Nate Karzmer

JACKSONVILLE—In his own words, Joey Wiemer is "unorthodox." Anybody who's seen as much as one swing from the tall, bulky outfielder would concur. Preluded by a funky routine in the on-deck circle, Wiemer utilizes an open, Tony Batista-esque stance. The also-awkward Hunter Pence is another influence on him, the 26-year-old tells Fish On First. Wiemer made his Miami Marlins debut during Sunday's victory over the Boston Red Sox, called up in a corresponding roster move when All-Star outfielder Kyle Stowers was placed on the injured list. N1ozMWJfQjFOTUJnVkFFbGRmRlJGYkFraENXRk1SX0FWQlZVMXhTVVFBQURWUURCQUFBQUZVSEFBTldVUVVBQmdjR0FWVUJVbFZkQUFCVA==.mp4 A University of Cincinnati product, Wiemer was selected in the fourth round of the shortened 2020 MLB Draft by the Brewers. Back-to-back twenty-homer seasons between all levels of the minors propelled him from the #26 prospect in Milwaukee's system (per Baseball America) all the way up to #3 come Opening Day 2023. Wiemer had previous stints in the big leagues with the Brewers (2023-24) and his hometown Reds ('24), combining for a .201/.279/.349 slash line with 13 home runs and a 125/38 K/BB ratio. Before being claimed off waivers by Miami on August 2, Wiemer endured a brutal first half with the Triple-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals, OPS'ing .603 in 182 at-bats. That made his stellar ten-game stint in Jacksonville all the more intriguing. Wiemer mashed to the tune of a 1.185 OPS with a significantly improved 8/7 K/BB split. He also became the first Jumbo Shrimp to take home International League Player of the Week honors following his first series in the navy blue and red on the back. "There's been plenty of adjustments throughout the season. The last couple of weeks, I've felt really good." Wiemer said of his corrections since being in Jacksonville. "It's just a lot of correct swing decisions, doing damage with the ball, just playing the game the right way." In an admittedly tiny sample, Wiemer was extremely disciplined, chasing only 13.8% of pitches outside of the strike zone. Also, his ground ball rate with Jacksonville (36.0 GB%) was lower than it had been with any previous MiLB affiliate. "Whatever it takes to be successful, I'm here to put in the work every day, and things will play out," he added. In addition to resembling Stowers in appearance, the two beach blonde-haired outfielders were evaluated similarly as prospects. MLB Pipeline gave 45-hit and 60-power grades to both players. Wiemer was actually the more highly rated prospect overall because of his potential in the outfield and on the bases. A 55-grade fielder with a phenomenal 70-grade cannon of a right arm make the ex-Bearcat an interesting watch in a Marlins outfield that’s flashed fantastic defense all season. In 2023, Wiemer used his 60-grade speed to swipe 11 bags in the bigs. The coaching of first-year Marlins Pedro Guerrero and Derek Shomon has significantly helped other players with high swing-and-miss—Stowers, Griffin Conine, etc.—so there is precedent to believe that Wiemer can build off his success as a Jumbo Shrimp. Just maybe, he will be the latest waiver wire pickup under Peter Bendix to emerge as a major league contributor. View full article

By way of only meeting once a year, the Marlins and their fans alike don't get to see much of Guardians superstar third baseman and seven-time All-Star José Ramírez. After Tuesday night's series-opening game at Progressive Field, perhaps that's a good thing. For the first time since early June, Miami has dropped four in a row following a two-home run performance from Ramírez, the latter coming with two outs in the bottom of the eighth of a tied game off a Calvin Faucher cutter. The top of the lineup went down in order in the ninth, capping off their second subpar offensive effort in as many games in a 4-3 defeat. Merely a week after completing their treacherous climb back to the illustrious .500 mark, the Marlins have fallen back to five games under. The 32-year-old Ramírez not only concluded the fun at Progressive Field—he commenced it with 381-foot blast in the opening frame off Janson Junk. The subsequent Kyle Manzardo moonshot put Miami in an early hole. After forfeiting an additional run in the second, Junk settled in for three scoreless innings courtesy of his patented spectacular command and ability to induce weak contact. Although the right-hander hasn't been as effective since returning from the All-Star break, an overall mark of a 4.06 ERA in fifteen games between starting and relieving is certainly serviceable from a player who broke camp on a flight to Jacksonville. Junk's final line: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO, 2 HR, 86 NP. Sticking to their status quo, Miami's offense was able to catch up and knot the score at three following a fifth inning pronounced by two-out hitting. Big swings from the slumping Dane Myers and surging Heriberto Hernández were just what the doctor ordered for an offense that entered the contest having only mustered one run in their previous eleven innings. The rest of the way, though, issues from the previous disastrous series in Atlanta persisted. Inability to cash in with runners on base plagued Clayton McCullough's group the rest of the way, with Agustín Ramírez being the lone Fish to record a hit. His attempt to drive in the potential go-ahead run in the form of Eric Wagaman was thwarted by Gold Glover Steven Kwan, who gunned down Wagaman at the plate. Looking to avoid their third consecutive series defeat, Miami turns to Eury "Baby Goat" Pérez on Wednesday night (first pitch at 6:45). Dating back to July, the 22-year-old has lived up to the nickname and sky-high expectations, boasting a 2.06 ERA across 39 ⅓ innings. View full article

Six short days ago, 32,299 fans at loanDepot park bore witness to the finest win of the Marlins' fascinating 2025 campaign. The 13-12 barnburner featured twists, turns and a plethora of faults from the Yankees, amounting to an exhilarating comeback victory. Thursday's first of five games in Atlanta featured the same tropes as seen in last week's instant classic. This time, though, Miami was on the other side of things. The Fish jumped out to an early lead, only to crumble in the later innings at a ballpark and against an opponent they know all too well. Atlanta, which owned MLB's worst record since June 22, bested the hot Marlins, 8-6, in a disheartening defeat. Miami falls to 56-58 on the season. Jakob Marsee, Eric Wagaman and a long ball from Georgia's own Graham Pauley combined to drive in five Marlins runs in the second inning. Eury Pérez entered the bottom of the sixth with a four-run lead and only 63 pitches used. At that moment, Miami had an estimated 91% chance to win, per Baseball Savant. A seemingly harmless missed call would kickstart an unforeseen breakdown. On a 1-2 count to leadoff man Jurickson Profar, Pérez painted a backdoor slider up and away, clipping every part of the zone. Home plate umpire Chris Guccione, however, didn't see enough to send Profar packing. d2VXNlZfVjBZQUhRPT1fQmxWUkJsSURWd0lBQUZRRVhnQUhVd0ZYQUZnQ1YxQUFWRjBIQ0FVQUIxWlNVUVZR (1).mp4 Profar ended up drawing a walk and Matt Olson followed with a single. Agustín Ramírez's direct competition for NL Rookie of the Year, Drake Baldwin, cashed in for Atlanta with his second long ball of the night one batter later, drawing the home team within one. Perez's final line: 5.1 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 1 SO, 3 HR. In the following frame, Marlins manager Clayton McCullough trotted out Josh Simpson—who entered Thursday's game having allowed six earned runs in his past 3 ⅓ innings pitched—against the top of the Braves' order. Atlanta made McCullough pay. Unforced errors—a hit by pitch and walk—set the scene for Baldwin, yet again. In a surprise to nobody, the 24-year-old delivered. Baldwin's opposite field single knotted things at six, and an error from Otto Lopez off the bat of former Marlin Marcell Ozuna put the home team in the lead for good. Miami's offense sputtered in its final six outs, brutally departing Truist Park. For an inexperienced team like Miami, it's important for one game not to snowball into the remaining four games in three days in Braves Country. Luckily for McCullough's group, Edward Cabrera is slated to toe the slab in game two on Friday at 7:15. View full article

MIAMI—In the first two contests between the Marlins and AL West-leading Astros, Miami's bats floundered, combining for twelve hits between Monday's and Tuesday's losing efforts. On Wednesday alone, the Fish collected 14, rebounding for a 6-4 victory. "We were showing the resiliency this group has shown on a number of occasions," Marlins manager Clayton McCullough told the media postgame. "Really good sign again for our guys to come back and win this game, finish off the homestand with a winning record." After falling into an early 2-0 deficit, Miami wasted no time in the bottom of the first, singling six times and scoring three off Astros starter Spencer Arrighetti, who returned to the mound for the first time since early April after fracturing his right thumb on a stray ball in batting practice. Insurance came in the second, third and fifth, all courtesy of rookies, with Heriberto Hernández and Graham Pauley blasting solo shots in the two latter frames. Five of the first-year Fish in the lineup combined for half of Miami's hits in the finale: Agustín Ramírez, Liam Hicks, Jakob Marsee, Hernández and Pauley. Hernández, who has done nothing but put together competitive plate appearances and show up in big moments since being promoted back in late May, is now slashing .308/.369/.513 in 117 at-bats. For McCullough, though, it's the attitude that the big outfielder possesses that continues to leave a mark on him. "All Bert's done is hit," said McCullough. "He's hit versus right. He's hit versus left. He's hit for power. He's come up with hits with runners in scoring position. Him and (hitting coach) Pedro (Guerrero) even in the last couple of days put in some really good work, and Bert's been doing great. I think you see him elevate the ball to the pull side like he did—the kind of spin that he got on it for a home run is a good sign. I think there's more in there with him. There's a chance to even tap into more power." Pauley joined in on the fun with his first blast at loanDepot park after collecting his inaugural as a Marlin last week in St. Louis. The 24-year-old spoke highly of the relationships him and his fellow rookies have, saying "we got a lot of really good characters. I think the bond that we have, it goes beyond just the field. We've spent a lot of time together here, which helps a lot. And we're all kind of in the same spot. A lot of young guys trying to make a name for themselves. We're always playing for each other." Outside of the least-experienced Marlins, third-year player Xavier Edwards showcased his game on full display at the top of Miami's order. Edwards collected four hits, stole a base and corralled a game-saving catch with two outs and the bases loaded in the top of the eighth, moments after Calvin Faucher's heroics. "We've seen a real aggressiveness a lot from X," noted McCullough. "Seen him get the head out on a number of occasions and pull the ball for some extra-base hits. And that's what X does—he's just a really good hitter, and count on him putting together a really good at-bats when he goes up there. He takes some shots early in counts, too. And once he gets into an at-bat, he really makes the pitcher work, so I think we just see the version of X that we expect—a guy who just sets the table at the top, moves the ball around." Since returning from the IL and moving to second base in May, Edwards has a .313/.371/.415 slash line. In addition, he has played exceptional defense at his new position, boasting six defensive runs saved. Back to one game under .500 at 56-57, Miami embarks on its second trip of the season to what has been a house of nightmares in seasons past, Truist Park in Atlanta. Due to a rainout in their first meeting back in April, these division rivals are set to play five games in four days (Saturday will feature a doubleheader). "It's going to be a tough stretch physically and mentally for both sides," said McCullough. "It's a lot of baseball coming on the back end of this, six games in a row going into that, but all we can do is come out ready tomorrow. We'll have Eury (Pérez) on the mound and try to play well in game one." View full article

The Miami Marlins have considered trading Edward Cabrera in the past. As it turns out, they're fortunate that nothing materialized from those conversations, because Cabrera is in the midst of a career year in 2025. The 27-year-old right-hander has learned to channel his immense talent into consistent results and he's a huge reason why the rebuilding Marlins are only five games back of a National League playoff spot in late July. There is no urgency for the Fish to move on from Cabrera at this year's deadline—they would need to be overwhelmed by an offer. However, the Boston Red Sox are well-equipped to meet their asking price. After the 2005 season, these teams consummated a seven-player swap. Veterans Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell went to Boston, where they won a World Series title together in 2007; Florida received a prospect package that featured Hanley Ramírez and Aníbal Sánchez, both of whom were instantly impactful as rookies and remained in South Florida until 2012. Two decades later, are the ingredients there to cook up another win-win deal? How Cabrera fits in Boston The Sox highlighted their 2024-25 offseason by bolstering their starting rotation, acquiring Garrett Crochet and Walker Buehler through trade and free agency, respectively. While the former has been exceptional, boasting a 2.19 ERA through 21 outings and generating Cy Young buzz, the latter has been a liability. Buehler would rank dead last among American League starters in both ERA (5.72) and FIP (5.67) if he had enough innings pitched to qualify. Add Lucas Giolito's inconsistencies and various injury setbacks, Boston is desperate for another high-end starter. Beyond trying hard to cling to a 2025 AL Wild Card spot, the Red Sox are also playing the long game with a young core of star-caliber position players. They'll be prioritizing trade candidates that they can build around over pending free agents. Under team control through 2028, Cabrera, fellow Dominican Brayan Bello and Crochet could spearhead a rotation marked by heat, heat and more heat for the foreseeable future. If Cabrera were to continue the run of success he's currently enjoying, there aren't many organizations with a checkbook like Boston's to keep him around on a lucrative extension. "The Password" is key With a nickname derived from the complexity of his first name, Jhostynxon García would fit right in with the Marlins' deadline acquisitions of a year ago. García has been tearing the cover off baseballs since being promoted to Triple-A in late May, posting a .295/.370/.530 slash line and 134 wRC+ with 11 long balls and a 21/56 BB/K ratio. He has a knack for pulling the ball and hits the ball with great backspin, allowing him to out-slug his exit velocities. An impressive all-around player, the 22-year-old possesses a 60-grade cannon of an arm to couple with 55-grade field and 50-grade run tools. He has shown the ability to play a good center field. That has propelled him to the Futures Game and consensus Top 100 MLB prospect status. Baseball America ranks him seventh among current Red Sox prospects. The biggest concern evaluators have about García is his ability to make consistent contact and tame an aggressive approach at the plate. Under normal circumstances, García's call-up to the highest level would seem plausible in the coming weeks. But similar to the predicaments that Connor Norby and Kyle Stowers previously faced in Baltimore, he is essentially blocked. Roman Anthony, Jarren Duran and Wilyer Abreu are already roaming the outfield in Fenway Park, with Ceddanne Rafaela capably moving between center and second base as needed. Though Duran's name has frequently come up in trade rumors this year, recent reporting suggests Boston plans to keep him. It would be much easier for García to fit in Miami's plans, especially if Jesús Sánchez vacates right field in a separate trade. Complementary pieces The Marlins have the leverage to ask for additional players from the Red Sox beyond the headliner García. Connelly Early, 22, is a high-floor southpaw with a five-pitch mix that features a plus changeup (#11 Red Sox prospect, per BA). Selected in the fifth round back in 2023, Connelly has added strength and fastball velocity since being in the Sox's system, now consistently sitting 93-94 mph, topping 96. The ex-Virginia Cavalier flexes an additional sweeper—ideal for the Marlins organization—slider and curveball. Early's calling card is his command, with ability to work north-to-south and east-to-west, warranting a 55-grade on his control, per Baseball America. Thus far in 2025, Connelly has dominated in Double-A Portland with a 2.51 ERA through 71 ⅔ innings, punching out 96 while forfeiting just three home runs. It's not often the throw-in piece of a deal of this magnitude is the most well-known amongst the average baseball fan, but Blaze Jordan (#24 Red Sox prospect) would be an exception. Since the age of 11, Jordan has been generating hype online for swatting unfathomable blasts in youth home run derbies across America. In January 2016 at 13 years old, the Mississippi native launched a 461-foot tank to win the competition at, you guessed it, loanDepot park. Almost a decade later, Jordan's adjustments have the 22-year-old surging. Hindered by a high chase rate for much of his minor league career, Jordan put in plenty of work in after an injury-riddled 2024 to correct his approach. It's paid off in 2025. Between Double-A and Triple-A, Jordan has already walked 31 times compared to 18 a season ago, raised his OBP from .305 to .373 whilst maintaining serious power, depositing 11 balls into the seats. Defensively, there's still plenty to be desired as evidenced by a 40-field and 30-run. Still working at third and first base, Jordan's range is limited, leading to most scouts believing a permanent home at DH is the most likely scenario moving forward. David Sandlin (#12 Red Sox prospect) is an 11th-rounder selected by the Kansas City Royals in the 2022 draft and traded to Boston in February 2024 for bullpen arm John Schreiber. Sandlin has a four-pitch-mix of a high-octane fastball, slider, cutter and splitter. In 78 innings this season, he has posted a 3.68 ERA with a 3.35 FIP. Sandlin has been able limit home runs unlike prior seasons, which has come at the cost of strikeouts, but made him a more effective pitcher. Sandlin has a degree of reliever risk, but the Marlins may be able to develop him into a strong No. 4 in a rotation or decent No. 3. A 2024 fourth-round pick, Zach Ehrhard (Red Sox #29 prospect) has already found his way to Double-A. The former Oklahoma State Cowboy shared the outfield with New York Mets first-rounder Carson Benge. Ehrhard has had a productive season between High-A and Double-A, slashing .274/.373/.443 with a 138 wRC+ and .379 wOBA. Making great contact and pulling the ball in the air, his hitting data shows a lot of promise. He is good on the basepaths with 23 stolen bases in 2025, fitting what the Marlins have been doing all year long throughout the organization. thqrji.mp4 Ehrhard is a potential everyday outfielder, or a fourth outfielder who can play the corners well and sub in at center field with his athleticism. Nate's mock trade: Edward Cabrera to the Red Sox for OF Jhostynxon García, LHP Connelly Early and 1B/3B Blake Jordan Sean's mock trade: Edward Cabrera to the Red Sox for OF Jhostynxon García, RHP David Sandlin and OF Zach Ehrhard View full article

MIAMI—Edward Cabrera's five-year career in South Florida has been a captivating rollercoaster. He has had nagging injuries coupled with inconsistent command, leading to skepticism that the former top prospect might never reach his incredible potential. The Marlins have been patient with him because of the seductive highs—putting his incredible arsenal to use, dominating opposing lineups as prophesied. In 2025, the ride has reached an unforeseen peak. In what could've been his last time donning the home white jerseys at loanDepot park on Tuesday night, Cabrera was once again terrific against a veteran-led, star-studded Padres team. The 27-year-old, coming off an injury scare in Baltimore before the All-Star break, missed out on a quality start by the skin of his teeth, dealing five and two-thirds innings of one-run ball, striking out six. He walked zero for the third consecutive start. Aided by big swings off the bats of Kyle Stowers, Heriberto Hernandez and Javier Sanoja, Miami evened their series against the visiting Friars with a 4-3 victory. "He looked strong," raved manager Clayton McCullough postgame. "He had swing-and-miss with multiple offerings, really crisp on his breaking pitches, threw some really good changeups as well. Looking at that entire outing, him and Gus (Ramírez) did a really nice job of using his his full mix, and again, another outing of no walks and getting into the sixth inning. That's another good start from Cabby. I think now we've just come in to expect him to pitch in that type of that manner and to go deep into a game and give us a real shot to win." As alluded to by his skipper, Cabrera thrived courtesy of a well-orchestrated game plan between him and his catcher. After jumping on teammate Eury Perez's fastball in game one, Cabrera attacked San Diego's lineup with a curveball-heavy mix—throwing the spinner 31% of the time—while flashing a sharp sinker, slider and changeup. Each pitch was responsible for a whiff, with the curveball and changeup recording six and four, respectively. Cabrera also succeeded mightily with his first-pitch offerings, boasting a 70% number when it was all said and done. "Attacking them was the best part about today," said Cabrera through translator Luis Dorante Jr. "Getting that first-pitch strike—that was the goal". Although finding the zone consistently displays the maturity of Cabrera well, the right-hander's ability to work out of multiple jams puts into perspective how far he's come from years past, most notably the final out he recorded. With his pitch count creeping into the mid-80s and runners on the corners, Cabrera bounced off the mound at the sight of a Xander Bogaerts dribbler and made a barehanded play to get Luis Arraez at the plate, keeping his team in the lead. "Once you see the ball, you go start running and try to make the play, can't wait for anybody else in that situation," said Cabrera. "I'm always aggressive for any situation that presents [itself]. I try to be aggressive and get the out." Cabrera's ERA in July sits at 2.66 to go along with a season-long mark of 3.48. He has faced 94 batters this month and walked only one, an unprecedented stretch of strike-throwing for him. Naturally, this performance warrants the attention of nearly every contender in the sport. There have been a surplus of rumors regarding the possibility of Cabrera being dealt. A multitude of scouts were on site for this most recent outing. A critical decision looms for the Marlins front office—whether to trust him to sustain this success moving forward or flip him for a package headlined by a premium prospect. Regardless, Cabrera's name being engulfed in trade talk is all white noise to him. "At the end of the day, it's something that is completely out of my control, so there's no point of thinking too much about it." View full article

The perfect story was being authored during Saturday afternoon's middle game between the visiting Marlins and Orioles at a cloudy Camden Yards. Trevor Rogers was presented with the opportunity to face his former team for the first time, more than eight years after being Miami's top draft pick. Rogers was dealt to the O's on July 30, 2024, and the Marlins have been widely lauded for receiving starting third baseman Connor Norby and All-Star outfielder Kyle Stowers in exchange for him. The southpaw rose to the occasion, forfeiting just two hits in six and two-thirds innings of work. Unluckily, Rogers played second fiddle to the man opposite him. Janson Junk stole the show with the first seven-inning outing of his career, shutting out Baltimore's offense in the process. Aided by a late avalanche from his club's bats, Junk spearheaded Miami's 6-0 victory, their first in four tries. Junk's five-hit, two-strikeout performance checked off all the boxes of a prototypical day from the 29-year-old. Tremendously commanded? Of course. Low pitch count? Yep. Pitching to contact? You guessed it, yes. Sticking to his calling card, Junk operated in the zone at a stellar clip—59 of his 89 pitches were strikes, including 17 of 26 first-pitch offerings. An aggressive Orioles lineup and Junk's philosophy of attacking hitters culminated in an average of a little over three pitches per plate appearance. Junk threw his four-seamer 45% of the time, mixing in his offspeed offerings—the slider, sweeper, curveball, changeup—in a variety of ways to keep a powerful offense off balance. With his first half now in the books, Junk boasts a 0.99 WHIP and 2.68 ERA, the latter being the lowest amongst arms who have started a game for Miami thus far. Although he entered the year with the résumé of an ordinary journeyman, his hard work and collaboration with the Marlins' pitching development minds has unlocked something. The out-of-nowhere explosion from the Marlins lineup was kicked off by Derek Hill in the seventh, who entered the at-bat hitless in 14 tries since returning from the IL on the first of the month. Jesús Sánchez, Javier Sanoja and Hill added insurance in the eighth and ninth, setting the stage for one of the best moments of the season. Xavier Edwards previously had belted just one long ball in his MLB career—July 28 a year ago, the day he hit for the cycle. Edwards had repeatedly threatened to end the home run drought dating back to a Saturday ago against Milwaukee. This time, he got just enough. All six of the Marlins' runs scored in two-out situations, continuing a season-long trend. With their 43rd victory under their belts, Miami returns to eight games under .500 with great momentum to secure another series victory in Sunday's rubber match at 1:35, with Eury Pérez facing off against Brandon Young. View full article

MIAMI—From Opening Day, the Marlins knew their identity. Moments after capping off a late push against the Pirates with a walk-off double, Kyle Stowers and Dane Myers made sure the baseball world knew the "Fightin’ Fish" were never out of a game. Fast-forward almost ninety games into their 2025 campaign, the youngest team in baseball has been arguably the best team in baseball in the past two weeks, with a major courtesy going to their ability to band together and come back late. Miami has scored in the seventh inning or later in eight of their past twelve games—ten of which they came out victorious. A two-run eighth capped off by Lake Bachar’s first save as a big leaguer pushed the Fish to another win in Saturday’s middle game against the Brewers, 4-2. Early signs indicated a potential late fireworks show on the offensive side—both teams combined for four runs in as many innings, leading to Cal Quantrill being pulled before retiring twelve batters—but three and a half scoreless frames later, the Marlins were in a position to strike. Back-to-back hits from the bottom of the order passed the baton to Xavier Edwards, who followed with a downright magnificent bunt to load the bases. “That was a sweet bunt,” raved his manager, Clayton McCullough. “Great touch, placement." w4cxqc_1.mp4 With ducks on the pond, pinch-hitting Connor Norby and Otto Lopez faltered with their chances to break the tie. That left rookie Agustín Ramírez in as intense of a situation as one could draw up. Down in the count and the heart rates of all 11,378 in the crowd up, Ramírez delivered. “We've seen maturity with Gus throughout this season,” said McCullough. “And yes, while he's a rookie, he's been in a lot of big spots and chased the first pitch. But to be able to collect yourself, and especially with how the previous couple of at-bats go...Real credit to Gus and his ability just to stay in the moment and control his heartbeat and put together a great at-bat.” “I've been through a lot of those emotions through the minor league level,” said Ramírez through translator Luis Dorante Jr. “I think those are things that really prepare you for this moment, and at a point like that, you have to calm down and just put the pressure on the pitcher instead of you.” Adding yet another huge swing to his résumé, Ramírez's RBI total sits at 37, good enough for third among MLB rookies. His OPS of .749 ranks ninth among all qualified first-year players. As soon as he was called up in late April, Ramírez emerged as an impact bat for his team and must-watch player for any fan in attendance, roles that he embraces. “It's amazing,” Ramírez replied when asked what it meant to keep his team's run intact. “Everybody working hard. It's amazing and I’m happy for everybody. This is what I want, and everybody wants.” For the first time since 2017, the Marlins have the opportunity to win five consecutive series. On Sunday at 1:40, the chances look to be in their favor. Coming off possibly the best start of his MLB career, Edward Cabrera takes the mound. While Cabrera’s resurgence has been nothing short of incredible, he may be overshadowed by the Brewers' projected starter, Brandon Woodruff. The two-time All-Star will be making his return to the majors after nearly two full years of injury trouble. He posted a 2.79 ERA across 10 MiLB rehab starts. View full article

MIAMI—The strut to the visitors' clubhouse at loanDepot park feels “totally normal” for Christian Yelich. After all, he has now been a Milwaukee Brewer for seven and a half years, matching the length of his tenure in the Miami Marlins organization. Returning to his old stomping grounds for the only time in 2025, the former National League MVP and three-time All-Star had an opportunity to reflect on the memories he made with his original team. “I had a good time,” said Yelich on Saturday afternoon in an exclusive interview with Fish On First .”They gave me my first opportunity to play in the big leagues, drafted me and all that cool stuff. So, it's a part of my journey…a lot of your career-firsts—debuts, first hit, first homer, all that. Feels like a really long time ago, but some pretty cool memories.” Miami selected the sweet-swinging lefty with the 23rd overall pick in the 2010 MLB Draft. Yelich quickly justified that decision by putting up elite offensive numbers in the minor leagues despite consistently facing older competition. “You make a lot of good friends,” Yelich replied when asked what particular moments as a Marlin he holds dear. “You're chasing—everybody's chasing—the same goal of trying to make it to the big leagues. I met some really good friends here, myself and (J.T.) Realmuto are pretty good buddies—we met in the Gulf Coast League our first couple of days in pro ball.” In addition to Miami’s ex-backstop, Yelich mentioned a handful of other notable faces from the "what could’ve been" mid-2010s Marlins that he still keeps in contact with to this day. “Still talk to (Marcell) Ozuna, Justin Bour and Giancarlo (Stanton). Just all really good dudes.” Despite never winning more than 79 games in a season between 2014 and 2017, the uber-talented core that made up those squads is something that still impresses Yelich to this day. "It was great. A lot of those guys are still playing, which is pretty rare. All guys who have had pretty long careers and all kind of come up together at the same time. Still really good friends with them." Soon after the '17 campaign, new ownership made the controversial decision to throw in the towel on the core they had just inherited, adding to the lengthy track record of fire sales in South Florida. Stanton and Ozuna were dealt to the New York Yankees and St. Louis Cardinals, respectively. Another domino fell on January 25, 2018 when a disgruntled Yelich was traded to the Brewers in exchange for a bundle of top prospects. He concluded his Marlins career with 17.6 WAR and a slash line of .290/.369/.432, excellent cumulative production for a 26-year-old. Miami took a risk by trading such a well-rounded player who was in the midst of a cost-efficient, long-term contract. Their worst nightmare came to life almost instantaneously. With an uptick in over-the-fence power, Yelich exploded onto the scene, collecting his aforementioned MVP in the blue and gold not even a full calendar year after being dealt. A legitimate five-tool outfielder was destined to lead Milwaukee to perennial postseason contention, while his former team was burdened with four farmhands—Lewis Brinson, Isan Díaz, Monte Harrison and Jordan Yamamoto—who never flourished. Only Díaz is still playing professional baseball, having signed a minor league deal with the Kansas City Royals earlier this week. The Brewers have reached October six times in seven years during the Yelich era, including four NL Central titles. He's done well against the Fish in head-to-head matchups, posting a .925 OPS in 27 games. He remains a key piece of Milwaukee's roster at age 33 as their everyday designated hitter and team RBI leader. Yelich is in the midst of the largest contract in franchise history which runs through the 2028 season with a mutual option for 2029. Despite a pair of miraculous playoff runs in 2020 and 2023, that Marlins rebuild did not come close to yielding sustained success. Rather, the front office was overhauled after the '23 NL Wild Card berth and another rebuild ensued. However, there finally appears to be light at the end of the tunnel. Entering Sunday's series finale, a Miami roster filled with young, controllable talent has won 10 of their last 12 games and surged into third place in the NL East standings. There are some parallels to what the Marlins had cooking a decade ago. The emergences of Kyle Stowers and Agustín Ramírez have solidified the middle of the lineup. The upside that Eury Pérez has shown in his early 20s is reminiscent of José Fernández. "To be honest, I'm just trying to get to know some of those guys. A lot of them are new to the league," said Yelich. "Just from last night and just watching, they play the game hard, play the game right. That's a good foundation to have to start building that good team." The Marlins have interesting decisions to make as the trade deadline approaches at the end of the month. They must recognize that there is still a gap between themselves and MLB's top-tier teams. However, in focusing on 2026 and beyond, they cannot forfeit another Yelich-like impact player who'd be so difficult to replace. View full article

MIAMI—Succeeding weeks of digging and assiduous effort, Eury Pérez finally uncovered his sought-after gem. Six innings of one-hit, seven-strikeout ball from the 6'8" right-hander in front of his family along with a towering 425 foot two-run long ball from fellow youngster Agustín Ramírez propelled the club to their fourth consecutive series victory with a 4-1 win in Thursday’s rubber match against the visiting Twins. “That's what we've been working for, and I can see the results,” Pérez told reporters through interpreter Luis Dorante Jr. “I feel very happy, I feel healthy, and we will continue to keep working for more outings like that.” Pérez’s success could be found in swing-and-miss and inducing weak contact, as the 22-year-old prodigy recorded an absurd twenty whiffs on eighty pitches (25%). Minnesota bats produced a measly four hard-hit balls in 21 plate appearances, three of which were flyouts. When Pérez is at his best—as seen in 2023—these two statistics tend to be mightily impressive. Unusual, though, was the unorthodox usage of Pérez’s arsenal. 89% of the pitches thrown from the future ace of Miami’s rotation were either fastballs or sliders, leaving the curveball and changeup to be thrown a combined six times. The approach derives from Pérez’s supreme confidence in his two premier offerings. "I think that's my number one pitch of my arsenal,” said Pérez regarding his four-seamer. “I trust this pitch a lot, and I think it is one of the best in the league because it has a really high spin rate. I like being able to throw it in different locations of the plate and also get some strikeouts.” He entered Thursday with an average four-seamer spin rate of 2,655 rpm, which ranks fourth in MLB—the only pitchers ahead of him are relievers. Speaking of the slider, Pérez receives positive reinforcement from pitching coach Daniel Moskos. “That boost of confidence is something that we've been working with in the bullpens and throwing programs,” Pérez said. “Between innings, (Moskos) kept telling me to keep trusting the slider. This slider is something a pitch is going to help me, and it's going to help me to finish those batters.” The Marlins pitching staff compiled quality starts in each game of a series for the first time since August 18-19, 2023 (Pérez was involved in that series as well). Between Pérez, Edward Cabrera and Janson Junk, Miami starters were outstanding against a Twins offense with plenty of well-regarded bats, pitching a total of nineteen innings, allowing nine hits and two earned runs. A three-game run with such dominance earned heavy praise from skipper Clayton McCullough. “Daniel (Moskos) and Brandon (Mann) deserve a lot of credit. The players go out there and do it, and they have continued to take strides and get better,” said McCullough. "As the season has gone on, our pitching staff has stayed committed to hammering and doubling down on the importance of throwing strikes—the importance of getting ahead. We know how talented our group is and the type of stuff that they bring to the table, and when we're in the strike zone with the type of frequency that we have been recently, the type of outings and performances we've seen, we believe become regular.” Possessing an ERA now comfortably in the fours, Pérez believes this is just the tip of the iceberg for not just himself, but his club as well. “I think the results have been good,” Pérez said in response to how he evaluates his return thus far. “The confidence is coming back. I think what we want is actually to win as many games as we can and get this team to the playoffs.” While the end of Pérez's remark might have come across as asinine just two weeks ago, the Fish sit just 6.5 games back of a wild-card spot with their ninth victory in ten games, courtesy of an full-team effort and mechanically sound play. "Where we are right now, record-wise, who's in front, behind, less concerned with that, and just very pleased and proud of how we've played baseball," said McCullough. "If we continue to play baseball, and contemplate this brand, this style, clean baseball, then we're going to continue to win games. Miami returns to action on Friday night, kicking off a three-game set against the 48-38 Brewers on the Fourth of July. It's the third consecutive season loanDepot park has played site to patriotic baseball. Looking to extend their run of quality starts, Sandy Alcantara takes the ball for McCullough, coming off a rocky start in the desert. Hoping to contain the Fish is ex-top prospect Quinn Priester, sporting a 3.35 ERA in fifteen total games. First pitch from what should be a sea of red, white and blue in South Florida is slated for 7:10, with a postgame fireworks show in the wings. View full article

Beginning in 1999, MLB has conducted its annual Futures Game the weekend leading up to All-Star festivities, serving as a fantastic opportunity for fans and teams alike to witness the best young talent the sport has to offer go toe-to-toe before they become big leaguers themselves. Monday morning, the rosters for the 2025 edition of the game were announced to the public. Catcher Joe Mack (FOF #2) and LHP Thomas White (FOF #1) will be representing the Marlins at Truist Park in Atlanta, marking the third consecutive year the Fish have had multiple delegates. The latter enters rare air with his second nod, joining Miguel Cabrera (2001-02) and Christian Yelich (2012-13) as the only two-time selections in Marlins history. White pitched two-thirds of an inning a year ago in Arlington, forfeiting a hit, three walks and an earned run. Selected with the 35th pick in the 2023 draft out of Phillips Academy in Massachusetts, White has enjoyed success at every minor league level he's pitched. After nine starts in High-A Beloit to begin his age-20 season, the southpaw was most recently promoted to Double-A Pensacola. In his first 7 ⅔ innings as a Blue Wahoo, White has allowed five hits and an earned run, coupled with a 5/9 BB/K ratio. He is a top 50 MLB prospect, according to all major outlets. No Marlin has ever made three Futures Game appearances. White is unlikely to buck that trend, because health permitting, he should already be in the big leagues by July 2026. Mack had similar hype as an amateur, selected by the Marlins with the 31st pick in the 2021 draft. He has always been as solid as they come behind the plate, but the Williamsville, New York native floundered with the bat for the better part of his first three MiLB seasons. Since the beginning of 2024, though, Mack has made a complete 180. His .582 OPS in 2023 skyrocketed to .806 across two levels in 2024, courtesy of an adjustment in Mack's mechanics. In 2025, the 22-year-old earned a promotion to Triple-A Jacksonville following 12 games in Pensacola where Mack torched seven extra-base hits in 44 at-bats. The transition to AAA was tough initially, but the backstop has settled in as of late with twelve hits in the last week of June, including three long balls. Mack is now ranked on many MLB top prospect lists, including 44th overall by Baseball America. The 2025 Futures Game is set take place on Saturday, July 12 at 4:10. MLB Network will have the live broadcast, with a simulcast on MLB.TV, MLB.com and the MLB app. View full article

Third base umpire Jim Wolf raised his fist to the roaring approval of 28,446 fans at Chase Field as a distraught Dane Myers looked up to the retractable roof in disbelief. A gutsy, perhaps over-aggressive steal of third with one out in the ninth and clutch rookie Heriberto Hernandez at the plate looked like, by all intents and purposes, the decision that would not only doom the Marlins on Saturday against the Diamondbacks. Their spirited rally was going to come up short, putting an end to their season-long five-game win streak. With a challenge in his back pocket and one out standing in the way of defeat, it was a no-brainer for manager Clayton McCullough to put it to use just in case Myers somehow snuck his hand in there before Eugenio Suárez applied the tag. After a two-minute review, Miami’s wish was miraculously granted. Replay showed the athletic, third-year outfielder pull off an unbelievable head-first slide, just barely sneaking his right hand to the corner of the bag, evading Suárez’s glove. If his offense’s late resurgence wasn’t already enough, Myers’ maneuver and Hernandez’s subsequent sacrifice fly shifted every ounce of momentum to the first base dugout. After Agustín Ramírez’s go-ahead single in the top of the tenth, followed by Anthony Bender’s scoreless inning in the latter half of the frame, the Marlins had come all the way back to win their sixth consecutive game and third consecutive series in exhilarating all-around fashion, 8-7. The late push came on the heels of an otherwise slow day at the office for Miami’s bats. Outside of an opening frame that saw the first five batters of the game reach base, they collected a scant three hits between innings two and seven. Hernandez, pinch-hitting for Jesús Sánchez, legged out an infield single in the top of the eighth, setting the stage for Otto Lopez. Lopez’s prior at-bat would’ve ended with him trotting around the bases in 17 ballparks, but not Chase Field, as a stung fly ball to the deepest part of the park in center was a can of corn for Alek Thomas. This time, Miami’s shortstop pummeled a Jalen Beeks fastball to the seats in right-center, inching his club closer on his second homer in as many days. The long ball additionally extended Lopez’s hit streak to nine games. Ramírez followed with a frozen-rope double three pitches later before the always-clutch Liam Hicks cut the deficit to one on a seeing-eye single through the shift. On the day, McCullough’s offense recorded double-digit hits for the sixth game in a row, lining up with the streak of victories. Every player in the Marlins lineup recorded a knock, omitting Connor Norby. Lost in the fray of the late innings was the disappointing outing from Sandy Alcantara, whose run of allowing three runs or less in four consecutive starts met its end. Arizona leadoff man Geraldo Perdomo shooting an Alcantara sinker to the opposite-field gap on the third pitch he saw ended up being foreshadowing for the rest of his outing. His fellow Diamondbacks were aggressive all afternoon, something they’ve garnered a reputation for in the past handful of seasons. Despite letting Perdomo cross early, Alcantara worked back-to-back clean innings before a disastrous fourth. On just twelve pitches, Sandy forfeited five hits and five runs, with Ketel Marte delivering the big swing on a lead-taking opposite-field blast. Alcantara eventually escaped and persevered through six innings, but finished with a final line not as encouraging as his preceding outings in June. Miami’s ace continues to struggle with missing bats—recording six whiffs on 53 swings—and putting guys away when ahead in counts. Following another up-and-down start, Alcantara’s ERA climbs back to 6.98, which would rank last in MLB if he had pitched enough innings to qualify. With the trade deadline just over a month away, barring an unexpected spike in performance, all signs point to Alcantara not commanding a haul in return like once expected in spring training. Valente Bellozo delivered two scoreless innings trailing Alcantara in the seventh and eighth before Bender entered in high-leverage. Bender, who had not completed two innings in a game since his rookie year in 2021, got the vote of confidence from McCullough to go back out after a 1-2-3 ninth against the heart of Arizona's lineup. The 30-year-old didn't disappoint, working another perfect frame, extending his scoreless innings streak to 5 ⅔. With their sights set on their second consecutive sweep, the Marlins send out Cal Quantrill to make his 16th start of 2025 in Sunday's series finale at 4:10. Getting the nod for Arizona is Eduardo Rodriguez, owner of a 5.40 ERA now three months into his second season in the desert. View full article

“I feel like the game finds a way to even itself out, and it will...It’s starting to get frustrating (with) how many guys are getting hit. As pitchers, we’ve got to do a better job protecting those guys." Those were the words of San Francisco ace Logan Webb and 2024 All-Star following his no-decision on Wednesday night. Webb took exception to Marlins reliever Calvin Faucher hitting back-to-back Giants with nobody out in the bottom of the ninth...in a two-run ballgame that the Fish eventually won in extra innings. "Hopefully, there’s a little bit of edge tomorrow because of some of the stuff that happened today. Hope we come out with a lot of energy". Webb's wish was granted in Thursday afternoon's matinee, and quickly. After retiring Xavier Edwards and Jesús Sánchez in swift fashion, second-year right-hander Hayden Birdsong delivered a 97.5 mph heater to the thigh of Otto Lopez. Umpires converged and decided to warn both teams, a verdict that didn't sit well with Marlins skipper Clayton McCullough. McCullough, understandably irate, demanded answers from home plate ump Alfonso Márquez. Moments later, McCullough was ejected for the second time in his managerial career. Whether it was McCullough standing up for his guys or simply outrage at Birdsong and the Giants, the controversial sequence threw gas on an already raging fire in the form of Miami's offense. The unit rattled off a combined twelve runs in the first two games of the set. One pitch following the debacle, Agustín Ramírez delivered instant karma with a frozen rope double. Then it was Kyle Stowers—who played college baseball an hour south at Stanford—sending a message to not only the veteran Giants, but McCullough. The ex-Cardinal channeled his emotion into power on a hanging Birdsong slider, mashing a three-run blast 440 feet to center field. The moonshot was the farthest-hit ball of Stowers' big league career. Stowers' tone-setting rocket was foreshadowing for what was to come the rest of the afternoon. An unexpected Janson Junk blow-up inning in the fifth saw San Francisco even things up in the middle, but contributions from every player in Miami's lineup coupled 5 ⅓ scoreless innings from their bullpen were enough for an eventual 12-5 rout and series sweep out west. Two innings after Stowers, Ramírez continued the fireworks with his twelfth homer, increasing Miami's lead to five while joining elite Oracle Park company. The rookie C/DH and Stowers were responsible for plating half of the Marlins' runs with three apiece. The duo of Xavier Edwards and Eric Wagaman added two of their own as well, with both coming on doubles in the later innings. Wagaman's knock in the fifth broke the aforementioned 5-5 tie. Thursday's all-around showing put an exclamation point on what has been an impressive month thus far for Pedro Guerrero's group. Miami's offense has a National League-best .268 batting average since June 1. As for Junk—making his second start of 2025 and was backpacking off a tremendous performance last Friday against Atlanta—his infamous strike-throwing ended up being detrimental. Innings one through three were smooth sailing outside of Rafael Devers' second homer as a Giant, yet Junk ran into trouble in the fourth after allowing four consecutive hits. Acting manager Carson Vitale made the decision to relieve the 29-year-old at just 73 pitches with two outs and the go-ahead run on third. Junk's final line (3.2 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO, 1 HR, 73 NP) wasn't as pretty as his debut outing. The 89% first-pitch strike number shows that opposing hitters, simply put, made good swings on good pitches. Aiming to push their win streak on the road to seven, Miami heads to the desert for a date with the Diamondbacks. Merrill Kelly, riding an impressive previous two months, stands in their way for Friday's series opener at 9:40. Opposite Kelly and making his fourth start of 2025 is Eury Pérez, succeeding an outing in which he showed plenty of flashes of his vintage self even in a losing effort. View full article