Kevin Barral

Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Miguel Rojas speaks with Fish On First about returning to Miami as a visiting player, defending the Dodgers' 2024 World Series title and goals for his post-playing career. View full video

Farm system updates from the week of April 28, including outstanding pitching performances and rough news for a pair of former Marlins first-round draft picks. 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 6. Triple-A Jacksonville Although we usually highlight players who are trending in a positive direction, it must be mentioned that Jacob Berry has continued his trend of extreme early-season struggles. Berry was among the worst qualified hitters in the Midwest League (High-A) through this point of the 2023 season. Same story the next year when he was in the Southern League (Double-A). Here in 2025, he's slashing .129/.227/.235/.462 with two home runs and 10 RBI. His wRC+ of 33 is fourth-lowest in the International League. Nearly three full years into his professional career, Berry has yet to find a home defensively. The former first-rounder is getting a surprising amount of reps at second base. He's been charged with four errors in only 78 innings at third base. Through 10 games with the Jumbo Shrimp, Joe Mack is slashing .270/.372/.486/.859 with two home runs, three RBI and a 137 wRC+. Overall for the season, he has a 180 wRC+. On the season, he's caught eight runners stealing, with seven of those coming in AA. The Jacksonville pitching staff has really turned it around from one year to the next. They have a team ERA of 3.65, which is an improvement from last year's 4.43 mark. The biggest standout when it comes to the bullpen has been Seth Martinez, who remains with the organization despite twice being designated for assignment by the Marlins earlier this year. Martinez has a 0.00 ERA, 1.06 FIP, 15.43 K/9 and 1.93 BB/9 through nine appearances this season. He is getting done with below-average velocity—Martinez's fastball averaged 90.9 mph, topping out at 92.2 mph in his most recent appearance. Another potential call-up candidate to keep tabs on is Christian Roa. He has a 1.35 ERA, 2.85 FIP, 11.48 K/9 and 2.70 BB/9 through 13 ⅓ innings pitched (12 appearances). Roa's stuff is more in line with what we typically see from major league relievers, having topped out at 97.2 mph and averaged 96.5 mph on his fastball last weekend. Double-A Pensacola Kemp Alderman remains on pace for a career year with a 130 wRC+, striking out 19.2% of the time. He is slashing .264/.337/.462 with four home runs and 15 RBI. He is third on the team in OPS, behind only the promoted Joe Mack and injured Cody Morissette. The Blue Wahoos pitching staff has a combined ERA of 2.67, the lowest amongst all Marlins minor league affiliates. Three pitchers (Josh White, M.D. Johnson and Josh Ekness) have yet to allow a run. Just this past week, the staff surpassed 100 walks, which is the least amongst the affiliates as well. Swingman Adam Laskey continues to torch the AA level, posting a 0.84 ERA, 1.74 FIP, 9.70 K/9 and 1.27 BB/9 through 21 ⅓ innings pitched. Soon, Laskey should find himself in AAA. Dale Stanavich, who spent spring training with the big league team, has a 0.84 ERA, 3.80 FIP, 9.28 K/9 and 5.91 BB/9 through 10 ⅔ innings pitched. Stanavich is consistently getting thrown into high-leverage situations and succeeding. His five saves lead the Marlins organization. High-A Beloit Infielder Yiddi Cappe continues to impress offensively, slashing .309/.385/.441/.826 with two home runs, 10 RBI, 11 stolen bases and a 137 wRC+. Signed by the Marlins out of Cuba for $3.5M, Cappe has been stuck at the High-A level for 200 games over the last three seasons. The team's original hope that he would be a long-term shortstop is gone, but good to see him make legitimate progress at the plate. Featured in our own Ely Sussman's minor league spotlight Small Pod, 2024 draft pick Fenwick Trimble is off to a great start, slashing .247/.402/.403/.805 with one home run, 12 RBI, 14 stolen bases and a 137 wRC+. Trimble is also walking (19.6%) more than striking out (18.6%). Trimble could become the first member of his draft class to earn a promotion to AA. Connor Caskenette, mentioned in last week's recap, is worth mentioning again given how good he's been, slashing .310/.500/.379/.879 with five RBI and a 170 wRC+. It is an impressive start considering Caskenette fell to the third day of the 2024 draft and signed for a modest $100k bonus. Low-A Jupiter Andrew Salas continues to be the biggest story of the season. He's slashing .350/.500/.400/.900 with five RBI, nine stolen bases and a 173 wRC+. His on-base streak is more than a month long at this point. Salas is in the Hammerheads lineup on a regular basis, rotating between second base, shortstop and center field. Two years older than Salas, Carter Johnson is having more trouble with the transition to Low-A. He's slashing .181/.256/.238/.495 with 12 RBI and a 51 wRC+, a step down from where he was last summer. He has struck out 40 times in 26 games. Going down to the Florida Complex League to face competition more suited for him could be the key to getting back into a rhythm. PJ Morlando suffered an apparent leg injury this past week. On Monday, he was placed on the 7-day IL. He was 6-for-26 with one home run and three RBI. Morlando has had only nine games of MiLB experience since being drafted due to various injuries. Eury Pérez will make his third rehab start for the Hammerheads on Tuesday. He is expected to build up his pitch count to 30-35 pitches. Other Notes - FCL play started on Monday. Starter Nate Payne went 3 ⅔ innings, allowing one run on one hit, walked two and struck out five. Breyias Dean and Cody Schrier both drove in a pair of runs. The Marlins lost 8-7 to the FCL Astros. - Out of the Marlins academy in the Dominican Republic, lefty Kifraidy Encarnación hit 101 mph in a recent bullpen session. Encarnacion made two starts last season, but went down with an injury, requiring him to undergo Tommy John surgery. He is still rehabbing from that. View full article

Fish Unfiltered—Episode #73 Early in his first season as the Miami Marlins television play-by-play announcer, Kyle Sielaff makes his return to Fish Unfiltered. Sielaff sits down with Isaac Azout and Kevin Barral to describe his transition from radio to TV, impressions of how the organization is rebuilding under Peter Bendix and the most underrated Marlins players. Find Fish Unfiltered on the Fish On First YouTube channel, our new-look Apple Podcasts channel and wherever else you get your pods. FOF's audio programming also includes The Offishial Show, Swimming Upstream, Big Fish Small Pod and more. For more than a decade, Sielaff worked for the Marlins Radio Network in various capacities, including two years as the radio play-by-play announcer (2022-23). In January, FanDuel Sports Network Florida hired him to replace Paul Severino on the television side. Sielaff has done play-by-play for each of the first 34 Marlins games this season, working with a rotating cast of analysts (Tommy Hutton, Rod Allen, Jeff Nelson and Gaby Sanchez). For a limited time, fans in the state of Florida can get a 30-day free trial of FanDuel's Marlins Season Pass by entering code MARLINS30 at checkout. Follow Kyle (⁠@Kyle_Sielaff⁠), Isaac (⁠@IsaacAzout⁠), Kevin (⁠@kevin_barral⁠) and Fish On First (⁠@FishOnFirst⁠) on Twitter. Join the ⁠Marlins Discord server⁠! Complete Miami Marlins coverage here at ⁠FishOnFirst.com⁠. View full article

Miami Marlins starter Sandy Alcantara speaks with the media at loanDepot park after Monday's loss. The Marlins have lost each of Alcantara's last four outings. View full video

Stowers' dominant week included a walk-off grand slam and four home runs overall. MIAMI, FL—On Monday, Major League Baseball announced that Miami Marlins outfielder Kyle Stowers had been named National League Player of the Week. He became the first Marlins player to win the award since Sandy Alcantara in 2022 and the first position player since Starling Marte in 2021. Facing the Los Angeles Dodgers on the road and the Athletics at home, Stowers slashed .421/.421/1.105/1.526 (8-for-19) with four home runs and 10 RBI. He had a four-hit game and two multi-homer games. His 0.91 win probability added led the NL, per FanGraphs. "That's awesome," Stowers told Fish On First. "Pretty surreal, still playing in the Major Leagues and winning award like that was super special." Stowers' brother, Michael, who is a Branch Manager for loanDepot, surprised Kyle with the award. Funny enough, Michael was recognized with the loanDepot Chairman's Elite award right before. "Wasn't expecting to find out from him," said Stowers. "Feel like he's played a big role in just everything. My developments as a human and part of the young man I am today is because of him." Stowers may have sealed the deal on Saturday by hitting a walk-off grand slam off Athletics closer Mason Miller. The Marlins were down one run in the bottom of the ninth with two outs. Miller, whose fastball averages 100.7 mph, tossed a 101.7 mph first-pitch fastball to Stowers, which he took deep to the opposite field. That marked the outfielder's first career grand slam and Miller's first blown save of 2025. "It's really cool," Stowers said. "I think for starters, it got us out of a little losing skid that we were going through, so I think winning, first and foremost, everything's more fun." Last season, the Marlins acquired Stowers along with Connor Norby in a trade that sent Trevor Rogers to the Baltimore Orioles. Stowers was seen as a throw-in, with Norby as the main piece of the deal. In 50 games played with the Marlins in 2024, Stowers slashed .186/.262/.295/.557 with two home runs, 15 RBI and a 56 wRC+. He struck out 35.5% of the time and went into spring training unsure if he would even make the team. Stowers began the 2025 season on a positive note with a walk-off hit on Opening Day to defeat the Pittsburgh Pirates. He has been Miami's most consistent hitter since then, slashing .302/.376/.509/.885 overall with six home runs and 25 RBI. After yet another walk-off win on Tuesday against the mighty Los Angeles Dodgers, the Marlins will look to take the series on Wednesday at 4:40 pm. View full article

Still "pissed off" about being traded, Bleday is just one of many ex-Marlins who have come back to torment their old employer. MIAMI, FL—The visiting Athletics took two out of three from the Miami Marlins last weekend, in large part thanks to JJ Bleday, The Marlins' first-round draft pick in 2019, Bleday went 4-for-11 during the series with two home runs and two walks. He's just the latest example of a player who left Miami and found success elsewhere, especially when coming back to face his former club. Sent to Oakland prior to the 2023 season in exchange for reliever A.J. Puk, Bleday is now in his third season with the nomadic A's. Entering Monday, he owns a .228/.320/.408/.729 slash line with 34 home runs, 100 RBI and a 109 OPS+ in 275 games played since the trade. Bleday ranks among the best active hitters against the Marlins with a 1.116 OPS in nine career matchups. In an exclusive interview with Fish On First, he says that is more than a coincidence. "I think it's more of a natural instinct. You're always going to be a little pissed off that you feel like the team that drafted you, gave up on you a little bit too soon," Bleday said. "But at the end of the day, that was three years ago and at that point, I've pretty much moved on, but there's still always something kinda deep down there where you're playing just a little bit harder and hopefully you can just carry that into every game." Many will remember the day that Bleday was dealt. It was during the Marlins' 2023 FanFest. "I was here at the ballpark in the morning helping out with Braxton Garrett and Joey Wendle," said Bleday. "We were just doing our normal thing and I had to leave later that day because my wife and I had an engagement party in Nashville. So I left here (loanDepot park), went up to Nashville and I was at my alma mater Vanderbilt's season kick-off dinner and I was there at happy hour with a couple of people and I get a call from Kim Ng saying that I got traded. I was rattled and didn't know what to expect or what to do. It was kinda of a weird night." At the time of the trade, Bleday was coming off an underwhelming rookie season where he slashed .167/.277/.309/.586 with five home runs and 16 RBI. He missed out on the Marlins' subsequent playoff run in 2023, but found consistent playing time that would not have been available in Miami. "I'm a big believer in everything happens for a reason," Bleday said. "Regardless of what went down (in Miami), I'm blessed to be where I'm at. Love the guys. I feel like it's a better fit for me here. I think we have a really good lineup with a lot of talent. It's been great playing every day. It's been great trying to be an everyday guy in the big leagues and just try to take the opportunity and run with it." Bleday isn't the only former Fish to have success against their former employer. Next up on this homestand, the Marlins are hosting the Los Angeles Dodgers. One of their relievers, left-hander Alex Vesia, is a homegrown Marlin who was traded during the 2020-21 offseason. He has faced 25 hitters over 8 careers appearances against Miami, all while not allowing an earned run in the process. Infielder Miguel Rojas is better known for his glove and his leadership than his bat. However, he enters this latest showdown against his longtime club with a .344/.382/.563/.945 slash line in 11 career games—that OPS is nearly 100 points higher than what he's done versus any other MLB opponent. f9faf5f7-bdfeafc0-24f9dee5-csvm-diamondgcp-asset_1280x720_59_4000K.mp4 On their previous road trip, the Marlins encountered right-hander Luis Castillo (now with the Seattle Mariners), who elevates his game from All-Star-caliber to Hall of Fame-caliber when the Fish are involved. That is unsurprising considering that they traded him twice. Originally set to go San Diego in the summer of 2016, Castillo's involvement in the deal was nullified after the fact by Colin Rea's suspiciously timed injury. Less than six months later, the Marlins permanently parted with him as part of a package to acquire Dan Straily from Cincinnati. Since Peter Bendix took over the Marlins front office, the volume of trades has only increased. Players dispersed around Major League Baseball will soon have their own opportunities to exact revenge. View full article

Miami Marlins catching coach and assistant catching director Joe Singley speaks with the assembled media at loanDepot park about the defensive development of Agustín Ramírez, Liam Hicks and Nick Fortes. View full video

Miami Marlins pitcher Eury Pérez speaks with the media at loanDepot park about how he's feeling through his first two minor league rehab starts and what his timeline is to return to the Marlins starting rotation. View full video

Dane Myers isn't an everyday player for the Miami Marlins, but he has settled on a routine and mentality that's been extremely successful so far in 2025. MIAMI, FL—It's hard to be successful at the Major League level, especially when your playing time is inconsistent. That has been the case for outfielder Dane Myers in 2025. Myers has been on the Miami Marlins active roster since Opening Day, but he only ranks ninth on the team in plate appearances and has not started more than four games in a row at any point this season. "A few years back, I'd probably be handling it a little different, just knowing my role, knowing I'm not playing every day right now," Myers told Fish On First in an exclusive interview. "Hopefully, I'll get into that role at some point, obviously—that's everybody's goal. Just trying to be ready to help the team win however I can. I think it's helped me mentally, just staying ready, no matter if it's the second, third or the eighth or ninth, just being ready to come in." Against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday, Myers entered the game in a high-leverage situation. In the top of the sixth inning, with the bases loaded and one out, Myers was brought in to pinch hit for Connor Norby. Myers got ahead of the count 3-1 and Dodgers reliever Anthony Banda went with his fastball down the middle, which Myers took 405 feet to center field. It was his first career grand slam and the second pinch-hit, game-tying grand slam in franchise history (Justin Bour hit the first one back in 2016). "Couple of minutes before I had that at-bat, I had Banda's fastball locked in the cage before getting into the game, as close as I could to practice just seeing his fastball and being ready for it as soon as I got out there," said Myers. "That was pretty big factor. The first couple pitches I saw, I felt like I saw him well. Once he threw one in the zone, I was good to go." The Marlins have already shown that they trust Myers against left-handers like Banda, but on Friday, he started against rookie righty Gunnar Hoglund, hitting ninth and playing center field. He went 1-for-2 with a walk and supplied the Marlins' lone run in their 6-1 loss to the Athletics. In the sixth inning, he launched his third home run of the season, going 390 feet to right-center field. Myers has boosted his 2025 slash line to .356/.387/.542/.929 and his wRC+ to 157 (100 represents league average). The 29-year-old also grades out as a solid defensive outfielder, in part thanks to his elite arm strength. "Dane has been terrific," said manager Clayton McCullough. "We really felt like even in spring training, his commitment to having a really solid plan at the plate and for someone that is still is learning a lot. This guy's background is incredible, from pitching now to be hitting and the success he's having at the major league level is great. What I love about Dane, he's like an ultimate team guy. He's performed very well whenever he's in there...He's always ready." The Marlins recalled Valente Bellozo from Triple-A Jacksonville to make his third start of the season on Friday, taking over the rotation spot that previously belonged to Connor Gillispie. Bellozo went 4 ⅔ innings and allowed five runs on four hits (one home run) and walked four. He only struck out one. In the top of the third inning, former Marlins first-round pick JJ Bleday, who was traded to the Athletics in exchange for A.J. Puk, hit a solo home run, his third of the season, extending the A's lead, 3-0. Bleday also homered against the Marlins last year. Xavier Edwards committed a pair of errors at shortstop, one throwing and one fielding. With the loss, the Marlins are now 12-19 on the season. This was the first time that they failed to score multiple runs in a home game. The new "Retrowave" uniforms will make their debut on Saturday as Max Meyer takes the mound at 4:10 pm. View full article

The Marlins gave the reigning World Series champs everything they could handle, but ultimately lost for the fourth time in five games. Trailing 5-0 more than halfway through the game, the Miami Marlins nearly pulled off an incredible comeback win against the Los Angeles Dodgers. It took 10 innings for the home team to finish on top in walk-off fashion by a final score of 7-6. The Marlins finally got on the board against right-hander Dustin May in the sixth inning thanks to Eric Wagaman's RBI single, driving in Xavier Edwards from second base and moving Jesús Sánchez from first to second. When the Dodgers went with lefty Anthony Banda, Marlins manager Clayton McCullough countered with righties off his bench. Going into Monday's game, Kyle Stowers was slashing .520/.536/.680/1.216 with five RBI against left-handed pitching, but McCullough preferred the platoon advantage anyway and brought in Connor Norby to pinch hit. Norby worked a five-pitch walk, loading the bases. Next, Dane Myers came to the plate replacing Matt Mervis. Myers got ahead in the count, 3-1. Anticipating a fastball in the zone, he took Banda 405 feet deep to left-center, hitting his first career grand slam and the second-ever pinch-hit, game-tying grand slam in franchise history. "With the amount of lefties they have in their pen, you might have to take your shot when you feel like it's maybe the best chance either to get back in the game or extend it," said Clayton McCullough following the game. "Felt like right there, pulling the trigger and going with some right handed-hitters against Banda was the best shot to get back into that game." Once the Marlins tied the game, it became a battle of the bullpens. The Marlins used the following relievers: Lake Bachar, Anthony Veneziano, Anthony Bender, Jesús Tinoco, Calvin Faucher and Ronny Henriquez. They combined to allow only one earned run on three hits and struck out six. Tinoco and Faucher had their best swing-and-miss stuff working. With a runner on first in the eighth, Tinoco induced a lineout from pinch-hitter Tommy Edman and then struck out both Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts. Calvin Faucher struck out the side in the bottom of the ninth. The Marlins struck in the top of the tenth inning thanks to a Jesús Sánchez two-out RBI double, driving in Ronny Simon. Sánchez advanced to third on an error from outfielder Andy Pages. Eric Wagaman flew out to end the inning. Calvin Faucher, coming off a lights-out ninth and well-rested entering the night, should've been an option to go out for a second inning of work. He hadn't completed multiple innings in any outing so far this season, but the bullpen was out of trustworthy alternatives. Instead, the Marlins went with Ronny Henriquez, who was eyeing his first career save. After allowing a five pitch walk to Andy Pages, pinch hitter Kiké (Enrique) Hernández bunted, allowing both runners to advance. That was the first sacrifice bunt of the season from the Dodgers. Tommy Edman then walked it off on the first pitch of the at-bat. "Tommy is just a terrific baseball player," said McCullough. "Having a chance to watch him play every day—how much he brings, the defensive versatility, what he can add on the bases, the switch-hit—Tommy's just a really good baseball player and got one up in the zone and hit him." Marlins starting pitcher Edward Cabrera once again struggled. He allowed five runs on nine hits (one home run), walked three and struck out two. Despite the struggles, McCullough was "proud of Cabby." "You look over the line and maybe it doesn't look that great," said McCullough. "It was early in the game, gets the bases loaded, and he gets out of it, limited damage. That was a big succession of at-bats. For him to buckle down there and do that—hits are hits, but there were some guys that just found holes and that's jut part of it. I think as a whole, he takes it as a positive step forward." Going into this series, The Athletic published an article focusing on how difficult it is for the Marlins to compete with the Dodgers on the field when there is such a massive difference in their payrolls. At least through one game of this three-game set, the Marlins showed that they belong on the same field as the best of the best. With the loss, the Marlins are now 12-16 on the season and will look to even the series with ace Sandy Alcantara taking the mound. This will be a tough task for Alcantara, who has a career 12.94 ERA in four starts in Dodger Stadium. First pitch is at 10:10pm EST. View full article

Fam system updates from the week of April 21, including several notable promotions and offensive players living up to the hype. 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 April 28. Triple-A Jacksonville The Miami Marlins recalled Agustín Ramírez to the Major Leagues, which directly led to Joe Mack being promoted from Pensacola to AAA-Jacksonville. In just five games with the Jumbo Shrimp, Mack is slashing .368/.478/.579/1.057 with one home run and one RBI. Combining both levels, Mack is slashing .333/.468/.603/1.072 with four home runs and six RBI. He already showed a plus power tool during his 2024 breakout season, but he continues to improve as an all-around hitter. Defensively, Mack has caught eight baserunners stealing and only has three passed balls. If Mack keeps playing like this, he could potentially join Ramírez in the majors by the end of the season. FOF's #7 prospect, Deyvison De Los Santos, is being more selective at the plate compared to last season. He is slashing .290/.356/.419/775 with two home runs, 14 RBI and a 117 wRC+. The biggest downside with De Los Santos is his career-worst 30.8% strikeout rate. De Los Santos' second home run of the season came in walk-off fashion on Sunday. The ball left the bat at 110.7 mph. One name that has quietly impressed is infielder Jack Winkler. Acquired in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 Draft from the Athletics, Winkler is slashing .333/.370/.510/.880 with two home runs, six RBI and a 143 wRC+. He can play both middle infield spots and third base as well as first base if necessary. Outfielder Andrew Pintar is slashing .290/.338/.319/.657 with four RBI. Although that looks decent on the surface, he has yet to hit a home run while striking out 41.3% of the time. He has been relying on a .526 BABIP, which will drop significantly over time. Jacob Berry has continued his tradition of slow starts. Through 22 games, he's slashing .119/.241/.209/.450 with one home run and nine RBI with the lowest batting average among all qualified Triple-A hitters. Defensively, he made all of his appearances last week at second base. This may be the final time Adam Mazur is mentioned in this weekly recap for a bit. The Marlins sent Connor Gillispie to AAA on Sunday and Mazur could start in that spot during the upcoming homestand. Through five appearances (four starts), Mazur has posted a 1.44 ERA, 3.45 FIP, 8.64 K/9 and 1.08 BB/9 through 25 innings pitched. Double-A Pensacola Kemp Alderman continues to rake, slashing .290/.354/.539/.891 with four home runs, 14 RBI and a 157 wRC+. The most impressive improvement has been the career-low strikeout % of 20.3%. The road to his 20/20 season is still going well, having stolen seven bases thus far. It's as simple as this: Robby Snelling should be in AAA. Through four starts, he's posted a 1.61 ERA, 2.18 FIP, 11.69 K/9 and 1.21 BB/9 through 22 ⅓ innings pitched. His fastball velocity has bounced back to where it had been earlier in his pro career and he is pairing it with sharp command. Dax Fulton missed his last start, but it was precautionary and not injury-related. He is expected to make his next start on time. Through three starts, he's posted a 3.46 ERA, 4.45 FIP, 8.31 K/9 and 5.54 BB/9 through 13 innings pitched. Once regarded as a Marlins Top 30 prospect, 24-year old Evan Fitterer is off to an amazing start. In four appearances (three starts), he has a 0.87 ERA, 2.01 FIP, 8.71 K/9 and 2.18 BB/9. This is his lowest walk rate since 2021. There is extra pressure on Fitterer this season because he is due to become a minor league free agent unless he earns a spot on Miami's 40-man roster. In six appearances, Josh Ekness has yet to allow an earned run. He has a 0.00 ERA, 1.31 FIP, 15.95 K/9 and 3.68 BB/9 through 7 ⅓ innings pitched. He also has two saves. Through 16 ⅓ innings, Adam Laskey has a 0.55 ERA, 1.01 ERA, 11.57 K/9 and 0.55 BB/9. These are all easily career-highs for the 27-year-old. With such a packed pitching staff in AAA, Laskey has been relegated to AA, but at some point should be an option for the Marlins in long relief or even as a spot starter. High-A Beloit Catcher Ryan Ignoffo is off to another great start this season, slashing .232/.308/.478/.786 with three home runs, 19 RBI and a 117 wRC+. No other player on the Sky Carp has driven in more than seven runs. On the defensive side, he's got four passed balls, but has thrown out seven baserunners. A promotion to AA is possible by the middle of the season. Another catcher who is off to an awesome start in a VERY limited sample size is 2024 12th-round pick Connor Caskenette. He's slashing .368/.571/.421/.992 with five RBI. At 22 years old, he can get more consistent reps at catcher if they promote Ignoffo. Top prospect Thomas White is coming off his longest career start, going 5 ⅓ innings, striking out seven and allowing one run on one hit. For the season, he has a 3.31 ERA, 3.03 FIP, 12.12 K/9 and 6.06 BB/9 through 16 ⅓ innings pitched. Noble Meyer, who was drafted ahead of White in that 2023 class, is off to an uneven start. He's posted a 5.11 ERA, 5.55 FIP, 8.03 K/9 and 4.38 BB/9 through 12 ⅓ innings pitched. Meyer is still struggling to throw strikes and it has been a constant issue throughout his career. Up until Sunday, Xavier Meachem had not allowed an earned run. He had been a bit lucky, to be honest, posting a 4.87 FIP and 8.10 BB/9. Meachem began coming back down to earth in his latest outing with two earned runs allowed, but he's been impressive overall. Low-A Jupiter There was a veteran presence around the Hammerheads during their previous series. Ryan Weathers, Eury Pérez and Victor Mesa Jr. all began rehab assignments. The youngest prospect to appear in a Minor League Baseball game so far in 2025, Andrew Salas continues to find success in Jupiter, slashing .275/.473/.350/.823 with two RBI, five stolen bases and 154 wRC+. After a slow start, assuming he may look overmatched, he may stick around Low-A for the rest of the season. On the other hand, Carter Johnson, the Marlins second round pick last year is off to a rough start, slashing .177/.258/.253/.511 with 31 strikeouts. It is very likely that once the FCL season begins, he will go down a level to see if he can get into a rhythm. PJ Morlando made his season debut and through four games, he is 2-for-16 with one home run, nine strikeouts and one walk. He has played in center field and left field so far. Starlyn Caba was placed on the 7-day injured last after suffering a left thumb sprain, per our own Isaac Azout. He was slashing .200/.431/.200/.631 with three RBI, six stolen bases and a 116 wRC+ prior to the injury. He had been splitting time between shortstop and second base. Abrahan Ramírez, who was one of three players acquired in the Jazz Chisholm Jr. trade, is off to a nice start, slashing .245/.406/.347/.753 with 13 RBI and a 128 wRC+. He's been primarily at third base and DH. Next Up (April 29-May 4) Triple-A Jacksonville at Durham Double-A Pensacola at Birmingham High-A Beloit at Peoria Low-A Jupiter at Fort Myers View full article

Miami Marlins catcher Agustín Ramírez speaks with the media at loanDepot park after Tuesday's win (accompanied by interpreter Luis Dorante). Through his first two career games, Ramírez has gone 5-for-6 with two walks. View full video

The recent call-up continues to mash MLB pitching and the Marlins are now riding their longest winning streak of the 2025 season. MIAMI, FL—Agustín Ramírez has only played two games in the majors leagues and he has already made history. The rookie backstop was key in the Marlins' 4-3 comeback win over the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday. One of the three players that the Marlins acquired from the New York Yankees in exchange for Jazz Chisholm Jr., Ramírez finished the night going 3-for-3 with a walk and RBI. "There's certainly a real talent level," said manager Clayton McCullough. "There's real bat speed, real impact. You're never sure how a young player is going to come in right away and respond to the major league level. His calmness in his plate appearances, what he's swinging at, he's firing at the right pitches and there's a real aggressive approach there and a real threat." Ramírez is well known for his offensive tools, his power standing out the most. Through eight plate appearances, he's hit three balls with an exit velocity of over 100 mph, most notably his third hit of the night in the bottom of the eighth inning. That made him the first player in franchise history with five hits through two games—he surpassed Dane Myers (2023), Mike Redmond (1998) and Ryan Jackson (1998), who each had four hits through two games. The one ongoing concern with Ramírez is his defense. Although the Reds didn't come out on top, they stole four bases, with the speedy Elly De La Cruz accounting for two of them. Ramírez also nearly gave the Reds a free baserunner when he dropped a called third strike and rushed the throw to first base. MnJPR3pfWGw0TUFRPT1fQmxCV1YxQlNVVlFBQVFjSEJRQUhCRlVDQUZrSEFnUUFCUUFCQ1ZWV0J3QlZBRkJS.mp4 "He did well both nights receiving the ball," said McCullough. "Thought he really handled both Max (Meyer) and (Edward Cabrera) very well. His ability within the game, talking with our pitchers and coaches as they set up the next inning and to be able to follow the game plan, he's done a very good job in that regard. Had some good blocks again tonight and then some aspects of the game, he'll just have to continue to work on." Cabrera, who struggled in his last start, was better on Tuesday, going five innings, allowing three runs on five hits, two walks and struck out seven. His sinker averaged 97.3 mph and topped out at 98.9 mph, and although he didn't get many whiffs, he trusted his stuff in the zone. Overall, 50 of his 87 pitches landed for strikes, including going 13-for-22 on first-pitch strikes. "His breaking balls were outstanding," said McCullough. "The curveball and slider he had going on. We talk a lot about the changeup and the velo. He was just in and around the zone so effectively. Managed his pitch count very well. This was a really good version of Cabrera." In the top of the third inning, Reds third baseman Noelvi Marte hit his second home run of the season, 431 feet to left field. That was Marte's second home run of the season and it tied the game at 1-1. In the top of the fifth, Cabrera surrendered a go-ahead RBI double to TJ Friedl to make it 2-1. The Marlins starter went in for the sixth inning, but was unable to record an out. Elly De La Cruz smacked a leadoff base hit to center field and immediately stole second. Cabrera walked Austin Hays to end his outing. Anthony Veneziano entered in relief of Cabrera. With runners on first and second, De La Cruz stole his ninth base of the season, which then set up a sac fly, giving the Reds a 3-1 lead. Miami's comeback began in the bottom of the sixth. Ramírez torched a ball 106.7 mph down the third base line, going all the way to the corner in left field, scoring Eric Wagaman all the way from first base. Otto Lopez drove in the game-tying run in the bottom of the seventh inning and Xavier Edwards drove in Lopez with the help of a Graham Ashcraft throwing error to take a 4-3 lead. 25d9eabd-3c8fd76f-b2e53c92-csvm-diamondgcp-asset_1280x720_59_4000K.mp4 With the win, the Marlins are now 11-12 on the season and will have Sandy Alcantara take the mound for the series finale Wednesday at 1:10 pm. The Marlins will look for their first series sweep of the 2025 season on getaway day. View full article