Nate Karzmer

MIAMI — "Too small." "No power." "Utility player." Javier Sanoja has heard it all. Overlooked and undervalued as a prospect, there continued to be skepticism about Sanoja's ceiling coming off a solid rookie season in 2025. He has responded with easily the best stretch of his young career during the latter half of this season, providing value in ways that few thought possible. Sanoja went yard for the eleventh time on Saturday afternoon in Miami's 8-3 loss to the visiting Braves. Five of those have come since the calendar flipped to September. To put his spike of thump into perspective, Sanoja never homered more than seven times in any of his minor league seasons. In his first 111 games as a big leaguer between 2024 and 2025, he tallied seven. "Another ball they got elevating the zone and he put a great swing on it," said Marlins manager Clayton McCullough postgame. "it was definitely improved physicality from last year to this year. He is really, really locked in on what he's firing at, particularly in early counts. His timing and his bat path is as good a place as they they've been for two years, and then also the improved decision-making early in counts, it's a big reason why the production rate came in such a positive way." Since returning from the All-Star break, Sanoja's numbers are gaudy. A .320/.357/.507 slash line with 25 extra-base hits has flipped what was a solid second full season into a great one. In addition to the newfound pop, his 24-game on-base streak is the longest for a Miami Marlin since Jon Berti in 2022. Also, Sanoja's trademark glove has maintained its pedigree after earning the utility National League Gold Glove a year ago. Taking on a growing role at third base, Sanoja's advanced defensive metrics have remained outstanding. A plus-5 Defensive Runs Saved and plus-6 Outs Above Average place "El Chiquito" in elite company amongst those at the hot corner. Perhaps most exciting about Sanoja is how much more time he has to get even better. Weeks removed from his 24th birthday, Sanoja ranks second on the team in bWAR behind only Otto López. After making an unplanned transition into an everyday player this season, he's made a compelling case to be a staple of the Marlins lineup moving forward. "He just keeps getting better," added McCullough. "And we're still seeing a very young player that is improving at the major league level in all factors...He's more than just a little player that can kind of move around." Miami's season finale in 2026 comes your way at 3:10 pm on Sunday afternoon. Janson Junk takes the ball for McCullough in Game 162.

If you fancy high-intensity, down-to-the-wire baseball, the Marlins and Diamondbacks have delivered just that in the desert. It was the home team that provided the late-game fireworks in Monday's series opener, staging a three-run comeback capped off by a Corbin Carroll walk-off blast. In the encore, though, Miami returned to favor. Tied in the top of the eleventh with the bases loaded and two away, Esteury Ruiz belted a poorly placed Taylor Clarke sinker 407 feet to left-center, plating all three runners with as long a double as possible. Three Josh Ekness outs later, Miami had evened the set with a 4-2 win in the middle game, improving to 75-77 with ten games to go. Although essentially eliminated from postseason contention, six wins in their final stretch would secure just the eighth season with a .500 record in franchise history. For Ruiz, the clutch knock marked only his third hit all month thus far. After posting marks at the plate miles above what's been previously shown in the bigs through July, the 27-year-old has come down to earth. Since August 1st, Ruiz is slashing .178/.294/.260 with four extra-base hits. Nevertheless, his thirty stolen bases and success throughout the summer make his acquisition more than worthwhile, and a season OPS and career high of .731 still sits comfortably ahead of second place's .654 tally. Keeping the Fish around in extras were Victor Vodnik and the aforementioned Ekness, both of whom worked out of jams in the ninth and tenth, respectively. It was in the latter frame when a wild Otto Lopez throw to first pulled Deyvison De Los Santos off the bag, leading to a phenomenal game-saving play from Miami's rookie first baseman against his former organization. Had De Los Santos been unable to nab Ildemaro Vargas, things would have culminated there. Vodnik and Ekness weren't alone, though, as following Janson Junk's three-inning outing, an additional five-reliever effort went almost flawlessly. Across eight innings, the seven conceded four hits and zero earned runs— the lone blemish coming when ghost runner Ildemaro Vargas came around to score on a Ketel Marte double in the bottom of the eleventh. For the Marlins, the night undoubtably joins the shortlist of best bullpen efforts in a season full of them. Wednesday's rubber match features Ryan Gusto on the mound for Miami opposite Merrill Kelly. First pitch from Chase Field is set for 9:40 pm EST.

Given where the Marlins stand, dropping any game this late in the season hurts. Losing a crucial contest and your star, though? That's a gut punch. Alas, Clayton McCullough and his club had to live out that exact nightmare scenario on Tuesday night. Minutes before their eventual 7-3 loss at the hands of the Royals, news broke that All-Star and middle of the order bat, Kyle Stowers, was removed due to left hamstring tightness. If you're at all familiar with Stowers' injury history in 2026 especially, such a report is about as troubling as it gets. The 28-year-old missed the first 21 games of the season with a right hamstring strain before doing the same to his left in early August. While a diagnosis foretold a roughly four week absence, Stowers returned less than two weeks later. Now, it's that same left leg that seems to have reared its head again, although the true severity won't be known until sometime before first pitch on Friday. The inciting incident came in the top of the seventh with the Marlins trailing by just a run. On the first pitch he saw, Stowers took a 93 mph fastball from Craig Kimbrel off the foot. While trying to get out of the way, he made an awkward movement with his left leg and looked to be in visible pain while shaking it off. Stowers stayed in the game to run the bases, but exited before heading back out to the field. ZFh2V3FfQjFOTUJnVkFFbGRmRlJGYkFraENXRk1SX0R3QllWVmNOQUFJQUFRQUNWQUFIQUFaUUFBQUJWbFFBQ2daUUJRRU5VMWRXQUFvRQ==.mp4 The cruelest part of it all? Stowers looked especially good running the bases in the aforementioned early part of the ballgame, hustling out of the box to collect a double. Additionally, the veteran appeared to be ramping up at the plate at the perfect time, collecting four hits—including two home runs—and three RBI. If Stowers were to see IL time, he wouldn't be eligible to return until halfway through the month, a few days after his right-side infield mate, Xavier Edwards. Seeing the hypothetical reps at first base in his absence would likely be Griffin Conine and the newly recalled Deyvison De Los Santos against southpaws. As for the game itself, Miami wasted no time getting on the board. Three runs in four innings—including long balls from Heriberto Hernández and Agustín Ramírez—had McCullough's bunch sitting pretty against All-Star Michael Wacha. To their dismay, the six hits they collected early would be all they could muster against a settled in Wacha and three Royal relievers the rest of the way. Five unanswered runs from the home team, spearheaded by a three-RBI night from the scorching hot Carter Jensen, were more than enough to salvage the finale. Finishing what seemed to be a favorable road trip 3-4 and returning to three games out of the final Wild Card spot in the National League, Miami returns home for a true test as they welcome the 79-62 Cubs. Janson Junk faces off against Shota Imanaga in Friday night's opener at 7:10 pm ET.

Welcome to September. Entering Tuesday night's contest in Kansas City at 69-69, the clock ticks louder as the days roll on for a Marlins team desperately trying to stay alive in the NL Wild Card race—even more so coming off a 1-3 wraparound set in the nations capitol. If the themes from their 6-3 series-opening victory are any omen for what's in store, Clayton McCullough's squad is in for quite the month. The nucleus of Miami's offense all night was Graham Pauley, back due to expanded rosters for his sixth different stint in the bigs in 2026. He will need to be put on waivers to be removed from the active roster again. Should they make a June-esque run in the coming weeks, contributions up and down the roster will be pivotal. Pauley wasted no time in his first at-bat back, clobbering a two-run shot to give Miami an early lead. Five innings later, he drove in two more with his second career big league triple, setting a new career high with four RBI on the night. If that wasn't enough, Pauley didn't even land in Kansas City until the wee hours of the morning due to a delay on his connecting flight from Chicago, as he detailed postgame with Marlins.TV's Kelly Saco. "I might just have to travel every single day if that's what it takes," Pauley joked. Despite being in Triple-A for less than two weeks, the 25-year-old's swing is visually different when last seen in Cincinnati. Pauley now features a lower, wider base with his hands higher and more parallel to the ground. Additionally, he noted how thinking of "swinging down" has helped him keep his bat through the zone to counter changeups and spinners of which he previously struggled against. "I've been working on swinging down. It's just something that's helped me stay through the zone longer...That allowed me to hit the offspeed pitch tonight." Additional run support came from Kyle Stowers and Javier Sanoja. Stowers deposited his 17th homer into the Royals bullpen in the fifth, while Sanoja followed Pauley's triple with an RBI single of his own in the seventh. Tyler Phillips was brilliant in his five innings of work, forfeiting a single hit while striking out four. That continues a month-long trend for the Marlins, whose starters have combined for an MLB-best 2.59 ERA since the beginning of August. Miami turns to Eury Pérez in Wednesday's encore, now sitting just three games back of a playoff spot after San Diego's loss late Tuesday night. First pitch from Kauffman Stadium is set for 7:40 ET.

Mirroring his club, Eury Pérez's 2026 campaign has been one of extreme highs and lows. Slotted as the Miami Marlins' number two arm entering the season, Pérez was initially one of the weak links in their rotation. The byproduct of too many free passes and barreled balls allowed, the 23-year-old carried an ERA of 5.33 through 10 appearances. After a five-run outing in Tampa on May 17, Pérez cried due to extreme frustration, as he recently admitted to the media. Not only did the breakdown serve as a reset of the youngster's mindset—conditioning him to "enjoy" his starts regardless of their outcome—but also his approach on the mound. Since that humbling low point, it's been a complete 180 for the rising phenom dubbed "Baby Goat." Pérez shined yet again in Sunday's rubber match in the notorious hitter-friendly confines of Great American Ball Park, tossing six shutout innings against the Cincinnati Reds in an eventual 7-1 victory. Pérez's 1.80 ERA from May 18 onward is fourth-best in the majors among pitchers to log at least 60 innings. A revamped pitch mix has been the catalyst. To say Pérez has heavily relied on his fastball and slider in the past would be an understatement. Looking at the ten-start sample earlier this season, Pérez threw the two offerings a combined 78% of the time. Neither of them were performing as well as their raw pitch characteristics suggested they should. The solution? A sinker. It induces fewer whiffs than his other weapons, but Pérez can locate it consistently to his arm side. The movement on it reliably gets opponents to swing over the top of it and hit harmless ground balls. Though counterintuitive, limiting the usage of his four-seam and slider has made them so much better. The same four-seam that was predictable and unusually average has a value of 11.1 runs above average since, per Statcast, third-best in all of baseball. The same slider that was a beach ball to hitters for the first few weeks of the season now sits tenth-best at 6.6 runs above average. Pérez's dangerously elevated walk percentage and average launch angle have trended to upper-middle of the pack among qualified starters. Relatedly, perhaps most notable of all has been his ability to keep the ball in the yard. Truthfully, Pérez was not at his best on Sunday. He allowed baserunners in all but one of his innings. When that's the case, opponents will look to exploit his slow delivery—Pérez leads MLB with 25 stolen bases allowed. Against the Reds, though, he was just quick enough to the plate to give catcher Brian Navarreto a fighting chance. They teamed up to nab two runners, including the lightning-quick Elly De La Cruz. Zooming out, Pérez's numbers are extremely comparable to his exceptional rookie year. While both the 2023 and 2026 Marlins are contending, the training wheels are now removed. Rather than worrying about an inevitable early shutdown, the team is confidently testing his limits—he has reached 100 pitches in three of his last five outings while sustaining elite velocity. Even this deep into his MLB career, Pérez is one of the youngest starters in the big leagues. He might not fully reach his peak for another half-decade, but the Marlins are getting a glimpse of his upside at the perfect time. Along with his mentor, Sandy Alcantara, Pérez is carrying an inexperienced roster with a short-handed rotation to a winning record far ahead of schedule.

MIAMI — On Saturday afternoon, Sandy Alcantara unseated Ricky Nolasco to become the Miami Marlins' all-time leader in innings pitched. Alcantara has spent all season rewriting franchise records, but this milestone means more than the rest. Alcantara took over the top spot with after recording one out in the top of the third, surpassing Nolasco's previous mark of 1,225 ⅔ when he struck out Los Angeles Angels outfielder Josh Lowe on a 2-2 cutter. He continued dealing through seven frames, adding eight punchouts to his line in yet another gem and leading the Marlins to a streak-snapping, series-evening 7-0 win. ''Innings pitched, strikeout, quality starts, I don't know how many more records they have,” joked Alcantara postgame. “I’m very happy about the opportunity that this organization gives me, to play the game out there with my teammates and amazing coaches that I've had for the past couple years.” "The burden he's shouldered this season and how much that's meant to us, what he's been doing since he's been a Marlin, I know this will be a special one for him when he looks back at all the things that he'll end up accomplishing in this in his career," said Marlins skipper Clayton McCullough pregame. Contrary to the club's much-maligned handling of his career strikeout record in June, the crew at loanDepot park was quick to announce the moment and flash a graphic on the scoreboard. A one-minute stoppage consisting of a standing ovation from the 16,045 in attendance and cap tips from Alcantara to each side of the ballpark was a more than well-deserved spectacle. For Alcantara, it means that much more considering his family was able to witness it themselves. "I'm glad that they're here. I'm glad that my son is here. He's getting old—he's 12. Hopefully he remembers this moment. I don't know how many more moments he will remember in 10, 20 years, but I'm very happy about the family. They've watched all the success that I have. I know my mom is not here, but I know that she's very happy about the way that we take care of my family and my job." Zooming out, Alcantara has been reminiscent of his 2022 Cy Young self recently. In seven starts since July 1, his 1.88 ERA stands fifth-lowest in the National League amongst starters with 25 innings pitched. In his past three outings, it's been even better—20 innings of shutout, 18-strikeout ball has provided some stability for a squad enduring a tough stretch. The nastiness of Alcantara's changeup has been a key. It was a slight liability for him during the first half of the season. However, in July/August, opponents are 2-for-29 against it. "I don't think today could have gone any better for him," added McCullough postgame. "To pass Ricky Nolasco, set the innings record in a game that I think so many people have seen him in the past do, where you're seven innings in and you know your team's winning when he's done." Backing Alcantara at the plate and inevitably turning the contest into a rout was Miami's offense, highlighted by familiar faces Xavier Edwards and Otto Lopez. The middle-infield duo collected two RBI each five pitches apart during the bottom of the third, with Edwards collecting another on in the fifth. As a team, the Fish went 5-for-9 with runners in scoring position. Back sitting square at .500, Miami can take the series over a struggling Angels squad on Sunday. McCullough will hand the ball to Ryan Gusto, succeeding an impressive start at Truist Park earlier in the week. Gusto goes opposite former top prospect Grayson Rodriguez at 1:40.

MIAMI -- In retrospect, it was too good to be true. The dark clouds that surrounded loanDepot park throughout Sunday afternoon cleared up to reveal a Miami skyline beaming in the July sun, serving as a light at the end of the tunnel for the 21,675 inside. The Marlins, amidst their dreadful eleven-game skid, stood a mere six outs away from avoiding infamy and crawling back to a respectable .500 even after a streak of such magnitude. While all signs pointed to a picture-perfect conclusion of a forgettable two weeks, the young Fish were instead gut-punched as hard as ever. Two homers in four swings from a duo of San Diego stars off Lake Bachar left Miami in disarray and without the lead they had held since the second inning. Minutes later, their fate was decided. A 5-3, franchise-record-setting twelfth consecutive loss in such brutal fashion has a team that was on top of the world less than a month ago desperately trying to stay afloat. "There's no hiding from it," Marlins skipper Clayton McCullough said postgame. "Does anybody feel good? Certainly not. But to come in here each day and cry about it or make excuses, I don't know what that's going to do. We have a very prideful group that is certainly upset, frustrated, angry about how things are going, but we're the only ones that can change that. When you turn it around and come back tomorrow, it's going to be staring at us again; we just got to meet this head-on and continue. For me, there's really no other choice." While McCullough's group jumped out to an early 3-0 lead, issues that continue to plague his club in this stretch showed their head late -- inefficient offense and a bullpen missing Anthony Bender. Following Kyle Stowers ' lead-extending blast in the third, the rest of Miami's offense mustered up two hits the rest of the contest. Through all twelve of their defeats, the Marlins have scored more than three runs in just two games. As a team, they rank bottom three in hits, average and OPS. Janson Junk , who tied his season high in strikeouts with six and conceded just one run through four and two thirds was more than good enough for Miami to win. Unfortunately, while four relievers combined to forfeit a single hit, Bachar was dinged for the remaining four of the five Friar runs in that back-breaking eighth. "It sucks," Junk said of the skid. "It's not fun going through it, but we just got to take it day by day." Although the aforementioned light seems as far away as ever, McCullough believes not only his players, but staff can pull themselves out of this rut against the terrifying trio of Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola and Jesus Luzardo in their next three games. Game one against division rival Philadelphia is set for 6:40 pm EST Monday night. "I think more than just encouraged and continue to be that I watch how our staff approaches each day like nothing has changed," said McCullough. "Is that to say that guys feel great right now in (the clubhouse)? No, everybody's beat up right now. I mean that's just the reality when your job when you are frustrated at work and things aren't going well, you feel like s**t, and that's where a lot of guys are. But you know what? Every day, they come back here, guys are showing up, they're ready, guys are coming in still getting prepared, and you know when that game starts, all 26 of our players, every member of our staff believes that we're going to win that day's game. So, that for me is the encouraging part. As difficult as this has been, that each day when we come in, we're very much believing that you know today is going to be the day that we we turn it around."