MIAMI -- With Spring Training set to begin on Wednesday, here are four battles to monitor over the course of Marlins camp:
Rotation
By trading two pitchers from their starting depth (Edward Cabrera and Ryan Weathers), the Marlins enter camp with a bit of uncertainty concerning how to round out the staff. This means younger and inexperienced arms will get a chance to prove themselves.
The rotation candidates can be placed into four categories.
Locks: Right-handers Sandy Alcantara and Eury Pérez are a formidable duo barring injury. Although Alcantara’s overall ERA (5.36) in his return from Tommy John surgery wasn’t pretty, he closed out the season on a high note (2.68 ERA over his final eight starts). Pérez’s return from the same procedure went a bit smoother (4.25 ERA), with a 2.70 ERA over his final four starts.
Likely: Right-hander Max Meyer (left hip) and left-hander Braxton Garrett (Tommy John surgery) were in the rotation before their respective procedures. Meyer opened last season with a 2.10 ERA through five starts before posting a 7.01 ERA over his next seven starts and eventually being shelved. Garrett, who missed the entirety of the 2025 season while rehabbing his second TJ surgery, has not pitched since June 17, 2024. By all accounts, both will be full-go this spring. But facing live batters in a competitive setting, albeit Grapefruit League games, is far more challenging and telling as to one’s progress.
In the mix: Right-handers Janson Junk, Bradley Blalock, Adam Mazur and Ryan Gusto round out the 40-man options. Junk performed better as a reliever (2.78 ERA in five outings) than as a starter (4.53 ERA in 16 games), though six of those were quality starts. Miami acquired Blalock from Colorado, where he compiled an 8.16 ERA in 21 games (18 starts) from 2024-25. Mazur, a former top prospect, pitched into the sixth inning in three of his six MLB starts for the Marlins (4.80 ERA). Gusto, who was part of the return for Jesús Sánchez, gave up 17 runs in 15 2/3 innings across three starts for the Marlins before sustaining a right shoulder impingement.
Wild cards: Top prospects Thomas White (No. 17 overall prospect in MLB) and Robby Snelling (No. 39 overall) will be non-roster invitees, so the likelihood of making the Opening Day roster is slim considering the more experienced options ahead of them. If they continue to perform at such a high level, however, it’ll be hard to keep them at Triple-A. Prospect Dax Fulton, who is on the 40-man roster, is behind this duo in his development. In his return from a second Tommy John surgery, Fulton posted a 5.38 combined ERA in 23 games (22 starts) between Double-A Pensacola and Triple-A Jacksonville.
Third Base
Graham Pauley was last year’s Opening Day third baseman, but that was because incumbent Connor Norby began the season on the injured list for the first of three trips in a frustrating campaign (90 OPS+ in 88 games). The right-handed-hitting Norby and the left-handed-hitting Pauley could very well platoon if neither stands out in spring or the early going. Pauley has the advantage on defense (six outs above average, tied for fifth most among MLB third basemen), and his bat picked up in the second half (.529 vs. .840 OPS) in nearly the same amount of plate appearances. Another wrinkle to the discussion: Norby, who had a .760 OPS in 36 games for the Marlins in 2024, is also expected to get some outfield reps this spring.
Right Field
Kyle Stowers and Jakob Marsee figure to be starting in left and center, respectively. Owen Caissie (No. 42 overall prospect), whom the Marlins acquired as the centerpiece of the Cabrera trade, got a cup of coffee with the Cubs in 2025. With not much left to prove at Triple-A, the 23-year-old needs to assert himself in the Majors. He will be competing for Canada in the World Baseball Classic, however, so his spring will be a bit disjointed. Other outfielders vying for a spot include the right-handed-hitting Heriberto Hernandez and Esteury Ruiz and the left-handed-hitting Griffin Conine, who was last year’s Opening Day right fielder. Conine could come into play at first base, a position he was learning over the offseason, should free-agent signing Christopher Morel struggle at his new position. Right field could also be used as a platoon, especially with an otherwise all-lefty outfield.
Bullpen
There should be two open spots after presumed closer Pete Fairbanks, setup men Calvin Faucher, Anthony Bender and Tyler Phillips, lefty Cade Gibson and righty Lake Bachar. Will Miami use a traditional long man, perhaps someone who missed out on the rotation? Will the Marlins keep an extra lefty (Andrew Nardi or Josh Simpson)? Can newcomer Garrett Acton sneak into that final spot?