MIAMI – The Marlins’ clubhouse resembled a chaotic combination of move-out day and graduation between the shipping boxes and exchange of pleasantries on Sunday afternoon.
When the 2026 Marlins began their journey seven months ago at Spring Training, the underdogs held postseason aspirations. Instead, Miami finished below .500 and fell short of making the playoffs for a third consecutive year.
By beating the National League East champion Braves, 5-3, at loanDepot park to cap the 2026 schedule, the Marlins (80-82) did surpass last season’s win total by one.
“I believe we're close, and I think another important part is we have to realize how far away we are,” manager Clayton McCullough said. “This is not going to just be guaranteed again. Like, ‘Hey, next year it's just automatically going to mean that you're going to make these ... incremental steps.’ We're going to have to do a lot and continue to have that mentality that we have. We have to be hungrier next year than we were this year, and I think everyone [will] feel that unfinished-type-[of]-business mentality when they go through this entire offseason and we all get together in Jupiter next spring – that every day on the calendar is going to matter.”
Miami learned the hard way, going 20-6 in June (the franchise’s best winning percentage in a single month) to put the club in the very early driver’s seat in the postseason picture before a franchise-worst 12-game skid became too difficult to overcome.
While the Marlins set a franchise record with 47 wins at loanDepot park, they went 33-48 on the road (tied for 24th) and 33-50 against winning ballclubs (23rd). In a month that featured matchups against those in front of them in the standings, the Marlins couldn’t make a final push.
There is reason for optimism because of breakout candidates across the board, from Gold Glove-winning utility player Javier Sanoja to All-Stars Otto Lopez and Max Meyer.
Heriberto Hernández, who went deep in the fourth inning to tie the game at 1, homered a club-leading 25 times this season. In a three-run sixth, Hernández led off with a double and scored on Esteury Ruiz’s RBI single. Rookie Jared Serna later added a two-run single.
A career Minor Leaguer until 2025, Hernández even got demoted to Triple-A Jacksonville on April 27 before rejoining the big league club for good 10 days later.
Griffin Conine, who missed substantial time yet again with an injury, crushed a solo shot to the upper deck in right in the seventh with former Marlins broadcaster Rich Waltz surprising retiring Tommy Hutton in the booth.
“If you go back this year and look at that 12-game stretch coming from that All-Star break, that shifted things for sure,” said Conine, who finished with a career-high 19 homers in 94 games. “Even when we played good ball coming out of that, it's tough to come back from 12 straight [losses]. When you look at that closely, it's so many close games that could have gone from one play that could have ended it and then shifted things. I think we're right there. We all know that we're right there, and it's just about taking that next step. Winning the close games versus losing them.”
And then there’s ace Sandy Alcantara, who returned to form in his second season removed from Tommy John surgery.
Alcantara led the Majors in innings (214), tied for second in starts (33) and tied for third in quality starts (21). On Sunday, he collected his third save of the season – a development over the past two weeks.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Alcantara is the first pitcher to get multiple saves on days he entered with at least a share of the MLB lead in innings (since saves became an official statistic in 1969).
As the longest-tenured Marlin, Alcantara showed a willingness to do whatever it took for the club to win. It should be an easy decision for the Marlins to pick up his $21 million team option for 2027 this offseason. His production and veteran presence will be crucial to any potential postseason chase.
“I am happy with this team, with the caliber of team that we had this year, with every one of my teammates,” Alcantara said in Spanish. “The best thing was finishing off healthy, strong. It wasn't how I wanted it. I wanted to take this team to the playoffs and win the World Series. But at the end of the day, we feel grateful for the opportunity that God gives us, this organization.”
Perla Paredes contributed to this story.