JUPITER, Fla. -- The culture of competition that the Marlins are building on the field is filtering into the clubhouse, too.

Early in the morning, well before the players take the field, they’re fueling their competitive fire around the ping-pong table.

To help relieve the daily grind of Spring Training, the Marlins brought a ping-pong table into the clubhouse a couple of days ago, and players are regularly squaring off, with the trash-talk already in midseason form.

Ping-pong has become a feature of Marlins’ camp in recent years, with the table arriving after the early round of cuts allow portable lockers to be removed, freeing up the space. And for the second straight year, there will be a tournament.

“We are 2 1/2 weeks from getting out of here, so we better hurry up with the tournament, because I feel I need to prove something,” Miami shortstop Miguel Rojas said. “Last year, I got beaten by the champion. This year, I’m coming for the title.”

In 2019, there actually were a couple of champions. Representing the big league camp was first baseman/outfielder Garrett Cooper. And from the Minor League side was left-handed pitcher Braxton Garrett, 22, rated by MLB Pipeline as the Marlins’ No. 6 prospect.

To settle things, there was a winner-take-all match that became an event, with players from both camps, as well as upper management and the coaching staffs, looking on.

Garrett won it all.

“This year is going to be a lot of fun,” Garrett said. “I have the target on my back. But playing ping-pong is really, really fun.”

As the defending overall champion, Garrett expects the competition to go up a notch in 2020. The left-hander opened Spring Training in big league camp, and he is currently in Minor League camp. But to allow him to defend his title, Rojas said, the 2016 first-round Draft pick will be invited to play with the big league camp players.

Cooper also wants another crack at the overall title, and he points out that Garrett last year had the benefit of using his own paddle. Cooper used one of the house paddles.

“Spring Training is fun, especially with guys coming in trying to beat me, the reigning champ in this locker room,” Cooper said. “Hopefully, I don’t have to play Braxton again ... and whatever cheating paddle he was using.”

Rojas takes issue with the flap over the paddles, saying players are allowed to use their own.

“It should be allowed,” Rojas said. “It’s like when you’re using your own bat, you feel comfortable. For me, I’m going to bring my paddle again, because it is my paddle.”

In Garrett’s case, it isn’t about the paddle. It’s the player. The legend of his ping-pong prowess started at a young age.

He had a ping-pong table at his house, and he has three brothers, who all pushed each other. Garrett also has some ping-pong hardware: As a kid, he once won a fifth grader/sixth grader tournament.

“They put this big thing [about it] up at the front of the school,” Garrett said. “As a fifth grade, sixth grade kid, you think that’s the coolest thing ever.”

Put Jordan Yamamoto, in competition for a rotation spot, in the camp supporting players’ use of any paddle they want. Yamamoto, a self-proclaimed “decent” ping-pong player, says Garrett once again will be tough to beat.

“When you have to face Braxton Garrett ... I got to face him [for] months and months [during] rehab, and he’s going to win,” Yamamoto said. “He’s one of those dudes that you cannot beat.”

Garrett may be the favorite yet again, but he will have no shortage of players out to beat him.

Pat Venditte, who throws with both hands, is a righty for ping-pong play.

“Honestly, I can’t do anything else in life left-handed,” he said. “I really can’t.”

Venditte is a sleeper to win the tournament.

“I try not to make too big a scene the first day -- come out of the weeds,” Venditte said.

Left-handed reliever Stephen Tarpley, who once got a ping-pong table as a Christmas gift, is having his own paddle shipped to camp.

Tarpley brings an element of analytics to his game, and even uses some Statcast references.

“I’m a big ‘spin’ guy,” Tarpley said. “High spin-rate guy, launch angle and all that stuff. My smash factor is pretty good out there.”

To all who have their sights set on taking Garrett’s title belt, the defending Marlins ping-pong champion has a simple message about his style.

“I am a ‘My stuff is better than yours, hit it back if you can’ guy,” Garrett said.