Kevin Barral

PHILADELPHIA, PA - With the 14th pick in the 2026 MLB Draft, the Miami Marlins have selected shortstop Jacob Lombard . The slot value for the 14th pick is $5,444,900. The Marlins bonus pool is $11,960,100. Lombard is a Miami native who just wrapped up his senior season at Gulliver Prep and is currently committed to the University of Miami. This past season, Lombard slashed .477/.607/.864/1.471 with 10 home runs and 25 RBI. "We're thrilled, we didn't expect we'd get a chance to draft someone in Jacob Lombard," said president of baseball operations Peter Bendix soon after the selection was made. Considered one of the top hitting prospects in this draft class, he is also considered one of the top high school prospects in the 2026 draft class (second-ranked overall prospect and top-ranked prospect in Florida, according to Perfect Game). Among all draft-eligible players, Lombard is ranked fifth by MLB Pipeline and Baseball America. Lombard comes from a strong baseball family. His brother, George Lombard Jr., is the top prospect in the New York Yankees farm system. George Lombard Sr., the father of George and Jacob, was a longtime big leaguer and currently is the bench coach of the Detroit Tigers. Jacob joins his brother, George Lombard Jr., and father, George Lombard Sr., as one of three baseball families with three players selected in the first two rounds of the MLB Draft. What stands out offensively from Lombard is his plate discipline and approach are at a much higher level than most of the prep prospects in this draft class. However, he does have some swing-and-miss to his game and struggled with high velocity over the summer. Lombard has already started to fill in his frame by adding solid weight. Lombard should stick at shortstop as he is given a 60 grade field and arm rating. Baseball America calls Lombard "one of the best defensive shortstops in the class." When it comes to base running, Lombard was clocked running a 6.11 60-yard dash per Perfect Game. Baseball America Scouting Grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 55 | Speed: 65 | Field: 60 | Arm: 60 Standby for quotes... View full article

MIAMI, FL — The Miami Marlins announced on Thursday a flurry of roster moves. Outfielder Owen Caissie is going on the 10-day injured list due to a right calf strain. The corresponding move for him was recalling outfielder Rece Hinds from Triple-A Jacksonville. Left-handed reliever John King will be going on the 15-day IL due to a left lateral ankle sprain and right-hander Ryan Gusto has been recalled. The Marlins also sent down righty reliever Zach Brzykcy to Jacksonville to make room for Janson Junk's return. Caissie, who has played in 80 games this season, started for Miami in right field on Wednesday night, but left after the top of the first inning, not taking an at-bat in the game. Marlins manager Clayton McCullough told reporters that "he started to kind of grab on it a little bit" when running during pregame warmups. "Not something we wanted to really take a chance on." After a slow start to the season, Caissie is now slashing .239/.297/.459/.755 with 12 home runs, 50 RBI and a 101 wRC+. Since the start of June, Caissie is hitting .243/.314/.568/.882 with seven home runs and 21 RBI. Caissie told the media at loanDepot park that it is something he had never felt before. This is only the second IL stint of his professional career. There should be a clearer timeline for his return once the Marlins receive the results of his imaging on Friday. As for Hinds, who the Marlins acquired back in May from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for Zach McCambley, he has played in 51 games (28 with Jacksonville), slashing .265/.356/.508/.864 with 12 home runs, 33 RBI and a 124 wRC+. In his stint with the Marlins organization, he has struggled a bit, posting an 85 wRC+. Hinds last played at the major league Level on May 2 of this season, posting a -5 wRC+ in 12 games with the Reds. "Right-handed bat that can give us some options to start versus left or come off the bench," said McCullough. " He hits the ball incredibly hard and what intrigued about us is it's a young player that has some impact potential. The swing decisions being a big theme for him to work on." Part of the outfield shuffle will include even more Heriberto Hernández, who since returning from Triple-A has slashed .278/.333/.619/.952 with 12 home runs and 26 RBI. In the series finale against the Mariners, Hernández is hitting fifth as the designated hitter. Griffin Conine and Esteury Ruiz are the two other options that are going to get some more playing time. John King, who has been the Marlins' top left-handed reliever all season, suffered his injury while doing pitching drills in the outfield. The Marlins recalled Ryan Gusto to fill his active roster spot "Just went to go catch a ball and stepped awkwardly on the platforms out there and rolled his ankle pretty good," McCullough said. "It was looking like it was going to be at least a few days he wasn't going to be able to throw. With the All-Star break coming and the ability to build that in, hopefully it's not too long." King is eligible to be reinstated beginning on July 23. The lone lefty in the bullpen is now Cade Gibson, who in 16 appearances has a 6.00 ERA, but a 3.41 FIP. Since being recalled from Triple-A Jacksonville on May 20, Gibson has a 2.03 FIP. On Wednesday against the Mariners, Gibson tossed two shutout innings, striking out three. McCullough also mentioned Michael Petersen, Lake Bachar and Calvin Faucher as options who can get both right-handed and left-handed hitters out. "We have one lefty right now, and so if he's not available, we'll have to throw righties," McCullough said jokingly. "But I believe we have guys that are good enough to go get them out." The Marlins and Mariners wrap up their series on Thursday at 6:40 pm with Janson Junk taking the mound. It'll be his first MLB appearance since May 25. View full article

Acquired from Cincinnati earlier this season, Marlins outfielder Rece Hinds speaks with the media about receiving the call-up news and his early impressions of the organization. View full video

MIAMI, FL - Going into the 2026 season, Kyle Stowers was expected to be the Miami Marlins' biggest contributor offensively. He was coming off an All-Star season where he hit 25 home runs and posted a 149 wRC+. After a slow start to his season, Stowers is looking like the player we saw in 2025. He hit his 12th home run of the season in Wednesday's 2-0 win over the Seattle Mariners. Stowers missed almost all of spring training due to a hamstring issue, reaggravating it right before the season. Even after being reinstated from the injured list, he wasn't producing with only three home runs and a .663 OPS through 37 games. Those struggles were partially physical, but also mental as Stowers tried to replicate what he'd done in 2025. "Not giving myself enough grace for missing all the spring training," Stowers said. "Not having a ton of at-bats, trying to chase after what it looked like and what it felt like from last year. The reality of this league is that things change. You have to make adjustments, the league's making adjustments to you and what flipped for me, if I'm being honest with you was I kind of let go of trying to be the guy from last year that I was. What problems are being presented to me on a nightly basis and how can I respond to those and that kind of freed me up. My goal was to just get back to being a league-average player, not being .900 OPS Kyle Stowers, go be a league average player. I just want to be better tomorrow than I am today." Going into Wednesday, Stowers had returned to peak form over the previous 30 games, slashing .270/.358/.583/.941 with eight home runs and 29 RBI during that span. In the bottom of the second inning, he took Mariners starter George Kirby deep for a go-ahead solo home run. "He's been on one really since June," Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said of Stowers. "He's looked much like the All-Star of last year, and I think that we were all very confident that it was going to come around and he's coming at the right time. It's coming at a great time for our team, and happy for Kyle. Stubbed through a slower start after the setbacks, and he's playing at a really high level." Amid all the setbacks and struggles, the Marlins moved Stowers to first base, continuing their trend of maximizing positional versatility. After spending most of the 2025 season in left field—and even finishing as a National League Gold Glove finalist—the move was initially a surprising one. It didn't take long, however, for it to make perfect sense, thanks in large part to Stowers' strong play at the position. On Wednesday, he was put into some tough situations right away. In the top of the first inning, Randy Arozarena shot a 104.7 mph grounder to shortstop Otto Lopez that he had to quickly throw to Stowers. who had to quickly turn his glove to make the catch. In the same inning, Stowers stole a base hit from Josh Naylor to end the inning. "Felt like it might be worth the shot not knowing how the season might play out," McCullough said of the first base transition, which began in spring training. "It was pretty evident watching him just move around, how smoothly his hands were working that this had a chance to potentially be something. The more time he's gotten over there he's really taken to it." Entering Wednesday, Stowers hadn't quite graded out as an above-average first baseman, posting minus-1 Outs Above Average and minus-7 defensive runs saved. That's to be expected, though, as he continues to adjust to a new position. The eye test suggests the transition has gone much more smoothly than the metrics indicate, and as he gains more experience, the numbers may eventually reflect that as well. "I know I haven't played a lot there, but you want your infielders to feel comfortable throwing the ball across to you," Stowers said. "I just want to give my best effort every single time. We have a very talented infield, they don't need me to be elite over there at picking the ball, but the times when they have tougher plays, or there's a throw up, I do the best I can for them." Since the Marlins designated Christopher Morel for assignment and Liam Hicks landed on the injured list, Stowers has begun playing first base on a much more consistent basis, leading to plenty of what he describes as "unique plays." One of those plays came in Colorado. With runners in scoring position, Rockies outfielder Cole Carrigg attempted to steal second, but a late jump left him caught in a rundown. As the play unfolded, Hunter Goodman broke for home from third. Stowers quickly fired to the plate to cut him down, erasing the runner at home while allowing Carrigg to advance only to second. "Plays like that, where to line up on cuts and relays I think I'm still getting up to speed on. Trying my best to talk with Clayton Carson (Vitale) and (Blake Butler) as much as I can just to learn along the way. I want them to coach me hard with where to be in certain plays because I think with the way our roster is constructed right now, it makes it makes sense right now for me to be playing first." The second run of the ballgame was thanks to an Xavier Edwards RBI triple, his sixth of the season. Edwards six triples are a career high and it extended the Marlins MLB lead in triples to 23 on the year. Starting for the Marlins was Tyler Phillips, who went five shutout innings, allowing four hits and two walks. He also struck out three. With the win, the Marlins improved to 51-42, nine games over .500, and with the Philadelphia Phillies falling to the Cincinnati Reds, the Marlins now have the second National League Wild Card Spot. The Atlanta Braves defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates keeps them three games back of the NL East division lead. The Marlins go for the sweep on Thursday at 6:40 pm with Janson Junk making his first start off the injured list. View full article

MIAMI, FL — Of all the positives that you can mention during the Marlins three-city roadtrip, Jakob Marsee, who went 5-40 with one home run, was not one of them. Despite the struggles, he has been an everyday player. Even when he was hit in the knee during the final game of the roadtrip against the Athletics, he was back in the lineup hitting seventh on Tuesday night and he would be on the right side of luck, having a multi-hit performance and walking it off for the Marlins to defeat the Seattle Mariners, 6-5, reaching 50 wins on the season. "I just know I can help the team win and hate not playing," Marsee said postgame. "Our trainers do such a good job to help us get back on the field and everything throughout the game as well, so I just want to help the team win any way I can, and any chance I can be in the lineup I want to play." In the bottom of the 10th inning with runners on the corners and one out, Marsee hit a towering RBI single that he had originally thought was a home run, but as he said postgame, "we only needed a run." "We all know how much he's been grinding this year offensively, and to come through there in that spot and get himself in a good count, get a pitch elevated and drive it to the outfield, I know that had to feel good for him," manager Clayton McCullough said postgame. "We talk a lot about how much Marsee does within the game, and for him to come through offensively, couldn't be prouder of him. He just keeps hanging in there and came through." This season, Marsee is slashing .196/.318/.299/.617 with 5 home runs, 24 RBI, 18 stolen bases and a 77 wRC+. Although the numbers haven't been there offensively, Marsee has continued to provide a 12.6% walk rate, speed on the bases, and above average defense in center field. Those other parts of his game are the reason he is still at the Major League level. In terms of expected batting average (.218), he has been a bit unlucky, but he hasn't been hitting the ball as hard as last season. He went from a 41.4% hard hit rate in 2025 to 34.4% in 2026. "It's been tough," Marsee said. "This game is really frustrating. You feel like you do a lot of things right, and things don't go your way. Just a tough game in general. When you have a great group that makes it so much fun to come to the yard every day, they really have had my back the whole time, and we've been winning, so that's all I care about. I'm glad we've been winning games throughout the process." Miami at one point led this game 4-0, and with how the team was clicking, a shutout was in their future. Max Meyer made his second to last start before the break, going five innings, allowing two runs on four hits (one home run), two walks and struck out four. In the bottom of the fifth inning, he surrendered a home run to Cole Young, his 10th of the season, making it 4-2. Meyer, who is slated to start in Sunday's series finale against the Cleveland Guardians, will not pitch in the All-Star Game, but will go to Philadelphia and be part of all the festivities taking place. Major League Baseball made the official announcement prior to the game that Meyer, Jacob Misiorowski and Paul Skenes all will not pitch in the Midsummer Classic. The Marlins All-Star was not able to record an out in the top of the sixth inning, leaving the game with the bases loaded for Michael Petersen. The UK native went in there, induced a force out, struck out Cal Raleigh swinging, and induced another force out to get out of the inning unscathed. "Big Mike has been more than a key contributor, he's been a fantastic piece in our bullpen this year," McCullough said. "I've asked a lot from him in some really tight spots, coming in with a lot of runners on base, and today, bases loaded nobody out... You give up one run there, you're actually like, 'okay, that's most likely going to happen,' but Mike has just been filling it up with premium stuff and he's did it on the entire road trip, and really now through this run we've been having, we've leaned on him a lot and he's really performed." After Petersen, McCullough turned to John King, who in an inning of work surrendered one run on one hit. The one run he surrendered was actually given up by Calvin Faucher, who inherited a runner from King in the eighth . Faucher then hit J.P. Crawford, struck out Dominic Canzone swinging, surrendered an RBI double to Raleigh, and an RBI single to Josh Naylor, tying the game, 4-4. Faucher went on to throw a wild pitch with the bases loaded, bringing in the go-ahead run for the Mariners and allowing them to take a 5-4 lead in the top of the eighth. In the bottom of the inning, the Mariners brought in lefty Gabe Speier and Miami brought in Heriberto Hernandez to pinch hit for Griffin Conine. On the sixth pitch of the at-bat, Hernandez took Speier 422 feet deep to the left field concourse to tie the game, 5-5. For Hernandez, this was his 12th home run of the season, and his third pinch-hit home run. He is now tied with Justin Bour (2018) and Preston Wilson (1999) for the second-most pinch-hit home runs by a Marlins player in one season, trailing only Curtis Granderson’s four in 2019. Hernández's four career pinch-hit home runs are tied for the second-most in franchise history with Granderson, Wes Helms, and Cody Ross, trailing Bour's five. "Bert in ways is conducive for being a good pinch hitter," McCullough said... "He's got a short swing, got power, very aggressive and usually in pinch hitting, there's not a lot of time to try to work an at-bat. The deck is stacked against you, and to come up there, ready to hit, and he can hit velocity and some mistakes spin in the strike zone, seeing him do that versus left, it was a really good at-bat. It's not being lost how difficult it is, but I think Bert after a year plus of having done this with some regularity, is accustomed to what he needs to do to get himself prepared for that moment." The Mariners, who going into the series had a 3.55 ERA from their starting pitching, fifth best in MLB, saw starting pitcher Bryan Woo struggle. The Marlins offense, which has been red hot, tacked on four runs on nine hits (one home run). Owen Caissie got the scoring started in the bottom of the second inning with his 12th HR of the season. Caissie is now slashing .239/.297/.459/.756 with a 101 wRC+. He is one of four Marlins to have hit double-digit home runs. The struggling Jakob Marsee connected on a much needed RBI single in the bottom of the third, extending the Marlins lead, 3-0. A sacrifice fly from Kyle Stowers in the fourth inning made it a 4-0 lead. Behind the plate, Joe Mack continues to not only throw runners out, but now made a little bit of history. In the top of the fourth inning, Mack threw out Randy Arozarena for his 17th caught stealing of the season, tying him with Milwaukee Brewers backstop William Contreras for most in the majors. He would be the first Marlins catcher since Charles Johnson (1997) to lead the Majors in caught stealings. Johnson finished that season tied with Seattle's Dan Wilson and Pittsburgh's Jason Kendall. "It's no coincidence that our defense in a lot of ways has picked up since Joe's arrival," McCullough said. "We knew he had that type of pedigree and ability of throwing out runners. He had some great blocks as well with some runners on base." With the win, the Marlins improve to 50-42 on the season. The St. Louis Cardinals were swept in their doubleheader against the Milwaukee Brewers, falling two games behind Miami for the third National League Wild Card Spot. The Marlins now also find themselves three games back of the National League East division lead as the Braves have lost three straight games. First pitch with Tyler Phillips on the mound on Wednesday is at 6:40 pm EST. View full article

For the 2026 season, Fish On First will provide weekly reports on the Miami Marlins farm system, covering all levels. This is the final check-in we'll be doing before the All-Star break arrives. This report covers the games played from June 30-July 6. Triple-A Jacksonville Kemp Alderman continues to have a strong season in Triple-A, now slashing .301/.377/.515/.892 with 12 home runs, 33 RBI and a 135 wRC+. Having added the ability to play first base on top of his corner outfielder background, Alderman would already be playing in the big leagues for many other organizations. However, the Marlins continue to get excellent offensive production from those positions. Don't forget about Deyvison De Los Santos, who already debuted this season. De Los Santos hit a home run in back-to-back games to finish the week and is riding a five-game hit streak for the Jumbo Shrimp. He is now slashing .271/.322/.438/.761 with nine home runs, 40 RBI, 11 stolen bases and a 101 wRC+. The biggest improvement by far is his career-low 19.0% strikeout rate. More than two months since getting sent down, Agustín Ramírez is slashing .252/.327/.457/.784 with seven home runs, 25 RBI, 11 stolen bases and a 106 wRC+. He is striking out 21.1% of the time while walking 8.8%. The last time Marlins manager Clayton McCullough was on Fish Unfiltered, he said that the organization had begun to consider moving Ramirez to first base, but that has yet to happen in a game itself. Ramirez has allowed 40 stolen bases while throwing out 10 and has seven passed balls plus 11 errors so far in Triple-A. The defense behind the plate is not getting much better for him. Since being optioned himself, Connor Norby has played in six games (four starts), slashing .333/.417/.381/.798 with three RBI. He has not played first base in any game—only third base and second base once. On the mound, it's been all downhill for Karson Milbrandt since his scoreless Triple-A debut. Most recently on Saturday, he allowed five runs on six hits, walked three and failed to record a strikeout. In five Triple-A starts, the Futures Game representative has a 4.15 ERA, 4.71 FIP, 7.89 K/9 and 8.31 BB/9. Milbrandt has now walked three or more hitters in every start since arriving to Jacksonville. Jack Ralston continues to be a steady force in the Jacksonville bullpen, now posting a 1.18 ERA, 3.84 FIP, 11.04 K/9 and 3.74 BB/9 in 45 ⅔ innings pitched. Ralston, who the Marlin signed to the minor league deal back in the offseason, made a strong impression during spring training, but did not make the Opening Day roster. He continues to wait his turn even as injuries have opened up bullpen spots for the likes of Cade Gibson, Tyler Zuber and Zach Brzykcy. In his last four starts with Jacksonville, Braxton Garrett has only two walks and has struck out 27. It's a dramatic change from what he showed during a brief stint in the Marlins rotation. Garrett now has a 1.55 ERA, 4.06 FIP, 9.70 K/9 and 3.52 BB/9 in 12 starts with Jacksonville. The Marlins don't yet seem convinced that he'd be an upgrade to their rotation, and now with Janson Junk closing in on his return from the injured list, it's unclear if another big league opportunity will open for him this season. Double-A Pensacola It was an eventful week for Pensacola who waited out some long rain delays and postponements and took part in some brouhaha in their penultimate game, which resulted in six ejections and a possible suspension. Overall, pitching struggled for the Wahoos as they dropped five of six games to Rocket City. We're running out of adjectives to describe what Cam Cannarella is doing. Another week, another standout effort: 6-for-17, two solo homers and a double. The 22-year-old, largely scouted as hit over power, is now slugging .599 on the year. He’s hit all eight of his Double-A home runs in a 14-game span. What’s arguably most impressive about Cannarella’s added power is that it’s not fluky whatsoever. When he goes pull side, he hits no-doubters, but he’s also showing a penchant for frequenting his opposite field. A generous plate coverage bat already, this addition of power could not be going any more advantageously for Cannarella. Not sacrificing patience and swing decisions, he’s turning in to a complete offensive weapon. All of this is happening while he is playing a plus-plus center field, as evidenced by his latest acrobatic catch this week. This is a breakout on another level. With continued production, Cannarella should be considered the favorite to be the Marlins’ starting center fielder in 2027. One pitcher who didn’t struggle for Pensacola this week was Eliazar Dishmey. After a one-inning rain-shortened start on Thursday, the righty responded on Sunday with his best outing at the Double-A level, pitching into the seventh inning on just three hits. He did not allow a hit until his final frame. Dishmey struck out eight, and perhaps most encouraging of all, did not walk a batter (he had walked a season-high six in his start the previous week). It was a rude welcome to the high minors for the 21-year-old, who is playing against competition over three years older than him on average, but Dishmey showcased the maturity and ability necessary to adjust back to far more advanced hitters. This start proved that, when commanding, his deep arsenal is capable of dominating Double-A bats. Dishmey used his entire five-pitch arsenal well, keeping guys off balance and proving he can get whiffs with any of his offerings. He featured three different out pitches, recording strikeouts with fastball, slider and curveball. The improvement of the slider has been a key cog in Dishmey’s development this season as he’s shown the ability to throw the pitch with high spin and late break to his spot. It also features some sharp downward actions, allowing him to throw it outside of the zone for uncompetitive whiffs. Dishmey can also change speeds and eye levels well, particularly with his heater which he can ramp up to 97 mph or take something off of to dip down into the low 90s. A crafty pitcher with a still-developing four-pitch mix, he can get guys out in a variety of ways. Command will need to consist for Dishmey to remain effective, but at just 21 already succeeding at Double-A, he has a high floor. After the likes of Thomas White and Karson Milbrandt, this is one of the next best pitchers in the Marlins’ system. High-A Beloit Beloit battled through a suspended game and a postponement at home against South Bend but was able to kick off July in a very positive fashion, taking five of six games against the Cubs for their second straight series win. Pitching was the key for the Sky Carp as they tossed three shutouts. As a team, they allowed just over 20 runs over the six game set. Beloit is 11-6 in their last 17 games. After a delayed start to his career due to a season-ending injury in 2024 and having to be built back up during the first half of 2025, Aiden May is quietly putting everything together in Beloit. Early-season flashes in between struggles with control and command are turning into consistency for the 23-year-old. Since his second start of May, the righty has been turning in quality results that equate to 23 ⅔ innings and four earned runs (1.55 ERA). May’s latest export was his second quality start of the season and first since April 19. Over six frames, he allowed just three hits and two walks while striking out four. Most encouraging of all for May was his ability to command all four quadrants of the strike zone and induce regular weak contact, including eight ground ball outs. It has been very refreshing to see May start to round into form but what is even more remarkable is how much further he could possibly go. With a fantastic pure stuff profile including a sinking fastball that can touch 98 mph and a fantastic sweeping slider that holds astounding horizontal movement, the 6’1”, 196-pounder’s profile, career arch and development so far are all akin to Max Meyer who the Marlins fully unlocked this year and turned into a top-of-the-rotation starter. To stick as a starter, the persistent harnessing of his control and command as well as the further development of a third-pitch changeup which has flashed plus already this year, will be key. Because of the already plus-plus two-pitch combo, May at the least could be a very solid multiple-inning reliever, providing him with a high floor. That same stuff profile gives him a pretty solid ceiling as a mid-back-end-rotational starter if everything works out. For now, the Marlins have to be very pleased with how May is starting to project. Another early-round Marlins pick starting to turn heads is Carter Johnson, Miami’s second-rounder in 2024. It was an uninspiring start for the high schooler who was assigned to full-season ball right out of the draft and continued there for all of 2025. In his first 134 games as a pro, Johnson was humbled to the tune of a .186 batting average and 174/54 K/BB. Johnson returned to Jupiter to begin 2026, where he finally found success against Florida State League pitching. In 63 games, he slashed .243/.355/.426. With improved plate discipline and swing selections, Johnson held down a 79/39 K/BB, spurring his promotion to High-A. With the Sky Carp, his success has permeated. In his first nine games in Beloit, Johnson is slashing .314/.400/.714. This past week, he earned our Prospect of the Week honors by going 8-for-19 with three long balls. Along with his much enhanced timing and temperament at the plate, Johnson has exhibited a much shorter swing. This has allowed him to get his bat on many more pitches, particularly pitches on his inside that would previously tie him up in knots. Closing that hole in his approach has allowed Johnson to make the most of quick hands and come by some pretty good power numbers. Previously a very easy matchup, he is quickly becoming a tough out. Johnson looked fine as a shortstop with Jupiter but with Beloit, he’s spent all but two games at third base. He’s looked fine there as well, particularly showing off solid arm strength. Low-A Jupiter One prospect who continues to shine at the Low-A level is infielder Echedry Vargas, who is slashing .300/.353/.502/.855 with eight home runs, 36 RBI and a 126 wRC+. The Marlins acquired Vargas as the main piece in a trade with the Texas Rangers sending Jake Burger to the Lone Star State. After struggles at the High-A level, the Marlins demoted the 21-year-old to Low-A, where he seemingly has shown plenty of improvements. As nice as it is to see Vargas surge offensively, it's hard to believe in him as a long-term contributor until he gets tested at High-A again.. After a strong start for Luis León, he is now slashing .273/.314/.364/.678 with one home run, six RBI and an 85 wRC+. An international signing out of Cuba in 2024, Leon struggled in 2025, but after repeating the FCL to begin 2026, he had a 106 wRC+ in 34 games before being promoted to Jupiter. Between both levels, he is slashing .254/.362/.420/.782 with four home runs, 23 RBI, 24 stolen bases and a 102 wRC+. His FCL numbers carry that slash line for the most part. Left-hander Elier Morillo appeared in one game against Dunedin, where he went 1 ⅔ shutout innings, striking out four and only allowing one walk. Fish On First recently spoke to Morillo in detail about his development with the Marlins org. Overall, he now has a 4.30 ERA, 3.99 FIP, 17.49 K/9 and 7.06 BB/9. Despite almost always working in relief, he ranks fifth on the Hammerheads with 57 total strikeouts. FCL Marlins Yohanfer Santana has struggled with command throughout his career, walking 62 batters in 60 innings. That's a common profile at the lower levels of the Marlins system. On the other hand, he possesses some of the best strikeout stuff you'll find. This year in the FCL, Santana owns a 15.0 K/9. His H/9 is down by more than a hit compared to last year, but the walks continue to hold him back, as he owns a career 9.30 BB/9 in the minors. This week he showed a glimpse of his potential, throwing two innings while striking out five, walking none, and hitting one batter. Santana is still just 20 years old, and the raw stuff is there. However, with this being his fourth professional season and the command still not taking a step forward, it will be interesting to see what the organization's plan is moving forward. John Cruz is riding an eight-game hitting streak dating back to June 19 and has raised his season average to .295. His .495 slugging percentage is nearly double what it was last year, while his .890 OPS is approaching the level he reached during his breakout season in the Yankees organization in 2023. This is the version of John Cruz the Marlins believed they were acquiring in 2024. Adrian Bello is putting together another nice season in the FCL after breaking out in the DSL last year. He is hitting .295 with seven doubles, one home run, and 16 RBIs. He has also shown a disciplined approach at the plate, walking 15 times while striking out just 16. He is currently riding a four-game hitting streak and has recorded a hit in seven of his last eight games. His consistency has been one of the more encouraging developments in the FCL lineup, and he continues to make a strong case for a promotion later this season. DSL Marlins & DSL Miami Evan Da Souza continues to impress across the board. Through the first month of the DSL season, the 16-year-old owns a 2.03 ERA. In 13⅓ innings, he has allowed just six hits and three earned runs. This past week he continued that trend, throwing three innings while allowing one hit, one run, and striking out five. He has walked 17 batters in those 13⅓ innings, but when he is in the zone, he is nearly unhittable. At just 16 years old, it's not a matter of if, but when. Carlos Ochoa is quite the opposite of most pitchers in the DSL. In 8⅓ innings this season, he has walked just three batters while striking out 11. This past week he struck out five over two innings while allowing just one walk. In 30 innings last year, he walked 22 batters, so the improvement is clearly there. At 19 years old, he could be knocking on the door of a stateside debut. Through five starts, Ricardo Morel—no relation to Christopher—has put together a solid season. In 14 innings pitched, he owns a 3.86 ERA while striking out 22 batters. This past week he turned in another strong outing, throwing four scoreless innings with six strikeouts and one walk. The biggest things to watch are the walks and the lack of ground balls he's generating. He has walked 13 batters in those 14 innings, and his GO/AO ratio sits at just 0.12. According to MiLB.com, he is averaging 21 pitches per inning, so if the command improves, the results should take another step forward across the board. Bayant Melo has made the report in back-to-back weeks as he continues to put together the best season of his professional career. This week he added three more scoreless innings while striking out four. The command is still a little shaky, but what a bounce-back year it has been for him. Daniel Peña made his professional debut this week and looked like he hadn't missed a beat. He went 4-for-7 (.571) with a couple of RBIs and a pair of stolen bases. All four hits were singles, but it's encouraging to see him get comfortable immediately. What's better than a week with one home run for the 17-year-old? A week with two. Santiago Solarte launched two more home runs this week, bringing his season total to four. He is off to a 4-for-10 (.400) start in July and has already stolen five bases this month, giving him 21 on the year. Defense remains the glaring weakness for him, as he has committed 15 errors this season, including 12 in just 106⅓ innings at shortstop. This week's schedule Triple-A Jacksonville vs. Durham Double-A Pensacola vs. Montgomery High-A Beloit at Wisconsin Low-A Jupiter vs. St. Lucie FCL Marlins, DSL Marlins and DSL Miami against various opponents View full article

Major League Baseball announced the 2026 MLB All-Star Game rosters on Saturday night. For the first time since 2023, multiple Miami Marlins players have made the National League roster: shortstop Otto Lopez and right-hander Max Meyer. It’s the first career selection for both of them. Lopez, who was acquired via waivers from the San Francisco Giants in 2024, now becomes the first All-Star Marlins shortstop since Hanley Ramírez (2010). He also joins Álex González (1999) and Édgar Rentería (1998) as the fourth different Marlins shortstop to make the All-Star game. Lopez has been the best acquisition of the Peter Bendix era thus far, amounting 10.5 bWAR in parts of three seasons to easily lead all Marlins players in the category. This season alone, Lopez already has 4.1 bWAR, which is fifth-most by a Marlins shortstop in a single season behind four different Hanley Ramírez seasons. In 87 games this season, Lopez is slashing .337/.368/.493/.861 with seven home runs, 37 RBI, 17 stolen bases and a 135 wRC+. Lopez leads MLB in batting average and hits. He also is tied for second in doubles (23), tied for third in triples (five) and ranks sixth among National League hitters in total bases (171). Amongst all shortstops, Lopez ranks first in OPS (.861), second in on base percentage (.368) and fourth in stolen bases (17). Lopez also set the franchise record for most multi-hit games (37) before the All-Star break, surpassing Miguel Cabrera. The Marlins selected Meyer with the third overall pick in the 2020 draft out of the University of Minnesota. After battling multiple injuries that have kept him off the field and struggling even when he was healthy, Meyer has taken a huge leap in 2026, posting a 2.53 ERA, 3.45 FIP, 9.79 K/9 and 3.15 BB/9 in 18 starts (103.0 IP). Meyer had a 9-0 record prior to his last outing, tying Liván Hernández (1997) for the best start to a season in Marlins history. He set a club record for longest undefeated streak by a starter in a single season. A main reason for Meyer's success was the addition of a sweeper and sinker to his arsenal. The sweeper, which is now his most-used pitch (30.8%), has a plus-four run value, generating 38.2% of his strikeouts. The sweeper has been a good compliment to his already nasty slider, which has a plus-nine run value. Meyer becomes the fourth first-round pick in franchise history to be named an All-Star while with the Marlins, joining Charles Johnson, José Fernández and Trevor Rogers. He also becomes the 11th different Marlins starter to be named an All-Star and the first since Sandy Alcantara in 2022. The Midsummer Classic will take place at Citizens Bank Park, home of the Philadelphia Phillies, on Tuesday, July 14. View full article

After being considered behind the times compared to other major league organizations, the Miami Marlins have invested heavily in player development in recent years. That includes opening a new academy in the Dominican Republic to serve their international signings. They are just beginning to see results in players like 20-year-old left-handed pitcher Elier Morillo. Morillo, who signed out of the DR back in 2023 for $100k, idolized Clayton Kershaw growing up because of how he played the game, but later on, he began to watch a lot of Cristopher Sánchez, trying to emulate the Phillies starting pitcher. He was expected to sign with the Baltimore Orioles initially before some talks with the agency of his training academy led him to the Marlins instead. Morillo spent his first three professional years down in the Dominican. He pitched in 2023 and 2025, but missed all of 2024 rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. Wakeup time is at 7:00 a.m. at the Marlins' academy, Morillo explains, and depending what time of the year it is, their schedule is different. Usually, when games aren't going on, they go to training soon after waking up, they go through defensive drills and after they go to the gym. They wrap their day up with English class at around 4:00 pm, they wrap up their day. "It helped me be a better person, better professional and a better player," Morillo told Fish On First in Spanish. "I went into the academy with little experience compared to what I walked out with. I walked out of there as a new person with tons of experience." As is the case for many others who were not born in the United States, transitioning to stateside life was "a bit tough" for Morillo. He was initially not a fan of the food available to him and at times would skip meals because he could not find something he liked. During his most recent stint in the Dominican Summer League, Morillo posted a 3.23 ERA, 2.96 FIP, 15.85 K/9 and 4.70 BB/9 in 30 ⅔ innings pitched in 2025. Going into 2026, Morillo's goal was simple: Have a strong spring training and try to begin at the highest level possible. "When I saw that the rosters were posted, I saw some players who were a bit down and some excited," Morillo said. "When I saw the Jupiter roster and saw that I wasn't there, I wasn't fazed by it and told myself that we are going to continue to work hard in extended spring training and when the FCL season starts, to have very little outings so I can get to Low-A. After throwing a bullpen in back-to-back days, I was getting out of the gym and I ran into our pitching coordinator and he tells me that I have been promoted to Jupiter." In 13 appearances (one start) this season for Morillo, he has a 4.30 ERA and 4.20 FIP. Most notably, he has struck out 42.2% of total batters faced, the highest rate in the entire Marlins organization (min. 20 IP). He wants to reach 100 strikeouts and is currently at 57. One of the main issues for Morillo have been the walks, which is something he admits he needs to improve on. Morillo has a four-pitch mix: four-seam fastball (63.7%), sweeper (20.3%), changeup (9.2%) and recently added gyro slider (6.8%). "When there is a left-handed hitter, I know he has no chance because the pitching coach will signal three straight fastballs and I will throw them with confidence, if he hits it or not," Morillo said. "I am also very confident in my defense, but I like to get outs on my own, striking guys out." Morillo says that his fastball has plenty of ride. It also averages 93.8 mph and in his most recent appearance on Thursday, it topped out at 96.0 mph. His best pitch is his sweeper, which happens to be his second-most-used pitch behind his fastball. It's got a 109 plus stuff and generates a 42.9% whiff rate. He said that the sweeper is a pitch that he has a lot of confidence in, where he can throw it behind the count to get back in at-bats. Morillo uses his changeup against right-handed hitters. Finally, the gyro slider, a new addition to his arsenal, has graded out well so far, with a 102 stuff plus rating. It averages 83.1 mph. Morillo who admitted the pitch isn't where it should be yet, has allowed a 75% hard-hit rate when using it. "They told me that for me to be a starter with a good arsenal, I needed to add a pitch that I can play off between the sweeper and fastball," Morillo said. "I can throw the gyro at about 87-88 mph. Little by little, I am getting the hang of it. I don't have a lot of confidence in it right now because I don't dominate with that pitch. I have allowed hits with it because I leave it hanging in the zone, but little by little I am going to begin getting the hang of that pitch." Morillo is part of a larger experiment. The Marlins under president of baseball operations Peter Bendix use "pitch design" sessions instead of bullpen session and call pitches from the dugout during games. These processes have been implemented from the Dominican Republic up through the majors. "The first time I saw the pitch design was 2024 in the Dominican Republic before I underwent my surgery," Morillo said. "I personally thought it was a good idea because you have the same system in a bullpen as in a game. What you do in the bullpen, you take to the game. You don't throw the pitch design with the same intensity, but you try to locate your pitches better, work on a specific pitch better, see the weakness of an opposing hitter and find the strike zone more." Morillo described calling pitches from the dugout as a good transition because of his relationship with pitching coach in the DSL. His numbers in 2025 back up what the Marlins are trying to do as well. Although his potential call-up is still years away, it is a thought that crosses Morillo's mind, calling it "the best news that I can receive." "It's a dream I've had since I was a kid," Morillo said. "Right now, what I hope is that I can stay healthy so I can continue to do my job on the field and just have fun." View full article

On Wednesday, Major League Baseball announced the rosters for the 2026 Futures Game taking place in Philadelphia. The representative for the Miami Marlins will be right-handed pitcher Karson Milbrandt. Milbrandt, Fish On First's No. 6 prospect, has made 13 starts between Double-A and Triple-A. In that span, he has a 1.63 ERA, 3.31 FIP, 12.08 K/9 and 4.61 BB/9. Milbrandt's fastball velocity has been sitting in the mid-90s more consistently than it was in previous seasons. The right-hander is mixing in three distinct breaking balls—a slider, curveball and sweeper—and he also has a new kick change. The expanded arsenal has helped him against left-handed batters, who slashed .233/.379/.295/.673 in 2025, compared to .131/.286/.196/.482 this season. His best stretch came early in the season in Pensacola, where in nine starts, he posted a 1.34 ERA, 2.93 FIP, 13.40 K/9 and 3.26 BB/9. During his short stint in Pensacola, Milbrandt tossed 27 consecutive scoreless innings, which is the most by a starting pitcher in Blue Wahoos history. He was also named Southern League Player of the Month in May. Since going to Triple-A, Milbrandt has made four starts, posting a 2.33 ERA, 4.24 FIP, 8.84 K/9 and 7.91 BB/9. In all four starts, Milbrandt has walked three or more hitters, most recently six against Memphis. It is typical for the Marlins to have two Futures Game representatives each year. Unless injuries or other circumstances create last-minute openings, this will mark the first time since 2022 that they will only have one prospect featured in the game. The Futures Game will take place on Sunday, July 12 at noon at Citizens Bank Park. View full article

The best month in Miami Marlins franchise history is over, but at least it ended in style. The Marlins offense set new season highs in runs scored and hits in their 14-3 win over the Colorado Rockies. It was their 20th win in the month of June. "Winning 20 games in a month is a hard thing to do," Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said. "Great way to finish out the month. We certainly have a lot of work ahead of us, but to continue to play well in a lot of facets is what's led to this. Offensively tonight how good we were, and being able to score early and tack on and hit with runners in scoring position. Really good finish this month, and we will turn the page and have to start a new one tomorrow." This marked the club's highest winning percentage (.769) and the best run differential (+53) in a single month. One of the many reasons for the Marlins' month-long success was their offense. Going into Tuesday, the Marlins had a 110 wRC+, which is 10th in baseball and ninth in OPS (.773). Even on a night where shortstop Otto Lopez was out of the Marlins lineup, they put up 14 runs on 21 hits. It is the first time this season that the Marlins have scored 10-plus runs in back-to-back games, most recently done in 2023 against the Atlanta Braves when they scored 11 runs in the first game and 16 in the second. It's the 20th time in franchise history that the Marlins have 20 or more hits in a single game. It's also the first 20-hit game since 2022 which happened to be against the Rockies in Coors Field. Griffin Conine led the way with a four-hit night, driving in the first run of the ballgame on an RBI double. He knocked in an RBI single in the top of the sixth inning, making it 7-1. Conine finished the game with a four-hit performance, the first of his career. Conine is now slashing .286/.364/.531/.783 with three home runs, 10 RBI and a 146 wRC+ this season. Xavier Edwards also had a four-hit night, the first for him this season and sixth of his career. He finished June on a nine-game hit streak. Joe Mack made it 10-1 in the top of the seventh. Mack's home run, which went 450 feet into the second deck in right field. Mack, who got off to a slow start to begin his MLB career, is now slashing .294/.360/.544/.904 with five home runs and 15 RBI in June. Owen Caissie became the second Marlin to reach double-digit homers, hitting his 10th of the season in the top of the eighth inning. A three-run shot went 453 feet is the longest home run hit by a Marlin this season, surpassing Mack, who held that record for about 45 minutes. After a June where Caissie had an .865 OPS, he is slashing .239/.299/.444/.743 overall with 10 home runs, 46 RBI and a 100 wRC+. In his return from the injured list, Liam Hicks had a multi-hit performance, extending his hit streak to 11 games. Graham Pauley was optioned to Triple-A Jacksonville to reinstate Hicks off the IL. In his second start off the injured list, Marlins starting pitcher Eury Pérez went 5 1/3 innings, allowing one run on two hits (one home run), walked four and struck out eight. The home run he allowed was to Mickey Moniak in the bottom of the first inning. All eight of Pérez's strikeouts were swinging. His sweeper, which he threw 26% of the time, generated seven total whiffs and used it to strike out three. His fastball topped out at 99.9 mph and averaged 97.7 mph. He struck four out with that pitch. "Had a great fastball, and some of the pitches are just not going to react like they do here, but he spun some good breaking balls and I thought he filled up the zone really very well," McCullough said. "He ran out of gas a little bit there at the end, but as far as the second time getting back up and being able to get the pitch count into a good place in the up, I think he's in a really great spot." With the win, the Marlins improve to 46-40 on the season and remain virtually tied with the St. Louis Cardinals for the third National League Wild Card spot. Max Meyer will put his perfect 9-0 record on the line Wednesday night as the Fish look for their fourth straight series win. View full article

For the 2026 season, Fish On First will provide weekly reports on the Miami Marlins farm system, covering all levels. In case you missed it, our FOF Top 30 list has been updated to reflect takeaways from the first three months of minor league ball. This report covers the games played from June 23-29. Triple-A Jacksonville A lot of the action for Jacksonville has been on the pitching side. Brandon White, who was ranked No. 20 on the recently updated Fish On First Top 30, has had mixed results at the Triple-A level, posting a 6.07 ERA, 4.77 FIP, 11.53 K/9 and 1.82 BB/9. Although the surface numbers don't look great, White slider generates a 31.3% whiff rate. White is known for his phenomenal command, posting a career-low walk rate this season. One of the biggest developments for White is his uptick in fastball velocity, averaging 95.3 mph at the Triple-A level compared to 91.3 mph two years earlier with Low-A Jupiter. Between his last two starts, White has allowed one (unearned) run on three hits and struck out 18 hitters and only surrendered one walk. Karson Milbrandt continues to succeed at the Triple-A level, but with the caveat that he is struggling with throwing strikes. He has walked three or more hitters in all four of his Jumbo Shrimp starts, most recently walking six against Memphis. Overall, Milbrandt has a 2.33 ERA, 4.23 FIP, 8.84 K/9 and 7.91 BB/9 in 19 ⅓ innings with Jacksonville. He is ranked sixth on the Fish On First Top 30. Milbrandt's sweeper continues to be a strong weapon in his already expanded arsenal. He is generating 37.1% whiff rate with that pitch. In his most recent start, his final strikeout came on the sweeper. It has been his best pitch in terms of stuff plus. Milbrandt's selection to the Futures Game should be made official by the end of the week. Since the Marlins optioned reliever William Kempner, he has yet allow a run in five innings of work, striking out five, but also walking five. Kempner is eligible to be recalled beginning on Wednesday. Double-A Pensacola The Wahoos put their never-say-die attitude on full display this past week against the Lookouts, erasing early deficits multiple times to stork back and take four out of six games in the series. They erased a seven-run lead on Friday and a six-run lead on Saturday en route to improving to 40-35 on the season. Runs were plentiful for Pensacola who heads into this week having plated 12 runs in three straight games. They are also five games above .500 for the first time this year. Over the course of the past few weeks, Cam Cannarella has been arguably the best hitter in Minor League Baseball. His breakout campaign continued at an astounding pace this series in which he went 7-for-24 with three more home runs, bringing his season total to eight including five already in 22 games at Double-A. Cannarella continues to answer for questions surrounding his ability to hit for power in the most impressive ways. Not only has he put out the aforementioned eight homers, the way in which he has put most of them over the wall has stood out even more: Cannarella is frequenting the opposite field at a 42% rate. The power just adds another layer to already great skill set that includes plus-plus defense, good speed, and a budding 60-grade hit tool. This is about as well that an early-round Marlins’ draft pick has produced at the upper minors in recent memory. A debut next season is becoming more of a certainty by the day, especially as Jakob Marsee continues to struggle at the big league level. Fenwick Trimble this past week turned an upward trajectory into the best series he’s had so far this season, earning himself Southern League Player of the Week honors. In the series, Trimble went 10-for-25 with a hit in every game. His best performance was a 4-for-6 effort in which he recorded 12 total bases and drove in a career high five runs. Trimble showed tenacity through a tough start to the season and adjusted back to Double-A pitching very advantageously, one of the tougher tasks to accomplish in a young player’s career. His .281/.395/.500 June stands out both from a physical and mental standpoint. Even as the quality of stuff he’s faced has taken a jump, Trimble has stayed patient, worked counts and shown the ability to spray the ball to all fields. He had been a hit-over-power guy historically, but like Cannarella, the Marlins have helped him to tap into some more muscle. His 11 homers this season already top his 2025 total and his 17 doubles are two away from last year’s figure. What he lacks in raw strength Trimble makes up for with quick hands and a short swing which is what has spurred his power surge. Defensively, Trimble can hold down all three outfield spots. Because of an average throwing arm and the Wahoos’ outfield depth he’s played more in the corners this year, but he will continue to be an easy player to get into everyday lineups. The epitome of a safe player with four of five tools, Trimble continues to rise up prospect rankings. He has a high floor and if the power persists, it will continue to rise. A Triple-A call-up could be in the cards in pretty short order. Trimble is proving he was a nice find by the Marlins in the fourth round of the 2024 draft. High-A Beloit The Sky Carp were the beneficiaries of some solid pitching performances in their series against the Peoria Chiefs, allowing them to split a six game set despite scoring less than four runs a game on average. They exacted revenge against Peoria who swept them on the road earlier this month. The stuff profile has always been there for Carson Laws, the Marlins’ 14th-rounder from this past year. The issue for Laws lately has been getting his command to persist, which is what led to him allowing 17 runs through his previous three outings which lasted just a combined 10 ⅓ innings. On Wednesday against Peoria, though, Laws showed what he is capable of when his stuff is working at its best: the 6’1”, 186-pounder tossed the first quality start of his career while striking out a career high nine Chiefs. The only blemish on his line was a single walk. It had been a fairly rough start to Laws’ transition from bullpen work to starting. Even after this spectacular outing, his ERA on the season is still over seven. Laws rewarded the Marlins’ confidence in trusting in his ability to be stretched out with this fantastic building-block outing. With just average size, Laws isn’t the Marlins’ archetype arm but he has the ability to ramp up velocity and he flashes high spin rates with deceptive movement over all three pitches, giving him the capacity to fool hitters. For Laws, who spent the offseason in an effort to hit 99 mph, harnessing command and control in order to continue to last multiple innings consistently will be what to watch for as his season progresses. Given his background, there is extreme reliever risk here limiting his ceiling, but you can see the vision the Marlins are trying to build towards. Because of his stuff, Laws has the makings of a potential high-leverage bullpen option. Speaking of high-leverage relievers, the Marlins definitely have one in Justin Storm. The 24-year-old continued to dominate High-A hitters this week, as he got into three games and only allowed two hits in a combined four innings. On Sunday, he recorded his fourth save in five opportunities. His ERA has not been higher than 3.00 since May 13. Storm is everything the Marlins love in an arm: size, stuff and nasty strikes. At 6’7”, 232, he’s one of the tallest pitchers in all of minor league baseball. Planing downhill from his extremely high lefty arm slot and from an extremely shortened distance to the plate, he’s very difficult to pick up. Storm features a nasty fastball/slider combo that was touted as one of the best in the country when he was drafted in 2023. When he has full control of his extremely long levers, Storm is deadly. He does need to show that control a bit more consistently as he’s shown a penchant for missing very far out of the zone on occasion, leading to a low O-swing and middle-of-the-road walk rate especially as he gets an opportunity against more advanced hitters, but if he can solve for that, Storm has a considerable ceiling as a high-leverage arm. At 24, he’s very old for High-A. The challenge to Double-A needs to come soon for him. Low-A Jupiter Things were looking bleak for Echedry Vargas just a couple months ago. Playing down a level from where he was in 2025, the 21-year-old was mostly being deployed at first base while not providing any of the power typically expected from that position. Two weeks away from game action in early May has helped him recalibrate. Vargas homered again in Jupiter's last series, raising his slugging percentage to .492—that would rank fourth in the Florida State League if he had enough playing time to qualify. Meanwhile, he's receiving more of an opportunity to demonstrate his defensive versatility, including a start at shortstop on Wednesday. In his first series with the Hammerheads, Luis León went 4-for-15 with a grand slam. He got defensive reps at second base, left field and right field. The Marlins have spent nearly half a decade attempting to develop right-hander Walin Castillo as a starter, but their patience may be running out soon. He surrendered a career-high 10 earned runs in his last outing. An ERA that stood at 1.37 in mid-May has nearly quadrupled since then to 5.12. FCL Marlins FOF's No. 15 prospect, Andrew Salas, had an excellent week. He he went 5-for-10 (.500) with another multi-home run game, his second of the year. Salas is still just 18 years old until next March, and the potential has been on display on numerous occasions this season. We have already seen Luis Arana, Luis Cova, and Edgardo De Leon earn promotions after dominating the FCL to begin the season. Breyias Dean should be next. On the year, Dean is hitting .326 with four home runs, 26 RBIs, and has walked 18 times compared to just 25 strikeouts. As mentioned last week, with the MLB Draft approaching, the opportunity for promotions is opening up as organizations need roster spots for incoming draft picks. Dean is at the top of the list when it comes to players who have earned a promotion. Juan Alva is right there with Dean statistically A career .325 hitter, Alva is batting .329 this season with three home runs, 16 RBIs, 12 stolen bases, and an impressive 23 walks compared to just 14 strikeouts. This past week he went 4-for-11 (.364), with all four of his hits coming across two multi-hit performances. DSL Marlins & DSL Miami David Shirley was with the DSL Marlins until this week before being transferred to DSL Miami. Prior to the move, he was hitting .333 in 36 at-bats, and the change of scenery did nothing to slow him down. Shirley went 6-for-15 (.400) this week with multiple multi-hit games, three RBIs, and two stolen bases. He has continued to put together quality at-bats and has been one of the hotter hitters in the organization over the past couple of weeks. José Rosal made just one appearance this week, tossing two innings while allowing two hits, walking three, and striking out three. On the season, he owns a 0.87 ERA (1 ER) across 10⅓innings. The biggest concern has been his command, as he has issued 12 walks compared to just eight strikeouts, contributing to a 1.84 WHIP. Despite that, Rosal has consistently found ways to escape trouble and limit damage, which has allowed him to keep runs off the board. After a rough first three outings to start the season, Keyner Cedeño has been nearly unhittable over his last four appearances. Across his last 10 ⅓ innings, he has struck out a whopping 22 hitters while issuing just three walks. This week alone, he threw 6 ⅔ innings and struck out 13 batters. The stuff has always been there, and it looks like Cedeño has figured something out over the last couple of weeks. Stiveen Rojas got off to a slow start this season but has picked things up lately. On Monday afternoon, he struck out eight over 4 ⅓ innings. Overall this week, he recorded 10 strikeouts across 6⅓ innings while allowing just one run. The biggest issue continues to be the walks, as he has now issued 18 walks while striking out 18 hitters. Opponents are batting just .167 against him, but his 1.59 WHIP shows how much the free passes have hurt him. There is no other way to put it—Daniel Pire has been the best-performing player from the Marlins' 2025 international free agent class. This week he went 5-for-11 (.455), highlighted by a game in which he collected three doubles and drove in three runs. On the season, he is hitting .333 in 60 at-bats and has walked more times (9) than he has struck out (7). His approach at the plate has been one of the most impressive in the DSL. Bayant Melo is now in his fourth season in the DSL, and this has been his best year by far. Across 15 ⅓ innings, he has recorded 16 strikeouts. The walks are still an issue, but the results are finally beginning to match the quality of his stuff. This week he tossed three scoreless innings, striking out three while walking two and hitting a batter. His season ERA now sits at 2.35. At 21 years old, this is a make-or-break season. Yerison Mendez has had one of the stranger statistical seasons in the organization. He owns a 2.03 ERA across 13⅓ innings but has a 1.58 WHIP. He has walked nine batters while striking out just six. This week, he threw four scoreless innings, allowing four hits, walking three, and striking out none. So far the results have been on Mendez's side, but it has been a very unusual season to this point. This week's schedule Triple-A Jacksonville at Nashville Double-A Pensacola at Rocket City High-A Beloit vs. South Bend Low-A Jupiter vs. Dunedin FCL Marlins, DSL Marlins and DSL Miami vs. various opponents View full article

Miami Marlins manager Clayton McCullough is certainly not above criticism when his in-game decisions backfire. Just last week, there was a prime example of that. On the other hand, you have to give McCullough credit when those same sort of moves are ordered correctly and produce positive results. That was the case Monday night against the Colorado Rockies in a 10-7 win. In the top of the fifth inning, Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer took out left-handed starter Sean Sullivan and went to righty Victor Vodnik. Leo Jimenez, who was supposed to hit in that spot and already had an RBI double in his first at-bat of the game, was taken out and Griffin Conine entered the game to pinch-hit for him. On the second pitch of the at-bat, Vodnik served up a changeup that Conine clobbered 433 feet slamming into the third deck in right field, giving the Marlins a 6-5 lead. "Looking at today with their only lefty, he had thrown back-to-back days, potentially he could have come in, but that would have Griff and Owen (Caissie) and even Graham (Pauley) ready to come pinch-hit in those spots," McCullough said. "The first shot there with some guys on, I felt like it was a moment, and then Griff was gonna be the first bat off the bench." Conine has missed most of the season due to a left hamstring tear. He has played in seven games since coming off the injured list. His home run marked his first career pinch-hit home run and the third by a Marlin this season. It also was the longest home run of his career. "Anytime you are going into the game in a big spot, you just get as much as you can on the guy before you go up there and try to get a good pitch," Conine told the Marlins Radio Network postgame. "He threw me two changeups in a row and that definitely helped out the timing and I didn't miss the second one." Sandy Alcantara made his final start in the month of June, going 5 2/3 innings, allowing five runs on seven hits, walked five and struck out three. In the top of the sixth inning, McCullough came out to chat with Alcantara and after a couple second, he was out of the game. McCullough turned to Michael Petersen who got out of the inning, allowing Alcantara to stay in line for what was his sixth win. "What makes Mike so special for us is that he is very good versus left and he's good versus right," McCullough said. "Having that neutrality, we liked him versus (Jake) McCarthy either way, and that his ability to come into any spot versus any sided hitter is a big deal." Alcantara becomes the third pitcher in Marlins franchise history to post a 6-0 record in one month, joining José Fernández (6-0 in May 2016) and Chris Hammond (6-0 in June 1993). He finishes the month of June with a 3.35 ERA in 40 1/3 innings of work. In that span, Alcantara completed seven innings or more in three straight starts and now has the most strikeouts in franchise history. The final button pressed by the skipper was when he decided to pinch-hit for Esteury Ruiz with Owen Caissie in the top of the seventh inning. On the second pitch of the at-bat, Caissie knocked in a single off Rockies reliever Antonio Senzatela. He later scored a run on a Javier Sanoja RBI triple. Caissie finished his night going 2-for-2, bumping his OPS to .827 in the month of June. The Marlins have tied a franchise record with 19 wins in the month of June, first accomplished by the 2023 club. The Marlins join Atlanta (19-9 in April) and Milwaukee (19-7 in May) as the only teams in the majors this season to collect at least 19 wins in a calendar month. "This has been a really big month for Sandy," McCullough said. "During this run, he has really been on the attack. Coming into this game, if he's not leading the league in innings, he's right there. He has efficiently done his work, and he's continued to fill it up. I think that we've seen a guy who's certainly been there, done that, and with the situation we've been in recently, where we've patched things together on some days with our pitching, that what Sandy does on the days he gets the ball, we generally count on him going deep and giving us a chance." With the win, the Marlins move to 45-40 on the season. When it comes to the NL Wild Card race, the Marlins find themselves in a virtual tie with the St. Louis Cardinals for the third spot, with the Cardinals just barely leading in terms of win percentage (.531 to .529). Eury Pérez takes the mound on Tuesday for his second start since coming off the injured list. First pitch is at 8:40 pm ET. View full article