Kevin Barral

Key quotes from Marlins front office executives Peter Bendix and Gabe Kapler during their recent live interviews on Pensacola Blue Wahoos game broadcasts. The Pensacola Blue Wahoos have been welcoming a few special guests to town during their ongoing homestand. Marlins president of baseball operations Peter Bendix and assistant general manager Gabe Kapler each made trips to see the organization's Double-A affiliate up close. They also made separate appearances on the team's game broadcast—Bendix on Tuesday and Kapler last Friday—to speak about the current state of the minor leagues and a myriad of other topics. Here's what they had to say. "One of my main responsibilities—at least how I see it—is supporting (director of player development) Rachel Balkovec," said Kapler. "I tackled that role with the Los Angeles Dodgers many years ago, so I have a decent feel for what at least I believe is a good job. Mentoring Rachel is something I've really been enjoying and getting a chance to really work alongside her." Kapler noted that she's an incredible leader with a great motor, comparing her to how he was back in his days with the Dodgers as aggressive, very "forward-thinking" and innovative. "I want to help her not step on the land mines that I stepped on early on in my career." On the topic of player development, Kapler hammered down the importance of providing minor leaguers with feedback and suggesting adjustments that could take them to the next level: "I think the first thing that I can do and we can do is recognize when a player is on a path that's not gonna get them to the major leagues. When we know that's the case, we take very aggressive action with them. We want to be very aggressive in our player development. We want them to try things, even at the expense of not feeling good or feeling a little bit awkward or uncomfortable. If many of them stay on the same path, one, two, three, four years from now, they're going to be released from baseball and we wanna give them every opportunity to reach the major leagues and perform well." As one possible example of this, left-hander Devin Smeltzer has lowered his release point this season and is seeing great results so far as a reliever with Triple-A Jacksonville (0.96 ERA and 13 K in 9.1 IP). Kapler explained that he'll be syncing up his visits to MiLB affiliates during Marlins road trips. Bendix's interview took place while the Marlins were on their way to suffering their 19th loss in 25 games. "We haven't been consistent." said Bendix about the club's poor start to the season. "We have a lot of good arms, good pitchers and a lot of good young position players. It seems like every game there's been something that goes wrong that is somewhat unexpected and don't expect will continue, but it's a different thing each game. It's a long season, though. It's still April and there's a lot of baseball left to play." The POBO said his focus was on amateur prospects last weekend and that Pensacola was the first Marlins affiliate he has visited in person. He'll be visiting each affiliate at least once over the course of the season. Throughout his interview, Bendix noted how important it is to have a winning culture not just at the major league level, but even at the lowest levels of MiLB. He values that the Blue Wahoos are always in contention for the Southern League championship and that Low-A Jupiter last season won the Florida State League championship. "The player development system is really the lifeblood of every organization, but especially an organization like ours and an organization like the Rays," said Bendix. "You need to have those quality players constantly coming through your system. When you have quality players in the minor leagues, it also leads to wins and competitive teams. A lot of it is drafting well, developing well, signing international players and just constantly being on the lookout for how you can do things better." Bendix was asked about catcher Joe Mack, who was behind the plate for that game after having been newly promoted from High-A Beloit. "High draft pick, a lot of pedigree," said Bendix. "Really good tools on him. Still very young. Had a difficult season last year, but there were some positives signs as well and then he really showed those positive things in the couple weeks down in Beloit. Seeing the plate discipline, hitting the ball hard, good work behind the plate and all of the reasons he got drafted, it was nice to see that and get him a challenge up here." Mack slashed .347/.467/.571 with two home runs and seven RBIs through 13 games in Beloit. Tuesday was his second game with Pensacola. Another name Bendix spoke of was outfielder Shane Sasaki, who was acquired by the Marlins in a three-team trade right before Opening Day. Through his first 15 games at the AA level, Sasaki is slashing .250/.300/.304/.604 with four walks and seven stolen bases. "Shane is somebody who does everything pretty well," said Bendix. "He's really a player where the sum of the parts exceeds any individual part, but he's a good defender, runs the bases well, steals bases, has a little bit of power, good eye at the plate and it's just a combination of very positive things." Prior to his arrival to the Marlins organization, Sasaki had never produced a wRC+ under the league average 100 when he has more than 100 plate appearances. Last season at the High-A level, the Hawaiian slashed .301/.375/.465/.840 with seven home runs, 39 RBIs and a 130 wRC+. Bendix appreciates that the Blue Wahoos consistently draw large crowds and surround Marlins prospects with a lively gameday atmosphere. "Being able to play in front of fans at such a well-done stadium, taken care of so well, the in-game entertainment, all the little details that really do matter and contribute to the positive environment for these players, contribute to the pressure and the stakes and all the things that you can't really develop without actually having a really strong support." The major league team looks to salvage a game against the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday. The Marlins will send out former top prospect Sixto Sánchez to the mound for what is expected to be an opener situation with recently called up Kyle Tyler piggybacking him. First pitch is at 7:20 p.m. View full article

Despite matching the class of the National League East in hits, the Miami Marlins were shut out for the second time in 2024. In their attempt to win back-to-back games for the first time in 2024, the Miami Marlins had to take on the division rival Atlanta Braves. For the first of three games, the Marlins summoned Ryan Weathers. Coming into Monday night's matchup, the Braves had won five out of their last six games since last facing the Marlins and they would extend that to six out of seven, defeating the Marlins by a final score of 3-0. Coming off a ten-strikeout performance against the San Francisco Giants, Ryan Weathers only struck out one against the hot-hitting Braves. In his 5 ⅔ innings pitched, Weathers gave up three runs off of six hits and walked three. Compared to his last start, he wasn't able to get hitters to bite. Against the Giants, Weathers generated 19 whiffs, but on Monday against Atlanta, he generated only six. Weathers went away from his sweeper this go-around, using it 13% of the time compared to 34% last Tuesday. Against the Braves, the Tennessee native went with the changeup/fastball combo. His lone strikeout of the game came on the fastball, getting Austin Riley to swing and miss in the bottom of the fifth inning. The damage against Weathers occurred in the bottom of the fourth inning. He surrendered a two-run homer on a changeup to Travis d'Arnaud, making it a 2-0 ballgame. The third run of the game would be a David Fletcher RBI single, driving in Adam Duvall, who Weathers had walked. Offensive Woes in Truist The top of the first inning would mark the Marlins' best opportunity to put runs on the board. Back-to-back singles for the Marlins set up Jazz Chisholm Jr., who got to Braves starter Bryce Elder for a double, but Luis Arraez tried to go from second to home and was caught on the way to scoring what would've been the first run of the game. Bryan De La Cruz advanced to third on the play. A Josh Bell fly ball wasn't deep enough to drive in De La Cruz and Jesús Sánchez flew out to end the inning. The Marlins tagged Elder for eight hits, but were unable to score off of any. Through seven innings, the Marlins out-hit the Braves, with the tandem of Ryan Weathers and reliever Burch Smith giving up seven hits. It wouldn't be until the bottom of the eighth inning when the Braves matched the Marlins in the hits category. Elder became the ninth different pitcher (10th occurrence overall) where a starter has allowed 8 or more hits to Marlins hitters without allowing a run. The last to do it was Jack Flaherty in 2023. As for the Marlins, they grounded into two double plays and had runners in scoring position in three different innings. This marked the team's second time being shut out in the 2024 season (also on April 8 vs. the Yankees). In game two of the three-game set, Trevor Rogers will take the mound for the Fish on Tuesday. First pitch will be at 7:20 p.m. View full article

While Burger is sidelined with a left oblique injury, red-hot Otto López gets a chance to fill the offensive void. Prior to Monday's game, the Miami Marlins will place infielder Jake Burger on the 10-day IL due to the left oblique injury that he suffered during Sunday's loss to the Atlanta Braves. With Burger going on the IL, infielder Otto López is being recalled from Triple-A Jacksonville, per Christina De Nicola of MLB.com. Through 16 games this season, Burger is slashing .228/.281/.421/.702 with three home runs and 15 RBIs. Defensively, Burger has been splitting time between third base (against right-handed starters) and first base (against lefties). He had played in every Marlins game so far, but felt discomfort in the first inning on Sunday while running down the first base line. Last season with the Chicago White Sox, Burger suffered the same injury and missed the minimum 10 days. As of Monday morning, it's unclear how the severity of this injury compares to that one. It's unfortunate timing regardless because the Marlins are scheduled to play games on 10 straight days before their next off day and the offense has struggled even with Burger in the lineup. While Burger is sidelined, expect Emmanuel Rivera to see an increase in playing time at both infield corners. On April 4, the Marlins claimed 25-year-old Otto López via waivers from the San Francisco Giants. Through seven games with the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, Lopez raked, slashing .556/.600/.926/1.526 with two home runs, five RBIs and a 289 wRC+. López last appeared at the Major League level in 2022 with the Toronto Blue Jays. He was designated for assignment by the Blue Jays this past offseason. During his pro career, López has seen action at second base, shortstop, third base and all three outfield spots (mainly shortstop while in Jacksonville). He is sort of like a right-handed-hitting version of Vidal Bruján, who also suffered an injury scare on Sunday. He is considered day-to-day with a right knee issue. López is set to make his Marlins debut against the team that let him go. Game one of the three-game set against the Giants is at 6:40 p.m. with Edward Cabrera on the mound for the first time this season. View full article

The Marlins lost each of their first five regular season series while Cabrera rehabbed from a shoulder impingement. The Miami Marlins will be activating Edward Cabrera from the injured list on Monday, sources tell Fish On First. He will start against the San Francisco Giants on Monday in place of A.J. Puk, whose scheduled start is being pushed back due to sickness, per Christina De Nicola of MLB.com. The club has not yet announced Cabrera's return and a corresponding move will be needed to add him to the active roster. Last season, Cabrera made 20 starts for the Marlins and posted a 4.24 ERA, 4.43 FIP, 10.7 K/9 and 6.0 BB/9 through 99 ⅔ innings pitched. Cabrera's command has always been an issue throughout his stints at the Major League level, but in his two games (one start) this spring, he didn't walk anyone. When warming up to make his third spring game appearance on March 10, he suffered a right shoulder impingement which landed him on the 15-day injured list. The righty's command issues resurfaced in his first two rehab starts, walking four in his first start and three in his second start. Cabrera would have his best rehab start last Wednesday, going 5 ⅔ innings, striking out nine and walking one. His fastball is sitting 97.3 mph and topping out at 98.6 mph, so from a velocity standpoint, he looks to be back to full strength. Cabrera's return gives the Marlins a second right-handed starter along with Max Meyer and more pitching depth. Although Meyer is off to a hot start, the Marlins rotation as a whole has been mediocre with a 4.70 ERA and 43 walks (second-most in MLB), averaging less than five innings per start. It won't be much longer until Braxton Garrett returns from his injury too as he has gone through two rehab starts already. The Marlins will take on the Giants in the opening game of a three-game set beginning at 6:40 p.m. View full article

In the first meeting of the season between the Miami Marlins and the Atlanta Braves, Atlanta's offense broke loose in the seventh inning. MIAMI, FL—On Friday, the Miami Marlins began a six-game homestand. These first three games in particular have some added pressure as it's the first NL East clash of the season against the Atlanta Braves. A strong start for Trevor Rogers wouldn't be nearly enough as the Fish fell to the Braves, 8-1. Rogers allowed eight hits and struck out five in the process. He limited the Braves—MLB's highest-scoring team—to only two runs, keeping it close for the Marlins to mount a potential comeback. He gave up nine hard-hit balls, which according to Baseball Savant is when the ball leaves the bat at 95 mph or more. "I think the last couple of starts actually have been okay," said Marlins manager Skip Schumaker following the game. "Like one or two innings that he wishes he had back, but he's pitching now. A few years ago, he had 97 with big velo blowing by guys. He's just figuring out how to pitch, which is really a testament to (Mel Stottlemyre Jr.) and the game-planning that's going on." Although Rogers' changeup made an impact, generating five whiffs (the most of all his pitches), the four-seam fastball ended up being his bread-and-butter. He struck out three with it, two of them coming in as swinging strikeouts. "We talked about a lot of guys who were really good throughout that lineup with in-zone spin," said Rogers following the game. "I really had to live on the edges with spin. I think the changeup was probably the best option as far as secondary stuff." In the top of the first inning, an Ozzie Albies base hit followed by an Austin Riley RBI double gave the Braves a 1-0 lead. It wasn't until the top of the fifth that Rogers gave up his second run of the game. Shortstop Orlando Arcia led the inning off with a double. With two outs, Albies singled off a first-pitch changeup to drive him in. "I probably would have changed the Albies one," said Rogers. "He was kind of diving out there, but that's my pitch. I'm going to try and deal with my strengths. I have no regrets there, but if I were to redo it again, I would probably show them some heat close before going back to that." What stood out Friday night for Rogers was his ability to work well with runners on base, specifically in scoring position. In the top of the first inning, after allowing the RBI double, he struck out back-to-back hitters to end the inning. In the third inning, Rogers had two of the fastest runners in Acuña and Albies on the corners, but he was able to strike out Matt Olson for the second time that night. In the top of the seventh inning, the Braves extended their lead and would never look back on. George Soriano, who came in relief of Rogers, got him out of the sixth-inning jam, but wasn't able to get out of the seventh. He was taken out with the bases loaded and in came Andrew Nardi. The big difference for Nardi between 2023 and 2024 is his execution in high-leverage situations with inherited baserunners. Unable to retire Olson, Marcell Ozuna or Adam Duvall, the left-handed reliever ended up allowing all three of Soriano's runners to score. The Marlins' only run of the game came on an Emmanuel Rivera RBI single which drove in Jazz Chisholm Jr. Aside from that, Max Fried was almost perfect, going 6 ⅓ innings, giving up one run off of four hits, one walk and struck out four. The Marlins fell by a final score of 8-1, dropping to 2-12 on the season. They are back at it on Saturday as Max Meyer takes the mound. First pitch will be at 4:10 p.m. View full article

Minor League Baseball is fully back and we take you through the most notable Marlins prospect performances from April 1-7. Throughout the course of the Minor League Baseball season, Alex Carver and I will release detailed recaps each Monday taking you through the previous week's developments at all levels of the Miami Marlins organization. Low-A Jupiter Although the Jupiter Hammerheads lost their opening series to the Palm Beach Cardinals, both Thomas White and Noble Meyer made their season debuts, one looking sharper than the other. White, drafted in the comp round of the 2023 MLB Draft went 3 ⅔ innings of shutout baseball, giving up three hits, four walks, but struck out six. White is showing that he may be ahead Meyer in his development. White's fastball topped out at 97.6 mph and averaged 95.2 mph. He used it heavily on Friday with just 10 sliders thrown and seven changeups thrown. Towards the latter portion of his start, White's control began shaking up, which was a big cause for the four walks, but the beginning of his start was as advertised, where half his strikeouts were swinging strikeouts, two of those with his secondary stuff. In game two of the three-game set, 2023 first round pick Noble Meyer took the mound going 3 ⅔ innings, but giving up two runs off of three hits and three walks. The 19-year-old pitcher struck out five in his start. Similar to White, Meyer went sinker-heavy, topping out at 95.1 mph and averaging 92.9 mph. He was a bit more mindful of his slider, throwing it 18% of the time and using it to record a swinging strikeout. White may have had control/command issues towards the end of his start, but Meyer had them throughout the entirety of his start. When he wanted to go to his elevated fastball, it just wouldn't get him out of situations, not generating any swing-and-miss action and resulting in one hit-by-pitch. By far the best start came on Sunday from 2023 11th-round pick Jake Brooks who threw five shutout innings, giving up one hit and one walk. The right-handed pitcher struck out four. Brooks, not much of a velocity-oriented pitcher, used that to his advantage, going back and forth between his slider and changeup, which were used in three out of his four strikeouts. Although our Fish On First staff wasn't too familiar with Brooks, this performance has caught our attention. Offensively, there weren't too many standouts, but Victor Mesa Jr. began a rehab assignment where he went 2-for-12 with two walks and four strikeouts. Mesa should be back in Triple-A Jacksonville soon given the amount of at-bats already. Jordan McCants, who is repeating the level, hit a solo home run in the first game of the season, leaving the bat at 100.3 mph and going 380 feet. McCants ended up having a two-hit game that night. He would go hitless through the rest of the series, unfortunately. One of the more built prospects in the organization is Mark Coley II. On Opening Day, Coley II hit an RBI double, with a 94.9 mph exit velo and going 312 feet. The 6'2", 194-pound prospect ended up going two for seven with two RBIs and four strikeouts. High-A Beloit Right on Opening Day, FOF #10 prospect Karson Milbrandt went five innings of shutout ball, only giving up two hits and one walk. Milbrandt struck out five, three with his sinker, but also three swinging strikes, generating plenty of swing-and-miss action. It was by far the best overall pitching performance on Friday. Ike Buxton, who was surprisingly demoted back to High-A, ended up giving the Sky Carp 5 ⅓ innings of work, giving up one run (unearned) off of four hits and two walks. Buxton, who is not a strikeout-dominant pitcher, struck out eight, all but two of them with the slider. The most impressive part of his start was the high amount of swing and miss he generated. Seven of his eight strikeouts were swinging strikeouts, showing advance secondary stuff. On the position player side, Joe Mack hit a solo home run in a 0-0 ballgame to give the Sky Carp a 1-0 lead. Mack would end up going three for seven with the home run, one walk and three strikeouts. Where Mack struggled in 2023 was with his 118 strikeouts in 449 at-bats. Although three strikeouts through seven at-bats is a bit concerning, Mack is still 21 years old, so he has some time to show something. Mack is currently unranked on our FOF Top 30. By far the biggest step back in 2023 was the offensive production of Yiddi Cappe. Cappe had himself a multi-hit game to begin the 2024 season. The organization has shown a commitment to play Cappe at third base to see if he can find a home there and throughout the spring, the organization liked what they saw. Maybe finally finding a home defensively is what Cappe needed to step it up offensively. Other notables include first baseman Torin Montgomery who hit a two-run homer on Friday and ended up going 1-for-6 with three strikeouts, and catcher Cameron Barstad (4-for-8, 2 RBI, 3 K). Double-A Pensacola By far the most eventful team this weekend was in Pensacola. On Opening Day, Evan Fitterer (FOF #26) took the mound and struggled despite going 4 ⅓ innings of work. The right-hander gave up four earned runs off of 10 hits and two walks. He was able to strike out two. A lot of Fitterer's struggles lies with his flat pitches—little to no movement and they weren't fooling opposing hitters. M.D. Johnson showed up and showed out for the Wahoos on Saturday, tossing five innings, giving up two earned runs off of seven hits and one walk. Johnson struck out three in the process and thanks to the potent Wahoos offense, he was able to earn the win. The last time Paul Campbell stepped a pro mound was in April of 2022. On Sunday, Campbell made his first start in nearly two years and went 5 ⅓ innings of one-run ball, giving up five hits and one walk, but struck out five, highlighted by striking out the side in the top of the second inning. Seeing Campbell find success for the Wahoos is certainly a feel good moment after being suspended in 2021 and then undergoing Tommy John surgery. The Wahoos bullpen comprised of Jeff Lindgren, Zach McCambley and Austin Roberts backed up Campbell to shutout the Braves AA lineup. The Marlins' first-round pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, Jacob Berry (FOF #13) did not disappoint this weekend going 4-for-14 with a home run, two RBIs and four hits. Berry's approach was a lot better through the first series, showing less aggressiveness and taking the right pitches. Defensively, he didn't record a single error, playing the first two games at third base and the Sunday finale at first. A feel-good story on the position player side was Cody Morissette who hit a solo home run to dead center on Opening Day. Overall, he went 4-for-8 with the home run and three RBIs. Morissette suffered a severe ankle injury that contributed to his 2023 struggles. The power potential of Morissette stands out and this weekend, he showed it off. A new member of the organization, Shane Sasaki made his AA debut and went 2-13 with one walk and two strikeouts. His speed made an impact as he stole one base and played played center field in the first two games, then playing right field on Sunday. Along with Sasaki, Javier Sanoja, who spent almost all spring training on the Major League side, made his AA debut. The aggressive assignment is already paying off as he went 4-for-12 with three RBIs, one stolen base and didn't strike out. Triple-A Jacksonville Tristan Gray went back to Durham this weekend and hit five home runs in five days. One of the spring training standouts for the Marlins is already slashing .306/.359/.778/1.137 with five homers and eight RBIs. Gray's good looks at the plate haven't seen his strikeout problems go away, with 14 in 36 at-bats. Despite the high K%, Gray continues to force his way up to the Major Leagues. Up Next Low-A Jupiter takes on the Port St. Lucie Mets in Jupiter High-A Beloit heads to Peoria to take on the Peoria Chiefs AA-Pensacola hits the road for the first time to take on the Montgomery Biscuits AAA-Jacksonville is back home to take on the Charlotte Knights View full article

On the same day Schumaker's Marlins clinched their first win of the 2024 season, news surfaced that the reigning NL Manager of the Year is a pending free agent. Skip Schumaker did everything that the Miami Marlins could've dreamed of in his first season as the team's manager, leading them to 84 regular season wins and a playoff berth. But Schumaker's second season in Miami could prove to be his last. Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported on Sunday that the Marlins have voided the 2025 club option in his contract, allowing him to leave the organization after the 2024 season if they don't negotiate an extension by then. SportsGrid's Craig Mish would later confirm the news. Schumaker was hired by former GM Kim Ng during the 2022-23 offseason. He arrived with a decade of MLB playing experience and some coaching experience, but had never held a managerial job before. The Marlins improved by 15 wins from 2022 to 2023, reaching the playoffs for the first time in a full-length season since 2003. Schumaker joined Jim Leyland and Jack McKeon as the third manager in Marlins franchise history to secure a winning season in their first year managing the team. He was voted National League Manager of the Year, the first Marlins skipper to win the award in a full season since Joe Girardi (2006). Kim Ng parted ways with the club last October when she and principal owner Bruce Sherman could not agree on a multi-year extension. That paved the way for Sherman to hire Tampa Bay Rays general manager Peter Bendix as the franchise's new president of baseball operations. Schumaker's tenure in Miami all of a sudden became a bit murky given the change in front office leadership. According to Nightengale's report, Schumaker's contract was voided during the winter, meaning this had been done for a while now. However, the news only got out to the public on Sunday, with the Marlins entering the day owning MLB's worst record at 0-9. There is still the possibility that the Marlins and Schumaker can come to an agreement on an extension. Bendix and Schumaker have spoken highly of each other through public comments. However, if they were fully committed to working together long term, then these negotiations likely would've been completed before the 2024 season started. If the Marlins and Schumaker do go their separate ways, Peter Bendix will be tasked with looking for the franchise's 17th manager, a shockingly high number considering that the Marlins have only been around since 1993. View full article

Like Angels teammate Zach Neto, Nolan Schanuel made his return to South Florida for the first time as a big leaguer. Schanuel reflects on his journey to reach this point. MIAMI, FL—On the way to sweeping their series against the Miami Marlins this week, the Los Angeles Angels got high-quality at-bats from several of their players. That includes Boca Raton product Nolan Schanuel, who hit a solo home run and reached base safely six total times. Born in Boca Raton, Florida, Schanuel attended Park Vista Community High School and stayed local for his college education, going to Florida Atlantic University. During his three seasons as an Owl, he slashed .386/.516/.698/1.215 with 46 home runs and 176 RBIs. In his 810 plate appearances, the first baseman struck out 57 times, including only 14 K's in his draft-eligible season. "It's awesome," said Schanuel in advance of Wednesday's series finale. "A lot of friends and family got to watch me play, got to watch the team play these past two days and it's been awesome. Played here my whole life, so kind of used to the humidity and everything that comes with it. It's been awesome to be able to see everybody and kind of get the Florida experience again." Schanuel had about 50 friends and family members make the drive south to watch him play at loanDepot park. "Right when I crossed home plate, I gave them a little acknowledgement and seeing their reaction after the game, my mom and dad, they're excited. It was awesome. That's why we play the game. We do it for ourselves, but also for our family and it's awesome to see that they're just as into it as we are." Schanuel's former coach at FAU, John McCormack, texted him after Monday's Angels win, saying "still beating down on Miami." Schanuel also noted that him alma mater defeated the University of Miami a night later. Schanuel entered pro baseball as the 11th pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, one pick after the Marlins selected pitcher Noble Meyer. Schanuel and Wyatt Langford of the Texas Rangers are the only first-rounders from that draft class who are already competing at the big league level. "The draft was crazy," said Schanuel. "Felt like I I talked to almost everybody and fortunately it didn't go that way. I'm very happy to be where I am. Thankfully the Angels took a shot on me. I'm nothing but blessed. Just gotta thank God for the opportunity he's given me." Although the 22-year-old Schanuel is not yet a finished product, he's been an on-base machine ever since his original call-up. He has begun his MLB career with a 35-game on-base streak (.400 OBP overall), the league's second-longest active streak trailing only Juan Soto. View full article

The Marlins had a total of five hits on the night as the search for their first win goes on. MIAMI, FL —Still in search of their first win of the season, the situation was lined up perfectly for the Marlins on Tuesday: Jesús Luzardo on the mound against a team which he dominated in the past. Luzardo had another strong outing. However, Aaron Hicks ended up being the unlikely difference-maker of the night in a 3-1 Angels win. Meanwhile, the nightmare continues for the Marlins as they are now 0-6 this season. In his second start of the season, Luzardo went 5 ⅓ innings, giving up two runs off of four hits and two walks. Hicks drove in both of those runs, first with a solo home run in the top of the fourth inning and then an RBI single in the sixth, which drove in Miami native Zach Neto who hit a double in his at-bat. Luzardo's fastball/slider combo would work well, primarily the slider, which saw seven whiffs on 16 swings. Four out of the five strikeouts were on the slider, with the only other strikeout coming on a changeup. His four-seam fastball averaged 95.7 mph. He provided the Marlins with their longest start of the season to date. The Marlins offense had their worst performance yet, being limited to only five hits on the night and none with runners in scoring position. In the bottom of the second inning, Jazz Chisholm Jr. worked a walk and Tim Anderson singled. With runners on first and second with one out, Avisail Garcia hit a first-pitch changeup to the outfield, but Chisholm and Anderson had gotten big jumps trying for a double steal. It was a routine flyout. Chisholm had already crossed third base, and when running back toward second, he did not retouch the third base bag, causing an unusual double play for the team that has hit into more of them than anybody else. A big reason why the Marlins struggled to get anything going was Angels starter Tyler Anderson, who went seven innings of shutout ball and struck out four in the process. Anderson's changeup ended up being what worked for him, recording all strikeouts with it, with three of them being swinging strikeouts. The veteran left-hander threw 59 strikes against only 24 balls. "We knew he had a fastball/cutter combo going in," manager Skip Schumaker said postgame. "We knew he had a really good changeup. We knew it was coming at times as well and still swung at it out of the zone and a lot of weak contact to the pull side. He did a really nice job." Schumaker also remarked on Zach Neto's impressive diving stop to rob Josh Bell of a hit: "He's gonna be a good player for a long time." 8fdc9f9a-1a9b530c-4a099777-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_4000K.mp4 Bryan De La Cruz broke up the shutout by homering off of Luis García with one out in the bottom of the ninth. He's the fourth Marlins player to hit a homer on this homestand, joining Avisaíl García, Nick Gordon and Jazz Chisholm Jr. With the loss, the Marlins fall to 0-6. They set a new season low in runs and matched a season low in hits. The New York Mets (0-4) are MLB's only other winless team. In their final attempt to earn a victory in Miami before heading on the road, A.J. Puk will take the mound Wednesday afternoon opposite of Patrick Sandoval at 1:10 p.m. View full article

Miami, Florida native and Los Angeles Angels shortstop Zach Neto talks to Fish On First about playing against his hometown team for the first time. MIAMI, FL— The Miami Marlins enter Tuesday night with an 0-5 record, but in the opposing dugout, the Los Angeles Angels are 2-2 and looking to get over .500. An integral piece to their team thus far is 23-year-old Miami native Zach Neto. The Coral Park High School product was called up last year to coincidentally face his hometown team in Anaheim, but this series marks his first time playing in loanDepot park as a big leaguer. "I'm back where it all started," said Neto to the media on Monday prior to game one of the three-game set. "It's good to wake up this morning, see my family and be able to be here." Selected with the 13th pick in the first round of the 2022 MLB Draft, Neto was called up just a year after being drafted. He slashed .225/.308/.377/.685 with nine home runs and 34 RBIs as a rookie. In that same draft, the Marlins held the sixth overall pick. They passed on Neto, taking LSU third baseman Jacob Berry, who is currently at the Double-A level. "It feels good," said Neto when asked about his quick career progression. "Being able to play here, it just shows a lot of hard work that I've been putting in my whole life growing up. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to play here for the Marlins, but I found a home somewhere else. Being able to bring that with me here, it's awesome." Since Neto was drafted and Miguel Rojas was traded, the Marlins have had what feels like a revolving door at shortstop: Joey Wendle, Jacob Amaya, Jon Berti, Garrett Hampson and now Tim Anderson. On Tuesday, Amaya was designated for assignment by the club. This was a series that Neto has been looking forward to. "Last year when I first got called up, finding out that we were playing the Marlins at our home was cool, but finding out this year that we were playing them here, especially early in the season, it was awesome." In just the first game back, he had almost a full section of family and friends who came to see him. It was over 100 tickets he had to give out. "I don't know the final number," said Neto, "but I heard it's a lot. They told me a certain section, so that section is dedicated to my family...but once the game starts, gotta lock in and focus on the game." Does facing the Marlins motivate Neto to take his game to a new level? "Definitely does," said Neto. "Kinda gives me a little edge knowing that passed on me in the draft, so they had their opportunity, they passed, so now I found a home somewhere else, so there's a little chip on my shoulder coming out here and proving what they missed out on." Neto went 1-for-4 on Monday in the Angels' series-opening win. He is slashing .154/.214/.154/.368 with two RBIs so far this season. In game two of the series, Neto is in the nine spot of the order as he looks to get to Marlins ace Jesús Luzardo, who has done well against the Angels in the past. View full article

On Monday, Max Meyer made his return to a Major League mound against the Los Angeles Angels. Unfortunately for him, his first career win will have to wait, as the Angels came from behind to steal one from the Marlins. MIAMI, FL—For the first time since July 23, 2022, Fish on First number three prospect Max Meyer took the mound after undergoing Tommy John surgery. On a night where the Marlins needed length from their only right-handed starter in the rotation, Meyer delivered, as he went five innings, allowed two runs, two hits, one walk and struck out five. Meyer received a no-decision in Monday's contest, as the final score was 7-4, Angels. Meyer's first inning of work was brisk, as he struck out 2023 first-round pick Nolan Schanuel, but most notably, three time American League MVP Mike Trout as well. Both strikeouts came on the slider, which was his most used pitch of the night. He would go on to strikeout Anthony Rendon in the top of the third inning and then Brandon Drury in the fourth. All of his strikeouts came on the slider. "Everything felt good," said Meyer following the game. "First time out there, I wasn't that nervous, I don't think. Was able to make some pitches and felt good throughout and obviously not the result we want, but something to build off." Throughout the spring, Meyer's fastball velocity was averaging around 93.9-94.9 mph. On Monday, Meyer's fastball averaged 95.0 mph, topping out at 96.5 mph. He went with his slider/fastball combo along with a couple changeups. The fastball command was great for Meyer, throwing mainly strikes, but also working the corners with it. Opposing hitters swung at the fastball multiple times, but made contact each time, as Meyer didn't generate any whiffs. Unlike the fastball, the slider ended up being Meyer's bread and butter, which makes sense given his success with it at the minor league level. Angels hitters swung at his slider 11 times, generating four whiffs. "It's always going to be one of my main pitches. A little bit later on, probably relied on [the slider] a little too much. Should've stuck to some heaters. Mel came out to me and said get back on that fastball, you're kind of peeling off so just stuff like that. I'll learn from every outing." Where Meyer had trouble was with the changeup. He threw it just as much as his fastball, but not as effective, as he gave up a solo-homer to Mike Trout, leaving the pitch hanging for the 14-year veteran. Only twice did it fool the opposing side, as the Angels whiffed twice at it, But for the most part, it didn't make much of a positive impact as it didn't land in the zone as much as he would have liked. "I'm throwing a 3-2 changeup to Mike Trout, trying to get him out. I'm so happy that I even have the confidence in it. I would have never said that a couple years ago," said Meyer. "Obviously there's a place and time for it, but yeah, I feel great about it." Thankfully for Meyer, the Marlins offense backed him early, scoring four runs. In the bottom of the first inning, Luis Arraez worked a five-pitch walk, Josh Bell got on base through a catcher's interference and Jake Burger knocked in his seventh RBI of the season, giving the Marlins an early 1-0 lead. Jazz Chisholm Jr. would follow up Burger with an RBI single, driving in Josh Bell from second base. Although the call was questionable to send Bell home, it ended up working as he barely slid home safely to extend the lead to 2-0. Miami would go on to score two more runs thanks to a Nick Gordon two-run double. The longest home run of the 2024 MLB season was hit at loanDepot Park on Monday night as Mike Trout took reliever George Soriano 475 feet deep to left center field into the ballpark's concourse. This was the second home run of back-to-back homers that Soriano allowed, the first one being to former Florida Atlantic University product Nolan Schanuel. After the Marlins scored four runs in the bottom of the first inning, the Angels went on to score six unanswered runs, which included two Mike Trout home runs, a Nolan Schanuel home run, two groundout RBIs and a Joe Adell RBI single to drive in Logan O'Hoppe to put the icing on the cake. With the loss, for the first time in franchise history, the Miami Marlins are 0-5. The last team reach this mark was the 2021 Oakland Athletics who went on to finish the season 86-76 (they missed the playoffs). "We've had chances to add on and really blowing the game open," said Miami Marlins manager Skip Schumaker following the game. "They did a good job of getting the double play when they had to add to a couple times. We had guys on base, we had traffic all night. Just couldn't break through and add." Miami will try to rebound on Tuesday as Jesús Luzardo will take the mound against Tyler Anderson at 6:40 p.m. The Angels are now 2-2 on the season and look to go over .500 and keep the Marlins winless. View full article

Along with the Marlins, the Triple-A Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp have just begun their 2024 regular season. These were the most notable player performances from their three-game set against the Gwinnett Stripers. Although opening weekend didn't go well for the Miami Marlins, there were some positive developments with their Triple-A affiliate, the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp. The Jumbo Shrimp won on Opening Day before dropping the final two games of the series at 121 Financial Ballpark. Throughout Minor League Baseball, individual performances and development of players take priority over wins and losses, so let's take a closer look at who stood out for Jacksonville in these games. Pitching A name that more Marlins fans should get accustomed to hearing is Darren McCaughan. The right-handed pitcher was acquired from the Seattle Mariners in February in exchange for cash considerations. McCaughan started the final game of spring training and went three shutout innings, not allowing a hit, walking zero and striking out three. Similar to what Bryan Hoeing was known for during his time in the minors, McCaughan would induce a lot of ground balls, but also incorporate an arsenal which occasionally gets him swing-and-miss action. When he's on top of his game, he provides quick innings. From 2018-2023, the new member of the Jumbo Shrimp led Minor League Baseball in innings pitched (717.0 IP). Starting on Opening Day, he went six innings, allowing three runs off of six hits, one walk and struck out four. He gave up two home runs, one to former Marlins utility man Luke Williams and a second to J.P. Martinez. Just like he did in the final spring game, McCaughan went secondary heavy. He primarily used his sweeper/sinker combo, but specifically his sweeper induced the most whiffs. He is expected to start once again on Wednesday, but there is a chance he is called up to join the Marlins in the near future. The Major League team is in need of innings and McCaughan can provide just that, plus he's already on their 40-man roster. He may not have struck out anyone, which is uncharacteristic of him, Anthony Maldonado went two innings and didn't allow any runs or hits, he only gave up one walk as he earned the save for the Jumbo Shrimp on Friday. Calvin Faucher was slowed down by a minor shoulder injury during spring training, but he recovered just in time to begin the regular season on schedule. On Saturday, Faucher made his Jumbo Shrimp debut, going two shutout innings where he gave up two hits and struck out two. He averaged 94.9 mph on his sinker and topped out at 96.7 mph. Faucher is a candidate to receive a call-up when another fresh arm is needed in the Marlins bullpen, just like McCaughan and Maldonado. Faucher was one player who stood out to manager Skip Schumaker during the spring given his high velocity and swing-and-miss potential, and that was on display on Saturday. Yonny Chirinos, who signed a minor league deal with the Marlins, had a no-hitter through five innings in his Jumbo Shrimp debut, but the Gwinnett Stripers tacked on three runs at the end of his outing, so the box score doesn't show how good Chirinos was. He will be a name to keep an eye out for as well. Position Players Griffin Conine, son of Jeff Conine, joined the Marlins organization via trade in 2020. He had a great spring training and stayed hot this weekend in Jacksonville, going 4-for-10 with one RBI and two doubles. In the bottom of the fourth inning on Friday, Conine hit a 103.6 mph RBI double off of pitcher Darius Vines to start the scoring for the Jumbo Shrimp. Tnd5eGtfV0ZRVkV3dEdEUT09X0JRZFhYUUZYVXdBQUFGb0ZVUUFBVlZVRUFGZ0RVbE1BQlZ3R0FWRUFDQXNEQXdOZQ==.mp4 On his second double, which came in his final at-bat of the game, the ball left the bat at 94.3 mph. Conine ended up scoring on a Marty Costes RBI single. He also had the highest exit velocity in the second game of the series, at 109.4 mph. Strikeouts have historically been an issue for the son of Mr. Marlin, but through three games, he's only struck out twice. It's good to see, but too early to tell if that is sustainable. If Conine keeps up the approach he had in spring training, then the chances of him earning his first career call-up certainly improve. Through the first series, there weren't many other standouts offensively. Jacksonville scored only one total run on Saturday and Sunday combined. The Jumbo Shrimp enter their first full week of action with a .187/.286/.242/.528 team slash line. View full article