Miami Marlins are Settling Their Starting Rotation for the Second Half
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As play resumes in Major League Baseball, the Miami Marlins are entering the final stretch of 2026 with the National League playoffs straight ahead of them.
With just 65 games left in the regular season, the Fish currently sit in the NL Wild Card race, sitting 52-45 and leading the St. Louis Cardinals by one game in the race. They must merely 'hold serve' the rest of the way, and they will be playing in this year's playoffs.
The starting rotation was the one area lagging when Miami first got hot, with the Marlins spending much of the first half piecing together bullpen games because of injuries to starters Eury Pérez and Janson Junk.
— Tyler Carmona (@TylerCarmona) July 15, 2026
Now, heading into the second half of the season, that group could…
The team's offense, led by rising stars like Liam Hicks, Xavier Edwards, and All-Star Otto Lopez, has been more than enough to carry them to this level, but it's the guys on the mound who will matter most for the remainder of the schedule. Then? They will become even more valuable when the playoffs begin.
27-year-old Max Meyer will lead that group after stepping up as the ace of the staff this season. He's currently 9-1 with a 2.58 ERA and 116 strikeouts. It's realistic to believe he will win at least six or seven starts as the season winds down, and he'll be the go-to guy for the group if they win the Wild Card.
Rise of Perez & Alcantara's Return to Form
Not to be left out of the equation is right-hander Eury Perez, who has surprised many with his consistency this season. While he may only be 5-7 currently, he has registered a 3.38 ERA, 95 strikeouts, and 1.14 WHIP in 85.2 innings. If he can get hot late in the year, then he will be a huge X-Factor for Miami.
Veteran Sandy Alcantara, coming off a tough 2025, has emerged lately as a leader and innings-eater. He has a 3.24 ERA over his past five starts. He's also gone seven innings in three of his last six appearances on the hill.
While there were reports just a month ago that he could be traded, the 30-year-old got a vote of confidence from the team's principal owner, and the Fish's fortunes have forced the franchise to forget about the transactional talk. For this team to make some noise in September and (possibly) October, the Marlins will need his presence.
“He’s been a huge part of how we’ve been able to play because every fifth or sixth day, he comes in and we know he’s going to bank six innings or more and either leave us with the lead or give us a chance to take the lead,” Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said.
Jason Junk, who recently returned from injury, is a bit of a mystery at this point. He's made one appearance thus far, but it was positive. Junk allowed one earned run on three hits over five innings against the Seattle Mariners
Reliever-turned-starter Tyler deserves the final spot due to his ability to be a Swiss Army Knife for the team. When they have needed someone in the fold, he's the guy who has taken the ball and the responsibility of keeping the Fish in the game.
“We have a lot of fungible pieces, and he’s one of them,” McCullough said. “He’s really been helpful for us, coming in to start when we need him. He’s playing well, and I’m really happy for him.”
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