Alex Krutchik

Jake Burger put the finishing touches on a hot July by homering in both games of the Citrus Series. St. Petersburg, FL—Jake Burger did not look like himself during a majority of the first half. Simply put, the power hitter was not hitting for power. The 28-year-old was one of the bright spots in the Marlins lineup for the first two weeks of the season, but an oblique injury in mid-April sidelined him until May 6. Upon returning, Burger struggled. From May 6 until July 11, the third baseman hit .211 with a .330 slugging percentage. In those 55 games, had just six home runs, a 17 home run pace when extrapolated over a 162-game season. Burger said he and Marlins hitting coach John Mabry worked tirelessly to right the ship throughout the season. Finally, when the team began their road series in Cincinnati in mid-July, Burger felt like he figured it out. “We felt like my hand action was a little late,” Burger said last Sunday. “It wasn't on time and in rhythm. It caused me to kind of swipe across balls and not be able to stay behind balls. I think that off day in Cincinnati, we worked in the cage for a while, and really tried to hone that in.” On Burger’s first at-bat of that series, he hit an Andrew Abbott sweeper to the right field warning track for a loud flyout. Burger got a better hold of the next ball he saw, hitting a home run to the second deck in left field of Great American Ball Park. Thus began the current stretch Burger is on. 735877de-44bde9d3-dee2ddc3-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_4000K.mp4 After hitting seven home runs in all of April, May and June, Burger exceeded that number with eight in July. Since that first game in Cincinnati, Burger is hitting .346/.414/.769 with six homers. When Fish On First took a deep dive into Burger’s power outage four weeks ago, he was barreling balls at 10.4 percent clip—while being in the top quarter of league hitters, that was a career-low for him. He has increased that a tick to 11.2 percent. Statcast defines “barrels” as balls that have an exit velocity of at least 98 miles per hour and an ideal launch angle. His sweet spot percentage was down to 26.8 percent after hovering around 33 percent in previous seasons, but has steadily climbed to 28.8 percent after these last four weeks. Burger was also chasing pitches more often while still making contact, leading to a career-high in groundball rate (50.3 percent) and a career-low in line drives (18.6 percent) as of July 5. That groundball rate has dipped to 46.4 percent, while the line drives have gone up to 20.2 percent. Working with then-teammate Josh Bell, Burger said the duo agreed that last year was more about “dropping the hands and letting them go” as opposed to the “robotic” movements he had earlier this year. But now, Burger said his swing feels the way it’s supposed to feel. “I'm trying to be a little too fine a little bit, rather than just being athletic in the box,” Burger said. “From at-bat one when I made that change I felt like myself again, and I feel like I’m staying behind balls.” VmdONXdfQjFOTUJnVkFFbGRmRlJGYkFraENXRk1SX0QxTUhWbEZRQndJQURBRUFWQUFBVkE4RkFGaFhVMUlBVmdFQUJWSlRBQXBYVWdOWA==.mp4 The Marlins roster was upended by transactions leading up to Tuesday's trade deadline, but Burger stayed put. Not being a free agent until after his 32-year-old season in 2028, this has looked like a positive development for a player who could be part of Miami’s core as their newly acquired waves of prospects gradually descend upon Miami's shores throughout the next few years. View full article

The day after the MLB trade deadline, Miami Marlins president of baseball operations Peter Bendix addresses the assembled media at Tropicana Field. The Marlins made eight separate deals leading up to the deadline, including six on July 30 alone. View full video

A chaotic day turned even wilder when Edward Cabrera exited one of his best starts of the season due to injury. St. Petersburg, FL—The Marlins could’ve used a win on Tuesday, literally or metaphorically. More specifically, it was a day where they could’ve used a deep game from one of their starters to avoid taxing a shorthanded bullpen. Trading A.J. Puk to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday was merely the first domino to fall. The Marlins furiously swapped more of their relievers for prospects on deadline day—Tanner Scott, JT Chargois, Huascar Brazoban and Bryan Hoeing found new homes, all within three hours of the 6:50 p.m. first pitch at Tropicana Field. Once the dust settled, their bullpen was comprised of only four major league regulars (Andrew Nardi, Calvin Faucher, Declan Cronin, Anthony Bender) along with a patchwork of lesser-used guys in George Soriano and Emmanuel Ramírez, and Austin Kitchen making his major league debut. When starting pitcher Edward Cabrera was cruising through the first four innings on Tuesday night, it looked like the Marlins might walk the tightrope and get through this cluster of a day. Aside from a solo home run allowed to Christopher Morel in the fourth inning, along with a few hard-hit balls in the frame, Cabrera was largely unscathed through five innings. To make things even better, Emmanuel Rivera and Jake Burger each hit home runs to give the Marlins a 3-1 lead after five innings. The offense was without Josh Bell, who was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks, and Bryan De La Cruz, who learned he was being traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates as he was shagging fly balls in batting practice about 90 minutes before first pitch. “We changed (the lineup) quite a bit,” Schumaker said. “The majority of the order was there. Some guys are going to get a lot more playing time than they have during the early part of the year. And it gives opportunity for some of these guys that were maybe coming off the bench or picked up off waivers, or whatever it is. Burger took some good at-bats, (Xavier Edwards) took good at-bats. Nick Fortes has been swinging really well. We just couldn't contain the other side.” Cabrera had tweaked his left knee in the bottom of the fifth inning, running to receive a toss from Jake Burger at first base. After looking uncomfortable throwing the first two pitches of the sixth inning, he was unable to continue. Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said more testing will need to be done Wednesday. “I don't know exactly the level (of pain),” Cabrera said via translator Luis Dorante Jr. “I don't think it's that bad, but hopefully, with God, I'll be on the mound in the next five days.” Cabrera added, “I felt great today. Felt really good, thank God. All my pitches were incredible. Felt really good…I was very aggressive, I was staying in the zone with everything.” bcfb0ecc-dd76ba7c-8c70a9ba-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_4000K.mp4 Declan Cronin, already warming up, was summoned to finish the at-bat against Brandon Lowe with the count already 2-0. Cronin wound up walking him, then proceeded to hit Christopher Morel with a pitch, and allowed an RBI double to Josh Lowe. Cronin loaded the bases twice, both on walks, and allowed two-RBI singles both times. He gave up five runs in the inning, with one of those being credited to Cabrera. Austin Kitchen, making his major league debut, allowed three runs in two innings. With the loss, the Marlins have lost their head-to-head season series to the Rays for the sixth straight year. Wednesday afternoon's matinee is their last chance to avoid a Citrus Series sweep. View full article

The most coveted reliever available on deadline day, Tanner Scott is headed to San Diego in a six-player deal. Shutdown closer Tanner Scott, who was pegged as one of the Miami Marlins’ top trade candidates this year, has been dealt to the San Diego Padres in exchange for four prospects. Swingman pitcher Bryan Hoeing is also going to the Padres. Who the Marlins are getting back Pitchers Robby Snelling and Adam Mazur, utility man Graham Pauley, and infielder Jay Beshears. Snelling, a 6’3" left-hander, is one of San Diego’s highest-rated prospects. A 20-year-old who’s already in Double-A, Snelling could be up as soon as next year if all goes well. His repertoire features a low-to-mid-90s fastball, a solid curveball that generates lots of swing-and-miss, and a changeup that can use some refining. Mazur is a 6’2" righty with a solid fastball that sits in the mid-90s and touches 97, and a tight slider, which is his best secondary pitch, sitting in the mid-80s. He also throws a changeup that has shown improvement this year, along with a curveball. The 23-year-old has made five starts in Triple-A this year. As for Pauley, he is a bat-first player. Originally drafted and signed as a third baseman, the 23-year-old has started games at first, second, and left field. While he understandably struggled in his short debut stint in the majors this year (4-for-32, 18 wRC+), he has had a low strikeout rate in the minors throughout his career while still generating power. Beshears is the most raw of the prospects coming to Miami. The 22-year-old infielder has a plus-power tool, but his groundball rate has hovered around 40% in his two years of professional ball, preventing him from turning the power into home runs. The 6’4" righty has done well to bring his strikeout rate down. Defensively, he needs to improve his arm strength if he wants to stick on the left side of the infield. Scott’s run in Miami The Marlins originally acquired the left-hander in a trade with the Baltimore Orioles just days before the 2022 regular season kicked off. Scott’s first go-around in Miami was marked by poor control and a walk rate that put him in the bottom-one percent of pitchers, walking 15.9 percent of batters he faced. He converted on 20 of his 27 save opportunities in that first year. Scott’s 2023 season is what really put him on the radar as one of the league’s premier relievers. Beginning the season as a middle reliever, Scott watched as trade acquisitions A.J. Puk and David Robertson struggled in their closing roles. Finally, as the calendar turned from August to September, Marlins manager Skip Schumaker appointed Scott as the team’s closer. In those 16 games as the closer, Scott converted on 10 of his 12 save opportunities and recorded a 1.42 ERA. Opposing hitters put up a .177 batting average against him. The then-29-year-old recorded the final out in Miami’s NL Wild Card-clinching victory against the Pittsburgh Pirates on September 30. Most notably, Scott’s walk rate throughout 2023 was the lowest of his career, cratering to 7.8 percent. 745f1362-e81fe94a-53e97fc8-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_4000K.mp4 One thing that has stayed consistent throughout Scott’s time in Miami has been his swing-and-miss stuff thanks to his fastball-slider repertoire. He has consistently been in the top ten percent of pitchers in strikeout rate while in Miami, peaking at 33.9 percent last year. In 2024, Scott has been the most dominant reliever in the National League, and perhaps even the majors. Looking under the hood of his already impressive 1.18 ERA, Scott has only allowed one or more earned runs in three of his 44 appearances. The last time he gave up an earned run was on June 13 against the New York Mets. While his walk rate has regressed back up to 14.8 percent this year, much of those control issues were concentrated in March/April (21.3 BB%). Since May began, he has had only two games with multiple walks. Scott is currently in his last year of arbitration before he becomes a free agent this offseason. He won his arbitration case in spring training this year for $5.7 million. About a dozen teams were in pursuit of Scott leading up to the deadline, Craig Mish reported for the Miami Herald. Jon Heyman of the New York Post linked the Arizona Diamondbacks, Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies and Seattle Mariners to him. The New York Mets expressed interest as well, per FanSided's Robert Murray. The Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Kansas City Royals and New York Yankees had the leading bids as of trade deadline eve, according to Jim Bowden of The Athletic. Heyman describes the Dodgers as one of the finalists in the bidding war. Hoeing was a 2019 Marlins draft pick. In 57 appearances (10 starts) with the big league club, he posted a 5.48 ERA, 5.11 FIP and 1.39 WHIP. The 2024 season was easily his best in terms of results, plus he showed the versatility to contribute in a wide variety of game situations, including pitching on back-to-back days. San Diego has club control over Hoeing through 2028. View full article

The Marlins offense gave Trevor Rogers some help as they continue their solid play coming out of the break. The Miami Marlins began their longest road trip of the season with a win over the National League Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers. The 6-2 win was punctuated by early offense from Miami. Bryan De La Cruz hit a two-run home run to left field in the top of the first inning, with Jake Burger following it up a solo shot a couple of batters later. After struggling to hit for power in May and June, Burger now has six home runs in July. He has a .569 slugging percentage and a .902 OPS since the calendar flipped. "We came out really strong against a really good pitcher," Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said. "Peralta is as good as there is in the league. They're obviously one of the best teams in the National League. For us to keep playing like we're playing against these really good teams just shows what they have in the clubhouse. Should start building some confidence that they can play with anybody, and it starts with starting pitching." That three-run cushion was probably a welcome sight for Friday's starting pitcher in Trevor Rogers. The lefty has been the beneficiary of the lowest run support in baseball this season among pitchers with at least 10 starts, with the Marlins giving him an average of 2.55 runs per start. Rogers allowed two runs on Friday, giving up a solo home run to Rhys Hoskins in the third inning and a sacrifice fly to Gary Sanchez in the fourth. He allowed zero walks. Going 5 ⅓ innings, Rogers recorded the first win by a Marlins starting pitcher since Jesús Luzardo did it on June 11. a6f77012-d6fe0675-171a6796-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_4000K.mp4 The Marlins put up two more runs in the second inning. With the bases loaded, Brewers shortstop Willy Adames bobbled a groundball from De La Cruz, allowing Nick Fortes to score from third and Jazz Chisholm Jr. to score from second. Chisholm was moving at 29.8 feet per second, just short of the 30 feet-per-second "elite" threshold according to Statcast. Marlins relievers Anthony Bender and Huascar Brazoban put up 2 ⅔ scoreless innings, getting Miami to the ninth inning. With All-Star closer Tanner Scott ready to come in, the Marlins didn’t need more insurance, but they got some anyway when Josh Bell lined a solo home run to left-center field. That ball, which landed in the Brewers bullpen, was Bell’s 1,000th of his nine-year career. Scott allowed a hit and a walk in a non-save situation appearance, but still kept the Brewers off the board to get the win and keep his 16-game scoreless streak intact. There are only two more opportunities for the pending free agent to pitch for the Marlins prior to Tuesday's MLB trade deadline. Notes: -This was the fourth game in a row where Miami scored six runs. -Jake Burger and Josh Bell have combined for seven home runs and 11 RBI since the All-Star break. -Otto Lopez was the only member of the Marlins starting lineup who did not reach base. -Max Meyer is scheduled to make his highly anticipated return to major league action on Saturday. View full article

Prior to Saturday's game, Marlins manager Skip Schumaker alluded to the possibility of Jazz Chisholm Jr. moving back to second base occasionally. A few hours later, Schumaker reintroduced his center fielder to the infield dirt for the first time since 2022. Jazz Chisholm Jr. has found a home in center field, manning the position for the Marlins throughout the last two seasons. But moving forward, according to manager Skip Schumaker, the club is going to utilize Chisholm's versatility while also preserving his health by giving him some playing time at his former position, second base. Chisholm was re-introduced to second base in the fifth inning of Saturday's game against the Cincinnati Reds with Dane Myers shifting over to center. Originally an infielder, Chisholm went to the Marlins front office prior to the 2023 season and said he’d be willing to play any position that would help the team win. When Miami acquired Luis Arraez in a trade a few weeks before spring training, Chisholm was moved to center field. Chisholm has been fearless in CF, though sometimes reckless. Last May, Chisholm crashed into the outfield wall at loanDepot park, banging his toe into a concrete slab at the base of the wall while trying to make a catch. He missed about six weeks while recovering from turf toe and underwent surgery for the injury after the season concluded. 26598f80-8769d834-d5735d2b-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_4000K.mp4 This year, Chisholm has had more run-ins (no pun intended) with the wall, although he hasn’t had to miss any extended time due to injuries, playing in 92 of Miami’s 95 games this year. He played in 157 games combined in 2022 and 2023. Still, Chisholm was a serviceable anchor in the outfield for a team that hadn’t had a true center fielder in years. Last year, he recorded four outs above average, according to Statcast. His average throwing velocity of 89.2 mph was in the top 20 percent of all center fielders last year. This year, he took a step back in the advanced metrics department, recording minus-one outs above average. With Arraez being traded to the San Diego Padres in May, second base was left vacant. Chisholm went to Marlins manager Skip Schumaker a couple weeks ago with the same message. At the time, Schumaker struck the idea down, saying that he didn’t want that in the back of Chisholm’s mind. But now, certain factors have pushed Schumaker to reconsider the defensive alignment. “Maybe getting (Jesús) Sánchez more bats against lefties or (Dane) Myers playing more in center field,” Schumaker said. “Jazz can play anywhere, and I'm trying to keep his bat in the lineup playing every day.” Schumaker alluded to the fact that the outfielders have had to run after balls more lately than they usually do. “I'm also trying to keep him playing every day for 160-plus games, which he has never done,” Schumaker said. “So I’m trying to get him DH days. Maybe second base is a way to get them off his feet a little bit. Because I think he can play that in his sleep.” Chisholm came up to the majors in 2020 as a middle infielder. He settled into a permanent role at second base in 2022. In those three years, Chisholm recorded eight outs above average and six defensive runs saved. Chisholm has been taking ground balls on the infield prior to almost every game this year, so the rust should be minimal. Offensively, Chisholm is having perhaps his most well-rounded season of his career. Coming into Saturday’s game against the Cincinnati Reds, Chisholm’s .267 batting average against lefties is a career-high, a rather big accomplishment for someone who was a platoon bat early in his major league career. His walk rate of 8.6 percent is just a tick shy of his career-high, and his strikeout rate of 25.4 percent is the lowest of his career. Of course, there is another implication to this position change. Chisholm has been the subject of trade rumors, with Jon Heyman of the New York Post reporting the New York Yankees have had internal discussions regarding Chisholm, and that he’d primarily play infield if they do acquire him. Chisholm has also been linked to the Seattle Mariners. After the All-Star break, Otto Lopez will return from the 10-day injured list after dealing with lower back inflammation. He has been the Marlins second baseman since they traded Arraez and has been the Marlins’ best infielder, recording five defensive runs saved and seven outs above average. Schumaker said Lopez could move to shortstop on days where Chisholm plays on the infield. View full article

Once again, the Marlins couldn't string together more than a few hits as they dropped the series opener to the only MLB team with a record worse than their own. Fresh off a lengthy stint on the injured list for a hamstring strain, Bryan Hoeing took to the mound for the Miami Marlins’ series opener against the Chicago White Sox. It was his first start in 2024, having been used mostly as a multi-inning reliever before getting injured and playing the swingman role last year. The plan on Friday was for Hoeing and Roddery Muñoz to piggyback off each other and get the Marlins into the latter third of the game. Despite both pitchers dancing through raindrops and inflating their WHIPs, they combined to allow for just three runs, and Muñoz was able to deliver the game to the eighth inning for the bullpen to handle the rest. Hoeing struck out the first two batters he faced before allowing a single and a walk, but was able to get out of the first inning by striking out Eloy Jiménez. With the aid of a Dane Myers assist, the only run Hoeing would allow was a second-inning RBI double from Nicky Lopez. The right-hander allowed five hits and a walk in three innings (46 pitches) of work. Muñoz also retired the first two batters he faced when he entered in the fourth inning, but permitted a two-out single to Lopez and a subsequent RBI double to Martin Maldonado down the left field line. Muñoz would let two runs score in his four innings, along with four walks and four hits. The White Sox had at least one batter reach base in eight separate innings. Muñoz and Hoeing stranded 10 runners, and the Sox went 3-for-11 with runners in scoring position. JT Chargois and Declan Cronin each pitched one scoreless inning. White Sox starting pitcher Drew Thorpe was dominant against the Marlins offense. In 6 ⅔ innings, he allowed one run, two walks and three hits. One of those hits was a bloop double off the bat of Vidal Bruján into shallow left field along the foul line. Another hit was an infield single from Jazz Chisholm Jr. The Marlins chased Thorpe from the game after a Dane Myers double in the seventh inning on Thorpe’s 90th pitch of the game. Myers said the changeup and fastball mixture from the right-hander kept the Marlins off-balance all night. That changeup was Thorpe's most-used pitch of the night, accounting for 38 percent of his pitches on Friday. "He had a really good changeup," Myers said. "We knew that going in. Got to make sure you get it up. I think we did that—or tried to do it—first time through the order. We didn't succeed, didn't get it up enough. He threw well though. He hit his spots. Fastball played up a little bit because of the good changeup. But hats off to him: he threw a really good game." 7e91dcdd-d7d6247f-d99ebe55-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_4000K.mp4 Miami immediately jumped on reliever John Brebbia when Xavier Edwards drove home Myers on a single into left field. That run was charged to Thorpe. Nick Fortes reached on a single, and Chisholm reached on a walk to load the bases with two out. Bryan De La Cruz hit a ball to deep center field that looked like it was going to tie the game at 3-3, at minimum. But Luis Robert Jr. was able to track it down and get Chicago out of their most dangerous inning of the night. 3cb369f2-c3b9fb68-786d23c0-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_4000K.mp4 For a brief moment in the ninth inning, it looked like the Marlins were setting up for a rally. Vidal Bruján reached on a one-out fielder’s choice and Chisholm reached on a two-out single to put runners at the corners. De La Cruz singled to score Bruján and get the Marlins within a run, but Josh Bell followed it up with a first-pitch groundout to first base. The White Sox secured only their 10th road win of the season. It was their first victorious series opener away from Chicago. It won't get any easier for the Marlins on Saturday when they oppose Sox ace Garrett Crochet. View full article

After impressing during his 2023 breakout season, Jake Burger has failed to be a consistent slugger in the middle part of the Marlins lineup this year. Jake Burger was an intriguing yet flawed player when he was traded to the Miami Marlins at the deadline last year. He was in the midst of a season with the struggling Chicago White Sox in which he was batting .214 with a 31.6 percent strikeout rate. Elite power was still there, however, hitting 25 home runs in 88 games with a .527 slugging percentage. He came to Miami and was a big reason the Marlins made their first postseason in a full year since 2003. He posted an .860 OPS with nine home runs in 53 games with the Marlins last year. He cut his strikeout rate by 10 points, down to 21.7 percent. The 28-year-old is not yet arbitration-eligible and under team control through 2028. It seemed, at first, like Burger would be a key part of turning this anemic offense around for years to come. While there is still plenty of time for Burger to turn it around, the first three months of his first full season in Miami has been a letdown. Burger was one of the couple of bright spots in the Marlins lineup for the first two weeks of the season, but an oblique injury in mid-April forced him out of action until May 6. Since then, he hasn’t shown the same power that we saw from him in the past. In 49 games since returning from the IL, Burger is hitting .214 with a .332 slugging percentage. He has hit five home runs in that span—a 16.5 home run pace when extrapolated over a 162-game season. The odd thing is that he isn’t struggling with putting the ball in play. His zone contact (82.4 percent) and chase contact (54.7 percent) rates are the highest they've been in his career. His whiff rate, meanwhile, is the lowest of his career at 28.3 percent. His batting average on balls in play (BABIP) is staggeringly low at .269. It’s the third-lowest BABIP on the Marlins among qualified hitters, just six points above Nick Gordon, who’s at the bottom of the list. Burger is barreling balls at 10.4 percent clip, which, while being in the top quarter of league hitters, is a career-low for him. Statcast defines “barrels” as balls that have an exit velocity of at least 98 miles per hour and an ideal launch angle. Burger’s average exit velocity is still in the low 90s, par for his career. But his quality of hits hasn’t been there. His sweet spot percentage (defined as a ball hit between 8-32 degrees) is down to 26.8 percent after hovering around 33 percent in previous seasons. This has also led to a career-high in ground balls rate (50.3 percent) and a career-low in line drives (18.6 percent). Of course, there is time to turn things around. We’re talking about three months of poor production form a 28-year-old with four and a half seasons still left under team control. But it would be nice to see the slugging third baseman hit his ceiling sooner rather than later. View full article

The Miami Marlins could not get anything done against Mariners pitching on Saturday and trailed from wire to wire. MIAMI, FL—Just prior to the Marlins taking the field for Saturday afternoon’s game against the Seattle Mariners, a lightning bolt struck right outside the left field windows at loanDepot park, sending a clap of thunder through the ballpark. That was the only boom the Marlins offense would see, as they were shut out by starting pitcher Logan Gilbert. The Marlins mustered four hits and one walk against the right-hander and only got three runners into scoring position. Gilbert was the benefactor of a double play in each of the first two innings that both negated leadoff singles. He had 12 pitches—all strikes—through the second inning. He ended the day with 92 pitches and 68 strikes in eight innings. Only three Marlins hitters got into scoring position, and one of those instances was Bryan De La Cruz reaching second base on a throwing error by Mariners third baseman Josh Rojas. 51981eb6-430b7c60-76ce3922-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_4000K.mp4 Mariners reliever Eduard Bazardo pitched a scoreless frame to complete the shut out. Not that it wound up mattering due to the goose egg on the scoreboard, but Marlins starting pitcher Shaun Anderson put the Marlins in a tough spot early on. Anderson, making his second start for Miami since the Marlins acquired him in late May, allowed the first three hitters of the game to reach base. A bases-loaded wild pitch followed by a sacrifice fly to center field plated two runs. “His location is just off,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said. “He's got to have better location with the sinker, needs to get the ball on the ground more. If it’s not a lot of swing-and-miss, he needs to get the ball on the ground more.” While Anderson limited the traffic in the second and third innings, he got into trouble in the fourth inning. Facing the bottom half of the Mariners lineup, he allowed the first five batters of the inning to reach base, beginning with a leadoff single from Luke Raley. Seattle scored on a singles from Dominic Canzone and Ryan Bliss and a fielder’s choice by J.P. Crawford. Anderson was doing well getting ahead early in counts in the second and third innings, but the Mariners adjusted. All six batters he faced in the fourth put the ball in play on the first or second pitch of the at-bat. Anderson allowed eight hits in total along with six runs, with five being earned. He has allowed nine earned runs in 5 ⅔ innings with the Marlins in his two starts. “I’ve been wanting to play for my hometown team for a really long time," the South Florida native said postgame, "and that’s what’s also really frustrating.” Notes -Braxton Garrett will not make his scheduled start on Sunday due to left elbow discomfort. Triple-A Jacksonville right-hander Kyle Tyler will start in his place. -Jazz Chisholm Jr. was removed from the game in the sixth inning due to right biceps tightness. He said he felt it cramp up on a throw from center field earlier in the game. View full article

Friday's series opener was a tale of two Andersons for the Marlins—while Tim Anderson recorded a season-high three hits, spot starter Shaun Anderson faltered in his debut with the club. The days of the Miami Marlins using the Washington Nationals as a punching bag seem to be over. After losing 8-1 to the Nats on Friday night, the Marlins are 0-5 against their division rival. In 2022 and 2023, the Marlins inflated their win totals by going a combined 26-6 against Washington. The Nationals, who came into Friday’s game at 32-36 and just two games back of the National League wild card, are experiencing their best season since beginning their rebuild in 2021. While still not world-beaters, they began their weekend series in somewhat dominating fashion, taking advantage of recent pitching call-up Shaun Anderson. The 29-year-old is filling the Marlins rotation spot vacated by Ryan Weathers, who was put on the 15-day injured list on June 8 for a strained left index finger. Anderson was traded from the Texas Rangers at the end of May for cash considerations where he made two relief appearances. But the right-hander hadn’t started a game at the major league level since he was with the San Francisco Giants in 2019. Anderson tiptoed through trouble in the first inning, with right fielder Dane Myers, second baseman Otto Lopez and third baseman Emmanuel Rivera completing a 9-4-5 relay to throw out CJ Abrams on an attempted leadoff triple. He then threw a scoreless second inning. uopv81_1.mp4 But the American Heritage High School alumnus imploded in the third. He allowed the first two batters to reach base before Lane Thomas struck a three-run home run off the left field foul pole. It didn’t get any better from there. Jesse Winker hit a single, Eddie Rosario hit a double, Joey Meneses hit a two-RBI single, and Luis García Jr. hit a single. Anderson did not record an out before he was pulled for Huascar Brazoban. The Nationals put up 10 hits and seven runs against Anderson, the final two scoring on Abrams' single. The lone Marlins run came in the second inning when Nick Fortes drove home Tim Anderson on an infield single. TA had a three-hit night. He’s 9-for-16 since returning from the bereavement list on June 11, raising his batting average from .188 to .221 in the process. View full article

Taking an updated look at the production that has come from major league players who've been acquired by the Marlins during Peter Bendix's first year as president of baseball operations. The lack of a big splash signing this past offseason made Peter Bendix a much-maligned figure in the eyes of Marlins fans. Coming off their first postseason since 2003, the first-year president of baseball operations made few moves to improve the roster, and whatever acquisitions he did make were mostly fringe pieces with not much expected impact. So far, the results have been...mixed. Some have found a solid role and perhaps a future in Miami past 2024, while others look to be in jeopardy of reaching the end of their major league careers unless they substantially improve. The Bendix acquisitions featured below are those who have spent the majority of the regular season on the Marlins active roster. Vidal Bruján Yes, we’re only three months into the season, but Bruján already experienced a rebirth of sorts from the beginning of the year to now. Traded to the Marlins from the Tampa Bay Rays over the offseason, Bruján didn’t look particularly good in spring training. He still made the Opening Day roster, due to a combination of needed infield depth and the fact that he had zero remaining minor league options, necessitating a waiver if the Marlins sent him to the minors to begin the year. Bruján's regular season looked like more of his spring in the first month. In his first 16 games of 2024, his playing time was sparse. He was mostly a late-inning substitute and made seven starts. With that inconsistent playing time, he hit .087 (2-for-23) with a double. Beginning April 26 against the Washington Nationals, Bruján began getting more consistent starts, and immediately turned his season around. The 26-year-old went 6-for-11 with two triples in his three starts that series. From April 26 until May 20—the span in which he had the most consistent playing time this season—he slashed .320/.378/.480. Defensively, he’s spent a lot of his time at shortstop, especially while Tim Anderson was on the injured list in mid-May with a back issue. His defense at shortstop has gotten progressively better, posting exactly zero outs above average in 162 innings according to Baseball Savant. 0ef5aac5-b2da082b-3518954e-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_4000K.mp4 At third base, that number goes down to negative-four, despite playing just 67 innings there. Since Anderson’s return to the lineup, Bruján has mostly found himself at second base, with spot starts at shortstop and third base. Offensively, he has fallen back down to earth with his limited playing time, posting a .211/.286/.263 in seven games and five starts since May 26. Otto Lopez Lopez has been one of the biggest success stories for the Marlins in this young season. The Marlins acquired him in early April after he was designated for assignment by the San Francisco Giants. In seven games with Triple-A Jacksonville, he posted a .566 average (15-for-27) with four doubles, two home runs, and just two strikeouts. After being called up to the big leagues on April 15, Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said he “doesn’t know anything about him.” It’s hard to blame him. Lopez had a meteoric rise to the majors that isn’t often seen, especially for someone who isn’t a top prospect. But Lopez still hasn’t cooled off from his minor league hot streak. With Miami, he’s slashing .295/.324/.421 in 35 games. He’s only striking out at a 16.7 percent clip, which is six points better than league average. His early-season run came to a peak when he hit a walk-off single in the 10th inning against the New York Mets on May 18. Lopez’s slash line in his first 16 games was especially eye-catching, posting a .321/.387.607. The Dominican righty has had 102 plate appearances so far this year. The league has had time to thoroughly scout and adjust to him, yet still, he has managed to maintain his production. Before being put on paternity leave on June 7 for the birth of his daughter, Lopez was riding a six-game hitting streak in which he went 9-for-22 with four RBI and a walk. Nick Gordon Gordon's role on the Fish has been well-defined: he is their starting left fielder against right-handed pitchers and a late-game pinch-hitter when Schumaker wants to gain the platoon advantage with his team trailing. Slashing .234/.261/.380, Gordon is producing slightly below his career norms, though he is on pace for 15 homers, which would be a new personal best. Like many members of the 2024 Marlins, Gordon has been prone to hitting balls on the ground. His groundball rate is 55.3%, compared to a 40.5 GB% in his breakout 2022 campaign. He would find more success be increasing his launch angle. Christian Bethancourt You’d be hard-pressed to find someone who had a worse start to his Marlins career than Christian Bethancourt. The catcher that the Marlins acquired from the Cleveland Guardians began the season with zero hits in his first 29 at-bats. But just before their first west coast road trip in early May, Bethancourt, made some adjustments to his swing, and started feeling himself in Oakland.A right-handed hitter, Bethancourt discovered the kink in his swing while taking practice hacks as from the left side of the plate with hitting coach John Mabry just before said road trip. The former Rays catcher was born a lefty, but said he became a righty in kindergarten. During his time in the Korea Baseball Organization in 2019, Bethancourt said he’d take practice swings as a lefty before beginning his right-handed swings. “They're big on using both hands and both obliques so you don't get hurt," Bethancourt said of Korea. “And then from there, I always take a few swings left-handed.” Bethancourt started to feel better at the plate for a few games without the results to show for it. But he finally broke out in the series finale against Oakland and into the series against the Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves, going 6-for-14 with two doubles. Since then, he has cooled off a bit, but is certainly still clearing the low bar he set in March and April. Though, it would be hard to do worse. The 32-year-old is throwing out base-stealers at a 23-percent clip, which is right in the middle of 61 qualified catchers. But his arm strength (85.0 MPH) is top of the league, while his pop time (1.90 seconds) is tied for ninth. Bethancourt is under club control for 2025 via arbitration. His overall offensive output (.155/.200/.239 slash line in 77 PA) must get better for the Marlins to tender him a contract. Emmanuel Rivera Rivera essentially replaced Jon Berti when the latter was traded to the New York Yankees on Opening Day eve. Similar to Bethancourt, he was a glorified waiver claim acquired in exchange for cash considerations. Also similar to Bethancourt, Rivera has struggled at the plate. Specifically, his power has gradually diminished. The Puerto Rican corner infielder went from 12 home runs in 102 games during the 2022 season, to four homers in 86 games last season, to none through his first 45 Marlins appearances. Miami counted on him to put together quality at-bats against left-handers. However, his production this year is virtually the same regardless of the opposing pitcher's handedness. Rivera's glovework at third base is roughly league average. Tim Anderson Bendix's "big" acquisition (relatively speaking) was taking a $5M flier on Anderson, the former AL All-Star and batting champ whose production had cratered in 2023. Still just 30 years old, the Marlins hoped his prime had not entirely passed him by and improved health combined with a change of scenery could turn him into a starting-caliber player at a position of need. The bar was so low—by some measures, the Marlins had MLB's worst shortstop production last season. Alas, Anderson is proving to be a downgrade even from that. Through 48 games, Anderson has only three extra-base hits compared to 51 strikeouts. He showed brief glimpses of being productive at the start of the season and immediately following a mid-May injured list stint; aside from that, though, he's been severely lacking both plate discipline and power. Even during a miserable 2023 season, Anderson could do damage against fastballs (.307 batting average against them). That has not been the case as a Marlin (.211 BA). The pending free agent has dug himself a deep enough hole that it's difficult to see him drawing any interest from contenders at the trade deadline. The question is how much more patience the Marlins will have before turning over shortstop duties to younger alternatives like Bruján and Xavier Edwards. Declan Cronin Aside from established closer Tanner Scott, Declan Cronin’s 2.10 ERA is the lowest ERA among qualified Marlins relievers. Selected off waivers by the Marlins from the Houston Astros just before spring camp started, the expectations for Cronin were not high. He was entering a bullpen that included the aforementioned Scott along with Andrew Nardi, Anthony Bender and Bryan Hoeing. But Cronin has been one of the more consistent pitchers in a bullpen that hasn’t lived up to the expectations they set for themselves after a strong 2023. The 26-year-old righty has mostly been used in low-leverage situations to success. But even with his limited opportunities in medium and high-leverage spots, he’s keeping hitters below a .200 average and a 2.00 ERA. Earlier this month, Craig Mish of SportsGrid said the Marlins are expected to capitalize on Cronin's impressive first half by trading him for young talent. Calvin Faucher Faucher came to the Marlins in the Bruján trade early in the offseason. The start of his 2024 season was delayed by a minor spring training injury, but he's been part of their big league bullpen since mid-April. An assessment of Faucher’s season this year would be difficult. While his 2.78 ERA and 2.61 FIP suggest the slightest bit of bad luck, a 1.46 WHIP—thanks in large part to a 4.4 BB/9—might be a predictor of future regression. Of his 21 appearances, 19 have come in the seventh inning or later. You may be surprised to learn that Faucher is the hardest-throwing righty in Miami's bullpen with an average sinker velocity of 95.7 mph. Burch Smith Smith was plucked from the Rays spring training roster after spending the last two years pitching in Asia. Largely an unknown name among Marlins fans, Smith has actually been one of the more consistent arms in the bullpen, albeit in low-leverage situations. The 34-year-old is pitching to a 3.81 ERA. His 49.5 percent groundball rate is in the top quarter of the league, utilizing mostly four-seam, cutter, and curveball. His line drive rate of 23.2 percent is the lowest of his career. View full article

Before Luzardo was a Marlins pitcher, he was a Marlins fan who rooted for Dontrelle Willis. Whether you called it Joe Robbie, Pro Player, Land Shark, or Dolphin Stadium, all Marlins fans can agree that it was dazzling to watch Dontrelle Willis every five days during his tenure with the Fish. Attendance at Marlins home games would spike whenever the lefty took the mound with his high leg kick and tornado-like twist before exploding towards home plate. Willis was called up in May 2003. He made an immediate impact with a 14-6 record and a 3.30 ERA. His 22 wins and five shutouts in 2005 are still the most in a single season in Marlins history. The then-23-year-old finished second in National League Cy Young voting that year, along with a 2.63 ERA in 34 starts. He also recorded a franchise-leading 15 complete games during his time in South Florida. One of those fans that was captivated by Willis is now the ace of the Marlins 17 years after Willis threw his last pitch for the club. Jesús Luzardo, a lefty just like Willis, grew up going to the ballpark just about 45 minutes from his home in Parkland (he called it “Pro Player”, by the way). Luzardo recorded a 3.58 ERA in 32 starts last year to propel the Marlins to a National League Wild Card berth. With 2022 Cy Young award winner Sandy Alcantara sidelined by an elbow injury, Luzardo started Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series, the first playoff game for the franchise at the end of a full-length season since Willis and the Marlins won the World Series in 2003. On Sunday, with the Marlins giving out Dontrelle Willis bobbleheads to fans, the 2003 NL Rookie of the Year was in attendance and spoke with Luzardo along with other members of the team. “I told them in the locker room, they all have better stuff than me,” Willis relayed to the media. “And they didn't believe it, but I'm telling you, man. It’s this myth that everybody thought I threw 97. I was like, check tape. I threw 90-91. But I was impactful with my movements.” Sunday wasn’t the first time that Willis and Luzardo had spoken. While Luzardo was still a member of the Oakland Athletics a few years ago, Willis, who grew up in the Bay Area, reached out to Luzardo and offered advice. Naturally, that line of communication has stayed open since Luzardo was traded to Miami in 2021. “I'm so proud,” Willis said. “I knew he was gonna be a star. We talked in Oakland. Sometimes you need to get out of a situation to get a breath of fresh air. Him being back home, he's really emerged as a leader. I hate that his name is in trade talks. I can relate to that. So he's been talking to me about that. Stay away from the noise. Don't be in traps.” “I mean it’s awesome to hear," Luzardo said. "Especially for me, growing up down here, I was a big fan of his...It was just a blessing to hear something like that coming from him, someone I highly regard.” jt9xx9.mp4 Luzardo, now 26, was less than 10 years old during the D-Train’s time here. Hearing any advice from a childhood hero is something he does not take for granted. “Not everyone gets a chance to talk to someone they looked up to when they were young,” Luzardo said. “So it’s something that I like to take advantage of, talk to him as much as possible, and get his opinion as much as possible.” Luzardo can’t lift his leg as high as Willis did, though he did try as a child. But one thing that he was able to take from the two-time All-Star was his ability to stand strong against all challenges. “He wouldn’t back down to anyone,” Luzardo said to the media after Sunday’s game. “And I think that’s something that they instill a lot here as Marlins. But it’s something that I take pride in as well.” Willis, now a studio analyst with FOX Sports, said this current period of his life is what defines his career the most. He's flattered to see people doing his signature leg kick in street baseball games and hear from current major leaguers who grew up watching him. "Having the impact and listening to ballplayers that are good now as they talk about how their parents took them to Marlins games means the world to me," Willis said. "It transcends money. It really does. I really enjoy hearing those stories." View full article

Xavier Edwards is back with the Marlins after dealing with a foot infection that sidelined him for two months. Xavier Edwards is finally back with the Miami Marlins. Edwards entered spring training vying for a spot on the major league team, fresh off winning a Triple-A batting title and helping with Miami's postseason push as a September call-up. But a severe foot infection sidelined him just one week into Grapefruit League action. What was originally expected to be a short-term injury eventually worsened to the point where he missed the first month-and-a-half of the regular season. The 24-year-old began the year with the Triple-A Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp on May 7. He picked up right where he left off in 2023 by slashing .365/.411/.481 in 13 games and 52 at-bats. On Friday, infielders Tim Anderson and Otto Lopez going on the bereavement and paternity lists, respectively, gave way to Edwards' call-up. His first day back in Miami prior to Friday’s series opener against the Cleveland Guardians, Edwards said the last three months have been “a journey.” Edwards said the first few weeks was “a lot of sitting around” while he had an IV hooked up to him. Once he was able to get it out of him, he slowly built himself back up and started lifting at the Marlins’ spring training facility in Jupiter. Edwards said the biggest hurdle to getting back in game shape was conditioning and getting his speed back. But he said he started feeling like himself again a couple of weeks ago, and the numbers show it, collecting four doubles, a triple, and three stolen bases in 13 games with Jacksonville. Marlins manager Skip Schumaker even penciled him in as the leadoff hitter Friday while anchoring shortstop, a position Edwards had not previously played as a major leaguer. “I think he deserves a shot at it,” Schumaker said prior to Friday’s 3-2 victory. "He's earned it. It's not like we’re waiting and seeing. He's earned the right to get a start up here at the big league level, at shortstop. And so the next few games, I think you'll see him playing shortstop.” Edwards was drafted as a shortstop by the San Diego Padres in 2018. Schumaker was the first base coach for their major league team. “I love playing shortstop,” Edwards said. “I just kind of got away from it for a long time because the teams I was with prior kind of got me off the position a little bit. But I’m excited to be back over there.” Although a bulk of Edwards’ time in the field has been spent at second base—in the majors and minors—he said he spends each offseason practicing shortstop, as it helps him with arm strength and footwork. “At second base, unconsciously, your feet can tend to get lazy, just because the throws are so short,” Edwards explained. “I know I can't do that at shortstop. So I try to practice there every offseason, but this offseason, particularly, I spent a lot of time there.” Edwards was tested a few times on Friday. He had a couple of throws that were wide left to first baseman Jake Burger. But he made up for it in the sixth inning when he dove to his right on a 102 mile-per-hour ground ball off the bat of Josh Naylor and fired a strike to Burger. f4dd872f-bdcc7fe2-8db589fe-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_4000K.mp4 “Well, he had a couple of plays, but he made them, so I'll take it,” Schumaker said. “I only like talking about the plays you make, and he made them all. So I thought it was a great night. Really good diving play, obviously, to the backhand side. And Burger has not played a ton at first, but a really good pick by Burger, too. So yeah, I thought they both played really well tonight, defensively.” At the plate, Edwards went 0-for-3 with a walk. View full article