Daniel Rodriguez

Liam Rooney of the Tallahassee Democrat joins the Small Pod to discuss a trio of Florida State Seminoles who were drafted by the Marlins: outfielder Max Williams, infielder Drew Faurot and left-hander Joey Volini. View full video

Ryan Harlan of BeaversEdge.com joins the Small Pod to discuss a pair of Oregon State Beavers who were drafted by the Marlins: top pick Aiva Arquette and 12th-round catcher Wilson Weber. View full video

Miami Marlins outfielder Kyle Stowers speaks with the media at loanDepot park after hitting a walk-off grand slam against Athletics closer Mason Miller in Saturday's win. View full video

Despite a subpar performance from Max Meyer, the Marlins snapped their week-long losing streak thanks to a pair of Kyle Stowers homers. MIAMI—“You don’t rise to the occasion, you sink to the level of your preparation.” Kyle Stowers had that quote running through his mind entering the decisive at-bat of Saturday's epic 9-6 Marlins win. Trusting his process paid off again. Let's fast-forward to the ninth inning, with hope fading away. The Marlins trailed 6-4 with one of MLB's best closers on the mound in Mason Miller. It looked like the six-game losing streak would be extended and the debut of their "Retrowave" City Connect uniforms would be ruined. Matt Mervis led off the inning getting hit by a pitch, followed by Connor Norby and Dane Myers strikeouts. Javier Sanoja stepped up to the plate and earned himself a double, walks by Ronny Simon and Xavier Edwards extended the game long enough to bring Stowers to the plate. With the bases loaded and two outs, it was his chance to either win the game or extend the losing streak. Stowers came through again for the Fish, taking Miller deep off a scorching 101.7 mph fastball to walk it off. "I don't like to say the words 'we needed it,' but it was a good time for a win and cool to be in the middle of it and that's why we play the game, for moments like that," Stowers said. The 27-year-old outfielder continues to show his early-season dominance with his fifth and sixth home runs of the season, Stowers easily leads Miami with 25 RBI this season to go along with a .324/.392/.552 slash line. Now seeing everyday play in the outfield and tapping into his power, don‘t be surprised if Stowers makes an appearance at the Midsummer Classic. Max Meyer, who went into this game looking to rebound from his performance in Seattle, could not get into form against the Athletics. An early home run by Brent Rooker got the Athletics on the board, only to be followed by a home run by former Marlin JJ Bleday. Bleday has been on a tear against his former team and has made a statement this weekend after also homering on Friday. Manager Clayton McCullough mentioned the comebacker that struck Meyer on the pitching hand: "He came in and tested it. Strength was all good, That was the first concern but then he had strength tested out fine. He was okay, He didn't have any ill effects as he went along." Meyer lasted five innings, but gave up a staggering 10 hits, including three home runs. It was a far cry from the Max Meyer who we witnessed racking up 14 Ks just a few weeks ago. The slider, which has been his best pitch and grades out as the best slider in baseball this season, was not effective against the A's. Each of the homers were off his slider. "I don't like where my execution is on them," Meyer said postgame. "I don't like my mindset when I'm throwing them up right now, leaving [them over] too much on the plate." Thrown 18 times, Meyer's slider generated just a single whiff. The Marlins look to continue the momentum Sunday as Edward Cabrera (7.23 ERA) is on the mound. The Athletics will trot out lefty JP Sears (2.94 ERA), who is quietly having a solid season for the As. Three stars of the game: - Kyle Stowers (2-5, 2 HR, 6 RBI, walk-off grand slam) - Javier Sanoja (2-4, 2 2B, R, RBI) - Ronny Simon (1-2, 2B, 2 R, 2 BB) View full article

Welcome to the big leagues, Agustín Ramírez. Who's coming up behind him in the Miami Marlins farm system? Daniel Rodriguez checks in on the early-season performances of Ramírez, Joe Mack and Ryan Ignoffo. View full video

Matt Mervis has half of the Miami Marlins' home runs this season all by himself! He's also striking out at the highest rate on the team. Daniel Rodriguez analyzes the progress Mervis has made and what concerns still remain. View full video

Coming off a season-best offensive performance on Saturday, the Marlins set the bar even higher in the series finale, cracking double-digit runs for the first time in 2025. MIAMI—Marlins fans should be excited to get Connor Norby and Jesús Sánchez back from the IL in the coming days, but their offense continues to get the job done even without them. The bats came to Cal Quantrill's rescue on Sunday, combining for a season-high 14 hits against the Washington Nationals and moving back over the .500 mark with the win. Eric Wagaman had himself a career day with three hits and reaching base five total times with the help of two walks. He previously looked like a candidate to get sent down to the minors to make room for Norby and Sánchez, but all of a sudden, his season numbers look much more impressive. Manger Clayton McCullough said, "we have a ton of confidence in Wags. Coming into this year, this guy has always been a performer." Matt Mervis rode the bench with a left-hander on the mound. "Whenever I'm not playing, just go up in the fourth or fifth [inning] into the cage, get moving just make sure my boys ready to go," Mervis said on his routine when not in the lineup. Mervis turned into one of the heroes of the game when his number was called in the seventh inning to face former Marlin Jorge López. His three-run home run to center field gave the Marlins much-needed breathing room, extending a 4-3 lead to 7-3. Mervis this season currently has a slash line of .294/.342/.735 and five homers, which is tied for fourth in the NL. He is on his way to earning everyday reps at first base. Kyle Stowers also deserves a mention. He had a three-hit game, including a double in the eighth inning which kept extending the lead for Miami. Prior to the game, hitting coach Pedro Guerrero said, "Stowers stands out the most to me after having such a tough spring training and coming in....He comes in every day, he just trusts the process." The outfielder is currently hitting .314 and has solidified his place near the top of the Marlins lineup. Starter Cal Quantrill was a mixed bag on Sunday. Although he completed five innings and saw an increase in velocity on his sinker, the main negative was his lack of control, which led to five walks on the day. Of the 77 pitches he threw, 47 of them were in the first and fourth innings. "Obviously, it wasn't my best stuff," Quantrill said postgame. "I was having a hard time controlling kind of all the hard pitches. I think that we did a really good job of making the pitch we had to make. Unfortunately, I put us in a lot of situations that were maybe not advantageous." The Marlins defense turned three double plays behind him. Journeyman catcher Rob Brantly started behind the plate, but Liam Hicks got his shot off the bench as a pinch-hitter in the sixth inning. Facing MacKenzie Gore, Hicks showed some clutch hitting to break the tie and give Miami the lead at the time. "Man on third less than two outs, you're trying to get something up to the outfield," Hicks said about his approach. "He's got that really good slider, so trying to lay off anything down, trying to see it up, especially when the infield is in." Miami took the weekend series vs. the Nats with a dominant offensive performance and will be back at loanDepot park Tuesday to start a three-game set against the Arizona Diamondbacks. My three stars of the night: 1: Eric Wagaman (3-3, 2 BB, 2B) 2: Kyle Stowers (3-5, 2B, 2 RBI) 3: Matt Mervis (1-2, pinch-hit HR, 3 RBI) View full article

Big Fish Small Pod for Thursday, February 20 Tyler Boronski joins Daniel Rodriguez to describe the vibes around Miami Marlins spring training so far and the interactions he's had with players and the club's decision-makers. Find Big Fish Small Pod on the Fish On First YouTube channel, our new-look Apple Podcasts channel and wherever else you get your pods. FOF's audio programming also includes The Offishial Show, Fish Unfiltered, Swimming Upstream and more. Follow Tyler (@TylerBoronski), Daniel (@Drodyyy) and Fish On First (@FishOnFirst) on Twitter. Join the Marlins Discord server! Complete Miami Marlins coverage here at FishOnFirst.com. View full article

Big Fish Small Pod for Thursday, February 13 Fish On First farm director Alex Carver joins Daniel Rodriguez to share his insights from Wednesday's Miami Marlins spring training activities, which included the first official pitchers & catchers workout plus plenty of minor league activity on the backfields of the Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium complex. Find Big Fish Small Pod on the Fish On First YouTube channel, our new-look Apple Podcasts channel and wherever else you get your pods. FOF's audio programming also includes The Offishial Show, Fish Unfiltered, Swimming Upstream and more. Check out Alex's interviews with Andrew Salas, Dillon Head and Ryan Ignoffo. Follow Alex (@marlinsminors), Daniel (@Drodyyy) and Fish On First (@FishOnFirst) on Twitter. Join the Marlins Discord server! Complete Miami Marlins coverage here at FishOnFirst.com. View full article

Big Fish Small Pod for Thursday, August 29 Daniel Rodriguez details how INF Connor Norby, OF Kyle Stowers, INF Deyvison De Los Santos, RHP Adam Mazur and LHP Robby Snelling have performed since coming to the Miami Marlins in trade deadline deals. Norby and Stowers are playing regularly with the big league club, De Los Santos and Mazur are with Triple-A Jacksonville, and Snelling is leading Double-A Pensacola's starting rotation. Find Big Fish Small Pod on the Fish On First YouTube channel, our new-look Apple Podcasts channel and wherever else you get your pods. FOF's audio programming also includes The Offishial Show, Fish Unfiltered, Swimming Upstream and more. The Fish On First podcast is now being presented by MPT College Consulting! They pride themselves on helping clients navigate the college application process. This includes preparation for standardized testing, guidance through high school, assistance with essays and applications, and choosing the right college. Visit them today at mptcollegeconsulting.com to learn more about their services and schedule a free consultation. Stowers has graduated from prospect eligibility, while the four other featured players each rank within the top 10 on our current Fish On First Top 30 list (Norby at No. 2, De Los Santos at No. 5, Snelling at No. 8 and Mazur at No. 9). Follow Daniel (@Drodyyy) and Fish On First (@FishOnFirst) on Twitter. Join the Marlins Discord server! Complete Miami Marlins coverage here at FishOnFirst.com. View full article

Big Fish Small Pod for Friday, July 26 Jackson McAfee of HawgSports.com joins Daniel Rodriguez to introduce us to Miami Marlins 11th-round draft pick Jake Faherty. Find Big Fish Small Pod on the Fish On First YouTube channel, our new-look Apple Podcasts channel and wherever else you get your pods. FOF's audio programming also includes The Offishial Show, Fish Unfiltered, Swimming Upstream and more. The Fish On First podcast is now being presented by MPT College Consulting! They pride themselves on helping clients navigate the college application process. This includes preparation for standardized testing, guidance through high school, assistance with essays and applications, and choosing the right college. Visit them today at mptcollegeconsulting.com to learn more about their services and schedule a free consultation. "When you're in the 11th round and beyond, you're kinda looking for some carry traits," Marlins director of amateur scouting Frankie Piliere said about Faherty on July 16 immediately following the draft. "Maybe somebody's a late-bloomer or maybe somebody is a buy-low type of candidate. This is the one that I think we were high-fiving the most when he came back around...Just an exciting arm talent that we think we can turn a couple dials and make into a really impactful pitcher." Faherty signed for a $200k bonus. Follow Jackson (@JMcAfee247), Daniel (@Drodyyy) and Fish On First (@FishOnFirst) on Twitter. Join the Marlins Discord server! Complete Miami Marlins coverage here at FishOnFirst.com. View full article

Big Fish Small Pod for Thursday, July 25 Kyle Charters, the voice of Purdue baseball, joins Daniel Rodriguez to introduce us to Miami Marlins 12th-round draft pick C Connor Caskenette. Find Big Fish Small Pod on the Fish On First YouTube channel, our new-look Apple Podcasts channel and wherever else you get your pods. FOF's audio programming also includes The Offishial Show, Fish Unfiltered, Swimming Upstream and more. The Fish On First podcast is now being presented by MPT College Consulting! They pride themselves on helping clients navigate the college application process. This includes preparation for standardized testing, guidance through high school, assistance with essays and applications, and choosing the right college. Visit them today at mptcollegeconsulting.com to learn more about their services and schedule a free consultation. A native of British Columbia, Canada, Caskenette slashed .296/.399/.528 with 19 home runs during his two seasons with Purdue. He received a $100k signing bonus from the Marlins. Follow Kyle (@KyleCharters79), Daniel (@Drodyyy) and Fish On First (@FishOnFirst) on Twitter. Join the Marlins Discord server! Complete Miami Marlins coverage here at FishOnFirst.com. View full article

On Wednesday, 292 days after surgery, Sandy Alcántara completed a bullpen session at loanDepot park and addressed the media afterward. Nearly 10 months since undergoing Tommy John surgery, Sandy Alcántara couldn't have been more excited at loanDepot park on Wednesday. The Marlins ace threw a bullpen session of approximately 20 pitches, and most importantly, came away from the experience pain-free. "I don't feel tired," Sandy said following the session. "I don't feel anything on my elbow." Alcántara had surgery on October 6 and announced he would miss the entire 2024 season, but that hasn't stopped him from being around the team. He has done most of his rehab work in Miami while accompanying the major league team on road trips. "I want to be here every day," he said. Manager Skip Schumaker was asked what he saw from his ace: "I wasn't looking at the velo. I was just so happy to see him on the mound. First bullpen, you're not really looking to air it out. It's just a really exciting time for him in the organization to see your guy on the mound." The progression for Sandy has been incredible, well ahead of the schedule we typically see for pitchers coming off TJ surgery. He is still far away from appearing in a major league game, but this is a major milestone. According to Gaby Sánchez on Wednesday's Bally Sports Florida broadcast, Alcántara is already touching 90 mph (his fastball averaged 98 mph prior to the injury). Do not close the door on Sandy potentially throwing in a professional baseball game as the season winds down. Ramping up to 100% intensity for MLB games within a year of TJ might be irresponsible, but we could see him start minor league games on a rehab assignment, get the feel for in-game action and enter the winter on a high note. In the meantime, what's next for Sandy? "Rest, try to do the same that I've been doing, and throw a couple more bullpens." Stay up to date on Sandy Alcántara's progress and all other Marlins injuries here. View full article