Alex Carver

Construction on the $108 million project won't begin until 2025, with a spokesperson citing the "need to minimize the impact to the players and staff during the renovation." Nearly three years ago, Palm Beach County, the Miami Marlins and the St. Louis Cardinals made a long-term commitment to each other. Through a county-issued bond expected to be re-paid in full over 25 years, both teams' player development and spring training complexes would remain at Jupiter's Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium through 2049. On May 17, 2022, the county and the operations venture of the stadium, Jupiter Stadium Ltd. (which is run by both teams), reached their final agreement on a project to renovate the facilities. The county and the state of Florida would re-pay 62% of the bond; the Marlins and Cardinals would cover the remaining 38%. After the county unanimously approved the bonding agreement on their side, the blueprint for stadium upgrades began to come into view. At the forefront of the plans: complete demolition and rebuild of both team clubhouses which sit beyond the outfield walls of the park. Other plans included new batting cages, a new seating area, bullpens situated behind the outfield walls, two new scoreboards and technological updates, a larger team store, and press box improvements. In August 2022, the project completed what was seemingly its final hurdle when it reached approval from the Jupiter Town Council with plans for construction to begin in August 2023. In preparation for the renovations, minor league affiliates of the Marlins and Cardinals, the Jupiter Hammerheads and Palm Beach Cardinals, along with regular every day stadium operations were moved to CACTI Ballpark of the Palm Beaches which was leased through the remainder of the 2023 season. Florida Complex League games remained on the Roger Dean backfields, but many player facilities were made off limits. Leading up to the expected arrival of construction crews, the existing clubhouses and batting cages were completely stripped. Construction tape could be seen in certain areas and red tape could be seen emblazoned over doors leading to some facilities, including clubhouses. Then, something strange happened. During the FCL season and as the Hammerheads completed their Florida State League title run at their temporary West Palm Beach residence, little happened at Roger Dean and construction crews were rarely present. That absence has permeated through this spring and player clubhouses and facilities were rebuilt as they were previously and reopened. We recently received a full update on what did happen, what has changed, and what the future holds for Roger Dean. Major upgrades will still be made to Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium that will still keep the Marlins and Cardinals at the facility through 2049. However, there have been several significant developments and changes to original planning. The renovation project will not start until after the completion of next spring training. Roger Dean’s General Manager Mike Bauer said in a statement that much of the reason for the change in planning and for the most recent delay were both necessary to ensure that the newest blueprint carefully avoided continuing negative affects on team employees at all levels. “The Marlins and the Cardinals are proud to call Palm Beach County and the Town of Jupiter their spring training home for the foreseeable future in a newly renovated and improved Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium,” Bauer said. “Given that long-term commitment, both organizations want to get the renovation project right, and the renovation of an existing facility that is used nearly year-long by two Major League Baseball clubs for spring training, multiple Minor League teams and nearly year-long training is challenging. We need to minimize the impact to the players and staff during the renovation, while also delivering an exceptional facility for future use.” Some of the impacts Bauer speaks of were seen this past season as the nomadic Hammerheads played in a home away from home, Florida Complex League players were using the stadium’s concourse as their locker rooms, and FCL staffs were working out of the stadium ticket office. Bauer explained that, if original plans were upheld, players and staffs at both the MLB and MiLB levels would have been affected for two more seasons. “The original plan would have impacted at least one spring training season, and, with such a tight schedule, it was very likely that a second spring training season would have been impacted by the project as well,” Bauer said. “The new construction plan will allow us to play both spring training and Minor League games at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium throughout the entire project. Our players would not need to leave the property.” Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium and Sports Complex Renovation.pdf Along with not affecting either spring training or the MiLB season, the new blueprint is scheduled to be completed in a much shorter period of time. Renovations will now begin right after the close of next spring training and are expected to be finished in less than a calendar year, a stark contrast to the timeframe placed on original planning. “The bulk of the work will take 10 months to complete, instead of two years,” Bauer said. To adjust for this decrease in time, changes had to be made to original plans, the most significant of which applies to the reconstruction of team clubhouses. While still honoring the original commitment to overhaul locker rooms, the new plan will forego a complete ground-up rebuild of the buildings. This will eliminate the relocation of utility infrastructure and will diminish impacts on surrounding parking and foliage. “The two clubhouse buildings will not be demolished. Instead, they will be repurposed and renovated,” Bauer said. “Two new stand-alone training buildings will be constructed adjacent to the existing buildings.” Most of the additional upgrades listed in the original blueprint will still occur. The new blueprint still includes new bullpens situated beyond the outfield fence which will aid in both player safety and accessibility. Currently, bullpens are in foul ground on either side of the playing field. When a pitcher is present in the bullpen, a third individual acts as a "guard" for the bullpen catcher who has his back toward home plate. Other aforementioned updates still scheduled are the addition of the new fan experience in left field which will replace bleacher seating, the larger team store, the press box overhaul, the batting tunnel updates, and the technological enhancements including updates to scoreboards, the park’s sound system and to its Wi-Fi availability, Bauer pinpointed exactly where the project is right now. “We are currently working with Palm Beach County to select a General Contractor via an RFP process.” A RFP (request for proposal) process includes the contracting company posting an announcement publicly that allows contractors to understand and bid on ownership of the described project. Despite the delay and the change in plans, Marlins principal owner Bruce Sherman stated the team’s long-term vision for Roger Dean has steadily remained a constant as players progress towards Major League Baseball. “We want the Dominican (Academy) and this facility to be state of the art,” Sherman said. “How we treat the players, how we work with the players and their families, we want them to have an experience at (loanDepot park) like none other. And it starts with the players health, nutrition and the environments they work in. We think we’re going to make great strides here.” Following the end of MLB spring training later this month, the Jupiter Hammerheads begin their regular season against their stadium roommates, the Palm Beach Cardinals, at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium in April. The FCL season will begin on the backfields at the complex in May. View full article

Using just two of his pitches, Eury Pérez threw 3 ⅔ innings while striking out five, Sixto Sánchez dialed it up to 96 mph, and Luis Arraez put a slow start to spring behind him by recording three hits. JUPITER, FL—Eury Pérez was effective despite being limited to two pitches, Sixto Sánchez threw another scoreless inning, and Luis Arraez enjoyed a perfect 3-for-3 night at the plate in a 3-1 loss to the Mets on Friday night. Fake nail limits Eury, still effective Eury Pérez took the mound for the Marlins for the third time this spring after exiting his last start a bit prematurely. Throwing a steady diet of sliders, Pérez broke the nail on his right middle finger, causing him to have an artificial acrylic nail applied. Because of the nagging issue, Perez had to adjust to throwing with the fake nail applied during the week. During the start, he was limited in how he could attack hitters. "It was getting a little uncomfortable with the fake nail and it was something that I had to make good judgment with during my bullpen sessions," Pérez said via translator. "It was also a matter of getting outs with only two pitches. (Mel Stottlemyre Jr.) suggested not to throw sliders today. So I was just throwing two pitches." The biggest difference maker for Pérez lied in his ability to command his curveball, a pitch he's been working on continuously this spring. On the night, he threw 17 curveballs which garnered him a 43% CSW%. Pérez was rightfully satisfied with how his curveball played especially because he was limited to just a two-pitch mix. "Being able to locate that pitch, work it out so many times," Pérez said. "Overall, I would say I was good because of that. I got to work so much on that secondary pitch. I think I need to continue working on it." While being unable to go about his usual business, Pérez was able to gain experience throwing without all of his stuff. Pérez said this outing will help him understand how to stay effective on days where he doesn't have all of his stuff working for him later this season. "After my outing, I had a conversation with (Stottlemyre) and he was very happy with my outing," Pérez said. "We were talking about that specifically: how to pitch that many innings with just two pitches. The fact I got to work so many times with that curveball I think is very very positive, because it's not one of my best secondary pitches, but getting to work on it, I can improve even more." "I think now he has a fourth pitch that he can throw and lean on, strike guys out with and land them early," Schumaker said of Pérez's curveball. "In the minor leagues, he just out-powered people. So now he's learning the changeup, still learning the curveball, and the slider is always going to be there. It can only help him moving forward." Sixto reaches 96 in scoreless inning Sixto Sánchez threw in his second spring game and recorded another scoreless frame. Topping at 96, the hardest we've seen him throw since his return in any capacity, Sánchez got around a lead-off single and a one-out walk via a strikeout and a flyout. Skip Schumaker stated both he and Sánchez were satisfied with his outing. A big point of emphasis for Schumaker has been how his arms recover the next day and during the week. He will once again be keeping a close eye on that. "He recovered well last time, we'll see if he recovers well again this time around as well," Schumaker said. "He feels good, which is probably the biggest thing for him and for us, for him to come back and feel like he's ready to go." Next steps for Sánchez's progression will be fully deciding on if he is going to stay in the bullpen or be stretched back out as a starter. "We have to figure out if we want him to go multiple (innings)," Schumaker said. "And I'm not exactly sure, to be honest with you. I thought today was good; up to 96. He was happy. I think we celebrate that and move on." Arraez breaks slow spring start, records three hits After coming in to tonight 1-for-16 on the spring campaign, Luis Arraez recorded a double and two singles in a perfect night at the plate. The lead-off double came on the second pitch he saw from Luis Severino. He then recorded a bloop single in the 3rd and an RBI single that gave the Marlins their only run in the 5th. While there was never any worry about the defending batting champion's slow start to the spring, Schumaker said tonight was a feel-good night for Arraez. "I don't care if you're a batting champ or not; you want to get hits," Schumaker said. "Even if they're bloopers over second, line drives, it doesn't matter. You want to feel good going home. I'm guessing he feels a lot better right now, back to where he is. It's just good to know that you've still got it no matter what time of year it is." Other notes: - Jonathan Davis (wrist) is day-to-day after being hit by a pitch against the Phillies on March 1. He is wearing a wrist guard, but has been taking BP on the backfields. - Troy Johnston (ankle) told us today that he is "around 70-80%". He has not played since that Phillies game either, but is taking BP and running on the backfields. - The Marlins will play another night game on Saturday in West Palm Beach against the Nationals. A.J. Puk is expected to start. View full article

Eury Pérez showed off his triple-digit fastball and staple slider while working on his curveball, and Sixto Sánchez showed flashes of years' past reaching 95 mph in a scoreless inning of work, propelling the Marlins to their second Grapefruit League win. JUPITER, FL—A solid 2 ⅓ innings by Eury Pérez followed by an impressive return to an MLB mound for Sixto Sánchez highlighted a game in which the Marlins never trailed. They defeated the Mets 4-1 to improve to 2-3-3 on the spring. Pérez sharp, exits early Eury Pérez toed the rubber for his second spring start. He showed mid-season velocity, sitting at 97 mph and topping out at triple digits. The only blemish on his record against a Mets' lineup that included Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor was a singular walk. He threw 36 pitches, 22 for strikes. Skip Schumaker stated he thought Pérez took a step forward from his last outing. "You throw 99 miles per hour with ease and the changeup slider combo was good," Schumaker said. "I thought he got into some unnecessary deep counts but that's okay; it's part of spring training." Seemingly cruising in his third inning of work, he was visited by the trainer and removed from the game. Pérez broke his nail on his middle finger; he is fine and expected to make his next outing, likely this coming week. "Just a little crack on his fingernail and before it got any bigger than that, no point to push it; he was already in his third inning," Schumaker said. Pérez believes it was caused by his slider grip. He would have been able to remain in the game if needed. Overall, he was happy with the work he was able to do with all four of his pitches. "I wasn't in that much pain. I asked (Skip Schumaker) to continue, but he told me no," Pérez said through a translator. "I thought it was (a good day). I threw all my pitches, I was working on all my pitches. Some situations, I was up in the count and I lost them, so that's something I have to work on and it's something I will continue to work on to be ready and perform well." Sánchez impressive in return It had been over three years since Sixto Sánchez took the mound in an MLB game. Before today, many doubted Sánchez would ever be able to get back to his former top prospect status. It will take more than one inning in a spring training game to determine if he can prove his doubters wrong, but merely reaching this milestone was a very good step. Taking the mound in the 5th inning, Sánchez came out throwing 89 mph. Moments later, the radar gun showed 92. A few moments after that, Sanchez threw two straight pitches over 95 mph. He threw a 1-2-3 inning on 15 pitches and left to a rousing ovation from the fans on hand at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. "I think he started feeling better as the inning went on," Schumaker said. "I don't know if he felt like he didn't trust it at the beginning; offspeed pitches, changeup, curveball, changeup curveball, then he kind of let one go and I think probably felt okay, then he just started letting it go the rest of the outing." Sánchez stated that after his first few pitches as he got deeper into the inning, velocity came to him easily and he was able to push a bit harder. "Once I was a little more loose, I started getting there with 94 and 95," Sánchez said through a translator. "I'm feeling well too. I think in the near future, once I continue to build that confidence, I'm going to throw even harder." In addition to velo much closer to his previous state, Sánchez also had the same demeanor he was previously known for. After he recorded a strikeout to end his inning, he performed his famous shimmy on the way off the mound. "That's what I like. If I don't do that, I don't feel like I'm pitching at all," Sánchez said. "I like to have fun and be out there. That makes me happy." Anderson records first hit, shows off glove again After a tough season last year, Tim Anderson is hoping to bounce back in a big way with Miami. Playing in his second spring game, he showed a few early positive signs, recording his first Marlins' hit, a single and making another strong play behind shortstop, the second such play he's made in his two games thus far. Skip Schumaker stated that getting back to playing in live games is exactly what Anderson needs if he hopes to have a big year. "Everyone wants to talk about the hitting timing but you need that on the defensive side as well," Schumaker said. "His pre-pitch, the first step, all that it takes time and you need reps. You need live reps. You can take a million fungos but you need live reps before you know where you are and what you need to work on." Despite this being just Anderson's second game following his extended offseason, Schumaker knows what Anderson is capable of. "I've seen that for five-plus years so it's not surprising that he makes those plays," Schumaker said. "He knows he can be better which is great. He's not just satisfied with who he is at short. He wants to get better. He's working hard to get better. The arm is real. I think he's going to be just fine out there." Looking ahead The Marlins have a split-squad day on Sunday. Yonny Chirinos is expected to start in West Palm against the Nationals. A.J. Puk is the probable in Jupiter against St. Louis. View full article

Jesús Luzardo, Bryan De La Cruz, and Jesús Sánchez continued their strong starts to spring training on Friday afternoon in Clearwater. The Marlins came by their second tie of the spring on Friday night in Clearwater, deadlocking with the Phillies 6-6 after nine innings. Jesús Luzardo became the first Marlins’ starter to work three full innings. Bryan De La Cruz and Jesus Sánchez continued to stand out offensively for Miami. Vidal Bruján also recorded two hits. Luzardo impressive Jesús Luzardo took the mound for the second time this spring. The second verse was even better than the first. After working two scoreless this past week, Luzardo, who has been tabbed as Miami’s Opening Day starter, worked three full frames on just two hits and a walk while striking out two. He threw 45 pitches, 28 for strikes. ivqtwk.mp4 The main occupation with Luzardo through his career has been his spotty fastball command. That was of no concern for him in this start. Luzardo was pounding the zone early and often which overpowered a Phillies’ lineup made up of many of their projected Opening Day starters. The four-seamer averaged 96 mph and topped at 98. It carried a 35% CSW%. Perhaps just as encouraging as the work he did with the fastball, Luzardo also controlled his changeup very well and could place it in the zone (which he did 62% of the time) without getting hurt. Only two balls were put in play against the Luzardo changeup. The only downside to Luzardo’s outing is that he once again didn’t have his slider working well. He also struggled to throw strikes with the pitch his first time out. That said, he hasn’t needed it. "There's a lot of value in coming out and not having my best stuff necessarily and still being able to navigate through a tough inning and getting outs in different ways," Luzardo told Stephen Strom of the Marlins Radio Network following his outing. "I think that that's something that 32, 33 starts throughout a full season, you're not gonna have your stuff every time. It was good and it was positive to have one of those starts so early in spring." Two starts in and showing consistent command and control of multiple pitches with room to fill in even more, Luzardo is off to a very encouraging start to spring training. De La Contact Once again, Bryan De La Cruz was seeing the ball very well. Starting in left field, DLC got three ABs and recorded one hit, a single. However, everything he hit was hit hard. He once again owned the hardest-hit ball of the game, a 111.9 mph lineout that held an .810 expected batting average but somehow found an outfielder’s glove. Early this spring, De La Cruz has been Miami’s most consistent and most impressive bat. He’s off to a 4-for-9 start. With a bit less bad luck, he could be sitting in an even better spot. His average exit velocity this spring is 97.7 mph. Sánchez keeps hitting Jesús Sánchez was once again active with the bat, hitting a single in his first AB and a screaming double in his second, both off Aaron Nola. In both cases, Sánchez showed good plate coverage, getting to offspeed pitches on his outside corner. Sánchez has had an impressive start to camp. He’s recorded hits in each of his first four games. Other notes: After recording two hits on Tuesday, Jacob Berry recorded his first extra-base hit of the spring campaign, a double. He also saw some time at first base. Troy Johnston exited the game with an apparent injury after a groundout in the 9th inning. Johnston rolled his ankle attempting to reach the base. It isn’t thought to be serious. Eury Pérez will start for the Marlins on Saturday afternoon in Jupiter. Sixto Sánchez is also expected to pitch for the first time this spring. View full article

Following a breakout 2023 season offensively, catching prospect Will Banfield is in major league camp with the Marlins as an NRI, looking to continue to impress. JUPITER, FL—The progression and development of a high school catcher in professional baseball can be extremely volatile. When focusing on learning how to handle pro pitching and the speed of a pro game as their first priority, the ability to produce offensively can sometimes get lost in the shuffle. For some high school catchers, it never happens. But with how advanced the defense of Will Banfield was coming out of the draft in 2018, the Marlins were confident in Banfield’s very high floor at age 18. In 2023, the confidence and persistence the Marlins showed in Banfield to become a dual threat backstop starter to pay off. While holding down his always solid tools behind the plate, Banfield had a breakout year at the plate, slashing .258/.302/.472 with 23 home runs. It happened over the course of a full season with Double-A Pensacola, the highest level he’s ever played at. The catalysts for Banfield’s improvements at the plate were twofold. The first: mental adjustments. “Not pressing, knowing I’m a good hitter and I can hit with two strikes and that I’m not gonna miss my pitch.” Banfield pointed to Pensacola hitting coach Matt Snyder as a key cog in the improvements he was able to make mentally. The best advice he got from Snyder was to create a blueprint for how he was going to attack each pitcher he faced. “That’s something that we worked on hard,” Banfield said. “Once I was able to feel comfortable with a couple of adjustments that we did make, once I was on time, those things took care of itself. It was more so making a plan for hunting windows for different guys especially righties with sliders, sweepers. So just making sure I’m sticking to a plan, through an at-bat, through a game…that was the biggest thing.” The second catalyst for Banfield’s improvements were the mechanical adjustments he speaks of. At the plate and in his setup, Banfield looked much different than years past. The changes allowed him to stay more relaxed at the plate and cover more of it. “Staying looser with my full body but mostly my upper half. Hitting more into my front side,” Banfield said of the mechanical adjustments. “It’s been able to give me a lot more length in my swing and it’s helped a lot obviously with offspeed or pitches down in general. I’m continuing to work on that and sticking with a routine I was comfortable with last year.” There’s also a sense of comfort and familiarity in the Marlins’ clubhouse this spring for Banfield. Joining him are several of his Pensacola teammates from the past two years including Patrick Monteverde, Josh Simpson, Troy Johnston, Paul McIntosh, Victor Mesa Jr. and others. Seeing the winning culture he and those same teammates helped build in Pensacola matriculate to a major league clubhouse has been a boost of confidence for Banfield. “Having the same core group of guys, it’s really cool to be able to keep going up with. All these guys are winners. All these guys want to win whenever we step on the field," Banfield said. “For that group and these guys here now that we’ve gotten to know and be around, everyone’s winners. It’s cool to bring our side from the minor leagues up into the clubhouse, blending it with major league guys. It’s gonna be a really fun year.” Banfield has been a very regular participant in every drill on the backfields early in camp and he’s already played in two games, where he’s showcased his continuously plus defensive skills and recorded two hits in his first five ABs. TVprRzVfWGw0TUFRPT1fVkFWVVVsd05Wd1FBQUZaUlhnQUFBUUVFQUZoUldnY0FVMUVFQlFJRlZRWUJWVkFD.mp4 If Banfield can continue to showcase his improved bat-to-ball skills, he will continue to solidify himself as the top catching prospect in the Marlins’ organization and place himself in a good position to contribute to the big league club this year. He will be 24 for the entirety of the season. View full article

Two doubles each for Bryan De La Cruz and Victor Mesa Jr. as well as a solo home run by Tristan Gray navigated the Marlins past some early jitters on the mound in a 9-8 win in Miami's Grapefruit League opener. JUPITER, FL—Bryan De La Cruz and a cast of non-roster invitees starred in a high-scoring affair on Saturday afternoon at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium, allowing the Marlins to surpass some very early spring woes on the mound and overcome the St. Louis Cardinals by a score of 9-8. The Marlins' offense got things started early against Matthew Liberatore. After Josh Bell walked and was moved to second by a wild pitch, Bryan De La Cruz struck for an RBI double that left his bat at 111.7 mph. De La Cruz was then plated by Jesús Sánchez on a single to give Ryan Weathers a two run lead before he toed the rubber. De La Cruz was back at it again in his next at-bat. With the bases full of Marlins, he continued to seer the baseball well and cleared them with his second double. A ball which left his bat at 110.5 mph. De La Cruz had the two hardest hit balls of the day. Young players including multiple non-roster invitees made a lot of noise with their bats, leading to a good first impression upon manager Skip Schumaker and staff. Tristan Gray got in on the fun in the 4th. On the first pitch he saw, he cranked his first home run of the spring to right field on a cutter left up. Gray later proved he can get on base when he sees more than one pitch by working a walk against JoJo Romero. Gray has been an early standout in camp. Not to be outdone by De La Cruz, Victor Mesa Jr. participating in his first big league camp, also recorded two doubles. The second of the pair came in the Marlins' pivotal 8th inning. With two outs, Mesa got the rally started by rocketing a ball to dead-center field and off the warning track. Then, Jonah Bride's two-run single and Griffin Conine's loud double center put the Marlins back ahead for good and proved to be the winning run. d97e24ff-3e1ebc03-b1b52e15-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_16000K.mp4 Schumaker believes the group of NRIs as well as Bride and Mesa Jr are making the most of their opportunity to impress so far this spring. "They want to make a name for themselves and there's roster battles," Schumaker said. "In spring training, you face different types of pitches later in the game and that's the reality but you don't get to pick who you face. You're supposed to take the baton and whoever you face, you face." Ryan Weathers started for Miami and after giving up solid contact to his first hitter Dylan Carlson, surrendered a double to Nolan Gorman who took a 95 mph fastball to the warning track in right field. A second double by Nolan Gorman on a Weathers changeup that caught a lot of plate gave St. Louis their first run. Nick Fortes made a heads-up play to get Weathers out of his first inning by picking Gorman off at first. "I think Nick just caught Arenado off guard," Schumaker said of the play. "I'm not sure if (he) maybe forgot the count...But yeah, kind of a heads-up play in your first game." Weathers got the first out of the second inning quickly, albeit once again on hard contact. He then gave up two free baserunners via a walk and hit by pitch paving the way for Jose Fermin to drive in the tying run. Weathers was removed after his expected two innings of work. With spotty command especially of his fastball, (38 pitches, 20 strikes), he allowed two runs on three hits and a walk while striking out one. "First inning (my command was spotty), second inning was better," Weathers said. "I would say it was probably 50/50. I didn't really accomplish what I wanted to accomplish, wanting to be really good with the first-pitch strike. That was kind of what got me behind the eight ball to a couple batters." a198bb98-fbb6630d-1d32dc25-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_16000K.mp4 In relief of Weathers, Bryan Hoeing pitched two innings, giving up two hits and an earned run with a walk and three strikeouts. Despite the walk, Hoeing was very economical with his pitches needing just 23 to get through two frames. Josh Simpson, who has been highly spoken of this spring, entered in the 5th. He struggled with his control throughout his appearance. He hit his first two batters before allowing an RBI single to Cesar Prieto. After the Cardinals loaded the bases via a walk, Matt Koperniak brought St Louis back to within a run on an infield base hit. Simpson was unable to finish his inning of work. Austin Roberts relieved Simpson and allowed the Cardinals to tie the game on a wild pitch. All three runs in the inning were charged to Simpson. This early in spring training when everyone is working on something, Schumaker isn't concerned. "It's six weeks of spring training and there's a lot of teaching moments and learning lessons," Schumaker said. "We'll look back and see what it looked like; his curveball it looked like he was casting a little bit, a lot of arm side misses, a couple hit by pitch. We'll take a look. Mel and Beef are really good at identifying some stuff. And again, first game of spring." After NRI hurler Declan Cronin and his tricky offspeed stuff threw a scoreless 6th, lefty Kent Emanuel allowed three hits and a run in the 7th. Yet another NRI, Jeff Lindgren threw the final two frames for Miami and recorded a two inning save. The Marlins will be back in action against Sunday afternoon for their spring home opener against the Washington Nationals. Jesús Luzardo draws the start for Miami. Other notes: -Tim Anderson's signing was made official and he was present at Marlins' camp for the first time today. It has not yet been decided when he will appear in game action. -Dax Fulton spoke about his rehab from his most recent elbow surgery, stating he has started throwing off flat ground three times a week. He is recovering from a UCL injury he sustained this past season, which cost him all of 2023. There is still no timetable set for when he will return to full action. -JT Chargois (neck spasms) did not throw live BP on Friday as scheduled. -Eury Pérez has been announced as Monday's probable starter in a rematch with the Cardinals. View full article

The Marlins' 2023 first-round draft pick has been working diligently on his fastball and overall stamina as the regular season approaches. JUPITER, FL—Though he is less than a year into his pro career, things have moved quickly for Marlins top prospect Noble Meyer. After starting 2023 in the FCL, he was quickly promoted to the Jupiter Hammerheads where he contributed to a Florida State League title. A few months later, the 19-year-old is one of the youngest players participating in an early development camp for Marlins minor leaguers where he's throwing against upper-minors competition in matchups that mimic in-game situations. He wouldn’t have it any other way. “It’s absolutely great,” Meyer said on Friday in relation to his experience so far. “I get to go out there and throw then I get to talk with the guys I faced. These are pro guys, pro minds. They’re where they’re at for a reason so to dig into their minds I think really helps my game.” Some of the competition Meyer faced his second time out on Friday afternoon included invitees to big league camp Jonah Bride, Victor Mesa Jr., Troy Johnston, and Paul McIntosh, all of whom have played at the AA level or above. “It’s awesome,” Meyer said about facing upper level competition. “It gives me a chance to see what I need to be at, what the next level is like, and how to climb.” After his start, the constructive feedback was aplenty for Meyer from both his organizational mates and from his coaches. “Fastball was great on the outside corner to lefties and then working inside with the changeup to righties was really good, it caught them off their balance,” Meyer said. “I could throw a fastball back inside and that seemed to be a really good plan of attack for most guys.” The four-seam fastball Meyer speaks about was a point of focus for him in the offseason. He put work in on improving spin rates and where he’s able to command the pitch including in the upper half of the strike zone. On Friday, he showed off exactly that in a stand-out moment where he got the aforementioned Mesa to strike out on the fastball up in the zone. Mesa spoke about what he saw from Meyer after the outing, pinpointing the fastball Meyer has been working to improve in relation to how it carries. “He’s got pretty good stuff at a young age,” Mesa said. “I told him to use more of his fastball—it has pretty good rise.” After his last start, Meyer stated that if he is able to improve carry and rise on his fastball, his breaking stuff will play better. After this outing, he was satisfied with how his fastball played overall, pointing to and showing an understanding of exactly what the pitch was formerly and currently is doing. Meyer specifically focused on staying true to his natural arm slot and reaching all four quadrants. “If you look at the numbers, the vertical break isn’t too high, but just the approach angle, where I’m throwing and how I’m spinning it, it’s going to play really well at the top of the zone,” Meyer said. “I can also throw it at the bottom of the zone with sink. So it’s kind of a dual threat fastball right now.” In addition to the improving fastball, Meyer has three other pitches. His newest and maybe best breaking pitch already is a curveball with two-plane break that he can spin with ease. He also owns a slider and changeup, which place him all over the velo mix map, from the mid-70s to the high 90s. A key for Meyer this coming season will be stamina through his starts and a full MiLB schedule. “I just want to get better. Getting stronger and being able to sustain velocity and command throughout the entire season,” Meyer said. “It’s a long season, so that’s priority number one right now.” Meyer has also stated that, while staying within what he can control, in a perfect world, he would like to make it up to Double-A this coming season and would like to participate in the upcoming Spring Breakout game on March 15. Full Marlins minor league camp begins on March 3 with the MiLB regular season schedule to follow on April 5. View full article

Before the start of Marlins minor league spring training, first baseman Torin Montgomery talks to Alex Carver and Kevin Barral about his offseason weight loss. View full video

During Marlins pre-spring development camp, right-hander Jacob Miller talks to Alex Carver about his new pitch and what he's hoping to accomplish in 2024. View full video

For Skip Schumaker and his staff, all players in camp—including non-roster invitees—are being given the same amount of attention and the same amount of opportunity to impress. JUPITER, FL—Every spring, in addition to 40-man roster players, MLB clubs bring some of their minor league players to spring training as non-roster invitees. In most cases, NRIs consist of players with the potential to make a big league impact shortly that the team wants to take a closer look at and younger minor league players the team would like to learn from exposure to a preseason big league experience. For Skip Schumaker and his staff, they are treating NRIs the same way they are treating everyone else in camp and the 26-man roster is not yet set. “Just because you aren’t on the 40-man roster doesn’t mean we’re not taking a real look,” Schumaker said. The Marlins manager corroborates this almost daily. Once big league workouts are done, NRIs are sent to get at-bats during minor league scrimmage games. On Thursday afternoon, Schumaker was present to watch Will Banfield, Bennett Hostetler, Jacob Berry and Javier Sanoja (the youngest NRI in camp) take some live at-bats. With the big league staff looking on, Banfield doubled and Hostetler recorded two hits. “There’s guys that are interesting, no doubt about it.” Schumaker said. Schumaker went into detail on a few of his NRIs that he is looking forward to getting a closer look at when spring training games commence. The first name mentioned was Trey Mancini. A seven-year MLB veteran, Mancini is a .263/.328/.448 career bat who plays both first base and corner outfield. He’s struggled offensively in recent years, but Schumaker believes the rest of his career speaks for itself. “He was a very good player for a lot of years,” Schumaker said. “Good right-handed bat, veteran player, great guy, great story. I’m looking forward to seeing him. He’s looked good so far out there.” Another name mentioned by Schumaker was that of the reigning Marlins Minor League Player of the Year, Troy Johnston. Despite a loud 2023, Johnston hasn't been rewarded with a promotion yet. Schumaker related Johnston’s experience this offseason to his own as he was developing as a player. “I remember when I was in AA and led the Southern League, went to Venezuela, led the league there, didn’t get protected,” Schumaker said. “I also wasn’t picked up by the other 29 teams and made my debut the following year.” “He had a great AA/AAA season. So we will see what happens there.” A third name mentioned by Schumaker was catcher Curt Casali. Another vet, Casali is a career .220/.314/.380 bat known well for his defense. In 40 games past season, Casali had a 0.5 dWAR, adding to his career total of 4.2 and a 32% caught stealing percentage. He also carries a 19 in the career defensive runs saved department. Schumaker didn’t forget about his NRI hurlers. There are seven in camp: Elvis Alvarado, Matt Andriese, Luarbert Arias, Yonny Chirinos, Jeff Lindgren, Patrick Monteverde, Devin Smeltzer and Kyle Tyler. In Skip’s experience, guys like this come ready to impress. “There’s always an NRI pitcher that surprises you,” Schumaker said. “I’m hoping and looking forward to one or two NRI arms that surprised us that make our decision really tough at the end of spring training.” The Marlins did not have an NRI crack the Opening Day roster in 2023. Shawn Armstrong was the last to do it when he made the Marlins’ bullpen out of spring training in 2022. The Marlins begin their spring training slate this Saturday against the St. Louis Cardinals. With major league regulars being eased into game action, the club should start to get a good look at these names starting immediately. View full article

After a mentally challenging offseason, Troy Johnston is in Marlins camp as an NRI determined to succeed. JUPITER, FL—Troy Johnston was up early on Monday morning. All players in Marlins camp were scheduled to take their spring training physicals and Johnston had the earliest appointment. He arrived at Marlins camp at 5:30 AM. “They pulled a fast one on me,” he joked. “Someone had to be first.” Johnston hit .307/.399/.549 with 20+ home runs and steals in 2023, at the end of which he was honored as the Marlins’ Minor League Player of the Year. The award is now part of a growing collection of accolades he has been receiving in his pro career. “My parents are awesome and they have, I don’t want to call it a shrine, but they have a shelf that I have most of my awards on,” Johnston said. “It’s right next to/in front of my 2022 Blue Wahoos’ Player of the Year award.” Success aside—these past two seasons especially—Johnston was the first in line for physicals because later times conveniently go to members of the Marlins’ 40-man roster. Johnston is somehow not one of them. This past winter, Johnston was exposed to the Rule 5 Draft for a second consecutive season. Surprisingly, none of the other MLB teams called his name at the Winter Meetings. He is back in Marlins’ camp this year once again as a non-roster invitee. “It’s kind of heartbreaking,” Johnston said. “I had some mental things I had to work through. You’re kind of at a low point where it’s like, 'What else do I have to do? What more?' No one is giving you answers, that kind of stuff.” To help him through what was a very challenging winter—which included working multiple jobs to make ends meet—Johnston sought some professional help from a mental skills coach and described the assistance he got as invaluable. “He was talking about how we have to flip the script,” Johnston said. “You have another opportunity. You’ve set yourself up for a good opportunity. Take that opportunity and don’t squander it.” On the field, despite not having faced live pitching yet, Johnston has been satisfied with how he showed up to camp and his initial output so far. “I’m seeing the ball well, my timing is surprisingly better than I thought,” Johnston said when asked for his thoughts on camp so far. “I feel good, I feel healthy, and I feel happy.” In lieu of what was a frustrating winter for the 26-year-old infielder, Johnston’s mindset this spring is to remain levelheaded and cash in on his most recent chance at his dream to become a big leaguer. While he is determined and wants to convince the Marlins he is ready for the majors as much as possible, he’s also staying true to himself. “Yes, definitely both,” Johnston said. “I can only force their hand so much because parts of it are out of my control.” In the meantime, Johnston is enjoying his second spring training experience so far and has been impressed with the presence in the clubhouse early on. Although full squad report day is not until Tuesday, much of the spring training cavalcade has been present since pitchers and catchers have reported. “Vibes are high. Everybody is really excited to be here,” Johnston said. “Of course this was the first full team practice, but when we were here early a couple days, it pretty much seemed like a full team practice already. They haven’t started making cuts so nobody is really getting nervous. They’re just excited to be here.” Johnston is expected to see time at first base during spring training games, which begin this coming Saturday. View full article

Marlins prospect Kemp Alderman speaks on his experience so far at his first Spring Training as well as what he took away from his first year pro. View full video