Kevin Barral

For the 2026 season, Fish On First will provide weekly reports on the Miami Marlins farm system, covering all levels. This is the first check-in since the Dominican Summer League season concluded, leaving only full-season affiliates participating in official games moving forward. This report covers the games played from August 11-18. Triple-A Jacksonville The Jumbo Shrimp posted a 2-4 week against the Syracuse Mets. Karson Milbrandt started the Saturday game, where in five innings of work, he allowed three runs on five hits, two walks and struck out seven. That was actually among his "best" starts since being promoted to the Jumbo Shrimp. The right-hander now owns a 7.65 ERA, 6.86 FIP, 8.50 K/9 and 7.65 BB/9 in 42 ⅓ innings pitched. After a dominant start at the Double-A level, Milbrandt is experience failure and hopefully learning from it. Jack Ralston recently had his contract selected, but has been optioned to Triple-A Jacksonville, yet to make his Marlins debut. The month of August has been the worst of his 2026 season up to this point, posting a 6.23 ERA in four appearances. Overall, he has a 1.70 ERA, 3.86 FIP, 11.26 K/9 and 4.32 BB/9 in 58 ⅓ innings pitched. In his first appearance for the Jumbo Shrimp, waiver claim Wikelman González surrendered two runs on no hits, but walked three. He tossed just one inning. It took until Tuesday, in his 10th game with the Shrimp, for trade deadline acquisition Brayden Taylor to record a hit. He was one of three players acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays in the Liam Hicks trade. His slash line with his new organization is .040/.368/.120/.488. As shown below courtesy of TJStats, Taylor is being way too patient, swinging at barely one-third of all pitches. His contact ability is there, but the quality of that contact is not good enough right now. It was a nice week for Kemp Alderman, who continues to make his case as a potential September call-up. Against Syracuse, he had two home runs, his 16th and 17th respectively. He is now slashing .265/.345/.471/.816 with 17 home runs, 51 RBI and a 113 wRC+. Along with Alderman is Deyvison De Los Santos, notching three home runs during the week and another on Tuesday. Unlike Alderman, De Los Santos is on the team's 40-man roster, sporting an 1.167 OPS in the month of August. He is slashing .279/.342/.489/.831 with 18 home runs and 63 RBI. Since joining the Jumbo Shrimp, Jonathon Long is slashing .321/.513/.393/.906 with three RBI. In the series against Syracuse, Long had four hits and drove in one run. He continues to split time between left field and first base with the Marlins organization. In seven games at the Triple-A level, Brendan Jones is slashing .267/.421/.400/.821 with one RBI and four stolen bases. Jones, one of four players acquired in the Ryan Weathers trade, Jones could factor into the Marlins' outfield plans next season. Double-A Pensacola The Wahoos kept their winning ways rolling in grand fashion in their series against the Biloxi Shuckers, sweeping them in a six-game set. It was the first six-game sweep since 2023 for Pensacola, which has now won 16 of their last 19 games. The bats were out in abundance for the Wahoos as they won the run differential battle, 58-24. They have their sights set firmly on the playoffs as they now lead the Southern League South by 3.5 games during the second half of the season. Brandon Compton just continues to do Brandon Compton things, being not-so-arguably the best hitter in Minor League Baseball. Over the course of the six-game series, Compton went 9-for-28 with two home runs. He upped his wRC+ to 159, which is 12th in all of MiLB. There really are only two caveats to consider regarding Compton's success: he’s done virtually all of his damage against righties and he is defensively inflexible, limited to only corner outfield in a system chock full of lefty-hitting outfielders. Regarding the latter, Fish On First has recently learned that during the series against Biloxi, Compton began doing infield work including taking grounders and rehearsing plays at first base, which has been a position of weakness for the Marlins in the majors. The plan is for Compton to start receiving in-game reps at first base as early as this coming week. Now up to 29 home runs on the season with the ability to spray the ball to all fields via great strength and quick hands, Compton is proving this isn’t just a hot stretch—it is something he is capable of on a regular basis. In an organization that has recently become known for developing lefty bats and getting the most out of them, Compton is in an advantageous situation. If things work out well at first base, he could make that his primary home next season in Miami, with Kyle Stowers reacquainting himself with the outfield. Not to be lost in all of the offensive production from the Wahoos was another solid start from Joey Volini. Rebounding from a short outing his last time out, the Marlins’ 2025 sixth-rounder worked a career-high seven innings on six hits and three earned runs, two of which came on homers. He struck out five and walked one. Volini pitched to batters in the eighth inning, making him the first Pensacola starter to reach that mark in a game since Luis Palacios in 2023. After a slow introduction to pro ball, Volini is now clearly stretched out. In previous outings, he was able to limit walks but lapses in command caused him to run into trouble on the scoreboard. In this start, Volini looked spectacular, limiting damage by finding his spots consistently. He induced eight groundouts, mainly with his changeup. Still young to starting having only been made a featured arm his final year of college at FSU, Volini is still honing his craft and feeling things out, but he has started to show good strike zone knowledge and the ability to mix well with four pitches. Because none of his pitches truly stand out as plus offerings just yet, Volini's future is still pretty volatile, but if he can continue to make positive strides as he’s being challenged pretty quickly, he could reach the ceiling of a back-end starter. This week’s past start was a good look at that potential ceiling against the most advanced competition he’s faced in his career. At the very least, Volini has an MLB future as a bulk reliever. High-A Beloit Powered by a four-run 10th inning in their first game and a season-best 16-run performance in their penultimate game, the Carp took four of six from the Peoria Chiefs for their first series win since late July. Their outburst on Sunday was powered by seven home runs, the most Beloit has hit in a single game during their affiliation with the Marlins. With the win, the Sky Carp climbed to 29-19 in the second half and are in a deadlock for their division lead with Quad Cities, whom they will match up against in two weeks. It’s been an up-and-down season for Starlyn Caba. A fantastic first half in which he slashed .265/.404/.442 has given way to a disappointing second half. Since June, Caba is hitting just .202/.373/.326. In this series against Peoria, though, Caba showed signs of breaking the cycle. In five games, he went 4-for-16 including a three-hit performance in the final game which included a homer and four RBI. During his dry spell at the plate, Caba’s patience and ability to work his way on via a walk have sustained. His 19% walk rate ranks in the 95th percentile league-wide. However, his K rate has also leapt from 21% to 27%. Caba is forcing pitchers to come into the zone and is seeing tons of strikes, proven by the fact that has a whiff rate in the 77th percentile as well as a O-swing percentage in the 83rd percentile. The issue is Caba is just simply not swinging the bat. With a swing percentage of just 38.7%, Caba’s passivity has reached new heights. Opposing pitchers are exposing this trait by locating well, allowing them to work ahead early and finish ABs well, leading to his heightened K rate which is in the 35th percentile. What worked in the first half for Caba in terms of his approach will need to be slightly altered in order for him to get back on track. Teaching a young, light-hitting infielder to alter his approach and adjust back to a higher level of competition can be a tall task, but if the Marlins can persuade Caba to become a bit more aggressive particularly in longer counts when its strength versus strength, these are gaps that can be filled. Hopefully for the slick-fielding shortstop, the start of that turnaround has already begun. Julio Mendez is not a name you’ll see on top prospects lists, but he has been a consistently solid and reliable left-handed pitcher since arriving in the Marlins organization in 2022. After holding down a 3.83 ERA with a 95/43 K/BB in 91.2 IP at Low-A last season and restarting there to begin this season, Mendez matriculated up to High-A this past month. He’s had to adjust a bit to his new level of competition was recently able to do so advantageously. His latest outing this past week was a five inning shutout performance in which he walked four and struck out five. A 5’11”, 180-pound southpaw, Mendez isn’t an imposing physical specimen nor will he wow with velo, but he is a true strike-thrower who has garnered an enhanced ability to collect whiffs inside the zone. At 49.5%, Mendez’s zone percentage ranks in the 80gj percentile in the Midwest League. He also has a CSW% of 30.7, which ranks him in the 76th percentile league-wide. Mendez lives by a fastball that sits 93 mph and tops at 95. From there, Mendez owns a wide arsenal. His best secondary is a slider with outstanding spin rates in the 2600s, giving it wipeout action. Mendez also throws two different changeups, a traditional variety and a faster cutter, giving him the ability to inside-out hitters. Mendez just keeps producing. With a strong pitcher’s IQ, this under-the-radar arm is a potential MLB contributor someday. Low-A Jupiter FOF prospect of the week Echedry Vargas has been putting on a special power display at the Low-A level. In the week against the St. Lucie Mets, where the Hammerheads went 5-1, Vargas had nine hits, 10 RBI and hit five home runs. Vargas became the first Hammerheads player to have a 20-homer season since Marcell Ozuna back in 2012. He also leads the Florida State League in home runs (21). Vargas is now slashing .310/.365/.580/.945 with 72 RBI and a 141 wRC+. Along with Vargas, Andrés Valor has nothing left to prove in Jupiter. After a rough start to the season, he is slashing .220/.341/.395/.737 with 13 home runs, 44 RBI, 51 stolen bases and posting a 99 wRC+. Marlins first-round draft pick Jacob Lombard is now slashing .244/.396/.463/.859 with three home runs, 12 RBI, six stolen bases and a 130 wRC+. He has also committed five errors in that small sample. Yohanfer Santana made his Low-A debut as a reliever, topping out at 100.4 mph and averaging 99.4 mph. The 6'7" right-hander tossed one inning, allowing one hit and striking out two. Santana spent most of the 2026 season at the complex level. He posted an 8.49 ERA, 6.12 FIP, 15.78 K/9 and 9.40 BB/9 in 16 appearances (12 starts). DSL Marlins & DSL Miami The Dominican Summer League regular season concluded on Tuesday. DSL Marlins and DSL Miami had final records of 32-23 and 12-43, respectively. Gregori Arias had a tough year at the plate, homered in two of his last three games. He has also drove in five runs over those three games. In August, Arias hit .286 with a .429 OBP and a .643 SLG. On the year, Arias finished at .189 with four home runs, 15 RBI’s and 13 stolen bases. Ronny Muñoz hit his fourth home run of the year on Saturday. August was the best month of the year for Muñoz. The strikeout rate is a serious issue moving forward, ending at 36% over the summer, but the power is certainly there. Santiago Solarte placed 19th among DSL qualifiers in batting average (.339) and seventh in SLG (.598). According to Ely Sussman, he became the first player in modern minor league history to have a 10 HR/40 SB season in rookie ball. Left-hander Keyner Cedeño, even in a slugfest, remains untouchable. On Saturday, in a 14-13 win over DSL Rangers Blue, Cedeño pitched the final 2 ⅔ innings and struck out four, notching his fifth win of the year in the process. From June 15 onward, he went 33 consecutive innings without giving up an earned run. This week's schedule Triple-A Jacksonville at Memphis Double-A Pensacola vs. Knoxville High-A Beloit vs. Cedar Rapids Low-A Jupiter at Bradenton View full article

The Miami Marlins decided to roll with a bullpen game on Tuesday night in hopes of evening up the series against their division rival, the Philadelphia Phillies. Everything was going according to plan as Miami led 3-1, but in the bottom of the sixth inning, the Phillies scored four runs to take a lead that they never looked back on. The Phillies defeated the Marlins by a final score of 6-4, clinching the season-series against the Marlins. Between Cade Gibson, Tyler Zuber and Josh Ekness, they limited the Phillies to one run on three hits. On top of that, Griffin Conine hit his 14th home run of the season, tying the game at 1-1. Xavier Edwards gave the Marlins a 2-1 lead with an RBI single and Heriberto Hernandez grounded into a force out that scored Otto Lopez, extending the Marlins lead, 3-1. Conine went into the game sporting a .955 OPS since the All-Star break. In the month of August, he has a 1.027 OPS. The only other player in baseball with an OPS over 1.000 in August is Houston Astros star Yordan Alvarez. Overall, Conine is slashing .278/.371/.562/.933 with 14 home runs, 31 RBI and a 154 wRC+. Marlins manager Clayton McCullough went with Michael Petersen to get the final two outs in the bottom of the fifth and let him begin the sixth. Petersen started that inning by hitting Trea Turner. After Bryce Harper flew out for the first out of the inning, the Phillies went on to knock four-straight hits. Luis Arraez single, Alec Bohm RBI double, Bryson Stott RBI single and a Brandon Marsh single. Petersen was taken out of the game after that, with Philadelphia now leading, 4-3. Tyler Phillips entered the game with inherited runners and after striking out J.T. Realmuto, he allowed an RBI single to Justin Crawford to make it 5-3, Philadelphia. When the dust settled, it was a four-run bottom of the sixth. For Petersen, this marks his worst outing of the season, allowing four runs on four hits. He takes the loss and blown save in this ballgame. The Marlins tried to mount a comeback in the top of the eighth as Heriberto Hernandez knocked in an RBI single, making it 5-4, but Calvin Faucher surrendered an RBI single to Kyle Schwarber, icing the game, 6-4. With the loss, the Marlins are now 64-63 on the season, 3.5 games out of the third National League Wild Card spot. View full article

The Miami Marlins needed to catch a break on Monday night to pull off an upset of Cristopher Sanchez and the Philadelphia Phillies. Instead, a missed call denied them of a critical run in a frustrating 6-5 loss. In the top of the seventh inning with the bases loaded, Javier Sanoja hit a ball down the left field line that was originally called foul. After further review, it was ruled a double. Otto Lopez, the runner on first base, would have scored easily on a live ball, but under these circumstances, he was placed at third base. Manager Clayton McCullough went out to argue the call and was immediately ejected. Lopez would be stranded at third at the end of the inning. "I can't go argue a play that went to New York, but my only point was that with two outs, the size of lead that Otto is going to have at first, not being held and going on contact where that ball was going to end up," McCullough told reporters postgame. "I think that he was going to score anyway. Just a little bit more frustration that you see that your call is going to get overturned and what maybe could have been." The explanation McCullough received was that since the ball was called dead so early, "it's really tough to then assume that you know all players continued to go." For Sanoja, he now has recorded 16 RBI with the bases loaded this season, the most by a Marlins hitter in a single season since Justin Bour and Marcell Ozuna, who each had 17 RBI in bases-loaded situations in 2017. He was visibly upset by the call made by umpire Shane Livensparger. "It's extremely frustrating for us," Sanoja said via an interpreter. "I think everyone saw and to ruin a game like that with two teams competing in the same division knowing what we are playing for is frustrating. Unfortunately at the end of the day, the baseball gods spoke and we lost by one run." Despite the call, the Marlins went 3-for-13 with runners in scoring position. Cristopher Sanchez allowed one run on eight hits and walked three. He remains undefeated in eight career outings against Miami. "We put some guys on base and kind of scattered it around, but did like that we stressed him and made him work," McCullough said. "Had some chances and just couldn't really come through with a big blow there on a couple of occasions to potentially flip that game in the more early going." Victor Vodnik worked the bottom of the seventh inning, allowing a bases-loaded walk, making it 5-3. In five appearances with the Marlins, he owns a 4.50 ERA while allowing five walks in six innings. In the top of the eighth, the Marlins kept fighting as Brian Navarreto took Brooks Raley deep for his first home run of the season, making it a 5-4 game. It was also his first run driven in since being called up from Triple-A nearly two months ago. The Phillies tacked on a run in the bottom of the eighth inning and the Marlins responded by making things interesting off Phillies closer Jhoan Duran. A questionable decision in the ninth inning was leaving Leo Jimenez in the game to face Duran and when Owen Caissie was available to pinch hit. Jimenez grounded into a force out to end the game. With the loss, the Marlins drop to 64-62 on the season, three games out of the third National League Wild Card spot and four games behind the Phillies. Lefty Cade Gibson will get the start on Tuesday night, presumably in an opener role with Tyler Phillips following him and handling the bulk of the innings. View full article

MIAMI, FL - For the fourth time this season, Miami Marlins starting pitcher Eury Pérez completed seven innings of work and tossed his fifth scoreless outing of the campaign. The Marlins offense gave Pérez just enough run support as they defeated the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates, 2-0. This marks the Marlins eleventh shutout of the season. It was the start against the Tampa Bay Rays on May 17th, Pérez admitted to reporters, that marked the turning point. During that start, he was crying and was extremely frustrated. "That's when everything changed for me," Pérez said following the game. "My mentality changed in terms of how I think during a game as well as my emotions. I want to enjoy the games I pitch in. I had a conversation with my pitching coaches over the work that we have to do with my pitches and we decided to also add the sinker, a pitch that has helped me a lot during this time. Now, I am enjoying the games and things are going well." Since that start against the Rays, Pérez owns a 2.04 ERA and 2.51 FIP in the 10 starts that followed. That span included his last outing against the Atlanta Braves, where he allowed four earned runs in five innings of work. He bounced back Tuesday against a Pirates team fighting for their playoff lives, shutting them out in seven innings, allowing three hits, one walk and striking out seven. The 23-year-old starter now owns a 3.39 ERA, 3.68 FIP, 9.87 K/9 and 3.39 BB/9 in 21 starts this season. The seven innings pitched tonight match his career high, a feat he's achieved four times now in 2026. Between Pérez and his close friend Sandy Alcantara, they have combined for 12 quality starts within their last 14 combined starts. "He just has a much more diverse mix now," Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said. "We're seeing how well he's attacking and the ability to change speeds now, it's just a really tough at-bat. You coupe that with how well he's filling up the strike zone and accessing it with multiple offerings, it's just a tough at-bat right now when he's able to strike with that type of stuff." Nobody could've imaged that when the Marlins acquired Esteury Ruiz from the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for pitching prospect Adriano Marrero that he would turn into a player who has a 144 wRC+ in 76 games played with the team. In the bottom of the third inning, he took Pirates starter Paul Skenes deep for his career-best sixth home run of the season. Ruiz by no means is a power hitter, but the power certainly has been something that is a cherry on top of his already plus base running, speed, and approach at the plate. "There's bat speed in there and he's really twitchy," McCullough said. "He's hit some homers in the upper levels of the minor leagues and just hadn't translated as much here at the Major League level, but he can impact the ball, he pulls it in the air and it comes off well. Once he gets ahold of one, they definitely leave a doubt. Didn't think that power was going to be his calling card, but we're not surprised the way that he is capable of impacting baseball when he's on time." In the ensuing at-bat, Skenes hit Ruiz on the first pitch and he then stole his 28th base of the season and scored the second run of the game. Ruiz is on his fifth organization, but this is where he has finally broken out, posting career-best numbers offensively. When the Marlins acquired Ruiz, they constantly said that they saw something that they could unlock offensively, and so far, that's been the case. "He's worked really hard to get his swing to where it can handle more pitches," McCullough said. "I think he's always been very good when the ball's down, like his swing really plays well there. He's worked hard with (Pedro Guerrero) to try to give him some ability to combat more of the four-seam flatter pitches above the belt and we saw him get one of those tonight. We thought this is a still a young player that's ubertalented, incredibly athletic, and could be a good place for him to get some opportunity at the Major League level and stay here." The Marlins improve to 61-59 on the season, three games back of the final National League Wild Card Spot. Janson Junk will take the mound on Wednesday at 6:40 pm EST as the Marlins go for back-to-back series wins. 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 first check-in that incorporates both new draft picks and prospects acquired by the Fish on trade deadline day. This report covers the games played from August 4-10. Triple-A Jacksonville The Miami Marlins were busy during the trade deadline conducting five trades. Of those trades, Brayden Taylor (Hicks trade), Jonathon Long (Braxton Garrett trade), Jace Beck (Braxton Garrett trade) and Brandan Bidois (Lake Bachar trade) joined the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp. The only player who has not played is Brandon Bidois because he is on the seven-day injured list. Taylor, a first-round pick back in 2023, spent the entire 2026 season at the Double-A level in the Rays organization. In 88 games, he slashed .284/.384/.513/.897 with 17 home runs, 56 RBI, 20 stolen bases and a 136 wRC+. So far, Taylor has played in five games at the Triple-A level, where he has yet to record a hit, but has walked seven times, driven in a run and scored one as well. Long likely was not going to be called up in the Cubs organization, so instead, he is traded to Miami. With the Cubs Triple-A affiliate, Long played in 99 games where he hit .283/.364/.455/.818 with 12 home runs, 62 RBI and a 108 wRC+. Right before joining the organization, Long was named International League Player of the Month. With the Marlins, he has played in 5 games, where he is 5-for-17 with two RBI. He has split time between the outfield and first base. Beck is a 26-year-old right-handed pitcher. The Cubs used him primarily in relief, but in his Marlins organizational debut, they had him start Sunday's series finale against Gwinnett. He tossed five no-hit innings, striking out five and not allowing a walk. It was not a perfect game because of an error committed by the Shrimp in the game. Beck was named International League Pitcher of the Week. As for Bidois, he is the only one with major league experience, appearing in 15 games and posting a 6.32 ERA, allowing 16 runs (11 earned) on 19 hits (five home runs). In 20 innings pitched for the Pirates Triple-A affiliate, he had a 8.10 ERA, 6.09 FIP, 11.70 K/9 and 7.65 BB/9. When it comes to players who were with the Marlins organization before the trade deadline, Gage Miller continues to succeed in Triple-A, now having played 34 games. He is slashing .314/.454/.589/1.022 with six home runs, 21 RBI and a 172 wRC+. With the recent trades of both Connor Norby (Rockies) and Jacob Berry (Royals) and call-up of Graham Pauley, Miller's reps should be increasing down the stretch. Double-A Pensacola The Wahoos kept rolling in the second half, taking four of six against Montgomery, their third straight six-game series win. This included a thrilling extra innings walk-off victory on Friday. Pensacola is 23-16 since the break, pacing their division. They rank near the top of the entire Southern League in many stat categories, including home runs (second) and OPS (third). With the impending returns of Aiva Arquette on Tuesday and Dillon Lewis possibly the week after, the stretch run looks promising. Another start, another impression made. Eliazar Dishmey kept his roll of extremely positive starts going this week with perhaps his best outing of the campaign, a six-inning shutout performance in which he struck out 10. In his last six starts, the 21-year-old and our Prospect of the Week has a 0.33 ERA. Dishmey continues to live off of fantastic fastball command and the ability to change eye levels then set up a wide secondary arsenal. He can induce groundouts with his sinker and has gained a good feel for the Marlins’ archetype gyro slider that he added this season. He also throws a plus curveball and a still-improving changeup. Coming into the year, Dishmey lacked pure swing-and-miss stuff and was more of a pitch-to-contact arm pinned for future relief work. His newfound ability to garner whiffs via this widened arsenal has raised his ceiling and made him one of the best righty weapons in the Marlins organization. There’s also still time on his side as he’s pitching at Double-A at age 21, nearly four years younger than league average competition. Dishmey isn’t spoken about much nationally, making him a very under-the-radar name. But if this current run extends, that should soon change. Currently the owner of a 114/42 K/BB, he’s been one of the best kept secrets in MiLB. Dishmey should receive an invite to big league camp next season. Speaking of good impressions and great fastball command, Jacob Kisting is another guy who did both on the mound this week. Part of the return from Tampa Bay in the Liam Hicks trade at the deadline, the righty made his organizational and Double-A debut. He showed very well, working five scoreless innings on four hits and eight strikeouts. New to the pitching craft overall as a converted infielder and especially new to starting having been built up to do it by the Rays this year, this went about as well as Miami could have hoped in Kisting’s first Pensacola start. He sat 93-94 with the fastball which he used very frequently and topped at 97. His offspeed offerings—he throws both a splitter and kick change—sat 85-87, showed great late arm-side fade, played well off of the heat and garnered him three of his eight punchies. Kisting also mixed in a slider, which is still a work in progress. Overall, Kisting profiles as a zone pounding strike-thrower who is proving he has the ability to be economical with pitches and work multiple innings. His ability to stick as a starter will rely heavily on his ability to continue to refine his breaking ball and keep hitters off balance. At the very least, the Marlins got a future MLB reliever here. High-A Beloit A solid week for Sky Carp starting pitching couldn’t be backed by offense as they dropped four of six to Wisconsin. Beloit’s .347 OBP is the second lowest in the Midwest League. After a very slow start to the season, a trip to the development list has seemed to make all the difference in the world for Jacob Jenkins-Cowart. A sub-Mendoza line .200/.240/.343 bat in the first half, the 2024 eighth-rounder was given a week off at the end of June. Since returning on June 30, he is slashing .272/.326/.568. That includes a 5-for-10, two-homer showing this past week. Cowart is a large physical specimen with a lot of moving parts which in the past, led to a lot of off balance and long swings. Since his return from the dev list, he has adjusted his stance and upper body to lean out over the plate with his arms further away from his body. This has allowed Jenkins-Cowart to make more contact, particularly on pitches on the outer half. The strikeout susceptibility is still present for Cowart, who maintains a long uppercut stroke and who shows particularly struggles against plus breaking stuff, but he has started to walk slightly more in July and August. The recent power binge (seven HR in 27 games) is definitely encouraging, but Jenkins-Cowart will need to continue to take positive strides in lengthening at-bats and shortening up his stroke if he hopes to make it, especially in a Marlins system stacked with lefty-hitting outfielders. A shoulder injury caused 2025 third-rounder Max Williams to miss about half of the minor league season, but in terms of his bat, it's been all gas, no brakes since his launch last month. A jump to Beloit last week also hasn’t slowed Williams: he’s off to an 8-for-29 start with Beloit, including 6-for-22 this past week. In 87 ABs, Williams has already recorded 11 extra-base hits. Still not ready to throw, Williams has been a full-time DH since his return. At 6’2”, 207, Williams isn’t the largest physical specimen, but he packs a punch with quick wrists and a violent swing. Against Low-A stuff, Williams also showed good selectivity and patience, walking nearly as much as he struck out. If that can maintain as the quality of stuff he’s facing increases, he will be yet another 2025 draftee to follow closely. With a plus arm, he profiles as a future 7 or 9 guy on the outfield grass. Low-A Jupiter Jacob Lombard started his professional career with a bang by homering in his Low-A debut last Tuesday. In five games, he is slashing .211/.375/.368/.743 with one home run, two RBI and a 109 wRC+. Lombard has played both shortstop and second base. The only other draftee to have made his pro debut is third-round pick Cam Kozeal, who in five games is slashing .273/.385/.318/.703 with one RBI and a 102 wRC+. Acquired as one of the pieces in the Jake Burger trade, Echedry Vargas started his first year in the Marlins organization at the High-A level, posting a 66 wRC+ in 82 games at that level in 2025. To begin the 2026 season, he dropped down a level to Low-A, where in 82 games he is slashing .302/.353/.534/.886 with 16 home runs, 62 RBI and a 128 wRC+. Regardless of the player's circumstances, hitting for so much power in the Florida State League is rare. It is now about showing that he can produce at the High-A level. Andrés Valor is on his way to leading the Marlins system in stolen bases with 47 so far. Despite a high 31.8% strikeout rate, he is slashing .223/.346/.407/.752 with 13 home runs, 43 RBI and a 104 wRC+. Elier Morillo continues to be a strikeout machine, posting a 16.69 K/9, but the walks continue to rise, now at 7.63 BB/9. In 18 appearances, Morillo has a 4.12 ERA and 4.07 FIP. DSL Marlins & DSL Miami After hitting a home run in back-to-back games, including Monday afternoon, Carlos De Los Santos has been promoted to the DSL Marlins, according to the transaction logs. De Los Santos has been on fire from game one and doesn't look like he is slowing down. He is now hitting .375 on the year in 120 at-bats with a .461 OBP. Jesús Pérez has seen a huge decrease in walks and an increase in strikeouts, but that has not stopped him from putting together a solid season nonetheless. In 100 at-bats, he is hitting .300 with three home runs. He has already hit eight doubles this year, compared to just one double and four home runs last year. Pérez's OPS is 120 points higher than it was last year, and he has also significantly decreased his ground-ball percentage. Angel Bonilla has primarily been used as a pinch-hitter this season, but he has always been ready when his name is called upon. In a small sample size of 27 at-bats, Bonilla has two home runs, while walking at a 26% clip, helping push his OBP to .412. Bonilla has also shown that he doesn't strike out often, posting a 15 K%, while most of his batted balls have been in the air. It's hard to put two and two together with such a small sample size and limited data, but those two things sticking out certainly make Bonilla an intriguing player to keep an eye on. Diego Martinez has shown a very good power surge in his first professional season. In just 63 at-bats, he has four home runs, including one on Monday afternoon. On top of that, he has shown flashes of speed with eight stolen bases. Martinez has primarily been used at catcher and first base, and in 98⅓ combined innings, he has made zero errors this season. If the DSL had a Most Improved Player award, Johan Machado would be the favorite to win it. On top of that, he could be in consideration for DSL MVP. Machado was selected to participate in the league's All-Star Game on July 19, but his production actually spiked after receiving that recognition. After hitting .237 in June, Machado followed that up by hitting .342 in July and is now hitting .440 so far in August, bringing his season average to .319. He hit two more home runs Monday afternoon, bringing his season total to nine. Raunny Figueredo was just added to Fish On First's Top 30 prospects, slotting in at #29, and no one deserved it more than Figueredo. After finishing July scorching hot, he has not slowed down. He is hitting .381 this month with a home run and eight RBI, and in 21 at-bats, he has yet to strike out. His average is now up to .299, to go along with five home runs, 39 RBI and 15 stolen bases. He also has five assists in 43 games as a right fielder. Santiago Solarte slotted in at #16 in the FOF Top 30, and it won't take long until he continues climbing the rankings. Despite being hitless in his last three games, Solarte recorded a multi-home run game earlier this week, bringing his season total to nine. His average is now .315, with an elite .428 OBP and .990 OPS. The stolen base number continues to increase by the day as well, and it is now up to 37. This week's schedule Triple-A Jacksonville vs. Syracuse Double-A Pensacola at Biloxi High-A Beloit at Peoria Low-A Jupiter vs. St. Lucie DSL Marlins and DSL Miami against various opponents 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. Every month, Fish Unfiltered takes Miami Marlins fans "Inside the Dugout," bringing you an extended, exclusive interview with Marlins manager Clayton McCullough. During our August sitdown, McCullough speaks with AJ Ramos and Kevin Barral about a wide variety of topics. They start off with a rundown of Kyle Stowers' hamstring strain and how the Marlins will fill the void at first base during his absence. Then, they discuss the team's tendency to make critical outs on the bases, McCullough's role on trade deadline day last week, strong recent stretches from Jakob Marsee, Griffin Conine, Michael Petersen and Pete Fairbanks, the value of Sandy Alcantara and more. 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. As was the case in spring training, Stowers has been diagnosed with a Grade 1 hamstring strain. His previous injury kept him out of major league games for four weeks. Griffin Conine is Miami's starting first baseman on Tuesday night, making only his second career start at the position. McCullough also mentioned Leo Jiménez and newly recalled Graham Pauley as expected part-time contributors at first base while Stowers is out. Despite taking pregame reps as well, Agustín Ramírez is not going to see action there in the near future. Each of the Marlins' next four opponents are directly competing with them for a National League Wild Card berth, beginning with the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Marlins are 2.5 games ahead of them entering the series. View full article

Marlins manager Clayton McCullough explains how he plans to patch things together at first base in the absence of Kyle Stowers, who landed on the injured list prior to Tuesday's game. View full video

MIAMI, FL — Following the Major League Baseball trade deadline, the Miami Marlins recalled catcher Agustín Ramírez from Triple-A Jacksonville. As president of baseball operations Peter Bendix explained, Ramírez will be filling a similar role to the one that Liam Hicks previously had. That means occasionally playing first base in addition to catching. The Marlins acquired Ramírez from the New York Yankees in July 2024 in hopes that he would turn into their everyday catcher. After plenty of run behind the plate, he just has not been able to improve enough to meet those expectations. Ramírez made 17 MLB starts at catcher earlier this season. In that span, he committed four errors, allowed 19 stolen bases, three passed balls and only threw out two runners (9.5% caught stealing rate). On top of that, he wasn't producing much with his bat, slashing .230/.318/.345/.663 with two home runs and 14 RBI. When the Marlins called up Joe Mack on May 4, Ramírez was sent down to Triple-A as the corresponding move. "Things also weren't going the way I wanted to offensively and they sent me down to go work on my defense where I would have more of an opportunity to just get better," Ramírez told Fish On First. In his stint with the Jumbo Shrimp, Ramírez slashed .254/.332/.427/.759 with seven home runs, 29 RBI, 17 stolen bases and a 101 wRC+. Defensively, it really didn't get much better, with nine passed balls, 15 errors and 72 stolen bases allowed (15.3 CS%). Since he's been called back up, Ramírez has appeared in only two out of five Marlins games. He is 3-for-8 with one walk and three strikeouts, starting once as their designated hitter. He has caught two innings off the bench. "I am super happy to be back," Ramírez said. "Here is where I want to be and the team is doing a good job, in the race for the playoffs. Just here to help the team win in whatever way I can." Marlins manager Clayton McCullough called Ramírez "a work in progress" when it comes to first base. He's been practicing before games. There is still not a set date for when he will debut at the position. "I honestly feel great there since I have played there before," Ramírez said. He made 27 total appearances at first from 2021-24 as a member of the Yankees organization. Ramírez added: "I feel like I can move better and feel more athletic, which is why I say that I feel better (at first) because you gotta throw at different angles, move to different corners and you are always in this rhythm that you are waiting for the ball to be hit your way. You always have to be on your feet at first." Mack will continue to serve as the Marlins catcher for the vast majority of their games. The club is also keeping veteran Brian Navarreto on the active roster, signaling that Ramírez will see very limited action behind the plate. Kyle Stowers has been Miami's everyday choice at first base lately, but he can shift over to the corner outfield spots if necessary. Whether it be at catcher, first base or DH, expect Ramírez to be in the lineup when the Marlins are facing left-handed starting pitchers. View full article

MIAMI, FL — With two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, the Miami Marlins find themselves trailing 4-3. There is a runner on first (Leo Jiménez) and Javier Sanoja hits a double down the left field line that left fielder Jose Siri grabs. Known for his aggressive sends, third base coach Blake Lalli goes for the tie and waves Jiménez home. Instead, Jiménez gets thrown out and the game is over. "Good with the send there," Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said. "It took a really nice throw from a guy running a long way for it to pick it up there, and tough angle to make that throw home going back across. I love the aggressiveness by Blake and really have since he's been our third base coach. I think he does a great job of balancing aggressiveness in there. Two outs and a chance to tie it up, so all good with me." This is the second time in a week that the Marlins have ended a game by making an out on the bases. On Tuesday against the Atlanta Braves, with two outs in the top of the ninth, the Marlins went for a double steal, resulting in Jakob Marsee being thrown out at third. In a lower leverage but still significant moment during Friday's game, the Marlins had Esteury Ruiz running on contact from third base with no outs in the bottom of the third. He was thrown out as well and Miami didn't score in that inning. According to Baseball-Reference, the Marlins are second in the majors in outs made on the bases with 49 and are now tied for second with 17 outs at home plate. The Marlins out-hit the Angels, 12-6, but they also left 13 runners on base. Going into Friday's game, the Marlins ranked 22nd in wRC+ (98) with runners in scoring position. "I thought we put some good at-bats together," McCullough said. "Was that kind of a game where both sides just missed opportunities. It's not about who gets the most hits in a game—it's about scoring more runs and they did that." Mike Trout, one of the greatest to ever do it, took Marlins starting pitcher Tyler Phillips deep in the top of the first inning, giving the Angels an early 1-0 lead. Phillips would cruise the rest of the way, going four-plus innings and striking out four in the process. In the top of the fifth, Phillips allowed a base hit to catcher Tyler Heineman and with 61 pitches, McCullough made his way to the mound and took Phillips out of the game. Michael Petersen entered in his place and recorded three outs, despite walking Trout. With only a few exceptions, the Marlins have not trusted Phillips to provide length since being converted into a starter. He has only completed six innings twice in 13 starts. "I'd like to fight for it a little bit more, but I am still young in this game and do understand where I stand this year," Phillips said. "Wasn't built up to be a starter out of spring and didn't prepare in the offseason to be a starter. If there is any management there, whatever it is, doesn't matter to me. My goal is to go out there and throw the ball until my manager comes out and takes it from me." The Marlins did take the lead in the bottom of the fifth inning when Kyle Stowers knocked in an RBI single driving in Jakob Marsee. Stowers finished with four hits, tying his season-high. Everything went downhill for the Marlins in the top of the seventh inning with Josh Ekness on the mound. He walked Josh Lowe, Tyler Heineman moved Lowe to second on a sac bunt and Wade Meckler grounded out, moving Lowe to third. With a runner on third and two outs, Mike Trout hit a 56.7 mph grounder straight to Ekness, which he bobbled, allowing the ball to get past him and Lowe scored on the error. Florida Atlantic alum Nolan Schanuel took Ekness deep on the second pitch of the next at-bat for a two-run homer, his seventh of the season, giving the Angels a 4-2 lead. With the loss, the Marlins have now dropped four straight games and are a game below .500 at 58-59. Sandy Alcantara will take the mound on Saturday afternoon at 4:10 pm. View full article

The Miami Marlins made five total trades on Monday prior to the trade deadline. The one established major league player they acquired was right-hander Victor Vodnik from the Colorado Rockies in exchange for infielder Connor Norby and prospect Aiden May. Vodnik made his team debut in the Marlins' 4-2 loss to the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday. The trade was an unexpected move for a Marlins team that spent more time listening on their own relievers than shopping for new ones. Even Vodnik was not expecting the move. "I've been traded before, but this is different because," Vodnik told reporters pregame in Atlanta. "I debuted with the Rockies and now I got traded here and it's crazy, so I'll be good and settle in here during the next couple of days." Atlanta is not strange place to Vodnik. He was selected by the Braves in the 14th round of the 2018 MLB Draft, but never made his debut with the team. He was traded to the Colorado Rockies during the 2023 season along with Tanner Gordon in exchange for Pierce Johnson. "We think he's somebody with really good stuff," Marlins president of baseball operations Peter Bendix told beat writers on a call Tuesday before the game. "We think he's going to benefit, as all pitchers do, from no longer pitching in Coors Field. We think he has traits that you can't teach. He's got stuff that touches 100, really, really good stuff. We think that our pitching group can really unlock new level of performance from him. He's somebody that we specifically set out to acquire and really glad that we were able to do so." Vodnik made his Marlins debut at the ballpark of his original team in the bottom of the eighth inning, staring at a 3-0 deficit. The first hitter he had to face was Ronald Acuña Jr., surrendering a base hit on the fifth pitch of the at-bat. He then hit Matt Olson and walked Michael Harris Jr. to load the bases. A long chat with his new pitching coach Daniel Moskos helped him as he struck out Ozzie Albies swinging. The lone run he allowed was on a wild pitch, allowing Acuña to score. Maurico Dubon grounded out and Lane Thomas flew out for outs two and three of the inning. In his lone inning of work Vodnik allowed one run on one hit, walked one and struck out one. He threw a total of 26 pitches. Known for his four-seam fastball velocity, it averaged 98.6 mph, topping out at 99.5 mph. His slider, considered his best pitch by run value (+2), generated a swinging strikeout. "The guy was on a plane this morning changing teams, meeting new teammates and coaches," Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said postgame. "We've seen him before. The premium velocity and he has other weapons. Get his feet wet and credit to him for bowing his back there and being in a tight spot, but to only give up the one run, we're excited to have that type of arm in our organization." MTZLT1ZfVjBZQUhRPT1fVndVREIxMVdYZ0lBRGxOWEJBQUhCZ1pXQUZsVFV3TUFCVmRYQkFNRUFWWlRCZ1pV.mp4 Truist Park has been known as a house of horrors for these Marlins. On Tuesday night, starting pitcher Ryan Gusto put his team in a position to win. In six innings of work, Gusto allowed one run on five hits (one home run), no walks and struck out five. Albies took Gusto deep in the bottom of the second inning, giving the Braves a 1-0 lead. "The velo continue to be very impressive," McCullough said. "You can count on Ryan throwing a lot of strikes, and he did. The ability to move the ball around, his changeups gotten a lot better and using the the slider. I think it's as much now when he's throwing with that type of velocity, and now how much everything else ticks up, but outstanding outing from him." Going into the ninth inning, the Marlins trailed 4-0. With closer Raisel Iglesias on the mound, the Marlins started a small rally, knocking in two runs on a Leo Jimenez RBI single. With two outs in the top of the ninth and Javier Sanoja down to his final strike, the Marlins attempted a double steal. Lead runner Jakob Marsee got thrown out at third to end the game. Marsee has been caught stealing 12 times this season, which leads MLB. "I'm glad he went," McCullough said of Marsee. "You're at that point where it's two outs and Sanoja up there. If he had gone a few pitches earlier, it's worth the gamble. If Javi bloops one in or gets a single—that's what he does more often than not, is just get base hits—now you got a chance to get the tying run into scoring position on the backside. We don't know what would have happened, but for me, that was worth the shot." With the loss, the Marlins drop to 58-56, 2.5 games out of the third National League Wild Card spot. Eury Pérez takes the mound for game two of the series at 7:15 pm. View full article

The stunner of the Major League Baseball trade deadline for the Miami Marlins took place with less than five minutes to spare. The Marlins traded away Connor Norby and prospect Aiden May to the Colorado Rockies in exchange for right-handed reliever Victor Vodnik. Vodnik, a 26 year old reliever, has posted a 5.25 ERA, 4.40 FIP, 6.50 K/9 and 4.75 BB/9 in 33 appearances this season. He throws a four-seam fastball, slider, changeup, cutter and sinker. Vodnik is set to enter his first year of arbitration in 2027 and is under club control until 2030. Based on run value, Vodnik's slider is his best pitch (+2 RV), generating a 32.4% whiff rate and 15.2% PutAway rate. Opposing hitters have a .192 batting average off that pitch. Outside of the slider, the rest of his pitches are seen as below average. As is for many pitchers, a big reason for his struggles has been pitching in Colorado itself. His home ERA is 6.61 and on the road, it is 4.12 road ERA. It also was not too long ago that Vodnik was succeeding in Colorado, posting a 3.02 ERA and 3.77 FIP in 50 2/3 innings last season. Vodnik's fastball velocity stands out, averaging 98.6 mph. The downside is that it is getting hit extremely hard and failing to get hitters out with it. Opposing hitters have a .355 batting average and 49.2% hard hit rate off that pitch. The Marlins are an organization who does not prioritize on throwing fastballs as their most used pitch, so potentially expect to see the usage rate of his fastball drop and potentially even use the sinker more to play off his other pitches. Going to the Rockies is Norby. Acquired as the centerpiece of the Trevor Rogers trade in 2024, it seemed early on that the trade was a win for the Marlins, as Norby slashed .247/.315/.445/.760 with seven home runs, 17 RBI and posting a 109 wRC+ in 36 games with the Fish. In 2025, the team hoped to make Norby the full-time third baseman, but a late injury in the spring kept him out to begin the 2025 season. He would land on the injured list three times that season. He hit .251/.300/.389/.689 with eight home runs, 34 RBI and a 90 wRC+. Over the offseason leading into this season, the Marlins announced that Norby would start to play some first base and potentially even the outfield, paving way for Graham Pauley to play third base more consistently. To Norby's credit, he was actually a decent first baseman, posting plus-four outs above average at the position. He also remained healthy during the season and even got off to a strong start to begin the season, posting a .764 OPS in his first 20 games of the season. Before he was sent down to Triple-A Jacksonville, he had an 81 wRC+. Since being sent down to Triple-A, Norby was slashing .265/.365/.482/.847 with four home runs, 15 RBI and a 125 wRC+. Norby, now going to Colorado, will likely go to the major league team playing multiple positions, though first base is currently occupied by National League Rookie of the Year contender T.J. Rumfield. Along with Norby, the Marlins moved on from Oregon State and Competitive Balance Round B pick Aiden May. In 2026, he was in High-A Beloit, where in 14 starts, he had a 3.80 ERA, 4.33 FIP, 7.60 K/9 and 3.15 BB/9. He was Fish On First's No. 29 ranked prospect in the system. View full article

The Miami Marlins have traded right-handed reliever Lake Bachar to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for prospects Brandan Bidois, Hyun Seung Lee and Brian Sanchez. Bachar was acquired late in the 2024 season off waivers from the San Diego Padres. He only appeared in 10 games that September, posting a 3.86 ERA. Bachar made the Opening Day roster in 2025 and in 53 appearances (71.0 IP) he posted a 3.93 ERA, 4.25 FIP, 9.51 K/9 and 3.80 BB/9. In 2026, Bachar has been used in all sorts of situations, including as an opener and multi-inning reliever. He has appeared in 38 games (four starts) and had a 3.84 ERA, 4.29 FIP, 9.36 K/9 and 3.22 BB/9. Amongst all MLB relievers, Bachar has thrown the fourth-most innings. Bachar's slider, his second-most-used pitch this season, has been his best pitch per run value (+5). It's generated 39.8% whiff rate and 35.3% PutAway rate. Opposing hitters have a .130 batting average off that pitch, the lowest amongst the pitches that he has thrown. A recent addition to his pitch-mix was the curveball. He's thrown it 14.0% of the time and has generated 44.4% whiff rate and 34.0% PutAway rate. It has also been his second best pitch per run value (+4). The Marlins acquire three prospects, none ranked in the top 30 on MLB Pipeline or Baseball America. Brandon Bidois, a 25-year-old right-handed reliever, did make his major league debut in 2026, but has spent most of the season in Triple-A. In 19 appearances for AAA Indianapolis, Bidois had a 8.10 ERA, 6.08 FIP, 11.70 K/9 and 7.65 BB/9. He will likely report to Triple-A Jacksonville. Lee, an 18-year-old infield prospect, has played in 50 games between the complex league and Low-A level. He is slashing .264/.363/.471/.834 with seven home runs, 43 RBI and a 111 wRC+. Since the promotion, Lee has struggled, but it's a 15 -game sample size. The final piece, Sanchez, is now going to his fourth organization. In his first go at the High-A level, Sanchez is slashing .254/.340/.431/.772 with nine home runs, 40 RBI and a 94 wRC+. View full article