Assessing Competition for Marlins Final Two Starting Rotation Spots
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The Miami Marlins didn’t wait long to name Sandy Alcantara their opening-day starter. He’ll take the mound on March 27 against the Colorado Rockies.
After that, the Marlins are likely to slot in Eury Pérez and Chris Paddack, who signed with the team that drafted him earlier this week, to take up the next two spots. The order is TBA.
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That means — barring injury — that the Marlins have two rotation spots left and plenty of candidates for those spots. Exhibition games are still a few days away and a pecking order hasn’t emerged yet. But McCullough and president of baseball operations Peter Bendix have plenty of choices.
Who Could Win Final Two Marlins Rotation Spots?
Last year’s holdovers are back in Max Meyer and Janson Junk. Meyer was the Marlins’ first-round pick in 2020, and he was in the rotation in 2025, going 3-5 with a 4.73 ERA in 12 starts. But he suffered a torn labrum in his hip and missed the rest of the season. He’ll not only have to show that he’s physically right but that he can handle a full workload. He’s never started more than 12 games in a season and missed all of 2023 due to Tommy John surgery.
Junk was a serviceable option. He went 6-4 with a 4.17 ERA in 21 games with 16 starts. But he’s been a reliever throughout his career, which encompasses 36 appearances across five years. While the Marlins hope Meyer can compete for a spot, Junk is better suited for a relief spot where he can swing into the rotation if needed.
Braxton Garrett didn’t pitch last season but is in camp, one year removed from revision surgery on his left elbow after he had Tommy John surgery in 2017. Garrett has made it through a full season. In 2024 he went 9-7 with a 3.66 ERA. He was Miami’s first-round pick in 2016, and like Meyer, the Marlins are hoping Garrett is competitive for a spot in the rotation, though they’ll monitor his elbow and build-up. It’s possible he may not be ready for a spot by opening day, but shortly thereafter.
The 40-man roster also includes Bradley Blalock, Adam Mazur and Ryan Gusto. Blalock was with the Rockies last year and went 2-6 with a 9.36 ERA in 14 games (12 starts). He was acquired by trade in January. Mazur started six games for Miami last year and went 0-4. Gusto was acquired from Houston in the Jesús Sánchez trade and went 0-3 with a 9.77 ERA in three starts.
The wild cards are prospects Thomas White and Robby Snelling. White is the Marlins’ No. 1 prospect and went 4-3 with a 2.31 ERA in 21 games, all starts. He allowed just 25 runs (23 earned) in 89.2 innings. He struck out 145 and walked 51 and allowed batters to hit a career-best .174 against him. He is Miami’s No. 1 prospect.
Snelling isn’t far behind. He went 9-7 with a 2.51 ERA in 25 starts last year, with 166 strikeouts and 39 walks.
The Marlins essentially cleared space with the trades of Edward Cabrera and Ryan Weathers. Part of the logic was the depth they had in the rotation. As Miami prepares to enter exhibition games, the starters to watch are Meyer and Garrett. If there are any two starters the Marlins hope will be ready on opening day, it’s those two. If not them, White and Snelling are worth tracking if they have great springs, with a lean toward Snelling who has more Triple-A experience.
