Kevin Barral

WEST PALM BEACH, FL — The Miami Marlins announced on Friday that their starting rotation will consist of right-handed pitchers Sandy Alcantara, Eury Pérez, Max Meyer, Chris Paddack and Janson Junk. Less than a week away from Opening Day, the bullpen situation is not as settled. The current locks are Pete Fairbanks, John King, Calvin Faucher, Anthony Bender and Tyler Phillips. Beyond those names, there are three open spots. The names in contention are left-handers Cade Gibson and Andrew Nardi along with right-handed pitchers Michael Petersen, Lake Bachar and Tyler Zuber (a non-roster invitee). The Marlins will wind up using all of them over the course of the 2026 season. Determining who breaks camp with the big league club will be influenced by who can be relied on most to provide quality length. "Trying to get as many members down in that bullpen that potentially would break with us into a spot where they can go multiple innings—they can go the 40-50 pitch range, if needed from them," said manager Clayton McCullough on Friday. "We feel like we're not there yet. We still have some decisions to be made here at the end with some, but we feel like that of those remaining in that mix for our 'pen, that we have a high number of them that are going to give us that type of ability to go multiple innings." Gibson, Bachar and Petersen all threw in West Palm Beach on Friday, while Nardi threw in Jupiter. Gibson struggled, unable to complete an inning, allowing two runs on three hits while recording one walk and one strikeout. Bachar, who followed Gibson, threw an inning, striking out two. The righty's fastball topped out at 96.0 mph and averaged 95.5 mph (both personal bests for him during spring training). Both strikeouts came on his slider, which generated two whiffs. Petersen struggled as well, going one inning, walking two and striking out one. "(Gibson) and (Petersen) ran into some traffic, but fought through it," said Marlins bench coach Carson Vitale following the game. "Thought they did a nice job. Lake was good tonight. It's kind of the best version we've seen of him this spring. The velo was up, the strike zone was up, the two-k execution was really good. All three of them did a nice job tonight, but Lake stood out for sure." As for Nardi in Jupiter, he went one scoreless inning, walking and striking out one. "Very encouraging," McCullough said. "I think we were optimistic coming into camp, not sure maybe what type of version we'd get. As the camp's gone along, he's handled everything that we've thrown at him. He's filled up the strike zone, breaking balls have been good and we're seeing the life of his fastball come back as he goes along." In 4 ⅓ innings of work this spring, Nardi has allowed just one hit in the process and struck out seven against two walks. He is making a strong case for the roster, but he was behind schedule compared to the other pitchers due to a blood blister issue. That may be used as a tiebreaker, giving the Marlins a reason to initially build him up in Triple-A Jacksonville. The Marlins' Grapefruit League finale will be Sunday afternoon against the New York Mets. However, they will have a series of team workouts at loanDepot park from March 24-26, allowing them to gather even more information about these relievers if necessary.

JUPITER, FL - On Friday, the Miami Marlins announced that left-handed pitcher Braxton Garrett has been optioned to Triple-A Jacksonville. Janson Junk will round out the Marlins rotation as the fifth starter. "I will say that it was very difficult, and in some ways it's a good thing that it was so difficult," Marlins manager Clayton McCullough told the media. "It means that a high number of our potential starters that came into this camp, outside of Adam (Mazur), have stayed healthy, and they've performed well. We like where a lot of our guys are at. (Braxton) has worked his butt off to get back. He's put in a lot of time to get himself healthy, was throwing the ball well this spring and just felt like to start the year that we had a five that I wanted to go with." Garrett, who is returning from Tommy John surgery, made two Grapefruit League starts. After a shaky first one, surrendering two runs on one hit and walking two, he bounced back against Team Israel where in three shutout innings of work, he struck out two. The Marlins never saw Garrett in the bullpen, so it'll allow him to continue building up as a starting pitcher. One caveat is that in Triple-A, it is typically a six-man rotation, so that is something "that will be discussed," per McCullough. "There will also be a number of individuals there that we see as potential bulk options that might not be starting who also need to stay stretched out," McCullough said. "I actually look at this as a good problem to have." Garrett has one minor league option remaining, which will be used up if he spends at least 20 days in the minors this season. It'll be an all right-handed rotation to begin the season with Sandy Alcantara, Eury Pérez, Max Meyer, Chris Paddack and Janson Junk. Meyer will throw in a sim-game on Tuesday to begin his final build-up and both Paddack and Junk will pitch in Miami before Opening Day on Friday. "Janson (Junk) deserves a chance to be in our rotation to start the season," McCullough said. "Max Meyer as well. I think this move today adds some clarity as to where we're at with starting the year with Sandy, Eury, Max, Paddack and Janson in the rotation. As much that we think Janson can start, if we get to a point where performance or things dictate that we pivot, then we will. That's how I've kind of seen this spring play out." It's a split-squad day for the Marlins on Friday, with Paddack starting in Jupiter (7:10 p.m. first pitch) and Pérez starting in West Palm Beach (6:05 p.m.).

A week away from Miami Marlins Opening Day, the roster battles are finally getting settled. AJ Ramos, Kevin Barral and Ely Sussman react to the news of Janson Junk earning a starting rotation spot at the expense of Braxton Garrett, who's been optioned to Triple-A Jacksonville. They also discuss the importance of the Jupiter Academy's recent renovations and AJ's memories of making his first career Opening Day roster in 2013. You can find Fish Unfiltered and Fish On First LIVE on the Fish On First YouTube channel, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever else you get your pods. Garrett, 28, has one minor league option remaining, while the 30-year-old Junk is out of options. Junk is scheduled to make his final Grapefruit League start on Saturday afternoon against the St. Louis Cardinals.

On the most recent Fish Unfiltered, one of my five bold predictions was that Miami Marlins second baseman Xavier Edwards will win the National League batting title. He's looking to join Hanley Ramírez (2009), Dee Strange-Gordon and Luis Arraez (2023) as the only Marlins players to achieve that. The 2025 NL batting title champ was Trea Turner, who posted a .304 batting average in 141 games. Edwards finished 11th among qualified hitters and slashed .283/.343/.353/.695 overall with three home runs, 43 RBI, 27 stolen bases and a 95 wRC+. Entering his second full-length MLB season, I see the potential for him to improve. Edwards will likely continue to lead off for the Marlins. He puts immediate pressure on opposing defenses because he puts the ball in play a lot, as reflected in his 14.2% strikeout rate in 2025, which was 12th-lowest in the NL. Combining his contact skill with his 75th-percentile sprint speed, it makes sense that Edwards was tied for fourth in MLB last season with 33 infield hits. He is an outstanding bunter and that's a weapon he should consider using more often to break out of slumps like the ones he experienced at the beginning and end of 2025. When it comes to the mental side of the game, it should help Edwards that he is now a full-time second baseman. He opened 2025 as the Marlins starting shortstop, even though it was clear he was overmatched. Not surprisingly, his defensive struggles negatively impacted his all-around performance. He batted only .263 at SS, but .291 following the transition to 2B. After being a Gold Glove finalist at the position, he can fully focus on his work at the plate. Although Edwards is a switch-hitter, he had large platoon splits last season—he was great against right-handed pitching (.306/.368/.391/.758), but disappointing against lefties (.236/.289/.275/.564). All indications are that he will get everyday starts for the foreseeable future. However, if it's more of the same from him during the first half of 2026, the Marlins may eventually limit his exposure to LHP, which could boost his overall average while still getting him enough plate appearances to be a qualified hitter. Turner's .304 mark was unusually low for a batting champ. In predicting Edwards to win the title this season, I'm counting on him to finish somewhere above .310.

WEST PALM BEACH, FL—For the first time since the inception of MLB's Spring Breakout prospect showcase, the Miami Marlins had to leave the friendly confines of Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Their top farmhands traveled 15 minutes south to West Palm Beach on Thursday afternoon to face the Houston Astros prospects. "This is the future of our organization," said acting manager Jeff Conine following the game. "They are a bunch of good kids, work hard and I think on the pitching side we just didn't have it today in the strike zone, but we gave them a good effort." Here are the takeaways from the 7-6 loss. Mr. Marlin the skipper Jeff Conine, who is a special assistant to Marlins chairman and principal owner Bruce Sherman, was the acting manager for the game after Juan Pierre assumed the role in 2025. Although rumored as a managerial candidate in the past, this opportunity arrived unexpectedly. Conine enjoyed the afternoon, but the Marlins Legends Hall of Famer is content with where he is. “This is a one-and-done,” Conine said. “Unless they ask me to do this again next year.” Milbrandt dominant in start Karson Milbrandt, who is Fish On First’s 13th prospect, went three innings, striking out six (all swinging). His fastball velocity topped out at 97.1 mph and averaged 95.6 mph. Milbrandt executed his strategy perfectly, elevating heaters and burying his breaking stuff, including his relatively new gyro slider, which he developed quickly last season. It has emerged as his best pitch. Milbrandt's slider generated five whiffs and recorded three strikeouts. His first slider strikeout victim was Astros No. 5 prospect Walker Janek. "It's quickly become one of my favorite pitches," Milbrandt said. "I like to throw it a lot. Today the feel was a little bit off, but the movement was good, so looking forward to getting that pat down." A slight lapse in control aside, Milbrandt looked fantastic. Multi-hit day for Alderman Starting designated hitter Kemp Alderman (FOF #10 prospect) went 2-for-3 on Thursday. His single was clocked at an 87.4 mph exit velocity into center field. In the top of the fourth inning, Alderman singled again to drive in Starlyn Caba and Dillon Lewis, extending the Marlins' lead to 6-1. Last season between Double-A and Triple-A, Alderman slashed .285/.338/.482/.819 with 22 home runs, 70 RBI, 22 stolen bases and a 135 wRC+. He was named the 2025 Marlins Minor League Player of the Year. This spring, Alderman was with the big league club, and in 11 Grapefruit League games, he went 4-for-24 with one home run. He was reassigned to minor league camp on March 15. As Alderman rounds out his development in the minor leagues and matriculates to the big leagues, a major focus will be put on his ability to continue to limit strikeouts and boost his walk rate. If both of those factors work out in the 6’3”, 200-pounder’s favor, he could reach a fairly high ceiling as a four-tool threat. A righty-hitting outfielder, Alderman could fill a need for the Marlins sooner rather than later. He will be a name to follow closely as he starts the season with Triple-A Jacksonville. Mack continues to impress behind the plate Second-ranked prospect Joe Mack went 1-for-3 at the plate, but it was what he did defensively that impressed. In the bottom of the first inning, with Milbrandt on the mound, Mack threw out Astros top prospect Kevin Alvarez trying to steal second. "Joe Mack is polished back there," Conine said following the game. "You see the way he commands the strike zone with his framing and his release down to second base and his discipline at the plate. He's close, very close." In nine spring training games with the big league team, Mack went 3-for-24 with one home run and four RBI. The Marlins optioned Mack to Jacksonville on March 15. He slashed .257/.338/.475/.813 with 21 home runs, 58 RBI and a 120 wRC+ between AA and AAA. Walks, then walk-off Overall, it was a rough afternoon for Marlins’ pitching control-wise. As a unit, Miami’s hurlers issued an astounding 18 walks. For context, Miami affiliates had just one game with 16+ walks in 2025; it was a 22-walk game by the Jupiter Hammerheads on April 8 which broke MiLB records. Aiden May stranded the bases loaded in both of his innings. The Marlins also stranded the tying run in scoring position in the eighth. Their early lead held up until the bottom of the ninth. Cannon Pickell walked two and allowed a single to load the bases once again for Caden Powell, who walked it off for the Astros. 4cf159bd-66814055-2befe09e-csvm-diamondgcp-asset_1280x720_59_4000K.mp4 Final pitching lines Karson Milbrandt: 3.0 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 6 SO Aiden May: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 5 BB, 3 SO Hayden Cuthbertson: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO Grant Shepardson: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 1 SO Jake Clemente: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 SO Cannon Pickell: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO

Since the inception of the World Baseball Classic in 2006, there have been a plethora of Miami Marlins players who have participated, including a few you may not have known about. As the sixth edition of the WBC inches closer and closer, Fish On First has created this all-time list of players who were part of the Marlins organization when the tournament took place. This list will be updated again following the 2026 tournament, which is being hosted at Miami's own loanDepot park. Marlins Players in the World Baseball Classic Year Name Country 2006 Alfredo Amézaga Mexico 2006 Miguel Cabrera Venezuela 2006 Dontrelle Willis United States 2009 Alfredo Amézaga Mexico 2009 Jorge Cantú Mexico 2009 Dave Davidson Canada 2009 Andy González Puerto Rico 2009 Chris Leroux Canada 2009 Hanley Ramírez Dominican Republic 2009 Rick van den Hurk Netherlands 2013 Henderson Álvarez Venezuela 2013 Steve Cishek United States 2013 Giancarlo Stanton United States 2017 Tayron Guerrero Colombia 2017 Martín Prado Venezuela 2017 Giancarlo Stanton 🏆 United States 2017 Edinson Vólquez Dominican Republic 2017 Christian Yelich 🏆 United States 2023 Sandy Alcantara Dominican Republic 2023 Luis Arraez Venezuela 2023 Johnny Cueto Dominican Republic 2023 Enmanuel De Jesus Venezuela 2023 Jesús Luzardo Venezuela 2023 Anthony Maldonado Puerto Rico 2023 Jean Segura Dominican Republic 2026 Sandy Alcantara Dominican Republic 2026 Owen Caissie Canada 2026 Yiddi Cappe Cuba 2026 Liam Hicks Canada 2026 Ian Lewis Great Britain 2026 Otto Lopez Canada 2026 Jakob Marsee Italy 2026 Agustín Ramírez Dominican Republic 2026 Javier Sanoja 🏆 Venezuela 2026 Jared Serna Mexico 2006 Miguel Cabrera (Venezuela)—Cabrera participated in all versions of the World Baseball Classic through the end of his Hall of Fame-caliber playing career, but only the 2006 one as a member of the Florida Marlins. In six games, he slashed .211/.400/.579/.979 with two home runs and five RBI. The 2006 season would be arguably his best as a Marlin, posting a .998 OPS in 158 games played. Dontrelle Willis (United States)—D-Train struggled in both of his outings, posting a 12.71 ERA while taking losses against Canada and Korea. Alfredo Amézaga (Mexico)—Also part of the inaugural World Baseball Classic, Amézaga slashed .250/.400/.250/.650 with one hit, two stolen bases and one hit by pitch. 2009 Hanley Ramírez (Dominican Republic)—Ramírez is one of the most electric players Marlins fans have ever seen. Representing the Dominican Republic, in three games, he went 2-for-9 with one RBI and two walks. Jorge Cantú and Alfredo Amézaga (Mexico)—After participating as a member of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 2006, Jorge Cantú was a member of the Florida Marlins in 2009. In six games, he slashed .360/.407/.800/1.207 with two home runs, six RBI and overall, went 9-for-25 in that stretch. Amézaga appeared in just one game, where he went 2-for-5 with one home run and two runs scored. Rick van den Hurk (Netherlands)—van den Hurk spent almost a decade in the Marlins organization. Towards the end of his tenure, in 2009, he represented the Netherlands, where in two starts, he went 5 ⅓ innings pitched, allowing one earned run off of seven hits (one home run), five walks and struck out four. Dave Davidson and Chris Leroux (Canada)—In his lone appearance for Canada in 2009, Davidson went one inning, allowing one hit, one walk and struck out one. He went on to make one appearance for the Marlins during the regular season. As for Leroux, he was in the '06, '09 and '13 tournaments, making a total of four appearances. He was only a member of the Marlins in 2009 where in two appearances, he went 1 ⅓ innings, allowing one hit, one walk and struck out one. During the MLB regular season, he made five appearances posting a 10.80 ERA. Andy González (Puerto Rico)—In four games, González went 1-for-4 with a run scored. With the Marlins in 2009, he only played in 14 games posting a .333 OPS. González returned to the WBC in 2013, but he was under contract with the Chicago White Sox by then. 2013 Giancarlo Stanton and Steve Cishek (United States)—This would be Stanton's first of two World Baseball Classic's as a member of the Miami Marlins. In the 2013 installment, he played in five games slashing .235/.381/.235/.616 with one RBI and four walks. This would mark the one time Cishek participated in the WBC, but he made four appearances (2.1 IP) for the United States, posting a 3.86 ERA, allowing one run on no hits, walking two and striking out two. He was an excellent closer for the 2013 Marlins, throwing 69 ⅔ innings pitched, which still stands as a career-high. He led Major League Baseball with 62 games finished. Henderson Álvarez (Venezuela)—Álvarez only made one appearance, but in three innings of work, he allowed three runs off of five hits, walking one, hitting one and not generating a strikeout. Later that year, Álvarez went on to finish the 2013 season with a 3.59 ERA, 3.18 FIP, 5.0 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 in 102 ⅔ innings pitched. His season was cut short due to injury, only making 17 starts. 2017 Giancarlo Stanton and Christian Yelich (United States)—In his second go-around in the WBC, Stanton slashed .227/.320/.455/.775 with one home run and four RBI. Stanton's home run came against the Dominican Republic. In his lone WBC appearance, Yelich played in eight games, slashing .310/.375/.448/.823 with three RBI. Yelich went on to have a great 2017 season with 18 home runs and a 120 OPS+. The United States won the tournament for the first time, defeating Puerto Rico, 8-0. During the ensuing offseason, the Marlins traded Stanton and Yelich to the New York Yankees and Milwaukee Brewers, respectively. Martín Prado (Venezuela)—Prado played in the 2013 World Baseball Classic, but not as a member of the Marlins. In 2017, he played in five games, slashing .368/.429/.526/.955 with five RBI. Edinson Vólquez (Dominican Republic)—Vólquez had just signed with the Marlins that offseason leading up to the WBC, but he was a vet on that DR squad, having participated in 2009 and 2013 tournaments. In 2017, Vólquez started two games, going eight innings, allowing three runs (one earned) off of 10 hits. He also struck out eight. On June 3 of that year, Vólquez became the sixth Marlins pitcher in franchise history to throw a no-hitter, which came against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Tayron Guerrero (Colombia)—Guerrero was acquired by the Marlins at the 2016 MLB trade deadline in the infamous Andrew Cashner trade with the San Diego Padres. In his lone appearance of the WBC, Guerrero went one inning, allowing one hit and struck out two. 2023 Sandy Alcantara, Johnny Cueto and Jean Segura (Dominican Republic)—The National League's reigning Cy Young Award winner, Alcantara made the first start of the WBC for the Dominican Republic, where he allowed three runs off of five hits in 3 ⅔ innings pitched. He struck out two against Venezuela. Cueto, who had just signed with the Marlins in that offseason, made one start, going 4 ⅔ shutout innings, allowing three hits and striking out five against Puerto Rico. Just like Cueto, Segura was a new Marlins free agent signing and was set to play third base for the team. In two games, he went 4-for-11 with three RBI. Segura flopped during the regular season, though. The Marlins dumped him at the 2023 trade deadline and he announced his retirement in 2025. Luis Arraez, Jesús Luzardo and Enmanuel De Jesus (Venezuela)—Arraez was just traded to the Marlins in exchange for Venezuelan teammate Pablo Lopez that offseason. In five games in his new ballpark, he gave Marlins fans a lot of hope, going 4-for-17 with two home runs, four RBI and scored four runs. Both of his home runs came against the United States. This went on to be Luzardo's best season as a member of the Marlins, but before that, he made one start for Venezuela, where he went four shutout innings, allowing four hits and struck out five. De Jesus had signed a minor league deal. He made one WBC appearance, which came against Israel, where in 3 ⅔ innings of work, he allowed one run on four hits, walked one and struck out five. MzU4N1ZfV0ZRVkV3dEdEUT09X0ExUUNVQVVEWGxRQUNGcFhYZ0FBVWdRREFGZ0hBbGNBQUZkUVUxVU1DQUpVQWdzQw==.mp4 Anthony Maldonado (Puerto Rico)—Maldonado—at the time a prospect in the Marlins system—made just one appearance where he struck out two against Nicaragua. 2026 Javier Sanoja (Venezuela)—The ultra-versatile Sanoja made two starts in center field during pool play, but then didn't set foot on the diamond again until the ninth inning of the WBC final. Pinch-running for Arraez in a 2-2 game, he stole second base and scored the go-ahead run on Eugenio Suárez's double. Thanks to his legs, Venezuela won its first-ever WBC championship. On a related note, Miguel Cabrera served as Venezuela's hitting coach. Sandy Alcantara and Agustín Ramirez (Dominican Republic)—Alcantara's lone start was unremarkable (3.0 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 3 K), but came in a winning effort. Ramírez was behind the plate twice. As a hitter, he went 1-for-6 with a walk. Owen Caissie, Liam Hicks and Otto Lopez (Canada)—Caissie shined the brightest among this Marlins trio. He slashed .412/.476/.765 in five games, with good corner outfield defense, too. Yiddi Cappe (Cuba)—Cappe defected from Cuba as a teenager. At age 23, he received the opportunity to represent his homeland in international competition again. The second baseman slashed .250/.308/.583 in pool play. Ian Lewis (Great Britain)—The switch-hitting Bahamian slashed .214/.214/.429 in pool play with a home run in Great Britain's lone victory. Jakob Marsee (Italy)—In six WBC games, Marsee posted a .174/.345/.217 slash line. His five walks were tied for the second-highest total on the team. Reaching the semifinals made this easily Italy's most successful run in tournament history. Jared Serna (Mexico)—A standout performer in the Mexican Winter League, Serna cracked his country's WBC roster in a utility role. He appeared in three of Mexico's four games, every time as a late-inning substitute. He was hit by pitches in both of his plate appearances.

MIAMI, FL — Although Italy was eliminated by Venezuela in the semifinal round of the World Baseball Classic on Monday night, this tournament was definitely a successful step for the country. This was the furthest that Italy has ever advanced in the WBC, a run that included five consecutive wins and an upset of Team USA during pool play. Miami Marlins outfielder Jakob Marsee was able to soak it all in as their starting center fielder. Marsee, who was participating in his first WBC, has grandparents of Italian descent on both sides of his family, which made him eligible to participate. "It's been amazing," Marsee told Fish On First prior to Monday's game. "The atmosphere has been electric everywhere I've been. We've been the away team most of the time wherever we've gone, but it's been a lot of fun playing in these packed crowds. We're making a lot of noise early, and getting to play baseball that means something this early is a lot of fun." Heading into the 2026 season, the Marlins have one of Major League Baseball's youngest rosters. Every hitter on their 40-man roster is still in their 20s (Marsee is 24), and even their coaching staff has very limited MLB playing experience. That's why in the two weeks he spent around Team Italy, Marsee found it valuable to speak with veterans like Jon Berti and Vinnie Pasquantino. "They've been around and they're successful at what they do. I wanna play this game a long time and try to find out what makes them click each year." The Italian club was managed by Francisco Cervelli, who himself spent 13 seasons in the majors. The former catcher's final season as a player came with the 2020 Marlins. "Jakob is one of our best players, and I've known that from the start," Cervelli said pregame. "He’s someone who wants to play every day no matter what. I've tried to give him a day off his feet and put him in as the designated hitter, but he doesn’t want that—he wants to play center field. He has truly impressed me, and I think the Marlins have a future star." Marsee's insistence on remaining in center field paid off in the top of the first inning against Venezuela. With one out and Maikel Garcia on first base, Luis Arraez lined out to Marsee, who noticed Garcia was nearly all the way down to second. Marsee fired a 90.5 mph throw to Pasquantino to turn an inning-ending double play. It marked Marsee’s second outfield assist of the tournament, both coincidentally with Aaron Nola on the mound. In six WBC games, Marsee posted a .174/.345/.217 slash line. His five walks were tied for the second-highest total on the team. Marsee will return to Marlins spring training camp on Wednesday, according to manager Clayton McCullough. In the meantime, Tuesday’s WBC championship game is set between the United States and Venezuela. Nolan McLean (New York Mets) will start for Team USA, while Venezuela will go with veteran left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez (Arizona Diamondbacks). With a Venezuelan victory, Javier Sanoja would join Giancarlo Stanton and Christian Yelich (2017) as the only Marlins players to ever win a WBC title. First pitch will be shortly after 8:00 p.m. ET.

Sandy Alcantara will take the mound on Wednesday for the Dominican Republic against Venezuela. Although both the Dominican Republic and Venezuela have already clinched spots in the quarterfinal round of the World Baseball Classic, Wednesday’s matchup will determine the winner of Pool D and who finishes in second place. The runner-up will face Shohei Ohtani and Team Japan on Saturday at 9:00 p.m. ET. On Monday, Alcantara met with national media ahead of his start. It will mark his second career World Baseball Classic start—both coming against Venezuela. In 2023, the matchup served as the tournament’s opening game, but this time the stakes are higher with seeding implications. In that 2023 outing, Alcantara pitched 3 ⅔ innings, allowing three runs on five hits—including one home run—while issuing three walks and striking out two. “I don’t think it’s a revenge game because this is a short tournament,” Alcantara said. “This tournament is about winning or losing. We gave everything we had and things didn’t go the way we wanted, but on Wednesday we’ll have the opportunity to give it our all. I just need to go out there and battle from the first pitch on and upwards." Last season marked the 30-year-old’s first year back after undergoing Tommy John surgery. He posted a 5.36 ERA, 4.28 FIP, and 7.32 K/9 across 174 ⅔ innings pitched. However, his second half was much more Sandy-like, as he recorded a 3.33 ERA over his final 13 starts. The Dominican Republic will hope Alcantara can replicate that solid second half on Wednesday. Through two spring training starts this year, Alcantara has allowed three runs across four innings, which all came in his first outing. In his most recent tune-up before joining the Dominican squad, he tossed three perfect innings while striking out four. This will be the biggest pool game of the World Baseball Classic, and it's already sold out in Miami. In 2023, the Dominican Republic fell to Venezuela by a final score of 5-1. Many fans have called this a rivalry and plenty of storylines are being created, but Alcantara does not see it that way. “The fans can go fight each other as much as they'd like, and there will always be controversies about how players get along with each other and whether there is good sportsmanship,” Alcantara said. “On our end, we’re good. All this talk about a revenge game—I think there’s a lot of talk on social media, with Venezuelan fans saying things to Dominican fans and vice versa. Let them say what they want. We are here to compete and represent our country, which is what we want to do the most.” As previously noted, this will mark the second time Alcantara pitches not only in the World Baseball Classic, but against Venezuela in this environment that held 35,890 fans in 2023. Alcantara referred to the saying, "the past is the past" and that they are not interested in that game when it comes to his 2023 outing against Venezuela. “This year we are focused on one goal, which is to win,” Alcantara said. “We have good vibes, and every guy on this team is helping in a positive way. (Juan) Soto, (Manny) Machado, (Vladimir) Guerrero Jr., and (Junior) Caminero are all extremely excited and emotional. When it comes to the pitching, we’re doing a great job. The focus for us this year is to do better than the last Classic, and I think everything will be possible if we put God ahead of everything.” Along with Alcantara, his Marlins teammate Agustín Ramírez is also on the Dominican Republic roster, but it will be New York Yankees catcher Austin Wells who will be catching Alcantara on Wednesday. Ramirez's lone start of the World Baseball Classic may very well have been Monday's game against Israel where he went 1-for-4 with an RBI. "Wells will play against Venezuela," Dominican Republic manager Albert Pujols told reporters on Monday. "They all knew that was going to be the case and that is how it was communicated. The plan for Ramírez was to have him start this game and he knew he was going to start this game. Wells could've gone 4-4 with four home runs, and he still would've had the day off today." Who Alcantara will go toe-to-toe with is still uncertain, but Eduardo Rodriguez has still yet to pitch, so he can be a potential option for manager Omar Lopez's club. First pitch is scheduled for 8:00 pm and the game can be streamed on FS1.

MIAMI, FL—For a second straight day, a Miami Marlin has homered in the World Baseball Classic. On Friday, it was from an unexpected source: Venezuela's Javier Sanoja. On Saturday, a more traditional power hitter did the honors. Canada's Owen Caissie hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the second inning off of Colombia pitcher Austin Bergner. "Give the boys a little push start. It never really hurts. And really just get on the board first in these tournaments really matters," Caissie said following the game. Caissie hit it 403 feet with an exit velocity of 99.7 mph. Otto Lopez started alongside Caissie, hitting fifth and playing shortstop. Lopez went 0-for-3 and worked a walk. In the bottom of the third inning, he was hit by a pitch in the right wrist area, but remained in for the rest of the game. Canada defeated Colombia by a final score of 8-2. Jakob Marsee and Italy played their first game of the tournament, defeating Brazil by a final score of 8-0. Marsee, who led off and played center field, went 0-for-4, working a walk and scoring a run. In Great Britain's second game, Ian Lewis Jr. went 0-for-2 with a walk in their 9-1 loss against the United States. Team USA starter Tarik Skubal struck Lewis out. The 23-year-old Bahamian continues to be used at shortstop. Entering Sunday's slate, the only Marlins on WBC rosters who have not appeared in games are Sandy Alcantara (Dominican Republic), Agustín Ramírez (Dominican Republic) and Liam Hicks (Canada).

More than two weeks into spring training, Miami Marlins outfielder Esteury Ruiz has recorded only two hits. Overall, though, he has still made a positive impression on his new organization. "One of the more important things for me is to get on base so that way I can show my talent with my speed and baserunning," Ruiz told Fish On First earlier this spring. From that standpoint, the 27-year-old journeyman is thriving. Through seven Grapefruit League games, he owns a .381 on-base percentage with a team-leading four stolen bases. "It's real game-changing, elite speed and that's something that can really be weaponized at various points in the game, whether he's starting or something within a game, to be able to have someone that has that type of game-changing ability on the bases," Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said following Ruiz's spring debut on February 22. "He's been a performer in the major leagues in the past, and he's been a very good upper-level minor league player. Offensively, there's more in there. This guy can defend, and he can really run. There's some sneaky impact in his bat for someone his size. He really brings a nice dynamic, and a lot of ways that can impact a roster." The Marlins acquired Ruiz from the Los Angeles Dodgers in an offseason trade, sending pitching prospect Adriano Marrero the other way. He spent most of the 2025 season with Triple-A Oklahoma City, where he slashed .304/.412/.511/.923 with 16 home runs, 61 RBI, 63 stolen bases and a 137 wRC+. Ruiz mentioned how his batting stance was one of the big keys to his success at the minor league level, including standing more upright in the box. Ruiz is one of two right-handed-hitting outfielders on the Marlins 40-man roster, with Heriberto Hernández being the other. His handedness, speed and center field experience make him a potential contributor in the big leagues, but so far in his MLB career, he only has a .296 OBP. That's why it is encouraging to see such a disciplined approach from him this spring. He entered Saturday with an incredibly low 6.1% chase rate. It might take a red-hot finish to the spring or an outfield injury to fit Ruiz onto the Marlins Opening Day roster. Fortunately, he has one minor league option remaining for the club to use if needed.

MIAMI, FL—Earlier this year, Javier Sanoja wasn't even projected to be on Venezuela's World Baseball Classic roster. When he was ultimately selected, it was only with the idea of him being a versatile bench piece. However, an opportunity to start suddenly presented itself when Jackson Chourio was hit by a pitch in Wednesday's exhibition game against the Washington Nationals. The night before Venezuela's opening game against the Netherlands, manager Omar Lopez informed Sanoja that he would be starting in center field, hitting eighth in the lineup. The undersized utility player ended up taking one of the most important at-bats of Friday's game. On the first pitch he saw from Antwone Kelly (Pittsburgh Pirates No. 9 prospect per MLB Pipeline), Sanoja went deep 370 feet to left field, retaking the lead for Venezuela in the bottom of the second inning. According to MLB researcher Sarah Langs, Sanoja joined former Marlin Luis Arraez (2023) as the only two MLB players to homer in their current team's home ballpark during the WBC. Sanoja played the entire game, going 2-for-4 at the plate. Venezuela held that lead the rest of the way, winning 6-2. Javier Sanoja's Go-Ahead Homer Leads Venezuela To Victory Over The Netherlands - MLB - DiamondCentric DIAMONDCENTRIC.NET It was all about Venezuela's offense in the first pool play game against the Netherlands. It was also a day to remember for three other members of the Marlins organization. Representing Cuba in Pool A, Yiddi Cappe took on FIU alum Logan Allen and Panama. Cappe started at second base and hit ninth in the lineup. He finished the day going 1-for-2 with a walk. His lone hit of the game was off of Allen in the top of the third inning, a 103.9 mph double to left field, which set up a two-run homer by third baseman Yoan Moncada. z3fabg.mp4 Cuba would wind up winning by a final score of 3-1. Ian Lewis Jr., who is from the Bahamas, is able to participate for Great Britain because the Bahamas remains part of the Commonwealth of Nations. Even with the help of Bahamian talent, the team's roster is pretty thin compared to most others in the WBC, so despite being an unranked Marlins prospect, Lewis has a significant role. In his WBC debut against Mexico, Lewis went 2-for-4, both singles. His first base hit was off of Brennan Bernardino in the bottom of the fifth inning at 103.9 mph. In the bottom of the ninth, Lewis did the same thing against Seattle Mariners All-Star closer Andrés Muñoz. fnxnz6.mp4 Lewis was one of three players on Great Britain who had a multi-hit day. Unfortunately, they fell to Mexico by a final score of 8-2. Opposing the Brits, Jared Serna did not start the game for Mexico, but entered in the top of the ninth inning as a pinch-runner. He came around to score an insurance run in the game. The following Marlins players haven't seen any action yet, but are expected to make their tournament debut in the coming days: RHP Sandy Alcantara (Dominican Republic) OF Owen Caissie (Canada) C Liam Hicks (Canada) SS Otto Lopez (Canada) OF Jakob Marsee (Italy) C Agustin Ramirez (Dominican Republic)

Spring training seems to fly by faster than usual in World Baseball Classic years. The Miami Marlins have already completed 10 Grapefruit League games, sent off some of their key players to participate in the tournament and made their first round of cuts from major league camp. Although injuries have popped up as they always do, the Marlins fortunately haven't had serious issues rule out any of their veterans for Opening Day. That means trimming things down to construct their 26-man active roster could be difficult. With 23 days to go until real Marlins baseball, it's time to follow up on Ely Sussman's roster projection with a projection of my own for the 2026 season opener. Position players Starting nine: Agustín Ramírez (C), Christopher Morel (1B), Xavier Edwards (2B), Graham Pauley (3B), Otto Lopez (SS), Kyle Stowers (LF), Jakob Marsee (CF), Owen Caissie (RF) and Heriberto Hernández (DH) Bench: Griffin Conine (OF/1B), Javier Sanoja (INF/OF), Liam Hicks (C), Connor Norby (INF) Stowers (hamstring) and Pauley (forearm) are both expected to be fully recovered from their injuries and ready to go for Opening Day, per manager Clayton McCullough. To Norby's credit, he has been able to hold his own at third base this spring. The arm strength is still there and he has only committed one error, which was a throwing error in the first game against the New York Mets. Offensively, he has gotten off to a slow start, striking out six times in 13 at-bats. It's still relatively early and remember that in 2025, we saw a certain Marlins outfielder have a rough spring statistically, only to turn into an All-Star and emerge as the team's best player, so let's not jump to conclusions yet. If both make the club, Pauley and Norby will in all likelihood platoon at third base. Just missed: Esteury Ruiz (OF) and Deyvison De Los Santos (1B) Ruiz, who isn't hitting much either to this point and has one minor league option remaining, could be sent down to Triple-A Jacksonville. The Marlins already have a decent number of right-handed-hitting alternatives capable of contributing off the bench. Despite making an offseason trade to acquire Ruiz, the need for him on the Opening Day roster just isn't there right now. Still only 22 years old, De Los Santos has looked good so far, but the Marlins signed Morel to play first base and will also use that position to keep Griffin Conine's bat in the lineup. De Los Santos will go to Jacksonville and if the Morel/Conine experiment at first base does not work, he should be the first player called up, since he is the only natural first baseman on the 40-man roster. Pitchers Starting rotation: RHP Sandy Alcantara, RHP Eury Pérez, RHP Max Meyer, RHP Chris Paddack and LHP Braxton Garrett No surprises in the starting rotation as Alcantara and Pérez will be right at the top, followed by a trio of Meyer, the free agent signing Paddack and the lefty Garrett. McCullough told reporters that he wants the best five pitchers taking the mound. After a shaky first start for Garrett, he came back out against Israel and threw two shutout innings, striking out one in the process. It would still be nice to see him generate more whiffs as he continues building up. Just missed: LHP Robby Snelling Snelling missing out on the rotation will be motivated in part by the Marlins' desire to gain another year of club control. The only concern with that is if he is called early enough to earn rookie of the year votes and wins the award, he will be given a full year of service time, which is what happened with Paul Skenes two years ago. Bullpen: RHP Pete Fairbanks, RHP Calvin Faucher, RHP Anthony Bender, RHP Tyler Phillips, RHP Lake Bachar, RHP Janson Junk, LHP John King and LHP Cade Gibson Just missed: LHP Andrew Nardi, RHP Michael Petersen, RHP Josh White and RHP Jack Ralston Nardi (blood blister) has yet to pitch in a spring training game, and with an option remaining, he may just begin the season in Jacksonville to get back to full strength and then rejoin the team once he is ready. A southpaw combo of Gibson and King isn't bad at all to begin the season. Michael Petersen, who Ely had making the roster over Bachar, is something I disagreed with. Although Petersen's fastball is one of the best in the Marlins bullpen, averaging 97.5 mph with a plus-three run value, his other pitches just haven't been very effective. Bachar has more of a major league track record and his stuff is intriguing, too. With that being said, Petersen is 31 and you may as well see what you've got with the player. White was on my last roster projection, and you can potentially add him over Bachar, but it has been a while since the Marlins chose to let any pitcher with zero MLB experience make the team's Opening Day roster. Of all the minor league signings, Ralston seems to be the best thus far. In four spring appearances, he has yet to surrender a run and has struck out seven hitters. Health permitting, he will be called up at some point in 2026.

The World Baseball Classic has grown into a marquee event for the sport. As players are ramping up for the regular season, fans can spend two weeks rooting for their fellow countrymen in an electric environment. This tournament takes place in Fish On First's backyard, with loanDepot park in Miami hosting games during all rounds of the tournament, including the championship. Whether you are a South Florida native or planning to visit/tune in from thousands of miles away, we're here to help you prepare for the return of the World Baseball Classic in 2026. Tournament history Player eligibility 2026 viewing guide Tickets Tournament history The World Baseball Classic (WBC) is an international baseball tournament organized by Major League Baseball, Major League Baseball Players Association and the World Baseball Softball Confederation. It is considered the premier global tournament for national baseball teams. Unlike the Summer Olympics, games take place in March, allowing players from the best professional leagues to participate without conflicting with their regular season schedules. The inaugural WBC was held in 2006. The tournament has generally returned every 3-4 years since then (the COVID pandemic caused the 2021 edition to be postponed). 2006 Number of teams: 16 Champion: Japan MVP: Daisuke Matsuzaka 2009 Number of teams: 16 Champion: Japan MVP: Daisuke Matsuzaka 2013 Number of teams: 16 Champion: Dominican Republic MVP: Robinson Canó 2017 Number of teams: 16 Champion: United States MVP: Marcus Stroman 2023 Number of teams: 20 Champion: Japan MVP: Shohei Ohtani 2026 Number of teams: 20 Champion: TBD MVP: TBD Every edition of the WBC has featured multiple players from the Miami Marlins organization. That streak will be extended at the upcoming tournament with the help of former National League Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara, shortstop Otto Lopez, center fielder Jakob Marsee and top outfield prospect Owen Caissie, among others. Player eligibility You can play for a World Baseball Classic team if you meet any one of several eligibility conditions. A player may represent a country if they are a citizen, are eligible to obtain citizenship under that country’s laws, were born there, or have at least one parent born there. In some cases, grandparent heritage or being from a territory of that nation can also qualify a player. Because the rules are intentionally broad, teams are able to include players with strong cultural, familial, or legal ties to a nation, which is why WBC rosters are so diverse and help grow the game globally. Here are some examples of how it works: A U.S.-born player with Puerto Rican parents can play for Puerto Rico. A player born in Canada but raised in the U.S. can play for Canada. A player without citizenship but with parents from Italy can represent Italy. Regarding specific Major League Baseball players: Lars Nootbaar's mother is Japanese, so he can play for Japan. Randy Arozarena is from Cuba, but can play for Mexico because he is a naturalized Mexican citizen. The "Law of Return" allows American Jews such as Joc Pederson and Harrison Bader to play for Team Israel. Jazz Chisholm Jr., who is Bahamian, can play for Great Britain because the Bahamas is part of the Commonwealth and has strong historical ties to Britain. Insurance It is more common than ever for MLB's biggest stars to participate in the WBC, but some of them are denied the opportunity due to the inability to insure their major league contract. National Financial Partners, an official partner of MLB, brokers the insurance policy, according to Ken Rosenthal and Evan Drellich of The Athletic. The insurance policy pays back the major league club for a player’s salary if the player gets hurt during the WBC. Players are not at risk of losing their salaries. Trips to the 60-day injured list during the previous season are typically disqualifying, but the insurer reviews each player’s injury history case by case. The insurance does not cover players once they are 37 years old. A player denied insurance coverage can still participate in the WBC only if his MLB team is willing to assume the financial risk in case of injury. A player does not need to be covered by insurance if they are not on an MLB or MiLB roster. 2026 viewing guide Pool play schedule Date / Time (ET) Matchup Pool Location March 4 / 10:00 PM Chinese Taipei @ Australia Pool C Tokyo March 5 / 5:00 AM Czechia @ Korea Pool C Tokyo March 5 / 10:00 PM Australia @ Czechia Pool C Tokyo March 6 / 5:00 AM Japan @ Chinese Taipei Pool C Tokyo March 6 / 11:00 AM Cuba @ Panama Pool A San Juan March 6 / 12:00 PM Netherlands @ Venezuela Pool D Miami March 6 / 1:00 PM Mexico @ Great Britain Pool B Houston March 6 / 6:00 PM Puerto Rico @ Colombia Pool A San Juan March 6 / 7:00 PM Nicaragua @ Dominican Republic Pool D Miami March 6 / 8:00 PM United States @ Brazil Pool B Houston March 6 / 10:00 PM Chinese Taipei @ Czechia Pool C Tokyo March 7 / 5:00 AM Korea @ Japan Pool C Tokyo March 7 / 11:00 AM Colombia @ Canada Pool A San Juan March 7 / 12:00 PM Nicaragua @ Netherlands Pool D Miami March 7 / 1:00 PM Brazil @ Italy Pool B Houston March 7 / 6:00 PM Panama @ Puerto Rico Pool A San Juan March 7 / 7:00 PM Israel @ Venezuela Pool D Miami March 7 / 8:00 PM Great Britain @ United States Pool B Houston March 7 / 10:00 PM Chinese Taipei @ Korea Pool C Tokyo March 8 / 6:00 AM Australia @ Japan Pool C Tokyo March 8 / 12:00 PM Colombia @ Cuba Pool A San Juan March 8 / 12:00 PM Netherlands @ Dominican Republic Pool D Miami March 8 / 1:00 PM Great Britain @ Italy Pool B Houston March 8 / 7:00 PM Panama @ Canada Pool A San Juan March 8 / 7:00 PM Nicaragua @ Israel Pool D Miami March 8 / 8:00 PM Brazil @ Mexico Pool B Houston March 9 / 6:00 AM Korea @ Australia Pool C Tokyo March 9 / 12:00 PM Colombia @ Panama Pool A San Juan March 9 / 12:00 PM Dominican Republic @ Israel Pool D Miami March 9 / 1:00 PM Brazil @ Great Britain Pool B Houston March 9 / 7:00 PM Cuba @ Puerto Rico Pool A San Juan March 9 / 7:00 PM Venezuela @ Nicaragua Pool D Miami March 9 / 8:00 PM Mexico @ United States Pool B Houston March 10 / 6:00 AM Czechia @ Japan Pool C Tokyo March 10 / 7:00 PM Canada @ Puerto Rico Pool A San Juan March 10 / 7:00 PM Israel @ Netherlands Pool D Miami March 10 / 9:00 PM Italy @ United States Pool B Houston March 11 / 3:00 PM Canada @ Cuba Pool A San Juan March 11 / 7:00 PM Italy @ Mexico Pool B Houston March 11 / 8:00 PM Dominican Republic @ Venezuela Pool D Miami Quarterfinals: March 13-14 (Houston & Miami) Semifinals: March 16 (Miami) Championship: March 17 (Miami) For those who live in the United States, FOX will broadcast seven games, including Pool B games featuring the United States, two quarterfinals and the championship game. FS1, FS2 and Tubi will show all of the other games throughout the tournament. If you do not already have access to FOX content, there are several FOX One subscription plans available. A seven-day free trial is included for new subscribers. For those who live outside of the United States: Dominican Republic: VTV 32, Tele Antillas and Coral 39 Japan: Netflix Mexico: Televisa, TUDN and VIX Puerto Rico: WAPA Deportes South Korea: TVING, tvN Sports, KBS, SBS and MBC Taiwan: ELTA TV and EBC Venezuela: Venevision Tickets Given the limited inventory and high stakes, WBC tickets are expensive. Search for tickets here. If attending any of the games at loanDepot park, please consult Fish On First's ballpark guide.