Breakout Season Could Be Coming for This Marlins Rotation Arm
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The Miami Marlins have a ton of young players looking to come into their own this season, both on the pitching side of the baseball and the offensive side. The Marlins' offense can keep this team in games this season, but it will be the pitching staff that must do its part to replicate the offense's stride.
Now, Miami does have a strong one-two punch at the top of its rotation, better than people may think, with Sandy Alcantara and Eury Perez. Alcantara is reliable, and Perez is coming into his own to be the future ace of the franchise. But these two can't be the only ones holding down the fort.
The Marlins did add Chris Paddack to the rotation after trading away both Edward Cabrera and Ryan Weathers, but it's another player who stands out as the breakout candidate for Miami in 2026: Max Meyer.
All Eyes on Meyer in 2026
Meyer did improve last season for the Marlins, yet his ERA was still very inflated, finishing with a 4.73. He only pitched in 64 innings, marking a career high, but his workload is likely to increase this season. For Meyer, this is the season to break through the roadblocks.
ESPN's Kiley McDaniel listed Meyer as the top breakout candidate for the Marlins in 2026, as he goes into his fourth season in the MLB and hopefully, his first full season as well. Meyer isn't getting any younger, and if he's bad once again, he's surely a cut or trade candidate despite being a former first-round pick.
"Meyer is about to turn 27 and has made only 25 big league appearances with a 5.29 career ERA. You likely think that sounds like a soft-tossing filler arm, but Meyer sits above 95 mph and flashes three plus off-speed pitches when he's right," McDaniel wrote in defense of his choice of Meyer.
Spring training has been kind to Meyer despite the limited action, having yet to allow a run in four innings pitched. He has swing and miss stuff, but if he can't locate, he won't be getting a ton of swing attempts. His career WHIP sits at 1.426, which he'll look to lower in 2026 as well.
In a perfect world, Alcantara returns to his Cy Young days, Perez stays healthy and consistent all season, Paddack works out in his return to Miami since being traded to the San Diego Padres after being drafted by the Marlins, and Meyer turns a new leaf - resulting in a playoff push for the Marlins.
Dominic Minchella is a 2024 Eastern Michigan University graduate with a BA in Communications, Media, and Theatre Arts and a Journalism minor. He covers Major League Baseball for On SI and spends his free time watching games and sharing his insights.