There has been no shortage of standout performances from Marlins rookies since the franchise’s inception in 1993.
From historic swings to lights-out pitching, here are my Top 10 Major League debuts in Marlins history:
1. Jeremy Hermida (Aug. 31, 2005)
Hermida is the only player in Major League history to record a pinch-hit grand slam for his first hit, doing so in the seventh inning of a 10-5 loss to the Cardinals. Pinch-hitting for pitcher Brian Moehler, Hermida lined right-hander Alberto Reyes' pitch over the right-field wall to score World Series champions Mike Lowell and Alex Gonzalez as well as Matt Treanor. Hermida would homer 56 more times in his Marlins career from 2005-09, never quite living up to his debut and being replaced the following season by slugging prospect Stanton.
2. Jerar Encarnacion (June 19, 2022)
Encarnacion did it all in his debut, throwing out a runner at second base from right field in the third inning, launching a go-ahead grand slam in the seventh for his first hit and stealing a bag in the ninth. He was the first NL/AL player since at least 1901 to pull off that trifecta in his MLB debut. On his grand slam, Encarnacion went oppo on Mets righty Seth Lugo's full-count pitch. It turned Miami's 1-0 deficit into a 4-1 advantage it wouldn't relinquish in a 6-2 win at Citi Field.
3. Miguel Cabrera (June 20, 2003)
This also made the list for Top 10 moments in franchise history. Though Cabrera went hitless in his first four at-bats, the 20-year-old drilled Tampa Bay righty Al Levine's pitch over the center-field wall for a two-run walk-off homer in the 11th for a 3-1 win. Cabrera became just the second Major Leaguer to hit a walk-off homer in extras for his first hit, joining Billy Parker (Sept. 9, 1971). Cabrera would go on to become a World Series champion alongside pitching prospect Dontrelle Willis.
4. José Fernández (April 7, 2013)
Fernández wasn't going to make the Opening Day roster until late-spring injuries hampered the rotation. Miami's top prospect came as advertised, striking out eight -- a franchise record in a debut -- over five innings of one-run ball. The Marlins' bullpen couldn't preserve the lead in a 4-3 loss to the Mets at Citi Field, but Fernández's debut was a sign of things to come. The 20-year-old phenom would go on to win National League Rookie of the Year and finish as an NL Cy Young Award finalist.
5. Dillon Peters (Sept. 1, 2017)
Peters' debut didn't come with the same type of fanfare as more notable prospects, but his performance was arguably the best. He matched José Fernández's club record for a debut with eight strikeouts, doing so over seven scoreless innings -- which also tied a franchise record -- in a 2-1 loss to the Phillies at Marlins Park. The recently turned 25-year-old yielded three hits and three walks while striking out the side in the seventh in a 91-pitch outing (54 strikes). Peters would appear in 12 more games (10 starts) for the Marlins from 2017-18.
6. Josh Beckett (Sept. 4, 2001)
Beckett, whom the Marlins selected second overall in the 1999 MLB Draft, allowed just one hit -- a one-out single to Rondell White in the second -- across six scoreless innings. He walked three and struck out five in an 8-1 win over the Cubs at Pro Player Stadium. Only Brad Hand (June 7, 2011) and Adalberto Mendez (Sept. 6, 2010) went as deep as six frames and permitted just one hit in an MLB debut for the Marlins. Two years later, the flamethrowing Texan would toss the first shutout to clinch a World Series since 1991.
7. Jakob Marsee (Aug. 1, 2025)
It might seem like recency bias, but Marsee set club records for a debut by reaching base four times and collecting three walks. There had been only one instance since 1901 in which a player making his debut tallied at least one double and three walks in a game: Ray Morehart for the White Sox on Aug. 9, 1924. Marsee's debut became more dramatic thanks to a late rally in a 13-12 walk-off victory over the Yankees in front of a sold-out crowd at loanDepot park.
8. Jordan Yamamoto (June 12, 2019)
Yamamoto skipped Triple-A and made an emergency start when José Ureña landed on the injured list. The 23-year-old Yamamoto tied the franchise record for a debut with seven scoreless innings. He struck out five, walked two, allowed three hits and executed an RBI squeeze bunt in a 9-0 win over the Cardinals at Marlins Park. The Hawaiian would go on to set a Marlins record with 14 scoreless frames to open a career, becoming the first pitcher since at least 1908 to begin his career with consecutive outings of seven innings or more, no runs and three hits or fewer.
9. Mike Redmond (May 31, 1998)
During a rebuilding season, Redmond set club records for hits (three) and total bases (six) in a debut that have since been matched by Giancarlo (then Mike) Stanton and Joe Dunand, respectively. Redmond wasn't your typical rookie, debuting at age 27. He went 3-for-3 with two runs, one homer and one RBI in a 7-6 loss to the Brewers in Milwaukee. Redmond would be part of the 2003 World Series-winning team, and he was the club's manager from 2013-15.
10. Justin Nicolino (June 20, 2015)
Making a spot start for the injured Tom Koehler, Nicolino matched a franchise record for a debut with seven scoreless innings in a 5-0 win over the Reds at hitter-friendly Great American Ball Park. The 23-year-old lefty allowed four hits, walked two and struck out a pair. His big league career would be short-lived, with Nicolino compiling a 4.65 ERA across 201 1/3 innings in 50 games (33 starts) -- all with the Marlins -- from 2015-17.