Five Thoughts After Marlins Up-and-Down Season Leads to Missing Playoffs
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The Miami Marlins were up-and-down all season. They held strong at the trade deadline with the hopes of making a second half run. For the second straight season, though, the Marlins fell short of the postseason.
Here are five thoughts on Miami's third-place finish in the National League East division.
Marlins Figured Some Things Out in the Second Half of the Year
Heading into the All-Star break, the Marlins were 44-51, and there were many rumors of them being sellers. Both Sandy Alcantara and Edward Cabrera were mentioned, but they ultimately decided to keep both pitchers. This was because of the mini run they went on after the All-Star break.
From the end of the All-Star break to the trade deadline, Miami finished 8-4. In the second half of the season, the Marlins finished 35-32 and, at one point, the playoffs looked to be in reach. Despite their effort, Miami was unable to overcome their first half and they missed the postseason by four games.
Kyle Stowers Officially Broke Out
Kyle Stowers for Trevor Rogers seemed to have worked out for both teams. However, Stowers has officially broken out and made a name for himself. The left-handed batter slashed .288/.368/.544 with 25 home runs, 74 RBI and he only played in 117 games. He hit the IL with an oblique injury and did not return the rest of the season.
Despite his season ending early, Stowers still finished 10th in wRC+, eighth in slugging percentage, ninth in OPS and he had a 3.6 bWAR. There is no doubt Stowers would have finished with over 30 home runs, and there is a very good chance he would have reached 100 RBI. More impressively, Stowers was also nominated for the NL Gold Glove award in left field. As long as he can stay healthy moving forward, the Marlins have a true All-Star on their hands.
The Bullpen Deserves Some Credit
Miami's bullpen was in the bottom half of the MLB in a lot of categories. However, the main relievers in solid. In fact, the Marlins had six bullpen arms appear in at least 44 games and all of them finished with an ERA under 4.00. Four of them finished with an ERA under 3.00.
Ronny Henriquez led the team with 69 appearances and he finished with a 2.22 ERA, a .199 oBA and 98 strikeouts in 73.0 innings pitched. Anthony Bender finished with a 2.16 ERA over 51 appearances, while Cade Gibson had a 2.63 ERA and 44 appearances.
Tyler Phillips is the reliever that stole the show. He made 54 appearances, threw 77.2 innings and ended the year with a 2.78 ERA. His 0.69 ERA in September and intense (almost psychotic) entrance to the game is what the fans loved to see.
Tyler “Stone Cold” Phillips might have the best closer entrance in baseball now
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) August 25, 2025
pic.twitter.com/a923GlCZtP
There are still some holes to fill in the bullpen, but the Marlins are in good shape heading into 2026.
Were the Marlins Right Not to Trade Sandy Alcantara?
Alcantara was one of the bigger names available at the trade deadline. However, the Marlins decided to hold on to their former Cy Young winner and try to make that playoff run.
Post All-Star break, Alcantara made 13 starts, threw 83.2 innings, struck out 71, walked 20 and owned a 3.33 ERA. His ERA was almost four full runs lower than his ERA before the break, and he was throwing one inning more per game in the second half of the season. Because of his hot hand, Miami felt it was better to hold on to him as there was not an offer that blew them away.
Looking to this offseason, Alcantara is still at the forefront of trade talks. Because of the way he pitched after the All-Star break this year, his trade value might have gone up. Other teams were trying to get him at a discount because of his struggles early in the season. If Miami decides to trade him, they should be able to get a lot more in return this offseason than they would have received in July.
Miami is Almost a Playoff Team
The Marlins have built a good foundation. There are still some missing pieces, but the front office seems set on filling the holes they have. However, what the team has is a lineup full of young, talented players. Stowers is joined by Xavier Edwards, Jakob Marsee, Connor Norby and Augustin Ramirez in the lineup. On the mound, Miami has a solid bullpen and three good rotation pieces.
Looking ahead to 2026, if the Marlins execute their offseason plan, it would not be surprising to see them in the Wild Card race for the entirety of the season.
