Isaac Azout

For the first time in 2024, the Miami Marlins beat the Washington Nationals. MIAMI—After one of Valente Bellozo's best starts of the season, a modest no-hitter attempt, a blown save, and a walk-off, the Miami Marlins finally came away with a win against the Washington Nationals, defeating them 4-3 on Wednesday night. After Mike Baumann surrendered three earned runs in the top of the eighth, blowing Miami's late 2-0 lead, the Marlins were able to come back and win the game in the bottom of the tenth behind Xavier Edwards' walk-off. Marlins starter Valente Bellozo set the tone early on Wednesday. After a couple of rough starts in his last two outings, the right-hander spun together one of his best starts of the season, shutting down the Nationals for six innings, helping Miami earn their first victory against their division rivals. Over the past couple of seasons, whenever the Marlins saw the Nationals on the schedule, they salivated, viewing those games as great opportunities to take advantage and add some wins. From 2022-'23, the Marlins dominated the Nats, going 26-6 in their 32 contests. 2024 has been an entirely different story, though. Heading into Wednesday night's game, the Marlins were 0-8 on the season against Washington, having been out-scored 54-20. Miami was swept by them in four games at home in late-April and then swept in three in the Nation's capital in mid-June. After Tuesday night's loss, the Mexican right-hander did his part in helping put an end to that streak, twirling six innings of shutout ball. He scattered three hits and walked two, effectively and efficiently using all five of his pitches. The Marlins acquired Bellozo on April 6 in a trade with the Houston Astros that sent shortstop prospect Jacob Amaya the other way. Bellozo made his ML debut a couple months later. Aside from two clunkers his last two times out, Bellozo has been nothing short of amazing for a Marlins team that has been desperate for innings. He now has a 3.78 ERA over 47.2 IP in nine starts. "Bellozo was outstanding tonight. He's kind of a magician, honestly," said manager Skip Schumaker postgame. "There's just enough movement to miss the barrel. Tonight was as good of an outing as you can get." Bellozo's final line was: 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER 2 BB. Nationals starter MacKenzie Gore was even more dominant early on as he didn't allow a single base-runner until the bottom of the sixth inning. "I thought we were getting no-hit there for a minute with the way Gore was throwing the baseball, so to come out of that with a win is pretty awesome," said Skip. After a seven-pitch walk to Griffin Conine in the sixth, Nick Fortes drilled an RBI double for the first run of the game. The following inning, Otto Lopez added an RBI double of his own to extend the lead to two. To the surprise of no one, the Nationals didn't go down quietly. The aforementioned Baumann allowed three base-runners to open the eighth, all of which came around to score and give the Nats the lead. While trailing 3-2 in the bottom half of the frame, Jake Burger tied the game with an RBI single off All-Star reliever Kyle Finnegan. "Big at-bat by Burger. He's become the leader in that clubhouse because of all the trades," said Schumaker. "He's not going to tell you this, but he's put a little pressure on himself but he's come through, which shows you that he's ready for that role as a leader." After a scoreless ninth inning, John McMillon was able to strand the Nationals placed runner in the 10th. McMillon earned the first win of his Major League career on Wednesday. In the bottom half, Fortes advanced Miami's placed runner to third with a groundout and Xavier Edwards drove him home with an RBI single, securing Miami's 52nd win of the season. "I thought his timing was a little bit off since he's come back [from the IL], but the at-bats have gotten better. I think he's shown he's an everyday player," added Schumaker. Edwards' walk-off was the first of his Major League career. Wednesday marked the 18th extra-inning game for the Marlins this season, the most in MLB. Miami improved to 52-87 while the Nationals fell to 62-77. Miami will open a four-game series on Thursday against the Philadelphia Phillies. Right-hander Adam Oller will oppose lefty Ranger Suárez. View full article

Miami completed their worst defensive game in three years as they fell in Colorado, 8-2. Following their most exciting win of the 2024 season, the Marlins looked to keep the momentum going at Coors Field on Wednesday night behind Max Meyer. Unfortunately, rough defense behind the young-right-hander contributed to Miami's 85th loss of the season. Max Meyer Coming off his best start since being recalled by Miami on July 27, the former third overall pick was back on the mound on Wednesday, this time in the league's toughest pitching environment. After a crisp eight-pitch, 1-2-3 bottom of the first inning, Meyer had to labor the rest of the way, throwing 88 pitches through the rest of his 4+ innings pitched. "First four innings were really strong. Strike percentage up with a lot of strikes and strikeouts," said manager Skip Schumaker "But the fifth and sixth innings were, you know, a different story." Meyer, 25, walked a career-high four batters in Wednesday night's contest. Through the first four frames, Meyer was able to navigate through rough defense and shaky command, limiting the Rockies to two runs through those four innings. "It's not just Max, but we just had too many walks in general, and most of them scored," emphasized Skip. To lead off the fifth, Aaron Schunk tee'd off for his first big league home run, the 12th long ball allowed by Meyer this season in ten starts. "It was a missed location. I think it was like two balls inside and he's obviously hunting fastball. I tip my cap, but I'm not looking for handouts there, I missed the spot and need to execute that better," added Meyer. After completing five on 86 pitches, Miami sent him back out to pitch the sixth where he didn't record an out. After he allowed a single and a walk, Skip went to get his pitcher. "The walk to get him out of the game was kind of the last straw, but I think the leadoff walks in general are going to hurt, especially with nobody on base and no outs, they hurt you at this level," added Schumaker postgame. Meyer's final line: 5+ IP, 5 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 6 SO. In a high-altitude environment where breaking balls tend to flatten out, Meyer still generated 10 of his 18 whiffs on his signature slider against the Rockies. His first four strikeouts came on the slider, with the final two coming on his changeup and fastball. Additionally, Meyer was able to keep the ball on the ground as he only surrendered two fly balls - one being the Schunk home run. Now two years removed Tommy John surgery, Meyer threw a season-high 96 pitches on Wednesday night. "I thought I was able to locate my slider pretty well and was able to throw some really good changeups and fastballs, just have to finish," said Meyer following the game. Meyer's ERA on the season is now 5.44 on the season, far from where he wants it. "Hitters get paid, too," said the Minnesota native. "I think I'm better than a lot of them and I know once I get 100% confident and everything is flowing, I feel like I'm going to be very dominant." Defense For the first time since September 2, 2021, the Marlins committed four errors in a ballgame. Playing clean, sound baseball is critical in an environment like Coors, where runs will be aplenty. Unfortunately, Miami did everything but that in their 8-2 loss in Colorado. The messiness began in the bottom of the third inning. After Drew Romo flared a single to center, Christian Pache overran the baseball, which allowed Romo to reach second base. Error #1. Before another pitch was thrown, Meyer attempted to pick off Romo at second and instead, threw the ball into the outfield. "I wanted him to get a bigger lead, but yeah, threw it a little bit arm-side and made it a tough catch for him [Norby]. That's on me," said Meyer. Error #2. In the bottom of the sixth inning, with the game still within reach, Kent Emanuel came in to mitigate a messy situation left by Meyer. With runners on second and third and one out, Romo grounded a ball to Otto Lopez at short, who threw the ball to the backstop, which allowed both runners to score. That extended Colorado's lead to 8-2. Error #3. Finally, in the bottom of the seventh, a harmless two-out, bases-empty ground ball hit to Connor Norby was thrown away, allowing Brenton Doyle to reach safely. Error #4. "Really ugly game, defensively," said Schumaker. "When you give away outs at this level, especially in this ballpark, you're going to get hurt, and the Rockies made us pay for it," Recent call-ups continue to hit! On the bright side, Connor Norby continued his nine-game hit streak to begin his Marlins career, the third longest streak in franchise history (Pierre and Sheffield at 12). He slashed a double off the right field wall in the top of the fifth, his eighth extra-base with Miami. He's now slashing .333/.385/.667 as a Marlin. Griffin Conine registered his first big league RBI on Wednesday night, depositing a 109.4 mph single to center that scored Jonah Bride. The 27-year-old is now 3-for-8 to begin his big league career. Miami will look to salvage a series split on Thursday afternoon behind Valente Bellozo. He and the fish will take on Bradley Blalock. View full article

In this Flipped Fish interview, Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Josh Bell describes being traded at the deadline and shares the favorite memory from his Marlins tenure. View full video

Prior to making his Marlins debut on Monday, Connor Norby spoke to the media at loanDepot park about his development as a player, transitioning to a new organization and embracing third base. View full video

Recently-acquired infielder Connor Norby made his Marlins debut on Monday night as he went 1-for-4 with a run and an RBI in Miami's 9-6 loss at loanDepot park. MIAMI, FL—A very active trade deadline brought 15 young players to the Marlins. At the expense of their current big league roster, Miami felt like they added a strong layer of talent that they hope will be a stepping stone for sustainable success in the future. Infielder Connor Norby was one of the most significant pieces they acquired. Norby, 24, came to Miami in a trade with the Baltimore Orioles on July 30. He, along with Kyle Stowers, was sent to the Marlins in exchange for left-hander Trevor Rogers. Fish On First ranks Norby as the #2 prospect in Miami's system. After 14 games with Triple-A Jacksonville, where he split time at second and third base, Norby was recalled on Monday to make his Marlins debut against the Arizona Diamondbacks. In 94 AAA games with Baltimore and Miami, Norby slashed .293/.382/.493 with 17 home runs and 60 RBI. "I can add a little bit of everything," said the North Carolina native before Monday's 9-6 loss. "I think I can do many different things and I can impact the game both defensively and offensively. A year ago, I probably would have said only offensively." While spending most of his professional career at second base, Miami wants to give him reps at third base as well. "Anytime you make a position change, it's not easy. He has high character and incredible makeup, and when you have those two qualities, defense is a lot easier to get better at," said manager Skip Schumaker pregame. "There's no doubt in my mind that after talking with him and coaches that have been around Connor, he's going to do everything he can to be an above-average third baseman." The Orioles promoted Norby to the Majors for the first time on June 3, and he struggled. In nine games, he went 6-for-32 with two home runs and a 37.5 K%. He did hit two home runs, one ironically being against the Marlins at loanDepot park. However, In 387 career minor league games, Norby has a slash line of .285/.367/.494. Norby singled in his first Marlins AB on Monday. In the bottom of the sixth, he drove in a run and later scored on a Stowers base hit. "The bat is going to play up here, I really believe that," added Schumaker. "I think the edge in that clubhouse is really going to play. There will be some learning moments, for sure, at third base, but I don't think that's going to be an issue at all for him." After a decent all-around debut, Schumaker said, "his baseball IQ is really high. You can just see how he goes about his business on the field. He's just a good all-around baseball player. I'm really excited to watch him the next six weeks and watch him grow here." In his first game with the Marlins, he did have a familiar face hitting behind him in the lineup in Stowers. "I couldn't get away from (Stowers) too long," said Norby jokingly. "He's the best and is a super-talented player. I know he's scuffling a little bit, so when I saw him this morning, I told him, 'You're going to start raking now that I'm here.'" After going 5-for-52 in his first 16 games with Miami, Stowers indeed started to rake. He collected his first multi-hit game with the Marlins, going 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI on Monday. "His BP has been better, the early work is better. Mabry and the guys are getting through to him and he's digesting it, it just takes a little time," said Skip. Adam Oller made the start for Miami in what was his team debut as well against Brandon Pfaadt. After a couple of scoreless innings, Oller ran into trouble. A couple of hit-batsmen and a base hit loaded the bases for Miami native Adrian Del Castillo, who lifted a grand slam to straight-away center field. Del Castillo would add two more RBI in the seventh to put the game away. Miami was able to put together good at-bats against Pfaadt as they recorded nine hits against the right-hander. "I thought we did a pretty good job, honestly. Up and down the lineup, even the guys that didn't get hits, hit the ball really well. They have a good pitching staff, so overall, I thought it was a really good offensive day." Following their series-opening loss, Miami will turn to Edward Cabrera on Tuesday night. He will oppose Eduardo Rodriguez. View full article

Fish Unfiltered—Episode #61 Special guest: Craig Mish (SportsGrid and Miami Herald) For the second year in a row, Marlins insider Craig Mish is gracious enough to join Fish On First's Kevin Barral, Isaac Azout and Ely Sussman for a thorough review of the team's trade deadline activity. Read more of Craig's reporting on the deadline in the Miami Herald. Topics covered during our conversation: Most surprising Marlins move Jazz Chisholm Jr. Trevor Rogers and Connor Norby Tanner Scott going for "quantity over quality" Sandy Alcantara's rehab from Tommy John surgery September call-up candidates The Marlins' obsession with Jun-Seok Shim The time Xavier Edwards was almost traded Peter Bendix's leadership Questionable Bryan De La Cruz decision Find Fish Unfiltered on the Fish On First YouTube channel, our new-look Apple Podcasts channel and wherever else you get your pods. FOF's audio programming also includes The Offishial Show, Swimming Upstream, Big Fish Small Pod and more. The Fish On First podcast is presented by MPT College Consulting! They pride themselves on helping clients navigate the college application process. This includes preparation for standardized testing, guidance through high school, assistance with essays and applications, and choosing the right college. Visit them today at mptcollegeconsulting.com to learn more about their services and schedule a free consultation. One more time, here's a visual of the Marlins' numerous additions and subtractions during the week leading up to Tuesday's deadline: Follow Craig (@CraigMish), Isaac (@IsaacAzout), Kevin ( @kevin_barral ), 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

Jazz Chisholm Jr. once again demonstrated what he can do on a baseball field in Tuesday night's series-opening win against the first-place Orioles. MIAMI—With the MLB trade deadline just a week away, the Miami Marlins and Baltimore Orioles are each expected to be very active, but in entirely different ways. The Orioles, now 60-40 after falling to the Marlins in Tuesday's series opener, will be looking to add established Major League talent to their active roster before the July 30 trade deadline. Meanwhile, the 36-65 Marlins will be selling off Major League assets as they pivot their focus toward the future. One of those assets, Jazz Chisholm Jr., fully displayed the value he can add to any contending team on Tuesday night. The 26-year-old OF/2B went 2-for-4 with two RBI, two stolen bases and an outfield assist in Miami's 6-3 win against Baltimore. "He can take over a game, offensively and defensively," said manager Skip Schumaker postgame. In the second inning, Chisholm showed off his speed by turning a routine two-run single into a hustle two-run double. He ran 30 ft/sec from home to second, which is considered elite. "When I saw the right fielder, who obviously has a better arm than Cedric [Mullins], run across, I was thinking, 'hey, let's go hard today,'" said Chisholm postgame. He followed that with a steal of third base. Later in the sixth, he stole another base, his 21st of the season-- two shy of his career-high. In the top of the third, Jazz showed off the outfield arm. With Colton Cowser on first, Ryan Mountcastle flared a single to center and Cowser challenged Miami's center fielder and went for third. Chisholm charged and fired an 85-mph strike to get him out. When asked if he was surprised Cowser challenged him, Jazz said, "100%. He shouldn't be running on me." While he was in center field today, Chisholm has been seeing some time at second base as of late, presumably to broaden his trade market to teams that could also use middle infield help. Before his first game back at second on July 13, Jazz hadn't played the infield since 2022. Fish On First asked Chisholm where he prefers to play, infield or outfield. His response: "Definitely infield." Miami's offense as a whole had a successful night against Orioles starter Albert Suarez, as he allowed six earned runs and eight hits in just two innings pitched. Jesús Sánchez got him in the second for his 12th home run of the season. A 114.7 mph laser to right field. It was the hardest-hit home run of the year for the Marlins. Suárez was forced to leave the game in the third after getting struck by a line drive off the bat of Otto Lopez. For the Marlins, freshly recalled Kyle Tyler had the privilege of facing one of baseball's most potent lineups. All things considered, Tyler held his own on Tuesday as he held Baltimore to three runs, albeit on nine hits, over 4.2 IP. He also struck out five. "Tyler gave up nine hits, but they're all singles to a team that really does damage and slugs, so he did a good enough job to keep us in the game," said Schumaker. Once Miami handed the game over to the bullpen, the outcome was never in doubt. Andrew Nardi, A.J. Puk, and Tanner Scott combined to pitch the final four innings of the game and keep the Orioles off the board the rest of the way. "Our bullpen is our bullpen, we've talked about it for a while now. Puk is getting ridiculous now—and so is Tanner—but Puk has been crazy," added Skip. Puk pitched two perfect innings out of the bullpen and struck out three. Next, Miami will turn to Edward Cabrera on Wednesday night. Cabrera is looking for his second win of the season. Of note: - Jake Burger extended his hit streak to eight games. - Tanner Scott has now recorded 31(!) straight outs without allowing a hit (dating back to June 25). - In the month of July, AJ Puk has pitched nine innings, allowed one hit and has struck out 15. - Jesús Sánchez's home run in the second inning was the hardest-hit home run by a Marlin all year. It was also the hardest-hit home run of Sanchy's career. - Xavier Edwards extended his on-base streak to 10 games. View full article

New Marlins outfielder PJ Morlando joins Fish On First for a quick interview about his MLB Draft reaction, connection to the state of Florida and the similarities between himself and Bryce Harper. View full video

Marlins first-round pick PJ Morlando officially signed with Miami and met with the media at loanDepot park on Friday afternoon. MIAMI -- Five days after being selected 16th overall in the 2024 MLB draft, high school outfielder PJ Morlando met the media at loanDepot park on Friday afternoon before the Marlins began a four-game set against the New York Mets. "It's a dream come true. When I got that phone call, it felt unreal," said the first-rounder. "I just have an awesome feeling walking into this Marlins facility, doing my thing and feeling comfortable to play baseball." Per reports, Morlando is expected to begin his professional career with the FCL Marlins and, shortly after, move up to Low-A Jupiter as the FCL season ends on July 25. "Hopefully, I start down there soon. If I could go down there to start right now, I would. I'm really excited; this is the opportunity I've been praying for my entire life," added Morlando. Being drafted 16th had significant meaning for the 19-year-old. "16 is such a family-heavy number, it meant so much to us. My birthday is May 16; it's always been my number. 2016 was also such a special year for me and my family." While the tradition of having their draft picks take batting practice on the field seemingly came to an end, Morlando had the nice experience of getting to pick the brains of the current big-league Marlins. "I was even able to go into the hitter's meeting and see how they communicate with each other about previous pitchers they've faced, who they're going to face tonight and so much more. It was really cool to see." This marked the first draft under the direction of president of baseball ops Peter Bendix and director of amateur scouting Frank Piliere. Morlando's selection in the middle of round one caught the industry off-guard as he was ranked as the 52nd-best prospect by Baseball America, 43rd by MLB Pipeline and 33rd by FanGraphs. When asked if getting the call so early was surprising, the young outfielder said, "A little bit for sure, but I'm confident and afterward, there were a lot of tears, smiles, hugs and now it's time to get to work." A University of South Carolina commit, Morlando led his high school team with a .403 BA to go along with a Barry Bonds-like .602 on-base percentage. Additionally, he won the High School Home Run Derby and the MVP Award at the High School All-American Game last July in Seattle. "We think he has future 70-grade game power," Piliere told Fish On First. Following the pick, Piliere told reporters that Morlando will have "every chance" to play center field professionally. A lot of scouts envision him moving to a corner outfield spot in the future. "I've been playing center for the past two years for my high school team. I've been taking every piece of information from my time with Team USA, coming out here to the workout I learned a few things that I can take into my future career as a center fielder," said Morlando. "I'm going to give it my very all and this is one of the things I'm most excited for is playing center field." In an exclusive interview with Fish On First, Morlando compared his skill-set to current big leaguer Bryce Harper. "The swings are similar. We both started as catchers, became outfielders. He now plays first base and that's a position I also have in my back pocket." View full article

Sources tell Fish On First that Head is expected to make a full recovery in time for next spring training. The 19-year-old prospect has appeared in only five games since coming to the Marlins organization. In a season where many eyes will be focused on the minor league system, the injury to Fish On First's fifth-ranked Marlins prospect is a tough blow. Outfielder Dillon Head was the centerpiece of the package Miami received in the Luis Arraez trade, consisting of him, Jakob Marsee, Nathan Martorella, and Woo-Suk Go. After missing the first ten days of minor league action following the trade, Head was finally activated to the Jupiter Hammerheads roster on May 14. In his three games with Jupiter, the speedy center fielder went 4-for-12 with a triple and two stolen bases. Unfortunately, a few days later, Head was placed on the 7-day injured list with what the team described as an adductor strain. Despite playing rehab games on June 4 and June 5 with the FCL Marlins, he was never reinstated and now we know why. The first-round draft pick is expected to have left hip femoral acetabular impingement surgery on Friday, per MLB.com's Christina De Nicola, and miss the remainder of the 2024 season. Head's hip procedure isn't considered major, but the organization preferred to get it done now so he can have an entire offseason to recover and prepare for spring training. When Marlins reliever Matt Barnes underwent the same surgery in 2023, the team estimated that he'd return to baseball activities after three months of rehab. Head, arguably the organization's top position player prospect, was selected 25th overall in the 2023 MLB draft (15 picks after Miami selected Noble Meyer). As a 2023 pick, Head was in the midst of what should have been his first full-length professional season. Instead, injuries will limit him to 24 games at the Low-A level. He slashed .248/.319/.381 with a 92 wRC+, one home run and five stolen bases on the season. This isn't the first time the Marlins have fallen victim to San Diego Padres' GM AJ Preller's damaged goods. In 2016, right-handed pitcher Colin Rea was part of a seven-player trade that saw him, Andrew Cashner, and Tayron Guerrero get traded to the Marlins in exchange for Carter Capps, Jarred Cosart, Josh Naylor, and Luis Castillo. The next day, Rea's Marlins debut was cut short as a right elbow strain landed him on the 15-day disabled list. Four days later, Rea and Castillo were returned to their original teams after Miami reported that they felt they had been sent an injured player in Rea. View full article

Fish Unfiltered—Episode #59 We've done it again: enjoy an exclusive interview with second-year Miami Marlins manager Skip Schumaker, co-hosted by Fish On First's Isaac Azout, Kevin Barral and Ely Sussman. Schumaker previous appeared on Fish Unfiltered in November (Episode #52). In this conversation, Schumaker discusses his family life (1:15), Avisaíl García getting designated for assignment (3:20), the Luis Arraez trade (6:30), his relationship with Peter Bendix (9:50), criticism from fans and media (17:00), the development of Ryan Weathers (19:30) and Max Meyer (22:15), call-ups candidates for the second half of the season (24:45) and his interest in continuing to manage next season (26:15). Find Fish Unfiltered on the Fish On First YouTube channel, our new-look Apple Podcasts channel and wherever else you get your pods. FOF's audio programming also includes The Offishial Show, Swimming Upstream, Big Fish Small Pod and more. The Fish On First podcast is 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. In 2023, Schumaker was crucial to leading the Marlins to their first postseason berth in a full-length season since 2003. He earned National League Manager of the Year honors from the BBWAA. It's been an entirely different story in 2024, however. The Marlins enter Thursday with an NL-worst 21-41 record. Even in a year where the Wild Card race is wide open, they're firmly out of contention. Overall, Skip's managerial record is 105-119. As first reported by Bob Nightengale of USA Today, Schumaker is unsigned beyond this season after asking the Marlins to void the 2025 option in his contract. Here's what the 44-year-old told us about his future plans: "I am very grateful that I get to manage the Miami Marlins. I'm also grateful—this is gonna sound weird—but I'm grateful that I had to go through this type of situation because you kinda find out what you're made of...When you're getting your butt kicked, you kinda figure out who you are. Do you really want to do this? Are you finger-pointing? Are you deflecting some blame on others? You grow up quick, and I grew up in this seat this year. "You definitely have to make sure that, when you're a manager, it's not always gonna be winning. There's gonna be some highs and lows. I didn't want to lose a lot of games—that's not where I'm going with this. But I do feel like I needed this also, just selfishly, to figure out exactly who I am. Am I still worthy of this seat? Can I get guys to come in still wanting to come to the clubhouse, still positive, still willing to work, still trying to win even though the record is the record? And I think the answer is yes. I'm still loving coming to the ballpark. I still love trying to get guys better. I'm still trying to empower guys to become moral leaders. I'm still loving the staff I have and they're still having a great time until the end of the game. But I think the willingness, the energy level, all that stuff, man, I still love being a manager of the Marlins. "Now having said that, all this stuff is not in my control. Being a manager, also there is if you don't do the job, they'll find somebody else. I'm very aware of how this seat works. If I wanted to be a first base coach my whole life and take shin guards and pat guys on the butt, I could've done that. But I wanted more of a challenge and more of a voice and see if I could do it. I'm very grateful for the opportunity that I got and I'm giving everything that I have to it, last year and this year and that will never change whatever position I'm in, whatever that means for my future. "The one thing is, I'm not one foot in, one foot out, man. I love being here and trying to get these guys to a position where it's not only good for this year, but for their futures as well for these players because they mean a lot to me, and so does the staff. Having said that, I don't know what's gonna happen, but that's okay too." Follow Isaac (@IsaacAzout), Kevin (@kevin_barral), 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

Now that MLB All-Star voting has begun, it's a good time to discuss which Marlins player(s) might be representing the Fish in this year's Midsummer Classic. The 94th MLB All-Star Game will be held on July 16 in Arlington, Texas. Fan voting to determine the starters is now underway here. As is tradition, every team will get at least one representative on the roster, even the Marlins who enter Wednesday with the National League's worst record. A season ago, Miami had two (quite deserving) All-Stars in Luis Arraez and Jorge Soler. In 2022, they had three (Jazz Chisholm Jr., Sandy Alcantara and Garrett Cooper). At this stage of the process, there isn't an obvious lock to represent the Marlins, but these candidates appear to have the most compelling cases. Jazz Chisholm Jr. Bidding for his second career selection, Jazz followed a challenging April with a great month of May to put himself at the forefront of this conversation. In 27 games played in May, he slashed .286/.330/.514 (very reminiscent of his 2022 slash line). He's also added eight home runs and 11 stolen bases on the campaign. While also playing a premium position in center field, Chisholm has provided speed and power from the now-vacant leadoff spot. His 112 wRC+ to go along with his career-low 24% K rate has made him the most dangerous hitter in Miami's order. Along the way, he also has surpassed Chris Coghlan for second-most leadoff home runs in franchise history with seven (Hanley Ramirez tops the list with 25). Given his strong performance, marketability and "flare," I predict Chisholm to be Miami's lone representative during this year's All-Star festivities. Ryan Weathers Acquired by Miami during last year's trade deadline, Weathers has experienced a breakout season in 2024. Weathers leads Miami's starting staff in innings pitched, wins and strikeouts. He also leads the entire roster in bWAR (1.6). He is averaging almost a strikeout per inning and has a 2.62 BB/9, easily the lowest walk rate of his career. Weathers, like a lot of guys on Miami's roster, really heated up when the calendar flipped to May. Since May 3, Weathers has a 2.54 ERA (2.73 FIP) in 39 innings pitched. He's held opponents to a .542 OPS and has had multiple double-digit strikeout performances. With all the injuries endured by Miami's starting pitchers, a strong argument should be made that Weathers has been the team's most valuable player and deserves the All-Star nod. Another month maintaining his current pace would make the 24-year-old a very strong candidate. Jesús Luzardo When the Marlins took the field on Opening Day, starter Jesús Luzardo probably would have been the favorite to represent Miami in this year's Midsummer Classic. Unfortunately, inconsistencies and a brief IL stint have hurt the South Floridian's chances. When Luzardo returned from the 15-day IL (left elbow tightness), the left-hander made four starts in May. He pitched to a 1.75 ERA and even completed eight innings for the first time in his career in that stretch. Unfortunately, a rough start to June has put him on the outside looking in regarding All-Star candidacy. Luzardo's overall 2024 numbers are not pretty as he sits at 2-5 with a 5.30 ERA following a breakout 2023 campaign. With it likely that he will be dealt at some point this summer, his trade value has certainly dipped compared to where it was this offseason. Honorable Mention: Tanner Scott One of the most dominant relievers since the start of 2023, left-handed closer Tanner Scott has an outside chance to earn his first career All-Star selection. Granted, only a few relievers get selected per league and save opportunities have been scarce for him on a struggling team. Regardless, Scott deserves some recognition. A season after his career year in which he had a 2.31 ERA and a 12.0 SO/9, Scott is doing more of the same in 2024. In addition to his minuscule 1.57 ERA this season, Scott hasn't allowed an earned run since April 14! Over 16 appearances (15.1 IP) in that span and not a single earned run. He's held opponents to a .154 batting average and has struck out a batter per inning. Should Scott continue this performance through June, I could see him being an All-Star for Miami...or for whichever team acquires him before then. View full article