Gabe Kapler and Pedro Guerrero’s Chemistry Could Boost Marlins’ Future
In this story:
A friendship, a brotherhood, is essential in sports. There’s no doubt that Miami Marlins general manager Gape Kapler and hitting coach Pedro Guerrero have mutual respect for one another. They enjoy working together side by side.
Can Three Be A Good Luck Charm for Kapler and Guerrero?
The 37-year-old Guerrero comes from a family with a history of baseball. He is the nephew of former MLB manager and coach Manny Acta. Guerrero has never been a manager, but at least he learned how to teach players the fundamentals of the game. Acta used to manage teams such as the Washington Nationals and the Cleveland Indians.
Guerrero never played in the majors. He played professionally in baseball for eight seasons in the Los Angeles Dodgers' minor league system. He was a versatile infielder.
His coaching journey began in Philadelphia. Guerrero was the bench coach, and that’s where the relationship started with Kapler, who was the manager of the Phillies in 2018 and 2019. Guerrero went from bench coach to assistant hitting coach.
The Phillies didn’t reach the playoffs when they were there, but it’s safe to say that they laid the foundation of what’s to come for the Phillies organization in the years to come.
Kapler and Guerrero’s second organization stop came with the San Francisco Giants. It was during this tenure together that they found success, even if it happened in one season. Together, they helped the Giants reach 107 wins and capture the NL West title. Kapler won Manager of the Year.
Now, both of them are together with the Marlins. Kapler is the current general manager, and Guerrero is entering his second season as the hitting coach. Both men have elevated their resumes with this Marlins organization.
The 2025 season was a glimpse of a team on the rise. Kapler knows he has a lot of work to get done. He’s the sixth general manager in Marlins history. Leadership and focusing on player and staff development are the main priorities for Kapler. He’s not taking it for granted. He wants to win.
As for Guerrero, he knows he has a responsibility to get the players to focus and improve their hitting approach. He’s no longer the assistant. His leadership must grow, and he will have to continue challenging his hitters.
Both men know that, in the upcoming 2026 season, they can’t afford for the Marlins to become bottom feeders, especially with the immense amount of talent they have and more coming up from their farm system.
Kapler and Guerrero are determined to make this third collaboration their best. First, they must take the Marlins to the playoffs.
More Marlins News
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.