Kevin Barral

In this Flipped Fish interview, Arizona Diamondbacks reliever A.J. Puk reflects on his Marlins tenure and reacts to pitching against his former teammates. View full video

Although no longer on the same team, Bell and Burger maintain a close friendship. MIAMI, FL—In the middle of the 2023 playoff race, the Miami Marlins decided to fully buy at the trade deadline and two of the pieces they acquired were Josh Bell and Jake Burger. They became very close, both on and off the field. A year later, the Marlins were far out of contention and in a position where they had to sell off pieces, with one of those being Bell going to the Arizona Diamondbacks. On Tuesday, the ex-teammates spoke to how that relationship has impacted their careers. "I think the moment we both walked into this clubhouse right after the trade deadline last year, we instantly clicked," said Burger. "Felt like a big brother to me in a sense. Our families are great friends. Now our wives are always texting each other. [My son] Brooks is really good friends with his daughters and loves playing. From the baseball aspect, he's pivotal in my career. Just to show me the ropes of how to go about it every single day and be a professional. He really took me under his wing and it's a relationship that'll transcend the sport for the rest of our lives." When Bell was acquired last season, he was struggling with the Cleveland Guardians. Following the trade deadline, when he joined the Marlins, he flipped the switch slashing .270/.338/.480/.818 with 11 home runs, 26 RBIs and a 115 OPS+. As for Burger, he had already smacked 25 home runs with the White Sox, but strikeouts were an issue. With the Marlins, Burger lowered his strikeout percentage to 21.7%, the lowest of his career. Although it was a short stint for Bell, it was an impactful one with the numbers he had in 2023 and being a key part in the Marlins playoff run. "When you're tasting champagne at the end of the season, they're memories that you are not going to forget," said Bell. "Made some good friends, with Xavier (Edwards), (Jake) Burger and the rest of the guys. Trades are part of the game. I was talking about it when (Luis) Arraez and (A.J.) Puk left and now I am on a different team, so it's just a part of it and you just have to keep grinding and keep showing up every day." Prior to the trade deadline, Bell told Fish On First in an exclusive interview that he didn't see himself getting traded two weeks before the deadline due to poor production. However, after his hot streak and an injury that sidelined regular Diamondbacks first baseman Christian Walker, he had a feeling he would be going out west. Bell is used to midseason moves after being traded at the 2022 and 2023 deadlines as well. Still, it helps that he would be rejoining A.J. Puk, who was dealt to the D-backs separately just a couple days earlier. "That was cool," said Bell. "Just getting a text from him as soon as I got traded was cool. A familiar face in the clubhouse always goes a long way during the trade deadline, so definitely happy to be teammates with him again." Looking to salvage the series finale against the Diamondbacks on Wednesday, the Marlins did plenty of damage against veteran lefty Jordan Montgomery. Burger hit his 25th home run of the season while Cristian Pache hit his first home run of the season. Coincidentally, Pache's last homer came more than a year ago in Miami (when he was still on the Philadelphia Phillies). The Marlins took a 6-3 lead into the seventh inning. However, Arizona rallied back in the top of the seventh led by Bell's RBI single and Lourdes Gurriel Jr.'s pinch-hit, three-run double. In the process, they snapped Jesús Tinoco's scoreless streak as a Marlin. The Diamondbacks padded the lead thanks to Geraldo Perdomo's second home run of the season, which made it 8-6. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Marlins manager Skip Schumaker was ejected for the eighth time in his Marlins tenure. It came after Xavier Edwards argued a called third strike. The Marlins kept fighting until the end, loading the bases in the bottom of the ninth inning and bringing the potential winning run to the plate, but it wouldn't be enough, The Diamondbacks held on to defeat them by a final score of 10-8. Josh Bell would finish Wednesday's game going 1-for-2 with an RBI, two walks and a hit-by-pitch. David Hensley, who started for the Marlins, notched a three-hit game, his first with the Marlins and second of his career. The Marlins will have themselves on off-day before beginning their three-game set against the Chicago Cubs on Friday night. The Marlins have yet to announce a starter, but it is projected to be Max Meyer. First pitch will be at 7:10 pm. View full article

In this Flipped Fish interview, Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Zac Gallen reflects on being traded to the Marlins, only to be dealt again two years later, and how the D-backs have changed their culture since he's been there. View full video

Tinoco has quietly been on a 10-inning scoreless streak since rejoining the Marlins. MIAMI, FL—Once upon a time, Jesús Tinoco was a member of the 2020 Marlins. Four years later, after making many stops with different teams, he's back in Miami and pitching better than ever. There were no expectations on Tinoco this time around as he was just designated for assignment by the Chicago Cubs. The Marlins were just looking for him to fill out their bullpen following a series of trade deadline deals. Since making his return to the organization, Tinoco has been surprisingly dominant, posting a 0.00 ERA, allowing three hits and one walk while striking out 12 batters. He entered Tuesday's game with a 1.38 FIP which dropped even lower following a clean inning of work. Pitching the top of the ninth against a tough Arizona Diamondbacks lineup, Tinoco induced a flyout and a groundout, then he struck out Eugenio Suárez with an elevated four-seam fastball to generate the whiff. "I am very happy to be here with the team," said Tinoco in Spanish prior to his latest scoreless appearance. "Just trying to help the team as much as I can and trying to attack the hitters more and just be ready for any situation." OGdZcnlfWGw0TUFRPT1fQmdaWUJ3RUdCUW9BRFFCUkFnQUFWVk5mQUFCUVcxUUFDbFpUQWdvSFVBZFVWVlFI.mp4 Despite possessing impressive stuff, Tinoco hasn't been able to stick with one team for any extended period. In 2024 alone, he has moved from the Texas Rangers to the Kansas City Royals to the Cubs to the Marlins. Miami pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre Jr. and bullpen coach Wellington Cepeda have helped the right-hander use his 96 mph fastball in a different way. "He's attacking on the first pitch," said Cepeda, "and when you have to throw inside with the sinker, he'll do it and he'll also hit you with the slider. Good combination between both pitches. Something new that he has been doing is using that four-seamer up against lefties. He's doing a great job of locating those pitches up that are an extra tool to do what he's doing." Tinoco has held left-handed opponents hitless in his second stint with the Fish. "It's not 92; it's 97-98 miles per hour and he can really spin it," said Marlins manager Skip Schumaker. "He's been put in high-leverage situations and been really successful. Provided multiple innings, gets the ground ball when he needs it, gets the strikeout when he needs it. He's really been a pleasant surprise for us." Tinoco, 29, has grown a lot as a pitcher since his 2020 stint with Miami. "Last year, I was in Japan and I learned new things and I have been implementing them here in the Major Leagues and they have been working for me." That includes adjustments that he made to his slider when overseas, which have added to its effectiveness. His plus-4 run value and 37.2 Whiff% on the pitch are both on track to be new career highs. Spread across five separate seasons, Tinoco has barely gained one year of MLB service time. He's still pre-arbitration eligible and under club control through the 2029 season. Without looking too far ahead, he is giving himself a legit chance to be part of the 2025 Marlins Opening Day roster. Game Notes It was a weird start for Edward Cabrera against Arizona: striking out three, but walking three and generating two whiffs. He posted a very high 79.2% first-pitch strike rate. In the top of the first inning, Cabrera permitted an RBI to Joc Pederson and allowed solo home runs to both Corbin Carroll and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. The only run that the Marlins were able to score came on an Xavier Edwards RBI single in the bottom of the fifth. In his second game with the Marlins, Connor Norby went 2-for-4 with two doubles. That marked Norby's second career multi-hit game and first with the Marlins. His last multi-hit game occurred in Miami as a member of the Baltimore Orioles. The Marlins suffered their 80th loss of the season by a final score of 3-1. The Marlins will look to avoid the sweep on Wednesday as Roddery Muñoz takes the mound for the Marlins. Struggling veteran Jordan Montgomery starts for the Diamondbacks. View full article

Swimming Upstream—Episode #62 Hear from two of the top 10 Miami Marlins prospects on the latest episode of Swimming Upstream! Prior to making his Marlins debut on Monday, INF Connor Norby (FOF #2 prospect) spoke to the media at loanDepot park about his development as a player, transitioning to a new organization and embracing third base. Then, Triple-A Jacksonville RHP Adam Mazur (FOF #9 prospect) gave an exclusive interview to Isaac Azout and Kevin Barral regarding his baseball background. Find Swimming Upstream 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, Fish Unfiltered, Big Fish Small Pod and more. The Fish On First podcast is presented by MPT College Consulting! They pride themselves on helping clients navigate the college application process. This includes preparation for standardized testing, guidance through high school, assistance with essays and applications, and choosing the right college. Visit them today at mptcollegeconsulting.com to learn more about their services and schedule a free consultation. Both players were acquired by the Marlins on trade deadline day (July 30)—Norby in exchange for Trevor Rogers and Mazur in exchange for Tanner Scott/Bryan Hoeing. They were originally second-round MLB Draft picks in 2021 and 2022, respectively. In 387 career minor league games, Norby has slashed .286/.368/.498 (124 wRC+) with 70 home runs and 45 stolen bases. He primarily played second base, but also got acclimated to left field, right field and most recently third base. Mazur has a 3.67 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 23.0 K% in 164.1 IP (38 G/32 GS). Norby and Mazur each had cups of coffee in the majors with their previous organizations. They'll be under club control through at least the 2030 season. Follow Connor (@norby_connor), Adam (@AdamMazur21), Kevin (@kevin_barral), Isaac (@IsaacAzout) and Fish On First (@FishOnFirst) on Twitter. Join the Marlins Discord server! Complete Miami Marlins coverage here at FishOnFirst.com. View full article

The former first-round pick has found consistent playing time in a depleted outfield, driving in 10 runs through his first 10 Marlins games. Following the trade deadline, the Miami Marlins looked to the waiver wire to fill out their active roster, just to patch things together for the rest of 2024. One of those additions was outfielder Derek Hill, a former first-round draft pick who had been with five other MLB organizations over the previous couple years. Since arriving, Hill isn't warming the bench: he's being used as an everyday player and even in a small sample, his solid production is worth noting. Hill was activated on August 5. He has played in ten games and started nine in a row, slashing .257/.270/.429/.699 with one home run and 10 RBIs. The 28-year-old has mainly played center field, including on Friday night against the New York Mets. He is appreciative of the consistent playing time. "It always helps," said Hill. "(Marlins manager) Skip (Schumaker) was straightforward with me: 'You're gonna go out there and if you succeed, we're gonna continue to give you an opportunity.' That's kind of where my headspace is." Four years removed from his MLB debut with only 0.7 fWAR to show for his career, Hill had been considered a Quad-A player. Right now with the Marlins, he will have his best chance to change that narrative. One thing that pops out is Hill's success against left-handed pitching, a career .841 OPS entering Friday. He came inches away from homering off of Mets lefty Sean Manaea. Hill noted that early on in his career, he was actually better against right-handed pitching, but since going to AAA, he's been hitting lefties better, something that the Marlins as a team have struggled with the past couple of years. Looking ahead to 2025, Jesús Sánchez is expected to be Miami's starting right fielder. The other outfield spots are up for grabs with Dane Myers, Victor Mesa Jr. and Kyle Stowers (among others) being in the mix for Opening Day jobs. Hill's RBI double was not nearly enough to overcome struggles by Marlins pitchers Roddery Muñoz and George Soriano as the Mets scored six in the bottom of the fourth inning, ultimately winning by a final score of 7-3. The series continues on Saturday at 4:10 p.m. ET. View full article

Miami Marlins manager Skip Schumaker addresses the assembled media following Sunday's dramatic win over the San Diego Padres. The Marlins went 2-5 during this past homestand against the Padres and Cincinnati Reds, including three extra-inning losses. View full video

Fish Unfiltered—Episode #62 Special guest: Xavier Edwards Miami Marlins starting shortstop Xavier Edwards sits down with Fish Unfiltered for an exclusive interview! Topics covered during our conversation: Trade from Rays to Marlins Foot infection earlier this season Hitting for the cycle How he became a switch-hitter Toughest pitchers he's faced Top Triple-A call-up candidates Friendships with Josh Bell and Troy Johnston 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. The Fish On First podcast is presented by MPT College Consulting! They pride themselves on helping clients navigate the college application process. This includes preparation for standardized testing, guidance through high school, assistance with essays and applications, and choosing the right college. Visit them today at mptcollegeconsulting.com to learn more about their services and schedule a free consultation. Our partners are FOCO are creating a limited-edition bobblehead honoring Edwards' performance on July 28 when he became the second player in Marlins history to hit for the cycle. Pre-order yours here. Speaking with Fish On First the day before his 25th birthday, Edwards has been exceeding all expectations. Since taking over as Miami's everyday shortstop on July 2, the speedy switch-hitter has accumulated 1.5 fWAR while slashing .387/.449/.471, putting up comparable numbers from both sides of the plate. His 46 hits during that span rank second in Major League Baseball behind only Bobby Witt Jr. A crucial question for the Marlins moving forward is whether Edwards can stick at shortstop or whether he'll ultimately shift over to second base. He explains the differences between the positions: "I think it starts with your feet, just getting going towards the ball faster and just getting your feet moving forward. At second, you can sorta wait back, catch the ball and the guy should be out...Really enjoying it again, remembering how much I loved playing short as an amateur and at the beginning of my pro career." N1ozUGtfVjBZQUhRPT1fVWdsVEFsWlJYMUFBQ0FNQ1VRQUFVbFVDQUZnTlZGWUFDbEZUQXdVTUJ3RUVDUVZR.mp4 Edwards currently wears No. 63 for the Marlins, but expect a change in 2025. "I am gonna try to get No. 9 next year," Edwards says. "That's my favorite number, my mom's favorite number and the number I've worn my whole baseball career." Follow Xavier (@xavierjedwards), 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

Prior to the trade deadline, the ninth inning belonged to Tanner Scott. Marlins manager Skip Schumaker discussed what his plan is for the closer's role for the rest of 2024. MIAMI, FL—Entering the trade deadline, the Miami Marlins had the top rental reliever on the market in Tanner Scott. He was dealt to the San Diego Padres along with Bryan Hoeing in exchange for four prospects. That has made life more complicated for Marlins manager Skip Schumaker, who has been left with an inexperienced bullpen for the final two months of the 2024 season. Who fills Scott's shoes as Miami's closer? Anthony Bender leads the team with nine career saves at the Major League level, though he has none this year. Instead, Calvin Faucher has recorded the only two saves for the team since Scott departed. "I don't think it's fair to say he's the closer," Schumaker told Fish On First when asked about Faucher's role. "I think he has closed out games and done a really good job of providing us with some big innings in the ninth inning lately. If there's three lefties at the top, I'm guessing (Andrew) Nardi is gonna get that. However, if the eighth inning is three lefties at the top, Nardi is gonna get that eighth inning." Schumaker noted that Andrew Nardi is the only lefty currently in his bullpen, which affects the order that relievers are used. "I think with Bender and (Declan) Cronin and Faucher and Nardi, I feel like you can mix and match. You can get all those guys potentially in the ninth inning one of these games depending on availability and different pockets and where to use them to get guys out with." "When we go down to the bullpen, we're told possibilities of when we're going to throw," said Faucher. "Every day, it's towards the sixth to ninth. Me, Nardi, Cronin, (Jesus) Tinoco and Bender kind of in there in those talks, so we're just ready when that time comes." Faucher has entered in the ninth inning during four of his last five appearances. He only did that twice through his first 37 appearances of the season. The first-year Marlin has a 3.38 ERA, 2.77 FIP, 9.70 K/9 and 4.64 BB/9 in 42 ⅔ innings. His greatest strength has been preventing home runs. Even Jesus Tinoco has found himself pitching and succeeding in high-leverage situations. Claimed off waivers following the deadline, Tinoco has struck out four, allowed one hit and hasn't issued a walk through 4 ⅓ scoreless innings. On Wednesday night, he pitched the top of the eighth, recording a strikeout to set up Faucher's save. "Guys have been down," said Schumaker. "Bender was dealing with something a little bit earlier, so he was down a few days. Yesterday we ran into a spot where it was really him. That's why he got the opportunity. We didn't have many guys left, but to his credit, we have been using his name a lot in the pitcher's meetings because he has 97 with a real slider." View full article

The Marlins' bats gave Valente Bellozo plenty of early run support. He led the team to its 43rd win of the season, though not without some late-inning drama. MIAMI, FL—When Valente Bellozo took the mound in Atlanta five days ago, the Marlins starter completed five impressive innings, going into the sixth, but not recording an out. The rookie took another step forward on Wednesday night against the Cincinnati Reds, Bellozo pitched a career-high 5 ⅔ shutout innings, striking out four, walking two and allowing five hits. He was given a large lead thanks to newest Marlin Derek Hill and the Marlins defeated the Reds by a final score of 6-4. The same Reds lineup that scored 10 runs in the opening game of this series and eight more in the second game couldn't put anything on the scoreboard while Bellozo was on the mound. This marked Bellozo's first career win at the Major League level. "He doesn't have much velocity, but his pitch shapes are really good," said Marlins manager Skip Schumaker. "All of his other characteristics on his secondary stuff, the shaping is really good. The goal of pitching is to miss bats or miss barrels and he is missing barrels at a really good percentage so that's a credit to him." Bellozo's four-seam fastball averaged only 89.4 mph and maxed out at 91.8 mph. It was still by far his most-used pitch and accounted for three of his nine whiffs. This season, Marlins pitchers have had no success containing Reds superstar Elly De La Cruz. On Wednesday night, however, Bellozo struck him out twice with two fastballs inside. De La Cruz ended the night going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts and one walk after having combined for eight hits between the first two games of the series. hx42ta_1.mp4 One thing that stands out about Bellozo is he's extremely confident, something Schumaker has observed as well. Bellozo has been meeting with a psychologist for the last year or so and he mentioned that the biggest takeaway is just keeping a positive mindset. "I think the better mindset is, it's a game," said Bellozo. "Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. Sometimes you throw your best pitch and it's a base hit and some days you are not and it's an out. That's the game. I think if we enjoy the game, have fun, embrace every sensation, every moment. I think that's really the mindset." On August 3, the Marlins claimed outfielder Derek Hill off waivers. Four days later, Hill took Reds starter Andrew Abbott deep for a grand slam. That marked Hill's first career grand slam and the team's third grand slam this season (Jazz Chisholm Jr. had the previous two). Hill is the first Marlins hitter to hit a grand slam in one of his first three games with the team since Jerar Encarnación in 2022 against the New York Mets. "What it's all about is, are you ready for your opportunity?" said Schumaker. "There's going to be guys we said earlier that are going to get their first shot of playing a lot at this level and Hill is one of them. He was a first-rounder years ago. He's a journeyman, but he hits the ball as hard as anybody. If he can cut down the strikeouts a little bit and hit the ball as hard as he's hitting it, he's gonna be okay up here." After getting off to a rough start this season, Jake Burger has turned it up a notch since the Marlins visited Cincinnati last month. On Wednesday, Burger went 2-for-4 with two home runs. It marked his fifth career multi-homer game. Burger also has hit 12 homers in his last 30 games. He now leads Miami with 19 total long balls in 2024. The Marlins held a 6-0 lead entering the top of the seventh inning, but that's when the Reds answered back with a grand slam of their own from TJ Friedl against reliever Andrew Nardi. This was only the second game in the Major League Baseball season where both teams have hit a grand slam. Down 6-4, the Reds made it interesting in the ninth inning. New Marlins closer Calvin Faucher loaded the bases, but was able to escape it and earned his second save of the season. With the win, the Marlins are now 43-72. They will aim for a series split on Thursday with Kyle Tyler taking the mound and the Reds going with All-Star Hunter Greene, who has been one of the best pitchers in baseball as of late. View full article

Six years later, the former summer collegiate league teammates have been reunited at the highest level of baseball. MIAMI, FL—Every summer, the Cape Cod Baseball League brings together some of the most talented players in college baseball. Consider the 2018 Falmouth Commodores. Their roster featured seven future major leaguers, including Atlanta Braves star pitcher Spencer Strider and two current Miami Marlins, Declan Cronin and Kyle Stowers. "Remember it being a really fun group," said Stowers. "One thing specifically for some reason that comes up to me is I think in the Cape is such a pure form of baseball. You're playing on high school fields, bad lights if you're playing night games, and you're just playing the game. I think summer ball as a whole in college feels like that. Just feels like a simplified form of baseball." Playing on the Cape between his sophomore and junior seasons at Stanford University, Stowers was one of Falmouth's top position players. He ended up slashing .326/.361/.565/.926 with six home runs, 24 RBIs and a team-leading 78 total bases. He was second on the team in batting average, OPS and slugging. Cronin, on the other hand, split his summer schedule between the New England Collegiate Baseball League and the Cape. He pitched only five games for the Commodores (all in relief). "There were some talented guys," said the Holy Cross right-hander. "Obviously the Cape is really cool because of the high level talent that you can be surrounded with, both on your team and the guys you're going against every night." Many members of the Marlins clubhouse departed over the last two weeks in trade deadline day deals. That includes left-hander Trevor Rogers, who went to the Baltimore Orioles on deadline day in exchange for Stowers and prospect Connor Norby. "We were waiting to see what the return [for Rogers] was and somebody was like, 'Oh, we got an outfielder, Stowers,' and I was like, 'We got Stowers!' I was so pumped. I was fully exuberant, so it's great to know that he's here and we're back on the same team." "He was one of my favorite teammates when we played together then and it's obviously awesome to be back on the same team with him," said Cronin about Stowers. "He's an awesome guy. He's a really talented ballplayer and he's going to be a huge impact on the field, but also off the field. He's one of the best guys I've come across." Stowers and Cronin have kept up with each other since the summer of '18. They attended the wedding of a mutual friend and competed head-to-head in recent years at the Triple-A level as members of the Orioles and Chicago White Sox organizations, respectively. "We've stayed in touch through that and I just remember him being very intelligent, as he obviously still is a very intelligent person," said Cronin. "Knew what he was doing, knew what he wanted to do to be successful." This time around, their stint as teammates could last much longer. Both players are under Marlins club control through at least the 2029 season. View full article

Elly De La Cruz had a historic night in Miami, joining the likes of Rickey Henderson and Jose Altuve. MIAMI, FL—The last time Elly De La Cruz faced the Miami Marlins, it was at Great American Ball Park right before the All-Star break. The switch-hitting shortstop was in All-Star form, going 5-for-13 with two home runs and three RBI. On Monday night, facing the Fish as a visitor one month later, De La Cruz made himself at home against Miami pitching by putting up two homers and two doubles in a 10-3 Reds win. De La Cruz is the first Marlins opponent to record four extra-base hits since Jose Altuve accomplished that feat in 2017. The exclusive club also includes Hall of Famer, Rickey Henderson. Following the game, Marlins manager Skip Schumaker praised the young superstar. "The game is in a really good spot with Elly, Oneil Cruz and Gunnar Henderson," said Schumaker. "There's some really big-time young shortstops in the game that are fun to watch. I typically don't give too much credit to guys on the other side, but he had some incredible at-bats today. He's a special player and he's going to be a lot of fun to watch throughout the next however long." 62cfbb43-0407c158-ae07c3f4-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_4000K.mp4 De La Cruz also joined Eric Davis and Joe Morgan as the only players in Reds franchise history to hit 20 home runs and steal 50 bases in a single season. The 22-year-old wasn't aware of what he had done when asked after the game. His response when he found out from a reporter? "Nice," and followed it with plenty of laughs. De La Cruz is the second player in Reds history to have two doubles and two homers in a game. "I feel great," said De La Cruz. "I feel grateful to God." The Reds still have 50 games left in their regular season. When asked how much higher he can raise his numbers, De La Cruz's response was simple: "As long as I go out on the field every day, I can do whatever I want." Through seven career games against the Marlins, De La Cruz has slashed .379/.419/.897/1.316 with four home runs and six RBI. Max Meyer will take the mound on Tuesday night against the lefty Nick Lodolo. De La Cruz is batting in the number two spot of Cincinnati's lineup. View full article