The Four Marlins Players That Must Surge In First Half of 2026 Season
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Setting the tone early in the 2026 season will be crucial for the Miami Marlins. A talented team with many young ballplayers is more than capable of doing so.
Some players start the season cold because of the weather in April and May. When June arrives, that’s where the bats catch fire. However, that’s not the case or an excuse that the Marlins could use because the weather is warm in Miami during early Spring.
Any of the current Marlins players on the roster can step up. There are four in particular that must set the tone for the team in the first half of the season.
Who Are Core Guys That Must Lead Marlins in First Half?
Eury Perez
There’s no doubt that Perez should be the first one on the list. He’s coming off Tommy John Surgery, which can either make the pitcher much better or diminish his talent. Perez is an exceptional talent with great mechanics. He finished last season with seven wins and six losses. A pitcher of his caliber must be way better than that. In the first half, Perez must keep his ERA below 3.00 and go deep into games at least through six innings.
Kyle Stowers
The stud who became the talk of the town in 2025 for the Marlins. Stowers was a great story in the second half of the season. We believe that his performance in the second half, especially in August, would be the continuation of what’s to come in 2026.
The 27-year-old slugger finished the season batting .288 with 25 home runs, 73 RBIs, and 115 hits. It would not be enjoyable if he didn’t like an All-Star for the upcoming season, but he’s on a mission to have a much better year.
Jakob Marsee
The Marlins outfielder made his debut in the middle of the season. He’s only 24 years old, and it might sound like adding too much pressure to deliver right away isn't right, but this is the big leagues. Sometimes you have to throw your young players into the wolves to see if they will rise to the occasion.
Marsee doesn’t seem afraid of the moment. He made quite an impression when he recorded his first career hit against the New York Yankees and went in to receive National League Rookie of the Month honors for August. His preparation playing for Double-A Pensacola Blue Wahoos and Triple-A Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp has prepared him for these moments to shine.
Marsee finished the season batting .292/.478/.842 with five homers and 33 RBIs in 55 games. He’s proving early in his career that he has excellent plate discipline and can hit for both high contact and power. Pitchers won’t have it easy with him, especially when it’s a two-strike situation.
Augustin Ramirez
Ramirez will be coming into the second season of his career with a lot to prove. He’s the one player in the Marlins lineup who must show consistency. Ramirez had the potential to win the National League Rookie of the Year, but then his production began to slow down. He received 10 points in the voting and finished fifth on the list.
Ramirez is already on a list of marvelous former Marlins who made an immediate impact by reaching 30 doubles, 20 home runs, and 10 steals in a season. Those former Marlins are Derrek Lee, Giancarlo Stanton, Cliff Floyd, Hanley Ramirez, and Preston Wilson. That’s a solid list right there.
Ramirez has many strengths. He’s a strong hitter and has good contact. We need to see if he can be consistent and have more plate discipline. These are areas where he must improve to have a successful second year.
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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.