Kevin Barral

The Marlins immediately took a 6-0 lead, but then never scored again. Their second baseman and starting pitcher had especially rough nights. Man oh man, this was certainly an interesting game. The Marlins had their most productive first inning of the season, batting around to build a six-run lead. Within an hour, that lead was completely gone. Second baseman Ronny Simon committed three errors (and four total misplays) while starting pitcher Max Meyer failed to miss bats as the Marlins fell to the San Diego Padres by a final score of 8-6. Simon has been a part-time player for the Marlins since being called up on April 20 with second base being his main position. He had only committed one error there prior to Tuesday's game. Simon ranged into foul territory to record the first defensive out of the night for the Marlins, then finished off the inning by fielding a routine grounder. However, he mishandled every other ball that came his way and was removed from the game early. In the bottom of the second inning, with the Marlins leading 6-1, Padres left fielder Tyler Wade hit a grounder towards Simon that deflected off his glove for an RBI single. The rookie made matters worse by throwing wildly to home (his first error). Both Xander Bogaerts and Jake Cronenworth scored to make it a 6-3 game. hhkg17.mp4 In the third inning, Simon was distracted by a Padres hit-and-run and allowed a grounder to get through him into center field. The play was ruled a single as the lead continued to shrink to 6-4. xqwpcq.mp4 It became clear that Simon was letting the pressure get to him when he made errors on consecutive plays in the fourth. He allowed Wade to reach first base, then Fernando Tatis Jr. grounded into what could have been a double play, but Simon flipped the ball beyond the reach of shortstop Javier Sanoja, eyvcz4.mp4 8976q5.mp4 Following the inning, the Marlins took Simon out, moving Sanoja from short to second base. Otto Lopez entered the game at shortstop. "Things just started to snowball a little bit and the compound effect was tough," said Marlins manager Clayton McCullough. "Just thought for us and him in that moment that making the change, that was prudent with how things had transpired." As much as Simon opened the door for the Padres to rally, Marlins starting pitcher Max Meyer turned in one of his worst starts of the season, not striking anyone out for a second time in 2025 and allowing six runs (four earned). His 3 ⅓ innings of work also marked his shortest outing of the season. "Maybe not his crispiest stuff, but I think he was out there battling and kept trying to make pitches," said McCullough. "You gave them some extra outs that made things difficult, but I felt Max just kept going. Competed his butt off out there tonight." Although Meyer's slider can be his best weapon, it was not effective in this outing. San Diego hitters posted a 98.2 mph average exit velocity against it with no whiffs. Here's what Meyer told the media regarding Simon's rough defensive night: "I told him, 'I know you’re not trying to do that behind me. Keep your head up.' Stuff like that is going to happen. It’s baseball at the end of the day and I’m not going to hold anything behind him.” Miami's first-inning explosion off of Stephen Kolek began when lead-off hitter Jesús Sánchez stayed hot with a single to center field. Kyle Stowers, Liam Hicks, Connor Norby and Ronny Simon each drove in a run apiece. Victor Mesa Jr., who was making his first career start, recorded his first career hit and RBI during the rally. The ball left the bat at 104.8 mph. Sanoja drove in the sixth and final Marlins run of the game on a sac fly. "Excited for him and that had to feel great," said McCullough about Mesa's milestone. "For us at that time, that was a big hit to keep the momentum going and pushing a run across." Former Marlin Luis Arraez made a major impact. He ripped an RBI single up the middle against Meyer to drive in the game-tying run. Next time up with two outs in the fifth inning, he singled off of Anthony Bender's unhittable sweeper to give the Padres a 7-6 lead. Valente Bellozo worked the final three innings of the game. Jackson Merrill's solo homer in the bottom of the eighth inning put the nail in the coffin. With the loss, the Marlins dropped to 21-32 on the season. This was their first blown lead of six runs or more since April 28, 2024. McCullough will send Sandy Alcantara to the mound as the Marlins try to salvage the series. First pitch is at 4:10 pm on getaway day. View full article

The Marlins got another quality starting pitching performance, but Ryan Weathers did not receive enough help from the rest of the roster in the extra-inning loss. Drafted seventh overall by the San Diego Padres in 2018, Ryan Weathers did not reach his potential with them. After posting a 5.73 ERA in 43 major league appearances (29 starts), Weathers was traded to Miami at the 2023 MLB trade deadline. He has grown a lot since then and showed it on Monday night, going 5 ⅔ innings pitched, allowing two runs (both unearned) on three hits, three walks and a season-high six strikeouts. His fastball topped out at 99.2 mph, a mark he never reached with his former club. Unfortunately, Weathers' great start was not enough for the Miami Marlins. Their offense went silent after taking an early 3-0 lead and the Padres battled back to walk it off in the bottom of the 11th by a final score of 4-3. Weathers' best pitch on Monday was his changeup, generating six whiffs and four punchouts with that pitch. Going into his start, he had thrown his changeup 29.5% of the time, making it his second-most-used pitch. "You could see a lot of the empty swings and I think the fastball velocity, I think he did a good job of getting in on some righties at times—that kept the changeup open," said manager Clayton McCullough following the game. "He was good again. This is how Ryan has been throwing. To come back and—especially, I'm sure, a lot on his mind coming back here and a lot of emotions going into that—to be able to channel it and stay within himself and just continue to make pitch after pitch was a really great outing." In the bottom of the fourth inning, Weathers began the inning striking out Manny Machado swinging and inducing a Gavin Sheets groundout. The Padres rallied with two outs. Xander Bogaerts smacked a base hit and stole second, marking his tenth stolen base of the season. Jake Cronenworth kept things going when he reached first on a throwing error by Marlins third baseman Connor Norby, marking his third error of the season. That permitted Bogaerts to advance to third. After Weathers issued his second walk of the game, the bases were loaded for former Marlins minor league signing José Iglesias, who hit a double down the left field line past a diving Norby and driving in two runs. Weathers would remain in the game and hold onto a 3-2 lead by inducing a groundout. After a 1-2-3 fifth, he recorded two outs in the sixth inning, but was taken out in place of Jesús Tinoco. Former Marlin Luis Arraez entered the game as a pinch-hitter and flew out to Jesús Sánchez to wrap up the bottom of the sixth. Through three starts in 2025 since coming off the injured list, Weathers has an outstanding 1.15 ERA. Overall as a Marlin, he owns a 3.75 ERA, nearly two full runs better than what he did during his Padres tenure. The Jesús Sánchez leadoff hitter experiment continues to be a success for the Marlins. Sánchez began the game with a base hit into right field, setting up designated hitter Agustín Ramírez for an RBI double, Ramírez's 17th extra-base hit. Ramírez was driven in by Norby on an RBI single, giving Weathers a 2-0 cushion to work with. In his second at-bat of the night, Sánchez took Padres starter Randy Vásquez deep for his third home run of the season. The ball went 417 feet to dead center at 111.0 miles per hour to make it a 3-0 lead. Sánchez is slashing .273/.385/.545/.930 in nine games leading off against right-handed starters since Xavier Edwards was placed on the IL. Trailing throughout the night, the Padres tied it up at three apiece when Manny Machado hit a solo home run off of Calvin Faucher in the eighth inning. It was Machado's third homer in his last four games. Victor Mesa Jr., who was called up prior to the game, took over as a defensive replacement in center field. His first at-bat didn't come until the tenth inning, with an opportunity to put his team on top. After making a great but late swing at the first pitch, he fouled off the second pitch, putting him in a 0-2 count. He took the next pitch, then right-hander Jason Adam struck him out swinging on a slider away. Usually asked to pitch low-leverage situations, Tyler Phillips was surprisingly relied on not only to force extra innings, but to face the top of the Padres order in the tenth. He retired Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill and Machado in order. The Marlins went with lefty Cade Gibson in the 11th inning. After Gavin Sheets grounded out to second base, moving the go-ahead run to third, Gibson spiked a curveball for a game-ending wild pitch. With the loss, the Marlins fell to 21-31 on the season. Max Meyer will toe the rubber against Stephen Kolek, brother of former Marlins first-round pick Tyler Kolek. Victor Mesa Jr. is also expected to start for the Marlins. First pitch is at 9:40 pm. View full article

The 2018 international signing is getting the call-up to the Majors and scheduled to be in Tuesday's Marlins lineup. Fish On First has learned that the Miami Marlins are calling up Fish On First number 19 prospect Victor Mesa Jr. to the Major Leagues on Monday. Derek Hill is being placed on the injured list with a left wrist injury in a corresponding roster move. A source says Mesa is expected to make his first career start on Tuesday. Mesa, 23, was signed out of Cuba in 2018 for $1 million and has been with the organization since then. He found himself on the cusp of debuting in 2024, slashing .259/.319/.430 with 13 home runs, 51 RBI and a 98 wRC+ at the Triple-A level, but suffered a lower back injury, knocking him out for the remainder of the season. In spring training this year, Mesa suffered a right hamstring strain, taking him out of the mix for an Opening Day roster spot. He completed a rehab assignment earlier this month and has played six games with AAA-Jacksonville since being reinstated. The outfielder has slashed .300/.375/.650 with one home run, five RBI and a 161 wRC+. Offensively, Mesa has an interesting profile. He has posted reverse platoon splits each of the past two seasons, including a .290/.390/.500/.890 slash line against left-handed pitching in 2024. Defensively, he can play all three outfield spots. Hill had recently been serving as Miami's main center fielder. Through 23 games this season, Hill is slashing .233/.300/.370/.670 with two home runs, five RBI and an 82 OPS+. He has also struck out 35.4% of the time. Sources tell Fish On First that he will wear uniform number ten and have six family members/friends in attendance at Petco Park as the Marlins and San Diego Padres begin a three-game set on Monday. His father, Cuban baseball legend Victor Mesa Sr., will be at the game. View full article

A strong offensive night from the Marlins wasn't enough as they fell to the Angels in game one of a three-game set. On a night the Marlins offense had 14 hits and Eric Wagaman had a big homecoming game, starter Sandy Alcantara struggled, allowing six runs as the Fish dropped game one against the Los Angeles Angels by a final score of 7-4. Wagaman, who made his Major League debut last season with the Angels, was DFA'd this past offseason by them and elected Minor League free agency. He was signed to a split deal with the Marlins and broke camp with the big league roster. After going hitless in his first couple games to begin the season, Wagaman later found himself on a 12-game hit streak. Going into Friday's homecoming game, Wagaman had slashed .242/.293/.373/.666 with three home runs, 12 RBI and an 81 OPS+. After he flew out in his first at-bat of the game, Wagaman took Angels starter Yusei Kikuchi deep for his fourth home run of the season and put the Fish on the board despite trailing, 6-1. In the top of the eighth inning with one out and two runners in scoring position, trailing 6-2, Wagaman smacked an RBI single to drive in both runs and make it a two-run deficit. He finished the night going 3-for-5 with a home run and three RBI. That was Wagaman's fourth three-hit game of the season. Amongst the Marlins' 14-hit day, Kyle Stowers had a three-hit day, extending his hit streak to ten games. He drove in the game's second run off of former Marlin Shaun Anderson in the top of the seventh inning. That marked Stowers' fourth three-hit game of the season. Five Marlins went on to have a multi-hit game. One of those five Marlins was rookie Agustin Ramirez, who led off for the first time in his professional career. He went two-for-five with a run scored. Alcantara, who had seen a recent trend of the final line no entirely reflecting his performance on the mound, came to an end on Friday night as he went 5 1/3 innings, allowing six runs (five earned) on five hits, two walks and one home run. He also struck out six. Alcantara's fastball averaged 97.0 mph and topped out at 98.6 mph. In the bottom of the second inning, Alcantara surrendered a home run to outfielder Taylor Ward, his 15th of the season making it a 1-0 Halos lead. In the bottom of the fourth, Alcantara surrendered a sac fly to Ward and an RBI double to Angels young catcher Logan O'Hoppe, making it a 3-0 lead. Everything fell apart for Alcantara in the sixth inning. After surrendering a walk to Nolan Schanuel, Cuban third baseman Yoan Moncada knocked in a double, moving the Florida Atlantic product to third. Alcantara walked the aforementioned Ward to load the bases. Former Marlin Jorge Soler brought the runner at third in on a catchers interference and Alcantara hit longtime NL East rival Travis d'Arnaud with a pitch to drive in the sixth run of the game. That wound up being the Dominican's final pitch. When the Marlins brought in Lake Bachar, the right-hander left a hanging slider in the middle of the zone to Soler. who belted his seventh home run of the campaign, giving the Angels a 7-4 lead. Alcantara is now 2-7 on the season with a 8.04 ERA and his next start is projected to be in the series-finale against the San Diego Padres. With the loss, the Marlins are now 19-30 on the season and will go with Cal Qauntrill, who is coming off one of his best starts of the season. First pitch is at 10:07 pm ET. View full article

Once again, the Marlins bullpen was unable to hold onto a tight ballgame, surrendering eight runs in a single inning. MIAMI, FL - On Tuesday, the Marlins aimed for their second-straight series win. After starting pitcher Ryan Weathers gave the Marlins five strong innings, the bullpen was unable to keep the game tied in the top of the sixth inning as they allowed eight runs on eight hits. The Cubs went on to defeat the Marlins by a final score of 14-1, marking the most amount of runs the Marlins have allowed at home this season. As for the Cubs, this marked their 10th game with 10+ runs. That’s the Cubs’ most such performances in their first 49 games since 1898 (11). Going into his sixth inning appearance, Calvin Faucher had not allowed an earned run in his last 12 outings (0.00 ERA, 1.98 FIP). On Tuesday, he was unable to record an out and surrendered six earned runs. It marked the first time in his career that Faucher was unable to record an out in an appearance. His ERA spiked from 2.25 to 5.63 following Tuesday's outing. "Calvin [Faucher] had been throwing the ball so well and I think outside of the lead-off walk, I really think he was victimized some," said manager Clayton McCullough following the game. "Some base hits found holes and other balls fell in front of some guys and some found holes through the infield. Unfortunately, we couldn't stop the bleeding. They did a good job of stringing some at-bats together." After Faucher was taken out of the game, Lake Bachar surrendered two more runs, capping the Cubs' eight-run top of the sixth and giving them a commanding 9-1 lead. Cade Gibson gave the Marlins two shutout innings and in the ninth inning, the Marlins opted to go with position player Javier Sanoja who surrendered five runs, giving the Cubs a 14-1 lead. It was Sanoja's fourth relief appearance of the season. Ryan Weathers took the mound for his second start of the season on an 85-pitch limit. He was taken out after five innings and 80 pitches thrown. The Marlins lefty had an almost identical final line to his first start last week, allowing one run on four hits, no walks and striking out four. In the top of the first inning, Cubs outfielder Kyle Tucker took Weathers deep for his 11th home run of the season. Postgame, Weathers noted that this was the best his fastball has ever felt since he reached the big leagues. His fastball averaged 97.3 mph and topped out at 99.0 mph, which he hit just once in the top of the first inning. He generated four whiffs and half of his strikeouts came on that pitch. "I don't know what's going on with it, but it just has a lot more carry on it right now, which I'm cool with," said Weathers. "Just got to keep staying where I'm at with that and I think we'll keep getting good results." In his rehab assignments, Weathers never surpassed 62 pitches thrown or five innings of work. Although Tuesday's decision seemed pre-decided, this goes all the way back to how the coaching staff and front office went about preparing their pitchers for the season. Having them go in one-inning increments has seemed to backfire with some of their starters. Going into Tuesday's contest, the Marlins' bullpen ranked 24th in ERA (4.68) and third in innings pitched (188.1). Part of how much the Marlins have had to rely on their bullpen is because their starting pitchers have not gone deep into games. Only two Marlins starting pitchers have completed six innings of work this season: Max Meyer five times and Sandy Alcantara once. Edward Cabrera, Valente Bellozo and Cal Qauntrill have all entered the sixth inning of a ballgame, but have yet to complete it. Weathers did not attempt to lobby to go back out for a sixth inning of work. "My job is to just go pitch," said Weathers. "When the ball gets taken from me, that's when it gets taken from me. We knew of a rough pitch count before the game and I would have more pitches to work with, but I shot myself in the foot and didn't take care of business early. Like I said, it's not my job. My job is give whatever I got whenever skip hands me the ball." On a positive note, for a third straight game, a Marlins catcher hit a home run. On Sunday, it was Liam Hicks. Agustin Ramirez would homer on Monday and then the lone run of Tuesday's game was thanks to Nick Fortes' first home run of the season. Marlins catchers have now hit a total of 11 home runs in 2025 compared to only six in 2024. With the loss, the Marlins are now 19-28 on the season and still have an opportunity to take the series. Max Meyer will take the mound on Wednesday with first pitch at 1:10 pm. View full article

If asked, Sandy Alcantara is ready to pitch for the Dominican Republic in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. MIAMI, FL - With the 2026 World Baseball Classic inching closer and closer, Miami Marlins starting pitcher Sandy Alcantara is one of the top names to potentially join the Dominican Republic. The DR will once again be in Pool D and play their games at loanDepot park in Miami. On Monday, Fish On First asked Alcantara about the possibility of joining the DR in the upcoming tournament. Alcantara said that he has not yet been approached about pitching for his home country, but that he would immediately say yes. "I'm here. So if they want to call me, I'm ready," Alcantara said. In the 2023 installment of the World Baseball Classic, Alcantara pitched the team's opening game against Venezuela in Miami. In his lone start, Alcantara went 3 2/3 innings and allowed three runs on five hits, walked three and struck out two. "It was an incredible experience," said Alcantara. "A lot of fans, especially latin fans. It's something that makes you feel more comfortable and gives you more energy. I think everything was great last WBC and hopefully I can have another opportunity." Alcantara was coming off his 2022 All-Star season and became the first reigning Cy Young Award winner to pitch for his home country. "I think everything in general," said Alcantara when asked what stood out the most about the experience. "The chemistry, the players that you meet there and the fun that you have. Playing the same sport that lot of all star players participate in is cool, so it's something that makes me feel even happier." The Dominican Republic was unable to advance passed the first round in the last World Baseball Classic as they lost to Venezuela and Puerto Rico. This season, Alcantara has struggled, posting a 7.99 ERA, 5.37 FIP, 7.3 K/9 and 5.0 BB/9 through 41 2/3 innings pitched this season. His next scheduled start is on Friday, May 23 against the Los Angeles Angels at 9:40 pm. View full article

Victor Mesa Jr. is back in action for the Marlins Triple-A affiliate, but Deyvison De Los Santos will miss some time. On Saturday, Fish On First's number 19 prospect Victor Mesa Jr. was reinstated from the 7-day injured list. Unfortunately, the corresponding roster move for the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp was placing Deyvison De Los Santos (FOF #9) on the 7-day IL. Mesa suffered a right hamstring strain during spring training and did not appear in any Grapefruit League games. He later had warts on the bottom of his foot surgically removed, which elongated his IL stint. Mesa had been emerging as a serious call-up candidate during the 2024 season. He played in 80 Triple-A games and slashed .259/.319/.430/.749 with 13 home runs, 51 RBI and a 98 wRC+. Defensively, he played primarily center field, but saw action in all three spots. Mesa suffered a back injury in late July and missed the rest of the year. Mesa is batting leadoff and playing center field in his 2025 Jumbo Shrimp debut. De Los Santos, who the Marlins acquired last season from the Arizona Diamondbacks, was Minor League Baseball's reigning home run king. He got off to a slow start in 2025, but recently caught fire with two homers and a 1.154 OPS in five games prior to getting hurt. Considering the struggles of Matt Mervis, the 21-year-old first baseman was beginning to emerge as an alternative for the Marlins. For the season, he is slashing .250/.317/.399/.716 with five home runs and 20 RBI. During Friday's game, De Los Santos suffered a left quad strain running to first base in the top of the second inning. This is the first IL stint of his professional career. c43hvw.mp4 Longtime Marlins prospect Troy Johnston has been splitting time between left field and first base this season. He will now likely see almost all of his reps at first. He is slashing .273/.357/.491/.848 with four home runs, 19 RBI and 13 stolen bases. A former Marlins Minor League Player of the Year who is six years older than De Los Santos, he has made an even stronger case to potentially be called up. He is hitting fifth in Saturday's Jumbo Shrimp lineup. View full article

The Marlins have not beaten their in-state rivals in a season series since 2018. They got things started on the right foot on Friday. MIAMI, FL—Two-out magic was the name of the game for the Miami Marlins in their series-opening win against the Tampa Bay Rays. They scored four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning and four more in the sixth on their way to a 9-4 final score. It was the Marlins' biggest margin of victory since April 13. When the Marlins acquired third baseman Connor Norby from the Baltimore Orioles last season, they brought in a highly rated prospect who really impressed through his first 36 games with the organization. After somewhat of a slow start in 2025, Norby has heated up and finished Friday's game going 2-for-4 with three RBI. He is now slashing .264/.304/.425/.729 with two home runs and nine RBI. The Marlins were one strike away from wasting a bases-loaded opportunity in the fourth inning, but rookie catcher Agustín Ramírez worked an eight-pitch walk to give the Marlins a 2-1 lead. That brought up Norby. Going into his at-bat, he had been 3-for-18 with runners in scoring position. In a 2-2 count, Rays starter Taj Bradley went with a splitter, which Norby hit 102.6 mph into left field, clearing the bases and giving the Marlins a 5-1 lead. This marked his fifth multi-hit game of the season. "I haven't been great in those spots," said Norby following the game about coming to the plate with RISP, "so that swing was obviously huge at that point in the game, but it's going to happen again for everyone else. Whether you get the job done or not, you're going to learn from the good or bad and as long as we keep putting ourselves in those spots, we're going to win a lot of games." The Marlins offense has been at its best with two outs. Going into Friday's game, as a team, they had been slashing .254/.338/.421/.759 in those situations (compared to .244/.309/.382/.691 overall). They have produced more than half of their total runs this season (92 out of 182) with two outs." For a while, it seemed like we were cashing in a whole lot on those opportunities," said Marlins manager Clayton McCullough. "To count on the two-out RBI, the odds aren't really in your favor and we continue to stress the more opportunities that we give ourselves—the more rallies we start, the more pressure we can put on the opponent. We will come through. Creating as many of those opportunities you can and tonight, we were able to both create the opportunities and also cash in." Eric Wagaman, who went hitless in the prior series against the Chicago Cubs and had a .513 OPS during the month of May, knocked in two runs for the Marlins. In the bottom of the first, a sac fly drove in the first run of the game and he added another insurance run in the sixth inning, following Kyle Stowers' RBI single with his own. "Wags has been going through it a little bit on the results part," said McCullough. "Carson (Vitale) talked to him quite a bit. Our hitting guys have talked to him and it's nothing about the swing or mechanics. It's just, 'take a step back, take a breath, we believe that you're a major league player and a really good hitter.'" Despite being struck by two comebackers in the top of the fourth inning, Marlins starter Max Meyer was solid, going five innings, allowing four runs on six hits, no walks and seven strikeouts. The first comebacker was a 112.7 mph base hit by Yandy Díaz, which hit Meyer's right ankle. The second hit Meyer's right thigh at 90.0 mph. He said postgame he was fine. "Guess I'm just ugly. The ball just finds me," Meyer said jokingly. One thing worth noting in his start was that his slider, which opposing hitters seem to have begun picking up, was hit extremely hard, with the five balls in play averaging an exit velocity of 96.0 mph exit (max of 106.2 mph). On the other hand, six of his seven strikeouts came on that slider. "Stuff felt really sharp," said Meyer. "Later on, probably leaned off the fastball a little bit. Should have went back to it, but I can't complain with how I feel right now. My stuff feels good. I'm starting to tighten everything up, so now it's just pick the right counts to throw certain pitches and I think we'll straighten out." For the first time this season, Marlins starting pitchers were credited with a win in back-to-back games. With the win, the Marlins are now 17-26 on the season while the Rays fall to 20-24. Sandy Alcantara will take the mound on Saturday. This will be Alcantara's first time facing the Rays since 8/29/23, where he surrendered four runs. That same season, he tossed a complete game shutout. First pitch is at 4:10 pm and it is Cuban Heritage Day at the ballpark. View full article

Prior to Friday's series opener in Miami, Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Kameron Misner speaks with Fish On First about the start of his MLB career. Misner was drafted 35th overall by the Marlins in 2019, then traded to the Rays in the Joey Wendle trade. View full video

With boosted velocity, significant weight loss and an emerging slider, Weathers looked great throughout spring training. We will finally get to see him take a big league mound on Wednesday against the Chicago Cubs. Having completed his rehab from a left flexor muscle strain, Miami Marlins starting pitcher Ryan Weathers is expected to make his season debut on Wednesday in the series finale against the Chicago Cubs. "My last four innings in my last rehab were the sharpest I've felt," Weathers told the Marlins Radio Network. "Definitely needed that third rehab outing, just for that exact reason. In that outing, I got everything fine-tuned. Four-seam is back to carrying really well, best changeup I've had throughout the rehab and both breaking balls were really good. I'm just excited to go out there and pound the zone." A former first-round draft pick acquired from the San Diego Padres back in 2023, Weathers had a nice 2024 season, posting a 3.63 ERA and 4.11 FIP through 86 ⅔ innings pitched. A finger injury kept him out for half of that season. Weathers' velocity has climbed since coming over to the Marlins organization. In 2023 before the trade, his four-seam fastball averaged 94.9 mph. That pitch averaged 95.9 mph in 2024. He was up to 97.7 mph during a limited spring training sample this year. His velo topped out at 99.8 mph while pitching in a Triple-A rehab game on May 2, which is faster than any fastball he has thrown in his career against big league competition. The sweeper was Weathers' most unhittable pitch last season (.115 BAA and +3 run value). In 2025, he will also be utilizing a harder "bullet" slider more consistently. In his final rehab start, it was his third-most-used pitch (18% usage) and generated four whiffs with low 90s velo. "It's just about keeping those shapes consistently different from each other," said Weathers. "I throw both of them really hard—one of them is about four miles an hour less than the other. From that aspect, we just have to have the movement profile different." The expanded arsenal will be key for Weathers to miss even more bats than he did in 2024. It also helps that he dropped about 20 pounds as a result of an offseason diet change. Back in March, the 25-year-old discussed how he's now able to be "more efficient" with his delivery and recover more quickly during his starts. In 41 games this season without Weathers, Marlins starting pitchers have worked the third-fewest innings in MLB, averaging only 4.76 IP per outing, while combining for the second-worst ERA (6.17). It should go without saying that the team is excited to insert him into the rotation again. View full article

The Marlins had outplayed the Cubs going into the bottom of the ninth inning, but weren't able to hold onto a 4-2 lead. They've now lost six straight series. Everything was going well, maybe too well. The tough Chicago Cubs lineup had been hitless ever since the Marlins bullpen came into play on Tuesday night. The Marlins had taken the lead in the top of the seventh inning and were still up 4-2 entering the bottom of the ninth. They couldn't close it out. The Cubs rallied back to walk it off, 5-4. The Marlins have now lost six straight series. This also marks the second time in 2025 that they have been walked off against. With Jesús Tinoco on the mound, Carson Kelly started off the ninth by hitting a grounder to Xavier Edwards, who wasn't able to get a grip on the ball. Edwards was charged with his sixth error of the season. Dansby Swanson walked, moving Kelly to second, then rookie Moises Ballesteros (in his major league debut) grounded into a force out, putting runners on the corners. Nico Hoerner drove in the third Cubs run and Justin Turner did the rest with a game-winning double down the left field line. This marked Tinoco's third career blown save, but first in 2025. "I thought he threw a ton of strikes," said manager Clayton McCullough. "They just got some hits well-placed there at the end to bring home a couple. He went in there, he pounded the strike zone and they just got some hits." Defensive struggles are nothing new for Edwards, who came into the game with negative six outs above average and negative four DRS at shortstop this season. He is tied for the third-most errors among MLB shortstops. His arm strength, which was expected to improve in 2025, has actually gotten worse. He is in the ninth percentile of arm strength, with his throws averaging 76.3 mph. The experiment with Edwards at shortstop has gone on for nearly a full year at this point and it is failing. It may be time to move him back to second base, where he would have less responsibility defensively. RDFBTWJfVjBZQUhRPT1fQWdnRlVWWUJWd0VBQ1ZzRlZRQUhWd0lEQUFBRUJnTUFCRkJVVmxJTkNWSUhCZ3Bm.mp4 On the bright side, both pieces who were acquired in the 2024 Trevor Rogers trade homered for Miami. Kyle Stowers was the secondary piece of that trade return. After struggling with the Marlins in 2024, posting a .557 OPS, he faced an uphill battle just to make the Opening Day roster. After he did make it, he hit a walk-off on Opening Day, walked it off with a grand slam against the Athletics earlier this month and was recently named National League Player of the Week. In the top of the second inning, Stowers hit his team-leading eighth home run of the season, giving the Marlins an early 1-0 lead. Following the game, he is now slashing .287/.365/.507/.872 with eight home runs and 27 RBI. "He's certainly a calming presence," said McCullough. "Big home run today to get us on the board, take an early lead. I think we've just seen that with Kyle, that his ability to just hang in there within a game and put together high quality at-bats. The steady presence with the way he handles himself and how he comes in each day, approaches the process and the preparation aspect of things. Kyle continues to find every night to do something on either side of the ball that helps us." Connor Norby made a great first impression with the Marlins last year and followed it up with a strong spring, but began the season on the injured list after suffering a left oblique strain. He extended his hit streak to eight games, leading off the top of the fifth with a triple. Javier Sanoja drove him in on an RBI groundout, giving the Marlins a 2-1 lead. Tied at two apiece in the top of the seventh inning, Norby hit a 400-foot blast to left field, his second home run of the season and taking a 3-2 lead. Jesús Sánchez later drove in Derek Hill to give the Marlins an insurance run. Norby's spot in the batting order has constantly changed this season, sometimes batting as high as second or as low as eighth. McCullough notes that he "lengthens out the lineup." On Tuesday, he was hitting seventh. Valente Bellozo was the Marlins starting pitcher on Tuesday. In four innings of work, he allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits, one walk and two strikeouts. After showing an increase in velocity in his last start, it was back down to what we've usually seen, with the fastball averaging 90.3 mph and topping out at 92.3 mph. He generated six whiffs—three with the cutter, two with the changeup and one with the sweeper. In the bottom of the third inning, young Cubs star Pete Crow-Armstrong hit his 11th home run of the season, taking advantage of a middle-middle cutter, which tied the game, 1-1. In the fifth inning, Bellozo hit Nico Hoerner, Nick Lopez got on first thanks to a throwing error by Eric Wagaman, moving Hoerner to third. Crow-Armstrong drove Hoerner in on a sac fly. "Bellozo was good again," said McCullough. "I think the cutter is a real pitch for him. How well he can use that to both side hitters and got some good changeups in there. I think he used his fastball well. He went out there and he attacked guys. Did his job." With the loss, the Marlins find themselves with a 15-26 record and look to salvage the series finale on Wednesday. In all likelihood, Bellozo will be optioned to the minors as the corresponding roster move to reinstate Ryan Weathers from the injured list as Weathers makes his 2025 season debut. First pitch is at 7:40 pm. View full article

Farm system updates from the week of May 5, including new assignments for Fenwick Trimble and Nick Brink. Fish On First is publishing weekly Miami Marlins minor league summaries throughout the 2025 season, covering the progress of FOF Top 30 prospects and lesser-known players in the organization who are worth monitoring. Each full-season MiLB affiliate has its own section below. Player stats are up to date entering May 13. Triple-A Jacksonville The Jumbo Shrimp offense has slumped as of late, but there was a nice highlight on Sunday, as Deyvison De Los Santos (FOF's #9 prospect) hit his fourth home run of the season to left-center. The ball left the bat at 110.4 mph and went 431 feet. With the struggles of first baseman Matt Mervis at the major league level, there may be an opportunity for De Los Santos to debut this season. His production will need to improve first—he is now slashing .250/.309/.382/.691, a very big drop-off from 2024. Andrew Pintar (FOF #25) was acquired along with De Los Santos in the trade that sent A.J. Puk to the Arizona Diamondbacks. He’s slashing .306/.348/.361/.709 with one home run and nine RBI. Pintar has been moved up near the top of Jacksonville's batting order. Seth Martinez continues to show that he should be with the Marlins whenever another fresh bullpen arm is needed. He has not allowed a run in 11 ⅓ innings pitched (11 appearances). Ryan Weathers and Derek Hill both completed rehab assignments with Jacksonville. Double-A Pensacola It was a rainy, winless week for the Pensacola Blue Wahoos in Biloxi. Most of the starting pitchers struggled, including Dax Fulton. Making his fifth start of the season, Fulton went four innings, allowing three runs on four hits and four walks. He struck out six. It’s been a weird season thus far for the 23-year-old in his return from his second Tommy John surgery. He has a 4.50 ERA, 5.39 FIP, 9.90 K/9 and 6.75 BB/9 (career-high). Even star reliever Josh Ekness had some trouble, allowing his first earned runs of 2025. He’s still been very successful overall with a 1.69 ERA, 1.74 FIP, 14.34 K/9 and 3.38 BB/9 in 10 ⅔ innings pitched (eight appearances). Offensively, Jake Thompson is the only name worth mentioning. He’s now slashing .266/.388/.415/.803 with one home run, nine RBI and a 137 wRC+. The former undrafted free agent is the oldest hitter in Pensacola (turned 27 in March). Fortunately, reinforcements are on the way. Outfielder Fenwick Trimble (FOF #30) was added to the Blue Wahoos roster on Tuesday. He figures to get regular reps in left field and center field. Always a solid on-base threat as a collegiate prospect at James Madison, Trimble is an under-the-radar contact bat with solid speed and fourth outfielder makeup, with potential for a bit more if everything works out. High-A Beloit Coming off of a disappointing outing against Peoria, Thomas White was back home at ABC Supply Stadium and feeling good. Going 5 IP and allowing just two hits and two walks while striking out eight, White had his best outing of the season. It was the second time in his career he’s gone five shutout frames. The biggest difference in this outing was his ability to avoid deep counts and come further into the zone. Thomas is still on a trajectory to be a bonafide ace once he’s allowed to throw a full slate of innings and pitches. So far this season, Miami is still limiting him to about 75 pitches per start. While there is all the reason in the world to protect your future star, there’s also much to gain from putting him in situations where he can continue to build confidence. As the season wears on, we expect those reins to be loosened. Limited size be damned! The stout Ryan Ignoffo continues to reach new heights. While spending his second full season at the catcher position, Ignoffo continues to build strength and hit. In this series, working as both backstop and DH, Ignoffo went 6-for-21. His star performance occurred in the third game of the series where he hit two home runs, both with the bases loaded. Not only was it Ignoffo’s first career multi-home run game, he made some recent MiLB history in the process. Through 27 games of the 2025 season, Ignoffo has already matched his 2024 home run total with six. He's up to 33 RBI on the season—no other Marlins minor leaguer has more than 19. As he did in college as a two-way player, Ignoffo continues to show up in whatever capacity he is asked to. He is the epitome of a team player and grinder. With continued success, he will make it to the upper minors this season, and his potential to eventually crack the MLB ranks is starting to become very real. Karson Milbrandt (FOF #21) stretched out to a season-high 57 pitches while tossing three hitless innings. There is still room to improve his control before a promotion to Double-A is considered. Qnd3TGxfV0ZRVkV3dEdEUT09X0R3WUhWQUpRVUFjQVhBWlVWd0FIQVFCWEFBQU5WVk1BVjFZR1ZBcFVVbFVIQWdzRQ==.mp4 Seventh-round pick Nick Brink became the first pitcher from Miami's 2024 draft class to join the Sky Carp. Brink posted a 3.28 ERA, 3.52 FIP and .235 BAA in 24 ⅔ innings with Jupiter. Low-A Jupiter The Hammerheads transferred Starlyn Caba (FOF #5) to the 60-day IL. That rules out the talented shortstop until at least late June. Caba's absence has created room for Andrew Salas (FOF #4) to play more regularly. He has been incredibly consistent at the plate, reaching base safely in each of his first 24 career games. Salas' .463 OBP paces the Florida State League. On top of that, he has 11 stolen bases and he’s walked more than he’s struck out (24/22 K/BB). The only thing that hasn’t shown up yet for Salas is power, but there is plenty of room for him to grow into what is a still wiry frame. Salas is undoubtedly one of the furthest-advanced signings the Marlins have ever seen particularly in the areas of plate discipline and bat control. Salas’ partner on the infield, Jesús Hernández had a solid series. A 2021 signing out of Venezuela, the 5’9”, 150-pounder went 6-for-15 with three doubles and a walk. Surprisingly for his size, Hernández has tapped into a bit of pop. At his core, he is a bat-to-ball type offensive threat who limits strikeouts and works his way on base. However, the boost in power in a pitcher-friendly park sure doesn’t hurt. With the ability to play multiple positions, this Javier Sanoja-esque righty is worth keeping an eye on. Right-hander Luke Lashutka is often the first guy out of the bullpen for Jupiter and he stays in for multiple innings. As a result, he is Minor League Baseball's unlikely leader with six wins this season. Lashutka has allowed only one earned run over his last 15 ⅓ innings pitched. Eury Pérez's fourth rehab start was his most impressive one yet, using all of his pitches and placing 73.8% of them for strikes. He is expected to make one more appearance with Jupiter before shifting his rehab assignment to Jacksonville. Rookie Ball The FCL Marlins kicked off their season this past week. With a roster featuring a pretty even mix of stateside draftees and international signings, the team has a 4-2 record through six games. Left-hander Nate Payne is the first pitcher on the team to make multiple starts so far. He has 11 strikeouts in 6 ⅔ innings, but with a 5.40 ERA. Former Dominican Summer League All-Stars infielder Joseph Tailor and outfielder Jancory De La Cruz made their FCL debuts over the weekend. Last week's report mentioned Kifraidy Encarnación, the 6’4”, 187-pound lefty who is throwing gas as he nears a return from Tommy John surgery. Encarnación brings more than just velo, according to Adrian Lorenzo, the former Marlins director of international operations who oversaw his signing. “It’s not just the 101. That’s great, don’t get me wrong. It’s also big physical projection with very good data characteristics on both the fastball (as a sinker) and the slider from the left side,” Lorenzo said. “If he throws strikes, which he flashed some ability to do last year, there’s not a whole lot that doesn’t work. “Love Kifraidy. He works his ass off. Not surprised he comes back from injury even stronger.” Gaining full feel of all three of his pitches will be the work in progress for Encarnación, but with a solid blueprint on all three, good velo separation, good size and present strength at 19, he is the personification of the word "projectable." A late-season stateside debut isn’t out of the question. The Marlins’ highest-priced international signing from 2022, Yoffry Solano got off to a fairly slow start to his pro career before turning it on late last FCL season. He has gotten off to an extremely hot start here in 2025. In his first 20 ABs, Solano is hitting a scorching .450. He’s doubled once and has shown off his speed with two triples. At the time of his signing, Solano boasted 50-grade tools across the board with a slight increase in the speed department at 55. He’s now applying those tools in game, particularly with swing decisions and on the basepaths. We will need to see how this matriculates for Solano as he faces better pitching, but so far this season he has received a nice confidence boost. Solano will be a candidate to be called up to Low-A in short order. He’s 20. After showing really solid pop and exit velos in spring training, Cody Schrier has hit the ground running in his first pro season. Though he is old for the FCL level, the Marlins' 2024 13th-rounder has shown solid bat-to-ball skills and even more solid speed early this season. Schrier is slashing a ridiculous .389/.560/.500 through 18 ABs with seven walks and four Ks. He’s mostly played first base, but has also gotten into two games at shortstop (where he primarily played as an amateur). The numbers are great, especially to start a career, but the 22-year-old is clearly under-matched. Schrier's bat and defensive versatility should have him poised for a promotion in short order. Next Up (May 13-18) Triple-A Jacksonville at Norfolk Double-A Pensacola vs. Rocket City High-A Beloit at Wisconsin Low-A Jupiter vs. Fort Myers View full article

The Cubs piled on five runs during a fifth-inning rally and cruised to victory from there, dropping Miami to 10 games below the .500 mark. Before a Cal Quantrill start even begins, you have a good idea of when it will end. On Monday, Miami Marlins manager Clayton McCullough continued the trend of going to his bullpen before Quantrill had a chance to face the opposing lineup for a third time. Quantrill had surrendered a two-run homer earlier in the inning and the Chicago Cubs went on to score three more runs once the veteran starter was taken out. On the other side, the Marlins offense was dominated by former Fish Colin Rea, losing by a final score of 5-2. Quantrill was coming off a good start last week, allowing one run and striking out six against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Marlins took him out following the fifth inning in favor of left-hander Anthony Veneziano. Despite having the platoon advantage when facing Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman, he allowed home runs to both of them. At Wrigley Field, Quantrill was clean through four innings, but shortstop Dansby Swanson took him deep for his ninth home run of the season, giving the Cubs a 2-0 lead. After allowing a double to Miguel Amaya, Jon Berti lined out to Matt Mervis. When the lineup card turned over, that was McCullough's cue to pull his pitcher. "I think he used his cutter very well," said manager Clayton McCullough. "Ran into some deep counts, got the pitch count elevated...He did a good job early on of limiting traffic and making some pitches in counts when he had to. Other than the one mistake there to Dansby (Swanson), he gave us chances early to stay in that game." Once again, Veneziano was brought in to replace Quantrill, and once again, he struggled. Kyle Tucker tripled and Seiya Suzuki homered to extend Chicago's lead. That was the only inning of the game where the Cubs scored, but it was more than enough. In his return off the IL, Derek Hill hit his second home run of the season in the top of the seventh inning to break up the shutout. The ball left the bat at 103.6 mph and went 399 feet to left-center. Hill told the media earlier in the day that he wasn't going to blame his early-season struggles on his wrist injury, but postgame, McCullough had a different opinion. "It was definitely bothering him," McCullough said. "He was grinding it out and then trying to stay in there and wanting to keep going...It definitely affected him. The break and the time was hopefully good. Get that thing healed up where he could just go out there again now and take the kind of swings he was taking earlier in the season." Quietly, rookie Cade Gibson had a very nice outing, going three shutout innings. He now has a 1.23 ERA in four appearances. He has given the Marlins a second lefty to use in addition to Veneziano, who has been worked heavily this season. "He's certainly not afraid," said McCullough. "He goes out there, fills up the strike zone with multiple offerings. His ability to drop the curveball in there for strikes and he's got his changeup behind it and used his sinker well. I think the ability to go out there and fill up the strike zone, get ahead of people, that's what you want to see." With the loss, the Marlins fell to 15-25 on the season, ten games under .500 for the first time this season. They will look to even the series Tuesday night with Valente Bellozo taking the mound against Ben Brown. First pitch is at 7:40 pm. View full article