Nate Karzmer

Another start, another brilliant outing from Max Meyer, who carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning. Almost a full year ago on April 15, 2024, Marlins starter Max Meyer was sent down to Triple-A in a stunning move. Two days prior, Meyer tossed six innings of one-run ball and earned a win over the Braves, continuing a phenomenal start to his 2024 season. At the time of his demotion, the then 25-year-old carried a 2.12 ERA and picked up two wins, a stat that is particularly relevant because…the team only had three in total. Halfway into April. Meyer wouldn’t return to the bigs until July, where the remainder of his starts from then on were up and down, generating concern and even more questions as to why the front office would halt the former third overall pick's enticing progress in the first place. Fast forward 359 days and now three starts into his 2025 campaign, Meyer is one-upping himself. Coming off a six-inning, three-earned run start last Friday that got overshadowed by a blowup performance from his bullpen, Meyer took the mound on a chilly day at Citi Field against another division rival, the Mets on Wednesday afternoon. With his ballclub looking to avoid a sweep and get back to .500, Max delivered, and then some. A lineup that racked up 10 runs in the previous game was held hitless by Meyer through five innings. He finished his day allowing just two before being pulled with one out in the seventh—that made it the longest start by any Marlins pitcher so far in 2025. With a steady dose of offense, good outings from the relievers behind him and a jaw-dropping catch from Dane Myers to put a bow on it, the Marlins salvaged the series and shut out New York, 5-0. “It was a terrific start for him. To be as effective as he was, efficient like that, to get us really deep into that game, (he) kept giving us cracks at it to get on the scoreboard” said manager Clayton McCullough following the game. “On a day where it’s nice to come here and get a win and get back home, that was just what the doctor ordered. That was a great start.” Meyer, as he usually does, relied on his infamous slider, throwing the pitch 41% of the time. The wipeout pitch picked up five of Meyer’s nine whiffs. Besides that, he used his four-seamer and sinker a combined 48%, showing great command of both pitches, even if his velocity was a tick down from his last start. The third-year starter now owns a 2.00 ERA through three starts, and this time around, there's no concern about him being sent down. If Meyer can show poise and command like he did against one of the most talented lineups in baseball, there’s serious reason to believe that 2025 could be the breakout year Miami has been waiting for. As McCullough mentioned, Meyer gave his offense plenty of opportunities to score against Tylor Megill, and the heart of the order capitalized in the fifth and the ninth for insurance. Singles from Matt Mervis and Nick Fortes gave Miami a 2-0 lead halfway through before impressive at-bats up and down the order against Edwin Díaz in the ninth pushed across three more. It was Mervis coming up big again in the ninth with his third homer in four games, a two-run wall scraper that just carried out. “Anytime you can add to the lead in the ninth inning against one of the game's best closers, I think I naturally get amped up a little bit. So just felt good to execute and score some runs” Mervis noted. With the two-RBI day, Mervis ties Otto Lopez with a team-leading seven RBI’s on the season. “I think we're maybe earlier on some of those pitches where he was fouling off or just missing” added McCullough. “He's moving them forward now, so I think he's still finding the right pitches, and he's getting some that he's getting to and ending in the at-bat on some pitches that he can drive”. Of Note - Myers’ catch in the ninth was another installment of Marlins outfielders making spectacular plays just two weeks into the season. qltk5v.mp4 - Xavier Edwards finished his strong series back home in New York with another hit and two walks. - Just before Mervis’ homer, Jonah Bride, who got the chance to hit in the three-hole even while amid a 2-for-28 slump, came through with a frozen-rope single through to the opposite field. It was Bride’s first RBI of 2025. Up Next Miami begins their second homestand of the year this weekend against the Nationals. The Marlins have yet to announce a starter for Friday night’s contest at 7:10 pm. View full article

The trio of offseason acquisitions led the way on Saturday night. Friday night’s series opener between Atlanta and Miami was the first time the Marlins were victims of a blowout loss in the young 2025 season, falling 10-0 to a previously winless Braves team. Bats went cold while the bullpen imploded for seven earned runs following Max Meyer’s departure. Instead of letting the shutout loss snowball, the youth-led Marlins flipped the script from the night before, delivering a shutout of their own and a 4-0 series-tying win. “So proud of just how they were able to come back and somewhat flush yesterday” said Marlins manager Clayton McCullough postgame. “It all kind of started with Cal being able to do what he did and throw five shutout. Really put us in a good position to finish it out today.” As his manager said, Marlins starter Cal Quantrill rebounded after a tough Marlins debut which saw him go just four innings while allowing six earned runs to cross. The 30-year-old displayed incredible command all night, as evidenced by twelve called strikes—two were strikeouts—and zero walks. Quantrill lived heavily off his fastball, splitter and curveball, combining to throw the three pitches 81% of the time. “Cal worked really hard in between outings to be more in command with the count, and I think he was really focusing today on getting ahead and then also winning some of those one-one counts, so I thought he did an excellent job of that,” added McCullough. When it was all said and done, Quantrill only threw 66 pitches before being removed following the fifth inning. Contrary to Friday, Miami’s bullpen was lights out following their starter. Ronny Henriquez, Anthony Veneziano, Calvin Faucher and Anthony Bender all delivered scoreless appearances facing a treacherous Braves lineup. The other two-thirds of Miami’s three-headed monster were Matt Mervis and Liam Hicks, both of whom combined to drive in all four runs of the night for their club. We’ll start with Mervis, who pushed the momentum to the Marlins’ side from the onset with a two-run blast in the top of the first. The roundtripper was Mervis’ first in the bigs since 2023, something that Mervis wanted to get off his back. “Struggled a little bit last year, didn't hit a home run when I was up and kind of been wanting the first one to just get it out of the way. So it felt good.” 6234b0e7-f0acfe3f-5112a724-csvm-diamondgcp-asset_1280x720_59_4000K.mp4 The feeling must’ve been great, because six innings later, needing insurance, Mervis doubled down with a towering 421-foot blast deep into the Atlanta night. “I had a feeling they were going to go soft. I ambushed the fastball first at bat, didn't get anything hard the second at-bat…and just got the changeup again that stayed over the middle”. 995b0c3f-5b3b2d39-107e1ebd-csvm-diamondgcp-asset_1280x720_59_4000K.mp4 Following Saturday’s power surge, Mervis’ OPS is up to .823 after a rocky first week in Miami. Finally, Liam Hicks enjoyed a day of many "firsts." Hicks notched his first career double in the second, a shot high off the brick wall in right field that would’ve been gone in every ballpark in MLB except, you guessed it, Truist Park. He added his first career caught stealing in the third and first career RBI in the fourth, a single to plate Derek Hill. “We've been touting the at-bat quality since we acquired Liam…He elevated a couple balls to the pull side, he had a nice two-out RBI to left, he got a sac bunt down, so really good offensive (day)” said McCullough. Coupled with Nick Fortes’ team-leading .972 OPS, the two Marlins catchers have been pleasant surprises a little over a week into 2025. Of Note - Fortes was scratched before the game with neck stiffness, per Christina De Nicola of MLB.com. - Xavier Edwards and Graham Pauley added doubles of their own in the first and sixth, respectively. Up Next Ace Sandy Alcantara looks to lock up the Marlins’ second series win of the season in Sunday afternoon’s rubber match. In 13 career starts against his division rival, Alcantara boasts a 2.94 ERA with 75 strikeouts. Opposing him is Grant Holmes, making his third appearance and second start. First pitch is lined up for 1:35. View full article

His entire career, Cabrera has had the makings of a star talent on the mound, but the Marlins are still waiting on him to "take the next step." FORT MYERS, FL—Just over an hour before first pitch against a Red Sox team playing plenty of their stars, Marlins manager Clayton McCullough discussed with the media what he'd like to see out of Edward Cabrera, who was making his third start of the spring. "Get in the strike zone, especially early, ability to spin the ball in some in some counts, to get guys off of his fastball and changeup some. So, I think today, I'm hoping that he's gonna build on that, continue that aggressive mentality, pound the strike zone, especially early, give yourself a chance to gain some count leverage where you're not having to then have let the hitter suck you back into the strike zone." A little later, when speaking on the righty's inconsistencies in years past and what the new staff has done to "crack the code" on Cabrera, McCullough added, “The talent hasn't changed any…We’re gonna continue to love on Cabby, challenge Cabby. Every player gets to a point where it’s time to take the next step, so how are we gonna be able to be here to support you in that?” Following another blowup start on Friday, "the next step" is still yet to be seen. While it is, of course, still spring training, the same issues that have been plaguing Cabrera his entire career were as apparent as ever, as the 26-year-old was only able to complete 1 ⅔ innings, while allowing four hits—three of which were home runs—two hit by pitches and two walks. Cabrera did note postgame that the home runs he allowed were on a new slider grip he was trying out and that he "has to continue working on (his) stuff." "He was out of sync from the start, a lot of arm-side misses today. Just had a tough time there throughout the three innings. He had to really make an adjustment and get some stuff glove side, so I think we'll talk up to that" said his manager postgame. "I thought just right from the beginning, just didn't seem like he was kind of in rhythm, and then you're falling behind and trying to get the ball in the zone. He just didn't seem to have that good rhythm." Overall this spring, Cabrera has allowed ten earned runs in just over four innings on ten hits. Again, it is spring, but it is safe to assume the clock is ticking on Cabrera as the talent in Miami's farm continues to impress. Of Note - Boston's offense put on a show, throwing up 20 runs on 20 hits, including six homers. Trevor Story put out two of the blasts while newly acquired Alex Bregman added one of his own. - The first two Marlins runs of the contest were both courtesy of Javier Sanoja groundouts, one being in the second, the other being in the fourth. - Jack Winkler put a three-run homer out to left in the top of the ninth. It was Winkler's second homer of the spring, making him the first Marlin to accomplish the feat. - Outside of Sanoja and Winkler, the only Marlin with a noteworthy day at the plate was Kyle Stowers. Leading off for Miami, Stowers poked a single, walked and stole a base. "Kyle's at-bats have been very impressive...His at-bat quality has been impressive. Seems that he's firing at the right pitches and he's getting off some great swings," said McCullough. Up Next Max Meyer, making his third start of the spring, takes the ball for Miami on Saturday night against the Mets. Meyer has been lights out in his first two starts, flashing higher velocity on his fastball and slider with good location. First pitch from Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium is scheduled for 6:40 pm. View full article

Miami's young catcher showed why he's one of the best prospects in baseball on Thursday night. NORTH PORT, FL—It took eight and a third innings and nearly two and a half hours for the Marlins to get a run on the board on Thursday night against their division-rival Braves, but it was worth the wait. Down 0-1 in the count with just two outs to work with, Fish On First #3 prospect Agustín Ramírez got a 94 mph fastball from Angel Perdomo...and he didn't miss it. Ramírez belted a 113 mph rope onto the berm at CoolToday Park for his first homer of the spring, an eventual tie-clincher, as the contest ended at 1-1, Miami's third 1-1 tie of the spring and second of the week. "We're really high on Agustín and what that potential looks like" said manager Clayton McCullough postgame. "Really good presence in the box. He sees the ball very well, the ability to make the type of quality, hard contact that he does, that's signs of a really special offensive player." With the homer, Ramírez continues what has been an impressive couple of weeks in his first spring training as a member of the organization on both sides of the ball. Offensively, while his .182 average doesn't show it, Ramírez has consistently worked long counts and made hard contact plenty. So far this spring, Ramírez is OPS'ing .812. He's drawn three walks while only striking out once. Last week against Houston, Ramírez ripped a staggering 115.1 mph single that caught eyes all across baseball. Most know, though, that the concern with Ramírez is behind the plate, something that the 23-year-old has clearly worked to improve at, as evidenced by his work this spring. In his five games at catcher, Ramírez has converted 22 of his 24 putout opportunities while allowing zero passed balls. On Thursday, Ramírez caught the final three innings following Liam Hicks' departure. If Ramírez continues to swing the stick the way that he has and make strides on defense, fans and the Marlins alike shouldn't have to wait long reap the rewards of the Jazz Chisholm Jr. trade last July. Of Note - Ryan Weathers made his second start of the spring for Miami. While the southpaw did walk the first three batters of the night, he was able to settle in during the second and third innings, retiring all six Braves in order, three of them via strikeout. Weathers joked after his start, “I watch Ted Lasso, and he says have a memory like a goldfish, so I just flushed (the first inning).” Weathers' slider was his best pitch of the night, accounting for two of his punchouts. - Adam Mazur followed Weathers, pitching scoreless two innings of his own. "I felt sharp as I wanted today, was living more on the offspeed. I was happy with the way we were able to execute first inning. Just want to eliminate the two-out walk. Just had to get out of that inning and then just kind of carry that over to the next one and keep getting outs." - Miami carried a no-hitter into the seventh, before Eli White ripped a solo blast to right-center. It was one of only two hits from a usually powerful Braves offense. - Nigel Belgrave put out the fire in the first inning before Weathers re-entered the game. The young reliever inherited the bases loaded with one out and rolled a double play to escape unscathed. Up Next The Fish conclude their two-day trip to the west coast of Florida on Friday, taking on the Red Sox in Fort Myers at 1:05 pm. Edward Cabrera is lined up to make his third start of the spring for Miami, while the newly acquired Walker Buehler toes the slab for Boston. View full article

Miami's lesser-known pitchers discuss what made them so effective on Monday night. PORT ST. LUCIE, FL—If I told you just a couple of hours ago that Max Meyer and Dax Fulton wouldn't be the most impressive pitching duo from Monday's Marlins split squad, you would have every right not to believe me. Max 'n' Dax tossed a combined four innings of two-hit, four-strikeout ball against plenty of Astros regulars, while reliever Connor Gillispie had the pleasure of facing Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto, and Pete Alonso back-to-back-to-back to start things in the nightcap. Instead of letting the loud ovations from the Clover Park crowd get to him, the 27-year-old "fell back on (his) training", making quick work of the Mets' big three in the first and the middle of the order in the second. In doing so, Gillispie keeps his hitless streak this spring alive and his campaign to be in Miami's bullpen strong. Janson Junk, another reliever vying for a spot on the Opening Day roster, was lights out in his two innings of work as well, striking out four of the six Mets he faced. In total, the two tossed four hitless innings against half of New York's best lineup. "I've just been trying to get my rhythm, throw a lot of strikes, get ahead, working on new sweeper. It's been working pretty good... my fastball has got some life to it." said Gillispie. "Just do what I can, fill up the zone and see what happens." Gillispie threw his aforementioned sweeper—which Statcast still interprets as a slider—eight times on Monday. The pitch collected two of his three whiffs and got Lindor to fly out after falling behind early. According to Gillispie, the pitch was something Miami's staff wanted to see as soon as he took the mound. "They came in probably first day at camp, and we're like, let me check out that sweeper grip, and we tweaked it just a little bit, and it's been working really well for me." As for Junk, this is also his third appearance of the spring, all coming against New York. "It's fun. This is my third time facing them this spring, so it's like, I'm kind of building the scouting report, so by now I'm comfortable...All my pitches were working. I really felt like I could dominate them." And dominate he did, striking out the side in the third with a curveball, sweeper and four-seam, then using the heater again to sit down Juan Soto looking the inning after. Postgame, Junk joked that he made the sweeper a point of emphasis on Monday because Marlins coaches were disappointed that he didn't throw it in his last outing. "They kind of got mad at me for not throwing it. So I was like, today, I'm going to throw it more so and got heck of results. And, you know, it gives me more more confidence moving forward, being able to execute it at a high level." Of Note - Miami's only run of the contest came courtesy of Griffin Conine, who followed two infield singles with a flare shot of his own into left in the sixth. - An error from Derek Hill in center allowed the Mets to tie things later in the frame, and the score stayed knotted all the way to the end at 1-1. - Xzavion Curry, Lake Bachar, Matt Pushard and Christian Roa followed Gillispie and Junk. Curry was on the mound when the Mets lone run came across, however it was unearned. - Otto Lopez started the game at shortstop. "I worked at short this offseason because that's the position that's more difficult in the infield...I work there to feel comfortable at every position". - Over half a year after being swapped for each other, Wilfredo Lara and Huascar Brazoban matched up in the seventh. Lara reached on an infield single, officially making the Marlins winners of the trade. Next Up For the first time this spring, Miami will enjoy their day off on Tuesday before getting back out to Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium on Wednesday to host the Nationals. First pitch comes your way at 1:10 pm, with ace Sandy Alcantara slated to make his third start of the spring. View full article

Which players are on pace to make the active roster when the Marlins host the Pirates later this month? Through their first 10 games of the 2025 spring training slate, the Miami Marlins have checked plenty of boxes. Ace Sandy Alcantara returned to the mound for the first time since 2023 and their young talent has shined all over the diamond. There have also been several minor injuries and discouraging performances that make it easier to anticipate who'll be selected to be on rookie manager's Clayton McCullough initial 26-man roster. Since Ely Sussman gave us his projection on February 10, Miami has made the following moves: Cal Quantrill was signed to a one-year, $3.5 million deal Janson Junk was signed to a minor league contract Brett de Geus was claimed off of waivers from the Pirates, while Ronny Henriquez was claimed from the Twins My updated projection is below as we inch closer to Opening Day. Position Players Default starting lineup: C Liam Hicks, 1B Matt Mervis, 2B Otto Lopez, 3B Connor Norby, SS Xavier Edwards, LF Griffin Conine, CF Dane Myers, RF Jesus Sanchez, DH Jonah Bride Bench: C Nick Fortes, OF Kyle Stowers, OF Derek Hill, INF Javier Sanoja Few players have made as good of an impression as Liam Hicks has this spring on defense. It's no longer a question of whether the Marlins will hold onto their Rule 5 selection into the regular season, but how large his role will be. Hicks has caught both of Alcantara's starts thus far, giving him the inside edge to be behind the plate when he returns to Miami. In the outfield, multiple position battles demand attention. Griffin Conine and Kyle Stowers, two eerily similar players, appear to be going head to head for the job in left field, while Dane Myers and Derek Hill aim to roam center. If the season started tomorrow, I believe Conine and Myers would join Jesús Sánchez in starting roles, however there is plenty of time for Stowers and Hill to make up ground. Pitchers Starting rotation: RHP Sandy Alcantara, RHP Cal Quantrill, LHP Ryan Weathers, RHP Max Meyer, RHP Edward Cabrera Bullpen: RHP Calvin Faucher, RHP Jesús Tinoco, RHP Anthony Bender, RHP Declan Cronin, RHP Lake Bachar, RHP Ronny Henriquez, LHP Anthony Veneziano, LHP Josh Simpson As Ely predicted last month, the Marlins did indeed bring in a veteran starter in the form of Cal Quantrill. The righty is coming off an inconsistent 2024 in Colorado, though he is expected to get every possible opportunity to bounce back. An impressive spring has removed any doubt about Max Meyer being included in the rotation as he demonstrates an improved fastball and new sweeper to complement his trademark slider. I have him overtaking Edward Cabrera on the depth chart. However, with Cabrera being out of minor league options, his roster spot is secure as well. Woefully, that does leave Valente Bellozo on the outside looking in. The Marlins could utilize him as a multi-inning reliever in the majors or see more value in keeping him stretched out in Jacksonville as the next man up in case another starter gets hurt—I'm going with the latter scenario. New Marlin Ronny Henriquez, who is also out of options, projects to get a middle relief role. Andrew Nardi (lower back inflammation) is playing catch and could potentially be ready for Opening Day, but there's no reason to rush the high-leverage lefty. Assuming the Marlins place him on the injured list initially, that'd create room for Veneziano and Simpson as the team's two southpaw relievers. View full article

You're familiar with "The Curse of the Bambino" and the infamous billy goat, but likely not the twenty-year hex on this number. Happy 2/5/25 to all. Out in the bay, the Giants are celebrating "Barry Bonds Day" to honor the greatest player ever to play the game as Bonds rocked the number 25 throughout his otherworldly 15-year tenure in the orange and black. All the way across the country in Miami, though, the number has been stigmatized. That's a shame considering how well things started. Al Leiter contributed to the Marlins' first World Series title in 1997 while donning #25. Derrek Lee wore it for most of his tenure with the team, culminating in the 2003 championship. During his lone, memorable season with the Fish, Carlos Delgado crushed 33 homers, drove in 115 and OPS'ed .981 in 2005. Delgado was shipped to the division rival Mets the following November. Since then, between Miami Gardens and Little Havana, the Marlins have tried over and over and over again (18 different wearers) to put the #25 in capable hands. Instead, it has come to represent disappointment, plenty of failed expectations and downright bad baseball. Let's reflect on a few notable names from this list. Brett Carroll, 2007-2010 Carroll had the honor of being the first to wear the number post-Delgado, and while the homegrown outfielder did manage to stick around in Miami for four years, lackluster numbers were a constant. The righty slashed .205/.284/.325 through 283 at-bats. Carroll's calling card was in the outfield. In 2009, Carroll led the NL with 15 Total Zone Runs, a stat that tracks "the number of runs above or below average the player was worth based on the number of plays made." Junichi Tazawa, 2017-2018 A key piece of the 2013 World Series champion Red Sox bullpen, Tazawa came to Miami with the assumption he would do the same for a contending Marlins squad. Tazawa left Boston with a career 3.58 ERA, a number that immediately inflated as a Marlin. Three blown saves in 2017 and a 9.00 ERA in 2018 got Tazawa chased out of town pretty quickly, as his Marlins tenure ended with a 60 ERA+ and zero saves. Lewis Brinson, 2020-2021 The most infamous name on this list, "Sweet Lew" called an audible to #25 after his first two years in Miami with #9 went sideways. Unfortunately for the ex-top prospect and potential face of the franchise, the issues turned out to be deeper than just a number change. Brinson did perform better, but when the standard is set at a .189/.238/.294 slash line, that's not too difficult. In 25, Brinson elevated to .226/.264/.374, still facing the same issues as before when it came to poor swing decisions and high strikeout numbers. In 2021, Brinson gave Marlins fans one of the best hot streaks in recent history with the infamous "Brinsanity" run. From August 2-15, he put on full display what Marlins fans had been begging to see since he was the headliner in the Christian Yelich deal. The South Florida native OPS'd an astounding 1.192 with four long balls in 13 games. The peak of Brinsanity was a series finale in San Diego, where Brinson enjoyed a three-hit, two-homer day (both coming off future Marlin Ryan Weathers). Christian Bethancourt, 2024 Finally, we arrive at Christian Bethancourt, the first of two players to wear the number a season ago. Bethancourt came to Miami with a solid track record and hopes of making an impact in a department that was in need—the bar was set so low by how much other Marlins catchers had struggled in recent years. Notoriously, though, Bethancourt got off on the wrong foot. Through 12 games, Bethancourt did not record a single hit in 27 at-bats. After the slump, Bethancourt was serviceable, slashing .232/.271/.393 while splitting time with Nick Fortes. On July 21, Bethancourt was DFA'd and signed by the Cubs, where, of course, he found his swing again. In 24 games on the Northside, Bethancourt OPS'd .814. The cursed number has temporarily been taken out of circulation for Marlins players as new bench coach Carson Vitale took it for the 2025 season. It's anyone's guess how long Vitale will stick around or keep #25, but by the time another player tries it on, fans will have waited at least two full decades to see it restored to glory. View full article

Two ex-highly regarded prospects are getting a change of scenery. A week to the day that they sent fan-favorite Jesús Luzardo to division rival Philadelphia, Peter Bendix and the Marlins front office struck again on Sunday afternoon. 1B Matt Mervis is headed to Miami in exchange for utility man Vidal Bruján, as Jeff Passan of ESPN reported, with the Marlins also receiving cash considerations. The trade has been made official. Mervis, 26, was signed by Chicago as an undrafted free agent in 2020. After struggling in 2021, the former Duke Blue Devil delivered great seasons at the plate in 2022 and 2023 between High-A, Double-A and Triple-A. Notably, in Triple-A in 2023, Mervis finished with an OPS of .932, mashed 22 home runs, and drove in 78. Baseball America described Mervis as having "excellent bat speed and natural timing, which allows him to crush fastballs over the plate." Defensively, Mervis is average and defensively limited to first base, but possesses a plus arm as a former college pitcher. Unfortunately for Mervis and Chicago, that level of production was not seen at the big league level. In 116 at-bats in MLB, Mervis has slashed a lowly .155/.222/.259 with an alarming 9/40 BB/K ratio. It is worth noting that Mervis has had a very short leash in the majors, only being called up for a week-and-a-half in 2024 before being sent back down. Mervis suffered a hamate injury in early July. Upon returning from the IL, he struck out 40% of the time in his final 26 Triple-A games. It is a prototypical buy-low deal that Bendix has gravitated to in his short time leading the ship in Miami. Mervis is set to receive plenty of opportunities to find his footing against major league pitching and hopefully translate his upper-minors production to a Marlins team that is going to be lacking power. The left-handed hitter is a potential platoon partner for the likes of Jonah Bride and Eric Wagaman. In case there isn't a clear fit for him on the Opening Day roster, he does have one minor league option remaining. For Bruján, his time in Miami comes to an end after just one season. Once regarded as a consensus top-100 MLB prospect, Bendix's first trade as POBO last November was landing the switch-hitting Swiss Army knife from the Rays along with Calvin Faucher. In 102 games as a Marlin, though, it was much of the same. Bruján slashed .222/.303/.319 in 248 at-bats with two triples and two long balls while displaying mediocre defense all over the diamond. On the bases, Bruján was caught stealing more times (6) than bases he swiped (5). The Marlins designated him for assignment last week. Bruján is expected to be a bench bat in the Windy City. Miami is set to visit Chicago from May 12-14. View full article

Luzardo twirled some gems in his three-and-a-half years back in South Florida. Raised in Broward county, Jesús Luzardo grew up a Marlins fan. "Getting in this position is something I can't put into words, and it really hasn't hit me yet," said the lefty back in 2023 before he started Miami's first playoff game in a full season in twenty years. "So, hopefully, down the road it does, but so far, I'm just enjoying the ride and trying to make it last as long as possible." That ride was prolonged when previous trade talks fell through and Luzardo suffered a lengthy injury, but it came to an end Sunday morning when he was traded to the division-rival Philadelphia Phillies along with OF/C Paul McIntosh in exchange for SS Starlyn Caba and OF Emaarion Boyd. Luzardo was hyped yet unaccomplished when the Marlins acquired him in 2021. Since then, he has turned in some stellar outings to establish himself as a desirable piece of any MLB rotation. Here are five times when he flashed front-of-the-rotation potential. October 2, 2021 Final line: 5.1 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 11 SO, 0 HR, 87 NP A little over two months after being acquired by the Marlins, Luzardo took the mound for his final start of an up-and-down 2021 campaign against his now-teammates, the Phillies. He was being hindered by command struggles in his first couple of outings in August and September, but his finale was a preview for what ended up being a breakout 2022 season. Due to a significantly improved fastball, Luzardo sat down 11 Phillies, including Bryce Harper and J.T. Realmuto twice. Even better, he allowed zero free passes for the first time as a Marlin. Mk43TDNfWGw0TUFRPT1fVTFOUlV3QUNWbE1BV2xSVUFBQUFVd0plQUZnTlVsZ0FBRjBEVkZJTVYxSURDUVZV.mp4 While Luzardo only went 5 ⅓ innings, it was enough momentum to notch Miami's 66th win of the season in 3-1 fashion. April 12, 2022 Final line: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 12 SO, 0 HR, 76 NP When I said Luzardo carried the success in his final start in 2021 into 2022, I wasn't kidding. Breaking camp behind Elieser Hernández as the number five starter in a deep Marlins rotation, Luzardo made a statement in his first start in his second year in Miami against a star-studded Angels squad. Luzardo set a then career-high in strikeouts at 12, displaying serious swing-and-miss stuff with his slider, which collected 12 out of his 28 whiffs. Miami’s bullpen crumbled in the late innings and inevitably allowed a walk-off fielder's choice, but Luzardo’s dominance against a team like Los Angeles showed his development was on schedule. August 7, 2022 Final line: 7.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 SO, 0 HR, 91 NP A left forearm strain sidelined Luzardo for most of the summer, hindering Marlins fans a chance to see their potential star in a lost season. A Sunday afternoon start at Wrigley Field was Luzardo's second start off the IL, which made what he accomplished all the more impressive. For the first time as a Marlin and only the second time in his career, Luzardo completed seven innings and allowed just one hit en route to a 3-0 Marlins win. The southpaw displayed exceptional command and great control of his changeup. This start was a good omen of what was to come, as Luzardo went seven strong again just two weeks later and once more in September. VkEwRE1fVjBZQUhRPT1fQlZOVlZGSUdYd1FBWEFFQVZnQUFBd0pTQUZnQ0FBUUFVMU5YQUFGUUJ3SlRDVk5Y.mp4 July 23, 2023 Final line: 7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 13 SO, 1 HR, 115 NP Luzardo's second start after the All-Star break came in what was arguably the most must-win game for a Marlins team in a long time. Heading into the Midsummer Classic, the Fish had the fourth-best record in all of baseball. Exhilarating and close wins were the calling card for a squad who was surpassing all expectations. Then, the second half started. Sweeps in St. Louis and Baltimore sent Miami into a spiral, and when the lowly Rockies came into town and took the first two games of their set, manager Skip Schumaker needed length from his starter. In return, Luzardo delivered the best start of his career. Luzardo was masterful, setting new career-highs in strikeouts with 13 and pitches with 115. Due to his offense sputtering yet again against a mediocre Rockies staff, Luzardo was put in high-leverage moments where it almost felt a playoff berth was on the line. The most memorable of these moments came in the bottom of the seventh with runners on the corners and Miami clinging on to a one-run lead. In what ended up being his final pitch of the day, Luzardo did this: NU43VjFfWGw0TUFRPT1fRHdnREFWeFNVMWNBWEZVQVZnQUFVRlZmQUZoV0JsY0FWMTBHQVFNQ0JRTmNWRmNE.mp4 May 22, 2024 Final line: 8,0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 SO, 0 HR, 100 NP Due to bonafide ace Sandy Alcantara missing all of the 2024 season with Tommy John surgery, Luzardo was the Opening Day starter and expected leader of an undermanned rotation. Alas, much like the team around him, Luzardo struggled in March/April with a 6.58 ERA and 5.09 FIP. May, though, was a complete 180. Luzardo allowed just five earned runs the entire month. The most impressive start of not only that stretch, but his final season as a Marlin, came against the contending Brewers. Coming off a minor left elbow injury, Luzardo wasn't too much focused on velocity, instead "emphasizing location." "I'm focused." Luzardo said postgame. "The location and my misses had been really good, which is something that me and Mel (Stottlemyre Jr.) talked about a lot. Just emphasizing location over velocity." The decision worked out well for Luzardo, as the new ace got through eight shutout innings for the first time in his career. The rare "pitch to contact" Luzardo only tallied four strikeouts, however he only needed 100 pitches to get through a potent Brewers order and lock up an impressive series win. MkJEeFBfWGw0TUFRPT1fQUZJSFVRQUNCQVVBRDFZSFV3QUFBd05XQUZsUlVnSUFBMU5RQXdvQUFWZFRCZ0lI.mp4 "I think since he's come off the IL, it's the best version," said his manager. "He's in a groove." View full article

The most intriguing prospect sent Miami's way at the trade deadline finished with a 19.80 ERA in the Arizona Fall League. Following the 2024 MLB trade deadline, it was a consensus among insiders and fans alike that Peter Bendix and the Miami Marlins walked away as one of the biggest winners. While the first-year president of baseball operations sent away some key contributors and fan favorites at the big league level, those transactions brought back impact talent that was sorely needed in Miami's farm system. Deservingly so, power bats Deyvison De Los Santos and Agustín Ramírez and potential front-of-the-line arms Robby Snelling and Adam Mazur got the most attention from the general media. Bendix's second-to-last trade of the day, though, was perhaps the most fascinating. During batting practice at the now-disfigured Tropicana Field, the Marlins' home run leader at the time of the deadline, Bryan De La Cruz, got word he was headed to join the playoff push in Pittsburgh. Coming to Miami in return was Pirates #25 prospect Garret Forrester and #19 Jun-Seok Shim (as ranked by Baseball America). The term "lottery ticket" gets thrown around often in reaction to deadline deals. Generally, it is used to describe a lower-level prospect who could end up being great, but has to overcome many question marks just to reach the majors. Shim fits the bill as well as anyone. Think Powerball ticket. Coming out of South Korea as the top prospect from his country in the 2023 international signing period due to "his combination of physicality, polish, and present stuff", Shim inked a $750k deal with the Pirates. MLB Pipeline pegged Shim as the #2 pitcher in his class with high praise for his fastball that sat mid-90s and hit triple digits, coupled with two solid offspeed pitches. The only concern at the time of the signing? An elbow injury back in 2021. Unfortunately for both Shim and Pittsburgh, it was a sign of things to come. Shim's debut season in the Pirates organization was cut short due to a right pectoral strain, another injury to his throwing arm at just 19 years old. In 2024, a few months before he was moved south, a shoulder injury sidelined Shim for the entirety of the season. Still, it was easy to dream on a 20-year-old, 6'4" arm who had flashed such talent coming to a organization with a track record like Miami's, even if he had only thrown eight innings as a professional. On September 21, the Marlins announced Shim was headed out west to the Arizona Fall League as the youngest of the Marlins prospects. It'd be his first in-game action since he took the mound for the FCL Pirates in August 2023. Now in mid-November, the dust has settled. In just five innings of work for the Peoria Javelinas, Shim's first impression as a member of the Marlins left plenty to be desired. What went wrong? In all six appearances, Shim struggled with command. Whether it was missing down the plate leading to hard contact or an astounding 37.5 BB%, the righty simply couldn't spot his pitches. Even in his final outing on Thursday, when Shim punched out three batters in an inning, he still allowed two baserunners on free passes. When you couple Shim's lack of command with a significant drop-off in quality of stuff, eleven earned runs across just five innings is the result. Rustiness was expected, but the degradation of his velocity was alarming. There is Statcast data available for three of Shim's appearances. His best fastball registered at 93.5 mph. He averaged 92.0 mph with a spin rate just below 2,000 RPM. Among right-handed MLB pitchers from the 2024 season, those data points are most comparable to journeyman Aaron Brooks. The silver lining is that while Shim's performance in the desert was extremely underwhelming, it was his first time seeing live batters in games in over 15 months. These type of setbacks happen, especially in small sample sizes. Additionally, Shim's final two outings were easily his best, allowing no earned runs in two innings with five strikeouts. Shim can use the next couple of months to rest, recover and prepare for what he and Bendix and Co. hope is his first full season of healthy baseball stateside. Shim is expected to start 2025 in Jupiter, either with the FCL Marlins or Low-A Hammerheads. View full article

Thursday's rollercoaster rubber match in Minneapolis ended up being the longest game of the Marlins season. They pulled off a road upset against a team that had everything to play for. The Miami Marlins are no stranger to the spoiler role. Throughout their franchise history, Miami has had no choice but to be "that team," the team that, on paper, has nothing to play for...except breaking the hearts of a contender. Most notably, the Marlins of 2007 and 2022 excelled in this role, as those squads snatched the Mets' and Brewers' playoff hopes away in the waning moments of the season. After an off-the-wall Thursday night in the Twin Cities, you can add the 2024 Marlins to that list. "Out of respect for the game, you try to win the game, and we've been trying to disrupt the situation in certain divisions and playoff races, whether it was the Dodgers, the Braves or the Twins. And I felt like we know, we tried to do everything we could to win today's game." said Marlins manager Skip Schumaker after what ended up being a 13-inning, 8-6 Marlins victory over a desperate Twins team. "The players did that. It wasn't nothing I did. The players executed when in leveraged spots and made great plays when they had to, made pitches when they had to, and put together the at-bats when they needed it. So yeah, they played it like it was a playoff game. Just proud of the outcome." Through five innings, a four-hour battle seemed out of the cards as Valente Bellozo stifled Twins bats with his patented pop-up-inducing stuff. Bellozo's start coupled with two RBI from Jake Burger had Miami in command. Things changed in the sixth—and fast—when Bellozo was pulled with just 74 pitches and 4-1 lead. Minnesota's offense struck for a run in the seventh and an ever-important two in the eighth to knot things at four. Brooks Lee, who the Marlins infamously passed on back in the 2022 MLB Draft, delivered a massive 2-RBI double. In extras, though, Derek Hill, Anthony Maldonado and Griffin Conine played hero for not just the Marlins, but the Royals and Tigers as well. In the 10th, Hill traveled 118 feet to make an incredible falling catch that kept the Marlins alive. Miami failed to score in both the 11th and 12th, but awful situational hitting and stellar high-leverage relief work from Maldonado kept the game rolling. As the contest entered its fourth hour, Miami's offense came around to make the Twins pay. Otto Lopez pushed across the first run in what felt like days, before Griffin Conine—who didn't even enter the game until extras—came through with a 2-RBI flare single in his second at-bat that ended up being the difference. "All through the first eight, nine innings, obviously I wasn't in there and in the cage, just waiting for the opportunity to present itself. And sure enough, I didn't know it would come in extra innings, but I'm glad I was staying locked in and getting work in," noted Conine. "We like playing the role of villain. We want to be the spoilers. That's what we said going in, and we got a couple good wins in the series, which is awesome." On August 17, the Twins were 17 games above .500 and were battling with Cleveland for AL Central supremacy. Now, for all intents and purposes, their season will not continue into October, as FanGraphs has their playoff odds at a slim 3.3%. Minnesota's "tragic number" has dropped to just one, leaving them zero margin for error this weekend while praying that either Detroit or Kansas City gets swept against the White Sox or Braves, respectively. Of Note - Lost in the eventual madness was Bellozo's on-brand season finale. As he's done since being called up three months ago, Bellozo leaned on flyouts to an almost-absurd degree. Eight of the 15 outs the righty recorded came in the air. Bellozo finishes his rookie campaign with a 3.67 ERA, a sizable difference from his 5.73 FIP. - Xavier Edwards dealt with a rough couple of weeks after being on the IL, but he found his swing in the Twin Cities. Miami's shortstop finished with six hits, three RBI and two walks when it was all said and done in Minnesota. - Jesús Sánchez delivered a three-hit game, with two of the knocks coming in extras. - After it was nearly unhittable for a month-plus, Jesús Tinoco finally ran into some trouble with his slider: - Jonah Bride was just another Marlin who raked in the second to last set of the year. The Marlins infielder went 6-for-14 with two doubles and a home run. His season OPS+ now stands at 111. Up Next The Marlins begin their final series of the season Friday night, north of the border in Toronto. The set marks the first time Miami has visited the Rogers Centre since mid-June of 2015! This was the starting lineup for manager Dan Jennings: Fast forward nine years later and Adam Oller toes the slab opposing José Berríos in this edition of Marlins-Jays. Oller was solid in his last outing Saturday against the Braves, going 5 ⅔ innings allowing just two runs to come across as the 29-year-old continues to impress as a Marlin. First pitch from Canada is slated for 7:07 pm. View full article

A busy day at loanDepot park ended with a familiar sight. MIAMI—Coming off a series-opening and playoff-spoiling victory, Miami Marlins manager Skip Schumaker spoke Saturday afternoon about embracing the challenge of facing the well-oiled machine that is the Atlanta Braves: "Where we're at in the season, we're lucky that we get to face playoff-caliber teams right now, because when you're 150 games in or so and you're facing teams that might be in our situation, it's not that it's tough to come to the ballpark, but it's tough to play against some teams that are may be checking boxes...The great news is we have to play the Braves. We just got to play the Dodgers. We're playing the Twins pretty soon. So like all these teams we're facing lately are trying to get into the tournament, and that is a great thing for us because I don't need to motivate them." The second game of the series started with both offenses exchanging blows, as Derek Hill and Otto Lopez got Miami on the board in the first and sixth, while old friend Jorge Soler and Matt Olson did the damage for Atlanta. Marlins starter Adam Oller, who has quietly been solid for Miami since being called up in mid-August, delivered 5 ⅔ innings of bend-but-don't-break pitching. The righty allowed eight hits, but also struck out eight and featured heavy reliance on his slurve, which tallied seven whiffs when it was all said and done. "I made pitches when I needed to make pitches. The punchouts were obviously there, a lot better today. So all in all, not really upset with the outing at all," said the veteran. As soon as Oller departed, though, Olson and Gio Urshela immediately struck back, as contending teams often do, with two two-run homers in the top of the seventh off of Lake Bachar. Schumaker said with regret postgame that he could've put in Xzavion Curry to face Urshela, but elected to leave Bachar out there. "That one I kind of wish I had back and not put him in that position...So I'll put that one on me, the Urshela home run." Following the two blasts, Miami's offense couldn't make a late-inning push against Atlanta's stifling bullpen, collecting only one hit from the seventh onward. Jesús Sánchez grounded out to first, putting the nail in the Marlins' coffin as they fell 6-2. Saturday's loss dropped Schumaker's club to 57-98 on the season. Of Note - Pregame, the Marlins held their 2024 minor league awards ceremony: - Alex Carver broke down top prospect Thomas White's media scrum, including White's goals for 2025 and his assessment of his first full year in pro baseball. FOF will have similar pieces on Ryan Ignoffo and Joe Mack soon. - Schumaker noted pregame that Braxton Garrett felt something in the back of his elbow during his last bullpen and that "it’s gonna be tough for him to make a start before the end of the season.” Garrett met with the media postgame, saying "the outside elbow just hasn't quite got there. I've been able to battle through it a little bit, expecting to get over that hump, but it just didn't happen. Just after the bullpen, it just didn't seem like it was quite there.” Garrett made just seven starts MLB starts this year. - As previously mentioned, Saturday's game was the final time the Marlins will don their City Connect Uniforms inspired by the Cuban Sugar Kings. Miami finished with a record of 22-27 in the caliente red and baby blue threads. - The Marlins announced that Jun-Seok Shim, one of the two prospects they acquired for Bryan De La Cruz at the trade deadline, is heading to the desert to pitch in the Arizona Fall League. Up Next Miami looks to play spoiler once again in Sunday's rubber match that features two inexperienced starting arms. Darren McCaughan toes the slab for the Fish in their final home game of the season, sporting a 7.33 ERA this season in seven appearances as a Marlin. Opposing the 28-year-old is Braves rookie Grant Holmes, who has had a rocky September thus far, allowing five earned runs in just seven innings. The last first pitch from loanDepot park in 2024 comes your way at 1:40. View full article

After a rocky first inning, Miami played nearly flawless baseball to secure their second win of the season over Washington. In 2022 and 2023, the Miami Marlins, simply put, found ways to beat the Washington Nationals. Whether it was clutch hits—see Jorge Soler's walk-off homer with two outs last May—dominant pitching performances, or just capitalizing on how poor those Nationals teams were, the Marlins possessed a 26-6 head-to-head record during the two seasons. This season, the Fish have made a complete 180. Entering their final matchup of 2024, Miami owned a 1-8 record against their divisional foe, as Washington starts to reap the rewards of their rebuild they started late in the 2021 season. Thursday night was a throwback performance. Even when Darren McCaughan put them in an early 3-0 hole, the Marlins bullpen kept them in the game. The offense rallied for three runs in the top of the eighth before eventually securing a 6-3 series-opening win. Connor Norby and Jonah Bride got things started in the eighth and led the way the entire night for Miami as the one and two holes both collected two RBI's. Otto Lopez put Miami on top with a forceout, coupled with a misplay at first base. It included Lopez's seventh RBI of September, more than he had in July and August combined. Anthony Veneziano, Anthony Bender and Jesús Tinoco were spotless in relief, giving up no hits in four combined innings of work. Tinoco delivered a six-out save, continuing the impressive start to his Marlins career. Going into Thursday, Tinoco had a 1.47 ERA in 15 appearances. "Our bullpen was outstanding...Tinoco with the two-inning save was fantastic." raved Marlins manager Skip Schumaker. Of Note - Aside from the up-and-down first, McCaughan was solid through five frames. The righty threw his sweeper and sinker a combined 75% of the time with the two pitches combining for three whiffs. "It didn't look like it was gonna go great...but Mac did a really good job of stabilizing the game from there on," said Schumaker. - Once again, Xavier Edwards didn't make the start due to illness. However, Miami's dynamic middle infielder racked up two hits from each side of the plate off the bench. - After a rough couple of weeks, Jake Burger tallied three hits. He had the two highest exit velocities on the Marlins in this game (109.9 mph single in the third and 108.4 mph single in the eighth). Up Next The four-game series between these division rivals continues Friday night at 6:45 ET. Edward Cabrera, coming off one of his better starts of 2024 on Sunday against the Phillies, makes the start for Miami. Opposing Cabrera is DJ Herz, who punched out 13 Marlins in six innings back in mid-June. View full article