Kevin Barral

Miami Marlins catcher Liam Hicks speaks with the media at loanDepot park after debuting on March 28 against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Hicks played the entire game, going 0-for-3 with a walk. View full video

When Edward Cabrera and Ryan Weathers went down with injuries, the Marlins called upon Connor Gillispie and Valente Bellozo to fill some innings. MIAMI, FL—Going into the final weeks of spring training, the Miami Marlins were expecting to have a rotation of Sandy Alcantara, Ryan Weathers, Edward Cabrera, Max Meyer and Cal Quantrill. Injuries made them adjust those plans. While Cabrera (middle finger blister) and Weathers (flexor muscle strain) complete their rehab, Connor Gillispie and Valente Bellozo have the opportunity to make a few starts in their place. Gillispie was claimed off waivers from the Atlanta Braves back in January. He was in West Palm Beach when he received the news, about to make his way over to Venice, close to where the Braves hold their spring training. It all ended up working out for the 27-year-old as he simply made his way up to Jupiter. Gillispie had a strong spring, enough to make the Marlins rotation. Through six appearances (three starts), Gillispie posted a 3.86 ERA, striking out nine and walking five. He didn't allow a single hit in his first four appearances. "Pitching staff was able to enhance the repertoire," said Marlins manager Clayton McCullough. "Enough fastball that has good carry to the top of the strike zone and a lot of confidence in his breaking pitches. Connor's a terrific competitor." At the major league level, Gillispie made three previous appearances, all of those with the Cleveland Guardians where he posted a 2.25 ERA, 3.04 FIP, 9.0 K/9 and 5.6 BB/9 through 8.0 IP. Friday marked his first career start and he had family and friends in attendance. "Pressure comes with it," said Gillispie. "I've prepared my whole life for this, so just another day in the park." On Friday night, Gillispie gave the Marlins five innings of work against the Pittsburgh Pirates, allowing four runs (three earned) off of four hits (one home run), walking four and striking out four. Bellozo made 13 Marlins starts last season, posting a 3.67 ERA, 5.73 FIP, 5.8 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 through 68 ⅔ innings pitched. He will take the mound on Saturday. Entering 2025, his velocity is up—after averaging 89.2 mph with his four-seam fastball last year, he averaged 90.4 mph during the spring. When it comes to his arsenal, Bellozo added a kick-changeup, something he began using in his second outing of the spring. "I think it's moving well," said Bellozo. "It's attacking in the zone, having more confidence on it. That's gonna come with the outings, practice, throwing programs and bullpens. Right now, I have a really good feeling of that pitch and the feedback is good. The hop and the depth of that pitch is gonna be huge." Uk80blpfVlZjPV9Wd2xVQmxJTkJGUUFXMWNIVmdBQUNWUldBRmxRVWdJQUJGSUNVUVFNVWxVRFUxRUE=.mp4 In five Grapefruit League appearances (two starts), Bellozo posted a 9.45 ERA. He got off to a promising start, but it all went downhill after that. "I'm a pitcher of info, of getting more info," said Bellozo. "I open my pictures of the swings, of aggressiveness, of counts and other stuff. I think that affected [me] a little bit in the spring because we don't have all that info. But here in the league, now Opening Day and all the outings, we have all that info and it's gonna work for me." The Marlins optioned Bellozo on March 14 to Triple-A Jacksonville. Following Ryan Weathers' injury, the team brought Bellozo down to Miami and informed him on Tuesday that he would be one of 17 players making their first career Opening Day roster. "This is part of the business, part of baseball," Bellozo said. "That was my mindset when they sent me down: be prepared. I know that I did a really well last year, my last two months and the numbers are there. Only be healthy, be prepared for the call. The call was really quick and we're ready. We're gonna be 100% every outing and every start." View full article

Miami Marlins outfielder Kyle Stowers speaks with the media at loanDepot park about his walk-off hit on Opening Day. View full video

MIAMI, FL—You couldn't have asked for a better Opening Day game. Sandy Alcantara made his long-awaited return to the mound, and although the Miami Marlins were trailing when he was taken out, his teammates erased a 4-1 deficit and defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates in walk-off fashion by a final score of 5-4. It was the first Marlins Opening Day win at home since 2014 and the second ever at their current ballpark. Outfielder Kyle Stowers, who had a rough 50-game sample with the Marlins last season, just completed an equally rough spring training. He slashed .175/.365/.175/.540 with three RBI, but walked 12 times. Then he began Thursday's game with two strikeouts. "We saw high-quality at-bats from Kyle (Stowers) all spring long," said Marlins manager Clayton McCullough. "The scoreboard not reflecting that, but he was making some good swing decisions in the box. Not easy to have the first couple go that way, but that's a professional. You got to hang in there and your next at-bat could be the most important." Stowers bounced back and worked back-to-back full-count walks. In the bottom of the ninth inning, with a runner on third, he hit a 105.5 mph RBI single down the right field line off of David Bednar to knock in the first walk-off win of the MLB season. "It's special," said Stowers. "Obviously, there was already a lot of energy with it being Opening Day, thought the atmosphere was great. It's just those moments any time of the year which are why we play the game, opportunities like that. I was just happy to be the guy in that moment." Stowers' heroics also snapped a losing streak against the Pirates, who beat the Marlins in all seven of their head-to-head matchups last season. For the first time in 571 days, Sandy Alcantara pitched for the Fish. After cruising through 4 ⅔ innings, striking out seven, the Marlins ace ran into some trouble, surrendering an 2-RBI single to Bryan Reynolds, giving the Pirates a 2-1 lead in the top of the fifth inning. In total, he allowed three hits and walked four on 91 pitches. "It wasn't my best outing today," said Alcantara following the game. "I was fighting since the first inning. I just need to take away the walks and be okay. I just gotta think about what I did today and prepare myself for my next start." Alcantara went with his sinker, changeup, four-seam fastball and slider. His four-seam fastball was averaging 98.2 mph while the sinker averaged 97.2 mph. no1pkh.mp4 Although Paul Skenes struck out seven Marlins, they made the reigning National League Rookie of the Year work. Skenes finished his outing going 5 ⅓ innings, allowing two runs off of three hits and walking two. The Marlins went on to finish the night with seven walks, matching their highest total from the 2024 season. "I thought we had a lot of really high quality at-bats," said McCullough. "Paul is tough, and to at least stress him some and get his pitch count up there. When their guys came out of the bullpen, our guys put together some really good at-bats." For the first time since the shortened 2020 season, the Marlins have begun with a 1-0 record. On Friday, Connor Gillispie will take the mound for the Marlins. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 pm. View full article

Clayton McCullough speaks with the media at loanDepot park after guiding the Miami Marlins to a walk-off win over the Pittsburgh Pirates in his managerial debut. View full video

Miami Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara speaks with the assembled media at loanDepot park as he prepares to face the Pittsburgh Pirates on Opening Day of the 2025 season. View full video

Miami Marlins manager Clayton McCullough speaks with the assembled media at loanDepot park entering Opening Day of the 2025 season. View full video

Starting the Marlins' last exhibition game of the spring, Meyer looked good against the Yankees regulars. At the plate, one Marlin trying to secure his spot on the Opening Day roster went yard. MIAMI, FL—On Tuesday, the Miami Marlins hosted the New York Yankees for an exhibition game. Right-hander Max Meyer gave the Marlins five innings en route to a 4-2 victory of the Yankees. He allowed two runs (one earned) off of five hits, allowed no walks and struck out three. Meyer's fastball averaged 95.4 mph, which is higher than any regular season start of his MLB career. The 26-year-old starter used his entire five-pitch mix, led by his slider (25% usage) and changeup (22%). All three of Meyer's strikeouts were swinging strikeouts, with former American League MVP Aaron Judge being the final victim. "He was terrific," said manager Clayton McCullough. "Finished off what was a really good spring training. The crispness of his pitches in particular, some of the breaking balls he threw today. Max can gain count leverage and get up on counts with people. He just has so many weapons to work with...Max finished as strong as he and us could hope for." Meyer will make his first regular season start on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Pirates. After struggling late in the spring, Marlins first baseman Matt Mervis hit a solo homer in the bottom of the third inning to put the Marlins ahead, 3-1. The ball left the bat 93.7 mph and went 359 feet into right field. Mervis will finish his first spring with the Marlins slashing .212/.255/.481/.736 with four home runs and eight RBI. He should be starting at first base on Opening Day. "Matty had some really good at-bats in Port St. Lucie on Sunday," said McCullough. "Had a walk and lined out. Today, another walk in his first at-bat and then hit a homer. He's in a good spot right now heading into the season." With the recent news of Connor Norby landing on the injured list to begin the season, the Marlins brought infielder Graham Pauley to Miami. He started Tuesday's game at third base. In the bottom of the fourth inning, Pauley hit a solo home run with an exit velocity of 107.9 mph that went 384 feet to right-center field. It was the second-hardest-hit ball by either team. RDFOQVpfVlZjPV9BbEFEVkZVSEExUUFDMVVHVWdBQUNGVlNBRmdOV2dVQUMxMEdCUVpRQmdSVUNBSlQ=.mp4 Back on March 16, the Marlins optioned Pauley to Triple-A Jacksonville, thinking there wouldn't be room for him in the majors, but now, he is well-positioned to get recalled for Thursday's opener. Of Note - Entering the regular season, the Marlins' starting rotation order will be as follows: Sandy Alcantara (Thursday), Connor Gillispie (Friday), Valente Bellozo (Saturday), Max Meyer (Sunday) and Cal Quantrill (Monday). On Wednesday, Quantrill and Edward Cabrera will face off in a simulated game. Quantrill will go five innings, but Cabrera's outing will likely be shorter as he gradually builds up his pitch count after suffering a blister on his middle finger. The latter will begin the season on the injured list and get sent on a minor league rehab assignment if the sim game goes as planned. - McCullough notes that the Opening Day roster is almost done: "Definitely going to be some members that aren't going to be with us Opening Day. That certainly could be. It also means they're going to come up and help us out at some point." - In his return to loanDepot park as an opposing player, Jazz Chisholm Jr. played second base and went 0-for-2, both plate appearances being groundouts. View full article

Another integral piece of the Marlins will now begin the season on the injured list. MIAMI, FL—On Tuesday, Miami Marlins manager Clayton McCullough announced that third baseman Connor Norby suffered a grade one left oblique strain. He will begin the season on the injured list and miss four weeks. The injury occurred during Saturday's spring game in West Palm Beach against the Houston Astros. "He was in a really good spot with Opening Day right here, for it to go down when it did," said McCullough. "Guys will step up and get a chance in his absence and we hope he gets back as quickly as he can. We know he'll do everything in his power to take care of himself and be ready when his body allows him." Norby, who the Marlins acquired along with Kyle Stowers from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for Trevor Rogers, played in 36 games for Miami following the trade and hit .247/.315/.445/.760 with seven home runs, 17 RBI and a 104 OPS+. Through 15 spring games, Norby slashed .255/.294/.404/.698 with one home run and six RBI. After being optioned to Triple-A Jacksonville earlier in camp, third baseman Graham Pauley is here with the Marlins and started in the exhibition game against the New York Yankees. McCullough did say that no move has been made yet, but he is someone who may be presented with an opportunity to make the Opening Day roster. "It's an interesting time of year," McCullough said. "Other things going on here as teams are setting their roster. I think we're still making some decisions on what our final roster will look like." On Tuesday, Pauley was in the Marlins lineup hitting ninth and in the bottom of the fourth inning, he took Yankees starter Will Warren deep for a solo homer. The ball left the bat at 107.9 mph and went 384 feet to right-center field. That was his first home run of the spring. Two other names to keep an eye on who may see some action at third while Norby is out are Eric Wagaman and Jonah Bride. Wagaman, who the Marlins signed to a split deal in free agency, appeared in 16 spring games, slashing .245/.315/.408/.723 with two home runs and six RBI. He had mainly been developed as a first baseman prior to last season, but has since added some defensive versatility. Bride, who played in 16 spring games, slashed .195/.370/.341/.711 with one home run and three RBI. Like Wagaman, he can play first and third base. Expect him to split time at first with Matt Mervis assuming Pauley is on the roster. "We've at least tried to prepare as many of those that are here with us as we could," McCullough said. "You just never know what's going to happen during the season, so to keep a lot of those avenues open during spring training and get the reps over there in the event things come up." The Marlins could have as many as eight players on the major league injured list to begin the season. Braxton Garrett, Andrew Nardi and Eury Pérez are already on the 60-day IL; Norby, Declan Cronin, Jesús Sánchez, Edward Cabrera and Ryan Weathers are all candidates for either the 10-day or 15-day IL. So far, only Garrett (left elbow UCL revision surgery) has been ruled out for the whole season. Opening Day is set for Thursday, March 27 at 4:10 pm against the Pittsburgh Pirates. View full article

Ryan Weathers' breakout season will have to wait as he will begin the regular season on the IL. Exactly a week before the Marlins take the field on Opening Day, the team received gut-wrenching news on the injury front. Left-handed pitcher Ryan Weathers will be sidelined for approximately 4-6 weeks due to a left forearm strain, the team announced. Weathers will join Edward Cabrera as the second starting pitcher to begin the season on the injured list. Last season, Weathers was limited to only 16 starts as he suffered a left index finger strain which placed him on the 60-Day IL. This offseason, Weathers went on a carnivore diet and that led to him losing 20 pounds, which allowed him to get better extension off the mound. Through four starts this spring, Weathers' fastball velocity was averaging 97.3 mph, topping out at 99.3 mph. In 2024, Weathers fastball averaged 95.9 mph, which is a major velocity bump compared to where he originally was. Going into the season, Weathers was projected as the number two starter in the rotation. At the moment, the Marlins rotation is projected to be led by Sandy Alcantara, followed by Max Meyer, Cal Quantrill, and Connor Gillispie. The fifth starter is anyone's guess as candidate Janson Junk, who started for the Marlins on Thursday, exited the game early with due to back spasms. Other options that manager Clayton McCullough mentioned on Thursday included Valente Bellozo, who made 13 starts in 2024 and Adam Mazur, who was one of four players acquired from the San Diego Padres in the Tanner Scott/Bryan Hoeing trade. Mazur, 23, already made his Major League debut in 2024. Mazur appeared in three spring training games and only allowed a run in five innings pitched. Bellozo and Mazur were sent down to Triple-A Jacksonville earlier this month, but they can still be recalled before Opening Day. View full article

The 2025 regular season will begin at loanDepot park on Thursday as Sandy Alcantara and the Miami Marlins will host Paul Skenes and the Pittsburgh Pirates. MIAMI, FL—Opening Day has finally arrived. We are getting a rematch of last year's season opener between the Miami Marlins and Pittsburgh Pirates, except with an even better pitching matchup to enjoy. It'll be the 2022 National League Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara facing 2024 National League Rookie of the Year winner Paul Skenes. Although the home team will have to overcome a lot of obstacles to be competitive in 2025, the first game of any season always comes with good vibes. Here's the latest on the Marlins and some information on starter Paul Skenes and the Pirates. Pitching Matchups & Game Times Thursday: RHP Sandy Alcantara vs. RHP Paul Skenes, 4:10 pm Friday: RHP Connor Gillispie vs. RHP Mitch Keller, 7:10 pm Saturday: RHP Valente Bellozo vs. LHP Bailey Falter, 4:10 pm Sunday: RHP Max Meyer vs. LHP Andrew Heaney, 1:10 pm Marlins Updates Taking the mound for the Marlins on Thursday will be ace Sandy Alcantara. His fifth Opening Day start may be the one he's most motivated for. The last time he threw a pitch in a regular season game was on September 3, 2023 against the Washington Nationals. "I was out for more than 17 months," said Alcantara on Opening Day eve. "Now I'm back, I'm super excited to be out there tomorrow and show people that I was working to be out there to represent my country and my team." Alcantara did note in his press conference that a pitch count has been set for Thursday. It was a conversation that he had with pitching coach Daniel Moskos and manager Clayton McCullough. Alcantara only maxed out at four innings and 57 pitches during Grapefruit League action, though he did have one more tune-up last week on the backfields to continue stretching out. During the midst of the press conference, the Marlins swung a trade with the Philadelphia Phillies, acquiring right-handed pitcher Tyler Phillips in exchange for cash considerations. Reliever Seth Martinez was designated for assignment as the corresponding move. Last season, Phillips made eight appearances (seven starts) and posted a 6.87 ERA, 5.57 FIP, 6.87 K/9 and 1.72 BB/9 through 36 ⅔ innings pitched. He made seven appearances (one start) in spring training games, but struggled, posting a 7.59 ERA. Phillips' pitch mix consists of a sinker (30.3%), sweeper (29.2%), four-seam fastball (19.2%), curveball (14.4%) and changeup (6.9%). Expect Phillips to be a bulk guy during this first series of the season. Within the bullpen, the only lefty that will make the Opening Day roster is Anthony Veneziano. After getting off to a great start this spring, he cooled off, but still finished with a 3.18 ERA in 10 appearances. Per Daniel Álvarez-Montes of El Extrabase, utility man Javier Sanoja has made the roster as well. Fish On First's 20th-ranked prospect is the youngest player since José Fernández and Christian Yelich (2014) to make a Marlins Opening Day roster. This spring, Sanoja slashed .229/.250/.286/.536 with two RBI. He will be playing all over the field—in a short stint with the big league team last year, he played four different positions. Our own Alex Krutchik reported that third baseman Graham Pauley has made the Marlins roster. After being optioned to Triple-A Jacksonville on March 16, he will be recalled on Thursday in light of the Connor Norby left oblique strain. Norby will miss about four weeks. In 11 spring games, Pauley slashed .286/.355/.429/.784 with one home run and five RBI. Now, it's just a matter of how much playing time he'll receive (Jonah Bride, Eric Wagaman and Sanoja can all play third base, too). Introducing the Pittsburgh Pirates Last season, the Pirates posted a 76-86 overall record, which included going a perfect 7-0 against the Marlins last season. After going 48-48 in the first half, the Pirates fell off, finishing 28-38. One of the bright spots in 2024 was National League Rookie of the Year Paul Skenes. The top MLB draft pick in 2023 was even more dominant than advertised with a 1.96 ERA, 2.44 FIP, 11.5 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9 through 133 innings pitched. That ERA was the lowest amongst qualified pitchers in baseball from the time he debuted (May 11) through the end of the season. Skenes' arsenal already includes a four-seam fastball, splinker, curveball, sweeper, slider and changeup. His best pitch is the splinker, which averages 94.0 mph and had hitters whiffing 29.3% of the time. He threw it 603 times as a rookie and allowed only one home run. In his lone start against the Marlins, Skenes went six innings, allowing one run off of six hits, walking one and striking out nine. Otto Lopez had the lone RBI. He and Xavier Edwards each had a multi-hit day off of Skenes. Last season, Pirates starting pitchers ranked 15th in ERA and fWAR. As for the bullpen, they were 27th in ERA and 18th in fWAR, in part because of the down season that closer David Bednar had. He posted a 5.77 ERA, 4.80 FIP, 9.05 K/9, 4.37 BB/9 and 23 saves through 62 appearances. Despite that, Bednar is expected to open 2025 in the closer's role again. Offensively, the Pirates ranked 28th in baseball in wRC+ and fWAR. Former shortstop Oneil Cruz enters his first full year as a center fielder. He's coming off a nice season, slashing .259/.324/.449/.773 with 21 home runs, 76 RBI and a 110 wRC+. Pittsburgh legend Andrew McCutchen produced better than the league average as a 37-year-old, slashing .232/.328/.411/.739 with 20 home runs, 50 RBI and a 105 wRC+. He'll still be a big piece for the Pirates as he goes into his age-38 season. They will be expecting a lot more from talented third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes after he slashed .233/.283/.290/.573 with only four homers in 96 games. This offseason, the Pirates were relatively quiet. They signed Andrew Heaney, Tommy Pham and Adam Frazier to one-year deals and added middle relief depth. Their biggest trade acquisition, Spencer Horwitz, is beginning the year on the injured list. View full article

Fish Unfiltered—Episode #70 Kevin Barral and Isaac Azout bring on Ely Sussman and Alex Carver to share four bold predictions apiece for this upcoming Miami Marlins season. They also react to the injuries that Edward Cabrera and Jesús Sánchez recently suffered in spring training. Alex's predictions Agustín Ramírez hits 20 MLB home runs Josh Ekness leads the Marlins in saves Javier Sanoja plays 120 games with .275 batting average Max Meyer posts 3.75 ERA and 1.35 WHIP Ely's predictions Xavier Edwards puts up at least 4.0 fWAR Marlins pitchers allow the most walks in the National League Sandy Alcantara does not get traded Dillon Head becomes top-ranked Marlins hitting prospect Isaac's predictions Ryan Weathers record 200 strikeouts Lake Bachar leads bullpen in fWAR Jacob Berry hits first MLB home run Otto Lopez is NL Gold Glove finalist and posts 4.0 fWAR Kevin's predictions Multiple Marlins receive All-Star selections Connor Norby has 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases Thomas White makes MLB debut Xavier Edwards breaks Marlins single-season stolen base record 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, Big Fish Small Pod, Swimming Upstream and more. Follow Isaac (@IsaacAzout), Kevin (@kevin_barral), Ely (@RealEly), Alex (@marlinsminors) and Fish On First (@FishOnFirst) on Twitter. Join the Marlins Discord server! Complete Miami Marlins coverage here at FishOnFirst.com. View full article