Isaac Azout

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Making just his sixth career start in the leadoff spot, Jesús Sánchez went 3-for-5 with four RBI in Monday's walk-off thriller. While Marlins starter Edward Cabrera was receiving treatment following his third consecutive outing in which he allowed only one walk, the team entered the bottom of the ninth inning trailing by one run. Down in the clubhouse, Cabrera turned to the training staff and said, “We need a walk-off right now.” A few moments later, his wish came true. With the Marlins down to their final strike in the bottom of the ninth, veteran outfielder Derek Hill extended the game with an automatic double to right field on an 0–2 pitch. Javier Sanoja then drew a four-pitch walk, bringing up Jesús Sánchez with the winning run on base. Facing Cubs flamethrower Daniel Palencia, Sánchez turned around a 101 mph fastball and ripped it down the right-field line, scoring both runners and securing an 8–7 walk-off victory for Miami. It was the Marlins’ sixth walk-off win of the season—tied with the San Francisco Giants for the most in MLB—and improved their record to 19–27. “It was a lot of fun,” said manager Clayton McCullough postgame. “Over the course of the season, we’ve found ourselves in a lot of those situations, and our guys have shown all year long that they’re incredibly resilient.” The walk-off was the fourth of Sánchez’s career and his second this season. The 27-year-old, making just his sixth career start in the leadoff spot, said he was prepared for the high heat from Palencia. “Fastball all the way. 101, 102—just fastball,” Sanchez said. “Looked to get ahead and luckily, I was able to.” Sánchez is taking full advantage of his opportunity at the top of the order while Xavier Edwards remains on the injured list. He’s now 5-for-15 with four RBIs in the leadoff role. “It’s a position that was given to me, so I’m just enjoying it,” he added. “I’m treating it like I’m batting second." Sánchez wasted no time making an impact Monday night, launching a 409-foot leadoff home run—the first of his career—that left his bat at 112.1 mph, his hardest-hit ball of the season. He became just the second player in Marlins history to record both a leadoff home run and a walk-off hit in the same game, joining Hanley Ramirez (August 7, 2010 vs. St. Louis). Rookie phenom Agustín Ramírez followed Sánchez with a solo home run of his own, staking Miami to an early 2–0 lead. Cabrera, meanwhile, started strong—retiring 12 of the first 15 batters he faced and striking out six—before running into trouble in the fourth. With two outs and two on, Cubs catcher Miguel Amaya connected for a three-run homer to give Chicago a 3–2 lead. The game turned into a back-and-forth battle from there. Miami answered with four runs in the fifth inning, highlighted by an RBI triple from Liam Hicks. But Chicago quickly responded with four runs of their own in the sixth off reliever Jesús Tinoco, retaking the lead at 7–6. From there, Miami’s bullpen held strong. Right-hander Valente Bellozo delivered three clutch scoreless innings in relief to keep the deficit at one and give the Marlins a chance in the ninth. “He’s such a bulldog,” McCullough said of Bellozo. “He does so many things. He holds runners, he throws strikes, goes multiple innings and doesn’t let any moment get too big for him.” Bellozo’s three shutout inning bridged the gap to Miami’s dramatic ninth inning, capped by Sánchez’s game-winner. The Marlins will look to secure the series win on Tuesday night when left-hander Ryan Weathers makes his second start of the season against Cubs right-hander Jameson Taillon. View full article

On Fish Unfiltered, Kyle Sielaff discusses the importance of getting additional broadcasting reps beyond just Marlins games. Check out the full interview on the Fish On First podcast channel! View full video

Prior to making his major league debut on Monday, Miami Marlins utility player Ronny Simon speaks with Fish On First about how he learned of his promotion and what role he expects to fill in Miami. View full video

Luzardo is healthy and performing as well as ever with his new team, increasing the value that he had back in December when the Marlins dealt him to a division rival. Trading a controllable, local, talented starting pitcher is never easy. Last winter, the Marlins faced a tough decision regarding left-hander Jesús Luzardo. The 27-year-old, under team control for two more seasons, endured an uneven 2024 campaign, posting a 5.00 ERA while spending multiple stints on the injured list. He threw just 66 ⅔ innings on the year and had trouble missing bats with his four-seam fastball, posting the sixth-lowest whiff rate in MLB with that pitch (11.1%). His fastball velocity was also down compared to his career norms and he allowed the most home runs per nine innings since his first season as a Marlin in 2021. Holding onto Luzardo meant the Marlins had to assume the risk that his recent struggles could continue, or worse—he could have re-injured himself and even further diminished his value. Instead of taking that chance, Miami chose to strike a deal in December 2024, trading the talented left-hander along with catcher Paul McIntosh to the division-rival Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for a pair of prospects: Starlyn Caba and Emaarion Boyd. When asked why the timing was appropriate to move their No. 2 starter, president of baseball operations Peter Bendix emphasized the organization's confidence in the players acquired. “These are guys that we feel very strongly about,” Bendix said. “We think that they’re really high-end pieces that are hard to acquire, and they can help us be good for a long time. That was the impetus behind the trade.” Caba, 19, is widely viewed as the centerpiece of the return. A standout defensive shortstop, he has Gold Glove potential but is still several years away from the big leagues. Boyd, meanwhile, profiles more realistically as a fourth outfielder at the Major League level. They are currently assigned to Miami's Low-A and High-A affiliates, respectively. While the Marlins took the safe route, Luzardo is already making a strong impression in Philadelphia. In his first four starts, he’s gone 2-0 with a 2.31 ERA over 23 ⅓ innings. The Phillies are 3-1 in games started by Luzardo, who has already accumulated 0.9 fWAR—ranking ninth among all pitchers in Major League Baseball. Luzardo's fastball velocity is up compared to last season and he’s missing more bats. He has also added a sweeper to his arsenal, which has become his most-used secondary pitch and been highly effective. Meanwhile, Miami is rapidly fading after a solid first couple weeks of the season. Their starters own the second-worst ERA in baseball (5.66) and they're averaging the fewest innings per outing. The Fish enter Sunday at 8-12, losers of five consecutive games. Do the Marlins regret pulling the trigger so soon? It’s possible that Miami could have commanded a stronger return by waiting. While length of club control is always a key factor in appraising a player’s trade value, Luzardo still had two seasons remaining. Trading him closer to the July 31 deadline—when playoff contenders are prone to making desperation moves—likely wouldn’t have diminished his value significantly, if at all. Additionally, notable aces across the league have sustained season-ending injuries for competitive ball clubs. Yankees ace Gerrit Cole underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery before Opening Day. Given the Yankees’ history of trades with the Marlins and their perpetual "World Series or bust" expectations, it’s conceivable that New York might have overpaid to acquire Luzardo. Justin Steele of the Chicago Cubs is the latest frontline starter to be lost for the season. Notably, the Marlins have had multiple trade discussions with the Cubs in recent years involving Luzardo and other pieces. Given Luzardo’s strong start to the campaign and the Cubs’ and Yankees' deep farm systems, it’s fair to wonder if the Marlins could have secured a better return than the package received from Philadelphia. The fact that he's only 27 years old only supports the possibility that his best may still lie ahead. Hindsight is always 20/20, and it’s difficult to fault Peter Bendix and his staff for making what they believed was the safe, forward-thinking move. However, with Luzardo excelling early in the season and Starlyn Caba struggling to produce offensively at the Single-A level—albeit at just 19 years old—it’s fair to second-guess the timing and return of the deal. While the long-term outlook may still work out well for Miami, the short-term optics have raised questions. View full article

On Fish Unfiltered, Miami Marlins outfielder Kyle Stowers describes the impact of torpedo bats and explains his decision to use them regularly in 2025. View full video

The long ball continued to hurt Marlins pitching on Wednesday. MIAMI—A third consecutive quality start from Max Meyer and a birthday blast by Matt Mervis weren’t enough on Wednesday night, as the Arizona Diamondbacks defeated the Marlins for the second consecutive evening, this time by a score of 6-2. Once projected as a future bullpen arm by some, Meyer has flipped the script on those assessments. At the time of his draft selection, the right-hander was seen as a potential late-inning reliever due to his lack of size and a two-pitch mix featuring a wipeout slider and an above-average fastball—an arsenal best suited for a closer. The 26-year-old has started silencing his critics. Following an offseason in which he added both a sweeper and a sinker to his repertoire, he turned heads in spring training with increased velocity and a 3.21 ERA across five starts. That showing earned him a spot in the Marlins’ Opening Day rotation, where he’s since emerged as arguably the club’s most consistent starting pitcher. Meyer’s outing on Wednesday featured both highs and lows. On the positive side, the right-hander recorded 18 swings-and-misses—14 of them coming via his signature slider—and tied a career-high with eight strikeouts. His fastball velocity also saw an uptick, averaging 95.7 mph and touching as high as 97.4 mph. It was his third consecutive outing of six innings or more. "Slider was obviously sharp today as I was able to get under some barrels," the Minnesota native said postgame. "Was throwing pretty hard too to make sure they have to respect the fastball mixed in." What ultimately cost Meyer and the Marlins were a pair of home runs surrendered to Arizona’s No. 3 and No. 4 hitters, Pavin Smith and Josh Naylor, both of whom took advantage of mistakes by Meyer. In the top of the second, Naylor launched a fastball over the centerfield wall to give the Diamondbacks their first lead of the night. "I probably got a little too much plate with Naylor. Wanted to go up, but it was more middle. It was the first pitch he saw all day but I know he's really aggressive. Probably a mistake pitch," Meyer added. A few innings later, Smith pulverized a hanging changeup to give his team the lead which they never gave back. "I should have simply went slider to Smith because he already had a good look at the changeup." Meyer threw his signature slider nearly 50% of the time on Wednesday, noting that he feels he lost a little bit of shape on it recently. Last season, the team mentioned that they would like to see the right-hander depend less on that pitch going forward. Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said postgame, "I think we're seeing that trend across the sport. He uses the fastball when appropriate and I think he has the feel for multiple breaking balls so the usage from game to game might change eventually." Miami's first run of the game came in the bottom of the fourth inning, when Matt Mervis celebrated his birthday in style by launching his sixth home run of the season—all of which have come in April. With the blast, Mervis became the 12th player in franchise history to homer on his birthday. "I have no idea—I couldn't tell you," the slugging first baseman said with a smile when asked postgame if he had ever hit a home run on his birthday at any level. Miami would add another run in the bottom of the eighth via an RBI double by Otto Lopez. With Wednesday's loss, the Marlins dropped back below the .500 mark at 8–9. They’ll look to avoid a series sweep and salvage the finale of this three-game set on Thursday afternoon. Miami will send right-hander Edward Cabrera to the mound, while Arizona is slated to start veteran left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez. News & Notes: Prior to Wednesday’s game, the Marlins announced they had traded infielder Jonah Bride to the Minnesota Twins in exchange for cash considerations. Bride had been designated for assignment on Tuesday. Xavier Edwards extended his hitting streak to nine games on Wednesday. The switch-hitting infielder is batting .412 during that span. Third baseman Connor Norby has returned from his rehab assignment and rejoined the team. He is expected to be reinstated to the active roster for Thursday's game. Graham Pauley has been optioned to Triple-A Jacksonville, sources tell Fish On First. Pauley had been serving as Miami's primary third baseman in Norby's absence. View full article

Marlins' bullpen and well-timed offense evened the series against the Mets despite an abbreviated start by Miami's ace. MIAMI—Sandy Alcantara was in control on Tuesday night, making his second Major League start since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2023. After five innings and 70 pitches, first-year manager Clayton McCullough turned to his bullpen, which helped secure a 4-2 victory over the New York Mets. "I think each game will be its own story," McCullough said postgame regarding Alcantara. "I felt that he had emptied the tank and gave us everything he had tonight." Alcantara's velocity was noticeably down across the board compared to his Opening Day start on March 27. "The velocity was probably more in the 94 mph range tonight compared to the first start which had a lot of adrenaline behind it," added McCullough. "Coming off that high and with how I was watching him in real time, it felt like the right decision." On Tuesday, Alcantara averaged 95.9 mph on his four-seam fastball, down from the 98.2 mph average in his 92-pitch season debut. "I was getting tired quickly," said Alcantara postgame. "I think it's taking me more time to fully recover and get back into my routine. If i can pitch and compete while throwing 94 [mph], I'll take it." Miami's ace, the subject of constant trade rumors throughout the offseason, showed flashes of his vintage self after an uneven start on Opening Day. After receiving early run support in the bottom of the first inning thanks to a two-run home run by Kyle Stowers, Alcantara retired the top of the Mets' batting order on just nine pitches, all ground balls. "I'm just happy to be out there competing again and giving everything I've got," said Alcantara. After a solo home run by Brandon Nimmo in the second inning, Alcantara settled back in, inducing two more weak grounders and striking out Jesse Winker. Following an RBI single by Francisco Lindor with one out in the third, Alcantara retired the next eight batters in order. His final line: 5 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 SO, 70 pitches/43 strikes. “I thought Sandy pitched his butt off and competed like he always does,” McCullough added. “He was itching to go back out there for the sixth, but like I said, it felt like he gave us everything he had tonight.” The 70-pitch outing was the lowest pitch count for Alcantara in any game in nearly four years (since May 14, 2021). During spring training, McCullough was adamant that there would be no innings limit on Alcantara to start the 2025 season. “We expect Sandy to be able to go deep into games for us, like he has—this guy’s been a workhorse for a lot of years, and he’s prepared himself to do that,” McCullough said in March. However, on April 1, you can’t fault the rookie manager for erring on the side of caution with the lone veteran on his starting staff. Miami held a 4-2 lead at the time of Alcantara’s departure, thanks to a clutch two-out, two-run double by rookie Graham Pauley in the bottom of the fourth inning. Three shutout innings from Ronny Henriquez and Lake Bachar bridged the gap to the ninth, with the Marlins clinging to their two-run lead. Left-hander Anthony Veneziano, the only left-hander on the active roster, was called upon for the save opportunity. After allowing a couple of base runners, McCullough turned to Anthony Bender to close it out. Bender completed the task on just four pitches. Alcantara earned his first win since returning from elbow surgery and helped Miami improve to 4-2 on the season while the Mets fell to 2-3. Early in its 14th season of existence, loanDepot park has now hosted 1,000 MLB regular season games. The Marlins have a 474-526 record in those contests. The rubber match of the series will take place on Wednesday afternoon at 4:40 p.m. View full article

Watch clutch hits, stellar defense and walk-off plays from the Miami Marlins' opening series of the 2025 season. View full video

Fish Unfiltered—Episode #71 Just in time for Opening Day, Isaac Azout and Ely Sussman speak with Miami Marlins president of business Caroline O'Connor. A Marlins executive since 2017, O'Connor discusses marketing the team in the midst of yet another rebuild, motivating fans to come to loanDepot park, hosting non-baseball events at the stadium and beginning work on the Miami Live! project. Find Fish Unfiltered on the Fish On First YouTube channel and wherever else you get your pods. FOF's audio programming also includes The Offishial Show, Big Fish Small Pod, Swimming Upstream and more. O'Connor originally joined the organization in October of 2017 as senior vice president and chief of staff before serving three years as chief operating officer. She now oversees all the club’s business operations, including analytics and strategy, sales, partnerships, marketing, human resources, finance, legal, communications, community outreach, technology, security, ballpark facilities and special projects. Follow Isaac (@IsaacAzout), Ely (@RealEly) and Fish On First (@FishOnFirst) on Twitter. Join the Marlins Discord server! Complete Miami Marlins coverage here at FishOnFirst.com. View full article

Fish Unfiltered—Episode #72 Outfielder Kyle Stowers wasn't getting results at the plate in 2024 or during 2025 spring training. Incredibly, he has emerged as one of the most consistent players on the Miami Marlins. Stowers sits down with Isaac Azout and Kevin Barral on Fish Unfiltered to open up about his experiences with the Marlins organization so far, the impact of "torpedo" bats and Trajekt machines, the team's defensive improvement and more. Find Fish Unfiltered on the Fish On First YouTube channel, our new-look Apple Podcasts channel and wherever else you get your pods. FOF's audio programming also includes The Offishial Show, Swimming Upstream, Big Fish Small Pod and more. Stowers, 27, was acquired from the Baltimore Orioles along with Connor Norby prior to the 2024 MLB trade deadline in exchange for left-hander Trevor Rogers. He enters play on Thursday with a .281/.382/.421 slash line (127 wRC+) through 16 games and has settled into the everyday right fielder's job. This comes on the heels of struggles in the Grapefruit League as Stowers recorded zero extra-base hits in his 52 spring plate appearances. The possibility of being optioned to the minors even entered his mind, but he's grateful for the feedback he received from the Marlins coaching staff during that period. "It was just unique. In moments where I feel like maybe I wasn't at my highest confidence point, the way that they were able to pick me up and have conversations with me that were encouraging was a new experience for me this spring." Follow Isaac (@IsaacAzout), Kevin (@kevin_barral) and Fish On First (@FishOnFirst) on Twitter. Join the Marlins Discord server! Complete Miami Marlins coverage here at FishOnFirst.com. View full article

Max Meyer was once again impressive, but Miami's offense was once again quiet. JUPITER, FL—Max Meyer made his third start of the Grapefruit League schedule on Saturday night at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium, under the lights. After an uneven first inning, Meyer settled in and completed the next two frames very efficiently, without allowing a run. He was pulled after just 33 total pitches, but threw an additional eight in the bullpen following his outing. "I thought he was exceptional," manager Clayton McCullough said. "A couple of hitters in, probably wasn't the start you hope for, but I think it was actually a good thing to see, especially the way he got right back on the attack." Following the RBI double by Juan Soto, Meyer recorded an out on the next nine men who came to the plate. Soto singled again in the third, but was thrown out trying to stretch it to a double. “Fastball and sinker felt really good and I was able to put them in good locations up and get some swings-and-misses,” said Meyer following his outing. His fastball velocity remained encouraging, sitting at 96 mph and topping out at 97.1 mph. Meyer mixed both types of breaking balls effectively, throwing eight sliders and eight sweepers. When asked to differentiate between the two, he explained, “I’d say I probably went more sweeper-heavy tonight. The ones in the 85-87 mph range are the sweepers, and anything harder is the slider.” Meyer credited the Marlins' new pitching staff for helping expand his pitch arsenal, noting, “The staff has done a great job relaying information that helps me understand when and where to throw each pitch. My arsenal is night and day compared to last year." Additionally, the 25-year-old mentioned the benefit of having more off-speed offerings to have to throw against right-handed hitters, admitting to the media that he felt “forced” to use the changeup more than he would have preferred. He told Fish on the Farm’s Alex Carver that he would consider the changeup his fifth-best offering. Meyer’s outing began with a few over-thrown fastballs to leadoff man Luisangel Acuña, later resulting in the hard-hit RBI double from Soto. "First inning is always going to be about getting the juices out and then you settle in," Meyer said. "For me, the impressive part of the outing was how he got right back to work, minimized the damage and continued the next couple of innings and got outs quickly," added McCullough. Meyer's final line: 3 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO. Meyer is currently projected to be the number five starter for the Marlins in 2025. Roster trimmed down to 48 Before Saturday night’s game, the Marlins made their second wave of roster cuts, highlighted by the Marlins’ seventh-ranked prospect, Deyvison De Los Santos . In addition to De Los Santos, Luarbert Arias, Adam Mazur (#11), and Max Acosta (#15) were optioned to Triple-A Jacksonville. Dax Fulton (#14) and Jared Serna (#10) were optioned to Double-A Pensacola and Matt Pushard, Christian Roa, Robby Snelling (#6), Dale Stanavich, Jacob Berry, Nathan Martorella and Andrew Pintar were reassigned to minor league camp. “These next two weeks, you’re going to see a lot of the position players get stretched out to that seven-inning mark, playing more back-to-back games to try and get their timing right and get ready for the season,” manager Clayton McCullough said on Saturday. Of note: After only allowing one earned run in his first four innings pitched this spring, Janson Junk allowed four earned in his 2 ⅔ innings of work on Saturday. Postgame, McCullough mentioned the team plans to stretch him out as a starter. Declan Cronin and George Soriano each threw a scoreless inning of relief. Graham Pauley continued his strong spring as he went 2-for-2 with an RBI double on Saturday. Xzavion Curry will start for the Marlins Sunday afternoon in West Palm Beach against the Houston Astros. View full article

For the first time, Marlins players will be able to challenge borderline pitches during spring training games. The system could be coming to MLB regular season games as soon as 2026. JUPITER, FL—MLB has announced the implementation of the Automatic Ball-Strike (ABS) system for approximately 60% of spring training games in 2025. The league plans to use the exhibition season to evaluate whether the system is suitable for the regular season. Hawk-Eye technology will be utilized in the background behind home plate, allowing pitchers, catchers and batters to challenge ball or strike calls they believe were incorrect by the umpire. For Miami, 19 of their 30 spring training games will be played in ballparks equipped with Hawk-Eye technology, including Hammond Stadium, Clover Park and Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Each team will start the game with two challenges apiece. While the system will not be in place for the 2025 MLB regular season, it is expected to debut in the near future, with reports indicating 2026 as a potential start date. Marlins manager Clayton McCullough shared his thoughts on the upcoming trial. “I’m excited to see how it plays out,” McCullough said. “The reception in Triple-A was very positive and it’s exciting to have the chance to test it further in major league spring training.” Though the first-year manager is eager to see how the system performs in a major league setting, he wouldn’t be a fan of eliminating the human element of umpire decision-making. “I wouldn’t be a fan of total ABS, but Major League Baseball has done a wonderful job of trying to make this game as fan-friendly as they can, so maybe this is just another step in that direction.” Non-roster invitee Troy Johnston, a first baseman/outfielder, is more enthusiastic about the system’s implementation. “I think it should be implemented right away,” Johnston said. “It’s one of the best ways to hold umpires accountable. There have been both good and bad calls, and some umpires have off days. Holding them accountable is important.” Johnston, 27, has had extended experience with the challenge system in the minors, referencing the strategy that goes along with it, depending on how many the players get. “I’ve played with two and I’ve played with three, and I strongly prefer three,” said Johnston. "It gives a bit more flexibility because with two, there’s a ton of strategy to it. However, more than three, it will get a hectic.” Marlins outfielder Griffin Conine is also an advocate for the challenge system. “I think the system is the perfect medium where you don’t make the umpires obsolete, they’re still a part of the game, but you’re also holding them accountable if you trust your eyes enough at the plate.” Conine, 27, who has accumulated over 2,400 plate appearances in the minors, is familiar with the system. “I’m not sure of my exact percentages, but I’ve never had a bad challenge,” he said. “Some players will challenge calls and it turns out the pitch is right down the middle.” ec164w.mp4 Marlins outfielder Kyle Stowers, who is competing for a spot on the Opening Day roster, shared his perspective as a hitter. “I like the objectivity the ABS system brings,” Stowers said. “While the human element can make the game more entertaining, I think the challenge system is a great compromise.” Stowers, who has experienced the ABS system in previous seasons, acknowledged his approach as an aggressive hitter. “I’d say I’m decent with it,” he chuckled. “As an aggressive hitter, if I take a pitch, it’s usually way outside, so I need to get better with it.” News and notes from around camp Marlins NRI Woo-Suk Go has a fractured right index finger he sustained while doing some drill work in the weight room. He will be reevaluated in the next couple of weeks, per Clayton McCullough. Ace Sandy Alcantara will make his Grapefruit League debut on Sunday, February 23 in Port St. Lucie against the New York Mets. “It’s about lining things up where it fits best into his calendar and working backwards from Opening Day,” said McCullough on Thursday. Alcantara is expected to throw one inning or 25-30 pitches on Sunday. During a live batting practice session on the main field, Griffin Conine launched a gargantuan home run of Xzavion Curry that landed on the roof of the Cardinals’ office buildings in right field. “Homers always feel good, but I’m more focused on controlling the zone and swinging at strikes and laying off balls,” said Conine. “I’ve seen days where 110 (mph exit velocities) aren't getting out in Roger Dean, so yeah, I definitely squared it up pretty good. View full article