Kevin Barral

MIAMI, FL—With trade speculation no longer a factor, the Miami Marlins were hopeful that Sandy Alcantara would loosen up. While the veteran starter matched a season-high with seven innings pitched, it was one bad inning that ultimately decided the game. The Marlins dropped their series opener to the Houston Astros by a final score of 8-2, with Alcantara suffering his 10th loss. Jeremy Peña led off the fourth inning with a double and five of the next six Astros recorded hits of their own. Peña was driven in by former Marlin Jesús Sánchez, giving the Astros the lead. Jose Altuve smacked a base hit and Carlos Correa drove Sánchez in on an RBI single before Christian Walker grounded into a force out, which drove in Altuve for a third run. Victor Caratini laced a base hit, then Yainer Díaz smacked a double to score both Walker and Caratini, making it 5-0. "Couple hard contact, couple soft contact balls and it seems like they came out ready for all the breaking balls that I was throwing," Alcantara said postgame. "They were very aggressive since the first inning." The Astros lineup didn't add on any more runs until the seventh inning when the Marlins righty allowed an RBI double to Jeremy Peña. Alcantara went on to go seven innings, allowing six runs on nine hits, one walk and struck out five. Alcantara prevented Houston from hitting any home runs, but he did allow 12 hard-hit balls. Well known for inducing ground balls, Alcantara only had a 40% ground ball rate on the night. He generated 11 swings-and-misses. His curveball continues to be inconsistent, this time being responsible for four Astros hits. "It's an aggressive offense," said Marlins manager Clayton McCullough following the game. "They strung some hits together and he really got the sinker going after that. He was in the strike zone and they were aggressive.." On the flip side, Astros starter Jason Alexander, who was making his fourth start of the season, went six shutout innings, allowing three hits, one walk and struck out six to out-duel the 2022 Cy Young Award winner. "He sped us up. The changeup was a really good pitch for him. Struck with his sweeper early in the count, had his sink and we had a tough time getting the ball off the ground," said McCullough. "Guys just seemed like they were caught in between some and he really did have a good feel for his changeup tonight. Was able to locate it at the bottom of the zone and then get it to play down below. He threw a really nice game and we just didn't adjust to things well enough." 1b3e2ebe-bdbf2999-e74712cd-csvm-diamondgcp-asset_1280x720_59_4000K.mp4 For the first time since 2006 (Joe Borchard and Wes Helms), Marlins pinch-hitters had back-to-back home runs. Javier Sanoja and Derek Hill both went yard in the seventh inning. Sanoja hit his fourth of the season, while Hill, who was reinstated off the injured list prior to Monday's game, hit his third. The Marlins still trailed, 6-2. "We were down there, we're chasing and they have a very lefty-heavy bullpen. Looking at this series, there were actually going to be some times where we have some guys that aren't starting there, that come off the bench and we feel really good versus left and to try to take a shot there to create something," said McCullough. "To tell you that I thought they were going to go back-to-back, I can't say that, but thinking they'd go up there and at least try to start an inning and try to get some people on base and mount a rally and chip away into the deficit as much as we could." In the top of the eighth inning, with a runner on first and one out, Yainer Díaz grounded out to first baseman Eric Wagaman who then fired off to shortstop Otto Lopez to make the tag for an inning-ending double play, but Lopez assumed there would still be a force out at second. The inning continued. Mauricio Dubón drove Caratini in on an RBI double and Cam Smith drove in Dubón on an RBI double, making it an 8-2 game. "[Lopez is] racing over, trying to get to the base and I think with just how quickly it happened and Wags turning through, just lost track of if Wags touched (first base) or not. As a group there, you're trying as best as we can to help each other out, communicating there and we just didn't." QXdhcUtfWGw0TUFRPT1fVXdrREFRRU5WQVVBQ0FFRlVRQUhWRk5WQUFNSFVBSUFDbHdEVmdJRUNBQUVCd3BS.mp4 In the bottom of the eighth inning, with Agustín Ramírez at first and no outs, Liam Hicks knocked in a base hit. Ramírez tried to go from first to third, but halfway to third base, he stopped and decided to go back to second. It was too late and he was tagged out for the first out of the inning. The Marlins did not score for the remainder of the game. "We've touted and preached our aggressiveness and wanting to be aggressive on the bases and that's one way on the scoreboard," McCullough said. "Being down, we're just at a point in the game where outs are at a premium. We're chasing a pretty large deficit at that point. You're looking at that—how important is that 90 feet in comparison to what we need right now at this moment is to try to scratch and claw back? They're all unfortunate when they happen and we'll talk about it, learn from it, move on to the next thing." QXdhcUtfWGw0TUFRPT1fVWdrSEFGd0FCVlFBQ2xvS1hnQUhWRmRlQUZoVUJRUUFCMU1IVlFaVUJBSlhCUVpW.mp4 With the loss, the Marlins are back to one game below .500 and 6.5 games back of the final National League Wild Card spot. Cal Quantrill will take the mound for the Marlins on Tuesday. The Astros will go with an opener. First pitch is at 6:40 pm. View full article

MIAMI, FL—The lone move the Miami Marlins made on the day of Thursday's MLB trade deadline was trading longtime outfielder Jesús Sánchez to the Houston Astros in exchange for pitcher Ryan Gusto and prospects Chase Jaworsky and Esmil Valencia. Sánchez made his return to Miami as an opponent on Monday. "Honestly, I thought that they were going to keep me up until the end of the season," Sánchez told a small group of reporters in Spanish prior to the series opener. "It's a business. They had their prospects that they wanted to call-up, so I thought it was a good trade for me and for them as well." Sánchez told the media that although he assumed he'd stay, he was prepared for the inevitable with his name being in rumors throughout the last month or so. "About one week before, I was feeling pretty frustrated," said Sánchez. "I was overthinking about my future here—that maybe I would stay, maybe I wouldn't. I was overthinking it, but now that it's here, I feel great and happy about it." The previous time Sánchez was dealt was exactly six years earlier on 2019 deadline day when he went from the Tampa Bay Rays to the Marlins. Back then, he was only 21 years old and he hadn't made his debut. "When I was traded the first time, I was a lot more nervous. I had been with Tampa my whole life. Having new teammates that I was unfamiliar with on the Marlins, I was just nervous and really didn't know what direction I would go. This time around, I don't think it was the same. This time around, I had a better understanding of who my teammates were here in Houston and everything is well." Up until the trade, Sánchez was slashing .256/.320/.420/.740 with ten home runs, 36 RBI and a 104 wRC+. He was on pace for a third straight season of above-average offensive production. Per Astros manager Joe Espada, Sánchez will be platooned. Houston has faced four straight right-handed starting pitchers since adding Sánchez, so he has been in the lineup every game thus far. On Monday, he started in left field and drove in the first run for the Astros with an RBI double off of Sandy Alcantara. He finished the night going 1-for-4. Sánchez said that he is someone who will bring "energy" and "a lot of winning" to his new club. He also expressed love for his former teammates. "I hope they keep winning. I wish them nothing but the best and that God continues to bless them because they are a good team." View full article

MIAMI, FL—On Monday, the Miami Marlins claimed outfielder Joey Wiemer off waivers from the Kansas City Royals. He was optioned to Triple-A Jacksonville. FanDuel Sports Network's Craig Mish was the first to report the news. The corresponding roster moves were to designate Jack Winkler for assignment and reinstate Derek Hill from the injured list. Wiemer, 26, was originally drafted and developed by the Milwaukee Brewers. He had a monster season in 2021 between Low-A and High-A where he slashed .295/.403/.556/.958 with 27 home runs, 77 RBI, 30 stolen bases and a 193 wRC+. He was rated as a Top 100 overall prospect by MLB Pipeline entering both the 2022 and 2023 seasons. Wiemer made his major league debut in 2023 and through 132 games, he slashed .204/.283/.362/.645 with 13 home runs, 42 RBI, 11 stolen bases and a 77 wRC+. This will be Wiemer's fourth different MLB organization. In 2024, he was dealt alongside Jakob Junis to the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for Frankie Montas. Wiemer only played in two games with the Reds before he was once again traded last offseason, this time to the Royals along with Jonathan India in exchange for Brady Singer. He never played a major league game for the Royals, struggling for their AAA-Omaha affiliate with a .182/.291/.312 slash line in 72 games. Wiemer can play all three outfield spots and do so very well. In 2023, he posted five outs above average in center field along with one DRS. His arm strength ranked in the 81st percentile among MLB outfielders, per Baseball Savant. Wiemer is using up his final minor league option in 2025, so there's some pressure on him to show improvement down the stretch of this season. As for the other roster moves, Hill returns from a left middle finger sprain, his third IL stint this season. Through 33 games, he's slashing .211/.276/.322/.598 with two home runs, seven RBI, six stolen bases and a 66 wRC+. Hill will be a defensive replacement and face primarily left-handed pitching, per manager Clayton McCullough. Javier Sanoja, who has been splitting time between the infield and outfield, will be used in the infield only for the time being. Winkler was in his second stint with the big league team, but was barely leaving the bench. His last appearance came on July 28 during a lopsided loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. He's likely to clear waivers and remain with the Marlins organization. View full article

Jack McKeon speaks with the media at loanDepot park prior to his Marlins Legends Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Back in 2003, Trader Jack managed the Fish to their second World Series title in franchise history. View full video

MIAMI, FL—One night after Agustín Ramírez walked off the New York Yankees in what was the most exhilarating game of the season, he made an even bigger impact with his bat on Saturday. With a pair of solo home runs, the "Gus Bus" singlehandedly accounted for all of the offense in the Marlins' 2-0 victory, which clinched their sixth straight series win. The Marlins are now one game under .500 at 54-55. Ramirez was one of three players acquired last season in the trade that sent Jazz Chisholm Jr. to the Yankees. As a rookie, he is now slashing .244/.289/.471/.760 with 17 home runs and 50 RBI—leading all National League rookies in both categories. "I'm sure it felt even a little extra special for it to happen against his former former organization," said manager Clayton McCullough. "Put great swings on both of those, hit out to left-center field and we've seen Gus do some really incredible things throughout the season. Offensively, we've seen his ability to impact and we believe that his offensive ceiling is not close yet. We're going to see continue to see a better version of him as he gets more at-bats. He understands how people are pitching him in situations and there's always a threat when Gus is in the box." Eury Pérez's awesome outing went under the radar because of Ramírez's afternoon, but the Marlins starter went six shutout innings, allowing two hits, three walks and struck out five. He generated 13 total whiffs, with five each on both the four-seam fastball and slider. Pérez's only struggle was falling behind in the count, posting a 47.6% first-pitch strike rate. His season average entering Saturday's start was 60.5%. "He's got terrific stuff and it can be a tough lineup to navigate with their ability to control the strike zone very well," said McCullough. "Historically, it's a group that forces you into the zone, and that's the place you have to get them out. I think Eury over the whole outing did enough work to get them engaged into at-bats...I think it was just when he needed to make some pitches, he did after that first inning." In that first inning McCullough is referring to, Pérez had to ask for time on three separate occasions due to PitchCom communication issues. "None of the PitchComs were working around the infield," Pérez told the media in Spanish. "We talked to the umpire and he told me that if I ask for time again, he was going to charge me with a ball. At the end, we decided to just to go with signaling in our hands." Pérez, who is the youngest pitcher on any MLB team's active roster, has been on a dominant run. Per the Marlins, he is the first pitcher in Marlins history to allow 15 hits or fewer while posting a sub-1.50 ERA in a span of six starts. And yet, he seemingly does not get anywhere close to the same national recognition as Milwaukee Brewers All-Star Jacob Misiorowski, for example. "I don't know if they forgot about me, but if they did, we are beginning to make sure that they do know who I am," Pérez said in Spanish. "Every time I go out there, I try to perform to the best of my capabilities. We're going to continue doing that." A big reason for Pérez's success was the defense behind him, primarily Xavier Edwards deking Chisholm in the top of the second inning. With one out and Chisholm on first, Yankees first baseman Paul Goldschmidt hit a pop-up just a few feet beyond the edge of the infield dirt. Edwards noticed Chisholm straying too far off the bag, and after making the catch, he quickly threw to first before Chisholm could get back, ending the inning. Following the game, Chisholm confirmed with the media that he was under the impression that Edwards would drop the ball on purpose. "Already playing with both of the middle infielders out there, I saw something that I thought they were going to do. He deked it like he was going to what I thought he was going to do, but he didn't do it. I'm still trying to be aggressive because I've played here before and I know how the field played, but sometimes you get aggressive and you get caught up and you make an out." Ronny Henriquez, Tyler Phillips and Calvin Faucher threw one scoreless inning apiece in relief of Pérez. They retired all nine batters they faced. The Marlins will look to sweep the Yankees for the first time in franchise history. Edward Cabrera will toe the rubber with Luis Gil, who will be making his 2025 season debut. First pitch is at 1:40 pm. View full article

Marlins insider Craig Mish reports on how the team's front office made their decision to keep their two biggest trade chips, Sandy Alcantara and Edward Cabrera. View full video

Sources tell Fish On First that outfielder Jakob Marsee (FOF #23 prospect) has been called up and will make his major league debut against the New York Yankees this weekend. The club has yet to confirm any roster move. This promotion comes immediately after the Marlins traded away Jesús Sánchez to the Houston Astros in exchange for three players. Marsee, 24, was one of four players acquired in the Luis Arraez trade early last season. He will become the first player from that package to debut in the big leagues. Through 98 games this year with Triple-A Jacksonville, Marsee is slashing .246/.379/.438/.817 with 14 home runs, 37 RBI, 47 stolen bases and a 125 wRC+. He ranks in the 93rd percentile among all AAA hitters in chase rate, per Prospect Savant. "His average exit velo is up like six miles an hour right now compared to last year," said AAA hitting coach Mike Marjama a couple days ago. "His BABIP actually down, which is even more encouraging. Seeing some of the things and the process metrics show up again and again, he's one of those guys who had a little rocky start at the beginning, but now that we've gotten to know each other, better in communication, it's been super helpful and the trust factor is there. He's a Detroit kid, a hard-nose underdog and so watching him come in, chip on his shoulder, compete, he's the heartbeat of our team." Marsee should be starting whenever Miami faces right-handed pitching, likely platooning with the right-handed-hitting Heriberto Hernández. He has a .857 OPS against righties in 2025. Defensively, Marsee plays all three outfield spots, but profiles best in center with his speed and route-running. The Marlins could shift Dane Myers to right field on days when they're in the lineup together. The Marlins and Yankees kick off a three-game set on Friday with first pitch slated for 7:10 pm. Marsee will likely be in the lineup on both Saturday and Sunday against right-handers Cam Schlittler and Luis Gil. View full article

Those who follow the Marlins minor league system closely have noticed the pattern. From March-May, Jacob Berry simply doesn't hit, and that's a problem for somebody whose value depends on their bat. At High-A in 2023, Berry was slashing .171/.204/.288/.492 through the end of May. It got even worse the next year with Double-A Pensacola, where he had a .155/.205/.217/.422 slash line through the same stretch of the calendar. By comparison, his 2025 season-opening slump wasn't as extreme (.181/.268/.306/.574), but he still ranked among the worst qualified Triple-A hitters. "Getting into the season, there's high expectations," Berry told Fish On First during a visit to Jacksonville this week. "Puts a little bit of added pressure instead of just going back out there and playing. Just have to worry about my last at-bat and next at-bat coming up and just letting it go in the past, which is all I can do." The slow starts have ruined his overall numbers in the minors, but the 2022 first-round pick has done more this time to recover. He slashed .303/.413/.492/.905 with five home runs and 22 RBI during June and July combined. In terms of wRC+, he has been an above-average hitter for the Jumbo Shrimp (102 wRC+). "Just took a step back and realized that it's not the end of the year," said Berry. "Still got a long year left and we've still got 48 games left. I am just trying to have quality at-bats every time I go up there." Similar to most of his Jacksonville teammates, Berry is making better swing decisions and stealing more bases than he has in the past. His walk rate has gone from 7.8% in 2024 to 11.7% in 2025 while his strikeout rate has remained stable. His 17 stolen bases is already a career-high. When new Marlins call-up Jakob Marsee was scratched from Thursday's AAA lineup, Berry filled his shoes in the leadoff spot. That could be his regular spot moving forward after being buried at the bottom of the order for much of this season. The timing of Berry potentially getting called up himself depends on where the Marlins see him defensively. He was originally drafted as a third baseman, but his playing time at the position has dropped each season (only 12 starts there in 2025). The majority of his appearances this year have come at second base. During Jacksonville's current series against Columbus, he's been exclusively in right field. "Learning different positions is something new," Berry said. "Feel like I can play them and starting to learn how to play them well is the biggest thing and I just gotta grow in every area." The 24-year-old switch-hitter will be eligible for the Rule 5 Draft during the upcoming offseason. If his production over the final two months looks like the previous two months, Berry could be in consideration for a 40-man roster spot. View full article

On Thursday, the Miami Marlins dealt the longest-tenured position player on the team, Jesús Sánchez, to the Houston Astros in exchange for right-handed pitcher Ryan Gusto and prospects Chase Jaworsky and Esmil Valencia. Michael Schwab was the first to report that Sánchez was traded. This marks back-to-back years that the Marlins and Astros have struck a deal. In 2024, they swapped Jacob Amaya for Valente Bellozo. Sánchez, who the Marlins acquired alongside Ryne Stanek back in 2019 when they traded reliever Nick Anderson and Trevor Richards to the Tampa Bay Rays, finishes his career with the Marlins slashing .243/.310/.426/.736 with 69 home runs, 226 RBI and a 100 OPS+. Through 86 games in 2025, Sánchez is slashing .256/.320/.420/.740 with 10 home runs, 36 RBI and a 105 wRC+. After the Marlins trade to give him an opportunity to face more left-handed pitching in 2024, he's been primarily facing righties this season, which will likely be the case with the Astros. Sánchez ranks 23rd in Marlins history in games played (532). As for the return, Ryan Gusto was currently in the Astros rotation. He has posted a 4.92 ERA, 4.11 FIP, 9.10 K/9 and 2.93 BB/9 through 86 innings pitched. His last start came on July 30 against the Washington Nationals, going six innings, allowing one run on four hits, one walk and struck out five. Gusto's arsenal consist of a four-seam fastball, curveball, sinker, cutter, changeup, sweeper and slider. His fastball is his best pitch, posting a three run value, averaging 94.1 mph, generating a 28.4% whiff rate and 21.2% PutAway rate. With the Marlins surprisingly holding onto everybody in their major league rotation, expect Gusto to be optioned to Triple-A Jacksonville. Infielder Chase Jaworsky was one of two prospects acquired in this trade. He is the 22nd ranked prospect according to Baseball America and 13th per MLB Pipeline. Through 57 games at the High-A level, he's slashing .242/.353/.359/.712 with three home runs, 29 RBI, 24 stolen bases and a 100 wRC+. Esmil Valencia, who isn't ranked in any Top 30 list, is currently in Low-A slashing .263/.325/.357/.682 with five home runs, 36 RBI, 50 stolen bases and a 103 wRC+. Right away, Valencia joining the organization puts him as the system's stolen base leader, ahead of Jakob Marsee who currently stands at. The 19-year-old outfield prospect is striking out 24.6% of the time, which is an increase from last year's 17.5% rate. Overall, the Marlins did well in this trade. They acquired Gusto, who was struggling a bit in the Astros organization, but has the makings of a middle-of-the-rotation starter, while the two other prospects have some nice underlying tools which the Marlins have been looking for in prospects ever since Peter Bendix joined the organization. View full article

Former Marlins first-round pick Jacob Berry speaks with Fish On First about moving all around the diamond defensively, his streakiness at the plate and learning from his teammates. View full video

Marlins pitching prospect Robby Snelling speaks with Fish On First about setting a new career-high in strikeouts, getting comfortable at the Triple-A level and more. View full video

Marlins outfield prospect Jakob Marsee speaks with Fish On First about his offensive improvement this season and being on the verge of reaching the major leagues. View full video