Kevin Barral

MIAMI, FL — Tuesday marked president of baseball operations Peter Bendix's end-of-season press conference. The Miami Marlins concluded their season with an 80-82 record, a one-game improvement from the 2025 season, but nine games worse than the record they would've needed to qualify for the postseason. As Bendix was quick to note himself, that's far from ideal. "We're all disappointed to be having this this press conference here today," said Bendix in his opening remarks. "We want this to be much later in the month. That said, I'm also very proud of our team and organization. I think there was tremendous progress that was shown on the field and off the field. I think we continue to really build on this foundation, take a meaningful step forward in a lot of ways and at the same time, we're angry, disappointed and not satisfied with where we are. Both of those things are true at the same time." Here were the main takeaways from Bendix's press conference. Pedro Guerrero will not return The Marlins are parting ways with Pedro Guerrero, who served as their hitting coach the past two seasons. "He did a tremendous job for us," Bendix said. "He is a wonderful human being. We're going to miss having him around, and really appreciate everything that Pedro gave to us. Just time for a new voice in the hitting space." Last season, the Marlins ranked 16th among MLB teams in wRC+ (100), ninth in OPS (.727) and 23rd in home runs (168). The overall production was not bad, but the Marlins had trouble with left-handed pitching, posting a .684 OPS (compared to a .743 OPS vs. RHP). Assistant hitting coaches Corbin Day and Chris Hess will both return, per Bendix. "Evaluating a hitting coach is very difficult," Bendix said regarding what they are looking to fill the now vacant spot. "That role is very, very difficult. I think we have a unique structure here, not just in the hitting department, but in all of our departments with a a director of hitting in this case that oversees our our hitting space. So we are really looking for that sort of alignment from top to bottom with our director, with our our entire hitting coaches. That's what we'll be prioritizing." Jakob Marsee dealing with elbow injury Bendix revealed that outfielder Jakob Marsee was "banged up all season" and is currently dealing with left elbow discomfort. There is enough concern that Marsee will be visiting Dr. Keith Meister next week. Meister has frequently operated on Marlins players who require UCL reconstruction, but a source close to Marsee tells Fish On First that an MRI was conducted on Saturday morning and Tommy John surgery is not likely. Marsee finished the 2026 season slashing .231/.348/.359/.706 with 11 home runs, 41 RBI and a 100 wRC+. Any procedure that causes Marsee to miss time next season would be a major blow to the club right out of the gate. Fortunately, the Marlins' top position player prospect, Cam Cannarella, also plays center field and will soon be major league-ready. Sandy Alcantara's future Alcantara has a $21M club option for the 2027 season. He led Major League Baseball with 214 innings pitched this year while setting numerous Marlins career records and would certainly earn more than that on the free agent market. On the other hand, this franchise operates with the lowest payroll in MLB and has never paid a salary that high to an active player. Bendix did not comment on whether Alcantara's option will be exercised, but a source told Fish On First that in all likelihood, he'll be staying with the Marlins. Per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, they have no intentions of trading Alcantara this offseason. "He is so meaningful to this organization and that's not lost on me," Bendix said. "Another incredible season. Really fun to watch him pitch, his leadership in the clubhouse, the way he handles himself and the way he sets an example for the rest of the team. It's second to none. It's something that I know Clayton really appreciates and I really appreciate. We value it tremendously." This has consistently been Bendix's style. However, it continues to look awkward in regards to Sandy, a Marlins franchise icon who has expressed his desire to not only remain in Miami in 2027, but finish his career with the organization. Starting pitchers coming out of the bullpen The Marlins experimented with bringing starting pitchers out of the bullpen towards the end of the season. It began "out of necessity," per Bendix, when the team was down a lot of relief arms on August 26. Janson Junk filled the void on a day that he was already scheduled for a pitch design session, throwing in the game instead. Having Alcantara, Eury Pérez and Junk all buy into this has opened avenues for the team in 2027. "I think it kind of it's been a a conversation that we've been having with the coaches, with the players, for a while now. Ever since we started these live pitch designs that are meant to be more game-like in between starts, it's something that we've wondered...I do think that it shows the innovation of this organization that we're continually willing to try these things. It's a credit to both the pitchers themselves for being willing to do that, Clayton (McCullough) and our pitching coaches Daniel (Moskos) for being willing to encourage that, try it, even though it's not really something that's been done before." Impending lockout MLB will likely be going into a work stoppage on December 1 when the league’s existing collective bargaining agreement expires. Last time this happened, the offseason saw a flurry of moves right before the stoppage, including the Marlins signing Sandy Alcantara to an extension and free agent Avisail Garcia to a four-year deal. This time around, Bendix is at the helm instead of Kim Ng. How is he preparing for it? "Nobody has any idea what's going to happen in the lockout," Bendix said. "Those are discussions that are taking place elsewhere. My job is to focus on the Marlins and prepare for the 2027 season and play 162 games. Five years ago, we dealt with something similar where there was this pending date where things were going to be cut off, and we kind of know what to expect with that, and we're spending a lot of time preparing, so we'll hit the ground running." View full article

In his annual end-of-season press conference, Marlins president of baseball operations Peter Bendix discusses experimental pitcher usage, hitting development, the future of Miami's coaching staff and much more. View full video

MIAMI, FL — On Tuesday, Miami Marlins president of baseball operations Peter Bendix announced that the club will be retaining manager Clayton McCullough, making the 2027 season his third with the organization. "I think Clayton showed a lot of growth and improvement in the way that a lot of people do in their second year," Bendix said. "Clayton and I are very aligned. Clayton is an excellent representative of the organization and an excellent voice of the organization. He has helped establish a fantastic culture in our clubhouse, he's an excellent communicator and very good at a very difficult job. I'm excited to continue to grow with him." The Marlins did not comment on whether his contract includes any guarantees beyond next season. McCullough was hired as the 17th manager in franchise history on November 11, 2024, fresh off winning a World Series title as first base coach of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Through two seasons, he has compiled a 159-165 record. His predecessor, Skip Schumaker, parted ways with the Fish after only two seasons, so McCullough will be their longest-tenured skipper since Don Mattingly. In McCullough's first year on the job, the 2025 Marlins posted a 79-83 record, staying in the postseason race up until the final week of the season. After a 44-51 record in the first half of that season, the team went 35-32 the rest of the way. Their midsummer hot streak was highlighted by a sweep of the New York Yankees following the MLB trade deadline, but they were never able to get over the hump with one of the league's most inexperienced rosters. Year two of the McCullough experience was even streakier. In June, the Marlins had their best month in franchise history and held a National League wild-card spot at the All-Star break with a 52-45 record. However, a 12-game losing streak that wrapped around the break was too much to overcome. McCullough's record was nearly identical at 80-82, though the Marlins had a positive run differential for the first time since 2010. The Marlins struggled on the road (33-48) and against teams over .500 (33-50). A couple of McCullough's in-game pitching decisions stood out for the wrong reasons. The first was against the Cincinnati Reds on April 7, when Sandy Alcantara was removed with one out in the ninth inning and the Marlins leading 2-0. Anthony Bender allowed both of the runners he inherited from Alcantara to score, sending the game to extra innings where the Reds ultimately won. Then there was the July 5 game against the Athletics. Starting pitcher Eury Pérez had thrown seven perfect innings and the Marlins held a comfortable 8-0 lead. Instead of letting him go out for the eighth, the Marlins deployed Lake Bachar, who was not able to record an out, allowing five runs on four hits and one home run. Closer Pete Fairbanks allowed three more runs in the ninth the Marlins narrowly beat the Athletics, 9-8, narrowly avoiding a historically embarrassing collapse. On the other hand, McCullough also got his starters to buy into the bold strategy of making high-leverage relief appearances in between starts. Alcantara, Pérez and Janson Junk combined for five such outings late in the season and pitched effectively every time. "I've been able to get in front of things sooner than I could last year," McCullough told Fish On First. "More relaxed in the position, the rhythm of the day, the expectations of the job and familiarity with our entire group. It's allowed me to shift focus at times more to other areas. I think I can always get better at messaging to our players and staff. That's not something that will be different each year...I still realized that I had some shortcomings. I did okay, and I just know that I need to be better next year than I was this year." View full article

Following the final game of his excellent 2026 season, Marlins outfielder Griffin Conine speaks with the media about overcoming his mid-year injury, what the club needs to do to reach the playoffs moving forward and more. View full video

Marlins right-hander Sandy Alcantara speaks with the media following Sunday's win about embracing pitching out of the bullpen in between starts and wanting to stay in Miami for the 2027 season and beyond. View full video

Marlins manager Clayton McCullough speaks exclusively with Fish On First about his second season in Miami, becoming more relaxed in his position, players he's most excited to see make a leap in 2027 and more. View full video

MIAMI, FL - The 2026 season saw Eury Pérez enter uncharted territory and Friday night was his crowning achievement. Pérez became the seventh pitcher in Miami Marlins history to toss a one-hit shutout in what was the first complete game of his major league career. "Felt like through three or four innings that he was going to get deep into this one," Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said. He was able to really get anything over the plate, full mix was there and the efficiency at which he was getting outs. He was throwing strikes for a lot of pitches and they were aggressive. He was able to create a lot of soft contact and get some early outs. He was getting into the seventh/eighth inning averaging around 11 pitches an inning. It's hard to be much better than that...Really proud and happy for Eury to finish up this way this year." Pérez held the Atlanta Braves hitless through the first five innings before Sean Murphy singled to begin the sixth. The "Baby Goat" went on to retire 11 straight to finish the game. Going into this start, the message for Pérez was simple: "Go out there and have fun." Just three days earlier, Pérez made his first career relief appearance in the bottom of the eighth inning against the Chicago Cubs and struck out the side. That moment not only stayed in his mind, but carried momentum into his final start of the season. "What Daniel (Moskos) told me was that it was a lot of fun just to see me as a reliever over in Chicago, and to do the same thing here, which is just have fun," Pérez said via interpreter. "Even though there were some difficulties this month, I'm very happy that this was a good outing to end the season." The right-handed flamethrower recorded eight strikeouts, his highest total in what has been a rocky month of September. Pérez generated 17 whiffs and of his eight strikeouts, seven of them were swinging strikeouts. Despite throwing his sweeper just 13% of the time, it generated three strikeouts, the most of any pitch. His fastball was averaging 98.0 mph and topped out at 99.3 mph. Pérez finished the 2026 season posting a 3.91 ERA, 4.06 FIP, 9.62 K/9 and 3.85 BB/9, setting career-bests with 30 appearances and 159 innings pitched. "Looking at the ERA, I don't know if it tells the full picture of how Eury has grown as a as a starting pitcher," McCullough said. "We've seen a stretch where Eury was arguably the best pitcher in baseball, and I think one that we're very confident that he's capable of putting together stretches like that, a complete season of really high-end performance. We've seen Eury struggle to find the strike zone with enough consistency, controlling the run game and through all of that, Eury has learned a lot about himself, too. How to better manage himself within outings, limit damage, stay in the moment and put behind what has happened and still go out there and finish an outing strong." Going into 2027, he is eligible for arbitration for the first time. The Marlins and Pérez's representatives at CAA Sports previously had contract extension conversations, but those didn't go anywhere. Getting a deal done this coming offseason will prove to be even more difficult for the team now that the 23-year-old has a mostly healthy MLB season under his belt. Catching Pérez's complete game was rookie Joe Mack, who also hit the go-ahead home run in the bottom of the seventh inning. It marked his 14th home run of the season to break up the scoreless tie. Mack is now slashing .234/.282/.403/.685 with 52 RBI and an 86 wRC+ in 105 games played, production that should earn him consideration for down-ballot National League Rookie of the Year votes. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Heriberto Hernandez extended the lead with an RBI single and Griffin Conine hit his 18th home run of the season, making it 3-0. For Conine, he now has an .813 OPS in the month of September. "Joe has certainly shown what he's been able to bring to our team defensively this season," McCullough said. "Big home run here tonight, and I think we all know there is a lot of room left in Joe's offensive game to get better, and I think that's the exciting part with Joe. He should be at the top of the class as catchers as far as being able to do things on both sides of the ball, and that's going to require him to continue to make some adjustments and improve on the offensive side." The Marlins now have 79 victories, matching their total from 2025. They will go for their first series win against the Braves this season on Saturday with Jack Ralston starting what should be a bullpen game. First pitch is at 4:10 pm. View full article

With a 2-1 win over the Miami Marlins, the Chicago Cubs have clinched a spot in the 2026 postseason while the Marlins dropped their 81st game of the season. In his final start of the 2026 season, Tyler Phillips went four shutout innings, allowing three hits, four walks and struck out two. Phillips capped off a month of September posting a 2.11 ERA, allowing five runs on 13 hits. However, the Marlins did not trust him to provide length—his most recent time completing the sixth inning was June 28 against the St. Louis Cardinals. After starting the season in the bullpen, a variety of injuries forced him to transition into the starting rotation. He went on to make 20 starts, posting a 4.00 ERA. Overall, he had a 3.34 ERA, 4.64 FIP, 7.18 K/9 and 3.98 BB/9 in a career-high 126 ⅔ innings pitched. Phillips will likely transition back into the bullpen for the 2027 season if All-Star Max Meyer and promising rotation candidates like Robby Snelling and Thomas White recover from their respective injuries. The Marlins' lone source of runs came in the top of the third inning, a Jakob Marsee RBI single that gave the Fish an early 1-0 lead. Marsee is now slashing .230/.347/.356/.703 with 11 home runs, 41 RBI, 23 stolen bases and has reached a 100 wRC+ (exactly league average). After Phillips came out of the game, the Marlins deployed Jack Ralston out of the bullpen. He allowed a game-tying home run to Seiya Suzuki, his 25th home run of the season. In the ensuing inning, Nico Hoerner gave the Cubs a 2-1 lead on an RBI single off Ralston. Josh Ekness threw 1 ⅔ scoreless innings in the series finale. It was a notable series for Ekness, who on Tuesday recorded the second-fastest strikeout pitch by a Marlin under pitch tracking, behind only Tyron Guerrero at 102.5 mph. He now has a 3.34 ERA, 4.65 FIP, 6.98 K/9 and 6.07 BB/9 in 29 big league appearances. This caps off a 33-48 record on the road for the Fish. It marks their worst record on the road since the 2024 team that went 32-49. There was a big drop-off in the effectiveness of their pitching staff away from home this season, allowing 4.81 runs per game compared to 3.96 runs per game at loanDepot park. The Marlins will wrap up the 2026 season by hosting the Atlanta Braves with Eury Pérez taking the mound in Friday's series opener at 7:10 pm. View full article

This podcast is brought to you by Jet Ski Rentals of South Florida—offering Miami’s best jet ski and boat adventures. With six jet ski locations and over 120 boats, there’s something for every style and every budget. They’re reservation-based only. To inquire, call 305-990-2192, or check them out online at SFJetskiRentals.com. Make sure to use promo code FISHONFIRST to receive 10% off your next booking. The win-loss record looks almost identical to 2025, but this year's Miami Marlins were a much different team. AJ Ramos, Kevin Barral and Ely Sussman discuss how they feel the 2026 season went overall, whether Sandy Alcantara could stick around long term through the rest of his prime years and the urgency needed this weekend by the Fish to keep their faint playoff hopes alive. You can find Fish Unfiltered and Fish On First LIVE on the Fish On First YouTube channel, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever else you get your pods. It's simple for the Marlins over their next three games: sweep the series or surrender. Just one head-to-head loss to the San Diego Padres would officially eliminate them from National League Wild Card contention. View full article

On Monday night, the San Diego Padres remained MLB's hottest team and defeated the Colorado Rockies, while Corbin Carroll walked off the Miami Marlins. Any combination of three more Padres wins or Marlins losses will officially eliminate Clayton McCullough's club from 2026 postseason contention. In the bottom of the ninth, the Marlins led 7-6 and deployed Pete Fairbanks. Only six pitches into his outing, Fairbanks walked off the mound for what may be the final time as a member of the Marlins organization with the recurrence of a nerve irritation issue. Entering the game for Fairbanks was rookie Jack Ralston. After getting the first out of the inning, Ralston surrendered a walk-off home run to Carroll on the fourth pitch of the at-bat. "It's gonna be tough for anyone," Clayton McCullough said postgame. "Jack came in and he got the out on the bunt, and then left something hanging offspeed that Corbin put a good swing on. Tough spot, but Jack came in there and went after him, and sometimes you lose." In this must-win game, Miami's second-half offensive stars, Jakob Marsee and Javier Sanoja, both homered and recorded multiple hits. Marsee, who in his first 98 games of the season posted a .600 OPS, has bounced back. Since July 24, Marsee is slashing .303/.409/.497/.906 with five home runs and 12 RBI. With the game tied at three apiece in the top of the fourth inning, Marsee hit his 10th home run of the season to retake the lead, 4-3. He now has a 96 wRC+ on the season. Marsee finished his night a double shy of the cycle. What has kept Marsee on the big league team through the course of the entire season is that he has gotten on base at a high clip (.342). He has also struck out just 20.5% of the time and is walking 12.7% of the time. Since that July 24 date, Marsee has only stolen three bases of the 22 total he has. Defensively, he has plus-8 outs above average in center field, contributing to his 1.8 fWAR overall. "Just seen him open up the entire field," McCullough said. "He's really done a great job of shooting some balls the other way and staying through the middle of the field. Still giving him a chance to have some coverage through the zone. He pulled the curveball for a homer today, so right now, his at-bat quality's been good all year. I think now, he's just opened up the entire field with his approach, and he's been collecting a lot of hits." As for Sanoja, he has been one of the best players in baseball since the All-Star break. He is slashing .285/.389/.462/.851 with five home runs and 12 RBI, graduating from utility player to impactful everyday player. Sanoja kicked things off in the top of the second, hitting his fifth triple of the season and driving in two runs. A Joe Mack sacrifice fly extended the lead, 3-0. In the fourth inning, Sanoja followed Marsee up with his ninth home run of the season, extending the Marlins lead to 5-3. Sanoja finished the night halfway to the cycle. Overall, Sanoja is slashing .293/.333/.454/.787 with nine home runs, 63 RBI and a 114 wRC+, which are all career-highs for the 24-year-old. He is striking out 8.0% of the time. Only former Marlin Luis Arraez has a lower K rate in the majors this season (min. 400 PA). "That's what we've seen this guy do for two years now," McCullough said. "He just he makes plays wherever you put him in the field. Comes up with big hits and at-bats for us. He's really playing at an extremely high level right now." Xavier Edwards, who recently came off the injured list, also recorded multiple hits. In the top of the seventh inning, Edwards knocked in an RBI single to extend the Marlins lead, 7-4. That run looked as if it would be crucial when in the ensuing inning, Tyler Zuber surrendered a two-run homer to Diamondbacks center fielder Jordan Lawlar, which made it a 7-6 game. The Marlins offense supported starting pitcher Sandy Alcantara, who struggled on Monday night. He went five innings, allowing four runs on seven hits (one home run), walked two and struck out six. Alcantara has surrendered four or more runs in all of his September starts. "I think for Sandy to buckle down in the fifth and get the punch out on Arenado, get out of that with us still in the lead, I give him some credit for just kind of be able to move the ball forward, and outside of the Nootbaar home run, Sandy threw the ball very well," McCullough said. "Just had elongated couple of innings that got the pitch count up there, but I think as much credit to them for just being able to find some holes. Tonight, the batted ball luck wasn't really on his side." The Marlins will try to bounce back on Tuesday night with Janson Junk taking the mound at 9:40 pm. View full article

On Tuesday, for the third time this season, the Miami Marlins placed closer Pete Fairbanks on the 15-day injured list with right median nerve irritation. Only 13 days remain in the regular season, so even a minimum stint on the IL will prevent him from returning to the active roster. The Marlins recalled right-hander Bradley Blalock in a corresponding roster move. In the bottom of the ninth inning of Monday's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Fairbanks entered in a save situation, with the Marlins holding a 7-6 lead. He exited after throwing just six pitches (five balls). His replacement, rookie Jack Ralston, allowed walk-off home run to Corbin Carroll in the 8-7 loss. "He's frustrated," Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said regarding Fairbanks. "I feel bad for Pete. He's worked hard to try to come back from this, and then to go back out for your second appearance since coming off the IL and have a similar feeling that he did, I feel for him right now." Fairbanks, 32, signed a one-year deal worth $13M last offseason, receiving the highest salary in franchise history for a full-time reliever. He made 46 appearances (41.1 IP), posting a 6.31 ERA, 4.60 FIP, 12.41 K/9 and 4.57 BB/9 with 19 saves. It was a dramatic step back from his previous season with the Tampa Bay Rays, when he had a career-high 60 ⅓ innings pitched and 27 saves. Fairbanks is the only Marlins player who's eligible for free agency during the 2026-27 offseason. He would certainly be cheaper to sign this time around, but it is hard to believe he has a future in Miami given his disappointing performance and the projected return of high-leverage reliever Ronny Henriquez from elbow surgery. Blalock made two relief appearances for the Marlins earlier this month. Otherwise, he has spent the whole season in Triple-A Jacksonville's rotation. View full article

MIAMI, FL — The dynamic of the Los Angeles Dodgers lineup changes with the presence of Shohei Ohtani, who can "change the scoreboard with one swing." Playing without Ohtani on Friday night, that game-changing swing came from Kyle Tucker instead, whose grand slam made the difference in a 6-2 Dodgers win. Tucker, who signed a four-year, $240M contract over the offseason with the back-to-back World Series champions, hasn't lived up to that contract in year one. He came into Friday night's game slashing .225/.323/.361/.684 with 13 home runs and 60 RBI. However, he was excellent in the series opener against the Miami Marlins, going 3-for-3 with 5 RBI. He finished a double shy of the cycle. In the top of the seventh inning, the Marlins deployed Victor Vodnik, who after striking out Alex Freeland and Kiké Hernández for the first two outs of the inning, got into deep trouble. Vodnik walked Tommy Edman, surrendered a base hit to Max Muncy and walked Mookie Betts. He was taken out in place of Cade Gibson to face the aforementioned Tucker. On the fourth pitch of the at-bat, Gibson served a 79.5 mph curveball which Tucker obliterated 395 feet to right field. That increased a 2-1 Dodgers lead to 6-1. "Tucker's a terrific hitter," Clayton McCullough said postgame. "Handles lefties well. Independent of how maybe this season is going, he's still a fantastic hitter and has been for a long time. He got a hanging breaking ball and turned the game for them." Ryan Gusto, who struggled in his last start against the Chicago Cubs, bounced back against the Dodgers, tossing six innings of two-run ball, allowing five hits and striking out three. He’s now allowed two earned runs or less in seven of his last eight starts. Overall, Gusto has a 4.14 ERA, 4.08 FIP, 7.47 K/9 and 2.87 BB/9 in 78 ⅓ innings pitched. "I thought his cutter was very good tonight, and mixed in his offspeed very well," McCullough said. "A really good start results-wise to go six and two runs. He continues, really for the last month-plus, of really throwing the ball well and giving us a great chance to win games." In the bottom of the sixth inning, Agustín Ramírez lasered a 107.5 mph double into right-center, allowing Javier Sanoja to score. Since rejoining the team after a stint in Triple-A Jacksonville, Ramírez has mostly been platooned, rarely being used as a catcher even when he's in the lineup. Friday was his first start behind the plate in more than a month. The double was only his fifth RBI in 28 games since being called up. "Coming off the off day, I wanted to have his bat in the lineup, and thought this would be a good time to get him back there behind the plate," McCullough said. "He got a caught stealing and had some good blocks tonight. Handled the guys well, so it was a good night for Gus. Credit to him. It's hard to not be back there for an extended amount of time, but put in the work required and be able to go back there and be ready tonight to go do and perform." With the loss, the Marlins drop to 72-76 on the season. They are officially eliminated from the National League East division title race. The Marlins have never won the NL East in their 34-year existence. Trying to halt the Dodgers' eight-game winning streak on Saturday, Tyler Phillips takes the mound opposite of Tyler Glasnow at 4:10 pm. View full article