Eury Perez’s Final Starts Hint at Major 2026 Leap
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The Miami Marlins seem to be a few pieces away from finding themselves back in the playoffs for the first time since the 2023 season. They've added players on both the pitching and hitting side of things thus far this offseason, but one major piece to get them to the playoffs already resides on the roster.
Starting pitcher Eury Perez is headed into his third season in the MLB with Miami, and as his season came to a close, Marlins fans had no other reason to believe that this guy is their future.
While Perez's overall numbers could improve, finishing the season with a 4.25 ERA in less than 100 innings, his final few starts of the season showcased what he could be in the future.
Perez's Final Four Games
To close out the season, Perez was one of the Marlins' best pitchers. Taking on the Washington Nationals, Colorado Rockies, Texas Rangers and New York Mets in his final four games saw Perez average 88.7 pitches, 8.25 strikeouts in just about five innings of work.
As highlighted on X (formerly Twitter) by Eric Cross, Perez's final games saw him collect a 2.70 ERA, 1.09 FIP, 2.13 xFIP, 1.97 SIERA, 0.85 WHIP, .176 BAA, 42.3% K, 5.1% BB, 16% SwStr.
Eury Perez, last four starts of 2025...
— Eric Cross (@EricCrossMLB) December 31, 2025
2.70 ERA, 1.09 FIP, 2.13 xFIP, 1.97 SIERA
0.85 WHIP, .176 BAA
42.3% K, 5.1% BB, 16% SwStr
Gonna beast out in 2026. pic.twitter.com/J1vopM6Kh9
Perez's best start of September was arguably against the Nationals. After giving up seven runs to Washington in his first start of the month, Perez flipped the script by allowing three runs on seven hits, striking out seven and walking zero.
Marlins fans should also keep in mind that it wasn't just Perez's final four starts that looked promising from the 2025 campaign. In the month of July, one month after making his season debut, Perez reminded everyone that he's only going to get better with time.
Finishing July with a 1.29 ERA, striking out 32, walking five, allowing one home run, and doing so in 28 innings of work lifted him to a 3-1 record. Dominating batters with his fastball, which averaged out to 98 mph, according to Baseball Savant, Perez's 2026 is going to be a big breakout year.
Still young, turning 23 in early April, Perez is the embodiment of what the Marlins are trying to do as an organization from a development side. The Marlins were the fourth-youngest franchise in the MLB last season in terms of age, and of those three teams ahead of them, they were closest to making the playoffs.
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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.