Chris Paddack Opens Up About the Past and His Fresh Start With Marlins
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Confidence and self-belief describe Miami Marlins pitcher Chris Paddack's attitude for the new season.
The 30-year-old is not dwelling on the past and has turned the page to write a better chapter.
Will Paddack Redeem Himself From Last Season’s Disappointment?
The right-hander has been in the league for several years now. He clearly has had his highs and lows as a pitcher. The Marlins are the fourth jersey he will be putting on in his major league career.
Paddack started his career with the San Diego Padres in 2019 after being drafted in 2015 by the Miami Marlins. The Miami team traded him away in 2016 to the Padres. In 2022 he donned a Minnesota Twins jersey and went on to play for the Detroit Tigers for a short stint in 2025 and now has signed with the Marlins again in February.
Paddack believes this season will be different from any other. Hopefully, he’s right about that. His 2025 performance was the worst of his career. Splitting between his time with the Minnesota Twins and Detroit Tigers, Paddack finished the season with a 5-12 record with a 5.35 ERA, 112 strikeouts in 28 starts.
Good pitchers need to reach double-digit win seasons. Paddack is still seeking his 10th win in a regular season. His career high in wins is 9, which happened in his rookie season with the San Diego Padres.
Paddack reflected on his past and the future with the Marlins in an interview with reporter Tyler Boronski.
“Reflecting on last season, professional athletes, we have high expectations for ourselves,” Paddack said. “We have to set our goals high. At the end of the day, I know what I’m capable of. Have I backed that up in the last couple of years? Maybe not. I’ve had some setbacks in my career with Tommy John, I’ve had two of them. It just put me in a weird spot where not going out there, reigned off, and went out to pitch. I finally get to do that this year.”
Paddack wants to stay healthy and pitch as many innings as he can, whether it’s up to 150 or 200 this season. He’s enjoying being with the Marlins and wants to help the team win.
“The Marlins were the first team to give me a chance out of high school,” Paddack said. “Here they are knocking on the door to give me another chance. Come free agency, I did get other options, but not as many as I thought. At the end of the day, I want to be with an organization that wants me there, that doesn’t just want to fill a roster spot, but wants me to be part of a special group and to contribute.”
Paddack believes in the coaching staff and the front-office personnel. He grew to instantly respect and appreciate them for taking him in. Paddack is not a player who talks too much. However, deep down inside, Paddack feels that he can reach elite status with this rotation.
“I’m a very humble guy, but I also know that I haven’t reached that ceiling yet, but I believe I have the potential to be a #1 or #2 in the rotation. There are just some things that I’ve learned over the years, but I haven’t really put them all together yet.”
“I really do believe I can be a number #1 or #2 in a rotation.”
— Tyler Boronski (@TylerBoronski) February 19, 2026
Marlins starting pitcher Chris Paddack opens up on his first free agency experience, what he learned through the process, and why his conversations with the Marlins stood out.
Full interview:… pic.twitter.com/jHpe3BKj0m
Spring training has arrived, and Paddack will get his chance to show the team and everyone else that he’s worthy of being at that level.
After graduating from City College of New York in 2014, Miguel created his own blog. Since 2021, he has written for FanSided, where he covered the Toronto Blue Jays, College Football and Utah Mammoth hockey team. He also wrote for Miami Heat on SI and Cleveland Sports Talk. Miguel is the creator and host of his podcast, Baseball Heat Podcast with Mike.