Kevin Barral

Marlins top catching prospect Joe Mack speaks with Fish On First after busting out of his slump on Tuesday, going 3-for-5 with a home run. View full video

JACKSONVILLE, FL—This is the player that the Miami Marlins were expecting when they acquired outfield prospect Jakob Marsee from the San Diego Padres in the Luis Arraez trade. Marsee enters Wednesday leading all Marlins minor leaguers in home runs (14) and stolen bases (47) while competing at the Triple-A level. However, the transition to a new organization did not go smoothly. Marsee spent most of 2024 with Double-A Pensacola where he slashed .188/.342/.303/.645. His underlying numbers were more encouraging and his results improved in 22 AAA games at the end of the season (.275/.370/.363/.732 slash line). Meanwhile in San Diego, Arraez went on to win his league's batting title for the third consecutive year. Looking back at it, the 24-year-old is thankful for the ups and downs. "I think last year, it was really good for me to fail and learn to stay within myself," he told Fish On First. "This year, sticking to my approach, knowing that if I get out, it's okay. Pitchers make good pitches and just learning from that each and every at-bat and just not trying to do too much. Last year, it got a little bit big at times, and this year, just cleaned up that stuff and just stayed within the middle of the field." Marsee is slashing .248/.379/.440/.820 through 97 games with the Jumbo Shrimp while drawing the most walks in the International League. He ranks in the 93rd percentile among all AAA hitters in chase rate, per Prospect Savant. Marsee's baserunning stands out as well. Baseball America evaluates him as a 60-grade runner, but that may be conservative. His 29.1 ft/sec Sprint Speed this season is second-highest on the Jumbo Shrimp, trailing only Andrew Pintar. He stole both second and third in the bottom of the first inning on Tuesday night. He has a 84.1% success rate during his minor league career when attempting to steal. "It just depends on what the pitchers are doing and just picking up on what he's doing," Marsee said in an interview on Turn 2 with Scott & Troy. "Always just trying to get in scoring position, or closer to home." a0QxWDlfV0ZRVkV3dEdEUT09X0JsZFVWQVlDVndJQUFBTUFBZ0FIVWc0REFGZ0FWMUlBVTExUkIxQlJDRkJjQlZkVg==.mp4 The Marlins have one starting outfield spot locked up for the foreseeable future with All-Star Kyle Stowers, but the other spots are unsettled. With the trade deadline just a day away, recent reports have indicated that teams are interested in Jesús Sánchez and Dane Myers. Moving either one of them would create room for Marsee to get his feet wet in the majors down the stretch of this season. "We all think about it every day," Marsee said. "It's hard not to. I've been dreaming about it ever since I was a little kid, so knowing I am close is really cool, but I also trust God and know that when the time comes, it'll come, and whenever it happens, it happens. I'm not really worried about that. Just focused on playing ball here and just winning games." With Marsee's contributions, Jacksonville has done plenty of winning, clinching the International League First Half Championship. The team is 20 games above .500 overall with a 61-41 record. View full article

Triple-A Jacksonville right-hander Morgan McSweeney speaks with Fish On First about his affiliated ball comeback and readjusting to being a starter. View full video

JACKSONVILLE, FL—After years of being one call away from the major leagues, Troy Johnston has received his long-awaited promotion. The Miami Marlins selected the contract of the longtime minor league first baseman/outfielder, filling the spot that previously belonged to catcher Nick Fortes. Johnston is in Tuesday's starting lineup to make his MLB debut against the St. Louis Cardinals, hitting seventh and playing first base. "It's amazing. He's ready," said Jumbo Shrimp hitting coach Mike Marjama. "It's been a long time coming. When we found out, me and (manager David Carpenter) were here yesterday—I was in the gym and he was in his office. We both heard screams from each side of the complex. We ran and met in the middle, just like killing each other. He means a lot to this team, to the staff and to the players here. Seeing this happen to this guy is pretty incredible." Johnston was selected in the 17th round of the 2019 MLB Draft. Once he takes the field, he will become the 11th big leaguer produced by the Marlins from that draft class. Marjama said that being "open, transparent and honest" has made Johnston very coachable. He also praised Johnston's "development and prep, staying ahead of the game, continually working on the little things." Johnston played 636 minor league games and totaled 2,741 plate appearances, including parts of four seasons at the AAA level. Through 84 games this season with Jacksonville, the 28-year-old slashed .252/.333/.439/.773 with 12 home runs, 39 RBI, 31 stolen bases and a 108 wRC+. Johnston has been splitting time between first base and left field. "Mainly, when he was with me in Pensacola, he was at first base," said Kevin Randel, who was his Double-A manager. "New position, so obviously I've seen that get better over time, but the outfield numbers have really surprised me and his infield defense has been getting better year after year." Johnston fully embraced his time in Jacksonville, even partnering with Jumbo Shrimp broadcaster Scott Kornberg to co-host the Turn 2 with Scott & Troy podcast where they interview Johnston's teammates and discuss the minor league lifestyle. It's a fluid situation with the trade deadline only two days away, but as the Marlins roster is currently constructed, Johnston should be getting frequent starts at first base against right-handed pitching with Eric Wagaman handling first against lefties. View full article

The Miami Marlins have made their first 2025 trade deadline move, sending longtime backstop Nick Fortes to the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for outfield prospect Matthew Etzel. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic was first to report the deal on Monday. The Marlins announced it on Tuesday morning. Fortes, drafted by the Marlins back in the fourth round of the 2018 MLB Draft, made his MLB debut back in 2021 and has been on the major league roster ever since. Through 59 games this season, he is slashing .240/.288/.349/.637 with two home runs, 10 RBI and a 76 wRC+. Defense is primarily where Fortes' value comes from. He currently has seven blocks above average (92nd percentile among MLB catchers), two blocks above average (75th percentile), a pop time of 1.92 seconds (76th percentile) and six defensive runs saved. The 28-year-old is arbitration-eligible through the 2028 season. The Marlins had been juggling three catchers on their active roster for most of 2025. Following this move, rookies Liam Hicks and Agustín Ramírez can get an increase in reps behind the plate. Prospect Joe Mack could potentially be up before the end of the season as well. Going into Monday's slate of games, Rays catchers ranked 25th in wRC+. They will now roll out a duo of Fortes and Matt Thaiss following a separate trade on Monday that sent Danny Jansen to the Milwaukee Brewers. The return for the Marlins is 23-year-old outfielder Matthew Etzel. He was originally drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in 2023. Through 56 games this season, he has slashed .230/.360/.347/.707 with five home runs, 34 RBI, 17 stolen bases and a 115 wRC+. Etzel was placed on the injured list back on June 22. Expect him to report to AA-Pensacola when healthy. Peter Bendix's first trade after being named Marlins president of baseball operations was acquiring Calvin Faucher and Vidal Bruján from Tampa Bay in November 2023. They also collaborated on a three-team deal right before Opening Day in 2024. Overall, the Rays have been the Marlins' most frequent trade partner during Bruce Sherman's ownership tenure. The Marlins 40-man roster is now at 39. View full article

The expectation throughout this season was that the Miami Marlins would approach the MLB trade deadline as traditional sellers, focused on acquiring more young talent to develop for 2026 and beyond. As it turns out, with four days until the deadline, there is a chance for them to compete for a postseason spot ahead of schedule. They enter Sunday only five games back of a National League wild-card spot and they have one of the best records in the league dating back to early June. If the Marlins have an opportunity to plug a hole on their current roster while also getting a head start on next season's plans without losing any top prospects, would they do it? According to a recent report from Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Tampa Bay Rays have been "signaling to teams" that first baseman Yandy Díaz is among the veteran players they could move. The Rays have a 6-14 record in July, dropping them 2.5 games back of an AL wild-card spot. Trading one of their longest-tenured and most valuable players wouldn't necessarily mean giving up on the 2025 season, but an attempt to mix things up and address other needs. The Marlins could definitely use an upgrade at first base. A combination of Eric Wagaman and several others has produced -1.4 fWAR at the position this season, which is second-worst in the majors ahead of only the Colorado Rockies. Miami first basemen have a .209/.265/.322/.587 slash line with eight home runs. Meanwhile, the former AL batting champ Díaz is still performing at a very high level as he nears his 34th birthday. Through 99 games with Tampa Bay, he's slashing .286/.345/.475/.820 with 18 home runs, 61 RBI and a 128 OPS+. He continues to strike out at a low rate of 13.9% (the MLB average is 21.5%). He's dangerous against both left-handed and right-handed pitching. Defensively, Díaz used to play third base regularly, but he graded out poorly there in terms of both outs above average and defensively runs saved. All of his appearances over the past two seasons have come at first base and designated hitter. The Marlins have been lacking a veteran presence in their lineup. Díaz has been to the playoffs six times in his career and Miami president of baseball operations Peter Bendix knows him well from their time together in Tampa Bay. Díaz would stick around for at least one additional season beyond 2025. He is set to make $12M in 2026. For 2027, there is a $10M club option that could turn into a $13M vesting option if he reaches 500 plate appearances in '26. This is a solid investment for a Marlins team with the league's lowest payroll and the kind of acquisition that could energize the fanbase by showing a desire to compete. If this deal went through, it would probably squeeze Wagaman off the active roster with Liam Hicks being Díaz's backup at 1B. The debut of prospect Deyvison De Los Santos would be pushed back until 2026. What do the Rays get out of it? A big reason for Tampa Bay's slump has been bullpen blow-ups in high-leverage situations. The Rays took a step to address that when trading a draft pick for right-hander Bryan Baker earlier this month, but Baker has struggled with his new club and exited Saturday's game with a calf injury. They might part with Díaz if it meant getting Miami's most talented reliever, Ronny Henriquez. Henriquez, who the Marlins claimed off of waivers from the Minnesota Twins, has been a revelation in 2025, posting a 2.94 ERA, 3,88 FIP, 12.31 K/9, 3.67 BB/9 and six saves in 46 appearances (49.0 IP). Henriquez leads all National League relievers in strikeouts. He is still pre-arbitration eligible and only 25 years old. Henriquez would immediately be the Rays' main setup man for closer Pete Fairbanks and a cheap candidate to eventually replace Fairbanks, who can be a free agent after the 2026 season. The Marlins would prefer to trade other pieces of their bullpen instead of Henriquez, but ultimately, they shouldn't be growing too attached to individual relievers. They have been getting promising performances from a bunch of Double-A and Triple-A arms this season who have the stuff to help right away if called up. To fully balance this hypothetical trade, the Marlins would add Karson Milbrandt. Milbrandt was taken in the third round of the 2022 draft and has been a consistent presence on the Fish On First Top 30 list, but he still has not put it all together. Through 14 starts in High-A this season, he's posted a 3.74 ERA, 3.98 FIP, 10.53 K/9 and 5.43 BB/9. He has worked into the sixth inning only twice in those 14 starts. The 21-year-old has an above-average fastball and slider, but lacks control. Milbrandt is more likely to be a reliever than a starter long term. It is hard to believe that this kind of deal could really come to fruition, but as the Marlins continue stacking up wins, their front office may be ready to think outside the box and get aggressive. Yandy Díaz would be a great option at a position that's been holding the team back and they have enough pitching in the pipeline to cover for the losses of Henriquez and Milbrandt. View full article

Nothing was working for Otto Lopez at the plate on Wednesday as he went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts against the San Diego Padres. In the very next game, Friday's series opener against the Milwaukee Brewers, he was the offensive star. Lopez cleared the bases with a double in the seventh inning to put the Miami Marlins ahead for good as they won by a final score of 5-1 in front of a soldout crowd at American Family Field. Brewers starting pitcher Freddy Peralta gave his team five innings of one-run ball, only surrendering a home run to Kyle Stowers in the top of the third inning. He walked two and struck out nine. Milwaukee's relievers were not as effective. Lefty Aaron Ashby and righty Nick Mears combined to load the bases in the top of the seventh of a 1-1 game. That set up a high-leverage situation for Lopez, who had slashed .317/.423/.567/.989 under those circumstances going into Friday. He came through again, giving the Marlins a 4-1 lead. "I think they were just really high quality at-bats with people not trying to do too much," said manager Clayton McCullough. "You love when you get some opportunities early to break through. Freddy (Peralta) is a tough pitcher and we just continued to try to build innings and stay disciplined." After his clutch hit, Lopez advanced to third base on an error. Liam Hicks drove him on a sac fly, making it 5-1. Cal Quantrill matched Peralta and went five innings of one-run ball, allowing three hits and striking out four. He surrendered a solo homer to Jackson Chourio in the bottom of the fourth inning. For a second consecutive start, he didn't walk an opposing hitter. His first-pitch strike rate was 72.2%. Quantrill's cutter continues to be his best pitch, generating three whiffs and an average exit velo of 85.2 mph. He used it to strike out Joey Ortiz in the bottom of the fifth inning. "Cal has been throwing the ball well for the last couple of months," said McCullough. "I think he's done an excellent job of using his cutter both sides. Threw a couple good sliders today and his split-finger. Showed enough of the four-seam and the sinker and the ability to go both sides of the plate. I think that's what he's continually done and can very efficient pounding the strike zone, getting the ball off the barrel of the bat." 27a5cab6-b5b12339-0de6dfbb-csvm-diamondgcp-asset_1280x720_59_4000K.mp4 McCullough took Quantrill out with only 65 pitches thrown, his second-lowest pitch count of the season. "I think it's where we were in that game, getting back towards the top [of the order]...Coming off an off day, we had different directions we could go and thought that what we got from Cal today was what we needed," McCullough said. Quantrill is the only pending free agent on the Marlins. Sources tell Fish On First that the team is very open to trading him ahead of the July 31 trade deadline. With the win, the Marlins are now 49-53, just four games under .500 and 5.5 games out of a NL Wild Card spot. Janson Junk will take the mound for the Fish as they aim for their fourth straight series win. First pitch is at 7:10 pm. View full article

Marlins right-hander Sandy Alcantara speaks with the media at loanDepot park after Wednesday's win against the San Diego Padres, which was his best start of the 2025 season. View full video

MIAMI, FL—Prior to Wednesday's series finale against the San Diego Padres, Fish On First spoke to Marlins outfielder Griffin Conine, who suffered a dislocated left shoulder on April 20 against the Philadelphia Phillies, underwent surgery and will miss the remainder of the season. He slashed .281/.352/.438/.790 with one home run, seven RBI and a 121 wRC+ in 20 games played. "Think the way that I went to slide was a bit unorthodox," Conine told Fish On First reflecting on the unusual injury. "I hit the ball in the gap, thought for it was for sure a double and then (Johan) Rojas cut it off and made a good play, got into the cut really quick. I was running first with my head down, seeing the bag hit, and then when I looked up, I was surprised to see (Bryson) Stott almost had the ball, so I hit the ground hard because I was thinking about it. It felt like a normal slide, but at the same time, the way that I went down was a lot more sudden than usual if you're sliding head first. You'll gradually get low and I think I went from straight up to just slamming the ground pretty hard. That just caused whatever to happen to the dislocation." Conine says he is "in a good spot" nearly three months removed from surgery. He began a throwing program on Tuesday, playing catch from 60 feet. That distance will increase by 15 feet every other day. He will be back to doing long toss at some point in August. Conine has also begun some "swing stuff" with his right arm. Three to four weeks from now, he expects to be cleared for full swings. "Doctor (Neal) ElAttrache is really happy with where we're at and how it's progressed." Assuming no setbacks, Conine should be healthy in time to participate in either the Arizona Fall League or an international winter league. From there, he'll be a full participant in Marlins spring training and look to earn an Opening Day roster spot for a second straight season. View full article

Selected by the Marlins in the eighth round of the 2025 MLB Draft, shortstop Emilio Barreras speaks with Fish On First about beginning his professional career. View full video

Selected by the Marlins in the fifth round of the 2025 MLB Draft, first baseman Chris Arroyo speaks with Fish On First about beginning his professional career. View full video

Selected by the Marlins in the third round of the 2025 MLB Draft, outfielder Max Williams speaks with Fish On First about beginning his professional career. View full video

MIAMI, FL—One inning changed the course of the series opener between the Miami Marlins and San Diego Padres. In the top of the second inning, Eury Pérez would surrender two runs, and that proved to be enough for the Padres in their 2-1 win. Pérez pitched around a Luis Arraez single in the top of the first to keep San Diego off the scoreboard, but things got messier in the next inning. He surrendered a leadoff double to Xander Bogaerts, threw a wild pitch, allowing Bogaerts to advance to third and that's when Jackson Merrill drove in the game's first run on an RBI single. Pérez struck out Jake Cronenworth and Jose Iglesias lined out to Xavier Edwards. Throughout this season, retiring the opposing team's ninth hitter has been an issue for the Marlins. Veteran catcher Martín Maldonado continued the trend, smacking a 106.3 mph RBI double down the left field line, driving in Merrill and making it a 2-0 game. Pérez walked Fernando Tatis Jr. and that's when pitching coach Daniel Moskos made a mound visit to stop the bleeding. "Agustín (Ramírez) and I had a small conversation given we weren't in agreement on a couple things," said Pérez in Spanish after the game. "Made a couple adjustments to make sure we can keep going competing. We also made some adjustments when it came to which pitches I wanted to throw to him." Early on in his start, Pérez was heavily reliant on his fastball-heavy. Overall, his fastball generated five whiffs and he used it on four of his five strikeout pitches. However, it was being hit harder than usual with an average exit velocity of 97.6 mph. His slider (used 17% of the time) and sweeper (13%) were leading to more soft contact. The 22-year-old's control was not as sharp as it had been prior to the All-Star break. He posted a season-low 36.4% first-pitch strike rate. Pérez went on to give his team five innings of work, allowing five hits, two walks and striking out five. Outside of his second inning, he had a solid outing against a good Padres lineup. "I thought he really made some nice adjustments the last few innings," said Marlins manager Clayton McCullough. "Had a good heater again. Really happy with some of the breaking balls and secondary stuff he threw tonight. He had some some sweepers in there and he threw some good, hard sliders. I thought his ability to utilize his entire repertoire tonight—and especially as the outing wore on—is a great sign." The Marlins' lone run of the ballgame came courtesy of the red-hot Kyle Stowers, who hit his 22nd home run of the season off of Padres starter Randy Vásquez. The ball left his bat at 103.2 mph and went 400 feet towards AutoNation Alley in left-center field. It was his sixth homer over the last five games. After that, the Marlins did out-hit the Padres, but had no runs to show for it, going 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position. A lot of credit needs to go to the Marlins bullpen, which kept the Padres hitless through four innings. Josh Simpson, who last threw on July 13 against the Orioles, gave the Marlins two innings of work, striking out three. Tyler Phillips went the final two innings of work, striking out one. Phillips' ERA is now down to 3.47 on the season. With the loss, the Marlins are now 46-53 on the season, 8.5 games back of a National League Wild Card spot. Edward Cabrera will start against the Padres on Tuesday. He left his previous start with posterior elbow discomfort and underwent an MRI, which came back negative. With the trade deadline approaching next week, this could potentially be his final home start as a member of the Marlins. First pitch is at 6:40 pm. View full article