the checkpoints that I hit when I'm good," Fairbanks said. "I'm working pretty hard to make sure we're in the right spot, and I think we're doing a pretty good job. Obviously, you still have your ups and downs, but all in all, definitely feel like I'm having a real season, not an interrupted one from earlier in the year." With the win, the Marlins remain two games out of the third and final National League Wild Card spot. They will look to get back to their series-winning ways on Saturday as Max Meyer takes the mound opposite of Trevor McDonald. First pitch is at 4:10 pm for what should be a well-attended game as loanDepot park celebrates Flanigan's Fest. View full article

The Miami Marlins series win streak is snapped at four as they fell to the Philadelphia Phillies by a final score of 8-2, dropping to two games under .500 and three games out of the third and final National League Wild Card spot. Tyler Phillips, a recent addition to the Marlins starting rotation, surrendered eight runs on six hits (three home runs) in four innings of work. Seven of the eight runs allowed came in the bottom of the first and second innings. Phillips, who was a reliever to begin the season, was put into a starter's role after Robby Snelling, Eury Pérez and Janson Junk all went down with their respective injuries. Tuesday's game nearly doubled his season ERA, from 1.86 to 3.10. The only two starters that remain from the original Marlins rotation are Sandy Alcantara and Max Meyer, who have been placed under more pressure as Alcantara is pitching on the day before a bullpen game and Meyer pitches on the day after. Both need to provide length to conserve the other arms on the staff. Although the move to have Phillips start games hasn't been a bad one per say, the organization should've looked for an outside option once they saw Braxton Garrett's struggles and the injuries of both Eury Pérez and Janson Junk pop up. Trying to get through the next month before the All-Star game with bullpen games and continuing to stretch relievers out into starters just isn't sustainable through the course of multiple months. If the Marlins were serious about contending for a Wild Card spot, they would've gone outside the organization to bring a starter that could help with team right now. That unfortunately has not been done and doesn't seem like it will be done. Prior to the game, the Marlins optioned William Kempner to Triple-A Jacksonville and recalled left-handed pitcher Dax Fulton from Triple-A. In two innings of work, Fulton didn't allow a hit, but did walk one and struck out two. For a second straight night, the Marlins offense already had to climb out of a hole, and it would be even tougher with former Marlins starter Jesus Luzardo. He went seven innings, allowing two runs on five hits, two walks and struck out nine. In the top of the seventh inning, Esteury Ruiz took Luzardo deep for a second time this season. It was his fourth home run of the season, making it 8-2. That would be the only run of the night. Ruiz's is now slashing .238/.329/.540/.869 with four home runs, nine RBI, 12 stolen bases and a 135 wRC+, all career-best marks for the 27-year-old that was acquired over the offseason from the Los Angeles Dodgers. Sandy Alcantara will take the mound on Wednesday afternoon at 1:05 pm as the Marlins look to salvage the series. View full article

For the 2026 season, Fish On First will provide weekly reports on the Miami Marlins farm system, covering all levels. This mid-June edition of the Fish On First Prospects Report might be our most detailed of the year thus far, including some key injury updates near the bottom of the article. This report covers the games played from June 9-15. Triple-A Jacksonville Although the walks do remain an issue, Karson Milbrandt had a strong second start in Jacksonville on Saturday, going five innings, allowing one run on three hits, three walks and struck out seven. His fastball topped out at 97.0 mph and averaged 94.3 mph. He had five whiffs on that pitch and three of his seven strikeouts came on the fastball. Milbrandt generated three of his strikeouts with his sweeper and also threw his slider and curveball. In a recent interview on the Call-Up Podcast, Milbrandt said that he has added a kick-change to his arsenal, though he has yet to use it in Triple-A. Since being optioned to Jacksonville, Graham Pauley is slashing .254/.361/.535/.897 with four home runs, 10 RBI and a 135 wRC+. Marlins third basemen this season at the big league level have combined for a 43 wRC+, the worst in baseball. Pauley's defense has never been the question, but he needs to hit at the highest level so he can be playable. Another opportunity should be coming for him soon if he maintains this pace. A third baseman coming out of the MLB Draft, Gage Miller has mostly been bumped to second base to make room for Pauley. He is now slashing .313/.421/.469/.890 with one home run, six RBI and a 144 wRC+ in Triple-A. Andrew Pintar is quietly having a great season. After a slow start, Pintar is now hitting .260/.366/.420/.786 with six home runs, 31 RBI, 17 stolen bases and a 114 wRC+. Outfield depth in the organization is as good as it's been in years, so for Pintar to receive a call-up this season may require an injury to either Jakob Marsee or Esteury Ruiz. Double-A Pensacola Behind solid starting pitching from some unheralded arms, the Wahoos enjoyed a successful week. After having their opener rained out, Pensacola split a doubleheader before taking three of the next four against the Clingstones to improve to 32-31. They are now within one game of the lead in a tightly contested Southern League South division. During the week, Pensacola starters gave up just 10 runs in 30 ⅓ innings (2.99 ERA). On the season, the Wahoos staff as a whole owns a 4.42 ERA, third-lowest in the Southern League. In today’s baseball reality, soft-tossing lefties are becoming a thing of the past. Luis Palacios represents one of few surviving members of this craft and it was on full display this week against Columbus. He worked five innings, allowing just one hit while striking out two and inducing nine ground outs. All of that was accomplished on just 53 pitches. The longest-tenured member of the Marlins organization, Palacios has been doing his thing, throwing strikes and getting ground balls since 2017. Simply put, the guy doesn’t walk anyone. Year over year, he is one of the best arms in MiLB at commanding the strike zone. This season, Palacios has uncharacteristically walked 25 batters in 51 ⅓ innings. This can perhaps partially be attributed to completely missing spring training due to visa issues. Despite the early-season woes, he bounced back well and is keeping his walk rate more than manageable. He’s doing the same with his ERA, which sits at 2.18 (seventh-lowest in the Southern League). When he’s at his best, Palacios profiles as an innings-eating machine capable of shutting down opposing offenses at a lightning-fast pace, but with limited velocity and swing-and-miss stuff, there is little room for error in his game. Despite being the complete and polar opposite of the Marlins’ archetype pitcher, the 25-year-old southpaw has performed well so far this season. Especially in an organization struggling for pitching depth, he at least deserves an extended look at the Triple-A level. As he comes up on another year of minor league free agent eligibility, Palacios getting a cup of coffee in the majors would certainly be a feel-good story for a player who has spent his entire professional career with the same team. It was another good series for Juan Matheus. The 22-year-old infielder who continues to project plus power from within a small package. In this series, the 5’9”, 155 pounder went 5-for-18 with two home runs and seven RBI. His team-best OPS rose to .830. Offensive success has been sporadic at times this season for Matheus, but overall, his translation to the upper minors is going pretty well. He’s swinging a lot both at strikes and at balls out of the zone, but his ability to get the bat around with lightning quickness has allotted him longer ABs and caused opposing pitchers to come further in the zone. Matheus continues to favor his pull side but he’s also found some success up the middle with the Wahoos as he is going through the box at a 30.8% clip. He hasn’t walked much against Double-A stuff but his penchant for contact more than makes up for it. Thought to be a distant third piece in the trade that sent Ryan Weathers to New York, Matheus has quickly made a name for himself with a loud bat that has looked the part more often than not against the toughest competition he’s ever faced. This is a name that is continuing to trend up in the organization. High-A Beloit It was another tough week for the Sky Carp in the standings. After opening their series against Quad Cities with a win, the team dropped four of their next five including their last three straight. Particularly painful was Saturday’s game in which they squandered an early 6-0 lead and lost 12-6. Beloit’s pitching continues to be a nightmare: their team ERA has now swelled to 5.97. They own a minus-26 run differential. A 22-year-old infielder capable of playing multiple positions, Emilio Barreras has done nothing but hit since coming to Miami as an eighth-round pick last year. Promoted to the High-A level on June 3, he is slashing .395/.432/.553 with the Sky Carp. This past week, Barreras went 10-for-17 and ran his hit streak to nine games en route to being named our Prospect of the Week. Coming out of the draft, Barreras was highly touted for his bat-to-ball skills which allotted him a .311/.399/.402 slash as a three-year starter at Grand Canyon University. Early in his pro career, he is proving that skill set can translate. With a patient approach and slashy bat built for a good average, Barreras can go with any pitch type and hit to all fields. He is also perfectly content taking a walk, which he has done more than he’s struck out so far this season. Scouts see in Barreras the hands, range and footwork to stick at shortstop, or the very least, the ability to hold down second base, keeping him at a premium position. Barreras isn’t slow, but needs to work on his timing mechanics while on the bases. If he’s able to develop in that capacity, he will add another layer to his game. So far this season, he has stolen three bags and been caught six times. Overall, Barreras, the self-described “pest,” could carve out a nice career as a top-of-the-order run to be driven in or a bottom-of-the-order guy who will turn the lineup over. If he keeps doing what he’s doing as he moves through the levels, he is a safe player. As such, the floor is decently high. Brandon Compton, the Marlins’ second-round pick last season, needs to find offensive consistency to carry him to a potential ceiling of a starting corner outfielder. After a disappointing May in which he recorded just 13 hits, Compton has been absolutely on fire to start June. The latest exports from Compton’s bat were a 10-hit series against the River Bandits and he is beginning to turn raw power that he was highly touted for when drafted into game power. Four of his salvos during that span were home runs, bringing him to seven on the season. With great raw strength, he is showcasing an ability to turn on virtually anything and drive it to his pull side. Compton has also been very selective against High-A stuff, proven by an extremely high 24% walk rate. The only thing inhibiting Compton’s game is an equally high K rate of 34%. A man of extremes, Compton isn’t swinging at bad pitches, but he is trying to force pull-side contact often leading to overzealous hacks and a bit of unbalance in his follow through. Simplifying his mechanics and being able to cover more plate will be paramount for the 22-year-old as he continues to develop. For now, this was an extremely encouraging week and span for Compton. If he can limit the swings-and-misses and start to use more of the field, he'll access the best version of himself. Low-A Jupiter After a hot start in the FCL, Edgardo De Leon was promoted to Low-A, where he is doing a lot of the same, slashing .350/.400/.700/1.100 with two home runs, six RBI and a 174 wRC+. He has six total home runs this season between both levels. In 2025, he struck out 28.8% of the time, but so far, he has cut down the strikeout rate to 17.8% between both levels and is walking 16.8% of the time. De Leon, 19, was the third piece acquired in the trade that sent Edward Cabrera to the Chicago Cubs this past offseason. Obviously, all players are in different stages of their career, but based solely on production, De Leon takes the cake. If he keeps producing at this level, De Leon should eventually crack into our FOF Top 30 list. Luis Arana, also promoted to Low-A with De Leon, has gotten off to a great start as well. In 11 games, he is hitting .341/.491/.512/1.003 with one home run, 11 RBI and a 180 wRC+. He has stolen 17 bases between both levels. Defensively, Arana has played shortstop the most, but has gotten a fair share of reps at third base. Signed as an international free agent out of Venezuela for $30k in 2025, he projects as a shortstop long term. Carter Johnson is quietly making the case for a promotion, now slashing .250/.370/.438/.808 with seven home runs, 31 RBI and a 122 wRC+. A lot of the production should be taken with a grain of salt as this is his second full season at the level, but at this rate, he has nothing left to prove. Manuel Genao, a 20-year-old right-handed pitching prospect, has a 3.50 ERA, 3.92 FIP, 9.67 K/9 and a 2.33 BB/9 in 13 games (11 starts) this season. In his most recent start where there was Statcast data available, Genao's sinker topped out at 96.1 mph and averaged 94.6 mph. He also throws a slider, curveball, cutter, changeup and a four-seam fastball. PJ Morlando, the top pick of the 2024 Marlins draft class, has not been able to get it going, now slashing .176/.317/.283/.601 with four home runs, 22 RBI and a 77 wRC+. He is striking out 27.4% of the time. Going down to the complex league for a bit as a 21-year-old would be a tough pill to swallow, but that has to be on the table soon if he continues to show no signs of progress. FCL Marlins Another week of rookie ball brought more unusual storylines, highlighted by the FCL Marlins throwing a no-hitter and still losing the game. Jonas Uzcategui made three appearances this week and looked like the Uzcategui we have seen for most of the season in two of them before running into trouble on Monday. In his first appearance, he threw an inning without allowing a hit, though a walk eventually came around to score. Three days later, he tossed four innings and allowed just one hit and one walk while striking out two. Monday got away from him a bit as he allowed six runs on three hits and three walks. Unfortunately, that is the nature of rookie ball—one rough outing can overshadow several quality appearances because of how short the season is. Even with that start, Uzcategui has made some really big strides from last year. After a rough first month since coming stateside, Almen Tolentino has started to look like the player we saw last year in the DSL when he hit .301 with six home runs and 20 stolen bases. Over the last week, he went 5-for-16 (.312) and stole three bases, including one in each of his last three games. As the season goes on, the consistency should start to show. If it does, the Marlins could start seeing the same version of Tolentino that made such a strong impression a year ago. DSL Marlins & DSL Miami Catcher Carlos Martinez has had a very weird season, but he has made the most of every opportunity he has gotten. He has appeared in only seven games and has just 10 at-bats, but he is hitting .400 with a home run and only one strikeout. He appeared in four games this week but only received four at-bats, going 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a walk. The opportunities have been limited, but he continues to produce whenever his name is called. Last week, Evan Da Souza made his debut and ran into some trouble, but managed to escape without any damage. This week, he put that outing behind him and threw three scoreless innings while striking out five, walking two, and hitting a batter. Through his first two appearances, the control has been inconsistent, but the upside is obvious. He is definitely a player worth keeping an eye on. David Shirley entered the season as a career .297 hitter in the minors and has continued to swing the bat well, hitting .333 to start the year. This week, he went 5-for-13 (.385) with a home run. The strikeout rate has been a little high at 29%, but it is still a very small sample size. It will flatten out as he gets more at bats. He has arrived. After a rough first week of professional baseball where he hit .176 and struck out nine times in five games, Santiago Solarte broke out in a big way this week. He went 5-for-11 (.455), with most of the damage coming on Monday afternoon. The game included several firsts. He recorded his first career three-hit game and hit his first professional home run. Since that opening week, he has struck out just twice. Solarte continues to be a nightmare for opposing pitchers on the bases as well. He already has 11 stolen bases on the season and, before Monday, had stolen a base in four consecutive games. The tools that made him one of the organization's most exciting international signings are starting to show up consistently, and it looks like he is beginning to settle in after that slow start. Injuries/Rehab Kemp Alderman is back with Jacksonville after missing about a month due to a left elbow sprain. He served as their designated hitter on Tuesday. Griffin Conine and Eury Pérez are both rehabbing with the Jumbo Shrimp this week. Conine hopefully will rejoin the Marlins active roster following the series in Durham. For Pérez, he is scheduled to make multiple AAA rehab starts beginning on Thursday, when he is expected to go three to four innings and about 50 pitches. Noble Meyer (right shoulder strain) will make his second rehab start with Jupiter on Thursday. PJ Morlando exited Tuesday's Hammerheads game early soon after making a diving catch in the outfield. No word yet on the severity of the injury. This week's schedule Triple-A Jacksonville at Durham Double-A Pensacola vs. Birmingham High-A Beloit at Cedar Rapids Low-A Jupiter vs. Palm Beach FCL Marlins, DSL Marlins and DSL Miami vs. various opponents View full article

The Miami Marlins went into Citizens Bank Park riding plenty of momentum as winners of four straight series and owners of a 10-2 record in the month of June. They were very quickly humbled by the Philadelphia Phillies and Zack Wheeler. The veteran right-hander struck out a season-high nine in his club's 7-0 shutout of the Fish. Marlins manager Clayton McCullough believed that Miami's hitters would pose a greater challenge to Wheeler than they did when matched up with him at loanDepot park just over a month ago. In terms of results, it looked very similar this time around. Wheeler did match his season-high with three walks, but it wasn't enough for the Marlins, as they had one extra-base hit off of him, a double courtesy of Joe Mack in the top of the fifth inning. "We're moving ourselves into position where we feel like we can contend for postseason spots every year," McCullough said. "When you get into the postseason, this is what you're going to face, and it's not going to be easy. Runs are at a premium, baserunners are, so you just try to be as disciplined and diligent to your plan as you can be, and hopefully the more exposure our group continues to get against a lot of frontline guys that it will bode well for them." On the flipside, the Marlins went with Ryan Gusto, who has taken one of the spots in the rotation due to injuries to both Eury Pérez and Janson Junk. In 4 ⅔ innings of work, Gusto allowed five runs on eight hits, three walks and only struck out one. In the bottom of the second inning, Gusto surrendered the first career home run to Florida Atlantic product Gabriel Rincones Jr. Gusto left a sweeper hanging that Rincones was able to take 385 feet deep to right field and give the Phillies an early 1-0 lead. A two run bottom of the third and fourth innings would be the final blows and Gusto couldn't make it out of the fifth inning. "Battled very well," McCullough said. "He'd been a little under the weather the last few days and I think that caught up to him a little bit today. I think some of the two-K execution is where he can take some steps." If there is one positive to take away from this game, it was that William Kempner. In 2 1/3 innings, he kept the Phillies offense at bay, not allowing a hit, no walks and struck out two. Acquired from the San Francisco Giants in exchange for international pool money in January 2025, Kempner earned a selection to the 40-man roster this past offseason and was recalled from Triple-A Jacksonville on May 30. His ERA remains at 0.00 in six MLB appearances since then. "Will has got a terrific arm," McCullough said. "Limited major league sample to this point. We love his stuff, and we believe Will can be for us down the road. Right now, every opportunity he gets to go out there is just very good experience for him to continue to learn from." With the loss, the Marlins drop back down to a game below .500 at 36-37. Looking at the standings, they are still two games out of the final National League Wild Card spot. Tyler Phillips, the former Phillies pitcher, will get the start on Tuesday at 6:40 pm. He will go opposite of former Marlins lefty Jesus Luzardo. View full article

Going into the season, the Miami Marlins bullpen was seen as one of the strengths of the ball club. Through 72 games, that has proven to be the case, even though injuries have taken their toll and some pitchers are taken on different roles than originally planned. Following the team's fourth straight series win, this time against the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Marlins bullpen has a 3.49 ERA (eighth in MLB), 3.67 FIP (fourth), 9.73 K/9 (fourth) and 4.49 BB/9 (23rd). In the month of June, where they are 10-2, the bullpen has a 2.81 ERA, 2.99 FIP, 11.25 K/9 and 4.50 BB/9. Their win streak was snapped at six games on Saturday against the Pirates. "They throw really, really good stuff," said bullpen coach Brandon Mann. "They have stuff that they can compete in the zone with, and I think you see that we get a lot of swing-and-miss out of our guys. We attack guys early and we try to get punchies when we have advantage counts." One of the most lethal individual pitches this year has been Anthony Bender's sweeper (plus-9 run value). It currently grades out as the second-best sweeper in baseball, behind Shohei Ohtani (plus-11), and easily the best amongst all relief pitchers. Bender's sweeper has 19.9 inches of horizontal break on average. Last year, it had 16.8 inches of horizontal break. The Major League Baseball average for sweepers in 2026 is 14.6 inches, per FanGraphs. It wasn't all sunshine a rainbows for Bender in 2026, as in his first 10 appearances of the season were rough. Along with a 7.56 ERA, he blew two games, walked eight hitters and surrendered seven runs. The only positive was that he had a 3.83 FIP in that span, meaning he was running into some bad luck. In his next 20 games, he has a 1.29 ERA, 2.01 FIP and has struck out 24 hitters and only walked three. Overall, Bender now has a 3.07 ERA, 2.53 FIP, 11.05 K/9 (career-high) and 3.38 BB/9 in 30 appearances. Lake Bachar, who the Marlins claimed off waivers from the San Diego Padres in the midst of the 2024 season, has been one of the most crucial pieces of the bullpen. With injuries in the starting rotation, Bachar has had to start three of the Marlins bullpen games. In his first two starts, he has been perfect, going 5 ⅔ innings, striking out six in the process. On Saturday against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Bachar went two innings, allowing one run on one hit, walked one and struck out four. "It’s not out of the realm possibility to see someone like Lake continue to get stretched out because he has shown he’s got a lot of weapons that can go through a lineup a couple of times," Marlins manager Clayton McCullough told reporters in Pittsburgh about Bachar. Bachar's pitch mix isn't typical of a reliever, as he has six pitches in his arsenal, but all of them have been either at league average, or above that in terms of run value. His two best pitches thus far have been the slider and sweeper, both sporting Run Values of three. The slider has generated a 45.5% whiff rate and 45.7% PutAway rate, the highest of all his pitches and in his career. It is his also second most used pitched this season (24%). One incorporation into his already extensive arsenal is a curveball, which he has thrown 12.6% of the time. In his start against the Pirates, Bachar threw it 21% of the time, generating two whiffs, but did not strike anyone out with that pitch. Overall, the curveball has a 38.7% whiff rate rate and 27.6% PutAway rate. It has a Run Value of one. Bachar also added a two-seamer, which is also known as a sinker to his arsenal. The first time he threw it in game was in his second start of the season, which came against the Tampa Bay Rays. He threw it 13% of the time in that start, only using it against right-handed hitters. In three appearances (two starts) using the sinker, he's only thrown is 11 times (1.8%), his least used pitch, but has a 20% whiff rate, but hasn't struck anyone out with it yet. "It graded out as his best pitch (on Saturday)," Mann said the day after his start against Tampa. "Being able to bring something new into the mix, now he has more of an east-west profile and a north-south that profile really opens up more opportunities for Bachar to face lefties and righties." In 22 appearances (three starts), Bachar has a 3.05 ERA, 3.70 FIP, 10.57 K/9 and 3.05 BB/9. It is uncertain wether Bachar will continue to be the Marlins starter when they have a bullpen game, but he certainly has given the team quality innings and length to save the overall bullpen a little bit more. When the Marlins signed lefty John King to a one-year deal, they expected him to be used in certain pockets that they didn't have the luxury of using a left-handed pitcher in last season because they only had one. Early in the season, King was exactly that. In his first 10 appearances, King posted a 1.04 ERA, but 4.61 FIP. Since then, he has a 3.10 ERA and 3.99 FIP. In the bullpen games, King has already had to make one start, which came in Queens against the New York Mets. For the most part, King continues to be used in certain pockets, but his usage has gone up, leading the Marlins with 31 games pitched this season. King's secondaries weren't very good in 2025, so he is throwing them less and relying more on his sinker (plus-3 RV) and slider (plus-1 RV). The sinker (32.3% usage rate) has generated a 22.4% whiff rate and 27.6% PutAway rate. Although it is his third most used pitch, King's changeup is getting the most whiff (33.3%) and his sweeper, the fourth most used pitch and new to his arsenal, is putting hitters way the most (25%). After struggling against right-handed hitters in 2025, he is now dominating them, as they are slashing .152/.250/.239/.489 with one home run in 52 plate appearances. Fish On First spoke to King early in the season and after meetings with the pitching staff in the organization, they cut down his sinker usage (now at 32.3%) and bumped up his slider and sweeper usage. In 31 appearances, King has a 2.48 ERA, 4.17 FIP, 6.83 K/9 and 2.48 BB/9. His high FIP is due to his hard-hit% ranking in the 85th percentile, barrel percentage going up from 5.1% in 2025 to 8.1% Hitters overall are just able to attack King more, but his high ground ball rate and strong defense behind him have allowed him to find success in 2026. The final name we will dive into is closer Pete Fairbanks. It's been mixed results so far for the $13M man. The Marlins have made it clear that they will avoid using the flamethrower in any situation where the team is down. If they are tied or leading in a game that falls under a save situation (winning by three or less), Fairbanks will go out there. He has been used in the ninth inning in all but one situation this season. Fairbanks has a 6.75 ERA, 4.75 FIP, 13.05 K/9, 4.95 BB/9 and nine saves in 22 appearances this season. He did land on the injured list just one time this season, but the overall lower usage rate has been because of the situations Miami is looking to use him in. In his most recent appearance, which came in a save situation against the Pirates, Fairbanks surrendered one home run, but struck out two in the process. "I think he's trending," Mann said. "I think the the numbers don't necessarily match up with with how I think he's personally pitched. I know his ERA versus his xERA is very, very different. He's punching out guys at a very high clip...He goes the next 17 innings and givea up one run, we're talking about how great Pete's been. I think he is trending in that that way." The cutter which showed good results towards the end of the 2025 season and throughout all of spring training, it has a negative Run Value. The pitch has generated a 31.4% whiff rate and 17.4% PutAway rate. The slider, which he is throwing 18.6% of the time in 2026, has been his best PutAway pitch (34.6%). After plenty of doubts on a low strikeout rate the previous two seasons, his 13.05 K/9 is the highest its been since the 2023 season (13.50). Other names who have made an impact is Michael Petersen, who in 27 appearances has a 3.07 ERA, 2.76 FIP, 10.43 K/9 and 3.99 BB/9. The recently called up William Kempner has a 0.00 ERA, 1.60 FIP, 10.80 K/9 and 2.70 BB/9 in five appearances. Kempner has been used in more lower-leverage situations, but has thrived thus far. Overall, the bullpen has some nasty stuff, proving to be strikeout machines, but their sustainability is in question if the Marlins continue to rely on bullpen games every fifth day. Also, the group's high walk rate will eventually come back to bite them if it is not addressed. For now, it is worth admiring how good they have been. View full article

The month of June continues to bring incredible joy to Miami Marlins fans. With a 8-3 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday, the Marlins are winners of nine out of their last 10 games since the calendar flipped. This latest victory also featured a major milestone for Sandy Alcantara, who surpassed 1,000 strikeouts in his MLB career. Entering his start, Alcantara was five strikeouts away from 1,000. In the bottom of the fourth inning, he struck out Pirates rookie Tyler Callihan looking with his sweeper. The right-hander finished his night going eight innings, allowing three runs on five hits (two home runs) with one walk and seven strikeouts. Alcantara was one of four players acquired by the Marlins in the 2017 trade that sent Marcell Ozuna to the St. Louis Cardinals. He won the NL Cy Young Award in unanimous fashion in 2022 and has made it to two All-Star games. There has been some adversity, including Tommy John surgery in October 2023 and an extended slump to begin the 2025 season, but Alcantara has since gotten back to be an extremely valuable workhorse for the Fish. Alcantara's first 10 strikeouts were recorded as a member of the Cardinals. His Marlins total of 991 trails only Ricky Nolasco (1,001). Expect Alcantara to take over that franchise record by the end of this month. Against a Pittsburgh team missing starting shortstop Konnor Griffin and center fielder Oneil Cruz due to injuries, Alcantara generated 11 total whiffs, with four of those coming on his sinker. Of his seven strikeouts, three of them came on his nasty changeup. He was his usual efficient self, averaging 12.8 pitches per inning. Alcantara has now tossed at least eight innings in 33 starts with Miami, tied with Dontrelle Willis for the most such outings by a starter in franchise history. "We've seen three in a row where he's put together some high-end performances, but really, all year long, the innings he's been able to accumulate and what that does every fifth/sixth day," McCullough said. "Going into tomorrow which is a bullpen game, for him to give us eight innings and to get another win behind him, is great. He is in a good groove right now." Alcantara has completed seven innings of more in three straight starts, surrendering three or less runs in all of them. His ERA in June is 2.86. Through 15 starts this season, he has a 4.25 ERA, 4.14 FIP, 6.57 K/9 and 2.13 BB/9 while leading Major League Baseball with 97 ⅓ innings pitched. In the bottom of the third inning, Alcantara surrendered an RBI single to Jared Triolo, giving the Pirates a 1-0 lead. The Marlins tied and took the lead in the top of the fifth inning, as Otto Lopez had an RBI groundout and Kyle Stowers drove in Liam Hicks on an RBI single. The only downside to Alcantara's night were the two home runs he allowed—one in the top of the fifth inning to Endy Rodríguez, tying the game at two, and another in the eighth inning to Brandon Lowe, making it an 8-3 game. Miami's offense exploded in the top of the seventh inning, rallying for four runs. It all started with a sacrifice fly from Xavier Edwards, bringing Liam Hicks home. Heriberto Hernández added an RBI single and Owen Caissie capped off the inning with a two-run RBI double. Hicks sealed the deal in the top of the eighth inning, hitting his team-leading 13th home run of the season off the right field foul pole. Now at 50 RBI this season, Hicks has become one of six players in baseball with 50 or more RBI this season. "Feel like the lineup has lengthened out now and we are able to mount innings from different parts of the lineup and that's a good sign," McCullough said. The Marlins' winning percentage is now back at .500 for the first time since April 24, when they had a 13-13 record. They also have baseball's longest winning streak and are just one game out of the third National League Wild Card spot. Lake Bachar will open what will be a bullpen game on Saturday at 4:05 pm. Fish On First's Nate Karzmer will have boots on ground in Pittsburgh as the Marlins aim for their fourth straight series win. View full article

MIAMI, FL—Following Tuesday's Miami Marlins win over the Arizona Diamondbacks, catcher Joe Mack sent a message to the entire league: "I want them to steal. I'm hoping that they steal. I'm like, 'Please run.' It's my favorite part of my game and I know my ability to throw people out and get a guy off scoring position." Throughout the 2025 season and continuing through the first month or so of 2026, the Marlins struggled mightily against opposing base-stealers. Mack's call-up immediately flipped that weakness into a strength. The rookie has thrown out 10 runners on 26 attempts, ranking in the 90th percentile of MLB catchers in caught stealing above average, per Baseball Savant. His combination of pop time (1.89 seconds) and accuracy is elite despite his limited experience. Mack claimed another victim on Tuesday against the Diamondbacks when he threw out Geraldo Perdomo in the top of the second inning. On a night when Marlins starter Max Meyer allowed more traffic on the bases than usual, that extra out helped him work into the sixth inning. "It takes a little bit more pressure off the pitcher, and they can pitch a little bit more loosely," Mack told Fish On First. Amongst the runners that Mack has thrown out include Chandler Simpson (96th percentile sprint speed), Nasim Nuñez (97th percentile sprint speed) and Jacob Young (95th percentile sprint speed). Manager Clayton McCullough has leaned heavily on Mack—prior to Wednesday's day off, he had caught seven consecutive complete games. The Marlins won six of those seven, allowing only 3.3 runs per game during that span. "Someone like Joe has the ability to make up for some pitchers that are a little slower...He's thrown out some real runners and come up with some big throws, so I think that part has really helped out on the run prevention side of things." Defense really became a priority for Mack in 2024. Former Marlins catching coordinator Chris Briones, who was with the organization from December 2018 until January 2026, was a big influence on him. "He just had a lot of good things for me to hear," Mack said. "Just really connected with me very well. He would always joke with me, make me feel comfortable and make me feel out of my comfort zone as well. It was just a great experience then, and I take a lot of pride in that." Mack has been Meyer's battery mate in each of his last six starts. "Everyone sees it: he's got a cannon," Meyer said. "Just having him back there is awesome. He's got his feet wet now and he's been challenging well, too. He knows the game. He's able to those runners, so it's awesome having a guy back there that can do that and takes off a lot of pressure to the pitchers too in innings where you know that if they steal, there is a very good chance that they are going to get hosed, so just makes you execute a bit better." Fish On First (@fishonfirst) • Instagram photos and videos WWW.INSTAGRAM.COM 2,660 likes, 22 comments - fishonfirst on June 9, 2026: "JOE MACK IS UNREAL BEHIND THE PLATE 😳🔥 Joe Mack has already thrown out 10 runners this season, and his confidence is... Mack has brought a loose and fun personality to the Marlins clubhouse that his teammates appreciate, in particular starting pitcher Sandy Alcantara. Alcantara has called Mack a Gold Glove-caliber catcher and continuously praised him." "Just hearing that from him, especially a Cy Young Award winner and great pitcher through and through, is awesome," Mack said. "Bunch of these guys are also awesome pitchers. I'm just here to help them be their best selves, and if I can do that by catching the ball, blocking the ball, throwing guys out for them, then that's awesome. If I can also do that, helping them by talking with them, making them laugh or making them lock it in a little bit more, whatever it may be, then great." As a bonus, Mack has settled in as a hitter as well following a very slow start in that department. So far in the month of June, he is slashing .391/.417/.565/.982 with one home run and seven RBI. His overall wRC+ is 75. "I think it's lowering my hands a little bit to be more consistent and more short with my load," Mack said. "I think that's something that helps me be more consistent throughout and also just maintaining the backside and opposite part of the field is a big part of my game. When I'm going hot over there, pull-side stuff will happen." Thanks to his defense, Mack is already making a positive impact for the Marlins. If he continues to trend in this direction offensively and hit like an average catcher—MLB average for the position is a 88 wRC+—it would make it clear that the franchise has found its long-term solution behind the plate. View full article